Wishing you a great holiday break!

Dear Families,
I want to thank you so much for sending the holiday pictures my way. I really enjoyed them. However, we didn't get a chance to view them in class, we are sharing them on here. I love seeing the traditions in your home. Thank you for sharing.
What a wonderful week of presentations we had. I loved hearing about each and every one of the children's heritage. I learned some interesting things about each one. The children did a fantastic job presenting. Thank you for your hard work in making that happen. I still have more pictures to post. I'm trying to find the time for all of these things this week.

Wishing you and your family a joyous holiday season. Enjoy the break and time with family and friends. Thank you for each of the blessings that were poured on Ms. Salas and me this week. We are blessed to spend the days with these children.

Mrs. Montes

Holiday Images

Dear Parents,
I would love if you can share some images of your holiday traditions in your home, or just some pictures of how you decorate for the holidays.  If you can take a picture and email it to me that would be great! I will be sharing the images with the classes while we talk about our holiday traditions in our home.
Thank you.
Mrs. Montes

Whew, it's Friday!

Wow, it's been a crazy week! I can tell break is upon us.

I am so proud of all our students for trying so hard and having courage for the spelling bee on Thursday. They were all so nervous. We had a lot of butterflies flying around that day! Congratulations to Sofia for making it to the Olson Spelling Bee! She will compete against other winners from each grade level at Olson on January 10.

Our presentations are off to a great start. I've shared some of the below. I can tell the students are working hard to prepare by practicing. Thank you for your help and input. Just a reminder, the work should be done by the student. Today we learned that most of the ancestors came from another country and got married here in the United States to someone else from their country. We learned about Poland, Chile,  Norway, Mexico, and England. We will continue on Monday. Keep up the good work.

Because of our presentations, we did not have time to do the spelling and culture vocab test today. We will not have new words next week, but we will take the test on Monday. We did a practice today with one class, and I could see they needed more time to study. Take the weekend to practice. I actually sent the test home as a study guide. There will also be some pictures to match the vocabulary words with.

Next week we continue learning about Cinderella stories, presentations on other cultures, and Germany and the United States. In math we continue counting coins to make a dollar and some are counting beyond a dollar. Our math test on money will be next Friday. We have a half day next Friday.

Also, on Thursday we will be having a Winter celebration with popcorn, juice, and candy canes. We are trying to keep it simple with our limited time on this busy week. If you can send in some popcorn, please let me know. We haven't heard from anyone yet if they can bring anything. Thanks.

Have a terrific weekend.
Mrs. Montes
Enjoy these images of culture presentations below!

 

 
 

Spelling Bee Winners!

Congratulations!
I am so proud of the class for showing good character during our spelling bee today. Everyone was a winner! Congratulations to the Appaloosas: Robert and Georgia for being our first and second place champions.  Congratulations to the Clydesdales: Sofia and Zachary for being our first and second place champions. They will compete against other second graders at Olson tomorrow! Good luck!!!

Wednesday Updates

We made it to Wednesday! Time is flying by this month.
In math we are learning about money. We are learning how to add nickels, pennies, dimes, and quarters to make a dollar. Please practice counting coins at home! Many children know the coins and their values, but are struggling to add the coins together. Thank you for your help.
We continue to learn about cultures in literacy. Our focus is on United States, Germany, Brazil, and Mexico. We are fortunate to have Mrs. Valdez come in to teach us about Chile. In the English class, we are learning about Cinderella stories from different cultures. The children are really enjoying this! We are learning about good vs. evil characters and the lesson or moral of the story. There are some good lessons to be learned in these stories that I hope we can apply to our lives!
Today we will have a spelling bee in our classes. Usually, Olson only had grades 3-5 participate. Now, all grades will join! We will let you know the top two spellers for our classes. These winners will go on to compete against other 2nd graders at Olson. The final winner will compete January 10.
Our spelling and vocabulary test are Friday. Please be practicing these words about culture!
Presentations begin on Friday. Please remember to bring all of your materials with you on your presentation day. It sounds like there are some awesome projects being made out there, and we cannot wait to see them! Thank you!

·         We will have a small winter celebration next Thursday in the afternoon. We are looking for popcorn of different flavors (butter, cheese, caramel, kettle, white) plastic cups, napkins, and candy canes. If you can donate any of these please let us know by Friday! This will give us a chance to shop over the weekend. Thank you. 

What a week! How fun the snow is, if only it would warm up so we could at least enjoy it! Please remember to send appropriate snow gear for recess: hats, gloves, scarves, boots, & snow pants. Hoodies are not an appropriate jacket for this time of year, but they may be warn with a winter jacket.
Have a great week. Stay warm!
Mrs. Montes

Welcome, December!

I hope you and your family had a great Thanksgiving. It has been a wonderful break for us. We celebrated with family and friends all throughout the break. We even made it out to Woodstock for the lighting of the square this year. 
For our culture unit, we will be learning about cultures in different countries. We are asking any parents (or grandparents, or relatives) who you may know that are from a different country. We know several of our diverse families represent other countries and cultures, and we need you! We are looking for someone to come in for about one hour for each class to teach us about your culture! We are looking for learning about the food, traditions, language, customs, religion, celebrations, etc. that you might do that you can share with us. This would be teaching to each class for up to an hour. You can come in one day and do it, or you can come in 2 separate days. We are hoping to find at least 3 parents who can do this. The days would be flexible the week of December 9-13. Please let us know if you are interested. Thanks! 
Making sure I enjoy every minute of this holiday season. Wishing you joy this season also! 

