Spelling Lists
Montoya's Monday Memos
8-24-07
8-31-07
9-7-07
9-14-07 The Roundup at Rio Ranch
9-21-07 Welcome to a New Museum
9-28-07 Lemonade for Sale
10-5-07 A Letter to Amy
10-19-07 The Best Friends Club
10-26-07 Jamaica Tag-Along
11-2-07
11-8-07 Arthur Writes a Story
11-16-07 Best Wishes, Ed
11-30-07 The Pony Express
12-7-07 Nine-in-One, Grr! Grr!
12-14-07 Change For The Quarter
12-21-07 Charlie Anderson
1-18-08 Fernando's Gift
1-25-08 The Best Vacation Ever
2-1-08 Zipping, Zapping, Zooming Bats
2-8-08 Going Batty For Bats
2-15-08 Bremen Town Musicians
2-22-08
2-29-08 Our Soccer League
3-7-08 The Wednesday Surprise
3-14-08 Fossils Tell of Long Ago
3-20-08 Are You a Fossil Fan?
4-11-08 Office Buckle and Gloria
4-18-08 Tomas and the Library Lady
4-25-08 Princess Pooh
5-2-08 Swimmy
5-9-08 The World's Plants Are in Danger
8-14-07
8-20-07
8-27-07
9-4-07
9-10-07
9-18-07
9-24-07
10-1-07
10-9-07
10-15-07
10-22-07
10-29-07
11-5-07
11-12-07
11-26-07
12-3-07
12-10-07
12-17-07
1-8-08
1-14-08
1-22-08
1-28-08
2-4-08
2-11-08
2-19-08
3-3-08
3-10-08
3-17-08
3-31-08
4-7-08
4-14-08
4-21-08
4-28-08
5-5-08
8-24-07
1. bat
2. best
3. clock
4. desk
5. fit
6. hut
7. just
8. mom
9. plant
10. still
Fabulous 50
11. about
12. after
13. again
14. around
15. away
Challenge
16. carrots
17. crawl
18. homework
19. hurry
20. lucky
Dictation Sentences
1. The work is on your desk.
2. My cat is the best pet.
8-31-07
1. alone
2. bike
3. broke
4. fine
5. joke
6. late
7. mine
8. same
9. take
10. used
Fabulous 50
11. because
12. before
13. cold
14. could
15. can't
Challenge
16. different
17. hundred
18. parents
19. searched
20. weighed
Dictation Sentences
1. My bike is fast.
2. I can take you home.
9-7-07
1. chief
2. clay
3. dream
4. green
5. keep
6. mail
7. mean
8. plain
9. seat
10. stay
Fabulous 50
11. every
12. favorite
13. first
14. found
15. friend
Challenge
16. answered
17. grandmother
18. idea
19. remember
20. serious
Dictation Sentences
1. The chief is far away.
2. I had a good dream.
9-14-07
The Roundup at Rio Ranch
1. by
2. dry
3. follow
4. load
5. mind
6. old
7. row
8. sigh
9. slow
10. toe
Fabulous 50
11. give
12. good
13. how
14. just
15. know
Challenge
16. broken
17. carefully
18. cattle
19. gently
20. safety
Dictation Sentences
1. We can row the boat.
2. The horse is slow.
9-21-07
1. time
2. place
3. flags
4. slave
5. vote
6. speech
7. peace
8. tax
9. law
10. trade
Fabulous 50
11. laugh
12. many
13. much
14. must
15. never
Challenge
16. artist
17. body
18. famous
19. hour
20. visit
Dictation Sentences
1. The flags are high.
2. The tax is new.
9-28-07
1. true
2. too
3. new
4. room
5. blew
6. tool
7. clue
8. boot
9. few
10. school
Fabulous 50
11. once
12. our
13. people
14. please
15. pretty
Challenge
16. announced
17. empty
18. poured
19. squeezed
20. wrong
Dictation Sentences
1. The toy is new.
2. The boot is red.
10-5-07
1. down
2. out
3. point
4. joy
5. house
6. coin
7. now
8. loud
9. brown
10. cowboy
Fabulous 50
11. round
12. sleep
13. some
14. thank
15. them
Challenge
16. candles
17. glanced
18. repeated
19. special
20. wild
Dictation Sentences
1. The house is green.
2. The cowboy is old.
10-19-07
1. porch
2. care
3. dear
4. more
5. short
6. bare
7. tore
8. year
9. corn
10. shore
Fabulous 50
11. then
12. there
13. they
14. think
15. very
Challenge
16. allowed
17. learned
18. president
19. promise
20. rules
Dictation Sentences
1. The ride is too short.
2. A year has passed.
10-26-07
1. arm
2. birthday
3. her
4. fur
5. turned
6. curl
7. farm
8. hard
9. dirt
10. herd
Fabulous 50
11. want
12. was
13. went
14. were
15. what
Challenge
16. building
17. busy
18. edge
19. giant
20. repair
Dictation Sentences
1. Her feet are cold.
2. The cat has brown fur.
11-2-07
1. animals
2. head
3. river
4. nets
5. fin
6. wave
7. senses
8. shark
9. seals
10. tide
Fabulous 50
11. when
12. where
13. who
14. why
15. you're
Challenge
16. afraid
17. danger
18. lesson
19. trouble
20. understand
Dictation Sentences
1. We have five senses.
2. The tide is high.
11-8-07
1. high
2. know
3. half
4. wrote
5. thumb
6. lamb
7. knee
8. right
9. knot
10. write
Fabulous 50
11. first
12. around
13. cold
14. laugh
15. never
Challenge
16. decided
17. important
18. library
19. planet
20. proud
Dictation Sentences
1. My thumb is red.
2. She used half of the clay.
11-16-07
1. water
2. other
3. over
4. corner
5. letter
6. driver
7. winter
8. never
9. farmer
10. father
Fabulous 50
11. where
12. round
13. people
14. how
15. friend
Challenge
16. climbed
17. couple
18. drifted
19. message
20. notice
Dictation Sentences
1. The other boy is gone.
2. I never fall.
11-30-07
1. leather
2. bread
3. weather
4. spread
5. breakfast
6. ready
7. meant
8. feather
9. instead
10. meadow
Fabulous 50
11. about
12. again
13. away
14. because
15. before
Challenge
16. arrive
17. early
18. finish
19. record
20. success
Dictation Sentences
1. The leather is soft.
2. Our weather is cold.
12-7-07
1. many
2. money
3. every
4. happy
5. tiny
6. baby
7. key
8. penny
9. party
10. lady
Fabulous 50
11. after
12. around
13. cold
14. can't
15. never
Challenge
16. forget
17. lonely
18. memory
19. mountain
20. wonderful
Dictation Sentences
1. We are very happy.
2. The lady is pretty.
12-14-07
1. dollar
2. cost
3. exact
4. buy
5. cent
6. dime
7. price
8. quarter
9. sum
10. nickel
Fabulous 50
11. could
12. favorite
13. first
14. give
15. found
Challenge
16. collect
17. honor
18. order
19. pocket
20. worth
Dictation Sentences
1. He found a dime.
2. She had one cent.
12-21-07
1. wood
2. book
3. stood
4. foot
5. wool
6. brook
7. hood
8. hook
9. shook
