Team Ferrell

Energy by Design

2011-01-22T16:30:00.001-06:00

Nicor is sponsoring a program called Energy by Design: A Visual Arts Contest for Students. This exciting contest provides teaching and learning opportunities for students on the critical topic of energy. It is perfect timing for the program, since we have just begun our Social Studies unit on Conservation, Our World, and how to protect and care for our environment. Students are encouraged to design and create a poster promoting energy efficiency. All of the details and information about the contest and requirements for the poster have been distributed to students in backpack mail.A grand prize winner will be selected in our K-2 grade category. Grand prize winners will be awarded a $1,000 saving bond, a pizza party for their class, and a prize pack filled with fun, age-appropriate prizes. Three finalists in each grade-level category will receive a $200 savings bond, a pizza party for their class, and a prize pack. The prizes will be awarded at the winners' schools by Nicor employees.The contest entry deadline is February 4, so I am requesting that all students return their entries no later than February 3 so that I can postmark all of the posters by February 4. For more information please visit the website http://www.energybydesign.org/.

Three Cheers for Jon Scieszcka

2011-01-21T17:25:00.001-06:00

This year, the Naperville Reads contest author is Jon Scieszka (pronounced She ska), who wrote Stinky Cheese Man, Math Curse, the Trucktown books, the Time Warp Trio series and many others. All of the 4th graders from Gombert will hear him speak at Waubonsie Valley High School. There will also be a contest among the District 204 Elementary Schools for a school visit. Families and teachers will have other opportunities to see him while he's in town during the week of March 14th.So at Gombert we've declared January 31st to February 11th Cheer for Scieszka time. Our job as a class is to get as many students in the class as possible to read Jon Scieszka books! We have a circulating take-home bag for our classroom containing a book and a short response to what is read. The bag went home with the first student tonight and will continue to go home each night until everyone has had a chance to read the book! It is EXTREMELY important that you bring your book back the day after you take it home or else not everyone will get a chance! All the responses will be posted around the LMC. Students who turn one in will get a certificate for a free kids meal at Buffalo Wild Wings!!We're hoping you will all find a way to take part. In class today we talked about the fact that students can go to the public library to look for books by Jon Scieszka and then request a form from Mr. Ferrellto fill out about the book they read from the library! This would be such an awesome opportunity for all of the students at Gombert! Please let me know of any other ideas you may have to promote this terrific author. Thanks!

Hundreds Day

2011-01-21T17:23:00.000-06:00

Today your child was given a note and piece of construction paper explaining an optional hundreds day project. This project entails making an array out of 100 items. We read a book in class titled, The Hundred Hungry Ants and talked about the different arrays that were made in the story. In the letter it describes the different arrays that the children can make. You do not need to go out and buy anything for the project, and they can be as creative as they would like. If the students bring back the arrays they will earn a special prize for turning in the project! The project is due on Monday, January 31st! I am looking forward to seeing what they came up with to make the arrays!

Report Cards

2011-01-21T17:20:00.001-06:00

Report cards went home today for the second quarter! Please remember to sign the envelope and have your child return it back to school. If you have any questions about the report card, please feel free to contact me!

Spirit Week

2011-01-21T16:34:00.002-06:00

"Making a Change” for Local Families

Here are the daily themes:
Monday, January 24th---Pennies-“Pick a Color Day” Staff to wear blue, K & 5—green, 1 & 4---purple, 2& 3 red
Tuesday, January 25th-----Nickels “Neon Day” bright & neon colored clothes
Wednesday, January 26th----Dimes “Dress for Success” Dress like what you want to be when you get older
Thursday, January 27th------Quarters “Quite mixed up day” Mix up colors & patterns
Friday, January 28th-----Spare Change “Spirit Day—gator wear”

New Beginnings

2011-01-08T12:02:00.010-06:00

I would like to officially welcome the students back. I hope that everyone had a restful break and are excited to be back in familiar territory. We will continue to put learning at the forefront as we begin 2011. Our return back to school brought back familiar routines and procedures. On Wednesday, we took some much needed time to discuss good listening. We had an in depth discussion about what good listening looks like and what it does not look like. We also talked about the fact that there are consequences when we choose to not follow the classroom rules. These consequences will serve as a tool to help students learn from their mistakes and, hopefully, make better choices in the future.

After this discussion, we were ready for learning to begin. Students are up and running in all academic areas. During Guided Reading, students learned about the importance of being a voracious reader and understood that it is important that they take every opportunity they have to read. We read the books Library Lion and Wild About Books. These books helped us to understand how important it is to choose various books that fit our purpose as readers. We also took some time to organize our library because we came to understand that if we are unable to access books easily, it will make it much harder for us to become voracious readers.

During Shared Reading, we introduced new vocabulary for the story Mr. Putter and Tabby Fly the Plane. We also built our background knowledge about toys in the past and made some comparisons with the toys that we play with today. We found out that sock monkeys were actually a toy that was played with in the past, and they have made a triumphant return for children to play with and enjoy today.

We are continuing to focus on nutrition in Science. We learned about foods that are not found in the 5 food groups. We referred to these foods as "Others". Students were made aware of the fact that eating too much of these types of foods will not enable them to grow up strong and healthy. However, it is o.k. to eat these types of foods every once and awhile. We discussed the meaning of the word snack and we identified healthy snacks (i.e." Smart Snacks") and those that were unhealthy (i.e "Others"). Some students thought that sugary snacks were healthy. We quickly cleared up this misconception.

