Welcome

Welcome to the blog for Bethlehem Lutheran's 2nd grade!

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday!

We had a great week in 2nd grade! Next week we begin MAP Testing on Monday morning and again on Thursday morning. Please encourage your 2nd graders to eat well, sleep lots and have a relaxing weekend!

This afternoon we played Where We Live - Washington Jeopardy! Below is the link if you are interested in playing a round with your 2nd grader!

https://jeopardylabs.com/play/where-we-live-washington2


Spelling Words and Memory Work

Happy Monday!

Our Spelling and Memory Tests will be this Friday, September 30th.

Spelling Words:
1. cried
2. hurried
3. replied
4. fried
5. tried
6. worried
7. carried
8. copied
9. married
10. studied
11. remarked
12. finished
13. alone
14. river
15. think

Challenge Words:
16. fine
17. cheer
18. meadow
19. reason
20. spoiled

Memory Work: 

"The Lord is my strength and my song. He has become my salvation."
 --Exodus 15:2

Math and 2nd Grade Humor

Math:

2nd grade is finishing up Chapter 1 in Math. We will be doing a review tomorrow and the Chapter test will be on Friday morning. Your students have been actively participating in Math lessons and we have faced the challenges together as the work becomes progressively more challenging and exciting!!  As a reminder, the list below includes the material that has been covered in Chapter 1.
  • Lesson 1: Tens and Ones
  • Lesson 2: Place Value to 100
  • Lesson 3: Problem-Solving Strategy: Use Logical Reasoning (ask your child what this means, they are superstars!)
  • Lesson 4: Read and Write Numbers
  • Lesson 5: Estimate Amounts
  • Lesson 6: Order Numbers
  • Lesson 7: Compare Numbers
  • Lesson 8: Patterns 
  • Lesson 9: Problem-Solving Investigation: Choose a Strategy
  • Lesson 10: Patterns on a Hundred Chart 

2nd Grade Humor:

How does NASA get ready for a party?
  •  They planet!

Spelling, Memory Work and Other Monday Business!

2nd grade is chugging along! I feel so fortunate to be working with your students. They are bright, energetic and amazing little people.

Below you will find the spelling words for this week. Challenge words are also included. Your child knows if they will be doing these words, so please check in with them.

Week 4 Spelling List:  
1. barked
2. licked
3. backed
4. thanked
5. painted
6. opened
7. mailed
8. remarked
9. checked
10. finished
11. mistake
12. became
13. about
14. few
15. same

Challenge Spelling Words:
16. chipmunks
17. picked
18. sniffing
19. south
20. woods

Memory Work:
"For You, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you." ---Psalm 86:5

Fall Fest:
Fall Fest packets were turned in today, money was collected, counted and returned back to your students to raise more! I am so impressed with our class for working so hard on that this weekend, let's keep it up and WIN the classroom prize!  

Have a wonderful week and please let me know if you have any questions!
mrhodesbl@outlook.com

Week 3 Spelling Words & Memory Work

Your 2nd graders are bringing home their Homework and Behavior Records today (they're bright orange, can't miss em').

Week 3 Spelling Words:

1.games
2. take
3. make
4. name
5. flame
6. same
7. became
8. brake
9. snake
10. mistake
11. eyelid
12. slide
13. line
14. more
15. together

Memory Work:

"Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." - Matthew 5:44

Joshua Wayne Picker

Joshua Wayne Picker has arrived! He was born on Saturday, September 10th.
Weighing in at 8 lbs 10 oz and 21 inches long, he is one handsome little man! Mama Picker and baby boy are both doing well!

As Mrs. Picker sends more information (and hopefully more pictures!), I will keep you and the 2nd grade class updated!
Thank you for keeping the Picker family in your prayers.

Good Luck Mrs. Picker!

Hello Parents!

Today is Mrs. Picker's last day until after maternity leave, hopefully baby boy Picker will join their sweet family very soon!  We are praying for a quick and safe delivery!

