Dear Parents,

Wow!  It’s the first of May, and it’s very difficult to believe that the traditional school year would be winding down if we were together.  We would be having our field trip as well as our Creekview-famous field day.  We would be working on our end-of-year project that the children would take home, and we would be “loving on” each other in an attempt to treasure our final moments together before summer break.  

In this current learning environment we realize that you all are approaching exhaustion.  We know that your heart to continue homeschooling your children is limited only by the physical demands of the task.  We fully understand the mental fatigue that washes over students as the outdoor temperature begins to rise!  Therefore, we want to help you be successful until grades are complete.  After considering the feedback you’ve provided, the second grade team wants to simplify the framework for the remaining weeks.  We are combining our teaching videos and graded assignments so that each week will then have only 4 tasks and each task will be used as a grade.  Please be mindful that the engagement length will vary by assignment as some teaching videos are a bit longer and others are somewhat shorter.  Additionally, though some videos stretch to 5-6 minutes, we are still well under the recommended number of minutes that are suggested for maximum student engagement.  Best of all, the children should be wholly independent with this format.     

As always we want to hear your comments.  Our sole desire is to simplify this process as we are certain the children’s enthusiasm is waning.  Let us know how it works for you.

Warm regards,

Your second grade team

Dear Parents,

March 29, 2020

Dear Parents,

Greetings!   We all continue to feel so blessed with health and well-being, and we trust that your family is the same.  We have listened to your comments regarding our online class experience and we thank you for providing us feedback.  We have used it to arrive at some conclusions: 

#1 The word of the week is “stabilization;” therefore, everything is staying in the same format.  

We Learn:       video lesson

We Do:           active learning

We Practice:   opportunity for written practice

#2 While we are still not requiring work for submission of grades, we are reviewing student work if students submit it.  

#3 Many of you wanted more assignments, which you will notice under the “optional” heading.  

#4 This week in science we added a “project” that should comfortably span 2 full weeks.  Please allow students time to slowly enjoy the journey. It is a very full and engaging unit.  

#5 Most importantly, we feel the feature that will drive student success is to use the documents in the right way.  A document called “Framework” is the week’s overview.   It is posted in Google Classroom.  

Other documents are also posted in Google Classroom.  Please guide the students to work from the framework and then complete the other attachments after they’ve finished each “We Learn” part.  In this way, they are producing quality and thoughtful work.  

In closing, we’re hopeful that this week we will be allowed to begin some interaction with the students in group conversations.  The district will distribute this information when it becomes available. Thank you for your patience in this matter as student privacy is always most important to administration.   

With care,

Your Second Grade Team 

Dear Parents,

 

This past week, you have kindly responded with feedback regarding our first week of online learning.  Because of a thoughtful exchange with a parent, I am responding to benefit everyone.   We are reading all the feedback and trying our very best to simplify the process.  We are aware that some have struggled with Youtube for at-home access, so this week we tried a different approach to see if it helps.  This experience should give you great confidence in how thoroughly TISD protects your students' access to the digital world while they are logged in with their school account.  We're confident we will get the wrinkles ironed out.  

 

Parents have expressed concern about having to open multiple tabs because the children need to refer back to the "main activity page" but submit the work in Google Classroom.  This is a valid concern.  The reason that we are putting the assignments on Google Classroom rather than the main activity page is so the children can "turn them in."  If the documents are not assigned in Google Classroom then each student can't return them back to the teacher.  Now, please know that we want it to be as simple as possible, but we had to design it so that if it is required in the future then at some point children could submit work for grades.  This can only happen if it is through Google Classroom.  I am so sorry because it is challenging for the lower grades.  This week I did change the numbering system which will hopefully make it easier for students to match Google Classroom assignments with corresponding lessons.  

 

I do want you to know that we long to interact with the children through an online tele-conference of sorts.  The district has been meeting to discuss the legal ramifications of such an action.  We do know that more details are coming - sooner rather than later - so please do not feel that we teachers are resisting.  There is just a lot that is legally required in order to continue protecting student and family privacy.  

 

I truly miss your precious children and never thought that as a teacher I would miss part of a school year, particularly during the spring semester when the children are maturing and typically make rapid academic growth.  As an educator, these are my favorite days.  

 

I love you all - remind your sweet kiddos that I am a forever friend.  We'll resume with no loss of mutual love or affection.  

Dear Parents,

 

Mrs. Friedrichs, our librarian, sent these technology reminders as a source for help if needed: 

 

As you begin preparing your Google Classroom, please direct your parents/students to the District Remote Learning Plan  for log in instructions to Google Classroom/Clever.  At this time, there is no need to recreate anything.  We’d like to direct everyone to one place and not create extra steps or work for you.

Here are the District Remote Learning Plan Resources (You are welcome to link to these.)  I’ll also have this available in the Creekview Smore (which Parents will receive soon.)

Login to Google Classroom Steps

Login to Clever Steps

 

Dear Parents,

These next weeks we will have the opportunity to learn together with our students through Google Classroom.  Before Monday morning, please make sure you can log on to Google Classroom. There is a special welcome video waiting for you!  When you find the video, leave a comment saying hello to your teacher and classmates.

How to Log On to Google Classroom

• Every student in second grade has accessed Google Classroom at school. To access Google Classroom you must first log in to your child’s gmail account.
• Username:  id#@elem.tomballschools.net (ID # is the same as their lunch #)
• Password: tisdbirthdate
• Example: 
• 12345@elem.tomballschools.net
• tisd05262012
• The Google Classroom icon (and access) are located in a few places. Either way will gain you access. 
• Your child can log in to their Clever page, and locate the chalkboard Google Classroom icon. 
• Or, go to your google home screen. Click on the “waffle” icon in the top right hand corner. This will take you to your Google Suite. 
• Lastly, you can download Google Classroom onto a handheld device: iPad or phone. 
• If you are still unable to find your child’s Google Classroom, here is a step by step slide on how to access. 

Please let us know if you have any questions or you are unable to access!

Have a great weekend,

2nd Grade Teachers

Just a few items for this week:

 

Dear Parents,

 

This is our final week of February, which is hard to believe!  We have only a few class days left until Spring Break and we are packing them full.

 

Reading:  

We are continuing to flex group based upon the needs of the students.  Their reading is progressing and we are beginning to practice particular skills in addition to "just" reading.  For example, we are discussing cause and effect relationships: the sun is hot, so my ice cream melted.  We are also practicing sequencing the order of events in stories or informational text. 

 

Spelling:

This week's pattern is ai, ay and a_e.  This is the same as last week, but our quiz is this week as last week was a 4-day week and the children really need an extra week with this pattern as it is the first time all year that we've utilized 2 vowels that make 1 sound.

 

Math:

We are working on 2D and 3D shapes.  The children must identify all the polygons by name up to 12 sides.

3 sides - triangle

4 sides - rhombus, rectangle, square, and trapezoid (these are all quadrilaterals)

5 sides - pentagon

6 sides - hexagon

7 sides - heptagon

8 sides - octagon

9 sides - nonagon

10 sides - decagon

11 sides - hendecagon

12 sides - dodecagon

They are also learning to count sides, angles, faces, and vertices. It's a lot of new vocabulary!

 

Science:

We are studying weather and it will carry over next week into the water cycle with some really fun experiments.

 

Social Studies:

We are learning to identify state and federal landmarks, symbols, and monuments.  

 

Please let me know if you have need of anything.  I love to visit with you about your sweet kiddos.