Hi 2nd Grade Explorer Families,

First off, I'd like to wish all of you a wonderful Holiday Season!  I know how hectic and busy it is; I am feeling it, too!  Hope you are finding those windows of time to connect, enjoy, relax, and just be still.

With that said, it's going to be a very busy week!  Hold on tight!

Monday (tomorrow) is our class party! 
Students may bring 1 stuffed animal that fits inside their backpack. Their friend may keep them company all day long inside our classroom only.   Students will be rotating through 4 activity stations starting at 1:10 pm:

1) Cookie decorating station--students would frost and decorate cookies and then eat them with a small bottle of water (smart size or smaller).
2) Card making station--students would make cards for their families
3) Reading station--students would read books related to winter and winter holidays
4) Art project station--students would be creating a special art project for their family

Many thanks for all who have donated items and their time! The kids will have so much fun!  Those helping out with the party, please meet me in our room, D-104 at 12:15 pm.

Other Monday Reminders:
*Bring back blue folders--I would like to place a small token for the kids in them!
*Return school library books!  Our Library Day is officially Mondays.  It would be great if all students return their books so they can check out new ones to read during Winter Break!

Holidays Around the World on Wednesday:
* From 8:45 - 9:45 am, we will be joining our Big Buddies to learn about the New Year holiday in Chile.  Students will be watching a slideshow, participating in a couple Chilean traditions, and creating a holiday craft keepsake.

Pajama Day on Thursday:
Students may wear their comfy pajamas on this day before Break.  No slippers, though!  Recess and PE safe shoes only.

Substitute Teacher on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
Also, I would like to let you know that I will have a substitute teacher Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  I know there is much excitement in the air, but please remind your 2nd grader of our Community Agreements (Be Respectful, Solve Problems, and Make Good Decisions).  I know they'll do great!  Thank you!

Homework Over The Break:
During the break, students are encouraged to read, read, read in between the fun and relaxation.  I would especially recommend having them read their chosen Difference Maker biographies because we will jump right into note taking, researching, speech writing/memorizing when we return from Break.  Our Living Museum Showcase will be February 7th from 9:00 - 9:45 am.

Students are also welcome to work on our Resources page from our website.   

NWEA Testing:
Our NWEA testing schedule is as follows:
Wed. 1/10 @ 10:30 am -- Reading
Thurs. 1/11 @ 10:30 am -- Language
Wed. 1/17 @ 10:30 am -- Math

Curriculum Highlights:
We continue to learn and take notes on Martin Luther King, Jr., preparing ourselves for how we go about reading, researching, and identifying important facts about a difference maker.  We reviewed Math concepts we have learned over the past couple months.  We wrote Thank You notes to each other as a way of exploring this Month's core value of Gratitude.  Scarlett read to us about Hanukkah and taught us the Dreidel game!

School-wide News:
Winter Break/BASE closure: Winter Break will be Friday, December 22nd through Friday, January 5th. We will celebrate holidays around the world on Wednesday, December 20th, then have a full day of school on Thursday, December 21st. BASE will be closed December 22nd, 25th, 26th and January 1st. 

After School LIVE: We still need volunteers to lead After School LIVE clubs and provide our Explorers with Joyful learning experiences! Our next session will run from January 22–March 9! Click HERE to sign-up to lead a club. Click HERE for the volunteer information flier with more information about what it means to lead a club. Questions? Email Allison Chavez at live@westlakecharter.com

Westlake Talent Show: The deadline to sign up is around the corner families! ALL interested acts MUST sign up NO LATER THAN Thursday, December 21st. Click here to be directed to application form to get your child signed up for auditions or group dance. If you have any questions, please email talentshow@westlakecharter.com and we look forward to auditions in January after break!

2018-19 Lottery: Lottery applications for the 2018-19 school year are available at the front office or by going to www.joinwestlake.com. Our enrollment period for the 2018-19 Lottery is December 1, 2017 to January 31, 2018. Please share this information with friends and family who are interested in attending Westlake Charter School. Current students do not need to fill out an application to continue their enrollment at WCS; however, siblings do need to fill out lottery applications to attend.

That's all for now!  Have a great Winter Break and see you in the New Year!