10. cook
Fabulous 50
11. just
12. know
13. good
14. how
15. friend
Challenge
16. chocolate
17. clothes
18. middle
19. offered
20. upstairs
Dictation Sentences
1. The wool is warm.
2. I stood tall.
1-18-08
1. dance
2. age
3. rice
4. mice
5. charge
6. race
7. space
8. cage
9. large
10. page
Fabulous 50
11. friend
12. after
13. once
14. before
15. some
Challenge
16. diving
17. explains
18. harm
19. soil
20. village
Dictation Sentences
1. The cage is very small.
2. There is space for me.
1-25-08
1. paw
2. caught
3. because
4. talk
5. straw
6. hawk
7. salt
8. lawn
9. taught
10. fault
Fabulous 50
11. must
12. favorite
13. cold
14. please
15. can't
Challenge
16. guess
17. museum
18. practice
19. vacation
20. wonder
Dictation Sentences
1. She taught me to cook.
2. I caught a fish.
2-1-08
1. phone
2. catch
3. each
4. patch
5. sandwich
6. touch
7. match
8. graph
9. pitch
10. beach
Fabulous 50
11. every
12. about
13. around
14. found
15. know
Challenge
16. disturb
17. explore
18. nature
19. objects
20. several
Dictation Sentences
1. The sandwich is good.
2. She had a patch on her eye.
2-8-08
1. sleep
2. wing
3. fly
4. caves
5. nest
6. leaves
7. insect
8. blood
9. sight
10. den
Fabulous 50
11. give
12. good
13. how
14. just
15. you're
Challenge
16. breath
17. crops
18. darkness
19. scary
20. study
Dictation Sentences
1. A nest is made of straw.
2. The leaves are green.
2-15-08
1. come
2. act
3. work
4. luck
5. like
6. kind
7. wake
8. bake
9. sick
10. cover
Fabulous 50
11. our
12. many
13. much
14. pretty
15. sleep
Challenge
16. daughter
17. music
18. third
19. voice
20. whistle
Dictation Sentences
1. Wake up and come.
2. Cover the sick boy.
2-22-08
1. January
2. February
3. March
4. April
5. May
6. June
7. July
8. August
9. September
10. October
11. November
12. December
2-29-08
1. try
2. blue
3. play
4. brag
5. drag
6. brass
7. plan
8. blow
9. draw
10. trap
Fabulous 50
11. thank
12. very
13. want
14. was
15. why
Challenge
16. coaches
17. field
18. score
19. stretches
20. throws
Dictation Sentences
1. Try to play now.
2. Draw a blue sky.
3-7-08
1. sweet
2. slide
3. story
4. smart
5. speak
6. start
7. slip
8. spot
9. swim
10. smooth
Fabulous 50
11. them
12. they
13. went
14. when
15. who
Challenge
16. chance
17. favorite
18. heavy
19. nervous
20. office
Dictation Sentences
1. The story is sweet.
2. Slide and slip down.
3-14-08
1. ground
2. left
3. hand
4. past
5. sank
6. bank
7. end
8. chest
9. soft
10. test
Fabulous 50
11. then
12. there
13. they
14. think
15. very
Challenge
16. buried
17. creatures
18. fossil
19. layers
20. millions
Dictation Sentences
1. The ground is soft.
2. I use my left hand.
3-20-08
1. hill
2. stone
3. bone
4. land
5. oil
6. deep
7. ocean
8. drill
9. remains
10. digging
Fabulous 50
11. want
12. was
13. went
14. were
15. what
Challenge
16. change
17. glue
18. hunt
19. magazine
20. tooth
Dictation Sentences
1. The stone was on the ground.
2. She broke a bone in her arm.
4-11-08
1. call
2. add
3. egg
4. sell
5. kiss
6. tell
7. odd
8. fill
9. press
10. well
Fabulous 50
11. when
12. where
13. who
14. why
15. you're
Challenge
16. accidents
17. audience
18. cheered
19. station
20. wipe
Dictation Sentences
1. I can tell that you were here.
2. She can press the leaves.
4-18-08
1. shift
2. chair
3. check
4. shoe
5. children
6. shared
7. shining
8. shape
9. chase
10. cheek
Fabulous 50
11. about
12. after
13. again
14. around
15. away
Challenge
16. desert
17. evenings
18. midnight
19. package
20. shoulder
Dictation Sentences
1. They shared the rice.
2. I can give the check to her.
4-25-08
1. with
2. push
3. both
4. rush
5. bath
6. mouth
7. brush
8. teeth
9. dash
10. fish
Fabulous 50
11. because
12. before
13. can't
14. cold
15. could
Challenge
16. cousins
17. golden
18. princess
19. restaurant
20. world
Dictation Sentences
1. He made a dash for the car.
2. Can I go with you?
5-2-08
1. there
2. wheel
3. than
4. whale
5. whimper
6. thought
7. whirl
8. whisper
9. through
10. them
Fabulous 50
11. people
12. pretty
13. round
14. sleep
15. some
Challenge
16. escaped
17. fierce
18. hidden
19. machine
20. swift
Dictation Sentences
1. The whale is large.
2. I thought it was you.
5-9-08
1. seed
2. roses
3. bushes
4. flower
5. bloom
6. cactus
7. root
8. stem
9. petal
10. bud
Fabulous 50
11. thank
12. them
13. then
14. there
15. they
Challenge
16. clear
17. disappear
18. forever
19. problem
20. warn
Dictation Sentences
1. The roses are pretty.
2. The stem is long.
8-14-07
8-20-07
The students have made it through the first week of school
and are ready for a great year. Homework folders went home on Friday and
are due every following Friday. Please make sure that your child does not
send in their homework without the homework folder. Today some
folders were also turned in early without homework inside. Read and
Respond folders went home today. This folder needs to be returned
daily. There is no Read and Respond over the weekend.
Math homework will begin the week of the 27th. At the
beginning of every unit you will receive a letter about the until and the
answers to each homework assignment for that particular unit. You received
Unit 1 answers with the everyday math letter sent home on the first day of
school.
I hope everyone had a chance to read the classroom
handbook. This will save important time during curriculum night. If
you have any questions feel free to e-mail or call me at home. The parent
volunteer schedule will go home on Friday. All committees and duties will
begin on the 27th. Thank you for your support. I am still in need