In Math, we have begun Unit 6 and have delved back into Guided Math. We also took our first math benchmark which assessed the students' knowledge of math facts. Overall, students did very well. Next week, they will be assessed over their knowledge of mathematical skills. Students are always encouraged to do their personal best. I would like to encourage all students to make sure that they complete all math assignments in a timely manner. It is a new year and some students need to make improvements in this area.

We are continuing with Slice of Life in writing and are discussing different types of leads. We are using well known authors like E.B. White, Eve Bunting and Cynthia Rylant to help us to understand how experts create exciting leads. Our goal is to mimic their ideas when creating our own leads. Next week we will move full steam ahead with paragraph writing. I will be modeling the important parts of a paragraph, and students will be required to use this information to write each component of their own paragraph. The use of conferences will help to ensure that each child is on the right track as they attempt each stage of their writing.

Finally, with a new year upon us, we have had great discussions about what the meaning of a resolution is. Our goal is that every student be able to appropriately focus during learning time in order to achieve their personal goals. We have begun something new in 2F...Brain Breaks! This is an active time where students are allowed to move around and release excess energy before learning takes place. This is used in the afternoon before Writer's Workshop. I have already seen benefits and am hoping that they will continue. Here is to a new year and to all of the new and exciting opportunities it will bring!

Running Low on Expos

2011-01-07T17:15:00.002-06:00

Parents we are having an Expo marker shortage. If anyone is interested in donating markers to our class, we would very much appreciate it. We use them daily during our Math time. Thank you in advance for your donation. If you have any questions, please feel free to call or email me at your earliest convenience.

Math Volunteers

2011-01-05T20:08:00.004-06:00

Parents I am in need of volunteers to help during Guided Math. You would be helping students to play Everyday Math games which are used to reinforce the skills that have been taught. Basically, you would be responsible for helping students to understand how a particular game is played. You would also provide guidance for students by encouraging them to remain focused during this time. If you are interested in helping during Guided Math, please email me at your earliest convenience. Our Math block is from 1:20-2:20 (Monday-Friday). It is important to note that you will not be needed every day of the week. I will inform you of the days that your assistance will be needed. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you in advance for your willingness to help make this time beneficial for the students in 2F.
Email: keith_ferrell@ipsd.org

Read In

2010-12-14T19:57:00.001-06:00

On Friday of this week, we are going to be having a Read-In. We are doing this to celebrate our accomplishments with completing all five parts of Daily 5. We asking that the students wear their pajamas, slippers, bring a stuffed animal, sleeping bag or blanket, and books from home to read. The children are all very excited about the Read-In!

3D Shapes

2010-12-08T20:20:00.003-06:00

Wow! Today was a very active day in Math. We began our time discussing 3D shapes and learned words like vertices, faces, edges and base. We then used these new words when comparing and contrasting different shapes. The students were asked to work cooperatively in order to complete a large venn diagram of similarities and differences. Students were thinking critically about the shapes that they had been assigned and came up with some extraordinary conclusions. I was extremely excited when students presented their venn diagrams. The students had internalized the new vocabulary words and had successfully used them to describe the features of their shapes. Students were on task and excited about the learning process. We also set up 2F's Shape Museum. Tomorrow, we will be taking a quick peek at the various shapes present in the museum. In addition, we will be creating pyraminds using straws and twist ties. My hope is that students are learning not only from me, but from their peers as well. Thank you in advance to Mrs. Melton who will be coming in to help us construct our pyramids. I will attempt to take pictures tomorrow and post them soon.

Scholastic Orders

2010-12-05T20:57:00.002-06:00

Scholastic orders are due on Thursday, December 9th. When you purchase books through Scholastic Book Clubs, we are able to get free books for the classroom. Please take a moment to browse through the flyer and see if there might be something your child might be interested in.

Wendy's Night

2010-12-05T20:49:00.000-06:00

Gombert PTA is sponsoring Wendy's Night on Tuesday, December 7th from 4-8pm. This is located at the Wendy's on Ogden Avenue & Eola by Waubonsie Valley High School. Gombert PTA will receive 15% of total sales on this evening! Hope to see you there!!!

Wintery Weather

2010-12-05T20:42:00.005-06:00

Parents this is a reminder that all students will be going outside for recess everyday during the winter unless the temperatures are brutally cold. We are asking that you remind your children to wear a heavy coat as well as scarves, hats and gloves. Please be aware that students must wear snowpants and boots in order to play in the snow. If you have any questions, please contact me at your earliest convenience.

Pizza Hut Book It Program

2010-11-29T20:52:00.002-06:00

Parents and students this a reminder that all reading logs for the month of November need to be turned in by Wednesday, December 1st for the Pizza Hut Book It program. Also, new reading logs for December will be passed out on Wednesday, December 1st. Happy Reading! We appreciate the encouragement you have given your child to participate in this meaningful program.

Reminder

2010-11-21T09:37:00.000-06:00

Just a reminder that we only have two days of school next week. We are in school on Monday 11/22 and 11/23. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving break!

One True Media (Under Construction)

2010-11-20T16:57:00.009-06:00

One True Media is something new I found to share pictures or videos of special activities in our classroom. This will be used in addition to Slide.com. One True Media has more graphics and music, and seems to be similar to Photo Story. I am excited to be able to use this on our blog! Before viewing, you may want to turn down the volume on the Playlist Player at the bottom of this page. This slideshow does contain music.

