Mrs. Kramer's Class Blog

Expert Fair

2012-01-26T04:27:00.000-08:00

We have been working so hard on writing nonfiction teaching books on expert topics. To celebrate, we are having an Expert Fair on Friday, February 3 from 3:00-3:30. A yellow invitation came home yesterday as well. No RSVP is necessary and it is an open house format. Please join us to hear your child share as well as other students share all about their expert topics.
Also, for the expert fair, I will be asking the kids to bring in a prop of some sort to go with their poster and book. These can be simple props that just show more about the topic. Ask your child what they have been working on in writing for the past two weeks and please help them think of a prop if needed. Some examples are:
Topic- Soccer Prop- Soccer ball or shin guards
Topic- Beaches Prop- beach towel and sunscreen
Thanks and have a great day!

Conference

2012-01-25T17:23:00.000-08:00

An email was sent out about having a conference about your child's progress prior to my maternity leave. If this is something you would like to set up, please let me know by Tuesday, February 1st. I am willing to contact you by phone or in person at a time that works best for you if you would like a conference.
Thanks!

Jammers Game

2012-01-25T17:21:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder, our annual Jamestown Jammers basketball game is this Friday! Doors open at the high school at 6:00. In order to get in the door, please bring in beef sticks, sandwich bags, or cracker packs for the Kids Food Basket donation. The game begins at 7:00. Go Jammers!

Parent Information Night!

2012-01-24T10:58:00.001-08:00

Math Expressions Parent Night
Thursday, March 22, 2012 @ 7:00 PM at the Hudsonville High School Auditorium.
A Math Expressions Parent Night will be held at the high school auditorium for parents of K-5 students in the district. Parents will hear an overview of the program in the auditorium, followed by 3 break-out sessions: K-1st, 2nd-3rd, and 4th-5th. Break-out sessions are designed to give specific grade level support to parents. Each break-out session will run for 20 minutes and will run two times in a row, allowing parents to attend more than one session.

Newletter

2011-12-14T11:25:00.001-08:00

Click HERE for the newsletter for the week we return from break.

Newletter

2011-12-01T11:47:00.000-08:00

Click HERE for this week's newsletter! There are many important events coming up this week so be sure to read carefully. Have a great weekend!

911 Dispatcher Visit

2011-12-01T11:38:00.000-08:00

911, what's your emergency? We had a 911 dispatcher come to visit our classroom on Tuesday. We watched a video that showed us what to do when there is an emergency. The kids learned how to dial 911 and also learned when to dial 911. Mrs. Rasch, the dispatcher, showed us pictures of different scenarios. The kids needed to vote on if it was a real emergency where 911 needed to be called or if 911 didn't need to be called. She also chose 3 students from our room to actually dial 911 and talk to her on the other line. Sydney's emergency was that her mom had fallen and was not able to get up, Brianna's emergency was that a stranger approached her and her friends while they were out side and wanted to show them the kittens he had in his car, and Gabe's emergency was that he heard a loud explosion outside and saw black smoke. All of the kids did an excellent job staying calm, listening to the dispatcher's instructions, giving out important information like address or location, and waiting on the line until help arrived. We reviewed addresses and phone numbers with our class. This would be a good thing to keep practicing as many students were unsure about this information.

Reading Celebration

2011-11-18T13:42:00.000-08:00

What a fun day in 2nd grade! To celebrate Family Reading Month, each child created a bag to take home with supplies in it for a night of reading with his/her family. We decorated bookmarks to help keep our place in a good book, added smarties and popcorn for treats to munch on while reading, and also included a sheet full of reading activities to complete with our families. Students also wrote a note to their families attached to labels for a calendar reminding them to mark off a couple of nights to read together in November. We read our favorite books and also included a sheet of each student's favorite book recommendation for ideas of more great reads when we run out of books at home. Each student also was able to pack 2 Weekly Readers in his/her bag for additional at-home reading.