Have a great week. 
Mrs. Montes

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

Monday Updates

• There will not be a spelling and vocab list this week. I did post the new spelling words beginning Dec. 2 if you want to get a jump start on them. This is a review of units 1-6. There are a lot of words on this list, but they are all familiar words. 
• Our next unit is Culture for social studies. Ms. Salas will lead this unit in social studies in Spanish. In our English class, we will be reading a lot of literature about different cultures. Our main activity for this unit is the presentations the students will be giving at the end of December before break. We will send dates home next week telling you when to bring all of your artifacts for your presentation day. These interviews papers went home two weeks ago and were due today. I'm sending home a new sheet today if they didn't turn it in. These are due tomorrow. I'm collecting 5 horseshoes each day they are not turned in. I shared some examples of the presentations today so the children have some ideas of what to do. I will try and find some pictures from last year to put up on the blog to help you out. This is an example of one student who shared his Philippino heritage and another student who shared her Italian heritage. We are looking for any artifacts (poster of pictures, maps, etc) and anything from this time that you can share. You can even dress up like the person you interviewed. This person has to be someone from another country than USA. Children will stand up and share their interview. This must be written in the child's handwriting. You can use note cards or read from a piece of paper. Please help your child prepare for it but let them do the work. Good luck, and please let us know if you have any questions. 
  
• Congratulations to the Clydesdales for winning back the Mustang March trophy! This means we ran the most laps during the march out of all the second graders! Woohoo! Way to work hard Mustangs!
• We are collecting sock donations for our Woodstock Mistletoes! These socks will go to local hospitals to warm the toes and cheer up children in the hospital this holiday season. This is optional! 
• Ms. Salas and I have been out of the classroom at meetings this past week. We appreciate your talking with your child about appropriate behavior when there is a sub in the room. We still work hard, do our best, and treat the adult with respect. Family journals and poetry binders were due today also. 
• Have a wonderful week, and Happy Thanksgiving. We will be celebrating this week with our families. I hope you enjoy the time with your family. 

         Mrs. Montes

Updates

Happy Thursday everyone!

Today we planned to complete family journals and send them home tomorrow. However, we did not get to them. Tomorrow we will do family journals and send them home. Sorry for the confusion. 
We are very busy finishing up the nutrition unit in the Spanish class. As part of dual language, we bridge the languages by connecting the learning. What we do is not a translation or the same, but we are learning about nutrition and ways to keep your body healthy in both classes. In Ms. Salas' class, we are learning about ways to keep your body healthy by eating healthy foods and making good choices from the food groups. In my class, we are learning about healthy food choices, exercise, sleep, and Dr. visits as ways to keep the body healthy. The study guide for this will come home tomorrow and they will write about this on Tuesday. 

Culture-Today you will receive a culture survey. Please complete the survey and return it by Monday, November 25. Please find someone in your family who came here from another country that can share their heritage and experience. 

Operation Christmas Child-If you would like to participate in donating items for the shoebox please send them to school by November 21. I am looking for some parents to wrap 6 boxes for us in Christmas wrapping paper. Please let me know if you are available to help and I will send the boxes home. Thanks.

Thanksgiving Turkey-Please fill this out with your child. There are a few short questions about how your family celebrates. Thanks.

Measurement test is tomorrow. A study guide is coming home today. 

Thanks!
Have a great night. 
Mrs. Montes

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday!

• We were glad to honor our Veterans today in our Veteran's Day Assembly here at Olson. Thank you to those of you who had someone special attend our assembly. We thank you for your service!
• Next week we will finish up all things frogs. We will finish up comparing frogs and toads and the life cycle. Our test for this will be Monday, November 18. 
• We are also completing our Nutrition unit. Ms. Salas focuses on the Five Food Groups in the Spanish class. In my class, we are learning about the extensions to this and the ways we can keep our body healthy. A study guide for this will come home on Thursday. The written response will be on Friday. 
• Next week we will have a spelling list but no vocabulary list. The spelling list lasts for two weeks. 
• Look for our measurement test to be coming up soon too. We are learning about length: inches, feet, yards, centimeters, and meters. To continue measurement, we will learn about telling time next. 
• We have learned about nouns and adjectives in literacy. Look for ways you can extend these skills at home and "jucify" nouns with juicy descriptions. 
• In Character Ed, we have learned about cooperation, citizenship, respect, and responsibility this year. Please have discussions at home about how they are learning to be a good citizen. Sometimes we need reminders of how a good citizen behaves by making good decisions, solving problems, and showing respect. 

Have a happy three day weekend!

Mrs. Montes

Monday Notes

Happy Monday!
I apologize for the confusion of the family journals on Friday. I had a sub on Friday and the written response to a story went in the wrong journal. Thank you for responding twice in the family journal!
Spelling and vocabulary test will be Friday.
We continue to learn about the frog life cycle. We will have a test on this cycle next week. A study guide will go home over the weekend.
Thank you for all of your donations for the Fall Festival. We really enjoyed the craft and the treats. Thank you for your participation! If you did not have a chance to contribute this time, we will have another opportunity for the Winter Party in December. Thanks!
Have a great week!
Mrs. Montes

Happy Friday!

Next week:
Our next unit for math is Measurement.  We will learn about measuring in length on a ruler, measuring time with a clock and calendar, and money.  If your child doesn't have a ruler, please send one in on Monday. Thanks!
Tuesday is a half day. Dismissal is at 11:10. The cafeteria will be closed so breakfast and lunch won't be served. We will have snack in the classroom though in the morning if you want to bring one.
Thursday is our Fall Fest. We will have our classroom celebration from 11:50-12:50. At 1:00 we are having a school-wide fall fest where the children will be mixed up and going to different classrooms to do fall activities. There will not be a costume dress up day for Character Parade like in the past.
We are learning about nouns: common and proper, and singular and plural. Next week's spelling list will focus on this also. We continue to work hard on proofreading and being careful checkers of our work.
Please sign and return the report card envelope for 5 horseshoes on Monday. 5 horseshoes will be given on Monday only for this. Thank you!
Spelling Test will be November 8 but vocab test will be next Friday.
Have a great weekend!
Mrs. Montes

Fall Party:
Thank you for your response to the Fall Party on October 31. I appreciate your help with sending items in. We have napkins, the craft, and juice boxes already. If you could choose something else on the list that would be great. We appreciate your donations and help washing and preparing the fresh fruits. Thank you. 

Non fiction Features:
Please remember to be looking for non fiction features in your magazines or newspapers at home. Please send in something that you can cut out. It should be an article clipping (newspaper, magazine, etc.) that shows a title, label, caption, photo, illustration, or diagram. These are the features that we have been working on so far. In the days to come we will learn table of contents, heading, glossary, index, etc. Cut out the article or artifact of whatever kind and label it with the correct non fiction feature. This is for 3 horseshoes. We continue to work on diagram this week and will learn about the life cycle of a frog. The test will be sometime next week on this diagram. 