Mrs. A

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Hi 2nd Grade Explorer Families,

It's a busy time of year and I am sure you, too, are probably finding the need to "click" the pause button to take a breath!  When I do, I take a look outward, then inward, and realize amidst the mayhem, in the quiet of my mind, there is much to be grateful for!  I do believe this is what keeps me going!

First of all, I want to thank the chaperones who volunteered their time and energy to our California Museum Field Trip.  It was a challenging trip to chaperone, due in part, unfortunately, to the behavior choices of some of our classmates.  At our follow-up Morning Meeting, we discussed at length about unsafe field trip behavior that we observed such as: not listening or staying with our chaperones, impolite museum manners, hiding in the Capitol bushes and running around its grounds, and hurting the redwood trees.  Some classmates were inconsiderate bus mates by throwing paper out the window and throwing around a shirt.  How disappointing!  I am proud of the students whose core values shine despite their classmates' poor choices.  Please have a conversation with your 2nd grader to reflect on their personal behavior on this trip.  If you would like details or have questions/wonderings about how your child did from my perspective, I would  be happy to respond to any email inquiries.  

People Who Make A Difference Unit
This very fun unit on biography research, speech writing, and oral performance is under way!  Please help support your 2nd grader through this PBL (Project Based Learning) unit that will be conducted primarily in school.  You can help by making sure they have at least 1 hard copy biography of their Difference Maker (to be taken back and forth) and getting their costume together for our Living Museum Showcase.  Our Living Museum Showcase will be Wednesday, February 7th. Time is tentatively set for 9:00 - 9:45 am.  Details to follow closer to the event.

Click here to see the list of Difference Makers we have chosen.  Please edit/add to the list as needed.

Class Party!
We have earned 150 class points and that means we have earned a class party!  Because I will have a substitute teacher from December 19th---December 22nd, I would like to have our class party on Monday, December 18th.  We will be deciding what type of class party we will have at Morning Meeting tomorrow.  I will keep you posted via email!

Curriculum Highlights:
We charted our Road of Life Map (autobiographies) and read about Sacagawea and Ruby Bridges.  We observed and wondered about historical pictures of people who made a difference in America.
We took a Math Partner Test  on double digit subtraction strategies and observed, sketched, and recorded notes on  our carrot plants.  We enjoyed a visit from Malowoa, a 20 year old Zambian student! 

School-wide News:

Candy Grams: Our amazing leadership elective will be creating Candygrams during Kindergarten Dismissal and 1-8 grade dismissal. For Kindergarten Dismissal, the team will be located in front of the kindergarten building. During 1-8th grade dismissal, they will be in front of the Library. Leadership will have a Candygram table on Monday 12/11 and Tuesday 12/12. 

Barnes & Noble Bookfair: Westlake’s annual Barnes & Noble Bookfair is coming the weekend of December 15th - 17th. The bookfair will kickoff with Family Night on December 15th from 5:30 - 7:30 at Barnes & Noble. There will be crafts, staff members reading books, and staff members gift wrapping on the 15th. Westlake Is seeking parent volunteers to host the gift wrapping table on December 16th and 17th. Click HERE if you would like to volunteer and support this annual bookfair. Click HERE for more information about the bookfair.

Talent Show: It’s that time of year families! We are gearing up for the spectacular Westlake Charter School Talent Show Extravaganza! ALL students K-8 are encouraged to audition on Wednesday, January 17th. Come sing, dance, perform a comedy act, a gymnastics routine, play a musical instrument, or join us for a WCS group dance. Click HERE to sign up to audition. If you are applying as a group, only one person from the group needs to apply online. Applications are due NO LATER than Thursday, December 21st.
After School LIVE: The first session of LIVE, Westlake's after-school club program, was a huge success! Our next session will run from January 22–March 9. Please Click HERE to sign-up to lead a club and provide our Explorers with joyful learning experiences! Click HERE for the volunteer information flier with more information about what it means to lead a club. If you have any questions, please email Allison Chavez at live@westlakecharter.com.

Parents Go to School Night: Parents go to School Night is on Wednesday, January 31st and we would like your input. Click HERE to let us know what sessions you would like to see during the event.

2nd Grade Quote of the Week:
We are reflecting on the story of Ruby Bridges and I tell the second graders that back then, I may not have been able to be their teacher because I have "yellow skin."  This puzzles many, and I say, "Well, I think my skin is considered yellow or possibly light brown..."  Dillon ponders and offers this: "You mean, like the Simpsons?"