Famous Americans

2010-11-19T21:56:00.002-06:00

Over the past three weeks, in Social Studies, we have been learning about Famous Americans. We each picked a Famous American who we wanted to learn more about. We then began researching about them on the computer and in books. Learning about our Famous Americans has been a ton of fun! We then took those facts and wrote a bio-poem about them. Over the past week we have been creating their bodies. You can find these Famous Americans hanging in our hallways!

Pajama Program Donations NEEDED!

2010-11-13T17:33:00.002-06:00

In order to help kick-off the gift giving season, Gombert has decided to participate in the The Great Bedtime Story Pajama Drive sponsored by Scholastic. It's simple to participate:

1. Donate a pair of new pajamas from newborn to adult sizes. (complete sets or nightgowns only please!)

2. For every pair of pajamas donated, Scholastic will donate a book to accompany each pair of pajamas.

Last year, Scholastic donated over 18,000 pairs of pajamas and 18,000 books to those in needed. The goal this year has been raised to 25,000 and Gombert wants to help make that happen!

Click here to learn more about The Great Bedtime Story Pajama Drive sponsored by Scholastic.

Cards for Soldiers-"G" Cards

2010-11-13T17:25:00.007-06:00

As an ongoing project, the Gombert Student Council is sponsoring a service project to help send packages of cards to soldiers. To support our troops, students are asked to create cards for soldiers that they can use to send messages to their family and friends while they are away.

Students can make cards out of standard 8 1/2 x 11 inch computer paper in three different sizes:

1. half fold

2. tri-fold

3. quarter fold

Envelopes will be provided by student council, so all they need are the cards! As a helpful reminder, there should be no writing on the cards, as this allows the soldiers to use the cards for any occasion (birthdays, holidays, etc.)

Don't feel like you are artisitc enough? The Gombert Student Council is also looking for donations of gallon size ziploc baggies to package the cards into and pens (not pencils) to include in the packages.

All donations can be placed in the red, white, and blue basket that is located in the LMC. The Gombert Student Council will be packaging the cards in December, February/March, and May to send to soldiers! Thank you so much in advance for your support of this program!

New Gadget

2010-11-11T15:54:00.002-06:00

How exciting! I just found a new gadget for 2F's blog page. It is called a Voki. I will use it to keep you updated on important events and to thank volunteers throughout the year. Soon you will hear a familiar voice coming from this new gadget (MINE!). I hope you enjoy this.

Stop-Walk-Talk Bully Prevention Program

2010-11-11T06:56:00.002-06:00

Gombert and all schools in District 204 are implementing a Bully Prevention Program called Stop-Walk-Talk. The goal of Stop-Walk-Talk is to “give students the tools to reduce bullying behavior through the blending of school-wide positive behavior support, explicit instruction, and a redefinition of the bullying construct.”

This week in Second Grade, your child will be learning some valuable steps in confronting bullies they may encounter at school. When students observe another student not following one of the 4 Be’s of Gombert – Be Respectful, Be Resposible, Be Ready, and Be Safe – they will initiate the Stop-Walk-Talk method.

The method is simple and easy to execute. Students first let their bully know that they would like them to stop their behavior by giving a firm “Stop Sign” with their hand raised up in the air, palm out. If the bullying continues, the student is encouraged to walk away or remove themselves from the situation. The final step, or talk, is used only when the behavior continues beyond the stop and walk. If the student finds that Stop and Walk have not helped them to remove themselves from a bullying situation, they are encouraged to find the nearest adult, teacher, or supervisor to inform them of the situation.

It is our hope that students will begin to use Stop-Walk-Talk to prevent bullying to themselves or their peers. We will continue to revisit these procedures throughout the year so that students may gain independence in their use.

Veteran's Day Assembly

2010-11-06T19:37:00.002-05:00

On Wednesday, Nov. 10th, Gombert Elementary School will celebrate Veteran’s Day at an all school assembly. At 2:00 p.m., students will honor our veterans and celebrate the freedom of America. Third graders will perform their musical "Revue, Freedom!"

Word Work

2010-11-06T19:12:00.002-05:00

More pictures of your children doing Word Work will be posted during the upcoming week. Enjoy!

Pennies for Pies

2010-11-03T19:46:00.004-05:00

Students have been informed about Pennies for Pies. We are encouraging students to bring in loose change to be collected and donated to a local charity to purchase pies for those who are less fortunate. If possible, please support your child in their endeavors to help others. This an opportunity to show the children how important it is to help those who do not have as much as they do. The students were excited to hear that the class who brought in the most change would be rewarded with a "Pajama Day". However, I reminded them that the best reward they could ever receive would be knowing that they helped someone who is need. Students must have all change in by Friday, November 5th.

Thank You Mrs. Schwartz, Mrs. Kahlfeldt and Mrs. McCutcheon

2010-11-03T19:33:00.003-05:00

We would like to thank Mrs. Schwartz (Owen's grandma), Mrs. Kahlfeldt (Megan's mom) and Mrs. McCutcheon (Tyler's grandma) for being our Mystery Readers. Each one of them shared their time with the students in 2F and read books that were of high interest to all of the children. Mrs. Kahlfeldt shared an awesome pumpkin craft and Mrs. McCutcheon donated two wonderful books to our classroom library. She even brought in a special treat to celebrate Tyler's birthday. 2F would like to thank you again for taking time out of your busy schedules to come and be our Mystery Readers. The students thoroughly enjoyed every moment of your visits. You will find pictures of our Mystery Readers by clicking on the older posts option.

2F Growing and Learning!

