Irving Elementary

December 2020

Second Grade

Mrs. Koerner and Mrs. Dougherty were so excited to have students back in the classroom! With everything happening this year, we have been so impressed with how well the students are handling it all. They have done a great job wearing their masks, being excited about mask breaks, understanding as we have specials in the room, and enjoying eating in the classrooms.

Mrs. Dougherty’s class took part in Dot Day in September. Dot Day is a global day of celebrating creativity, courage, and collaboration - making our mark and sharing it with others. In October, the students were excited to celebrate Halloween. They were excited to participate in the school parade and see everyone’s costumes, and of course the delicious snacks at the party! Mrs. Koerner’s and Mrs. Dougherty’s classes participated in voting on November 3rd - we voted on which was the favorite animal, a dog or a cat. And the winner was…...a dog! We both look forward to sharing the Thanksgiving Story while we are learning from home, and sent home several activities relating to Thanksgiving. The students were understanding and are continually doing a great job as we are learning virtually. We are so proud of them.

In math, we began like gangbusters - reviewing number bonds, measuring with centimeters, and modeling/building numbers in various ways. We will quickly be learning how to bundle and unbundle (regrouping) when adding and/or subtracting numbers. In reading, we have been busy using story elements to help recall information in a fiction story! We also have begun learning about text features in non-fiction stories and how they help us understand the story. We will begin finding the problem & solution in stories, and the main idea & key details. Lots happening in 2nd Grade!

Mrs. Koerner and Mrs. Dougherty look forward to all the fun the new year will bring. Lots of ideas brewing!

Second Grade Remote Students

Mrs. Bogner's 2nd grade remote learners have been learning reading skills and keeping engaged by participating in Reader's Theatre activities. With the 2nd grade Reading Wonders curriculum comes the play titled "Room for More". Mrs Bogner quickly discovered how the students enjoyed reading and acting together yet remotely apart. It's a great way for our class to connect even though we're not physically in the same location. In addition to using the scripts for whole group reading, Mrs. Bogner has been able to utilize reader's theatres in small reading groups. The enacted stories have been showcasing seasonal themes such as Thanksgiving for the month of November and Winter for December.

Tips From Mr. Everett on Remote Learning

How Parents Can Help With Remote Learning:

1. Minimize Distractions

It is inevitable that your student will get distracted while at home. What we can do as parents is prepare for distractions before they happen. Other ways you can minimize distractions is to make sure that all toys, games, and activities are tucked away during learning hours. Practice the “out of sight, out of mind” mentality. If your student is having trouble focusing due to other distractions in the house, try noise cancelling headphones or moving their learning space to a quieter area. Take it day by day, if something isn’t working, try something new!

2. Set a Schedule

Our students are used to being on school schedules so try to keep their schedule the same at home! There are pillars in the school day that you can mimic at home. Things like start-time, lunch, recess, and end times are good starting points for setting a schedule. Talk with your teacher about learning times and how they typically set the student’s day. Having consistency in the schedule will instill your student with a sense of comfort. Let them know that this is how it is going to be for a little while but learning at home can be just as fun as learning in school!

Now you have an excuse to have recess!

3. Communicate

Communication is key when it comes to remote learning. Make sure to keep open lines of communication with both your child and their teacher. During this time, teachers are quickly adapting to online learning that frankly, most teachers have never had to do before. This is an unexpected learning experience for students, parents, teachers, and school administrators. Try keeping open lines of communication with your students’ teachers and give them feedback. Help them understand what they can do better to deliver the best educational experience and let them know when they are doing a good job!

4. Check-In

Actively check-in with your child on their progress both educationally and mentally. This can be a difficult scenario for students who are used to being in social settings. Make sure that your student feels empowered and comfortable at all times. See how their day is going and help them keep on track with their assignments! Most teachers will give you a due date schedule to manage at home assignments. If your student is falling behind or struggling, make sure to keep open lines of communication with your teacher and administrator – We are all on the same team!

Family Engagement Survey

Parents:

The Family Engagement Survey window will be open from November 30th, 2020 to January 29th, 2021. We are asking for parents' feedback to measure how well Irving Elementary engages families in the education of their children. Please follow this link to complete this brief, 15-item survey to let us know how we are doing. Thank you for your help with this.