This Week:
We will have our spelling and vocabulary test this Friday. The math test will either be Thursday or Friday. If we are ready, I will try for Thursday. This test will cover graphing. We learned about picture graphs, tables, bar graphs, line plots, and tallies. 

Have a great week. 
Mrs. Montes

Updates

Poetry Binders will not be going home today. The Family Journals take a little more time this weekend so we will not be sending home poetry binders. Hope you enjoyed the family scavenger hunt for the family journal. It is interesting to hear the results!
Please consider donating something for the fall party on October 31. Thank you to AM19's family for the craft donation.
Have a fantastic weekend.
Mrs. Montes

Wednesday Updates

It was a pleasure meeting with all of you during conferences. I appreciate you taking time to come in so we can celebrate the growth your child is making this year already. Please continue to work on those math facts. These facts are the foundation for our learning in math. 

I apologize for the Daily Homework posting being inaccurate. I have been changing it each week but it won't save. So I deleted it and will add it here in this post.

Homework Schedule October 14-18
Tuesday-Spelling week 4 & Vocabulary Words-Test NEXT Friday on Both
Wednesday- Xtra Math
Thursday-Family Journal due Monday

Spanish spelling & vocab

Friday-Poetry Binder

In math we are working hard on learning about graphs. We have learned about picture graphs, vertical and horizontal bar graphs, and now we are learning about line plots. To finish up the unit we will learn how to take a survey, record with tallies, and use this data to create all the different graphs we have learned. 

In literacy we are working on non fiction text features. So far we have learned about labels, photographs, illustrations, captions, and our new one this week is diagram. If you find any clippings from newspapers or magazines, please discuss the feature with your child, label it, and send it in. Each feature you bring in you can earn 3 horseshoes. Thank you!

Holiday Fall Party
Our fall party will be October 31 from 11:45-12:50. Some of you have signed up for participating. We still need one food from each food group. We are making fruit kabobs, cheese sticks, cut up sausage, crackers, carrots, and gogurts. If you can help out by sending any of these items in please do that! Thank you. We have two parents coming to help out also.

Have a great week.

Mrs. Montes

Happy Monday

Monday Updates

              ·        Both classes will be shopping at the Book Fair tomorrow, Tuesday,                              October 7. If you would like to send money with your child please put it in                     a baggie or envelope and send it to school with your child’s name on it.

·        Wednesday is a half day with dismissal at 11:10, and there will be no school Thursday, Friday, or Monday.

·        Breakfast will not be served on Wednesday due to the half day. We will have snack in the classroom though, so feel free to bring a snack.

·        Conferences are Wednesday and Thursday. See you then!

·        Spelling and vocab test is Wednesday.

Happy October

Reader's Baggies came home today. Please treat these books like a library book. They should read them and return them to my classroom library. Please fill out the title on the line each time you choose a new book. These books should be a "Good Fit" for your child. Please try the 5 finger rule to be sure.

Conferences begin this Thursday for some of you. We will not be meeting in our classroom for this week. Ms. Salas and I have a sub in our rooms so we can  meet with the parents. All conferences next week will be in our classrooms. We look forward to meeting with you all so we can celebrate your child.

We are always taking donations for Horseshoe Catching Day. If you would like to donate small toys/trinkets that kids like we always appreciate it. Also, pencils and wrapped candy are also popular. Thanks for your help.

We have early dismissal next week on Wed. at 11:10. The children have off Thurs., Friday, and Monday. enjoy your time together as a family!

Looking forward to meeting with you soon.
Mrs. Montes

Monday!!

Picture day is tomorrow!!! Please send in your order form or order online.

Refresh critical back-to-school skills for a successful school year:

Establish routines that help students do their best. To help your child develop good habits and independence: • Put an alarm clock in your child’s room. Instead of you waking her up, see if the alarm can. • Prepare at night. Have your child pack her backpack, pick out an outfit and put necessities by the front door.  You can plan breakfast and make sure her lunch is ready to go. • Create a homework schedule.Pick a consistent time for studying, such as after school or before dinner. When will your child have the most motivation and energy? • Stick to a regular bedtime. Allow time for duties—bathing, brushing teeth, putting on pajamas, reading and saying goodnight. • Post charts to help your child stay on track—a weekly schedule, a bedtime checklist and a reminder by the front door.

Math test is tomorrow!

Updates

Math Test will be Tuesday. Study guide went home on Friday. Please practice for the test and bring the packet back on Monday because we will be reviewing in class Monday.  The review will be very similar to the test. 

Picture day is Tuesday! If you plan to order please bring your order form on Tuesday. Thank you.

I appreciate all of your support on completing homework each night. Please remind your child to put their name on their paper at home.  

Hope you had a great weekend. 
Mrs. Montes

Wednesday Updates

Conferences
Thank you for returning the notes so quickly. This really helps us with planning and organizing the conferences. We try our best to accommodate all of your requests. Our Wednesday and Thursday nights are already full, so if you can please consider a day conference or a 1-5 slot that will be great. Thank you for those of you who signed up early at Back to School Night.
Alex's Lemonade Stand
We appreciate all of the thoughtful donations that are coming to school. I hope the children are checking with you before they bring their money in. Some of the children have brought in very generous donations already. Thank you so much. This is a district wide charity that we are supporting. As a class, we will be using it as our community project and hopefully coordinating an actual lemonade stand in the spring. We will be doing this with our 4th grade buddies. Thank you for your participation!!!
Have a great day!
Mrs. Montes

Mustang March

Just wanted to give you and update about Spirit Week that will be happening soon during our Mustang March. We will have an assembly this Friday and the students will get their Mustang March shirt then. 

THE WEEK OF MUSTANG MARCH SEPT 30- OCT 4th is Spirit Week.