2010-11-01T21:11:00.009-05:00

It has been a busy few weeks in 2F. We have come such a long way since the beginning of the year and have learned many new things together as a class. One of the most rewarding experiences, this year, has been the success of Daily 5 in our classroom. Students have now been introduced to all components of the Daily 5 and are hard at work learning the expectations of how to properly participate in the exciting task of Word Work. This will give the students the opportunity to practice their spelling words more during the school day. Students will have the opportunity to use materials like Play-Doh, magnetic letters, letter tiles, and even paint dotters to practice their words.

Students have also been learning how to complete reading responses during Work on Writing. One of the major focuses has been writing summaries using a graphic organizer. In addition, students have been working on making connections and were required to include one strong connection within their response. Students will continue to practice responding to their reading and will be taught how to expand their connections so that they are true connections rather than coincidences. Mrs. Langel popped into our classroom last week and helped us to understand connections that were helpful to us as readers and those that were simply coincidences. We learned that coincidences do not lead us to a true understanding of the text being read; strong connections do.

In Math, we have been hard at work learning how to count up from a smaller amount of money to a larger amount in order to identify how much change one should receive. We have also been learning about Frames and Arrows Having Two Rules. Students continue to be instructed through the use of Guided Math. All of the Second Graders have had the opportunity to play games which have helped students to review the concepts being learned. This is a wonderful opportunity to reinforce what is being learned during whole class or small group instruction.

It also provides the opportunity for students to work on socialization and problem solving skills. The students completed the Unit 2 assessment and did an outstanding job. I look forward to sharing this assessment with you at conferences. It is evident that the implementation of Guided Math has enabled students to focus on the concepts being taught and understand them with greater clarity. I am very proud of the students and how quickly they have adjusted to this new format of learning.

In Social Studies, students are continuing to learn about our country's past. They will now be focusing, specifically, on famous Americans that have made important contributions to the country we inhabit. The students were extremely eager to begin their research projects. They were given the opportunity to work in the Computer Lab and use WorldBook Online as a resource for finding information. Mrs. Smith assisted us during this time, and we were very impressed with their listening skills as well as their ability to weed out the important information. We are still working on using our own words rather than using the exact words of the author. The students will be creating bio-poems which will be on display in the Second Grade hallway very soon. If you are in the building, please take a step into the past and stroll down our "Hall of Famous Americans".

Lastly, the students had the wonderful opportunity to meet a real, live author. Last week, Traci Dant came to visit our classroom. She shared the evolution of herself as a writer. In addition, she educated the students about the process of creating/publishing a book. Students are currently learning about the writing process (brainstorming, drafting, revising, editing and publishing) during Writer's Workshop. However, we learned that authors have to be extremely dedicated when attempting to publish their work because there are several steps that need to be taken before their job is complete.

Her presentation was encouraging to the students and helped them to understand that what they do right now as students will determine their success in the future. The most memorable event was when she shared a book that she had written in fourth grade. It reminded me that writing is such a powerful tool to express one's thoughts and feelings. My goal is to instill this within my students. We will soon begin publishing our own writing during Writer's Workshop. Traci Dant helped us to understand that the possiblities of what a writer can do are endless.

I look forward to seeing you at conferences and sharing with you how your child is performing in Second Grade. Please be on the lookout for student work and pictures of the students participating in Word Work.

Mrs. Dant's Visit

2010-10-27T19:58:00.002-05:00

Poet Visits Gombert

2010-10-24T12:49:00.004-05:00

Traci Dant is the author of Some Kind of Love. This local writer will be visiting Gombert on Wed., Oct. 27th to share her book with our students. She’ll be meeting with various grade levels to discuss the writing process and her own journey. Traci comes to us through an Indian Prairie Educational Association "Artist in Residence" grant. Traci is a hometown hero, having graduated from Waubonsie Valley High School. Families will have the opportunity to purchase copies of this amazing book and to get their copies signed by the author when she visits us on the 27th. If you’d like to know more about Traci and her work, please visit her website at http://www.tracidant.com/ .

Scholastic Book Fair

2010-10-24T12:45:00.002-05:00

Gombert will be hosting a Scholastic Book Fair from Nov. 1 through Nov. 5. Students will have the opportunity to visit the fair during school hours and Gator families can visit during conference hours, from 8-3 on the 2nd and from 4:30-8 on the 4th. A wide variety of books and novelties will be available and the proceeds will benefit the Gombert LMC. For more information, please contact Gayl Smith.

Kline Creek Farm

2010-10-24T12:30:00.002-05:00

The Second Grade Students had a BLAST at Kline Creek Farm! We spent a day exploring the life of farmers and their families during the 1890s. Life was so very different back then! We had the chance to pick corn, make rope, build a barn, take a tour of a farm house, visit the chickens on the farm, see blacksmithing, watch a carpenter at work, and learn about making preserves. Enjoy the slideshow of our exciting day!

Red Ribbon Spirit Week

2010-10-24T11:38:00.010-05:00

Red Ribbon Week will be October 25th -29th. Students will have the opportunity to participate, throughout the week, in exciting activities that will remind them of the importance of staying drug free.

Monday, October 25th ----Red, White & Blue Day "We Elect to be DRUG—FREE"

Tuesday, October 26th ----60’s; Tye-Dye; Peace Signs "Say Peace Out to DRUGS"

Wednesday, October 27th ----Sunglasses Day "Shade Out Drugs"

Thursday, October 28th ----Twin/Multiplicity Day "Friends Don’t Let Friends Do DRUGS"

Friday, October 29th -----Jersey Day "Stay in the Game---DRUG FREE"

Oprah's Book Club

2010-10-08T20:33:00.001-05:00

Check out Oprah's Book Club for Kids by clicking here.

