Mrs. Steinher's 2nd Grade Class

News from Second Grade!

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I am so glad to be back after my maternity leave! There are a lot of exciting things happening from now until the end of the year!!

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Happy winter break!! Have a very safe and happy vacation!

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December 5 - 9

This week we are building toys.  Unless your child comes home and says they need something specific for their project, we do not need any other materials at this time.  I will send out an email if we start to run low on anything!

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November 14 - 18

On Friday, our class performs in the NRE Dance Performance from 12:25 - 1:05.  Families are welcome to attend! We will be dancing with Mrs. Lenhert and Mrs. Spillan's students.

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November 7 - 11

On Tuesday there is no school for students - staff professional development.

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October 31 - November 4

Monday was the Fall party. The students had a blast! Next week, we will have professional development on Tuesday.  There is no school for students on that day.

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October 24 - 28

Monday will be our Fall party!

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October 17 - 21

I hope everyone had a restful, fun, and safe fall break! It is hard to believe that we are getting close to the end of October.  Next week is the Fall Festival.  We will have our classroom party on October 31.

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October 10 - 14

FALL BREAK! 

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October 3 - 7

This week is parent teacher conferences.  There is no school on Friday as we begin our Fall break! No school next week either!

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September 26 - 30

It's the last week of September! I can't believe it! Next week is the week of parent teacher conferences.  If you have not signed up already, here is the link:

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www.SignUpGenius.com/go/30E0C49ADA72AA0F49-fall 

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September 19 - 23

There is no school on Friday, Sept. 23rd.  Teachers have a professional learning day. 

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September 12 - 16

Monday is the Fun Run prize day! This is always an exciting day for students.  

We had a wonderful time on our field trip last week! Students learned about Highlands Ranch history through Highlands Ranch Days and the tour of the mansion.

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September 5 - 9

There is no school on Monday.  This week is our trip to the Highlands Ranch Mansion! We are excited to learn more about our community and its history. 

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August 29 - September 2

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Here is the link to the sign up for the field trip to the mansion:

https://dcsdk12.revtrak.net/tek9.asp?pg=rw_NRES

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The students had a great time at the Fun Run last week! Even though the weather was rainy, they still had a blast.  If you are donating to this fundraiser, please return envelopes by August 31.

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Finally, our schedule has changed slightly.  The entire morning will be focused on our literacy workshops (writing followed by reading).  Math has been moved to the afternoon. 

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August 22 - 26

Hopefully all of you received the email about the field trip coming up.  Please let me know if you have not, I can resend it.  If you would like to volunteer, please let me know by this Friday. 

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August 15 - 19

Please see the email that was shared by Amber McFarland in case you did not have a chance to read it in your email or if you did not receive it for some reason:

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CogAT Referral Testing Window is Open

Referral Testing - Forms Required and Due by Friday, August 19th.

The Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT 7) can be given to students in grades 1, 2, 4, and 5 at a parent's request for children who may qualify for gifted programming.  This testing is for students who have demonstrated the need for advanced programming, differentiated instruction for advanced learning needs, tend to grasp concepts quickly, or who need additional depth and complexity in order for their learning needs to be met.  

 

For testing in referral grades, grades 1, 2, 4, and 5, we must have a signed Consent to Test form and Gifted Education ID Referral Form on file. These forms are double sided and can be found in this link  and on the CogAT page of the Gifted Programming tab on the Northridge website.  You may also request printed copies of the forms by emailing amber.mcfarland@dcsdk12.org.  All referral forms must be completed and returned to the school no later than Friday, August 19th.  Late forms can not be accepted.  By completing these forms, you are asking that your child be given the CogAT exam and that a profile for possible gifted identification be started for your child.  

 

Referral testing is not for all students.  These are students who may require targeted and/or intensive gifted programming as provided by our neighborhood schools or our center based Discovery Program.  In Douglas County, all third and sixth grade students are tested as universal testing grades.  So, if you are curious about how your child perform on this assessment, it is best to wait until 3rd or 6th grade.

 

If I sign my child up for the CogAT, what can (s)he expect?