for someone to do Ram folders and Read and Respond every morning. I have
two volunteers for the afternoon.
Students are able to bring water bottles daily. This
prevents children getting up throughout the day to go get a drink. Every
minute takes away from learning time and some students will get up to get a
drink as much as possible.
Sharing will begin this Wednesday. The students may
bring in anything from home or tell the class something. They need to be
able to answer (who, what, where, when, and why).
Book orders are due Friday the 24th. If you want to
order books just send the orders in the Ram folders.
I usually try to come to school by 8:00 in the morning.
Thursday mornings I have duty out on the playground and Wednesday mornings I
have meetings. Any other time I will be available in the morning if you
need to speak to me about something.
August 29th all of the 2nd grade staff will be at the DMA
(District Math Assessment) training. Ann Savignon (Nic's mother) will be
the sub on this day.
Please e-mail me your e-mail address if you have one
available. s_montoya@okeeffe.aps.edu
Have a great week and thank you for sharing in your child's
learning.
8-27-07
A huge "Thank You", goes out to our parent helpers
who gave up their entire Friday to build our wonderful greenhouse. It
looks great! We will be using the greenhouse for our up and coming
project. Mrs. Korbas' and our class will be participating in the Solar
Fiesta this year on Saturday, September 15th. We are asking that each
student bring in a 2 liter bottle to build a mini greenhouse by Thursday,
August 30th. We have posted a sign up sheet outside of the class if you
would like to participate on Saturday the 15th, and bring your child to the
fiesta. Each sign up slot is for 1 hour. We would love to have as
much participation as possible. If your child is not able to come, their
greenhouse will still be displayed at our booth.
Curriculum night is this Tuesday at 7:30. I have not
received emergency cards from the office as of yet. Can you please fill
out the bottom portion of this newsletter and return it Tuesday night or as soon
as possible?
Committees start this week. We are also starting 2nd
grade science switch twice a week. We are beginning our unit of study on
"Life Cycles" for the first switch. Attached is a letter from
Mrs. Cox (another 2nd grade teacher) asking for some materials for switch.
Please read! Our class will go to her on Tuesday, September 2nd.
Math homework will begin this Thursday. Remember math
homework will need to be returned the following day. Math homework will
not be daily, just when required as we go through the units. Attached is
the parent letter for unit 2. Remember to save this letter because it has
the answers on the back for you to help your child at home.
Personal history posters are due September 7th. We do
not have school on Monday because of Labor Day. ENJOY!
Every Friday from 3:15-3:45 is catch up and
self-selection. You are invited to come in during this time to help with
catch up work or just play a game with your child if they have finished all of
their catch work.
We will be going to ACOMA pueblo at the end of
September. More information will follow.
Have a great week! Thank you for sharing in your
child's learning.
9-4-07
I hope everyone had a nice long weekend. Our greenhouse is up and running. Today the students planted a few bulbs in the greenhouse with Mrs. Gomez. Tomorrow the students will begin making their mini greenhouses. If your child has not brought in their 2
liter bottle, please send it in tomorrow.
This week you will be receiving permission forms and information about your fieldtrip
to Acoma Pueblo. We will be using grant money to supply a charter bus with a restroom, but we are not paying for the entry fee with grant money. The bus is going to cost us $500. We will need to collect $7.00 per person and adult attending this fieldtrip for the entry fee. At this time we will also be collecting money for a fieldtrip on March 7th to see"
Slimbody" perform. This cost will be $6.50 per student and all money needs to be turned in by September 14th to
reserve our spot. Our grant money will also pay for this bus as well.
At curriculum night I went over the grading system. Remember, you want your child to get a 3 on everything if they have mastered the 2nd grade standards. Your child may turn in anything that is a 0,1, or 2 for a 3. If your child ever receives a 4 it is because they were above 2nd grade standards. Not everything that goes home will be graded; some assignments are just for credit. If you have any questions feel free to come in and ask.
Personal history posters are due on Friday. Thank you to everyone who signed up for
the Solar Fiesta.
This week we will be starting unit 2 in math. The students took their unit 1 assessment today, so there is no math homework tonight. Every other day this week your child will have math homework.
Have a great week!
9-10-07
Thank you to everyone who signed up for Solar Fiesta and Rodeo Day.
Solar Fiesta will be this Saturday from 9:00-5:00 at Highland High School. I will be there at 9:00 and Mrs. Korbas will take over at 12:30. More information will be coming home this week if you volunteered for a time slot.
Rodeo Day is this Wednesday at 9:10-10:45. All parents are welcomed to join us out on the field. Please make sure your child brings a hat and puts on sunscreen before school. If you signed up to bring something, please bring it to the classroom in the morning or take it to the field before school.
