5 steps of writing

I am at it again....making an anchor chart!!! I can't help it , I love a great anchor chart...ask my 2nd graders, they know:)
Well, lately we have been working through the 5 steps of writing. I feel a fabulous anchor chart is in order so that's what I did! Check out the pieces:

The 5 steps: brainstorm, rough draft, revise, edit, publish. I will attach this to brown butcher paper, and laminate. Then the kids can keep track of where they are by putting a clothespin next to their step.

Like my eraser???

New centers!

Hello all! I am a lover of centers and am constantly on the lookout for new and interesting centers. My 2nd graders have been working on sentence structure and basic grammar rules. Therefore I have been sure to include sentence centers:
1. Silly sentences
Kids create silly sentences based on color patterns. They must also write the sentence. I got this one from Teachers Pay Teachers... A great resource!
2. Sentence builders
Kids create sentences from word tiles. There is no template or form to follow . Students began making very short simple sentences but now must include at least 5 words in the sentence.

In writing at this age many children struggle with spelling. I have been working on this in 2 centers:
1. ALL NEW! Dictionary detectives
In this center kids will draw a word, find it in the dictionary, write the definition in their log, and illustrate the definition.
2. Word builders
In this center kids create words from unifix word cubes. Different words get various points...kids love competition !
3. Alphabet soup/fruit salad
Kids draw either 8 fruits or 8 vegetables and alphabetize the words.

I will post pictures and materials soon.

Fall Pep Rally

Hello families and friends!
Last Friday St Agnes hosted a pep rally to introduce our volleyball and soccer teams. Spirits were high as each player was announced!
Additionally there were silly races between the teachers of various grade levels. 201 and 202, Ms Kruger and myself, raced against 101 and 102 (Ms Lakis and Ms Veltema). While technically 2nd grade lost, we felt like winners with how much our classes cheered!!
To prepare for this even the students made posters to support their grades and teachers. Here are some pictures:

Two Cool Things!

I want to share 2 things that take place in Nest 201 because I think they need sharing!
First.....through the hard work of the St Agnes principal and vice principal we have been blessed with the "Fresh Fruit and Veggie Program" of Illinois . Through this grant we are delivered fresh fruits and vegetables for the whole school. We enjoy these delicious, and may I add, cleaned and cut, fruits and vegetables at our snack time on Monday , Wednesday , and Thursday . We also discuss the importance of good nutrition , and expose the children to foods they may never have tried. We have had pineapple , peaches, nectarines, celery, grape tomatoes, and carrots. Here are some pictures of the kids and I as we enjoy good nutrition, friendship, and a tasty treat!

Second.....we did some very cool art this week! We have been studying da Vinci in art, and one of the things we learned is that da Vinci liked to make his own paint. So that\'s what we did! We made paint from dish soap and food dye. We then painted images if da Vinci\'s infamous Vitruvian Man. Here are some pictures of the kids busily creating their works of art. And please come down our way next week to check out the finished products in the 201 Museum of Modern Art!

Newsletter for the week of 8-27 - 8-31

Hello Parents and families!

It has been a wonderful start to the year and the children are learning our routines very well. I will be sending a newsletter home every week on Thursday to fill you in on any special events as well as our weekly topics. This way you will be able to continue support at home. Don’t forget "Meet the Teacher Night" on September 6^th. I look forward to meeting everyone!

This week we:

• ·   Worked in centers. Our centers centered on spelling, phonics, and sentence building. Ask your children to speak in complete sentences, and think about what they read and see.
• ·      Worked on our writing skills in language arts. The children have been practicing writing sentences correctly: i.e. punctuation, capitalization, and simple spelling errors.
• ·      Began learning about communities in social studies. Ask you children what ways they can participate in their community and point out community based events and parks.
• ·      Did math in various areas. We started with our number sense, and continued with graphing, telling time, and doubles math facts. Do simple math drills with your children to sharpen their fact skills.
• ·      Learned about Leonardo da Vinci. Every week the children will have art for 45 minutes. We will begin with learning about art created by “The Masters.” Today we created nature study sketches and next week we will create our own paint!

Also, our week will have these special days:

Monday-Wednesday-Friday: Gym WEAR GYM UNIFORM

Monday-Tuesday-Thursday: Fresh fruit and vegetable program. Snack provided

Wednesday-Friday: Students may bring a healthy afternoon snack

Finally, please check the blog:

http://msamyssupersecondgrade.blogspot.com/

I will be updating it frequently and posting my weekly newsletter. Sign up as a subscriber and receive email alerts!

Warmly,

Ms. Amy

Centers are off to a great start!

Weekly we will work through centers that are based on weekly language arts concepts. They will change periodically. I will update you on weekly skills so you can help your child at home.
Warmly,
Ms. Amy

Whooooo's in Ms. Amy's 2nd grade class???

Hello and welcome to a new school year! I will be leading room 201's second grade class and my name   is Ms. Amy Zangrilli. Feel free to call me Ms. Amy. I would like to share a little about myself before we begin this adventure called second grade!

To begin with, I am not only a teacher, but an artist and seamstress. I have been trained in sculpture and photography, but I also love to sew and create. I have taught art to many children and it is by far one of my favorite pastimes! I also have 2 school-aged children of my own, 3 dogs, and a husband who runs our business....needless to say there is never a dull moment!

Because I love art and find it to be a vital part of life, I seek to use it as a teaching tool any chance I get. This year our class will embark on many journeys and learn about many different things. I hope to make our experience together fun, enriching, and memorable!

I have been busy preparing for the coming year....take a look:

So all I have to ask is....whooooo's ready to learn??