• Open House (posted 8/07/08)
  Friday, August 22, will be the Beatty Elementary Open House. This is your chance to come by and check out the classroom before school starts on Monday, August 25. Like last year, we are in room 40, on the corner past the library. Open House will be 2:00-3:30 and 6:30-8:00. I hope you can stop by and say hello! I can't wait to hear what you've been doing over track break, and there are a few new friends I am eager to meet!
  
  

Backpacks For Third Grade (posted 8/7/08)
While you are out shopping and enjoying the back to school sales, please make sure you have a backpack. You will have a math book and reading book (checked out from the library) to use at home this year. That will help reduce what you bring back and forth to school. It is important to bring your backpack to class everyday.

• School Supplies (posted 8/3/08)
  'Tis the season to do back to school shopping and I have been asked by several parents "What supplies do we need for third grade?".  Actually, not much.   The Clark County School District provides the basic supplies that we use in the classroom. There are some things we go through rather quickly. It seems like we can always use more low odor dry erase markers, ziplock sandwich baggies, Kleenex, and hand soap. If you want to send in some of these items, your donation would be greatly appreciated!
  
  Use this time to take advantage of back to school sales to stock up on homework materials: pencils, crayons, glue, scissors, colored pencils, markers, notebook paper... all the usual stuff.
  
  

Website Changes (posted 7/30/08)
I am in the process of updating the MyFunTeacher.com website for the new school year. Last year's webpages and stories are still here. You can find them on the site map or you can use the search feature to look for a specific student's page. New pages will be added to the site over the next few weeks so keep checking back to see what's been added!

If you come across any broken links, please send me an email. Just let me know what page you are on and the link that is down. (You can copy and paste the url address into the email.) There are thousands of links on this site and one or two might slip through the cracks as I update for the new school year.

• Vacation! (posted 7/18/08)
  It's here....the end of second grade.... our last track break..... summer vacation.... I am setting sail for Mexico with my family first thing in the morning. I will be back in Las Vegas at the end of July. While I'm gone, I hope you enjoy the website. I have some new pages I am working on that I think you will like. I know a bunch of third graders who are excited to learn cursive handwriting in the fall! I found some great websites to help us with this monumental task! But before we can start thinking about third grade, let's enjoy a couple weeks of summer vacation. Send me an email and let me know what you and your family are doing to stay cool in Vegas. And if you go on vacation, bring back a postcard or two for our collection.
  
  

Important Dates & Times (posted 7/9/08)
Mark your calendar...Our last day of school is Thursday, July 17. Track 5 students will attend an awards assembly at 9:05 a.m. All students will receive an award. Everyone worked hard this year and this is our time to acknowledge that hard work with our friends and family. We hope you will join us in the multipurpose room on Thursday morning.

The last day of school is a minimum day. Track five students will be dismissed at 12:05. Students should not bring backpacks to school on Thursday. It will be a great day to celebrate all of our hard work and accomplishments this year.

Speaking of celebrations, the Second Grade Celebration is this Friday, July 11. We will be enjoying rootbeer floats and playing games with our friends. We are all looking forward to lots of fun!

• Returning Books (posted 7/2/08)
  With the school year coming to an end, it's time to return all text books and library books you have at home. Please bring back our red reading book and the FOSS Solids and Liquids book if you haven't already done so. All library books should be returned to Ms. Bryan.
  
  

Beatty's Best Chosen (posted 6/30/08)
The class voted for our Beatty's Best and this time it was Aalani! Aalani was selected because she is friendly to everyone and fun to be around. The Beatty's Best luncheon was held last week and was the final celebration for this year. Congratulations to everyone that was chosen as Beatty's Best this year! It's always nice when your friends choose you to recieve an award. I can't wait to see who is Beatty's Best in third grade!

• Is there school tomorrow? (posted 6/25/08)
  YES.... WE HAVE SCHOOL ON THURSDAY, JUNE 26! Today's events will not require the school to be closed tomorrow.
  
  So, what happened? Well, today was exciting when the fire alarm sounded at lunch. We had just finished recess and were headed in to the cafeteria when we heard the alarm. Everyone followed the procedures we have practiced all year and exited the building to the grassy field. It turns out there was a small fire on campus that was quickly extinguished. The fire department came and drove their large yellow truck across the playground! Once we got the "all clear" we went into Ms. Lehner's classroom to get out of the heat while we waited for more directions. We ate our lunch and then we took a little trip to Louis Weiner Elementary School. (The school bus was fun!) We gathered in their cafeteria and watched a movie. After a little while we loaded back on the bus and returned to Beatty.
  