We will begin presenting the students personal history posters this week. They all look wonderful.
Last Friday our students won Ram Wear! We have the trophy and received treats on Friday. Keep wearing Ram wear on Fridays.
I still have not received permission forms and money for our fieldtrip to Acoma and money for Slimbody. Parents are welcomed to join us! You do not have to be fingerprinted to
attend the fieldtrip. If you are fingerprinted you are allowed to take children in small groups. We also need more parents for Slimbody. Let me know if you are interested.
Friday someone's homework fell on the floor when the students were leaving. Please let me know if your child did not receive a homework packet last week.
9-18-07
I hope everyone enjoyed the 3 day weekend. The staff had a very productive day learning about assessments and test security.
We had a wonderful day at Solar Fiesta! on Saturday. The students really enjoyed talking to people
and answering questions. Thank you so much to everyone who participated.
The school is collecting box tops. The class with the most box tops will receive a pizza party. We have
a bag located by the door if you would like to turn any in at anytime.
I like to send home a progress report every 6 six weeks. This year the staff will be doing the standardized report cards. I have asked our IC if there is some type of progress report that will correlate to the new report card. At this time as a staff we will be creating a
progress report that the staff can use. In the mean time this is the 6th week and I will be sending home a progress report I have
used in the past on Friday. Hopefully by the next time progress reports go home they will look kind of like the new report cards.
Please sign what I do send home on Friday so the students can put them in their data folders. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Next week we will beginning our unit on the solar system.
We are still missing a few fieldtrip permission forms and money for Acoma and Slimbody.
Have a great week!
9-24-07
Attached is the schedule for Read and Feed. Please hang it on your refrigerator. I do not send reminders. If your child is new to O’Keeffe Read and Feed is a fun reading experience for your child. 2nd graders are able to go to the library during lunch and eat while a parent volunteer reads a story. If your child is scheduled for Read and Feed, do not forget to send a sack lunch on this day.
Tuesday, September 25th is our fieldtrip to ACOMA. Please remember to send your child with a sack lunch, hat, and light jacket. We will be leaving at 9:10. This is an all day fieldtrip.
If you have not done so already, please return your child’s progress report.
I hope you had a chance to ask your child about their pizza box solar oven. We had a few UNM students and parents come in on Friday to help us make our solar ovens. The students were able to cook smores inside of them. The UNM students will be back to help us build solar cars.
Our exhibit day was a big success. The students brought in many items to showcase. It was so great to see the students presenting and asking questions about each other’s exhibits.
I am sending home and AR (accelerated reader) book in bags today with your Childs name on it. The books should be on their reading level. Your child may read this book for their Read and Respond. Have your child bring in their book (in the bag) when they have completed it, for AR testing. Your child does not need to send the book in daily, just when they have finished the book. If you notice that the books is too hard or to easy, please send it in and they can pick a new book. Please have your child take care of the book and be responsible. These books come from our classroom library. AR tests check for reading comprehension and is done on the computer. Once your child takes the test they may pick out another book to take home. Many books in the library are also AR books.
Have a great week! HAPPY FALL
10-1-07
We had a wonderful fieldtrip to ACOMA. I hope your child told you all about it. Thank you to all of the parents who joined us on this trip.
Today the parent letter for math and the answers to unit 3 will be attached to this newsletter. We will begin unit 3 on Wednesday.
"Book it" projects will begin this month. This is optional! There will be a project every month for the next six months. The students will be encouraged to do a monthly project that I have created. If they do the project your child will get a
Pizza Hut coupon and a little something from the "Book it" catalogue. (Such as a pencil, book marker, and even a t-shirt for the last month) The GOK PT A has awarded us a mini-grant to buy the extra goodies. Please remember to join the PT A and show your support! It is wonderful
to be appreciated. Please encourage your child to participate in these projects! Those students who do the extra reading project each month for the entire six months will get to have a pizza party with me and Mrs. Keene. This is a great program and I hope all 24 students participate! Read, Read, Read! Attached is this month's project.
Can you help us for our "fall party" on October 31st? Please let me know!
Please remind your child to read his/her AR book and return it when completed for testing. Have a great week enjoying the
balloons in the sky! Remember Fall Break is Monday-- No School!
10-9-07
Hopefully everyone enjoyed the three day weekend. The computers have been down at school, so the students haven't been able to test on their AR
books. Please bear with the system.
Mrs. Parker will be teaching, many lessons over the next four weeks attached is a letter from Mrs. Parker explaining what lessons she will be responsible for. She will be able to participate in parent conferences, but the 5th of November will
be her last day with the program. The students have really enjoyed having her in the classroom.
Please have your child bring in another plastic liter bottle to use with our water cycle unit.
I hope all of the students will participate in the October BOOK IT project.
These projects are due the last week of October.
Homework spelling packets did not go home on Friday because of Fall Break. There will
be math and read and respond this week.
Have a great week!
10-15-07
Mrs. Parker has been teaching lessons throughout the day, which have gone great. She will implement lessons here and there until November 5th. The students respond to her well and we all will miss her after November 5th. Mrs. Parker will be here for conferences.
There will be a new Read and Respond folder going home today. 17 out of 24 students read everyday for the entire eight weeks. These students received a book on Friday for being responsible and reading nightly. Way to go 2nd graders!!!!!!!! This weeks skill of the week is PROPER NOUNS (name, day, month, holiday with a capital letter). Have the students list as many as they can for Thursday
night's entry.
I hope all the students are interested in the Book It project for October. These projects are due the last week of October or before. This month the students will receive a Book It t-shirt if they participate. Information about November's Book It will also go home at the end of the month. November's Book It will include the reflections project sponsored by PTA.
Permission forms will be going home today for our fun filled trip to Montebello. The students will need to have their costumes on when the come to school this day. They may bring clothes to change into. We will be leaving right at 9:15. PLEASE PACK A SACK LUNCH ON THIS DAY.
We will also be having Fall Committees in the classroom on the
30th at 1:00.
