It's a (relatively) calm week...

Good morning! I hope that you all had a great weekend and are ready for a new week at school. We really don't have a lot going on this week, beyond our normal stuff. It's kinda nice! Be sure that you are working on your celebrations project to turn in next Tuesday, the 17th. 

We are having lots of fun with our data project. Be sure to ask your student about their survey question and how they are sorting their data. 

We have started an in-class project about celebrations around the world. Ask your student what country they are studying with their partner. Explore at home, and if they come across something really interesting, share it through a picture, short writing, or just an internet link. Have fun! 

Bits from the Birdhouse... D

12/8/14

10 SCHOOL DAYS TO BREAK! 

Be sure to ask your student about this week’s happenings! We will...

• Continue our Celebrations study. This week we will trade classes to study Hanukkah with Mrs. Swinney. Any connections? We would love to hear about them.

• Continue Unit 4 of Investigations. This week we are working on gathering and representing data. 

• Have new word study lists. Please be sure to study at home! 

We’re ready for a 

great week!

Tuesday Tidbits

Bits from the Birdhouse... D

11/18/14

Sorry I am late this week!

Be sure to ask your student about this week’s happenings! We will...

• Start our Celebrations study. We LOVE this unit! This week, we will explore the history of Thanksgiving and start thinking about our celebrations project. Stay tuned!  

• Complete our Unit 2 reading test as required by the district. 

• Enjoy treats from Cypress Inn with the Druid City Garden Project. 

• Finish and assess Unit 3 of Investigations.   

• Work on our summative presentation in the lab. 

• Have new word study lists. Please be sure to study at home! 

We’re ready for a 

great week!

It's a short week.

It's a short week! I am actually not a fan of short weeks. It seems like they get all discombobulated, and I almost always forget something important. Although, this short week is pretty special to us. Some of you probably know, but my husband Josh is an Army veteran. He served 8 years, more than 3 of them with the 6th Ranger Training Battalion at Eglin Air Force base in Florida. It's a REALLY long story, but the Army is actually what brought us to Tuscaloosa. For that, I am so grateful! We have so much love and respect for veterans of all branches, and I look forward to Veteran's Day every year because I am so thankful to have my veteran with me to celebrate.

Please don't forget to SELL THOSE ORANGES. :) Orders are due on Wednesday. Thank you so much to families who have already returned them to school. 

I can't believe that we only have 9 school days until Thanksgiving Break. Wow! Time flies. 

Bits from the Birdhouse... D

11/10/14

Be sure to ask your student about this week’s happenings! We will...

• Not have school on Tuesday. Enjoy the day! 

• FINISH our Old Lady book! 

• Continue Unit 3 of Investigations. We will work with money and learn a new game, Collect $0.50. 

• Swap classrooms to study Ancient Egypt with Mrs. Barnes.  

• Work on our summative presentation in the lab. 

• Have new word study lists. Please be sure to study at home! 

We’re ready for a 

great week!

It's already November!

Can you believe it is November? I am overwhelmed by the fact that it is already November. It's such an incredible time of year for learning! I love this time of year for a million other reasons...hot cocoa, bonfires, falling leaves, pies...I could really go on for days. I hope that you and your families will be able to enjoy your favorite things together this month, too. 

We only have three weeks of school in November, and it will be over before we blink. We will finish our google presentations this month, and start my FAVORITE unit of inquiry late this month. Next up are Celebrations! I love it. Please start thinking about a celebration that is either unique to your family or just a celebration that your student finds interesting. As a teenager, I fell in love with Red Nose Day in Australia. It's a celebration of life for prematurely born babies. I happened to be there on Red Nose Day when I was 15, and thought it was so important to celebrate those special babies. That's what I would study. Think about something unique, and be creative! Information for this project will come home soon. 

Bits from the Birdhouse... D

11/3/14

Be sure to ask your student about this week’s happenings! We will...

• Continue to work on our Old Lady book.

• Continue Unit 3 of Investigations. We are turning our focus to problem solving and various strategies to build understanding of place value. Refer to the handbook if you have questions, and you can always ask me! 

• Swap classrooms to study Ancient China with Mrs. Swinney.  

• Work on our summative presentation in the lab. 

• Have new word study lists. Please be sure to study at home! 

• Have PJ day for United Way on Friday. 

We’re ready for a 

great week!

The LAST Monday in October!

Today is a BIG day in my house! Our oldest turns seven!! It is so hard for me to believe that seven years ago today, I became a MOM! I wouldn't trade it for anything, and it has shaped so many things I believe as a teacher. I am so thankful for her influence on my classroom, and so many other things she has taught me along the way. AND SHE IS ONLY SEVEN! That girl is going to change the world...and your little ones will, too. Anyway, I digress...