Thank You Mr. and Mrs. Ayers!

2010-10-08T20:24:00.003-05:00

We would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Ayers for being our Mystery Readers. The students really enjoyed the two stories that were read, and Lauren was super excited to see her grandparents in her second grade classroom!

Thank You Mrs. Radhakrishnan!

2010-10-08T20:22:00.002-05:00

Today, we had our very first Mystery Reader. We would like to thank Mrs. Radhakrishnan (Siddharth's mother) for taking time out of her busy schedule to read a story to our class. The students really enjoyed the read aloud and are looking forward to our next Mystery Reader.

A Day Made Better

2010-10-06T19:33:00.008-05:00

Today, I was sent some valuable information from a representative at Office Max that helped me to understand the donation program which is provided to teachers each year. I shared this with the students today during class. My hope is that they received an understanding of exactly why I received this wonderful donation of supplies. Please click here to read more about the exciting things that Office Max does, each year, for teachers around the United States. There are also some great pics of the students that you can view!

Mystery Reader

2010-10-05T21:28:00.006-05:00

Upcoming Events

2010-10-05T21:16:00.001-05:00

Monday, October 11th - No School - Columbus Day!

Wednesday, October 13th- 1/2 Day - Students dismissed at 12:15 pm

Tuesda, October 19th - School Assembly at 2pm

Thursday, October 21st - Field Trip to Kline Creek Farm

Saturday, October 23rd - Gombert Walk-a-Thon 9-11am

Wednesday, October 27th - Author/Poet and Waubonsie Valley High School graduate, Traci Dant will be visiting with the Second Grade students to share her book and write poetry with the students.

Celebrate Good Times!

2010-10-05T19:26:00.015-05:00

Wow! Today was a fantastic day! Workers from Office Max surprised me with tons of supplies to be used in the classroom. I was presented with an enormous boxed filled with items, as well as a comfortable chair to sit in. The students had lots of fun helping me take the supplies out of the box. They also enjoyed telling me about what they had found. There were numerous people in our classroom during this time, which helped to make this event even more special for the students and I. Not only were there workers from Office Max, but there were also reporters and even a cameraman! It is amazing to think that I was presented with approximately $1,000 worth of supplies! I am so grateful to everyone who was involved and to have been given this amazing experience. It was an extremely exciting time, and I am sure that it will be one of the major highlights of our second grade year together. I hope all of the students enjoy their rubber band balls! Here is a link to to the news story written in the Daily Herald. Please click here to view.

International Walk to School Day

2010-10-04T19:49:00.005-05:00

Just a quick note to inform you that Wednesday, October 6th is International Walk to School Day. Students are encouraged to walk, ride their bikes or ride their skateboards to school. This is a great way to show school spirit and to promote exercise at the same time! Students who walk, ride, or roll to school on Wednesday will receive a raffle ticket toward the many bike products (and even a few bikes!!) that will be raffled at the Gombert Walk-a-Thon on Saturday, October 23rd.

Around the Water Cycle

2010-10-01T20:09:00.001-05:00

Sequencing Project

2010-09-25T17:12:00.005-05:00

In reading, we began our first story Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin which focuses on the reading strategy of sequencing. Ask your child if they know what the word sequencing means. Students worked in groups to sequence other stories by Bill Martin (Polar Bear, Polar Bear, Baby Bear, Baby Bear and Panda Bear, Panda Bear) and will present them on Tuesday. This practice in sequencing will provide a great base for our first story from our reading textbook next week - The Mixed Up Chameleon by Eric Carle.

2F: A Week In Review

2010-09-25T11:56:00.012-05:00

We had another eventful week in 2F! We have been working hard on building up our minutes of stamina for Read to Self during Daily 5. We are now up to 15 minutes. Our goal for the upcoming week is to attain 30 minutes of stamina. It is a joy to observe the students so engrossed in their reading during our literacy block. We continue to encourage all students to find just right books. This week we read a wonderful story entitled Goldie Socks and the Three Libearians. The book reviewed the importance of choosing good fit books, the five finger rule, choosing appropriate places to sit in the classroom and remembering to keep our classroom library organized. Students have also begun Read to Someone. We have built up 6 minutes of stamina and I am sure that the minutes will increase during the upcoming week. Students will continue to build up stamina for Read to Self and Read to Someone. During the latter part of the week, they will be introduced to our next Daily 5, Listen to Reading.

We also introduced our CAFE board. CAFE is an acronym which stands for comprehension, accuracy, fluency and expand vocabulary. Students will be working on their individual goals as readers this year and will focus on strategies that have been posted on our CAFE board throughout the year. The overall goal is that students will become increasingly aware of their needs and goals as readers. This board will be a visual representation of our work during our second grade year together. This week we introduced two strategies, Check for Understanding and Sequence Main Events.

Students had their very first spelling test this week. Overall, the students did very well. Please encourage your child to continue to complete their spelling activities for homework. This will aide the students in improving their spelling abilities and their performance on the posttest. Please remember that the homework is due on Tuesdays, which will also be the day of the test. I was very happy about the homework completion this week!

We have begun Guided Math! We took some much needed time to brainstorm what students should look like and sound like during Guided Math and stressed the importance of independenece. We also practiced the behaviors so each child would have a clear understanding of the expectations during this time. As a result, we slowed the pace of our lessons to ensure that students were engaged in the activities provided. We still need to review expectations and responsiblities; however, I am pleased with the progress that students have made since the first day. Please be aware that some lessons will continue to be taught whole class. I am very excited to be providing instruction based upon student's needs. The overall goal is to provide differentiated instruction which will match the levels of learning in our classroom.

