August & September

Now that we're in the fourth week of school, we are really beginning to dig into content and learning what 2nd grade is really about. In this post, I will go through our daily schedule and share some photos and videos of some exciting things going on in our classroom! :)

Our Schedule

8:00-8:20 Begin Our Day: We begin our day at 8:00. As students enter, they shake Ms. Fox's hand and begin their morning work. At 8:15, a student leads the class in our pledges and we get ready for specials- first thing in the day!

8:25-9:05 Specials:  Students attend their specials class this year on a 3-day rotating schedule. At this time, students are either enjoying Music, Art, or PE. Because our schedule does not allow for specific days on which they have a certain special, students must remain aware of where we are on the rotation. Please also check to make sure your child brings tennis shoes on PE days. :)

9:05-9:45 Snack/ Today Paragraph/Reading Street: During this time, students enjoy a snack while we go over our Today Paragraph. This portion of our day is usually student-led and informs the students of any special activities for the day ahead. This is also the time we go over our High-Frequency words, Amazing Words (Vocabulary) and enjoy reading mini-lessons from our Reading Street Curriculum.

Below is a video of 2nd graders participating in Active Reading! This is a Whole Brain Teaching technique which engages the reader and provides them the opportunity to really GET INTO the story. The students are using "Brainies" (the gestures) as they read to show punctuation, capitalization, and key content words in the sentences. Now, THAT is fun reading! :)

9:45-10:45 Workshop & Intervention: This is one the most crucial hours of our day. Small group interventions and instruction will take place at this time. Students are being taught specifically to their needs in literacy and math. Students are also participating in learning stations to reinforce knowledge from prior lessons.

10:50-11:50 Math: This year at FA, we are using the Math Expressions program from Houghton-Mifflin. This program helps us to teach the Common Core Standards for 2nd grade. In this program, students engage in a daily money routine, math talks, math drawings to prove their answers, partner discussions and independent practice. Hands-on experience with real-world math problems also takes place during this time.

11:55-12:25 Lunch: Yum! :) Our favorite time of the day. If students have more Smiley Points on the Scoreboard at this time of the day, they get to enjoy a movie during lunch!

12:25-12:50 Recess: The other best part of the day. Students enjoy playing outside on our playground or a Just Dance Party on rainy days.

Sometimes, rainy days are the best. Watch these kiddos have a "Just Dance" party during indoor recess. :)

 

1:00-1:20 Silent Reading & Read Aloud: Students use this time to practice their silent reading skills while reading a book of their choice. Students may choose to read a story from our classroom library or one from home. Many times, Ms. Fox also shares a story with the class. This will become the Mystery Reader time-slot very soon! :)

1:20-2:10 Language Arts & Writing: Grammar and conventions are a main focus during this time. This is also our Word Study time, where we are working with spelling words and phonics. This time then feeds into our writing time for the day. Students work on developing their writing through the writing process, creating draft and meeting with the teacher and peers for proofreading.

2:10-2:50 Social Studies/ Science: At this time, students focus on either science or social studies topics. These topics are taught in units and are usually on a rotating basis. Students will study a social studies topic for 1-2 weeks, then a science topic for a similar length of time.

2:50-3:00 Planners & Pack Up: Students write one reflective sentence in their planners from the day. This is also where students record their behavior for the day.

3:00-3:10 Family Meeting: To tie up our day, we come back together to discuss successes and ways we can grow as a "family" in our classroom. Many times, this is where our moral focus virtue is discussed or any pressing matter for our classroom community.

This week, we took our first field trip to the Greensboro Science Center. What a fun time of exploration! Students enjoyed the aquarium, museum and zoo on the grounds. Here are a few pictures from the trip.

 

Bryce, Christopher, and Alphonso touch a sting ray!

 

Students learn about a skink, a type of lizard with a very blue tongue!

 

Students enjoy feeding the ducks at the pond nearby.