I can't believe October is already coming to a close. We have grown so much as second graders just this month! I hope you are starting to notice how different your student's newsbook writing looks from the start of the school year. Maybe not so much in the HANDwriting, but definitely in the content. 

They are blazing little readers. My favorite time of second grade is upon us...moving from learning to read to reading to learn. It's an amazing process! 

The math they are able to do now compared to August! The thinking! The explaining! The understanding! It's all incredible. 

Friday, we celebrate! It's a day full of fun! Crafting, snacks, stories, pumpkin digging...I can't wait!  

Bits from the Birdhouse... D

10/27/14

Be sure to ask your student about this week’s happenings! We will...

• Continue to work on our Old Lady book.

• Continue Unit 3 of Investigations. We are turning our focus to problem solving and various strategies to build understanding of place value. Refer to the handbook if you have questions, and you can always ask me! 

• Continue to learn about Ancient Rome. Any research your student would like to do at home will be presented in class. Already this year, a student gathered AWESOME photos from Ancient Roman times. 

• Research daily life in Rome. 

• Work on our summative presentation in the lab. 

• Have new word study lists. Please be sure to study at home!  

• Have our Fall Celebration on Friday. Don’t forget to send your item! Thanks in advance!  

We’re ready for a 

great week!

It's a New Week!

Happy Monday! Please watch your student's folder this week for a letter about our Fall celebration on the 31st. Have a great week! 

Bits from the Birdhouse... D

10/20/14

Be sure to ask your student about this week’s happenings! We will...

• Continue to work on our Old Lady book.

• Continue Unit 3 of Investigations. We will learn Close to 20, a new addition game and continue to build strategies for number strings, which will lead us to more difficult problem solving situations. 

• Continue to learn about Ancient Rome. Any research your student would like to do at home will be presented in class. One year, a student made a powerpoint about ancient gods and goddesses. It was awesome! 

• Read to discover the legend of how Rome began.

• Study the daily life of Romans in ancient times.

• Have new word study lists. Please be sure to study at home!   

We’re ready for a 

great week!

Short Weeks are Really Weird...

Happy Wednesday! 

We are getting in the groove for the week after a long weekend! I hope you were able to enjoy the extra day with your kiddos. Don't forget that report cards will come home at the end of this week.  

During our new Unit of Inquiry, there will be lots of Social Studies integrated into our small group reading time. There will likely not be as many traditional books come home. For example, in small group next week, we are going to study the legend of how Rome came to be. There will certainly be evidence of their learning, but it will not always look the same. I can't wait to get started! 

Bits from the Birdhouse... D

10/15/14

Be sure to ask your student about this week’s happenings! We will...

• Use mentor authors as inspiration to write a class story. We will eventually PUBLISH this book as a hardback. Watch for information in the coming weeks. 

• Dive into problem solving in Unit 3 of Investigations. We will pre-assess to determine enrichment needs as well. 

• Introduce our new Unit of Inquiry about Ancient Civilizations. Look for the newsletter by Friday. 

• Have new word study lists. Please be sure to study at home!   

We’re ready for a 

great week!

Wednesday Updates

Good morning! Thank you so much for your patience as our Birdhouse Bits are running a little late this week. We are busy this week, but it's really a lot of wrap-up and getting ready to move forward. The grading period ends on Friday, and report cards will come home next Friday, 10/17. 

Conferences will wrap up next week with a few make-ups. Thank you so much for making time to come meet with me. I have loved sharing and learning about what makes each student unique! 

Don't forget that school is CLOSED on Monday, October 13.

Bits from the Birdhouse... D

10/8/14

Be sure to ask your student about this week’s happenings! We will...

• Have our last Child Find lesson on Wednesday. 

• Have Vision Screenings on Thursday.

• Wrap up our math enrichments for Unit 2. We will begin Unit 3 on Monday. 

• Choose pieces for our IB portfolios. 

• Set goals for our writing and revise with intent. 

• Use last week’s word study lists again this week. 

We’re ready for a 

great week!

We are a National Blue Ribbon School!

WOW! What an amazing day at TMSE. This afternoon, it was announced that we have achieved recognition as a National Blue Ribbon School!! Last spring, we were one of 5 Alabama schools nominated by state superintendent Tommy Bice. We worked on the application last spring, hoping to do justice to all of the incredible things that make TMSE a unique place to learn and grow. Today, Mrs. B announced to the school that we were recognized! This year, just over 300 hundred schools in 47 states were recognized. 

