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Magician's Memo-Week of March 30th

Magician Parents,

We have five more days until spring break. Students, parents and teachers are so ready and in need for a break. Please remind your Magician to stay focused this week! We will be reviewing a lot for the CRCT in reading, math and grammar. Please make sure your Magician is in bed between 8:00 and 8:30. Remind them when they get on the bus or out of the car to follow the Lifelong Pledge and Guidelines and use self control in class. I am starting to raise my expectations for rising 3rd graders! Friday at 2:20, it's time to play so lets make the best of this week...we still have a lot to cover! As always, thank you for your support!

Reading: The Magician's will read about Jimmy Carterin their Georgia Weekly. We will read his biography in class and identify his character traits.

Grammar: Adverbs will be introduced. We will also review parts of speech, four types of sentences and quotation marks.

Math: We will review multiplication facts 0-5. In addition, we will review adding and subtracting two and three digit numbers.

Handwriting: The Magicians are doing an excellent job on their cursibe handwriting! We will focus on cursive letters "m, n and a" this week.

Social Studies: There will be a Unit 4 test on Government this Wednesday. We will review Monday and Tuesday. The Magicians should study the review at the end of the unit along with the homework sheets. Pay attention to homework sheet for more info!

Writing: The Magicians wrote and illustrated their biographies last Friday. They did a great job. Proofreading skills are very important and still need some work! After spring break, we will work on more writing skills!

Science: Monday, Chattahoochee Nature Center will come to us for our in-house field trip. The Magicians will lean about plants and lifecycles.

ART DAY WAS INCREDIBLE! Thank you to our Art Day Committee for giving us another incredible day!  What a wonderful way to kick off Spring!

Quack Quack! They’re Back!  Duck Sale Tuesday 3/31 for K, 1 and 2 & Duck Sale Wed 4/1 for 3, 4 and 5

PRESALE/DIRECTORY PACKETS:   Volunteers needed to put together the directory forms and the pre-sale forms on Tuesday, March 31st starting at 9am in the Media Center.

SPIRIT DAY – Friday April 3 – wear your favorite Sope Creek t-shirt!

WWF Presents: Ten Things to Do in the Dark  Wondering what to do when the lights go out for Earth Hour?  There are ten fun ideas to help you, your family and your friends make a change and make a difference on March 28 in the PTA Environmental Education Committee blog:  http://sopecreeklibrary.typepad.com/pta_events/2008/03/environmental-e.html

FOUNDATION SOCIABLES NEWS:

On Tuesday, April 14th Sope Creek will be holding their yearly Football Sociable.  It will be right after school til 4:30 with Walton's own Coach Rocky Hidalgo!  $35 per child 2nd grade thru 5th grades.  Kids will be given a tee shirt, sandwich, snacks and drinks and a few other goodies.  Hosts:  Nancy Garfinkel (garfinks@msn.com), Maureen Lamar(mlamar@na.ko.com), Beth Wiesner  (2m3@bellsouth.net),Lee Oesterling (lee@oesterling.com)

You can email us to sign your child/children up.  Also, send the check with your child/children's name on the check and mark the envelope  Football Sociable.  Their will be a basket in the front office.

Don't miss the chance to sign up for Drama Camp!  Info is on the blog and a flyer will come home with all 2nd - 4th grade students.

Magician's Memo-Week of March 23rd

Reading:We will read the book Freckle Juice by Judy Blume. The Magicians will answer reading comprehension questions in complete sentences along with reviewing other language arts skills with the book. In addition, we will be reviewing for the CRCT.

Writing: The Magicians will complete their biographies. They will proofread and edit their biography for homework. Please read it over with them after they have corrected it on their own to make sure their writing makes sense and that it has proper capitlaization and punctuation. I am finding that students are not using the proper verb tenses and pronouns correctly. They will write the final copy in class and illustrate it.

Math: We will continue reviewing for the CRCT in math. We will also focus on multiplication. There will be a Chapter 22 multiplication next Thursday. Please continue to practice addition and subtraction facts also. I am still seeing lots of students still counting on their little fingers. It is so very IMPORTANT that they have those facts memorized for 3rd grade!

Grammar: We will review the different parts of speech for the CRCT along with quotation marks.

Social Studies: The Magicians will continue to learn about our government and how it works. They will have s.s. homework this week that will go along with the reading we do in class.

Monday, March 23rd - The PTA Health and Nutrition Committee is hosting a Lunch and Learn from 11am - 12pm in the Media Center. The topic is "Litterless Lunches". Please come to learn how to create lunches that are nutritious, delicious and eco-friendly. Please contact Natalie Rogers,

fluffyjune@yahoo.com, with any questions.

Tuesday, March 24th - Box Tops due. This is a fun and easy way to raise money for Sope Creek...one dime at a time!

Wednesday, March 25th - Birthday Book Club will be held at 7:20am in the Media Center.