 

 

Well, that's all for this post! Thanks for tuning in. I'm excited to see where this year takes us! Gear up, matees!! This is going to be quite a voyage! :)

 

'Til next time,

Ms. Fox

 

First Week of School

We've had a great time getting to know each other and learning procedures for 2nd grade. Below are some pictures of first week of school happenings. :)

 

The first homework assignment for students was to create a "Rock Star Bio Bag". Students brought in items that described something about them and enjoyed sharing them with the class.

 

 

Jeremiah is ALL SMILES on his birthday! He even lost a tooth on his

special day! :)

 

 

 

 Teamwork is extremely important in Ms. Fox's classroom! These teams are working together to solve puzzles to learn facts about Peregrine Falcons.

Our classroom, along with one class in each grade level, is a part of the Peregrine Falcon Team! The students earn points as a class by following procedures and getting compliments from other adults.

 
 
 

 

 

In math, we have been learning how to use Math Mountains to practice our addition and subtraction facts. The students enjoyed competing against their partners in this fun math activity!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Be sure to check back often for more updates! Thanks for joining us! :)  

 

Why Rock Stars?

Your child may be coming home, claiming to be a total rock star...and if they are, cheer them on!! :) You may be wondering where the idea for this theme came from and what in the world it has to do with 2nd grade. Some of it has to do with my own personal dream to be a rock star myself, but you may be surprised at just how appropriate it is for a classroom theme.

In the first few days, I explained to the students that being a "rock star" is not just fame and fortune. To be a rock star, it means that you have worked and worked hard to achieve your goal and because you have done that, you have tons of fans cheering you on. We discussed the process to becoming a total rock star:

1. A rock star must have a goal.

Whether it be to do well on a test or to stay out of trouble in a day, students need goals. We are practicing how to discover things we are good at and things we need more work on. We, then, have to set a goal to reach. A musician would make the goal of having a band and performing and getting praised by their fans for reaching their goal. In the same way, we must all continuously make goals to achieve so that we can stay focused.

2. A rock star must work well with others to make things work.

In order to have a high-functioning band, members must work together. They have to be respectful, motivated, and willing to compromise with others so that the final product is something that everyone is satisfied with. Once the members work together long enough, they even begin to form a special bond as they share their art together. In the same way, 2nd graders (and us adults as well) must work with others in our everyday lives to make things work. We must be willing to listen, to speak with honesty, and to compromise in order to reach a goal. Teamwork is a extremely important in achieving success. This includes teamwork from their fellow 2nd graders, the teacher and parents.

3. A rock star must practice, practice, practice.

No one can go out on stage and give a rockin' show without countless hours of band practice! In the same way, there is no way we can expect our students to perform well without constant practice at school and at home. This is in the form of daily review, drills, questions, and challenges. Practice is something that should be constant and consistent. "Practice makes progress" is one of my favorite philosophies of education. Without practice, there can be no progress.

4. A rock star performs...and does it with confidence!

As a musician myself, I can say, there is no greater feeling than the adrenaline that flows right before you enter the stage in front of a huge audience. You know that you have put in multiple hours of practice for this one performance and you MUST have confidence in your abilities to perform well. Any time students are asked to show their skills, this is their opportunity to shine! There is a positive sense of "pressure" in that opportunity to show what you've got. Second graders must understand that tests, assessments, projects and assignments are not created to "catch them" or to stress them out...but they are opportunities to show what they've got and if they've done their part in practicing, they will have the confidence to perform well! :)

5. A rock star has lots of fans.

You are your rock star's biggest fan. From day one, I have told them that I, their teacher, am one of their biggest fans. We are each other's fans. We are here to support and cheer each other on. Even when our star may fall and have a rough "show", we are here to cheer, encourage, and show love for our favorite rock stars.