  I must say.... the kids were great! Considering the heat and the unusual circumstances, I am highly impressed with how well they listened and followed directions. Parents, please make sure I have a good phone number to call you on in case there is an emergency. Several of the numbers I have are out of service or just voicemail. Thanks!
  
  

Concert and Art Show (posted 6/18/08)
We've been practicing in music class for weeks.... We've been working on a special art project for quite some time.... Now it's your chance to come see what's been keeping us so busy! On Thursday, June 19, you are invited to Miss Summers' art show (6:00) and Mr. Wilson's music show (6:30). Students need to be in our classroom by 6:10. There is no homework so everyone should be able to go to the show. See you there!

• Student Appreciation Week (posted 6/13/08)
  Beatty PTA is sponsoring Student Appreciation Week, June 16-20. Without such wonderful students, Beatty wouldn't be the great school that it is. To celebrate our terrific students and say thanks for being the best you can be, there are special activities and dress up days planned all week! Let's bring on the fun...
  
       * Monday- Inside Out/Backwards Day
       * Tuesday- Crazy Hair/Hat Day
       * Wednesday- Pajama Day
       * Thursday- Hawaiian Day
       * Friday- Sports Jersey Day
  
  

Science Book (posted 6/10/08)
If you haven't done so already, please bring back your science book, "Solids and Liquids". For the rest of the year, our stories will come from the red reading book. This week's story, "Abuela", is a little tricky because of the Spanish words the author uses. Practice reading it at home to improve your fluency and comprehension. Remember, a fluent reader sounds like they are saying the words instead of reading them. Also, good readers can retell the details of stories they read.

• Jokes, Jokes, and More Jokes! (posted 6/03/08)
  A new page has been added to our website and it's a funny one! For the past few weeks we've been doing a "Joke of the Day". The jokes are now on MyFunTeacher.com for you to enjoy. You can find a link on the Programs button at the top of every page, or you can use the search box to find anything on our site. If you have a joke you want to share with us, please send it in an email! We're always looking for new jokes!
  
  

Book Orders Due By May 30 (posted 5/22/08)
I sent home a new Scholastic book order this week. There are two catalogs for you to look through. If you would like to purchase books, please submit your order by Friday, May 30. To order online you will need our user name (misspowells) and password (class). If you would prefer to order with a check or cash, complete an order form and return it with your money by Friday. Books are delivered to our classroom, regardless of how the order was placed. It usually takes about two weeks for the books to come in.

• Congratulations, Chad! (posted 5/16/08)
  Chad joins Kobe in the N.F.L. (Never Finished Learning) Challenge Club Hall of Fame! As the second member of the Hall of Fame, Chad's name will always be featured on this website, and displayed in my classroom with the N.F.L. questions. Who will be the next member of the N.F.L. Hall of Fame?
  
  

Thank You! (posted 5/16/08)
Thank you for making Teacher Appreciation Week so special! The cards, pictures, gifts, and hugs were great! I am so lucky to work with such a terrific group of students. The family support is incredible and makes all the difference in the world! Together we're having a great second grade year.

• Way to Go Kobe! (posted 5/6/08)
  Kobe has the distinct honor of being the first member of the N.F.L. (Never Finished Learning) Challenge Club Hall of Fame! Kobe has earned 25 challenge points so far this year. As a member of the Hall of Fame, Kobe's name will always be featured on this website, as well as displayed in my classroom with the N.F.L. questions. Kobe worked very hard with his family to earn this honor. A special section on the awards page of MyFunTeacher.com will be devoted to the N.F.L. Hall of Fame members. Will you earn 25 points to be part of the club?
  
  

Honor Roll (posted 5/6/08)
Congratulations to everyone that earned a place on the Beatty Honor Roll! Awards were passed out last Friday and the happy recipients are.....
        A Honor Roll- Gabby and Kenneth
        A/B Honor Roll- Chad, Cali, Kalob, Ethan, Kobe, Bryce, Josie, Dave, Matt, Mark, Anthony, Taryn
Keep up the good work! I can't wait to see who earns A's and B's in the last trimester of second grade.

• Interim Testing (posted 5/5/08)
  Since we have finished the second trimester of school, it is time to evaluate our progress and complete our interim assessments. All students in CCSD take these tests to measure progress toward grade level benchmarks. While they are not the end-all, be-all of testing, the interims are important and useful to me when it comes to planning and reteaching. We will be doing reading and math tests on Tuesday and Wednesday. Each test will take about an hour. Test scores should be available in a few weeks.
  