Monday- School Colors Day (red, white, grey, black)

Tuesday - Favorite Hat Day

Wednesday- Sparkle/Fluorescent Day

Thursday- Favorite Sports Team Day

Friday - PLEASE WEAR YOUR MUSTANG MARCH T-shirts

Tomorrow is a late start. 

Spelling test is this week on Friday. Vocabulary test is next week, Sept. 27.

Have a great night!
Mrs. Montes

Happy Monday!

I hope you and your family had an enjoyable weekend.
A new spelling and vocab list is being sent home today. The test will be on Friday.
The money and for for the ice cream social were due today.
Tomorrow night is Culver's Night from 4-8. Come show your school spirit and a portion goes back to Olson!
We are finishing up our theme of "Being Me" this week. We have spent a lot of time learning about characters that need to be themselves to be happy and to live!
In math we are working on greater than and less than. Continue to practice addition and subtraction facts through flashcards or Xtra Math.
Thanks for being awesome with responsibilities at home. It has been a great start to the school year.
Mrs. Montes

Happy Wednesday

We made it to midweek!
Xtra Math is homework tonight and Family Journals come home tomorrow!
Thank you so much to CM10's Mom and GM17's Mom for coming in on Friday this week for our first Horseshoe Trading Day! We really appreciate your time to help with this.
Have a great night!
Mrs. Montes

Happy Tuesday

I hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day weekend! My family and I went camping, and we had a great time celebrating summer.
Thank you to AM19's mom for offering to do the Book It Certificates and reading logs for the year! We are still looking for someone to do the Horseshoe Trading days for us. The time and day are flexible, but we prefer once a month at the end of the month. Thank you!
Reading Logs for August are due tomorrow, and new logs are coming home today. Please remember to be reading 20 minutes a day.
Have a great week!
Mrs. Montes

Happy Friday!

What a busy week we had! We made it through our first homework for Xtra Math. Great job! Reminder that you can practice Xtra Math as many times as you want (maximum once a day) but please do it every Wednesday for homework. We try to get on the computers here at least 2-3x a week.
Our first spelling and vocabulary test was today. The children did great! Please notice the notes I wrote on their test when they come home next week. After today, I will be marking the words wrong if they have capital letters in the middle of the sentence. I want to get that right from the start so we are writing our letters correctly and legibly on the lines. Please help me by pointing this out on their homework if you notice their letters are not written correctly. Thank you.
We are looking for a parent to come in next week from 12-2 (or a time that works best for you) to help do a horseshoe trading day. The children are asking! If you can help with this please let me know.
We also need a parent to do the Book It Certificates once a month. We will send their reading logs home at the end of the month and you would write out the certificates. Please let me know if you are interested. Thanks!
Have a great weekend!
Mrs. Montes

Happy Monday!!

The weather is going to be very warm this week. Students are always allowed to have a water bottle in the classroom, but this week they may take them outside at recess also. It is a good idea to freeze it overnight and then it will thaw during the day and be nice and cold here at school.
Reminder the spelling and vocabulary words are the same as last week. Test is Friday.
We are still searching for the three personal standards on here if your child can come home and say them to you. Thanks!! Students earn 5 horseshoes when they do this.
Wednesday is a late start and the first day we start Xtra Math for homework. I sent the codes home today. Hopefully everything came home. Please try to log in and get it set up and ready for Wednesday. We will try once in the classroom before then too. Good luck!
Have a great night! Stay cool!
Mrs. Montes

Happy Friday!

Thank you for coming to Open House last night. I hope all the information I shared wasn't too overwhelming.

Just a reminder the Family Journals are due Monday! Please take time to write back to your child to let them know how special they are and how proud of them you are. They love reading the love notes from you!

Poetry Binders are going home tonight for the first time. Please have them read it 3x and include 3 signatures and 3 comments. Thank you!

This week we learned about the chameleon who was better off being himself. As we start this new school year, we have a fresh start. We are working on building good character and making good decisions. Can you please ask your child what the 3 personal standards are and respond on here? Anyone who responds will receive a horseshoe on Monday. Thanks!

Next week we will start the weekly spelling and vocab tests on Friday. The words are going to be the same as this week. These words go for two weeks.

Feel free to email us anytime you have questions. I hope you find this blog helpful. tmontes@wcusd200.org

Have a blessed weekend. It's going to be beautiful out there!
Mrs. Montes

Welcome to our first day of Second Grade!

Wow! The morning is flying by here this morning! Our second graders are so eager to get started. I'm sending home several notes home today. Normally I will be posting everything on here and sending everything on here for parents.
Please let me know if you would like notes home in Spanish or English. Thanks!

Dear Parents:

We are ready for another wonderful year at Olson!  Please take a few minutes to read and refresh yourself on classroom information.  

Communication & Our Classroom Blog:

http://www.MrsTMontes.blogspot.com

Above is the URL for our classroom blog.  It is a great way to get up to date information about events in our classroom, upcoming dates, and homework.  Homework is updated each day and new posts are added to the blog several times each week.  The blog has a unique feature called “Follow me by Email.” If you click on this link and enter your email address you will get one email per day if a new post has been added.  It’s a great feature to let you know when might be a good time to take a peek at our blog.  Beginning of the year letters and classroom policies are posted on our blog.  Please log on and look these over.  If you require paper copies please let me know!

  If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me by e-mail (my email address is located on the blog), writing a note, or calling the school.  I check my email several times a day, so if you have a quick question this might be the fastest way to get a hold of me.  Please be aware that if we are having computer difficulties or if we have a substitute, an email may not be seen.  If your message is time sensitive (i.e. – different transportation arrangements) a note or phone call to the school is the safest bet.

Snack/breakfast:

Your child may choose to have breakfast, juice, or milk each day first thing in the morning in the cafeteria.  We will have snack in the classroom at 7:45 for those of you who like to bring your own. Only healthy snacks will be allowed, such as crackers, pretzels, fruits, or vegetables. No cookies or chips. Birthday treats need to remain healthy snacks also. We love to recognize your child's special day here at school, but please save the cupcakes and cookies for home parties. Thank you. 

Money-If you need to send any money to school please put it in a baggie or envelope with your child's name and 2TM or 2TS with your child's homeroom teacher code. Thanks.

