Second Grade

Dear Parents,                                                                                               January 2 ,2013

Welcome back after the holiday break!  As you have heard, we are in a larger room!!!  As you are noticing on our math worksheets and tests, the math is a step up in difficulty from the last curriculum.   Our new Common Core national standards require more problem solving and stronger computation skills.  We practice these in class everyday but your child really needs to continue to practice the computation regularly at home also.  Math includes lots of student thinking for problem solving not just a set of rules to follow.  This change means the student will have to try several ways to solve a problem and learn that there may be more than one way to get the answer.  Please help with the reading of the library books to take two tests per week for AR.  Reading comprehension is a very important skill.  The new standards expect students to read 50% nonfiction. Our science and social studies lessons will continue and each student will have to do one project for science and one project for social studies this upcoming semester.  Students may do more than one if they like but only one is required for their grade.  The new standards require students to be able to research materials and present information to others (even in second grade).  Our students can do this well with practice.    Project topics should go along with topics we are studying.  Let your child pick his own topic because he/she  will enjoy learning from it and sharing it with the class.   Games, centers, educational videos and high school helpers are still  included in our learning activities and centers.Schedules often change so check with us if you want. Lunch is at 10:35, P.E. is 12:30.  I have a second grade website, (jackieboulware.yolasite.com).

 Communication between home and school is a great benefit for your child.  Tennessee is using the Common Core Standard for learning goals.  If you are not familiar with this term (Common Core),listen for it being used in the national news.  It refers to a set of learning goals by grade level for children in our nation.  The state testing we do is built on these standards so that is how the state will score all school children in Tennessee. Our daily lessons focus on these goals. More than forty states have adopted this Common Core set of standards for student learning.  Higher level thinking skills are required and use of knowledge not just memory items.  Our children are gaining new skills so everyday.  You are part of the team.   Please meet with me as often as you like to discuss ways to meet your child's needs. 

Thank you for the many ways you have helped us this year so far!  Happy New Year!

Jackie Boulware

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