I had the opportunity to shadow Mrs. Picker this week. I feel so fortunate to have had this time to learn classroom routines and procedures as well as get to know your 2nd graders. I look forward to working with your children while Mrs. Picker is gone.

Like Mrs. Picker, I will be updating the blog regularly with information about upcoming events, special instructions or clarification on homework as well any other important information. Please feel free to email me any questions or concerns that you may have. mrhodesbl@outlook.com. 


I look forward to this time with your students and thank you in advance for your support!

Meghan Rhodes  

Flash Cards and Spelling Pretest

I hope you all had a great, restful three day weekend!  I know I needed it after the first week of school!  I wanted to let you know about a couple of things that are new this week:

Flash Cards:
The students started cutting out their yellow flash cards today.  These flash cards can be used for their nightly 5 minutes of flash cards.  If they are not done cutting them out, please have your child finish cutting them out at home tonight. Then they will put the cut flash cards in the Ziploc bag and put that in the little pocket in their homework folder.  Please have the students put their initials and their number on the back of each flash card--that way we can return them to the correct person should they be misplaced.

Spelling Pretest:
We had our first spelling pretest this morning.  The kids take this test at the beginning of each week before they see the spelling words.  The purpose of this test is to show the students which spelling words they already know and which they need to study a bit harder.  It does not count toward their spelling grade--it is just a diagnostic tool for them to assess which words they need to spend more time on during the week. 

We Did It!


We survived our first week of school!
 
Today was our first memory work test.  The students had a fill-in-the-blank format for this, as they will each week.  Today the students also continued working on their reading baseline test.  I look forward to finishing this next week and seeing the results and adjusting my teaching based on where the students are.

After lunch we had the exciting opportunity to meet our 7th grade reading buddies!  We will meet with them each Friday afternoon to read and get to know them.  After reading buddies, the students got to start their Interactive Journals.  This is an opportunity for the students to write to me, including pictures if they want to, and I write back each week.  It is a neat chance for me to get to know the students on a different level.

The students also got their AR levels today.  You received a pink note (in their homework folders), giving you the results of the STAR test, which gives the students their levels.  Take a look at that when you get home!

The students also had their 2nd P.E. session with Mr. Haynes.  Ask them what they did!

We also talked about our purple hand pledge: "I will not use my hands or my words for hurting myself or others."  We discussed what this meant, how to best use our hands and words, and then the students took the pledge.  To symbolize our pledge, the students made a purple handprint and signed it.  These will be displayed on our classroom door throughout the year to remind us of our pledge.

Reminder:  No school on Monday--Labor Day!

4 Days In!


This morning was pretty special.  We had a chance to do a Question and Answer session with our pastors, Pastor Mark and Pastor Andy!  They will be teaching Christian Studies to the 2nd graders when I am on maternity leave.  The kids got a chance to talk to them and get to know them better.  Ask them what they learned about Pastor Mark and Pastor Andy!

Our math today focused on algebra (very basic, of course), and measurement.  I am impressed with the students' understanding of math and their willingness to answer in front of the class!

The students took the first half of their reading baseline test.  Like the math placement test, this test doesn't factor into Their reading grades--it is a tool I use to see where the students are starting the year in math to better inform my teaching.

Reminders: Tomorrow is our first memory work test!  We also have P.E., so students should wear lace-up shoes and should bring their water bottles.

About Mrs. Picker

RebekahPicker
Mrs. Rebekah Picker grew up just across the river in Hermiston, Oregon. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Concordia University in Portland, Oregon with a degree in Early Childhood/Elementary Education with a minor in Professional Church Work. In May of 2014, Rebekah received her Master of Education degree from Heritage University. This is her seventh year at Bethlehem. Rebekah is married to David, who works as a sales representative in the Tri-Cities area. She also has a daughter and a son on the way (due in September). Fun fact: Rebekah is a mirror-image twin, meaning that she is right-handed and her identical twin is left-handed.