The students began 2nd grade reading switch today. The students
have been divided by ability in reading for specialized instruction. Please have your child share what they are doing in
this group. The students will get this instruction 4 times a week except Fridays for 30 minutes.
Have a great week!
10-22-07
Parent teacher conference forms went home today. Please let me know if these times work for you. If your child has a sibling
here at GOK I have talked with his/her teacher and we have arranged conferences back to back.
Please turn in your child's permission form for our fieldtrip on the 31st. Do not worry
about sending in a bag to collect the trick-or-treat candy, I have gotten bags for each of the students. The students are learning a song "one light"
they we will be performing at Montebello. I will send home the words; have your child practice at
home.
Book orders are due Friday, October 26th.
If you have any outdoor plants or vegetables that have not yet ripened, please send them in and we will put them in our greenhouse.
We still could use many plastic 2 liter bottles or empty water bottles. Mrs. Keller will be working on a potting
project and these bottles will work out great.
Scary story night is tomorrow night, hope to see you here. If you bring a
ream of paper you may have pizza before volunteers start reading.
Be on the look out for our next Book It Project. Some of the students have already done their October Book It. The students have really worked hard on this project.
Please send a roll of toilet paper for our committees next week!
Have a great week and thank you for sharing in your child's
learning!
10-29-07
Please send a SACK LUNCH on Wednesday for our fieldtrip. Your child will need to be dressed in their
costume in the morning. Each child may bring clothes to change into after the fieldtrip.
Unit #4 math letter and answers will be going home today. There will be no Read and Respond for Wednesday
afternoon. Have a great night.
The entire school has switched to APS web mail. My new e-mail
address is montoya_she@aps.edu .
Mail will be transferred to my new e-mail for a year if you happen to use my old e-mail
address.
We will be taking our class picture on Nov. 8th any suggestions for the
theme????
Thanks to Tami Baker our classroom webpage is up and running. You will find
all of the spelling words on this site.
Friday is RAM Wear Friday, we have won the last two months. Way to go 2nd graders.
Mrs. Harrell is collecting $1.00 from each student to buy Mrs. Parker a gift certificate to Office Depot. This is her last week teaching lessons, but she will be with us until conferences.
Have a great week!!
11-5-07
There will be no school this Friday due to an in-service. The students will be taking their spelling test on Thursday this week. There will be no Read and Respond Thursday night.
The students have voted on their class picture theme. The students want to wear pajamas with crazy hair. They also want to
bring their favorite stuffed animal. Please have your child ready for our pictures on Thursday the 8th.
Next week is conference week. Dismissal will be at 12:45 all week. Please return your parent conference forms if you have not done so already.
Today was Mrs. Parkers last day teaching lessons. She will still be with us until November 16th. Mrs. Harrell is collecting a dollar for a gift card that will be given to Mrs. Parker on the 15th.
Book it projects for October were amazing. There were a few students that did not participate in the October project. Please encourage your child to participate
in each months Book It projects. November's Book It is "Reflections". This project is due on the 16th. Remember if you child completes every Book
It; they will have pizza for lunch with Mrs. Keene in March.
Thank you to everyone that helped out with committees on Tuesday and our fieldtrip on Wednesday. The students had a great time.
Have a great week!!!
11-12-07
This week is conference week. Early dismissal all week. (12:45)
I am very excited to talk with you about your child's learning. If you are not sure on the time please e-mail me.
There will be no committees this week or next week. This includes literature committees, math committees, and book clubs.
Reflection projects are due this Friday.
Betsy James will be here on Wednesday in the library for an
author's visit. You are welcome to join us in the library at 9:15.
Mrs. Parker wanted to thank everyone for the wonderful gift card and
goodies!
There will be no homework packets sent home this Friday. We
will not be having spelling or homework next week, due to Thanksgiving. Enjoy the holiday.
11-26-07
Hope everyone had a restful Thanksgiving and enjoyed the little bit of snow that we had.
The students are getting back into the swing of things. Our regular schedule is back on for all committees and book clubs.
Our new Book It for November and December was sent home last week. It sounds like many of the students have already begun to read their chapter book. Let me know if you have any questions.
We will be going on a fieldtrip December 6th. Please remember to send in your child's permission form and stamp addressed envelope.
We still need more parent volunteers for this fieldtrip.
Book orders are due this Wednesday. Our school wide Book Fair is next week.
Please remind your child to bring a jacket everyday. The weather is changing and we want to keep everyone healthy.
Next week we will begin unit 5 in math. Monday the parent letter for math will
be sent home.
Have a great week!
12-3-07
Thursday is our fieldtrip to the post office and library. Your child will need to bring a sack lunch, jacket and library card if they have one. We will be leaving at 9:10 and returning at 2:30.
The students will be taking AR tests on Tuesday during computer time, please send in any books that are at home.
Please see attached Gingerbread information.
We are in need of someone to come into the classroom and sharpen pencils.
The students went to the library for the Book Fair today. They will have a buying time tomorrow at 1:45 if you would to join us in the library.
Have a great week!!
12-10-07
Welcome back to a winter weather week. Thanks to
everyone who participated in our fieldtrip on Thursday. I hope everyone
got to read the Tribune on Friday. Austin made the front page. I
know some of the students have already received their letters back from a postal
worker. The postal workers said they had such a great time reading all of the
student's letters.
This week we will begin studying traditions and
diversity. We will be learning about traditions from all around the
world. Each family has their own special traditions they celebrate over
winter break. Mrs. Keller will be making tamales with our class next
Wednesday, if anyone would like to share their family traditions with the class
please let me know.
This week will be the last week of Read and Respond until
after winter break. This week's skill of the week is "Main Ideas and
Supporting Details."
We are collecting can food and clothing here at GOK. I
told the kids to check their pantries for one can food item and send it in.
I hope everyone has begun reading their book for "Book
It" for December/January. Let me know if you have any questions.
I sent home a note regarding our Gingerbread Houses and
supplies. Let me know if you did not receive one.
Have a great week!!