Assignment Notebooks: 

Your child’s assignment notebook is a wonderful organizational tool.  Your child is expected to record any homework in his/her assignment book daily.  Each night please sign your child’s assignment book to indicate that all homework is complete.  In addition, please clean out the Take Home Folder each night, and return the completed homework the next day.

Your child’s 2nd grade year is a very special time.  We will work hard to prepare for success by becoming independent, successful students.  At Olson it is also a time for your child to show leadership and be a true role model for others.  Both the academic and behavioral expectations are high this year.  I am looking forward to a wonderful year of academic growth, team building and creating memories to last a lifetime!

                                                                   Sincerely,

                                                                   Mrs. Montes & Ms. Salas J

tmontes@wcusd200.org     tsalas@wcusd200.org

Welcome to Second Grade Dual!

Welcome to Second Grade!

I was amazed at the amount of families who attended the "Meet and Greet" with supply drop off today. Thank you so much! It was great to meet all of you and see the beautiful children that will be in our classes this year. 

Looking forward to our first day of school tomorrow! We will see you on the playground at 7:30!

Just a heads up: Our Back to School Night will be next Thursday from 6:00-7:30 p.m. Can't wait to see all of you there!

Mrs. Montes

Weekly Update

Hello!
Just a reminder that our spelling and vocab words from last week will roll over to the test this Friday. On Friday, we will also have a geography test on labeling places on a map of North America and its surrounding oceans. A study guide will come home this week Thursday.
On Wednesday the Appaloosas will get to shop in the Scholastic Book Fair at Olson. It is a buy one get one free book fair. If you would like to send in money with your child please send it in a baggie or envelope marked with their name, teacher's name, and how much money is inside. Thank you. On Friday, the Clydesdales will be shopping. The Book Fair will not be open to other classes outside of their scheduled times so please send money on these days only if your child wishes to shop. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
The pizza party celebration was a huge success today! I am so proud of these two classes for their amazing efforts all year long. We celebrated with pizza and Popsicles today, and even went outside for a fun-filled and very challenging game of kickball with the Clydesdales vs. the Appaloosas. The game was very entertaining with a final finish of 7-7. :-)
We are still looking for Field Day volunteers and for volunteers to fill up water balloons. If you are interested and haven't already signed up, please contact Mrs. Etnyre at school and she will help you get that scheduled. Thank you so much for your time! We are hoping for beautiful weather to make this a great day of fun!
Thank you so much for a great year with your children. I have been so blessed to know such wonderful families and their children.
Have a great week!
:-) Mrs. Montes

Weekly Updates

Wow, there are a lot of great things going on around here at Olson. I am so happy to see the sunshine! We are getting out there to enjoy it as much as possible, and I hope you are too!
We have started our Geography Unit for literacy. Our main focus is on North America. We will use these vocabulary and spelling words for the next two weeks. Our next and final unit is plants to connect to what we learned in science.
The Appaloosas began their demo training for GLAD this morning. I just know they are a great example of what real learning looks like in our classroom. The good thing is that they are already familiar with all of the strategies being taught because Ms. Salas and I have already gone through the training.  However, the material they are being taught is new to them.
We are having a lot of fun learning about place value in the hundreds and thousands. This is our final unit of the year that leads into a review of  2 and 3 digit addition and begins 2, 3 and 4 digit subtraction. We have learned so much in math this year. I have enjoyed teaching this group of kids more than ever! They are such sponges so hungry and eager to learn! I love them all so much!
Field Day t-shirt orders are due tomorrow!
Have a marvelous day and week! Enjoy the family time and the sunshine!
Mrs. Montes

Math Websites

OOps!!! I forgot. The class wanted me to share some fun websites with you that we have been playing in class. www.ixl.com is a great one for practicing the math standards through games. Click "second grade" and then whatever skill you want (Telling Time). We are practicing the "Elapsed Time" one now and we love it! Also, http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/time/mathman_time_elapsed.htm is another one we love in the classroom. Enjoy!!!

Weekly Updates

Today our classes visited the Olson Mustang Big Give. What an amazing event this was. It is so fabulous to see these children working creatively and passionately about fundraising for a local charity. We really got some great stuff today! Thank you to all of you who participated in the giving!
Thursday's family journal will be your child's poetry book that we created from Literacy Night. We worked so hard to create these books that I really want them to have a chance to share them with you. Please have your child read their poems to you sometime before Monday and return them on Monday. Please take time to discuss their creativity and their work with them. Some of these poems really pour out of their hearts! I am so proud of their hard work! Parents please write them a note back about their poems. You can write in their family journals.You make keep the poems at home.
Friday we will finish MAP testing for both classes. We will also have our spelling and vocab test from the past two weeks. Our next few units are Geography (North America) and the Earth, and natural disasters (tornado, hurricane, earthquake). We will finish up the year with Plants. Next Monday we have a great opportunity at Olson where we will begin planting here at school and the children will get to take home the plant at the end of the year. We will finish up "Telling Time" in math this week and have a test on Monday next week. Our last units for math are reviewing two digit addition and learning two digit subtraction, and reviewing multiplication.
Have a fantastic week!
Mrs. Montes

Updates

I hope everyone enjoyed their spring break. I had a relaxing and restful break. My husband and I went to San Diego for a little getaway and had a fabulous time. Break is always too short!
We are closing up our Ingenious Inventors unit this week. On Friday, we will have a test on the vocabulary words and the pictures that go with them. They will identify the word, meaning, and connect the inventor and his invention. A study sheet will go home Thursday.
Next week we begin MAP testing on the computers for the Clydesdales from 12:30-1:30. The following week the Appaloosas will be testing. If you volunteer in the afternoon and want to switch to the morning those weeks that would be fine. Otherwise, Ms. Salas could always use some volunteers to listen to the children read in Spanish to practice fluency. We will not have a spelling and vocab test next week, but the following Friday, April 19 we will.
I will be gone next week Tuesday-Friday at a math training in New Mexico. I will have a fantastic substitute here taking care of your children. She was Mrs. Pawelko's maternity leave substitute. Volunteers please still come in to give her a hand. We will need extra hands here Tuesday -Thursday for a special project the connects to Art class. There is a lot of creativity and writing with this activity so any help Mrs. Lowrey can get is always appreciated!
The year is winding down to our last 7 weeks. I love these classes and every minute we have together.
Have a fantastic week. Hopefully we will start to see signs of Spring soon!
Mrs. Montes

