August 27 - September 6

What a wonderful first week! It was so nice to get to know all the students in the new second grade class. We spent time practicing routines and procedures during the first week.  We also started some of our core subjects. Each Friday I will post a brief summary of what we did during the week and what we will be doing in the coming week.  

In Math this week we started Chapter 1, Understanding Addition and Subtraction and next week we will continue with this chapter. Part of this Math book requires students to tear out pages in their workbook to complete. At the end of the chapter we will have a quiz and then the students can bring home all the pages from that chapter before we start a new chapter. We will not need the pages back at school once they have been sent home;you may like to keep them in a folder in sequence at home so you review your child's progress over the year.. 

In Reading each week we will focus on a story that is part of a theme. We will predict what the story is about by looking at the pages, listen to the story, then read it out loud to a partner. After the story we will do various activities such as compare and contrast, comprehension questions, projects, or culminating activities.  This week we read the story "Dragon Gets By" and next week we will read "Julius". 

* I have CD's with the stories we will read in Reading class to loan to students who would like to bring them home to listen to ahead of time. Please let me know if you would like one. 

Next week we will start our English book and look at Unit 1, Grammar, Usage and Mechanics, and The Sentence. 

Next week we will start our first Science lesson, Chapter 1 - Plants are Living Things. We will take a few short field trips around campus and look for living things and the parts of a plant. 

On Monday we will prepare for our first spelling test. Each Monday we will have a quiz and the new words will be given. All students are required to try the spelling words 1-10. I will also give 5 bonus words which will be optional for students. If students are finding spelling words 1-10 too easy they should try the bonus words. 

When we have quizzes or tests in school the students are required to bring them home and have mom or dad sign them and bring then back to school. I will keep all the quizzes and tests in a student portfolio until the end of the year for the students to bring home. 

The students have been responsible with their homework so far. The amount of homework will increase a little once we really get into the school year. I assign homework that reinforces the work we did in class or builds on general skills like journal writing, spelling and comprehension. If your child does not understand how to do the homework please don't worry; just tell them to try their best and we will discuss it in class the following morning. 

Each Friday for homework I will assign a journal writing to be completed over the weekend. There are instructions inside the journal on how to complete the assignment and what to write about. 

If your child has not brought in a picture to use for their biography, their black binder from last year, or the "Getting to Know you" form, please do so by Monday. 

I am very excited about all the learning and growing that will happen this coming school year (from the students and myself). Please feel free to email me with questions or comments.

Have a wonderful weekend! 

9/30

Homework: Read for 20 minutes,
English - Bring a picture of you having fun,
Math - Workbook 1.2,
English - Journal "What are you most and least excited about in the second grade?"

8/29

Homework: Read for 20 minutes,
English - Bring in a picture of you having fun (by Monday)
Math Workbook 1.1 (3 pages)

8/28

Homework: Read for 20 minutes,
English - Bring a picture in by Monday of the student having fun (approximately 4x6 inches or 12x18cm)
Reading - Comprehension WB "The First Day of School"

The class is going smoothly. Thank you for all your support at home!

8/27

What a wonderful first day! We will spend time practicing routines and procedures over the beginning of the school year. This will allow for greater learning moments and fewer discipline issues over the course of the year.  Please feel free to ask your child what the routines they learned today: rules (penalties and rewards), morning routine, lining up, lunch time, recess time, DEAR time, instruction time (1-2 eyes on you), and end of the day (homework book and leaving the class).

* Thank you for completing and returning the "Getting To Know Your Child" form.
(Please let me know if you would like me to send a blank copy of the "Getting To Know Your Child" form home with your child.)

Homework:
Reading - Read for 20 minutes,
English - Draw and/or write "Second Grade Predictions"

Letter to the Parents and Supply List

Dear Parents,

Welcome to the Second Grade Class for the 2013-2014 school year! 

My name is James Anderson and I will be your child’s homeroom teacher. This is my fourth year at Hsinchu International School but I have been teaching elementary children for the past 8 years.  I am from the State of Oregon in the US.  My qualifications include a Bachelor's degree from Oregon State University, Master’s Degree in Education from Framingham State College and an Elementary Teaching Certificate from the College of New Jersey.  I have taught in Peru and South Korea before moving to Taiwan five years ago.  

Being respectful, responsible, and cooperative are the three “umbrella” rules that I implement in my classroom.  I also believe in a student-centered approach to teaching that promotes learning by experience.  In the classroom students are encouraged to voice their own opinions, questions, and make connections to their real lives, making lessons meaningful to them.  I think by incorporating both the school and local community into classrooms, the gap between the school and real lives of the students can be bridged, adding further value to the classroom learning environment.

For the class, I usually assign 15-30 minutes of homework each day (this does not include general reading time of 20 minutes).  These assignments are either drawn from the day’s lessons or designed to improve overall reading comprehension and writing skills.  If your child frequently finds the homework too hard or too easy, please let me know and I will make adjustments accordingly.  All students will write down the day’s homework in a communication book before going home.  I request that you review the communication book each day and sign it before your child comes to school.  The communication book is a good way to communicate but feel free to stop in after class hours or write me an email if you would like to discuss matters further.

I will be updating the class blog regularly to share class information throughout the year.  Things to note on the blog include upcoming chapters of study, test dates, spelling test words, homework, pictures, educational websites, and other class related news.  The web address is http://mranderson2ndgradeclass.blogspot.tw.  Type in your email address in the “Follow by Email” or "Subscribe to" block on the top right and you will get timely updates.  I make detailed posts every Friday and homework posts everyday so please check it out. 

The class will have one snack time per day and all students are encouraged to bring in their own healthy snack.  Please make sure your child is getting enough sleep and arrives at school on time and is ready for class.

Please find the supply list below. For returning students to H.I.S. please bring back your black portfolio binder to be used again. If you do not have one it will be provided for you by the school. 

Finally, I look forward to meeting your child as well as developing a strong partnership with you over the course of the school year. I hope you and your child are as excited as I am to start the year! 

Sincerely,

 

James Anderson

 

2nd Grade Teacher

Hsinchu International School

http://mranderson2ndgradeclass.blogspot.com/

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Student Supply List

1 box of Markers

1 box of Pencil Crayons or Crayons

1 Glue Stick

1 Fat Eraser

1 Ruler (inches and centimeters) 

1 Pair of Small Scissors

3-5 Pencils (Sharpened)

2 Red Pens

1 Pencil Case

1 Box of Tissues

1 Water Bottle

A Healthy Snack Each Day

Appropriate clothing for PE class (Tuesday and Friday). Clothing for warmer weather includes shorts, t-shirt, hat and running shoes. For colder weather, exercise pants or loose pants, a loose shirt, running shoes and clothing layers in case the weather changes.

School bag size limit (based on student locker size) is 40cm X 28cm