We also celebrated our writing with a writing museum. We showcased our pieces at our desk and played musical chairs. When the music stopped, we found a desk and read the small moment story on that desk. Each student had to write a compliment about that story after they finished reading. Of course, it isn't a celebration without treats so...we ate donut holes too! The kids were so proud of their work and excited to take home their reading bags.

2011-11-18T11:30:00.000-08:00

Click HERE to read this week's newsletter! I hope that all of you have a blessed Thanksgiving. I am thankful for the opportunity to work with each one of your children each day. I hope that you enjoy your time with your family over the break. Please be sure to read the newsletter as there are many important things coming up around the holidays. Thanks!

More VIPs!

2011-11-18T06:28:00.000-08:00

VIP day

2011-11-18T06:10:00.000-08:00

What a fun morning for our class and their VIPs! After enjoying a quick breakfast in the cafeteria, students were able to show their VIP the school and our classroom. They worked on a page that we will compile into a class book. It was neat to read why each student invited their VIP and also to read about what their favorite thing is to do with their VIP. Students also played a math game with their VIPs. VIPs were excited to learn more about what a morning in Mrs. Kramer's class looks like each day! Thank you to all the VIPs for taking time out of your day to brighten ours! :)

Conferences and Newsletter

2011-11-12T06:35:00.000-08:00

Click HERE for this week's newsletter! Weekly reports did not come home today because of conference week. Just a few reminders about things to come:

*VIP day is Wednesday and Thursday this week from 8:30-9:15.

*SNAP facts are assessed each Thursday. Your child will get new cards if their unknown cards become known cards. Please remember to record on the calendar to show that they have practiced.

*All children were represented by parents that attended conferences! It was great to have a chance to talk to all of you about your child's progress this year!

As always, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns!

We Are a Reading Family!

2011-11-06T17:27:00.000-08:00

Your child came home with a poster "We Are a Reading Family!" on Friday. Please complete this poster and send it back to school by Thursday, November 17th. We will be using these posters to share and celebrate National Family Reading Month. Your child will be celebrating on Friday by making a goodie bag with supplies to take home to have their own Family Reading Night at your house. To inspire you, here is a picture of my family reading as part of our bedtime routine! (As you can see from the picture, our dog Wilson really enjoys reading too!)

Halloween Shots

2011-11-06T17:19:00.000-08:00

We had a fun Halloween party! Thank you to all the parents that were able to help by sending in supplies or coordinating food, games, and the craft. We also were able to watch 5th graders perform Halloween reader's theaters. The kids loved seeing the "big kids" act out stories and some even were able to watch their siblings.

2011-11-04T13:11:00.000-07:00

Click HERE for this week's newsletter!

Look forward to seeing everyone at conferences next week!

Porch Steps

2011-11-02T12:47:00.001-07:00

Please see the following information about a local agency:

PORCH STEPS
We are here to help by providing clothes for you.

If your family or a family you know of is struggling and in need of clothing, please call Porch Steps. We are a clothing ministry that is a little boutique where you can shop for free! All of our clothes are new or gently used and in great condition. You can get 10 items for each member of your family up to 4 times a year. Just call 616-667-2916 to set up an appointment with us. Everything is very confidential. You must live in Jenison or Hudsonville and be referred by a school OR provide some evidence that you are on assistance (for example a bridge card). We are located on 1675 Baldwin Street Jenison, MI 49428. It is right in the back of Solomon’s Porch Church. Please give us a call! We accept donations as well.

Scarves Give Warmth and Spark Giving

2011-10-30T16:16:00.000-07:00

Our class was given 24 hand-knitted scarves from a woman at my church. She wanted to make sure that all the kids at Jamestown Elementary were warm this winter. What a beautiful and thoughtful gift- to know that someone was kind enough to think of our class and take the time to knit a scarf for each child truly warms my heart. Knowing that some children may need a winter scarf and some may not, I suggested to the class that if they knew of someone else that could use the scarf more than themselves, they could give it to them. I was proud when some students asked to give it to a homeless shelter, a younger brother or sister, a newly adopted child, and some didn't take one at all and said to give it to someone else at school. We wanted to have a photo of everyone wearing their scarf as part of a thank you to Mrs. Hudson (our knitter extraordinaire)! Here is a serious and a silly shot (of course).