Weekly Updates

We are enjoying our unit about Ingenious Inventions. We are learning a lot of interesting facts about the inventors and their ingenious ideas that helped change our world. This will continue for one more week after spring break. I hope the children are coming home and sharing the interesting facts with you at home.
Tomorrow we have a math test on geometry-rectangles, squares, triangles, perimeter, parallelograms, quadrilaterals, and parallel lines. We are enjoying this fun, hands-on unit. We will begin fractions next. To conclude the year, we will learn about "telling time" and "two-digit subtraction."
We are half way through learning cursive. The children are really enjoying this writing activity! We will finish up the letters this week. Once we have learned all of the letters, the children may begin using it in their daily work.
Report cards go home Friday! Wow, the 3rd quarter flew by! Please continue to practice math basic facts at home through flash cards or XtraMath. While we are learning about measurement, geometry, time, and fractions, I hope the children are still practicing their facts.
Thank you for all that you do!
Have a great week!
Mrs. Montes

Updates

Tomorrow we will have our Whales Test to conclude the unit. A review is coming home tonight to practice. It will be about everything whales that we have covered. Some things to know: The difference between a toothed whale and a baleen whale and what they eat/how their diet is different. Whales are mammals and they breathe with lungs. They cannot breathe underwater. Label the parts of the whale. Blue Whales are the largest whales. Whales do not sleep. They take in air while they are "half sleeping."

Our spelling and vocab test will also be tomorrow.

We start Inventions next week. We will do this for 2-3 weeks as we learn about different inventors and what they are known for by changing our world.

Have a great day!
Mrs. Montes

Updates

The children did an amazing job at the Music Concert on Thursday night. They were just glowing with excitement and maybe a little bit of nerves too. Thank you for your support and encouragement as they prepared for their big night.
This week we finish up our Whale Unit. We will continue to learn about the three different whales as we become experts on our whale of study (Sperm Whale, Humpback Whale, Blue Whale, and the Minke Whale). It is interesting learning about their characteristics and way of life. If you are interested, there are several awesome whale videos on You Tube that the children will enjoy. I just search "Whale Videos" and many come up. National Geographic is a great resource for appropriate ones for kids also.
One Wednesday, the Penguin/Whale reports are due. We will draw names and dates to see when your child presents to the class. We will present Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Please bring the report and the diorama on the day your child presents because we do not have space in the classroom to store all of the dioramas. Just a reminder you need 3 pictures or illustrations for the written report. The children can read from their report or share the highlighted points from notecards. Also, don't forget to include an introduction and an ending (conclusion) for the written report. We can't wait to see their completed projects. I love that they are all unique and special in every way.
We are in our measurement unit for math. If your child does not have a ruler yet please send one. Our next unit is telling time. This is a very difficult skill for many children. If you want to give them some extra practice feel free to start discussing this any time. Please continue to practice math facts through Xtra Math or flashcards. Last year I did a study on the class. I took notes on their scores for the year. I could tell who practiced and who didn't, and it was amazing to see the growth in those who practiced math facts 4-5 times a week. Knowing these single digit facts will help them succeed with two digit addition and subtraction at a must faster pace. Thank you for your efforts to encourage them to practice!
I just love the character that flows in and out of our classroom. I see good decision making and integrity. This month our focus was on responsibility. We filled our heart in the hallway, so we get the special "Game Day" this week to celebrate that. If your child has any board games that they would like to bring in on Friday to share for this time, please bring it on Friday. Thank you so much.
If you volunteer Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday in the afternoon we won't need volunteers this week because of presentations. If you would like to switch to the morning that would be fine.
Hope you had a fantastic weekend.
Mrs. Montes

Enjoy the break!

I'm enjoying the time spent together for conferences. I love celebrating what we have learned this year and sharing with you how much your child is growing in second grade.
For the penguin/whale project in Spanish or English please follow the rubric that came home today on a purple sheet. If you did not get it I am attaching it here. This will help all of you in what to include in the written report and for creating the diorama. Please remember this project is for the second graders. It's OK if it  looks like it's created by a second grader! I encourage you to help with the research and gathering of information and facts, but the second grader must do the writing, and must create the diorama. It should look like the second grader did the project. If you are doing it in Spanish please follow the rubric, and do your best on the grammar and spelling component. We understand this is in your child's second language so we just encourage them all to try their very best! We are so proud of their work in both languages. We can't wait to see the final projects. They are due February 27. We will present them to the class Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (27, 28, March 1)
Thank you for the great Valentine donations. We appreciate everything you did to make the party a hit! It was like Halloween in here with all the candy. Thank you again! We are truly blessed to spend our day with your child!
Enjoy the time off!
Mrs. Montes

Weekly Update

Our Valentine's Party will be held on Thursday. Thank you for the donations we have already received, and for those of you who volunteered to send something in. We still need some fresh fruit (grapes, oranges, and strawberries) if you would like to send those in. Thanks!
Tomorrow (Wednesday)  Ms. Salas and I will be holding conferences in Room 215 upstairs by the art room. When you come in for your scheduled time please check in at the office before you come upstairs. We look forward to seeing you! The children still have regularly scheduled class.
Thursday we will pass out Valentines and have our party. Please remember to make a Valentine box at home and decorate it with your child's name and an opening big enough for the Valentines to fit inside.
Thank you for all of your volunteer time in the classroom and support at home! We hope the penguin and whale projects are going well. The written and the diorama are due Wed. Feb. 27. Just a reminder you need 3 pictures in the report. They can be printed or drawn. We can't wait to see them! Please let us know if you have any questions.
Mrs. Montes

Snowy Day!