  

Welcome Ms. Cura (posted 5/5/08)
Good news.... we have a new student teacher! Please join me in welcoming Jocelyn Cura to our classroom! Ms. Cura is working on her teaching credential through Regis University and will be with us until the end of the school year. Over the next few weeks, Ms. Cura will be learning how we work in our room. I know she is excited to have the opportunity to work with us as she completes her teaching program. Welcome to Beatty, Ms. Cura!

• Beatty's Best (posted 4/27/08)
  Congratulations, Beatty's Best! The class voted for these students to receive this honor:
  March 2008 (We were on track break when they had the celebration breakfast.)
         Josie- tries hard to finish all of her work and she always is nice to the other kids in our class.        Matt- writes great stories and he always finishes his work.
  April 2008
         Ethan- working hard to finish all of his classwork.
         Taryn- writes stories that are fun to read.
         Kalob- always finishes his work and helps out in class.
  
  

Awards Assembly (posted 4/27/08)
Report cards will be sent home on Thursday, May 1. Students who earned all A's, A's & B's, or all B's will receive honor roll certificates at the Track 5 Awards Assembly on Friday at 10:30 am. Unfortunately, I will not be at school on Friday, but I have made arrangements for our certificates to be passed out at the assembly. I will send home notes on Monday if your child will be receiving an award so you can make the necessary arrangements to attend the assembly.

Sometimes, second trimester grades slip a little from first trimester. I dont' know if students get comfortable with the routine of the class or over confident in their abilities. With the progress reports I sent home, grades should not be a huge surprise. If you would like to set up an appointment to discuss the report card, just let me know.

• Registration Paperwork (posted 4/20/08)
  Thank you to everyone that returned the registration paperwork for the fall. If you still have the packet, or one of the papers, please complete it and return it as soon as possible. Thank you!
  
  

Plans for Next Year (posted 4/3/08)
With registration for next year rapidly approaching, I have been asked about recommendations for third grade teachers. I am happy to say that I will be teaching third grade next fall! This is the first time in 13 years of teaching that I will be "looping" with a class and I am very excited to be doing it! You can read Mr. VanTine's letter explaining the benefits of looping.

I hope you will consider staying with me for third grade. If you would like to do that, please mark track 5 as your first choice on the registration form AND write "looping with Miss Powell". Please do not feel pressured or obligated to stay with me for third grade. You need to do what you feel is in the best interest of your child and your family. I hope that will be my third grade classroom, but if it's not, I understand. 2008-2009 Year Round Calendar

• Track Break (posted 3/30/08)
  Track 5 is out of school until Tuesdsay, April 15. I hope you enjoy your vacation. I will see you after the break!
  
  

Book Orders Due By March 28 (posted 3/23/08)
A Scholastic book order will be sent home on Monday. If you would like to purchase books from this catalog, please submit your order by Friday, March 28. To order online you will need our user name (misspowells) and password (class). If you would prefer to order with a check or cash, complete an order form and return it with your money by Friday. Books are delivered to our classroom, regardless of how the order was placed. It usually takes about two weeks for the books to come to our room. I will place the order next weekend, so the books will be waiting for us when we get back from track break.

• New Pictures and Pages (posted 3/19/08)
  Our Egg-cellent Fashion Show pictures are ready for you to enjoy. Actually, I have put them together in a slide show. Just click here to see the Egg-cellent Fashion Show! The slideshow will open in a new window. Enjoy!
  
  New pages for Reading Week are being posted this week. Click here to see the stories we wrote about Mrs. Nevada's visit to our class. You can also read about Egg Roll 2008. These stories are also posted on each student's web page.

Kalob's Back! (posted 3/12/08)
Good news.... Kalob is back in our class! We were all very sad when Kalob left. Needless to say, today was a happy day when Kalob came back to school. That brings our class total back up to 20 students- 12 boys and 8 girls.

• Accelerated Reader Awards Breakfast (posted 3/8/08)
  On Wednesday, Miss Bryan will be hosting the Accelerated Reader Awards Breakfast. 14 out of 19 students from our class will be attending! That's something to be very proud of! The five students who did not make it to the next "star" level were very close and should be able to reach that goal by the end of this month. Keep reading and taking A.R. tests!
  

Mark Your Calendar (posted 3/8/08)
            • Spring Break: March 17-21
            • Track Break: March 31 - April 14
            • Family Night (Math): April 17
            • Bring Your Child To Work Day: April 24

• We'll Miss You Kalob (posted 3/8/08)
  Last week, Kalob and his brothers and sisters moved to a new school. We want to wish him the very best in everything he does. Kalob is a great friend that we will miss. If you're ever in the neighborhood, stop by and visit us, Kalob!