The highlight of last week was our water cycle bracelets. Hopefully, your child came home and explained the stages of the water cycle using their bracelet. This week, we willl be wrapping up our Water Cycle Unit and will soon begin learning about our country's history. We will end our unit by creating a water cycle wheel which will serve as an assessment of our learning. Students will need to remember the important stages of the water cycle which should include the following: evaporation, condensation, precipitation and accumulation. We may even be learning a new song to prepare for this assessment. We will also be presenting a reader's theater play entitled "Around the Water Cycle".

We were extremely excited to check out our new Social Studies books from the LMC on Friday. The students and I discussed the importance of respecting property. In addition, students were informed that they were the very first second grade class to ever use these books and that it was important to take good care of them. We can't wait to discover what we will be learning about our country's past. It will be an exciting time for all!

Next week during Writer's Workshop, we will continue to review the parts of speech and work on creating Super Sentences. The students are itching to write their own pieces. This will occur soon; we are still launching Writer's Workshop and reviewing the important routines and procedures needed in order to ensure our workshop time is successful throughout the year.

As you know, students will be taking the OLSAT on Monday and Tuesday. Please be sure that your child gets a restful night of sleep and eats a healthy breakfast so that they will be alert and prepared for the upcoming test.

2F MVPs

2010-09-17T19:30:00.006-05:00

Water Cycle Song

2010-09-17T18:31:00.007-05:00

After completing our water cycle wheels, we reviewed the steps in the water cycle by singing a song. Hopefully, students will be able to recall the water cycle and the new vocabulary words that they have learned. Please ask your children to share the parts of the water cycle with you. They can use their wheels as a tool to help them remember what they have learned. Enjoy watching the video of the students singing!

2010-09-16T20:22:00.004-05:00

This week I was given a link to a news story about Silly Bandz by a fellow teacher. I know that many children enjoy wearing them, and I even sell them at the Ferrell Store. After viewing the video, you may want to discuss the safety of these bands with your child. I will also be discussing this with them at school. Please click here to view the video.

Voicemail is Fixed

2010-09-16T20:17:00.004-05:00

Parents my voicemal issue has been fixed. Please feel free to call me at 630-375-3717 if you need to get in touch with me. Please be aware that contacting me by email is also welcomed.

Homework

2010-09-15T16:41:00.003-05:00

Parents I wanted to inform you that students do have spelling homework tonight, but they do not have math homework. Have a good night.

Spelling Homework

2010-09-14T22:34:00.002-05:00

We are back to spelling this week. We take the pretest on Wednesdays and the posttest on Tuesdays. The homework is sent home every Wednesday, and the children will have one week to complete it. Please note that spelling homework is NOT an option, and I require all my students to do it and turn it in on the following Tuesday. If your child is having issues completing this at home, please send it back with a note. Thank you, I greatly appreciate the "at home" support!!

Correct Model

2010-09-14T22:21:00.006-05:00

View our class as we learn about the correct way to do Read to Self. I hope you are as excited as I am to be able to view this video. This is all courtesy of a flip camera that I was able to purchase because of a grant that I received last spring. I hope to share more videos with you soon!

I-PICK Video

2010-09-10T20:47:00.013-05:00

This week the students in 2F reviewed the I-PICK strategy by learning a song that helped them to remember what each letter in the acronym stands for. Please take some time to view this video with your child and have them show you their moves! To view the video please click here. If you or your child are interested in downloading the words, you can find a link on the right entitled "I-PICK Words"under Super Sites for Second Graders. Enjoy!

Voicemail Issues

2010-09-07T18:27:00.004-05:00

I wanted to inform you that I am currently unable to check my voicemail. If you would like to contact me, please email me at keith_ferrell@ipsd.org. I am hoping that this issue will be resolved quickly. If it is an urgent matter and you would like me to give you a phone call, you can either state it in the email or call the office and leave a message with the school secretary, Mrs. Scheetz. Thank you.

Our First Full Week is Complete!

2010-09-05T16:30:00.015-05:00

I am excited to announce that our first full week was extremely successful. Students are doing an impeccable job of remembering the procedures and routines. This is no small feat, especially since there are so many new things being introduced. Students delved deeper into the curriculum this week and seem to be enjoying their learning opportunities. This week we began Mountain Language. All of the questions were done collaboratively so that the students would obtain a clear understanding of what they would be expected to do. During the upcoming week, students will be asked to do this independently as part of their morning work.

Students also began Guided Reading on Monday. While most of the students will be remaining in the classroom during this time, some will be working with other staff members at Gombert. Students who are working with other teachers spent most of the week getting to know one another. The students also were assessed to determine their reading levels. The children who remained in the classroom were hard at work building stamina during the Daily 5. Students learned about where to sit in the classroom, and were provided with a review of the 3 Ways to Read a Book and also the I-PICK strategy. I took some additonal time to conference with students to ensure that they had chosen good fit books to put into their book bins. Everyone is doing a wonderful job of using this strategy. Please reinforce this important strategy with your children when you visit the Aurora Public Library or a bookstore to browse for books. Next week we will be shooting for 5 minutes of stamina, reviewing the I-PICK strategy and making our own choices on where to sit in the classroom. Be on the lookout for information on our next Daily 5, Read to Someone.

In Spelling, students have been practicing short vowel sounds with songs and poems. We also share a book that features the short vowel of the day. In addition, we have been practicing a different spelling homework sheet each day so that we will know how to do our homework when our real spelling tests begin. We have practicted Sailboat Spelling, Making Words and Rainbow Words. Next week we will practice long vowel sounds and more homework so we are ready for our first Spelling Pretest on September 15th.