Quack, quack the ducks are back! Mark your calendars. The Kids Care Club will once again be selling those cute rubber ducks. They will be available for purchase on Tuesday, March 31st at 7:20am for grades K through 2, and Wednesday, April 1st at 7:20am for grades 3 through 5.

Magician's Memo-Week of March 9th

Reading: The Magician's will have three Georgia Studies Weeklys to read this week. They will focus on good and services, scarcity, bartering, producers and consumers and much more. They will keep these in their social studies folder. Please do not throw them away! In addition, the Magicians will learn about biographies. Mrs. Suggs in the library will teach them a lesson on biographies. Following, the Magicians will have an assignment. They will interview a person that they want. This could be a previous teacher that they had, a relative, coach, a parent, sibling  etc. and write a biography on them. More info. to come.

Math: We will begin reviewing for the CRCTs. We will focus on counting back change, adding and subtracting three digit numbers, telling time, fractions, story problems, estimation and measurement. We will focus on the x3 facts in multipication. The Magicians will also complete a graphing assignment that will go outside of our classroom.

Grammar:  Nouns, verbs, adjectives, pronouns, 4 types of sentences, present/past tense verbs and quotations  will be reviewed for the CRCT.

Social Studies: The Magicians will learn about economics and ways people earn, spend and save money.

*This is the last week to order Braves tickets for Sope Creek Night at Turner Field on April 28th. Tickets are $11.00...what a fun night this will be!*

Magician's Memo- Week of March 2nd

Reading: The Magicians will read the short story "Shooting Stars." They will complete a story map and take a comprehension test. As they read, they will identify quotation marks and the verbs.

Grammar: Quotation marks have been introduced. The Magicians will continue to learn more about adjectives and use them in their writing.

Handwriting: We have finally started cursive. The Magcians are sooo excited! We will focus on two letters at a time. This week, they will learn how to write "h, l, i and t" in cursive. A lot of Magicians are telling me they know how to write their name in cursive. I do not want them to write their names on their papers until we have completed the entire alphabet in upper and lower case.

Math: We will have a Chapter 15 test on Wednesday which is on measurement. We will focus on the x 2 facts in multiplication. Please continue to practice addition and subtractions facts. I am seeing a lot of Magicians still counting on their fingers. It is soooo very important that they know ALL addition & subtraction facts by the time they go to 3rd grade!!! We will also practice subtracting 3 digit numbers w/ regrouping!

Science: We have completed our unit on the moon. This week, the Magicians will learn how seasons change and what causes day and night.

Donations: Thank you, thank you, thank you for the kleenex that have arrived. I think we have plenty for now! Some of us still have colds and allergy season will be here soon! The Magicians and I are trying to stay germ free and keep our classroom dust free! We are all out of Clorox wipes and Swiffer Dusters. It would be AWESOME if parents could donate these items so we can stay healthy!

We will be going to the library on Thursday this week! Please make sure your Magician brings back their books or they won't be allowed to check books out!

Just a reminder about going to School Box and getting those practice books for the CRCT's in April. We will begin reviewing starting next week!

Magician's Memo:Week of February 23rd

Reading: We will finish the book Midnight on the Moon on Monday. The Magicians will take an A.R. test on the book which will be a grade. We will read the book What Causes Day and Night in class and discuss. The Magicians will have a writing assignment about the book. They will write about it in class and proofread it for homework. Parents will need to check the writing and sign it. If you see some mistakes, please give it back to your child and have them proofread it again. Last time I assigned a proofreading homework assignment, I still found some mistakes in several writings.This is a strategy that we need to work on before we write the final draft!

Grammar: We will continue to identify "juicy words" known as adjectives and use them in our writing. Quotation marks will be introduced this week.

Math: We will continue to work on measurement. There will be a measurement test next Tuesday. We will still continue to practice adding and subtracting three digit numbers. The Magicians will start learning multiplication facts. We will begin with 0's & 1's. Remind your Magician that any number times 0 is 0 and any number times 1 is that number!

Science: We will continue to learn about the moon and recognize moon phases. In addition, we will discuss the importance of  the sun and stars. We will also talk about how seasons change.

Things to Remember: Box Tops and Six Flags Reading Logs due Tuesday, Feb, 24th. Wednesday, Feb. 25th is our class picture day! Next Tuesday, March 3rd is an Early Release day!

 

Magician's Memo-Week of February 16th

Reading: The Magicians will read the chapter book Midnight on the Moon. We will read the book in class and discuss. They will have comprehension questions to answer in complete sentences. The Magicians will be able to use the book to go back and look up the answers if they needed.

Grammar: Adjectives will be introduced. I call these "juicy words." The Magicians will learn about adjectives and use them in their writing to make it sound more interesting. They will also use a thesaurus to help them find "juicy words."

Math: We have been working on adding and subtracting three digit numbers with and without regrouping. Subtraction with regrouping (3 digit numbers) is the most challenging so please practice this at home!We will continue to practice in class as well. We will begin measurement, length and temperature in the middle of the week!