This test is not like a spelling or math test where if you know all of the words or facts you can make a 100%.  Instead, it is a norm referenced test and the national average is 50% percentile.  There is no defined curriculum for the CogAT and it is not the type of test that one studies for.  This test can help to identify relative strengths and provide information to parents and teachers for instructional purposes.  Parents and teachers will receive an Ability Profile which provides insight into the way that the student learns best.  In Douglas County, the CogAT is also used to aid in the identification process for gifted and talented programming.  

 

There are three parts to the CogAT:  Verbal, Quantitative and Non-Verbal.  

Verbal:  Measures a child’s ability to remember and transform sequences of English words, to understand them and to make inferences and judgments about them.

Quantitative:  Measures the child’s understanding of basic quantitative concepts and relationships that are essential for learning mathematics. 

Non-Verbal:  Measures reasoning using pictures and geometric shapes.  This reduces the impact of language on the student’s score.

Testing will take place over three days with students testing for approximately an hour to an hour and a half each day depending on the grade level.  This is a rigorous test, so we will take brain breaks between sessions.  You can expect that your child will miss at least an hour of classroom instruction on each day of testing. 

 

Tentative CogAT Testing Schedule

The tentative schedule (subject to change slightly) for CogAT testing is as follows:

 

1st graders (by referral only):  week of September 6th

2nd graders (by referral only):  week of September 6th

3rd graders (all, except students currently enrolled in Discovery): TBA

4th and 5th (by referral only):  week of September 12th

6th grade (all, except students currently enrolled in Discovery): TBA

 

 

If you are interested in having your 1st, 2nd, 4th, or 5th grade child tested, please return the consent and referral forms no later than FRIDAY, AUGUST 19TH.  Third and sixth grade students do not need consent forms for testing.  

 

 

For more information regarding CogAT testing and/or Gifted Programming, please visit the Gifted Programming tab on the Northridge website.  If you have any questions or concerns regarding CogAT testing and whether this testing is right for your child or to request paper copies of the forms, please contact Amber McFarland via email at amber.mcfarland@dcsdk12.org. 

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August 8 - 12

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Happy school! I am so excited for the start of the new school year.  I look forward to getting to know each of my students and families!  Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns. During the week, I try to respond to emails within 24 hours.  I typically do not check my email on the weekends, so if you email me on Friday, I will respond on Monday.  

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May 23, 24

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May 24th is the LAST day of school!  There will be an end of the year picnic starting at 11:30.  2nd grade will meet on the basebacll field.  You are welcome to sign your child out after lunch.  I will have a sign out sheet, so please see me before leaving.

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It has been such an amazing year! I have so enjoyed sharing this 2nd grade journey with my students and families.  They are now ready for 3rd grade! :)

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HAPPY SUMMER!!

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May 16 - 20

This is our last full week of school! Students will begin taking home their supplies as we get ready for the last day.

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May 9 - 13

 

Two full weeks fo school left...can you believe it?! 

I hope you had a great Mother's Day weekend.  This Friday, we will have our field trip to the Chatfield Botanic Gardens.  Please be sure your second grader is dressed appropriately with comfortable walking shoes.  I will also send out an email as a reminder.  

 

Library books are due by Friday, May 13th.  We will not be checking any other books our from the library at this point, so please be sure to help your child locate and return books.

 

May 2 - 6

 

Wow! It's May!

 

On Monday, May 2nd, we will have a cow eye dissection! Thank you to the volunteers who have signed up! Our field trip is not scheduled for Friday, May 13th.  Please see the link below for revtrak if you have not signed your child up already.

 

April 18 - 22

Thank you to those of you who could attend the play!! The students had a great time performing for you as well as for the 3rd and 4th graders during their dress rehearsal.  They worked so hard and did such a fantastic job!

 

Next week on Friday, April 29th, we will have our field trip to the Botanic Gardens.  Please be sure your child is signed up if you would like them to attend.   Here is the link to do so: https://dcsdk12.revtrak.net/tek9.asp?pg=rw_NRES.  I will send out an email as we get closer to the date as an additional reminder.  

 

April 11 - 15

• Thursday is dress rehearsal at the school - This is for students to attend. Have your child either wear or bring in a white t-shirt to school to wear over his/her clothes.  They should also either wear jeans or overalls to school so that they are in costume!  