New Stories To Read (posted 3/3/08)
I've posted some new stories for you to enjoy. The class wrote about reading week and one of the mystery readers that visited us. The entire collection of stories is on a page called "John Goes To Second Grade". Stories can also be found on each student's individual web page.

• Beatty's Best for February (posted 2/26/08)
  The class has voted and the votes are counted... Kobe and Nathalie will represent our class at the Beatty's Best Luncheon on February 27. Both Kobe and Nathalie were chosen because they try to finish all of their work and they are nice to other people. Congratulations and keep up the good work!

TicketToRead.com (posted 2/25/08)
The Clark County School District recently purchased a license for Beatty Elementary to use a reading website called www.TicketToRead.com. Ticket to Read is an interactive online reading program designed to strengthen reading fluency, vocabulary development, and comprehension skills.

Ticket to Read can be accessed from any computer with an Internet connection by going to www.TicketToRead.com. To login, students should use the user ID and password they were given in class. [I had to change the user IDs so please use the one I gave you with 40 after it.] Ticket to Read consists of 12 levels of reading difficulty. Passage length and words per minute goals gradually increase with each level. It is recommended that students complete three sessions per week at 15–30 minutes per session. We will be using some of our morning computer time to access this website in class.

• New Pages Added (posted 2/17/08)
  If you go to the "Projects" button at the top of the page, you will see links to our latest internet projects, "Holiday Card Exchange" and "From Me To You Valentine Cards". Both of these projects were a lot of fun! We made cards to send to classrooms around the country. These activities were coordinated by a teacher in California, Jennifer Wagner. She has lots of great ideas to bring technology into the classroom. Close to 500 classrooms participate in these card exchanges.
  
  I created Google maps to show where we sent our cards. The maps are interactive. Just click on a marker and information will appear! Another great way to explore is with Google Earth. It's a free download if you click on the link above the Google map that says "View in Google Earth".
  
  

Valentine's Day Cookie Exchange (posted 2/14/08)
Wow! What a fun Valentine's Day! All day long we did Valentine activities. We started the day with a word search. Then we solved logic puzzles using clues in a story. We made little books about Valentine's Day and tried to figure out a hidden code that was written in symbols.

The best thing we did was our cookie exchange. Before we started, everyone wrote a descriptive paragraph about their cookies. After music class, we used the cookie descriptions to figure out who brought each of the cookies. Then we ate cookies! YUM! Check out our new Valentine's Day Cookie Exchange page. It has photographs and our cookie descriptions.

Thank you to everyone for the yummy Valentine treats as well as the cards and gifts. The friendships in our classroom are very special because of each of you!

• No School - Monday, February 18 (posted 2/14/08)
  In honor of Presidents' Day, we get to enjoy a three day weekend! YIPPEE! There is no school on Monday, February 18. Have fun on your day off and I'll see you on Tuesday.
  

Two Minute Math Drills (posted 2/6/08)
Last week we started doing a daily Two Minute Math Drill in which students have two minutes to solve 50 math facts. Everyone began with +0 and +1 facts. In order to move to the next quiz, students can only miss two questions. If a student misses more than two questions on a drill, they will have the same paper the next day. As facts are mastered, students move from +1 to +2, to +3... all the way up to +10. Then we do subtraction facts, -1 through -10, followed by mixed addition facts, then mixed subtraction facts.

The purpose of the Two Minute Drill is to help students rapidly recall addition and subtraction facts. Since math facts were introduced last year in first grade, second grade students should not have to count on their fingers to solve basic addition or subtraction problems.

To help prepare for the Two Minute Drill, you can practice with the actual sheets we use in class. These math pages can be printed and cut down the middle for two practice sheets. There is also a link to the math facts on the curriculum tab at the top of every page or on the site map.

• Yearbook Orders (posted 2/5/08)
  If you would like to purchase a yearbook, they are available for $17. Yearbooks will be delivered at the end of the school year. A limited number of extra books are ordered so it is wise to pre-purchase your copy. Please make checks payable to "Beatty PTA". With Bryce's mom overseeing the PTA's yearbook committee, I'm sure it will be a great book!
  
  

Beatty's Best for January (posted 1/29/08)
The class voted and it's official! Our Beatty's Best for January are:

        Chad – He is always nice to other kids, works hard, and writes great stories!

        Cali – She is always ready to learn, and she finishes all of her assignments!

        Bryce – He always turns in his homework, and he is fun to work with at centers!