In Science, students got the opportunity to use their knowledge of the scientific method, once again this week, as they seeked to find out which teacher would spin to the floor during our "Spinning Teacher" experiment. Students behaved like scientists as they were given the opportunity to stand on their chairs during this experiment. Don't worry, the students were very cautious as they performed this experiment. They were told that this would be the absolute only time they were allowed to stand on a chair in 2nd grade. We continued Science by finding out what students knew about the water cycle. I was shocked to find out how much the students already knew. Students also shared their thinking with their peers when they were placed into cooperative learning groups to determine whether or not statements about the water cycle were true or false. Students will continue to learn about the water cycle during the upcoming weeks.

The Second Graders found themselves learning about how to work with a partner and in small groups during Math this week. The ideas shared were very beneficial and will help students in the future. Our little mathematicians also learned to play two games, Additon Top-It and the Money Exchange Game. They did a phenomenal job and were able to practice appropriate behaviors during this time. Students reviewed time, money and patterns on a number grid. They were given the opportunity to create number scrolls which was something that was done in first grade. They had fond memories of creating these number scrolls and were excited to be completing this task once again.

Students have been hard at work completing their first writing assignment about how to fill each others' buckets. Most students have completed this task and they will be displayed on the bulletin board during this week. If you are in the building, please feel free to view your child's bucket writing. During the upcoming week, we will begin launching Writer's Workshop by completing a writing assessment to determine students' writing abilities. We will also discuss what Writer's Workshop looks like and sounds like. Students will determine who writes, what writers write and why writers write. During the latter part of the week, your children will be involved in searching for ideas to write about inside and outside of our classroom. Our goal is to create an abundance of ideas that will be used throughout the year during Writer's Workshop.

Extended Weekend

2010-09-04T19:33:00.004-05:00

Please be aware that there will be NO SCHOOL on Monday, September 6th in celebration of Labor Day. In addition, students will have NO SCHOOL on Tuesday, September 7th as all certified staff members will be participating in meetings during Building Articulation Day. Students please enjoy your time off, and I will see you on Wednesday, September 8th.

Reminders

2010-08-29T15:24:00.009-05:00

During the first week of school many papers were sent home that needed to be signed by a parent/guardian and returned to school. I am extremely happy to report that many students have been returning these important papers in a timely manner. However, there are students who still need to return papers. Below is a list of forms that were sent home. Please take the time to ensure that you have signed and given them to your child to return to school.

Snack Permission

Classroom Management Letter

Volunteer Information (optional)

Mystery Reader (optional)

Blog Permission Letter

Gombert Student Handbook Form

Curriculum Night Letter (only for parents who were not in attendance)

I would like to thank you all for turning in your transportation forms so quickly. I believe that 2F was one of the first classes that had them turned into the office. Also, I would like to thank the parents who have already filled out the form to visit our class as Mystery Readers. There are two parents who filled out this form and turned them in; however, I am unaware of who they are because there were no names on them. If you could contact me this week to tell me if you are one of the willing participants, that would be great. Please be sure that your name is printed on all of the documents that are being returned to school. It has been somewhat challenging identifying parent signatures.

First Week of School

2010-08-28T16:45:00.012-05:00

2F had an eventful first week of school. The students learned about the classroom procedures and routines, created classroom rules and did an awesome job of organizing their desk, after viewing a photostory clip which helped each child to understand how to perform this task. Students also met some new faces at Gombert when Mr. Ricken, our school prinicpal, and Mr. McDermott, our student service coordinator, came into our classroom to introduce themselves.

In addition, students have begun to learn about how to choose good fit books and received a clear understanding of how to use the I-PICK strategy. This will continue to be reviewed throughout the year as we focus on the Daily 5 in our classroom. The students also got the opportunity to meet Mrs. Smith, our new LMC director, during their first visit to the LMC on Thursday. She has many great ideas and is a wonderful addition to the Gombert community. This year one of her many goals is to aide our Second Graders in the choosing of good fit books.

In Math, students reviewed sequencing numbers and money. Many students did an outstanding job of remembering these skills from first grade. In preparation for Otter Creek, we took some time to identify how fast each student could write their numbers. This activity determines what their 1 minute goal will be during their Otter Creek assessments. Students were also asked to complete four 15 second timings to determine what level they will begin on in Otter Creek. The children were consumed with excitement as they completed each timing. Next week, we will begin practicing partner routines and how to appropriately practice for their Otter Creek assessments. Please encourage students to practice their addition facts every night. You will begin to see their Otter Creek assessments soon. These assessments can be used to study their facts at home.

Science was the highlight of our week! Students learned about the scientific method and performed two experiments. The first experiment was to discover which brand of paper towel was the most absorbent. We soon concluded that, of course, Bounty was the most absorbent; after all, it is the quicker picker upper. During the second experiment, we were seeking to find out what would happen when an egg was dropped from a high elevation into a cardboard box. Students made wonderful hypotheses and the majority of them thought that it would break upon impact. Students became very excited when I climbed on top of a desk to perform the experiment. We all observed the egg break and were able to confirm our predictions.

Welcome to Our Classroom!