• If you need additional tickets - please email me the amount.  I have several students saying that they need more but they aren't sure on the number or if they really do need the tickets.  I would be happy to send home more if you let me know the amount.

• Drop your 2nd grader off at the bus loop by 5:50pm.  Staff will be there to ensure students find their way into the school.  

• Our performance is at 7:00pm.  We are the 2nd performance.  Your student will leave with you after this performance.  

• Bring your orange tickets! You will only be able to get into the 2nd performance with the orange tickets.  The tickets for the 1st performance are not the same.  Please come to the designated performance.  We are doing this to be sure there is adequate seating for each show.

• Again, our class is wearing white t-shirts with either jeans or overalls

   

April 4 - 8

 

Please review the "Upcoming Events" section of this page.  Also, just a reminder that we are discontinuing homework from now until the end of the year.  I sent home spelling lists with your child that cover all of the lists that we will review in class until the end of the year.

 

March 28 - April 1

 

I hope that everyone had a safe and happy spring break.  We have a lot of exciting events coming up, so be sure to look at the "Upcoming Events" section.  Also, if you did not have the chance to sign your child up for the upcoming field trip to the rec center, please do so by following this link:  https://dcsdk12.revtrak.net/tek9.asp?pg=rw_NRES

 

March 14 - 17

 

There is no school on Friday.  Spring break is next week!

 

Once again, here is the sign up genius if you have not already signed up for a conference time:  www.SignUpGenius.com/go/30E0C49ADA72AA0F49-mrs

 

Below you will find the grading scale that is currently being used by the district.  When you come to conferences or when you receive your conference sheet if you are unable to attend, you will see these scores.  

 

Grading Scale Supporting Language:

○   A score of “Exceeds” indicates a high level of achievement; it communicates that a student has a strong understanding of the content/concepts/skills taught during the semester and can demonstrate understanding independently and with very few errors.

○   A score of “Meets” indicates that a student demonstrates understanding of content/concepts/skills  most of the time and with limited support. Student makes few major errors or omissions when demonstrating concepts/skills.

○   A score of “Approaching” indicates that a student requires moderate support to demonstrate understanding of concepts/skills. Demonstrated understanding of concepts/skills is inconsistent or infrequent indicating a partial understanding of the content/concepts/skills.  Errors or omissions in work are more frequent.  

○  A score of “Does Not Meet” indicates that a student seldom demonstrates understanding of concepts and skills taught during the semester.  Student requires considerable support to demonstrate learning of concepts and skills and makes frequent major errors when demonstrating understanding.

 

March 7 - 11

 

Once again, here is the sign up genius if you have not already signed up for a conference time:  www.SignUpGenius.com/go/30E0C49ADA72AA0F49-mrs

 

Below you will find the grading scale that is currently being used by the district.  When you come to conferences or when you receive your conference sheet if you are unable to attend, you will see these scores.  

 

Grading Scale Supporting Language:

○   A score of “Exceeds” indicates a high level of achievement; it communicates that a student has a strong understanding of the content/concepts/skills taught during the semester and can demonstrate understanding independently and with very few errors.

○   A score of “Meets” indicates that a student demonstrates understanding of content/concepts/skills  most of the time and with limited support. Student makes few major errors or omissions when demonstrating concepts/skills.

○   A score of “Approaching” indicates that a student requires moderate support to demonstrate understanding of concepts/skills. Demonstrated understanding of concepts/skills is inconsistent or infrequent indicating a partial understanding of the content/concepts/skills.  Errors or omissions in work are more frequent.  

○  A score of “Does Not Meet” indicates that a student seldom demonstrates understanding of concepts and skills taught during the semester.  Student requires considerable support to demonstrate learning of concepts and skills and makes frequent major errors when demonstrating understanding.

 

February 29 - March 4

 

This week we begin March, which is so hard to believe! Here is the link for our spring parent teacher conferences:  www.SignUpGenius.com/go/30E0C49ADA72AA0F49-mrs

 

Last week students "met" author Tara Lazar over a skype visit.  She is the author of The Monstore and Little Red Gliding Hood.  We listened to her read Little Red Gliding Hood.  Following the reading, students asked Ms. Lazar questions about the writing process.  All of the K-3 students were in attendance and had a great time.T

 

February 22 - 26

 

I can't believe February is almost over! This week is a full week of school.  We also have a "skype visit" with author, Tara Lazar, on Thursday!

