Thursday, August 24, 2017

Notes From Mrs. Bell---

Thank you for sharing your children with me this week as we return to school and more specifically...2nd GRADE!  It has been an AMAZING week with your children.  We have enjoyed getting to know one another in our daily Morning Meetings as we have brought students together from Wellman, Kalona and Washington Township this year.  They have worked hard and tried their best in a variety of back-to-school activities, PBIS expectations stations, meetings, tests, etc.  I am quite impressed with their willingness to pitch in without being asked, friendliness towards others, and their knowledge on a variety of topics!  I think we are in for my best year ever!!

Don't forget to check our class twitter account daily @mrsbell2nd, our class blog weekly http://2ndgradebellblog.blogspot.com, and be watching for their special Homework Folders here and there from now on and each Friday their Friday Folders.  In addition, you may sign up to receive a notification email of when updates have been made to our class blog.  To do this, visit the blog address listed above.  Along the righthand side enter and submit your email address.  An email will automatically be sent to your address each time I make an update to the blog!  How easy is that to receive updated info from our classroom?

Please remember to return any items your child has not brought to start the school year with them this week so we can have them readily available.  In addition, those that have not brought their Math money we will be using that in Math all year long, so please gather up your change and send it with your child this week.  We need your child's family picture for our Family Bulletin Board this week too. If you don't have a printer, just send me a copy via e-mail and I can print a color picture here at school.  If you haven't sent your child's favorite song title for our class playlist, please send me the name of the song and artist by Monday as well.

And finally, if you have not completed your volunteer form and student information form, please complete and return them Monday.  If you have not yet completed your Mid-Prairie Volunteer Application (they are good for 5 years), the form sent home in your child's Parent Folder at our Back-to-School Open House last week.  You must be on the approved Volunteer List in order to volunteer at Mid-Prairie whether in the classroom and/or class field trips.  We have many upcoming events that we need your help, so please complete and return your forms soon.  Thank you!

New last year, I am using ClassDojo to encourage important skills like working hard, being a kind kid, being on task and so much more. Used by teachers in one in every two schools, ClassDojo is the most popular classroom management app in the US! 

ClassDojo is a simple, safe classroom management app that helps teachers encourage students in class and easily communicates with parents.  Each Friday beginning next week we will print our individual ClassDojo pie charts and then students will individually evaluate their week by setting goals for the next week.  I trust you'll take time to go through this with your child.

I hope you have had a wonderful weekend! I can't wait for Monday to arrive and more learning to begin with my super second graders!




First Day Jitters...

After reading aloud the book "First Day Jitters" by Julie Dannenberg students drew and wrote about their own First Day jitters. After we shared our First Day jitters drawings and writings, we enjoyed Jitter Juice & snacks! ❤️📚









Seventeen Second Graders and counting...


















Getting to Know You...

Our Getting to Know You Mixer Activity to get kids from
three former Mid-Prairie Elementary Schools socializing
with their new class of 2nd grade friends was very successful!









Email Your Child's Favorite Song Title to Mrs. Bell...

We enjoy listening to my iTunes music from time-to-time throughout our school day and/or week.  Each year I like to ask students to submit ONE song they absolutely love and would name it their "Theme song" because they love it so much.  So here's where I need your help!  

Please email me just ONE song title that is appropriate for 7-8 year olds and others to listen to at school.  It's a fun way to hear other types of music that may not be the type of music you or I would choose, but it's most meaningful to them and that's what's most important.  I will then download it off of iTunes and add it to our school playlist to enjoy when we get to listen to music in our classroom.  The students LOVE to hear their song playing and share why they love it so much.  It makes our time together more personal too.

Thanks for your help.  

Second Graders Begin Daily Lunchroom Helper Duties...

Check out our new 2nd grade Mid-Prairie East Elementary School Lunchroom Helpers on duty serving, wiping tables, cleaning trays. One second grader from each classroom is selected to help Kindergarten, 1st & 2nd Grades during Lunch time daily. 😊 
#servicework #teamwork #fun2help



Family Picture Needed by Monday, August 28...


We would like to create a class bulletin board with our immediate family pictures so that we can become more familiar with our classmates and their families. Therefore, we need you to send the most up-to-date picture of your immediate family that can be displayed in our classroom all year long, please keep in mind that it may not be returned as you make your selection to send to school. Please return a family picture of your child and all of their immediate family as soon as possible.  If you are unable to print one at home, please just send your picture to me via e-mail so I can print a color copy at school.  Thank you so much!

Students Enjoy MP East Elementary Outdoor Classroom

It was a beautiful day to utilize the MP East Elementary Outdoor Classroom which is right outside our classroom for our Who Am I? writing & drawing activity as we started back-to-school! ❤️