12-17-07
This is a busy week for all of the kids. We will not be doing Book Clubs or Math Committees this week. Whole group Super
Stars will be on Thursday. We will have Literature committees on Tuesday and Thursday as usual.
There will be no homework packets sent home on Friday. The first week back from break we return to school with a 4 day week, Monday is a teacher in-service. There will be no committees that week or spelling.
This week Mrs. Korbas's class and our class will be talking and writing about toys and giving. The students have shared many stories about adopting a family at church, the mall etc. We will be researching the internet and finding out about the first toys ever made and looking at toys from other countries. On Thursday afternoon our classes will be getting together with to watch Toy Story.
Friday the students are allowed to bring their favorite toy for Self Selection. The students will also be rotating through committees on this day. There will be 4 committees in Mrs. Korbas's class and two in ours. The students will be making mini gingerbread houses and doing many other fun things. Thanks for all of the supplies.
Remember that over break the only homework is to read a book for Book It and complete a Book Report. These Book Reports are due the end of January.
Have a wonderful break! I am so blessed to be doing what I love. Your children have become a part of my life now and forever!!! Thank you for sharing them with me.
1-8-08
Welcome back! I hope everyone had an enjoyable break. We have many exciting activities coming up for the New Year.
This week the students will have math and a homework packet. The homework packet does not include spelling words for the week. The students will have new words sent home on Friday. Homework packets are due on Friday. Read and Respond will begin on Monday of next week. There are no committees this week. We will continue committees and our regular schedule next week.
We are beginning our unit on the human body, nutrition, measurement. The students are working on Geometry in math and will be asked to bring objects from home for this unit. The students will be dissecting
an owl pellet next week during science switch. Please let me know if you do not want your child to participate.
Tomorrow our class will be filming a commercial with Ms. Diane Denish for BP for energy. Please read the attached letter. They will be here for two hours filming, so the students may be going to lunch at a different time then usual.
I hope all the students are working on their Book It for Dec. /Jan. These reports are due at the end of January. All reflection winners will be announcing next Friday.
Brown Book exchange will begin on Wednesday. Please be on the look out for more information. Have a great week!
1-14-08
I have entered all of the students into the Everyday math web-site (this is the math program we are using here at GOK). Today your child will be coming home with an index card and their log on information. Please use this log on card to access the Everyday Math web-site. When your child
can access these games they are able to play the entire math games that the program provides. There are amazing games that the students can play. You must have Internet access to
log on. Please let me know how your child response to the games. The Everyday Math program believes that a child should play these games at least an hour per week. The web-site is
www.everydaymathonline.com go to student log in.
The students really enjoyed making the commercial for BP for Energy. LG Diane Denish was great fun. She is so very down to earth and the students really enjoyed her. She spent at least 4 hours with the students. The commercial will start airing on January 23rd. All of the students are promised a copy of the commercial. This was an experience that the students will remember for a lifetime. It will be neat to see how the entire commercial comes together because the students were involved in many different takes. The hardest thing the students were up against was pretending to be working!
Mrs. Korbas's class and our classroom will be going on another adventure. This time we received a grant from Target to visit the Algadones NM PNM plant. We will be going on this fieldtrip in late April. We will also be going to the Aquarium in April and to see Slimbody in March.
Kudos to our class! We will be well represented for National
Reflections projectsl We will be having a special awards presentation for all students in Mrs. Korbas's and our class on January 18th right after announcements for about 15 minutes. All of the students that participated will receive special recognition. Way to go
2nd graders!!!
Book It projects are due at the end of the month. Read and Respond went home today! Have a great week.
Don't forget shape objects for our Shapes Museum.
1-22-08
Welcome back from a long weekend. The students have a busy week. I will be testing the students on the DRA to determine
how they have progressed in reading compared to last progress report. This week students will be dissecting frogs and making rockets. Friday is also our 100th day of school. If you can help out, come to the class at 9:10. Please refer to a letter I sent
home on Friday to determine any items that we will need for the 100th day. Every student needs to bring in 100 items on Friday. They will be using these items to do math.
Book orders are due Next Wednesday the 30th.
Next Monday in the library we will be listening to a story teller, if you would like to join us in the library at 10:00.
Please mark your calendar for the school wide Mardi Gras February 5th. Our classroom basket is golf. If anyone has an extra basket lying around the house, please send it for our classroom items that we receive.
Would anyone like to organize our Valentine's party??? Let me know.
Have a great week.
1-28-08
I am in the process of testing all of the students in reading
(DRA) and writing for the mid-year. Conferences are just around the corner. I usually keep the same times as the last conference. You will be getting a note next week about the time and date. This week we will not be having Literature Committees due to testing. During this committee time I will be testing as the students work on their writing assessment. Book Clubs and math Committees are
still the same.
The students were very excited about our model rockets and the lesson that went along with it. A big thanks goes out to our PTA for purchasing and providing Mr. Matt. I hope the students shared everything they learned about the rockets and the solar system.
A big thanks goes out to all of the parents who helped with the 100th day of
school. It was so fun and very busy.
Mardi Gras night is February 5th. I hope everyone can make It for this fun event. Our basket is coming along. Remember our theme is golf. Mrs. Candelario will be putting the basket together.
I hope everyone read the note regarding our fieldtrip. Please be aware that your child will need to be at school by 8:05. The bus will leave at 8:20. Please call me if you have any questions. 350-5283.
February Book It will be going home with the students on Friday. Remember Book Reports are due Thursday.
Our Math unit test will be Wednesday. Please go over the review page that was sent home in your child's homework folder.
A Valentine list will also be going home in your child's homework folder on Friday. Please have your child bring their valentine's on February 14th and not before. Mrs. Harrell
will be organizing our valentine party. More information will come soon.
Have a great week!
2-4-08
Our fieldtrip was such a great experience for the children. We had the opportunity to see the entire round house, we visited Lt. Governor Diane Denish and the
children were able to see where she holds her meetings. The students were able to see Governor
Richardson's office and all of the neat things he has on display. A big thank you to all of our parents who drove and helped out, we could not have done it without you.