Painting Pumpkins and Mystery Reader

2011-10-27T11:51:00.000-07:00

Click HERE for this week's newsletter!

We were able to pick a free pumpkin to paint from the trailer! Thanks Mr. Paasman for coming to school to deliver all the pumpkins for us to choose from! With our pumpkins picked, it was time to paint! Thank you to all the parents that were able to help with this event for those of you that brought in supplies or helped with the painting and clean up, our class appreciates it! We also had Mrs. Bozung, Bryce's mom come in to read the story Memoirs of a Goldfish to the class. It was a great book that is written from the perspective of a goldfish and it gave our class a good laugh. Thanks Mrs. Bozung!

October 24-28

2011-10-20T11:26:00.000-07:00

Click HERE for this week's newsletter!

2011-10-13T18:19:00.000-07:00

Click HERE for this week's newsletter.
We had a great week! Here are some of our highlights from this week:
*We had GVSU students that are training to become physician's assistants come in to teach us all about germs and the importance of washing our hands. We signed a promise to wash our hands to stay healthy.
*We took our math Unit 1 test and our first science test on Matter and the Properties of Matter.
*We started our math intervention groups. All students are working on fact fluency and strategies to help them become more fluent in addition facts. This works hand in hand with our SNAP facts because it provides more practice and tools to use instead of counting on fingers.
*We earned our class incentive mystery phrase. It was craft time. We were able to make a fall-themed craft to celebrate.
*Differentiated reading groups are off and running! Parents have been great volunteering to help make these groups possible. Each child is receiving reading and phonics support at their level to help them make progress as a reader.
*New SNAP facts were sent home on Thursday. We will assess every Thursday. Thank you to the parents that have helped with assessing and getting each child 10 facts that are individualized just for them.

Big News Travels Quickly!

2011-10-11T18:31:00.000-07:00

If your child hasn't told you yet, my husband and I are expecting our second child this March. We are very excited to be able to welcome another child into our family. The kids had a lot of questions for me about the baby and a lot of advice too, some good- some not so good! :)

Firetrucks and Fire Drills!

2011-10-10T11:26:00.000-07:00

Friday morning, Owen was super excited that his dad was going to be in the building teaching Kindergartners all about firemen and their jobs. Our class was glued to the window as we watched the firetruck outside. Owen's dad had some extra time after the presentations so we were able to see the firetruck up close in person (instead of just peering out our classroom window!) The firemen explained all the tools that they use to help put out fires and save peoples' lives. Our entire class was able to step into a firetruck too! Then just as we were about to head back inside, we had a school-wide fire drill! As we took our places in line in our safe spot, we were able to watch the firetruck pull away with its lights on. Thanks to both firefighter Wheeler and Owen's dad for showing us all the interesting tools and compartments inside a firetruck.

Fun Friday!

2011-09-30T17:58:00.000-07:00

Click HERE for this week's newsletter!

Wow! What a crazy, eagle pride, spirit-filled week! Today was a fantastic day. We began our day with library. Mrs. DeBoer read us a story called the frog principal and the kids thought it was funny picturing what it would be like if Mr. DeLeeuw turned into a frog. After library, we worked hard to finish publishing our stories. We added covers and colored the pictures to go along with the words. At break, students were able to enjoy popcorn from popcorn day and then it was off to the cheer on the Hudsonville Eagles at our pep assembly. As you can see from the video, we had no trouble cheering on our team. After the assembly, we made oobleck. We talked about whether it was a liquid or a solid as a fun way to investigate matter for our science unit. After lunch, we celebrated Aubrey's Star Student poster and read a bit of her favorite book Dolphins at Daybreak. Another character assembly followed and our very own Jackson and Elle were recognized for outstanding character. We voted as a class for them because we thought all month they showed great citizenship. And to top it off, we ended our day with our publishing party. What could be better than listening to fabulous stories while enjoying a treat? It was a fun-filled day!