That's all for now!  Have a great week!
Mrs. A

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Happy  December,  2nd Grade Families!

We had a fun week reading about Chile, making its flag, and representing this fine South American country in the WCS 10th annual Olympic Triathlon!  This event celebrates our 3 specialties: PE, Art, and Spanish; thus the three events students rotate through.  We are grateful to have these subjects and teachers at Westlake!

We also enjoyed donuts, courtesy of WAVE and Nathan's family, for their contribution to our WCS Olympic Triathlon Fundraiser.  Thanks so much!  And thank you to all of you who have donated time and money to support Westlake.  

Wednesday Field Trip to the California Museum:
We are looking forward to field tripping to the California Museum Wednesday to check out, among other great exhibits, some amazing Californians and Women Who Have Made a Difference! 

This is sack lunch field trip.  I have not received any emails or permission slip indications to order a sack lunch from the cafeteria.  However, if your child needs one, please email me ASAP so I can inform the cafeteria.  Thank you!

Our chaperones will be Cali's dad, Adeline's mom, Elliot's mom and Ethan's grandma. Chaperone/adult guest entrance fee is $3.50.  I would welcome perhaps one more fingerprinted chaperone.  If you can join us, please email me ASAP.  

Curriculum Highlights:
*Language Arts and Thematic Unit--we have just started browsing biographies (hard copies and online) of people who have made a difference; we will continue to talk about biographies
*Math--we are reviewing double digit subtraction strategies in preparation of testing on this concept next week; we will be starting our place value chapter soon thereafter!
*Farm to Fork Unit--we have wrapped it up and are excited to see our carrot plants growing!
*Library!--Our first day of Library was last Monday!  Mrs. Polanco introduced us to this fine space that will be a great place to go every Monday after lunch!  We checked out books that will remain in our classroom until all students get their school library cards issued.  So exciting! 

Road of Life Map:
As part of our prelude into biographies, we will be talking about and charting our own life events (think autobiographies in progress!).  Please help your 2nd grader recall 7 or 8 eventful times in their lives and make a list of them. Including dates would be ideal but chronology is most important. For example:
1. The day I was born
2. When we moved to Sacramento
3. When I learned to walk
4. Christmas with my relatives in the Philippines
5. My First Day of Kindergarten
6. When I Lost My First Tooth
7. Disneyland with my Family
8. When I was a flower girl at my Aunt's wedding

Please have this list in blue folders by Monday or Tuesday.  Using this list at school, we will chart our life events (thus far) on our Road of Life Map.  Thanks for your support!

Wish List:
It's that season again!  We could use Kleenex and Chlorox/Lysol wipes.  We have just run out!  Thank you!

School-wide News:

2018-19 Lottery: Starting on December 1st, lottery applications will be available at the front office or by going to www.joinwestlake.com. Our enrollment period for the 2018-19 Lottery is December 1, 2017 to January 31, 2018. Please share this information with friends and family who are interested in attending Westlake Charter School.

Movie Night/Santa at the Park: Please join us Friday, December 8th for a fun and cozy movie night in our brand new gym. Games will begin at 5:30pm and Despicable Me 3 will begin promptly at 5:45pm. Water and popcorn will be provided by WAVE. Immediately following the movie, we will head over to Valley Oak Park to greet Santa and his friends from the Sacramento Fire and Police Departments. Click HERE for We need a few volunteers to make this night fun for everyone. Please click HERE to sign up to volunteer for a shift. We look forward to seeing you there!

Parents go to school night: Parents go to School Night is on Wednesday, January 31st and we would like your input. Would you mind filling out this survey to let us know what sessions you would like to see during the event? Thank you

After School LIVE: The first session of LIVE, Westlake's after-school club program, was a huge success! Our next session will run from January 22–March 9. Please Click hereto sign-up to lead a club and provide our Explorers with joyful learning experiences! The volunteer information flierhas more information about what it means to lead a club. If you have any questions, please email Allison Chavez at live@westlakecharter.com.

Six Flags Reading Logs: Here is a letter to parents about the program and a Reading Log, just in case you need  to print out another copy. Email Holly Hein (h.hein@sbcglobal.net) with questions. Please FULLY FILL OUT THE INFO ON THE LOGS!! All logs due on February 23, 2018.

That's all for now!  Have a great weekend and week, all!
Mrs. A

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