Mardi Gras night is Tuesday, February 5th. This Tuesday night. I hope everyone can make it. Be on the look out for your child's art work on display. This is a great opportunity to buy some great art work.
Thank you so much for all of the items for our basket! We were able to make
8 baskets to auction off! AMAZING! The total cost of the baskets equaled $1,500. We had so many donations from different golf courses, Thanks to everyone!
Please help light your child's Heartlight! Be on the look out for good deeds and helping hands. The students are really working hard to earn these puzzle pieces.
Book it directions went home on Friday along with a Valentine list. You may bring in your Book It anytime throughout February!
Thanks for caring in your child's learning!
2-11-08
Well it looks like our weather will be hot in the beginning
of the week and cold by Valentine's Day. If anyone can remember last year
we had a snow day on Valentine's Day because it snowed 4 inches. We have
had many kids sick here at school. With New Mexico's crazy weather, please
remind your child to bring a jacket every day and remind them to wash their
hands.
Conference information will be coming home this week.
Be on the lookout. Also if you would like to purchase a yearbook and have
lost the form please let me know. Conferences are the last week of
February. Please remember there is no school on Monday the 18th for
President's Day.
Thursday is Valentine's Day. We will be having a small
party at the end of the day. If you would like to send in any kind of
treats to eat or drink please feel free. Just let me know by Wednesday
what item your child will be bringing.
Our next fieldtrip is for "Slimbody" March
7th. Mark your calendars.
Our students are working on many different standards this
month and next. Our main focus is our presentation units. Your child
will begin making a PowerPoint presentation and living museum.
Have a great week!
2-19-08
I hope everyone enjoyed the three day weekend. The students seem well rested.
This week the students did not receive a spelling packet. The students spelling words this week are the months of the year. The students will have Read and Respond and also math homework this week.
Next week is conference week. Please remember that it is early dismissal all week. (12:45). I still have not received everyone's conference confirmation forms. Please let me know if you have any questions.
She_montoya@aps.edu
Today we had a wonderful guest speaker, Dr. Hoffman. He talked to the students about bike and car safety. The students are taking home a pamphlet if you have any questions for him.
Friday Dr. Lines and Mrs. Lines (Gabe's parents) came in and presented the students with a wonderful presentation on dental care. A big thanks goes out to the both of them.
This week the students along with Mrs. Korbas' class will be beginning individual PowerPoint presentations and a living museum. The students will be very excited when they learn how to maneuver the internet to collect data for their PowerPoint presentations. Please be aware that our school internet system is protected from inappropriate web-sites. If your child wants to come home and show you what he/she has learned please support them with supervision.
Have a great week! Snow tomorrow??
3-3-08
I hope everyone enjoyed the nice weather this weekend. We will be going on a fieldtrip to Slimbody this Friday, March 7th.
Please remember to pack your child a sack lunch and jacket. All tickets and seats have been reserved. We have 7 parents joining
us.
Please mark your calendars for these up coming fieldtrips. March 18th Atomic Museum. April 15th Algadones PNM Power Plant. May 9th the Nature Center.
On March 18th we will be attending the Atomic Museum. This fieldtrip will be free to all
students and parents who would like to attend this fieldtrip. The money is sponsored from our BP for
energy grant.
I want to thank everyone for attending Parent Teacher Conferences. I enjoyed talking and sharing information about
your child's learning.
Please send your child with a water bottle. It is beginning to
get very hot in the afternoon and if your child is getting up throughout the day to get water it takes away from learning time.
I hope March Book It's are coming along. Let me know if you have any questions. I am in the process of putting a recipe book together for all of the wonderful February Book It
projects.
Chapter 7 EDM math parent letter is attached to this memo.
Please have your child bring in a snapshot photo of themselves from when they were a baby for their PowerPoint presentations. Please put the picture in an envelope with your child's name on it. Your picture will be returned to you. Your child will not have read and respond this week. Instead they
need to fill out the interview pages attached to this memo for their PowerPoint.
3-10-08
Spring is in the air and allergies are beginning. Please remind your child to bring a water bottle to class everyday. This eliminates lost learning time. The students come in very thirsty from recess.
Please mark your calendars for Thursday, March 20th from 1:45-2:30
and 2:30-3:30. The students will be presenting their Power Point presentations at
this time in lab 7.
We had one fieldtrip change. May 9th we were going to the Nature Center and Muddy Wheel. This date has been changed to
May 5th. Sorry for the inconvenience. Thank you to all parent volunteers who attended Slimbody. The students really enjoyed the presentation and the duck pond. March 18th we will be going to the Atomic Museum. Please let me know if you are planning on attending this fieldtrip. I have responses from 5 parents. Remember this is a free fieldtrip.
There will be no committees this week or next week. We have many projects that we need to complete before Spring Break. Remember next week is a four day week. The students will have homework packets on Friday that will be due on Thursday the 20th.
Mrs. Dzur has brought in some eggs that are ready to hatch. The students are very excited.
Book orders are due this Friday!
3-17-08
We are going on a fieldtrip Tuesday, March 18th to the Atomic Museum. Please make sure your child has a sack lunch and light jacket. The bus will leave at 9:10. Parents if you are joining us, please let me know if you need directions. You can also call me tonight. 350-5283
Attached is our PowerPoint presentation schedule. You do not have to stay the entire two hours. Just come a few minutes before your child's presentation time. Hopefully we will stay on schedule. Each project takes from 3-5 minutes. If you can't make it on Thursday send in a CD and I will copy your child's presentation for you to see at home. Presentations start at 1:45 in Lab 7. Four students volunteered to present during recess.
Book orders have been extended to this Thursday.
Spring begins March 19th. There will be no school this Friday or next week due to Spring Break recess. Enjoy!
The students didn't catch a leprechaun, but they sure did mess up our classroom. Ask your child all
about it. Thank you for supporting your child in all of the Book It projects. If your child completed every Book It they will be joining Mrs. Keene for a pizza party in April.
The students do have Read and Respond this week. There will be no Read and Respond for Thursday night. Remember the students will be taking their spelling test on Thursday.
Have a great week!