It is so difficult to put into words how TMSE has challenged and changed me over the last six years. I am so honored and so proud to be part of this school. I have learned that I am truly a mermaid, and TMSE is the place for me. I'm so glad it's the place for your family, too. 

Congratulations will certainly be heard for the school, but I want to say congratulations to YOU. Six years ago, lots of families took a chance on a brand new idea in Tuscaloosa. Six years later you are here, and are absolutely essential to why this beautiful school family works. I am so grateful for the opportunity to teach your child in this place. 

We will all celebrate soon, so be on the lookout for more news in the coming weeks. Tell your friends, tell your family...WE ARE A BLUE RIBBON SCHOOL! I really just want to shout it from the rooftops. 

Northern Redbook

Here are a few pictures of the city planning project! I hope your student had lots of great things to say during this project. We learned about what a city really needs and what can wait. Students voted on a city name and learned that sometimes the Mayor has the power to say no. :) Students designed a grid map and found the coordinates of their buildings. It was an amazing experience to say the least! If you have a chance tomorrow, come see it for yourself!

It's Field Trip Week!

I can hardly believe that it is almost October! It's a big one in my family as we celebrate two birthdays this month, and it starts off with a BANG in the classroom, too. We have our first TWO field trips of the school year on Thursday and Friday!! If you asked to attend our Community field trip, there is a note in your student's folder today. 

Ms. Thomas finished her placement on Friday, so it's just me in the classroom. It was awesome to have another person in the classroom to start the school year; it's going to to take me a while to get used to not having her here! If you asked what you can do to help me in the classroom at the start of the year...get ready! I'm going to need you soon. :) 

Conferences begin this week. I will do my best to get reminder notes home. I'm excited to meet with everyone! This class has had such an awesome start to the school year, and it's a thrill as a teacher to have amazing things to talk about with parents. 

Remember! If you want to see Northern Redbook, make plans to stop in before 2:30 tomorrow. We will have our city "De-Construction" before we head home for the day. 

Bits from the Birdhouse... D

9/29/14

Be sure to ask your student about this week’s happenings! We will...

• Continue Child Find with a lesson on Wednesday. 

• See “School House Rock” at the Bama on Thursday.  

• Work in Investigations Unit 2. We will focus on building and describing rectangles as arrays.  

• Wrap up our community systems unit. Our field trip is Friday! Watch for a reminder note. 

• Continue Narrative Writing. We will look at the editing checklist for Narrative Writing. Make plans to be at school on October 7 for Writing Night! 

• Have guided reading and word study as best we can with TWO FIELD TRIPS! 

We’re ready for a 

great week!

It's Fall!

Bits from the Birdhouse... D

9/22/14

Be sure to ask your student about this week’s happenings! We will...

• Have our first Child Find lesson to start 2nd grade gifted screenings. 

• Start our weekly chess lessons on Thursday.   

• Work in Investigations Unit 2. We will focus on elapsed time, arrays, and geoblocks.  

• Wrap up our city planning unit. 

• Continue Narrative Writing. We will focus on writing powerful endings and editing like a detective.  

• Have guided reading and word study as usual. 

• PICTURE DAY IS FRIDAY! :) 

We’re ready for a 

great week!

Wow! I am SO EXCITED that it is finally Fall! I really wish that it would feel like it, though. Soup Season is an official thing at my house, and I just can't do it when it's still 90 degress outside. 

Just a few quick reminders: 

- Please be sure to practice word study at home. 

- Always read together at night! In the car works, too. :) 

- Return field trip permission slips if you haven't, unless your student is not attending. 

- I am working on a final conference schedule and need everyone's forms as soon as possible so that I  

 can make changes and such. 

Chess Blitz Week!

Wow! I can't believe the time has come for Chess Blitz. This is such an exciting week for second graders! The Honors College at the University partners with us to teach every second grader how to play chess. They will be here every morning this week, so please make every effort to have your student to school on time. After this week, we will have one lesson a week until the end of November. It is fun, and it makes our week look very, very different. Be sure to ask your student about chess! I am sure they will have a lot to say. 

Ms. Thomas will finish her ten days of teaching this week. She has done a phenomenal job! I am thrilled for her to continue the city planning project with the class. Today, she's working on a grid map and street names for the city, and we discovered that chess is a connection to that lesson since it's played on a grid. I love finding ways that all of our learning connects! 

Bits from the Birdhouse... D

9/15/14

Be sure to ask your student about this week’s happenings! We will...

• Have chess blitz with the University all week long! 

• Start Partnerships on Tuesday afternoon. 

• Start Extra Explorations after school this week for students who have chosen to participate.  