February 15 - 19

 

I hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend! Our Valentine's Day party was a success! Thank you to the parents who joined us and for the volunteers who coordinated and provided treats for the party! 

 

There is no math homework this week.  We are beginning a new chapter on money.

 

February 8 - 12

 

This week is our Valentine's Day party! We will celebrate on Thursday in the afternoon.  If you are able, send in donations for our purpose for this party.  Students should bring in an already decorated box for Valentine cards on Thursday.

 

There is NO school on Friday or Monday.  Friday is a professional learning day and Monday is Presidents Day. 

 

February 1 - 5

 

Happy February!! This week we begin our new unit, focusing on Famous Americans throughout history.  Just a reminder, next week is our Valentine's Day party. An email was sent out regarding the purpose for this party - donations for life care centers: senior rehab / nursing care. If you are able, your child may bring in donations of the following: playing cards, 300+ jigsaw puzzles, word search / crossword books, socks for men and women, throw blankets, books on tape, large print books, cd players, and toiletries.  

 

 

 

January 25 - 29

 

I can't believe it is the last week of January!  This week we are wrapping up our fables and fairy tales unit.  Students will perform in "readers theatre" in front of the class. They have been working very hard on their plays.  Students will also finish writing their fables.  

 

 

 

January 18 - 22

 

There is no school on Monday.  Next week there will be a science fair.   Your child may enter a project into the fair if they wish! Check the NRE website for more details.  As a class, we will do a walkthrough to view the projects.  

 

 

 

January 11 - 15

 

We are off to a great new year! We will have our book publishing party this Thursday, January 14.  Students worked hard in the fall on this writing process.  The books now have a book binding and will be shared with the class at the end of the day.  Books will be sent home in the following weeks.  I think it would be great for them to be on display for a while.

 

 

 

January 4 - 8

 

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had an enjoyable winter break.  Thank you to the volunteers who came in to support our part for a purpose before vacation started. I know all of the students had a great time!  I am excited for the first week back of this new year and for the second half of the school year (how time flies!!).

 

 

 

December 14 - 17

 

I apologize for the late post! I hope everyone enjoyed their snow day and are ready for a nice long winter vacation! Enjoy spending the time with your families!

 

 

 

December 7 - 11

 

The students really enjoyed Junior Achievement Day with Miss Jen on Friday! They learned about how communities function.  This Friday, we will have the Holiday Gift Shop.

 

 

 

Next week is our Winter Party.  This party with a purpose will be for the Children's Hospital Snow Pile - students will bring NEW and UNWRAPPED Toy/Book/Game donations to tables located in the front lobby the week of December 14-17th.

 

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The donations will be delivered to both the Children's Hospital located on Lucent Blvd. and the Denver campus. While out shopping please consider picking up an extra item for some of our neighbors experiencing health challenges this holiday!

 

 

 

​If you cannot support an in-kind donation, all students will also be able to show gratitude through handmade cards/letters of encouragement during the party.

 

 

 

Have a great week!

 

 

 

November 30 - December 4

 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving break! This week, we will have Junior Achievement Day on Friday. This is a fun day for students as volunteers guide the students learning on our community.  They will discuss responsibilities within the community and economic opportunities.

 

 

 

November 16 - 20

 

The students are well on their way building their toys!  They are having such a blast.  It is great to watch them problem solve as they try to find a way to make their toy move.  We will continue working on this project throughout the week.  Next week they will get to show off their hard work! We will also take our multiplication and division test this week.

 

 

 

November 9 - 13

 

Thank you to everyone who has been adding to our supply of materials for the toys! In pairs, students will be designing and creating a toy that moves.  This is a great project for the students as they learn about force and motion under the large umbrella concept of cause and effect.  

 

 

 

November 2 - 6

 

Thank you to all of the parent volunteers who came in to help with the Fall Party! They kids had so much fun, and it was such a great day for them! Just a reminder, students do not have school on Tuesday, November 3rd.  Teachers have a professional development day.

