Welcome
By Jacqueline Steigerwald
Swinging into 2nd Grade!
Welcome to Ms. Steigerwald’s
Second Grade Class
Dear Parents,
I am very happy to have your child in my second grade class this year. It is with our active involvement that we, as partners, can help your child during his/her journey through second grade. I encourage you to contact me whenever you have a question. Feel free to contact me before/after school or during my lunch at 810-657-9318 Ext. 252. In addition, you may e-mail me at jsteigerwald@carsport.k12.mi.us
I would like to take this opportunity to tell you a little more about myself and introduce my classroom. I grew up in Brown City, and after graduating high school I attended Saginaw Valley State University where I majored in Elementary Education with minors in mathematics and English. This is my second year of teaching and I am very excited to be teaching at Carsonville-Port Sanilac Elementary. Along with teaching I also coach girls 7th grade volleyball, basketball, and track. In addition to coaching I also coordinate the school-wide accelerated reader program.
I truly love teaching and I am very eager to make it a special and successful year for your child!
My philosophy
My mission is to help my students develop a positive self-image as they strive to reach their individual goals. Each day, I will create an atmosphere conducive to learning where all students are treated with compassion and dignity.
Therefore I will:
*Encourage children to express themselves both orally and in writing.
*Use a combination of “hands-on” and “paper-pencil” activities.
*Use positive classroom management.
*Incorporate thematic units in my classroom.
*Correspond with you frequently through notes.
What Will Your Child Learn in Second Grade?
- Reading: The majority of our reading will be spent on Readers' Workshop and Making Meaning which focuses on all areas of comprehension and a variety of reading strategies. We will also be incorporating word study, phonics, grammar, and guided reading.
- Writing: The writing curriculum will be implemented through a writing workshop, which will focus on the writing process, personal narrative writing, nonfiction writing, poetry, and a research project.
- Handwriting: We will be using a handwriting curriculum called Handwriting Without Tears. After mastering Handwriting Without Tears we will begin cursive writing.
- Math: The Everyday Mathematics series will focus on place value, money, time, addition and subtraction, 3-D and 2-D shapes, whole-number operations and number stories, patterns, fractions, and measurement.
- Science: The ABC in Science kits will focus on the topics of recycling, the life cycle of a butterfly, wetland animals, measuring matter, and a unit on plants.
- Social Studies: In Social Studies we will be focusing on communities.
Daily Schedule
8:10-8:40 Breakfast, "Tree"-mendous Writing
8:40-9:00 Morning Meeting-Share "Tree"-mendous Writing, Calendar, Review, & Shared Reading
9:00-9:55 Readers’ Workshop/Accountable Talk (Independent Reading)
9:55-10:15 Math Centers
10:15-10:40 Word Study
10:40-11:00 Language Arts
Centers
11:00-11:30 Physical Education
11:30-11:45 Interactive Read Aloud (Accountable Talk)
11:45-12:20 Recess & Lunch
12:20-12:30 Read Aloud
12:30-1:10 Writing Workshop
1:10-1:40 Music
1:40-2:45 Math
2:45-3:00 Buddy Reading
3:00-3:05 Closing
3:10 Dismissal
Specials
Mondays-Physical Education (11:00-11:30) & Music (1:10-1:40)
Tuesdays-Library (8:30-8:50) & Physical Education (10:30-11:00)
Wednesdays-Physical Education (11:00-11:30) & Music (12:40-1:10)
Thursdays-Technology (1:10-1:40)
Fridays-Breakfast in the Cafeteria, Walking Club (8:00-9:00) & Physical Education (11:00-11:30)
*Tuesdays & Thursdays-Wild about Math
*Tuesdays-Science
Thursdays-Social Studies
*Fridays-Spelling Review Game & Spelling Test, and Tub Time
Top Banana of the Week
Children will be randomly selected to be our Top Banana of the Week. While your child is the Top Banana of the Week, each day of the week will consist of an exciting event or activity to honor him/her. During the week before a student is our Top Banana of the Week, a tote bag will be sent home with your child to collect all of their items. They will also receive a safari hat to wear throughout the week in our classroom, and get to take it home at the end of the week.