Congratulations to this month's winners! November and January Beatty's Best will be honored at a luncheon on Wednesday, January 30. (We started our track break right before the November luncheon so those students will celebrate this month. There were no winners in December because we were on vacation.) I wonder who will be chosen in February... To see a list of all of our Beatty's Best winners this year, click here.

• Family Valentine Project (posted 1/28/08)
  Don't forget to bring in your Family Valentine Project by the end of the week. I would like to have them all finished by Friday, February 1. If you need more information, the directions are available on-line. Have fun and be creative!
  
  

No School (posted 1/19/08)
Don't forget.... there's no school on Monday, January 21 to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and there's no school on Friday, January 25 due to a teacher inservice day. After this week, we'll be back to regular, five-day school weeks for a while. Enjoy your long weekends!

• Change of Plans (posted 1/16/08)
  It turns out that Miss Bjarnason and Miss Allen will not be doing their student teaching in our class. Unfortunately, they have been moved to another school. Both of these ladies are working toward a degree in Early Childhood/Special Education. Right now, Beatty isn't able to offer them a placement for the Special Education component of their student teaching requirement. Our second grade class would have worked for the General Education setting but they also need a Special Education class to train in. We are sad to see Miss Bjarnason and Miss Allen go, but wish them lots of luck as they start their new adventure.
  
  

New Stories For You To Read (posted 1/14/08)
This week we started learning about another of the six writing traits, voice. We had lots of fun writing a story using a different character's voice. You've got to check out our stories about Miss Powell's new car! Instead of writing like a kid is telling the story we changed things up and added a twist... the stories are written from the car's point of view!

We also wrote stories called "How I Spent My Winter Vacation". It sounds like everyone enjoyed their time off! In these stories we were trying to add details so the reader can picture what we wrote about.

• Hard work pays off! (posted 1/13/08)
  Eleven of our classmates were presented with Honor Roll certificates at an awards assembly on Friday, January 11. I am happy to announce the latest additions to the Beatty Honor Roll ...
  
          B Honor Roll- Mark
  
          A/B Honor Roll - Anthony, Dave, Logan, Josie, Kenneth, Kalob, Matt, and Bryce
  
          A Honor Roll - Nadia and Gabby
  
  Congratulations to everyone! I can't wait to see who will be on the Spring Honor Roll. Some students were sooooooooo close to being on the Winter Honor Roll that I'm sure with a little extra effort, they'll make it this trimester. Keep up the good work! You can do it!
  
  

New Year, New Friend (posted 1/13/08)
The new year brought a new friend to our classroom! Taryn and her family recently moved to Las Vegas from Carson, California. She is very excited to be here and is making lots of new friends. This week Taryn started working on a story for her web page. It should be posted in the next few days so check back soon.

• Welcome to Our Class, Miss Bjarnason! (posted 1/10/08)
  Starting this week, we have a student teacher, Miss Raeann Bjarnason working in our room. Miss Bjarnason (pronounced B-R-NU-SUN) will be with us until the middle of February. Then she will trade places with Ms. Hailee Allen who is working with Ms. Giese in Early Childhood right now. It will be really exciting to have these two student teachers from BYU Idaho!
  
  

Book Orders Due By January 15 (posted 1/7/08)
I sent home a new Scholastic book order today. Actually, there are three catalogs for you to look through. I couldn't decide which to send so I sent them all! This would be a great time to use the gift certificate you received and pick out a new book.

If you would like to purchase books from these catalogs, please submit your order by Tuesday, January 15. To order online you will need our user name (misspowells) and password (class). If you would prefer to order with a check or cash, complete an order form and return it with your money by next Tuesday. Books are delivered to our classroom, regardless of how the order was placed. It usually takes about two weeks for the books to come to our room.

• 2008 Handprint Calendar (posted 12/26/07)
  I've added our handprint calendar project to the "Information" button at the top of each page. We had so much fun making and wrapping these calendars for Christmas that I thought I would share them with everyone. Check the calendar often for important class information.
  
  

Congratulations, Beatty's Best! (posted 12/3/07)
Before leaving on track break, the class voted on who would represent us at the Beatty's Best luncheon for November. Each student wrote about the person they think is most deserving of the award. We used this opportunity to write a persuasive letter and convince other people that our friends are Beatty's Best! This month, three students were selected:

     Gabby- She is a good helper, a great friend, and a nice person!

     Anthony- He has awesome handwriting and takes pride in his work!

     Logan- He is showing good improvement in problem solving and he has the most Accelerated
                Reader points in our class!

Since the awards luncheon was held while we are on break, our November winners will attend the luncheon with our January winners. Congratulations!