Science: We will begin our unit on space. The moon will be the focus this week. The Magicians will learn about the different phases of the moon. They will become "junior astronomers" and go on a mission finding facts about the moon . They can pick facts from videos, books or any other resources they want to use. After collecting the facts, the Magicians will write an informational piece about our moon!

Things to Remember:

Monday, Feb. 16th- NO SCHOOL!!! Feb. 17th-20th- Teacher's Appreciation Week,  Six Flags Reading Logs-Due Feb. 24th,  Honoring Our Heroes Entry Deadline-Feb. 24th,  Sope Creek Fun Run, Sat. March 14th

Week of February 2nd

Dear Magician Parents,

Thank you so much for a wonderful week of conferences. I enjoyed seeing all of you and feel so fortunate to have such super, supportive parents! Since our patriotic play "Let's Root for America" is our main priority this week and we have early release on Wednesday, the academic focus will be on math and communicable diseases. There will be a math test-chapter 18  on Thursday, Feb. 5th.

Patriotic Play

The Patriotic Play is Thursday, Feb. 5th at 7:00 PM. The 2nd grade has been working very hard and is looking foward to performing for you! Our dress rehearsal at school is on Wednesday. The Magicians should wear their class t-shirts and blue jeans. The performance for parents is Thursday night. Students should come straight to their classroom at 6:45 sharp! They should wear khaki bottoms and red, white or blus on top.

Magician's Memo:Week of January 19th

Reading: The Magicians will read the book Molly's Slow Teeth. Following, they will answer comprehension questions in complete sentences. In addition, the Magicians will also read about the famous Jackie Robinson. Also, don't forget to read and add minutes to reading logs. There are many students who did not meet their 300 minute reading goal in November and December so READ, READ, READ!!!

Writing: The Magicians will write a persuasive writing on "Why Miss Magnes Would Make a Good President" after I read them the book Teacher for President. They will write their ideas on a web to help them organize their thoughts.

Math: There will be a test on Chapter 17-Fractions, Thursday, Jan. 22nd.  Remember to study subtractions facts daily!!!

Health: We will wrap up our unit on teeth.  The Magicians will have a teeth test on Thursday, Jan. 22nd.  They will need to reread the chapter and study the review at the end of the chapter to prepare for the test.

FYI: We will be watching the inauguration on Tuesday. Ask your Magician about it!

Also, your Magician will be getting a play part for our Patriotic play in February. Please have them practice infront of the family or a mirror and remind them to speak in a loud, clear voice!!!

 

Magicians Memo: Week of January 12th

Reading: The Magicians will read about Martin Luther King Jr. They will answer reading comprehension questions along with using a timeline to answer questions about his life.

Grammar: Pronouns, singular/plural nouns and contractions will be reviewed.

Writing: The Magicians will begin brainstorming ideas for a writing assignment, "If I had a Dream..." . We will create a web together as a class and discuss. They will begin writing their rough draft this week.

Math: We will continue learning about fractions. Pleae make sure that you check over your Magician's homework. Fractions can be very challenging for 2nd graders! We will focus on -9 facts. Please continue to study subtraction facts daily!!!

Health: We will wrap up our unit on Nutrition and begin learning about teeth!

Parents: Please don't forget to return conference forms to me ASAP!!! There are already some schedule changes that need to be made and I can't make them until I have all of them back!

Magician's Memo: Week of December 15th!

Reading: The Magicians will read the story "Too Many Tamales." This is a perfect Christmas story to read about family traditions. The Magicians will complete a story map and take a reading comprehension test.

DECEMBER READING LOGS ARE DUE ON FRIDAY, DEC. 19th! PLEASE TOTAL MINUTES!!!

Writing: The Magicians wrote their second "How to" writing using transition words. They will edit it and then type their final draft (hopefully by next week) on the computer. I am still having to remind many students to go back and proofread, looking for proper capitalization, punctuation and spelling. They are graded on these skills so please encourage and remind them how important it is to proofread their writings! This will help eliminate careless mistakes!!!

Math: We completed plane shapes and will begin learning about solid shapes, vertices, faces, edges and angles (Chapter 14) in math. Please make sure you check your Magician's homework DAILY! There have been students coming to school with too many mistakes on their homework! I realize that we are doing a lot of math in a small time frame but I have to make sure I teach everything that is covered on the report card!!! Geomerty can be challenging for some students so please check over your Magician's homework with them. As always, study subtraction facts DAILY

A note from Miss Magnes

Parents,

Thank you to those parents who helped donate supplies for our holiday party to make sure our Magicians have a grand time! I know we will all have a Blast!

PLEASE make sure your Magician gets plenty of rest, eats healthy and gets outside for some fresh air and release of energy!!! Remind them to stay focused!!! We have several assessments that we need to take before we "Party" on Friday!!! As always, thank you for your support! I wish each of you and your family a wonderful holiday and a Happy, Healthy New Year!