 

 

 

October 26 - 30

 

The Fall Festival was a success! If you were able to attend, I hope you and your families had a great time. This Friday we have our costume parade and party. We are supporting Project Healthy Smile in our class. Donations of toothbrushes and dental floss are welcome!

 

 

 

October 19 - 23

 

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a very enjoyable Fall Break! From the stories the second graders are telling, it sounds like it was! Remember, this Friday is our Fall Festival from 5-8. There will be a haunted house and many games to play! I hope your family can make it!

 

 

 

October 5 - 8

 

I apologize for the late post!

 

We have no school Friday! Parent teacher conferences will be held throughout the week. Next week is Fall Break! I hope everyone has a fun and safe vacation :)

 

 

 

September 28 - October 2

 

Sign up to schedule a conference time if you have not done so already! Let me know if there are any conflicts with scheduling. Our subtraction with regrouping test will be this week. We have been working very hard on this. REMEMBER - this is a skill we are going to work on all year. If your child does not do as well as they think, just remember that this is a very difficult concept and we are primarily looking for growth. 

 

 

 

If anyone would like to volunteer for Thursday folders, that would be a huge help! Thank you for all you do!

 

 

 

September 21 - 25

 

Remember, there is no school on Friday! Have your child bring in homework on Thursday :) Last week in Thursday folders I sent home information about iStation. This is a wonderful program that allows your child to work on his/her reading skills! It is programmed to meet your child at his/her reading level. You can easily download the app if you have an iPad or tablet at home. The letter included your child's sign in information. When you download the app, the "domain" is northridge.douglas.co. It will pop up as you type "Northridge". The program is designed to feel like a game, which makes it very engaging. So far, the students have really enjoyed using iStation in class :)

 

 

 

September 14 - 18

 

Thank you to our parent volunteers for the field trip to Highlands Ranch Days! The children had so much fun, and they learned a lot too :)

 

 

 

Some of your children brought home a zip lock bag with cardstock. This is for the logo design for the school apparel. There will be a vote at each grade level and then student council will vote on one logo to use for the design for this year's apparel. Your child DOES NOT have to do this. It is optional. The logo should reflect Northridge as a community.

 

 

 

Homework is due every Friday. Remember, we don't want your child to spend more than 20 minutes a night on homework! If the spelling activities are taking a long time, they don't have to do as many. We want your children to relax, play, have fun with friends, and enjoy family time after school too!

 

 

 

September 7 - 11

 

This week we have our field trip to the Highlands Ranch Days! We are going on September 11. This trip will help us learn more about the community we live in. If you are interested in volunteering for the trip, you can sign up online or call the office (the forms may not be working right now). If you would like to order books from the Scholastic magazine sent home, please return the slip by Tuesday. Or you can order online! Our class code is NBC8V.

 

 

 

August 31 - September 4

 

This week we have pictures! Make sure you turn in your order forms if you would like to order your child's pictures.

 

 

 

August 24 - 28

 

If you would like to volunteer as a homeroom parent, please let me know. We have one or two parents signed up, but it would be nice to have a group of parents so the responsibilities may be shared. The main responsibilities of homeroom parents are to organize and run classroom parties. Let me know if you are interested! 

 

 

 

Have a great week!

 

 

 

August 17 - 21

 

What a great first week of school! It was wonderful getting to know and learn about your children. We did many "getting to know you" activities, a Marc Brown study, and math games. The students also had fun learning about the different specials they will take part in this year.

 

 

 

See the "Our Schedule" tab to see what we are learning about this week!

 

 

 

If you would like to volunteer, please check out the NRE Second Grade website! Sign up using the form. If you would like to volunteer to help with Thursday folders, that would be a HUGE help! Volunteers would only need to come in for fifteen minutes or so to help organize papers and folders. The second grade site with these forms is located on the home page.

 

 

 

Again, if you have any questions, feel free to contact me!

 

 

 

August 10 - 14

 

In this section, I will post any upcoming events that we may have in the classroom or as a whole school.

 

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This week is our first week of school. I am so excited to get to know my second graders and families! This is a week of getting to know one another, so that we can have the best year. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions, concerns, or any bit of information that you think will help your child succeed in second grade!