As many of you know, I love writing. My goal is to foster that love for writing in all my students no matter what their level. I also know that writing can be used to learn other subjects such as math and science. When children first write to explain to themselves about something, they are better able to process the information and have it make sense. I hope to see you in the classroom!
Mrs. Dinsmore
This month, second grade will be experiencing their first AR party. Reading goals have been individually set for each student. In order for these goals to be met, all students need to be reading at home, and I encourage them to read during spring break. Their reading goal needs to be met by April 17th. If you would like to know what your child’s goal is, you can call me at school; I will be there on Friday.
In science, the students will be keeping a watchful eye on their plants which have already sprouted. In math, we will be measuring using both standard and metric measurement.
Now that Young Authors has come to a close, the students will work on different genres they have not completed. I am quite proud of all the students; they worked hard at refining their stories and getting them to the publication stage.
Our field trip is set for Wednesday, April 23 rd. We will be visiting the Kootenai Hatchery and bowling afterwards. Look for permission forms the week we come back from Spring Break.
I hope you all have a restful break. Happy April!
Mrs. Dinsmore
Welcome Newsletter
Dear Parents and Guardians,
We are now settled into our new classroom, and most of the details have been ironed out in the schedule. The students have adjusted well, and I am elated to be working with each and every one of them. This is a dynamic bunch that love to learn, enjoy helping each other, and are just plain fun!
I thought I would introduce myself for those of you that do not know me. My name is Kim Dinsmore, and this is my fourth year teaching at Evergreen. I live on the northbench with my husband Tony and teenage son Ethan. My other son, Jeremiah, is in the Marines Corps. I love writing, and write occasionally for the local paper or other publications. I enjoy games of all kinds, and you will see an assortment of math and problem solving games about the classroom during free time. The favorite is Rush Hour. I thought you might like to know a few important details about our learning classroom as we embark on this new journey.
Spelling: I will be using the Harcourt Spelling Program as a base for spelling. This program is based on different spelling patterns (phonograms) combined with high frequency words. Each week we will also have two challenge words based on the spelling pattern of the week. I will include words from their science on some weeks. I also feel words will stick better when used in a meaningful context such as their own writings. Students will be encouraged to use the spelling words in their writers workshop books.
I will be giving two copies of the list to students on Monday. One will go home and the other will go in their writing workshop folder. I encourage you to practice with your child each night in a variety of ways such as Spelling Bingo, Spelling Concentration, Old Fashioned Drilling J, and Fancy Writing. I am including a master Bingo sheet for this week. Let me know if you need additional copies. The spelling test will usually be on Thursday, unless it is a short week, and in that case there will be no spelling for the week.
Reading: I will be combining the Harcourt Reading Program with other selected readings chosen by myself. There will be an hour of reading instruction each day as well as twenty minutes of student chosen texts for silent reading. Books chosen from the library need to be in the student’s reading level. After a student has passed three AR (accelerated reader) tests at that level (80% or higher), he or she may move up one point. We are lucky at Evergreen since all our books in the library are AR. I will also encourage other types of reading (especially non-fiction) since reading should be not just about AR levels. J
Writing: Here is where I get real excited. We will be having Writers’ Workshop each day for thirty minutes. Most of the time it will be student-generated-text. Occasionally, I will have specific writing assignments. Our first week we did autobiographies. I usually start with a mini-lesson that focuses on the components of good writing such as ideas, organization, voice, grammar… We have an Authors’ Board in the classroom that will display the students’ writing. The students will also get to share their writing. We will feature an author of the week (see attached schedule).
As an added incentive, we will also be having prize winning authors displayed on our hall bulletin board as well as the author of the week. Each week I will choose one or two authors that display the components of good writing. I have a simple rubric for this task as follows: original ideas; near perfect punctuation, spelling, and capitalization; five or more spelling words in text; a beginning, middle and end; and legible handwriting. I feel confident that all students in the classroom can reach this goal.
Math: Math will continue as before with all second graders together. We now have an added bonus of another teacher, Mrs. Peterson, for instruction. I am doubly excited to be working with Mrs. Peterson and gleaning from her many years of experience. The students will benefit greatly by having an additional instructor to help individual students throughout the hour.
Science: We will have science once a week focusing on either Earth Science, Life Science, or Physical Science. I will be starting with Earth Science and discussing weather patterns, cloud formations, and earth’s resources. I like to do Life Science in the spring as we begin collecting bugs, growing plants, and comparing animals. We will also hopefully get to visit a farm or ranch in the spring. I will try to incorporate as many hands-on activities for the students during science time.
I will be sending home newsletters each month detailing academics, special events, reminders, and requests. This month I remind you to continue saving box tops and soup labels, practice spelling words with your child, and read with your child 10-20 minutes each evening. I also remind you to check your child’s School-Home Folder each day for notes and to celebrate their achievements. I will be checking the folders each morning for notes from you.
I am requesting help from several parents to organize our Halloween party. It will be on Thursday, November 1st from 1:45 to 2:45. I would also love to have you in the classroom helping students with reading, math, and spelling. Enjoy the rest of October!
Mrs. Dinsmore