• Our New Home Page (posted 11/29/07)
  MyFunTeacher.com is getting into the holiday spirit! As you can see, there are new graphics on our home page that celebrate the holiday season. Check back after Christmas to see the next graphics collection!
  
  

Track Break (posted 11/26/07)
Thanksgiving weekend was the start of our track break. Track 5 returns to school on Monday, January 7. I hope you have fun during your time off. I'll see you in six weeks!

• Conference Dates Set (posted 11/20/07)
  Thank you for returning the conference sign up sheet. I am sending home a letter today (Nov. 20) with your date and time for Parent-Student-Teacher Academic Planning Time. If there is a conflict with your schedule, please let me know. I look forward to meeting with you! And remember, students are welcome and encouraged to come to the conference. At our meeting we can discuss Interim Assessment results, first trimester report cards, reading and fluency data, and general classroom performance. The conference will take approximately 15-20 minutes.
  
  

Picture Day Retakes (posted 11/15/07)
On Monday we will have a chance to retake school pictures. The photography company will be here in the morning. Please return the photos you do not want to school tomorrow. Thanks!

• Math Survey For Parents (posted 11/8/07)
  The Southeast Region of the Clark County School District is preparing to adopt a new math series. Your input about math instruction in elementary schools is very important! The online survey only takes a few minutes.
  
  

PowerPoints and Pictures! (posted 11/3/07)
We have a new page on our website that is filled with pictures and slideshows of our class activities. The page is called "Picture Place". You can access it from the drop down menu of the Projects button at the top of every page.

• October's Beatty's Best (posted 11/3/07)
  Congratulations Dave and Haylie! The class voted for our Beatty's Best this month. Dave was chosen because he always completes assignments neatly and accurately. This is something that his classmates really admire. Way to go, Dave!
  
  Haylie was chosen by her classmates because she has shown great improvement in her penmanship. Haylie has some new and improved handwriting that's looking good! Keep up the good work, Haylie!
  
  Before we go on track break at the end of November, the class will vote on two more of Beatty's Best. Due to our break, our November winners will celebrate at the January luncheon. Keep working hard and you might impress your classmates enough to choose you for Beatty's Best.
  
  

Website Awards! (posted 10/28/07)
Thank you to everyone who has been sending such nice comments about our website! MyFunTeacher.com has earned five awards! These are proudly displayed on our new page called Website Awards. You can access it from the drop down menu of the Awards button at the top of every page.

• O.R.E.O. Challenge (posted 10/21/07)
  As promised, the pictures and results of Our Really Exciting Online (O.R.E.O.) Challenge are now on our site! You can view them by clicking this link to our O.R.E.O. page or by using the drop down menu for "projects" (internet projects) at the top of any page. There's lots to read on the O.R.E.O. page. Make sure you go all the way to the bottom...
  
  

New Stories For You To Read (posted 10/16/07)
There are new stories posted on our website for you to enjoy: "Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month", "How to Eat an Oreo Cookie", "O.R.E.O. Challenge", and "You Are the Author". Coming soon... pictures and information about Our Really Exciting Online (O.R.E.O.) Challenge, as well as pictures of the Macaroni Skeletoni project and "A Book In A Bag" book reports!

• Family Projects (posted 10/14/07)
  The skeletons are wonderful! What a great way to start our study of the human body. You should be proud of your work! I was so impressed with your creativity and originality that I put them on display in the main hallway of the school. I'm working on a powerpoint slide show that should be on our site by the end of the week.
  
  Reminder: "A Book In A Bag" projects are due on Monday, October 15. If you haven't completed yours, please finish it as soon as possible. I am looking forward to students sharing their projects with the class.
  
  

Interesting Ideas...i...i...i (posted 10/8/07)
Throughout the school, classes have been learning about the writing trait of ideas. Our class is no exception. When we talked about ideas and where they come from, the wonderful world of Dr. Seuss came to mind. He used so many creative ideas and words in his stories. As a salute to Seuss and as a celebration of the Cat in the Hat's 50th birthday, our class wrote a book called "Interesting Ideas...i...i...i". Our book is displayed in the hallway by our classroom and in a powerpoint presentation.

• Skeletoni Macaroni Family Project (posted 10/1/07)
  As an introduction to a health & science unit we are going to do later this month, I sent home a project for your family to work on together over the next week.
  
  The project is called “Skeletoni Macaroni” and the directions are easy:
  
  1. Cut out the skeleton pieces.
  2. Arrange them to form a human body.
  3. Glue the skeleton to poster board or cardboard.
  4. Decorate the skeleton using an assortment of dry pasta.
  5. Return your completed project by Monday, October 8.
  
