Archway Cicero Second Grade Newsletter
Week of September 21, 2020
Greetings, parents of second grade!
Remote Families:
As you look at this week’s schedule, please take note of a few key changes. These changes apply to this week only. Please continue to look at the weekly schedule in the newsletter to keep up to date with any and all changes as they occur.
The primary change you will notice is the live zoom schedule for the week. Monday will run normally, however math will be asynchronous instead of a live zoom. Tuesday and Thursday our scholars are taking the Galileo tests. This is the first time our scholars are taking these tests, so we have devoted the entire live zoom to this assessment. Please consider being available to help your scholar with the digital aspects of logging on and navigating the interface of this new platform. The Wednesday math zoom time has been moved by 10 minutes, as is explained below. Friday is an R&R weekend, with no homework.
Brick and Mortar:
Please note this is a large assessment week. Monday we have a history quiz, and Tuesday and Thursday we have our first Galileo assessment. Please see below for information regarding this.
IMPORTANT DATES
Announcements:
Thank you to those who have contributed to our classroom from our amazon wishlist! These items truly make our classroom more fun and enjoyable! We are currently looking for more items to restock our morning activity bins! The link to the wishlist can be found here: Amazon Wishlist
Please join Mrs. Ghishan and Mrs. Brooks for a Town Hall meeting on Tuesday, September 22nd at 9:15 AM to discuss quarter 2. If you can’t attend, a recording will be sent out following the Town Hall.
Zoom link: https://greathearts.zoom.us/j/97113904162?pwd=NTI1cWFhTjYzZlZNTjh3N1d1MkpWQT09
We will then be sending out an email to our remote families on Wednesday, September 23rd asking what your plan for your scholar(s) is for quarter 2. We ask that all remote families reply to that email by Friday, September 25th with whether your scholar will remain remote or return to the building.
If you already know, please feel free to email Mrs. Brooks at this time (even if you have already emailed her as some families have changed their minds and we want to get as accurate information as possible).
Sponsor a Butterfly Garden! - In our upcoming science unit, our scholars will be studying the life cycles of plants, animals and insects. We would like to provide a memorable, hands on experience for them in the form of a live butterfly garden.
Students will be able to see, first hand, all the stages of a butterfly life cycle from larva, to chrysalis, to butterfly. We are seeking a parent from each section to sponsor a butterfly garden for their class. The habitat and butterflies run the cost of about $35 for each section.
The sponsor will receive a thank you card from the entire class and an invitation to our butterfly release ceremony when they reach maturation. If you are interested in sponsoring the butterfly garden for your scholar’s classroom please reach out to your child’s teacher for information on how to purchase the apparatus and insects.
This week we will be taking the state Galileo test. The students will complete the Galileo reading test on Tuesday and math test on Thursday. Galileo is an internal computerized test that we use to assess growth throughout the school year and guide us on how to better support our students in their learning. Remote scholars will complete this on these days as well, however this will be done independently at home with instructions given via Zoom. A PDF with log-in instructions for remote scholars will be coming to families shortly. Please make sure your child eats a complete breakfast to help them sustain focus through this lengthy test. This testing will have an effect on our zoom schedule. To accommodate students who will need ample time to finish this lengthy test - we will halt all normal academic zooms on those days. On Tuesday and Thursday please use the “testing” zoom link in Google Classroom at 8:25 am. SEE ABOVE
One on one reading with our brick and mortar scholars began this week. For our remote scholars, a signup will be coming shortly to schedule a specific time for myself or Mrs. Wallani to read with your scholar. All remote scholars have been assigned their leveled reader, to be read daily and once a week with a teacher. You will use the same sign up slot every week. The Zoom link will be added to the signup. These appointments must run back to back, so we will not be able to read with late scholars that day. Please look for this signup in your email within the next week.
Now that we have been in the swing of teaching scholars both in person and remotely - we have noticed that there is not enough time for our brick and mortar scholars to return from recess and be ready for math instruction by 9:20. To allow the kids in our classroom an opportunity to transition smoothly from recess to learning we will need to push the math live zooms on Wednesdays to 9:30 rather than 9:20. This change is indicated in the schedule below. Thank you for understanding.
Zoom Schedule starting 9/21/2020
Academics
Best,
The Second Grade Team
