Students will have Music on Monday and Tuesday, and then they will go to P.E. beginning on Wednesday. Please remind them to dress appropriately for P.E. We will also go to the library on Friday, but students can return their library books any day of the week. Students are asked to complete 2 reading and 2 math 'practices' on ScootPad, but are always welcome to do more if they want. This is to be completed by Thursday evening. In addition, students can fill out their reading log to show how much time they are reading at home 6/7 days a week. I will collect the reading logs again this Friday. There is a new Lucky Listener poem students are invited to read aloud to as many people, things, and stuffed animals as they can. We are graphing the amount of autographs students collect on Fridays, and inviting students to recite the poems or read it in a different 'voice' to the class.
We will also begin our MAP testing this Wednesday. During MAP testing, our class will go to the computer lab in the morning each Wednesday for 3 weeks for about 1 1/2 hours. In the fall it usually takes longer because it is a new experience, and because students' endurance for this type of work is lower than it will be later in the school year.
At home, you can support your child by talking with them about why it is important for them to do their best, and that this test isn't something that will go on their report card. The purpose is to see what they know and what areas they need the most help in for their academic progress. For some students this is fun and exciting, but for others it is not. Sometimes, children can be so much harder on themselves than we would ever want them to be. It can be difficult for them to understand that we want them to do their best, but not to worry if they encounter a question about something they know nothing about. You can relate this to ScootPad since some of those questions are about topics they have learned, and others are about topics that they may not have learned yet.
I have also posted a new Student Blog about having endurance and courage for learning. Spending some time talking about it with your child will be helpful as well. They may recall the courage and endurance people like Diana Nyad, Michael Jordan, and Wilma Rudolph had on their journey to success even when faced with obstacles.
Finally, it will also be helpful for your child to get a good night's sleep, and to eat a good breakfast especially on Wednesdays for the next few weeks.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, or concerns you may have about the MAP test, or anything else you and your child may need. Second grade parents are the best!
Highest Regards,
Gina Weber
'Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.' -Helen Keller