• First Quarter Newsletter

My second graders absolutely love to read! They have done such a fantastic job this year, learning and practicing new reading comprehension strategies and advancing to harder books. I am proud to say that every single person in our class has "hit a home run for reading." We have been reading and completing book reports every week for the last five weeks. Now the entire class has earned tickets to a Bowie Baysox baseball game on May 3, where Charles County readers will be spotlighted. Because they have worked so hard, I have also surprised them with baseball tickets to the brand new Maryland Blue Crabs stadium on May 21-22. We will also celebrate Charles County readers on this night. I will post more information after the tickets come in. I hope to see everyone there. Way to go! You earned it!

On Friday, we visited the College of Southern Maryland to see "The Jungle Book." We were a very well-behaved audience, showing respect to the actors on stage. We thought that Marcus, a 5th grader from Mitchell, did a fantastic job playing the part of Mowgli, a boy raised by wolves in the jungle. Our other favorite characters included Shere Khan the tiger, the monkeys, the wolves, Kaa the snake, and Rikki-tikki-tavi the mongoose! This play was based on "The Jungle Book" by Rudyard Kipling. You might like to read it together!

Wow! What a great field trip. We had beautiful weather and a day full of activities and learning. We listened to a great presentation by Beth, the nature center guide. We saw and even touched many animals including snakes, toads, lizards, rabbits, and even cockroaches! We even met a hawk rescued from the side of the road. Our class has been learning about clues in nature including animal tracks and other signs of life. We were able to find many clues about what animals "have been here" as we walked around the pond at Cosca Park. After our walk, we were able to spend some time at the fantastic playground! Thanks to our AMAZING parent volunteers: Donna Dunn, Laura Wade, Christine Spoltore, Lori Sinclair, Darlene Gragan, Ray Allen, Joanie Milstead, and Tracey Baierlein. I really enjoyed my time talking to and working with you at the park. You all are the best!! What a great day!

We had such a fun day making our maps of North America and eating them. Thanks to all the parents who sent in supplies. A special thanks to the following moms who gave up their time to come in and work one on one with us: Mrs. Willett, Mrs. Allen, Mrs. Sinclair, and Mrs. Baierlein. We also had two very helpful grandparents! Thanks to the grandmothers of Morgan and Troy. We loved having you visit!

With one week under our belts, our class is now very familiar with the rules, procedures, and rewards of our classroom. I have been busy testing my new students in spelling, writing, reading, and math. I can't wait until Open House where I hope to learn even more about my students and their interests. I am also eager to meet all the parents and answer any questions they may have about this important year. Please join me at 7pm on Thursday, September 6, 2007.