3-31-08
I hope everyone is rested from Spring Break. Hopefully the weather will start warming up and the wind will disappear. All committees and Book Clubs are back on track this week.
We will be very busy the next two months. Please mark your calendars for some of these upcoming dates.
-April 2nd is Dion's night.
-This week is sprit week. Tuesday: Twin Day Wednesday: Celebrity Day Thursday: Blast from the past Friday: Sports Day
-April 15th fieldtrip to Algadones PNM power plant
-April 8th Spring Pictures
-April 25th Jump-a-thon Please read the attached memo about the Jump-a-thon. We will need two parent volunteers for this event. Please let me know if you signed up for this.
-April 24th Poetry Alive in the cafeteria. Please join us for this event. 2nd grade will be from 9:30-10:15.
-May 5th fieldtrip to the Nature Center and Muddy Wheel
If your child completed all of the monthly Book It projects they will be participating in the big Pizza Party this month with Mrs. Keene.
Today you will be receiving math unit 8 parent letter. The students took Unit 7 math assessment before Spring Break. The students did not have a homework packet this week. Packets will be sent home on Friday. The students will have math and Read and Respond this homework this week.
The students did a wonderful job on their Power Point presentations. If you would like a copy, please send in a CD. The students are almost done with their science
museum projects, they will be ready to set them up for display in the next few weeks.
4-7-08
Tuesday we will be taking Spring Pictures. Our class will be going right in the morning at 9:15. If your child wants to bring shoes or clothes to change for later feel free to do so.
Permission forms are going home today for Algadones. This fieldtrip is
April 15. Please let me know if you will be able to come along with us on this adventure.
Registration packets went home today. Please fill them out as soon as possible and return them to school with your child.
Monday, April 14th Museums will be on display in the gym from 1:00-3:30 for parent viewing. Please come by and see what a wonderful job the students have done.
Thank you to all of our parents who went to Dion's night. Our class has won a pizza party.
Thank you Andrea Morley, Ann Savignon, and Janice Mentz for volunteering to help with Jump-a-thon.
Have a great week!
4-14-08
Wow six more weeks and not enough time in one day! We
will not be having committees for the rest of the school year. I will be
contacting parents for activities that will be held throughout the end of the
year.
Our fieldtrip to Algadones solar power plant is on Tuesday,
April 15th. This is going to be a great fieldtrip. We will supply
the morning and afternoon snacks for the bus ride. We will also be
providing lunch at the solar plant for all students and parent helpers.
All costs for this trip will be paid for by Target. We received a grant of
$800 for this special event. We still do not have all of our permission
forms returned. If your child does not have a permission form they will be
with another 2nd grade class for the day. Please have your child wear good
walking shoes!
Today the students took the unit 8 math assessment. Be
on the lookout for unit 9 parent letter. Many of the homework assignments
for this unit will ask the students to cut out a ruler that is located on their
homework sheet. Please have your child use a ruler instead. The
students may take their ruler home for use.
Today Museums were on display in the gym. I hope
everyone had a chance to come by and look at them. The students did a
great job!
The Jump-a-thon is April 25th. Thank you to all our
parent volunteers for this event. Please help your child collect pledges
or a flat donation. Jump-a-thon envelopes went home on Friday.
Please make sure you have turned in your child's registration
packets and made appropriate changes.
Have a great week!
4-21-08
This week the students will be starting a science unit on "Inquiry". We will begin with earthworms. Please let me know if you do not want your child to handle the worms. We are also beginning our lessons on eggs and chicks. Hopefully we will have some chicks hatching next week. I am asking that each child bring in 6 eggs. We will be using the eggs for many projects throughout the next two weeks. Your child should also create an environment for an egg and be prepared to bring it to school on Friday, April 25th. The student's eggs will be dropped from the roof of the gym on Friday. Our hope is that our eggs will survive the fall depending on how they were protected. Please let your child use whatever they come up with, but make sure it is their work.
Thank you to everyone who attended the Algadones fieldtrip. Our next and final fieldtrip is May 5th. We will be going to the Nature Center and Muddy Wheel. Permission slips will be coming home soon. This fieldtrip is a free fieldtrip. Our wonderful grants will be paying for this exciting day. Please start sending in any empty boxes to bring our art from the Muddy Wheel back to school.
Don't forget Jump-a-thon is this Friday. Please send in pledges by Friday. Make sure your child wears appropriate shoes and clothes for this event.
Please make sure you received the revised 3rd grade supply list last week. It came home on a green piece of paper.
Have a great week!
4-28-08
This week I will be gone Tuesday, April 29th for a Fundations
training. Ann Savignon will be our substitute. She is wonderful.
This week for Science the students will be investigating
earth worms and each student will try to train a gold fish. I have bought
each student a bowl for their fish. Please help them at home to take car
of these sweet fish.
We will be going to a fieldtrip on Monday, May 5th.
Please read attached information and turn in permission forms by Thursday of
this week.
Book Fair is next week. Our classroom preview is
Monday, May 5th at 3:20. Buying time is Tuesday, May 6th at 1:45.
You are welcome to join us for these times.
Our Jump-a-Thon was a success. The students did
great! A big thank you to all parent volunteers.
The students will be taking unit 9 assessment this week.
Have a great week!
5-5-08
Hello everyone. Thanks to all who attended the exciting
fieldtrip to the Muddy Wheel and Nature Center. The students had a great
time. I am sure the students told you all about it.
We are down to our last two weeks of school. We will
try to fit in our last math unit. We will be celebrating our Dion's pizza
next week. I will tell you the time and date if you would like to join us.
May 16th is the end of the year party. 2nd grade will
be participating from 9:30-11:30. I am sure PTA could use some help.
Let me know if you are interested.
I have been out at a "KIDS CAN" conference
Wednesday and Thursday. Ann Savignon has been our wonderful
substitute. I will also be out Monday.
Report Cards will be sent out the last day of school, which
is the 22nd. This day will be a short day and dismissal will be at
12:45. If your child has not turned in his/her library book they will not
receive their report card.
Book Fair ends this Friday. Thanks to everyone who
supported our school library.