So, please encourage your rock star, no matter where they are on their journey to being "The Ultimate Rock Star". They know that in our classroom, the red carpet is rolled out for them each and every morning and I hope that that can encourage them to continue to strive for all of their goals.

Welcome to our Blog!

Welcome to our little spot on the World Wide Web! :)

If you are visiting our site, you are most like a parent or relative of an upcoming 2nd grader in Ms. Fox's Rockin' Second Grade! I am so excited for this school year to begin.

On this site, you will be able to find updates, pictures and videos of what we are doing in our classroom. This is a great way for you to also share the projects, activities, and successes of your child with family and friends who live in various places. I will also share resources and good finds that will help make your child's year successful.

Please subscribe to our blog so that you can get updates, as well as leave comments.

To start off:

I have used a blog to communicate with families in years past (when I was teaching 3rd grade). If you'd like to visit that blog, you can see a little bit of what to expect in our classroom at: www.msfoxthirdgrade.blogspot.com

Also, if you are on Facebook, please make sure to Like these two important pages:

Forsyth Academy
https://www.facebook.com/ForsythAcademy

Forsyth Academy PTE (lots of new, fun events this year!)
https://www.facebook.com/forsythacademypte


To contact Ms. Fox, feel free to e-mail me at 25.efox@nhaschools.com

I look forward to meeting each of you at Open House! :)

Who is Ms. Fox?

I grew up in the small town of Taylorsville, North Carolina, about an hour west of Winston-Salem. Growing up, I always knew I was supposed to be a teacher. Everyone else around me also knew I was supposed to be a teacher. I would come home from long days at school and "teach" my imaginary class how to do my homework. It was all in preparation for the real world. :) 

Aside from teaching my imaginary students, I grew up loving music. My home was always filled with music, whether it was the gracious sounds of my dad on piano, or my mother singing along, or my older brothers' band practicing next to the living room. I was BOUND to be a performer! I followed in my older brother's footsteps and became infatuated with drums and percussion, continuing to study it (or teach it) in one way or another since I was eleven. I've been in several bands, including two steel drum bands and had opportunities to perform with some amazing musicians. Many people thought that after high school, I would go on to perform or teach music for the rest of my life.

But, I felt called to teach elementary students in the general education classroom. And I love it! I graduated from Appalachian State University and have been teaching at Forsyth Academy ever since! I have taught 3rd grade for the last four years and am looking forward to my new position in 2nd grade this year. Last year, I took the next step in my career, as I began Graduate School. Being a student and a teacher has had its challenges, but has been such a positive experience for me! This year, I will be continuing my work towards a Master's Degree in Reading Education from Appalachian State University.
 

I love my job. 

No, it is not the easiest job in the world (by any means), but the rewards that come from seeing a child get something for the first time after struggling so long, or giving a hug on a bad day and receiving a thank you note make up for those "not so easy" moments. I believe my job is first to love a child and then grow their mind through love. For as much fun as we have in my classroom, students will also be challenged and encouraged to struggle. Not for the sake of struggling, but for the opportunity to discover that through perseverance they COULD do it, even though it was tough. I believe that students learn through discovery and will most likely learn in the deepest way when he or she is able to apply and DO what it is the teacher is talking about. 

In my classroom, we talk. A lot. We talk about books. We talk about math. We talk about problems. We talk about solutions. We talk about "whys" and "hows" and "how is could be betters". We discuss it all and I encourage you to do the same with your child. These kids have a voice and AMAZING ideas! It is our job as adults to cultivate an environment of love and encouragement that provides opportunities for kids to amaze us!

I am so looking forward to the amazing things your child is going to do in second grade! It takes all of us-teachers, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, neighbors- to mold these little, amazing human beings into the future leaders of the world. I am so excited about what they are going to do! :) 

 

 

This summer I traveled with 22 other National Heritage Academies teachers to the Whole Brain Teaching Conference in Pineville, Louisiana. We all enjoyed a Swamp Boat Tour while we were there!! :)