Well, I wish this title was Snow Day instead of Snowy Day!
Unfortunately, our Literacy Night has been cancelled for tonight. We really hope to reschedule this amazing event that we had planned for you. We have been working so hard creating our poems, and we just can't wait to share them with you!
We did not send home family journals today because of Lit Night tonight.
Reminder: Reading challenge sheets are due tomorrow. Please return your Six Flags reading log tomorrow for your voucher and $5 Scholastic Free Book Certificate.
Tomorrow is also Hawaiian Day! Aloha-ha in the snow!
Have a fantastic night. If you have to go out, please drive safe.
Mrs. Montes

Parent University Saturday 8-12

I am hopeful that you are aware of the District’s 3^rd Annual Parent University being held this Saturday, Feb. 2^nd at Woodstock North High School.  This FREE event will run from 8 am to 12 noon and will once again host a number of excellent speakers and community resources.  The topics covered are applicable to students of all ages and is an excellent opportunity for both parents and teachers. You can access the information through this link. http://olson.woodstockschools.org/news/free-half-day-seminar-offers-excellent-resources-parents Please check out this link if you are interested. I have heard great things about it every year.
Please remember to send snow gear tomorrow. It is always nice to have an extra pair of socks, sweater/sweatshirt in the locker for the colder days.
Mrs. Montes

Updates

New reading challenge sheets for February will be sent home on Friday. It will be pink. Please use this for the last week of the reading challenge, and turn it in on February 8. They will be sent back home again for the rest of the month to earn the Book-It certificate. You will also earn Book-It during the reading challenge. This week's prize is the Magic Waters free ticket. You will get the ticket in May in the report card. Magic Waters opens Memorial Day Weekend.
Thank you for sending the report card envelopes back! If you still have them, please return to school. We appreciate your prompt responses for conferences and Literacy Night. We are trying to accommodate parents with siblings in the school. We will hopefully send these notes home Friday or Monday. Thank you for your patience.
We had a blast at our "Respect" Dance Party on Monday. By showing respect for others, we filled our snow globe with snowflakes. We had so much fun that we hope to do this again! Way to go!
We are so excited to spend February 7 with you. Our Literacy Night is going to be a slam! We look forward to sharing poetry with our families and even creating some new ones with our guests. We will have 30 minutes in our classrooms that night. The bilingual storyteller will be from 6-7 and families are invited to come back to the classrooms from 7-7:30. Thank you so much for your RSVP to this event so we can plan for our guests. We look forward to seeing you on the 7th.
The Clydesdales will celebrate their reading challenge week one victory on Monday, Feb. 4 with an extra 30 minutes of recess with Ms. Perkins. Way to go! We are cheering on the Appaloosas to get picked this week.
With this wet and sloppy weather brings soggy socks and boots. Please keep a dry pair of socks in your backpack to be able to change into if your feet get wet. Please remember to air out/dry the snow gear when it comes home. Otherwise they are putting on wet clothes for recess and it makes for an even colder recess!
We will be having a Valentine's Day Party. We will get a list out to you soon, and a date too. Please help your child decorate a box for their Valentines. Please put your name BIG on the top with a slit the size of an envelope. Please bring them to school on Tuesday, February 12.
Have a great week!
Mrs. Montes

Important Upcoming Events

We are enjoying our penguin unit. Today we took facts we learned about the Emperor Penguin and are learning to write the information into a cooperative paragraph as teams. We will do this with several penguins to help prepare for the research projects that will be coming home on a penguin or a whale.

Here are some fun websites you may want to search with your child about penguins. www.nationalgeographickids.com then search "penguins." There are photographs and also some fun videos. Another one we like is www.Arkive.org. Check them out!

Hope you are continuing to read for the Reading Challenge. Clydesdales will be receiving an extra recess with Ms. Perkins soon for their 80% or better turn in for week one. We are really proud of our accomplishments for week one. This week we will receive a Nick's Pizza kid card and Free Rock, Roll, & Read from Extreme Wheels! Way to go! This Friday is Dress Comfy and Read. You can wear pajamas or comfy clothes and bring a stuffed animal. Please keep the animal size small enough to fit on the desk.

Important Upcoming Events

Thursday, February 7, from 6-7:30 is our Family Literacy Night (school-wide). There will be a bilingual storyteller for the families from 6-7. Then the second grade families will be invited back to the classrooms from 7-7:30 for a poetry night. In order to plan for this night, we would like to know if you and your family will be joining us, and how many. The children will be sharing some poetry and exploring some new poetry activities with their family. Please RSVP at the bottom of this paper.

Our Spring Parent Teacher Conferences are coming up Wednesday, February 13, (8:00am-2:00 pm) Thursday, February 14, (2:00-9:00 pm) and Friday, February 15, 8:00 am-12:30 pm). If you would like to see both teachers together (Mrs. Montes for the English conference, and Ms. Salas for Spanish conference) please fill out the section below on this paper and return to your teacher. Otherwise, teachers will meet with families of their native language. 

Finally, our Music Concert for Second Grade is Thursday, February 21, at 6:00 p.m.

We appreciate your prompt response with an RSVP to Family Literacy Night and conferences. Please return by Friday, January 25, 2013. We are giving 5 horseshoes if they are returned tomorrow!

Have a safe night! Enjoy the fresh snowfall!
Mrs. Montes

Weekly Update

We would like to give a big shout out to all the families for helping us show great responsibility and returning your reading logs today! Both the Clydesdales and Appaloosas met the goal of 80% or better for the class. Way to go!!!We are so proud of you! Our names went into a hat and The Clydesdales were drawn! We will receive 30 minutes of extra recess with Ms. Perkins! Woohoo! Great job! If you didn't participate this week, you can still work hard for next week and complete the required minutes. You will need two weeks worth of reading. The prize for next week is Nick's Pizza kid's meal and Extreme Wheels free skating pass. It will be an event to celebrate in Crystal Lake! Keep working hard and read, read, read!!
This month we are also trying to fill our hallway snow globe. Every time we see someone showing Respect they can earn a snowflake to put on the snow globe. If we fill our snow globe by Jan. 28 our class can participate in 30 minutes of "Just Dance." It will surely be a good time!
Please return the report card envelope on Tuesday for 5 horseshoes.
We did not send home the poetry binder today. We spent a lot of time learning about penguins this week, but we didn't finish getting the binders ready. They will come home next week with 2 penguin poems. There are lots of new vocabulary words in this unit. Hopefully  they can come home and talk to you about our two new words "blubber" and "regurgitate."
We will be spending more time on penguins and whales than just these 4 weeks. The week of the 28th we will have our ACCESS testing of the English Language Learners acquiring English. This will push us back just a bit. February is going to be a busy month. To give you a heads up on these dates:
Thursday, Feb. 7 is Family Literacy Night with a Bilingual Storyteller 6pm TBA)
Thursday, Feb. 14 is conferences 5-9pm Friday, Feb. 15 8-12:30
Thursday, Feb. 21 is our second grade musical at 6pm
We would like the penguin/whale projects to get a good start before then because we want the diorama projects up for display during this week. We will start sending that information out in the next couple of weeks as we study more penguins and whales.
Have a fabulous 3-day weekend!
Mrs. Montes