2010-08-22T12:42:00.018-05:00

I am excited to share pictures of our classroom with you. My hope is that I have created an environment where students feel comfortable and enjoy coming each and every day. I believe that an inviting classroom setting will help to foster the learning that will occur during the year. Parents I invite you to come and see our classroom on Curriculum Night. This night will take place on Thursday, August 26th. This year, there will be three 25 minute sessions which will hopefully enable those of you with more than one child at Gombert to attend. I look forward to meeting you and sharing information about the learning experiences that your child will be having during the 2010-2011 school year. Information about specific times will be coming soon!

Calling All Mystery Readers!

2010-07-15T13:08:00.008-05:00

This year in 2F we are going to be having mystery readers! I would like to invite any parents, older siblings, grandparents, relatives, or other special people to surprise your child by being a “Mystery Reader” this year in our classroom. Students LOVE having their family and friends visit our classroom to share in our learning by reading a favorite story aloud to our class. Mystery Readers will visit the classroom on Fridays throughout the school year. Try not to tell your child that you are coming into the classroom. Be sure to look for a calendar signup sheet in your child’s folder the first week of school. We look forward to listening to our Mystery Readers!

New School Calendar

2010-07-14T20:58:00.003-05:00

Please click here to view the 2010-2011 school calendar.

Bucket Fillers

2010-07-12T15:38:00.016-05:00

This year we will be doing a character development program entitled "Bucket Fillers." The idea of Bucket Fillers is that each day each student comes to class everyday with a bucket. If they come to school with an empty bucket it means they are sad, and if it is full it means they are happy. By being kind to one another, we can fill buckets, but by being unkind to one another we can empty buckets. The goal is for buckets to be full each day in 2F. Students who are Bucket Fillers will receive recognition of their kindness.

In 2F we will launch this idea of being a "Bucket Filling Class" by reading three of the books published on Bucket Filling: How Full is Your Bucket? For Kids, Have you Filled a Bucket Today? and Fill a Bucket. Each student and teacher will have a bucket with their name on it. Their bucket can be filled up or emptied based on their interactions throughout the day. The first time a student fills up their bucket they will receive a special prize!

Daily 5 and CAFE

2010-07-12T14:56:00.032-05:00

The Daily 5 is a management system that I will use during reading to allow students more time for independent reading activities and myself more time for independent and group conferencing with students. The Daily 5 helps students to develop "stamina" by practicing 5 specific reading tasks daily until they have developed the ability to complete these tasks for a prolonged period of time without interruption. These five tasks are:

Read to Self

Read to Someone

Work on Writing

Listen to Reading

Word Work

As students become independent in these tasks, the teacher can allow students to independently develop reading comprehension, accuracy, fluency, and vocabulary while he works with students to sharpen those skills even further. Through Daily 5, students also learn that there is more than one way to read a book and that each way of reading a book makes them a better reader. Practice some of the ways of reading a book at home with your child!

Read the Pictures

Read the Words

Retell the Story

The Daily 5 also fosters an awareness in readers unlike any other. Students are encouraged to select books that are "Good Fit" books for them. They should be books that interest them but that also are not too hard and not too easy. We even recall the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears when we learn about "Good Fit" books because we are reminded of Goldilocks finding the things that were "just right" for her in that story! When your student wants to find a "Good Fit" book, encourage them to use the "Five Finger Rule."

Look at the cover.

Read the Title and the Author.

Read the blurb on the back.

Flip through the book.

Read the first page.

Use the 5 Finger Rule (fingers represent unknown words on one page):

0-1 Fingers - Too easy

2-3 Fingers - Good fit

4-5 Fingers - Too hard

But most importantly, I want to make sure that students are reading books that interest them in a way that makes them want to read more and read on. For this we use our I-PICK strategy to gauge interest in a book to decide if it's the right book for us. Not everyone will like the same book -and that's ok!

I choose a book.
Purpose - Why am I reading it?
Interest - Does it interest me?
Comprehend - Do I understand it?
Know - Can I read most of the words?
(This is where a 5 Finger Strategy should be used.)

Click here for more information on the Daily 5.

CAFE

CAFE is an acronym for Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, and Expanding Vocabulary - all of the essential elements for building a strong reader! With each letter from our acronym come many lessons, activities, and strategies to develop the areas with which your student struggles. Through individual conferencing and small group meetings, I will be able to deliver lessons that are relevant to the students who need them and focus my attention on their specific development in areas where they are weaker. By using CAFE in conjunction with the Daily 5, I will be able to engage all students in independent, meaningful reading activities while allowing myself time to meet with students individually or in groups to focus on their specific needs.

Click here for more information on the Daily CAFE.

In Great Anticipation...

2010-07-07T20:43:00.008-05:00

I hope that you are all enjoying your summer and surviving the heat. I am taking some much needed time to relax so that I can be reenergized for the start of the 2010-2011 school year. I would like to take this opportunity to inform you that the "Team Ferrell Blog" will be up and running at the beginning of the school year. I am looking forward to sharing our classroom highlights with you, and I am also looking forward to an eventful school year full of many exciting learning opportunities. Continue to enjoy your summer, and I will see you on August 19th at the Meet and Greet...I can't wait to meet all of my mystery second graders!

Tumble Books

2009-12-06T18:33:00.004-06:00

Tumble Books is a resource which allows students to listen to stories online. Students have been using Tumble Books during the school day and enjoy having the opportunity to choose different stories to listen to. It also gives students who are a reading at a lower level the chance to listen to stories that they may not be able to read indpendently. Please take the time to have your child use this resource at home. It is very beneficial and students thoroughly enjoy it. Students will need to type in a username and password. You can find it below. Also, you will find the link to Tumble Books on the right under Super Cool Sites for Second Graders. Enjoy!
Username: ipsd
Password: books