SNAP facts

2011-09-27T17:34:00.000-07:00

Snap Facts came home on Monday. Thank you for reviewing these 10 flashcards with your child 3 times a day and initialing the calendar. Snap facts and the monthly reading log should be kept in your child's daily folder. The Snap Facts will be assessed each week on Thursday. Your child will keep these facts until NEXT week Thursday. Thanks!

Spirit Week

2011-09-23T11:55:00.000-07:00

Monday- Comfy Day

Tuesday- Neon Clash Day

Wednesday- Crazy Hair

Thursday- Red Carpet (get spiffy)

Friday- Eagle Pride

Sharing the Pen, A Rap, and Class News

2011-09-23T11:28:00.000-07:00

This week we talked about the importance of picking books that are "good fit" books. These books are in our independent level so that we can understand what we are reading as well as read the words. We learned that there are plenty of reasons to choose a book and books that interest us are going to be ones we have more stamina reading. As a way to invite you to hear our rap on this blog or on YouTube (search: mrskramersclass), we did interactive writing or Share the Pen. This is when the we think of an authentic purpose to write, brainstorm, and write. Students are invited to take charge and show what they know by helping with idea generation, spelling, conventions, and making meaning. We decided to write a letter to YOU to invite you to view our rap.

Also click HERE for this week's newsletter.

Week of September 19 Newsletter

2011-09-16T16:56:00.000-07:00

For this week's newsletter click HERE

First Week of 2nd Grade!

2011-09-09T17:56:00.000-07:00

The first week of 2nd grade was a success! We spent a lot of time creating our class promise. The students were able to brainstorm answers to the following questions:
*How should we treat our classmates?
*How do you want your classmates to treat you?
*How do you think Mrs. K. wants to be treated?
*How do you want Mrs. K. to treat you?

We wrote a class promise and all signed it as a way of reminding ourselves that all year we will focus on make great choices. We also filled our classmates buckets, made a class quilt, and read many fun back-to-school books. The kids were able to get to know each other through playing games and working together during morning greetings and activities.

Ask your child about...
* the Hello Neighbor Boogie
*if they won the Tic-Tac-Toe game
*their class job at the end of the day
*how long they were able to read independently
*what fun facts they learned about their teacher ;)
*their favorite read aloud so far
*ways they can solve a story problem in math

Ready for another wonderful week!

Important Dates

2011-09-03T16:58:00.000-07:00

Please check the calendar at the bottom of the page for important dates. This will give you more details...
* Book orders are due September 30. You can order through the catalog and return money to school or order conveniently online with your credit card.

* Items like magazine clippings, photos, and stickers to decorate writing folders should be brought to school no later than Thursday, September 15.

* Look for your child's first homework assignment "Brown Bag" activity to come home in the daily folder on Friday. Please return these Monday,

September 12.

* If your child would like to bring in a special folder for homework, please have these at school by the end of the first week. I will provide children with a homework folder, if they do not bring in a personal choice for a folder.

* Remember our school is peanut free. Please be aware of our policy as you pack snacks for your child.

Thanks for Coming!

2011-09-02T07:06:00.000-07:00

Thank you for coming to Open House! It was great to meet a wonderful new group of second graders! If you Fished for a Wish for a classroom donation, those can be brought in whenever is convenient for you. Don't forget to also send in the following papers if you haven't already done so:

*Volunteer Information Sheet

*Background Check

*Parent Compact

*Student Information Sheet

*Who am I? page

I am looking forward to a great first week of school. Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

Welcome to Second Grade!

2011-08-31T16:48:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of us at Crystal Mountain Resort this summer. Even Alexa is looking at the camera!
Wilson the pug- you will hear LOTS of stories about him!

Hi 2nd graders! My name is Mrs. Kramer and I will be your teacher this year. I am so excited to meet you at the Open House. It starts at 6:30. When you get to school you can see your classroom, locker, and desk. From 7:05-7:25 or 7:30-7:50 there will be a presentation all about 2nd grade for your parents in the media center. I hope you enjoy your last few weeks of summer and I will see you at Open House!