Updates

Hoping everyone got a good start to the reading challenge over the weekend!  A reminder that the reading is for 25 minutes a night. Please initial on Friday morning and add up the week's minutes. Send to school Friday. I will send them back home Friday to continue logging the next week. I sent home extras on Friday because some of the children said they needed them. You may have extras at home now, just in case something gets misplaced. You may need an extra sheet for the Six Flags reading log. Those actual logs get mailed to Read to Succeed for the tickets so please be filling that out. You can turn in a blue log or white, as long as it is signed and added up by an adult. This week's prize is a responsibility pencil and the certificate to use throughout the whole challenge.  These certificates will be displayed on all the classroom doors throughout the school. We can't wait to see if we make 80% or better on Friday to earn an extra recess with Ms. Perkins! Let's go Appaloosas and Clydesdales and turn in those logs on Friday! (175 minutes)
Young Author's books are due tomorrow. Wednesday at the latest. I need them tomorrow to write up all the names of the participants because they get shipped out on Wednesday. Please send back the envelope if you have changed your mind about writing a story. We are charged for each missing envelope. So please return the envelope even if you did not complete a story. Thanks.
REMINDER: Please make sure your child has the appropriate snow gear. Some of them came in with very red and cold hands and fingers today because they did not have gloves. A hoodie is not sufficient  for keeping a child warm in this cold weather. Please send  appropriate winter wear to school (hats, gloves, winter jacket, snow pants, and boots when there is snow).
We are in full penguin mode. We are off to a great start with making observations and predictions. For the penguin observation sheet that came home, please have the child do the writing of what the family already knows. I can't wait to see and share them!
We had a lesson on proper hand washing in class. Hopefully the children came home to share what they learned! The flu and cough are going around. Let's help prevent the spread of those little germs that cause BIG problems and keep those hands clean and away from the face and mouth.
Report cards go home Friday. I am really impressed by some of the progress in reading!  Continue doing that reading at home! Keep up the great work. Let's keep working on those flashcards and Xtra Math!
Remember no school Monday, January 21 in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Have a great week!
Mrs. Montes

Updates

Dear Parents,
Well I guess it was my turn! I apologize for not updating the blog this week. I have been out sick a couple of days with the flu. I am so sorry I did not put the spelling and vocab words on here since I had them at home with me.
I am so excited for this time of the year!!!! The Reading Challenge officially begins tomorrow with our Rock Star Readers Theme. So dress up like a rock star everyone! This includes just your attire (dress/clothing). Please do not wear makeup or send any props. Thank you. The required minutes per night is 25 minutes. Take the log home tomorrow (I will send it all again tomorrow even though some of you kept it from earlier this week) and begin logging 25 minutes a day. Bring the log back on Friday the 18th with a parent signature and the total minutes for the week. Each child will receive their prize on Fridays when they turn in their logs. Good luck and happy reading!!!
Just to give you a heads up on what's ahead..... we will be studying penguins for 2 weeks beginning next week. After that, we will study whales. After this month long study is complete, we will have a research project the children will complete at home. We will study several whales and penguins and then the students get to choose one to research and present to the class. With this, they will create a diorama that shows the animal's habitat. More information will come soon! The final projects are due the week of February 11.
Have a fantastic week.
Mrs. Montes

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

I just wanted to give you a heads up on what will be coming in January for Olson's Reading Challenge! There will be spirit day events every Friday.

“TEAM Reading Challenge”

This year’s reading challenge will be 4 weeks.

Week Number/Dates	Prize awarded (TBA)-may change	Spirit Day Events on Friday Every Friday is turn-in day
January 11 Kick off Friday!		Jan 11 TEAM Rock Stars Dress: “Rock Star Readers” (Dress like a rock star) DEAR-7:40 am
1- Jan 14-18	Travel Certificate & Character pencil	Jan 18 TEAM Sports Dress: Sports DEAR-1:10
2- Jan 21-25	Nick’s Pizza	Jan 25  TEAM PJ’s Dress: Comfy, PJ’s, etc. Stuffed animal DEAR-1:35
3- Jan 28-Feb. 1	Magic Waters, Culver’s? Applebees, & McDonald’s	Feb. 1 TEAM Mismatch Dress: Mismatch clothing DEAR-8:10
4- Jan 27-Feb 3	Scholastic Book Fair $5 and Six Flags Ticket	Feb. 8 TEAM Aloha Dress: Hawaiian Day with beach towels

Second Grade 25 minutes/day=175 minutes a week

For meeting our goals, there will be individual prizes and classroom prizes. Please encourage your child to read 25 minutes each night and turn in the log on Friday mornings to their teacher. If a child is absent they have until the day they return to turn in their log with the required minutes and parent signature on it. The Magic Waters Log and Six Flags log must be completed with title and minutes, and everything it asks for. For week 3 attach the Magic Waters sheet to your reading challenge log. (No need to fill out week 3 log) For week 4 attach the reading challenge log to your Six Flags Reading Log. (No need to fill out week 4) All the minutes read at home will go towards the 6 hours/360 minutes for Magic Waters and Six Flags. If you complete the whole challenge for 4 weeks it is 700 minutes.

Mrs. Montes, Ms. Salas, Mrs. Maltese, & Mrs. Pawelko