Monday: Sharing Sack- Students have a week to collect 3 special items with which to fill the bag at home and bring it back to share with classmates on Monday. Students should also bring 10 photos of their choice to display on the Top Banana of the Week bulletin board.
Tuesday: Favorite Book- The Top Banana student brings on of his/her books to read to the class. Students can read the book to the class if it can be read in less than 10 minutes or give a book talk if the book is longer.
Wednesday: Parent Letter/Questionnaire- Parents will write a letter to the class telling us how special your child is to you. I will then read the letter to the class at a class meeting. Students will also be asked many questions about themselves and it will be recorded on a Top Banana sheet, and then filed into a class book.
Thursday: Estimation Can- Your child will also have a turn to put something in our estimation can when he/she is our Top Banana of the Week. Please have your child fill it with the same or a variety of items. I hope this will be a fun way to work on our math skill of estimation.
Friday: Top Banana Recognition- The Top Banana will be recognized by his/her classmates and presented with a certificate.
Monkey of the Day
Each day students will take turns being the "Monkey of the Day." When your child is the "Monkey of the Day" they will have the privilege of sitting in the rocking chair, completing the morning calendar and weather, and being our line leader for the day.
It’s My Day Schedule
I have divided the class into It's My Day Groups. On your child's "It's My Day" he/she will share their "Tree"-mendous Writing. In addition your child may bring in something for Show-and-Tell.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday |
| Jessica | Madison | Hannah | Elissa |
| Mackenzie | Kylee | Tyler | Jason |
| Taylor | Wesley | Brendan | Hunter |
| Hunter C. | David | Connor | Quinn |
| Sarah |
Popcorn Words
Popcorn Words are just another name for sight words. By calling sight words “Popcorn Words” my students are better able to remember that these are words that are always “popping out” in our reading and writing. Each marking period I pick 20 new popcorn words for the kids to work with. We have a Popcorn Word center in our room. Each week the students will do an activity with their words.
Examples:
Popcorn
Sentences-Students write sentences using
popcorn words. Then they put a piece of popcorn above each
word. When finished, students read the sentences to a partner
and eat the popcorn.
Scrambled Popcorn
Words
Popcorn Writing
Codes
Word
Ladders
Word
Stairs
Cut Apart
Sentences
ABC Order
Sorting
Popcorn Word
Bingo
Popcorn
Punctuation
Popcorn Word
Toss
And many more fun activities!
These are the Popcorn Words we are working on for the First Marking Period.
an its no if
come red went just
long now ride over
blue big into your
are ask very
At the end of each marking period we take a popcorn word spelling test on the words we have been working on for the duration of the marking period.
Accelerated Reader
Your child has begun a school-wide
Accelerated Reader Program! Your child will read books at
their “just right” level and then take a short five-ten question
comprehension test about the book they read on the
computer. After your child takes a test I will record
their score on an incentive chart. Every time your child
earns 10 points, they will receive a prize. When your child
reaches their goal of 100 points they will receive a trip to
McDonald's.
What books are Accelerated Reader books?
*You can find a list of AR books on the C-PS website
*The majority of my books in my classroom library are AR books. Students may read these during free time, readers’ workshop, or at home (I will allow students to check out one book from our classroom library a night).
When will the students take an Accelerated Reader Test?
*Students may take tests in the morning during morning work, during centers, or any free time that we have.
AR Store
- 10 points- pencil & top eraser
- 20 points- sticky pencil grip or pencil sharpener
- 30 points- zoo animal, flip flop, and funky bookmarks
- 40 points- smiley face, tropical fish, and race car notepads
- 50 points- s6port ball key chains, glow-in-the-dark lizards, squishy frogs, glow bracelets, and inspirational rubber bracelets (pick 2)
- 75 points- CPS water bottle
- 100 points- 100 point club T-shirt & trip to McDonald's
AR Theme Events
*January- AR Winter Wonderland
*March- AR Scoop
*May- AR Carnival
*I hope this will be a successful program that will help motivate and encourage children to read while enhancing their comprehension and fluency skills.*