  As a family, you can get as creative as you like when it comes to decorating and embellishing your skeleton. If you want to change its name or add special features that's up to you. If you need an extra copy of the skeleton, it is available online.
  
  

Magazines Needed (updated 9/30/07)
Do you have any "kid friendly" magazines that we can cut and use for some upcoming projects? If you do, please send them to class. Thanks!

• PTA Fundraiser (updated 9/28/07)
  The Beatty PTA is sponsoring a fundraiser with the Kids Are First company. This is the only fundraising event planned for the year so we hope it is successful. Our PTA gives so much to the school. The money raised from this fundraising event will help pay for programs and projects for all of the students at Beatty. If you can, please support the PTA's fundraising efforts.
  
  Besides being a great way to help the school, students earn prizes based on the number of items sold (not the dollar amount they generate). If every student in our class sells just 1 item each, our class will get $50 to spend on anything we choose! As a member of PTA, I would like to support this project through my students. Show me your catalog. Maybe there's something in there that I would like to buy. So far, no one has asked me about making a purchase....
  ALL ORDERS AND MONEY ARE DUE BY WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3.
  
  If you would like place your fundraising order online it's easy to do: Go to www.kidsarefirst.com and click on "Click Here To Register". Sellers/students must register with the school code: BEAT23. After you register, you will be given a seller ID#. Tell your family and friends what your seller ID number is and let them help you by ordering online. Their merchandise will be shipped directly to their house!
  
  

Beatty's Best for September (posted 9/26/07)
Congratulations Kenneth and Nadia! They were chosen as Beatty's Best for September. Kenneth received this honor for being a good listener. He follows directions the first time they are given. I really appreciate how he listens to what is said and responds to it. Being a good listener is a skill that we are working on this year and Kenneth is a good role model to follow. Nadia was selected as Beatty's Best for the effort she is putting into her schoolwork. She finishes assignments neatly and on time. This is also something we are working on as a class. Nadia is a good example of what it looks like when you have good work habits. The October Beatty's Best students will be selected by the class. I took the honor of selecting the first month. Now it's up to you. Show your classmates that you are Beatty's Best. Maybe they will choose you to represent our class at the next Beatty's Best Luncheon!

• Book Orders (posted 9/24/07)
  I sent home a new book order today. Actually, there are two order forms for you to look through. I couldn't decide which to send so I sent both. Scholastic has some great prices on books that are at your child's reading level and I would be happy to make recommendations for you and your child.
  
  If you would like to purchase books from these catalogs, please submit your order by Friday so I can send it in this weekend. If you order books from both fliers, combine the totals and make one payment. To order online you will need our user name (misspowells) and password (class). If you would prefer to order with a check or cash, complete an order form and return it with your money in an envelope with your child’s name on it. Books are delivered to our classroom, regardless of how the order was placed. It usually takes about two weeks for the books to come to our room.
  
  

Homework Assignments Page (posted 9/22/07)
Homework assignments have moved to their own page. You can get to the new Homework Assignments page by clicking on the banner below this section or from the link in the drop down menu of the "Information" button at the top of every page. Besides a detailed description of our weekly assignments, the new page includes online activities that support our reading stories and enrich our second grade curriculum. Enjoy!

• New Page Added to Site (posted 9/18/07)
  There's a new page on our website called "Featured Websites". Throughout the year I will add websites that support and enhance the curriculum we are studying. You can get to the Featured Websites page through a link on the drop down menu of the "Curriculum" button above or you can do a site search for "featured websites". If you come across a website you think would be a good extension to our curriculum that is not included on our list, please send me the link. I'd be happy to check it out!
  
  

Family Connections (posted 9/12/07)
This week we've been talking about families and the things that make each of our families so special. I was very impressed with the timelines the kids made for homework! Today in class, everyone had a chance to share their pictures and tell about their family. We learned a lot about our classmates. I think I might make a timeline, too. That way I can share pictures of my brother, Andy, with all of you. If you haven't finished your timeline, it's not too late. Remember... better late than never when it comes to turning things in!

• New Stories Posted on Student Web Pages! (posted 9/11/07)
  Take a minute to read about the jobs our class thinks will be important in the future. Jobs of the Future Stories
  
  

Dave's Back! (posted 9/10/07)
Dave has decided not to change schools after all and is officially back in our class... Welcome back!

• Calling All Mystery Readers... (posted 9/9/07)
  We would like to invite you to come to our class as a Mystery Reader. You can sign up online or send a note to Miss Powell. Mystery Readers can be moms, dads, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, grandmas, grandpas, special family friends, teachers... the list goes on and on.
  