• Review and assess Unit 1 in Investigations. We will introduce Unit 2. Expect the family letters later this week.  

• Complete our Unit 1 Reading assessment as required by the TCS reading department.  

• Build our city! 

• Have guided reading and word study as usual. 

We’re ready for a 

great week!

Monday, Monday!

Good morning! I hope that everyone had a fantastic weekend! I am so excited this morning that I was able to copy and paste our September newsletter! Look in your student's folder today for the hardcopy. This week, Ms. Thomas begins her 10 days of teaching, so I will take a back seat in the classroom and spend that time writing our daily guides for our second writing unit, working on the community picture project...anything I can think of that will help us in the long run!

This week is pretty much an "as planned" week. Students will wrap up unit 1 in Investigations, continue word study, and have reader's workshop in the morning. For our unit of inquiry, Ms. Thomas has planned an INCREDIBLE city planning project, and I can't wait to observe it in action!  I'll be sure to take pictures, and hopefully post some here.

Don't forget, tomorrow night at 6 p.m. is Open House. This is a great chance to see our classroom now that your students have "lived" here for a month, to check out their learning, and hear a little more in depth about second grade at TMSE. I hope to see everyone there!

Birdhouse Bits

Bits from the Birdhouse...

                                                                                                        D

9/3/14

Be sure to ask your student about this week’s happenings! We will...

• Continue Unit 1 in Investigations. This week, we will begin to practice strategies for problem solving. Watch for homework! 

• Continue to practice addition combinations. 

• Don’t forget to practice word study at home! 

• Guided reading is off to a great start! Always ask your student if they have book work.  

• Continue Unit 1 in writing. We are working to add detail to our narratives and tell a complete story. 

• Discover responsibilities of a mayor, governor, and president. 

• We will have Classworks reading this Wednesday.

• We will complete our reading baseline test for the standards-based grade reports.  

• Look for information about choices for Partnership classes. We begin September 16! 

• Read, read, read.

THANK YOU to everyone who ordered from Scholastic. I earned 5,000 points for our classroom, which works out to around FIFTY BOOKS that I can choose for the classroom library. Amazing! I am humbled by your support. 

Also, if you have not returned your student's coupon book or envelope with payment, please do that as soon as you can. 

Registration and payment for Extra Explorations is due by September 10 if you choose for your student to participate. 

We’re ready for a 

great week!

                                                       Mrs. Bechtel

Monday Musings

Happy Monday! I hope you and your family had a fantastic weekend! We have really had a great start to the school year. Guided reading groups are launching this week, and I am excited to see their reading grow over the school year! 

For the first few weeks of school, I sent home the Birdhouse Bits in your student's folder. Starting next Monday, you will only be able to find that information here, unless you have requested a paper copy. I would LOVE to have more parents follow us on Twitter. More parents really means more fun, especially if you see your student pop up. :) I will send a class email and note about this change before next Monday. Thanks so much for your support! 

Be sure to ask your student about this week’s happenings! We will...

• Continue Unit 1 in Investigations. We will learn two new games this week. Watch for the directions so you can play at home! 

• Introduce addition combinations. A letter will come home. 

• Don’t forget to practice word study at home! 

• Start guided reading groups this week. Watch for your student’s book bag to come home. 

• Continue Unit 1 in writing. Students already have a great start on their writing! 

• Learn about leaders in our community and how we are leaders, too!

• We will have Classworks testing this Wednesday and next Wednesday for reading and math. 

We’re ready for a 

great week!

Tuesday, Tuesday

Happy Tuesday! I hope that you have had a great start to the week! I know that we have. In your student's folder yesterday, you should have found the weekly "Bits from the Birdhouse." I would love to upload it here, but I can't quite figure out how. Also, your student's first word study list was in the folder along with word study information.

Today, you will find the August calendar. I am not going to track whether your student colors their box appropriately...it's their responsibility. I will of course keep in touch about especially awesome things, and when things are especially tough. Always, feel free to email me about a behavior concern.

The first I.B. newsletter will also be in their binders today. You will find it in a plastic sleeve in the middle. You can either leave it there for safekeeping, or take it out and hang it at home.

Thank you so much for your encouragement and support as we get this school year rolling...

I have the best of intentions.

I always, always have the best of intentions when the school year starts. Blogs are not my thing. At all. In an effort to help that, I have opened a Twitter account just for my classroom! I am pretty excited about it...please follow @BechtelBuzz for (hopefully) regular tweets and insights from the classroom. If you are like me, I love knowing what's up in my own kid's classroom, and I hope that this will help keep everyone in touch. Please follow!