  So far we have had two incredible visitors. Logan's mom read us "My Many Colored Days" by Dr. Seuss. Gabby's mom read a book that was a twist on an old classic. It was called "I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed A Bat". We hope you can come read to us too!
  

Bye Dave! (posted 9/9/07)
Last week, Dave moved to a new school and will not be at Beatty any longer. Coincidentally, his new school is the same one where Mrs. Lee (our librarian for the past six years) works. We'll miss you, Dave, and wish you the best of luck! Stop by and see us when you can.

• Book Orders Sent In (posted 9/9/07)
  I submitted our book order this weekend and it is being processed right now. We have quite a few readers in our class! It should take about two weeks for the books to arrive.
  

Book Orders Due Friday (posted 9/5/07)
I am placing our order with Scholastic Books this weekend. You are not required to buy any books but the option is there if you are interested. Please make sure you submit your order by Friday. To order online you will need our user name (misspowells) and password (class). If you would prefer to order with a check or cash, complete an order form and return it with your money in an envelope with your child’s name on it.  Books are delivered to our classroom, regardless of how the order was placed. It usually takes about two weeks for the books to come to our room.

• Doing Neat Work (posted 9/3/07)
  Please read "Miss Powell's Things to Remember About Doing Neat Work". I thought it might be helpful if you knew how we set up our papers and what my expectations are for completed assignments.
  
  

Reading Textbooks Sent Home (posted 9/1/07)
Each student will check out a reading text book to take home and use this year. Please do not send the book back to school until we have finished reading all of the stories. This book is for you and your child to use to develop stronger reading skills. At the beginning of each week, I will introduce the new concepts and focus skills for the story. The next day, we will read the story in class. If you would like to pre-read the story with your child, that's great. If you want to wait until I have introduced it, then wait until the second day of the school week (I would say Tuesday but this week we have no school on Monday so Wednesday will be our second day).

• STUDENT WEB PAGES (posted 8/28/07)
  To showcase our work, each student has their own web page. Our student web pages are unique so please take some time to look at each of them. New assignments and projects will be posted throughout the year.
  
  The first assignment was to create a list of facts and opinions about a topic. Students could pick what ever they were interested in and brainstormed the "Top Five Things" the reader needed to know.
  

We're off to a great start! (posted 8/27/07)
We had a very nice first day of school, in spite of the rain. Some parents were asking about our room assignment. We are in Room 40, not 88A like your track assignment letter stated. You can find us just past the library, on the corner of the fourth grade hall. (This was the 5th grade hall last year.)

• DISMISSAL (posted 8/27/07)
  Typical for the first day, leaving school and meeting mom and dad, or brothers and sisters was a little hectic for some kids. In an effort to make things easier, our class will exit through the front of the school. I will walk the students out past the office when the bell rings. Please choose a meeting place that both of you are familiar with. Some key landmarks in the front of the school include the flagpole, the benches by the flagpole, and the "circle wall".
  
  Also, parents, please remember that the parking lot is not open during dismissal so plan ahead when looking for parking on the street.
  

Important Papers (posted 8/27/07)
Make sure you look through the papers that were sent home in the Beatty Folder. Some papers require a parent signature and need to be returned to school. Other papers are for you to keep and review at home. Please return the Beatty Folder to class tomorrow.

• WELCOME TO ROOM 40! (posted 8/26/07)
  This is going to be an exciting year for Chad, Gabby, Cali, Kalob, Ethan, Nathalie, Erik, Kobe, Aalani, Bryce, Nadia, Josie, Logan, Dave, Kenneth, Matthew, Mark, Haylie, Maria, and Anthony!
  
  I have lots of fun projects planned, starting with "A Salute to Dr. Seuss". If you have any Dr. Seuss books that you would like to share with the class, please bring them to school with you. Make sure your name is inside the front cover.

New Site Debuts!
7-7-07... lucky sevens....the date this website was up and running...

Since I'm in Las Vegas, 7-7-07 seemed like a good day to launch a new website! I hope you enjoy your visit and will come back often. New information will be posted on a regular basis. If you have any suggestions or comments, please let me know. My email link is at the bottom of every page.

Open House:
Friday, August 24, 2:00 and 6:30pm
Mark your calendar! This is your chance to come by our classroom and check things out before school starts. I can't wait to meet you and your family!

• School Starts Monday, August 27!
  Parents, please remember to sign in at the front office to get a visitor's badge.

Supplies

The Clark County School District provides supplies for students in order to meet their educational needs. Since this is the time of year when school supplies are on sale, I recommend stocking up on homework supplies (pencils, erasers, crayons, glue, scissors).