Unit 3 Add within 100 using strategies

Topic 3 focuses on addition within 100 using strategies that employ a hundred chart, a number line, breaking numbers apart, and compensation. There is more than one way to solve an addition problem.

If you would like to know more of how we will be using the different strategies her the the link https://media.pk12ls.com/curriculum/math/family_engage/g02_t03_overview_en.html

Now that we are moving into harder math concepts homework might be sent home to the entire class or to individuals that I feel that might need more practice.

During phonics students will focus on the "Sound" all week long and learn how to recognize, read, and spell words with common spelling patterns. Through engaging phonics routines, word building, dictation, and reading practice, students will strengthen their decoding and encoding (spelling) skills while building reading fluency and confidence.

Students will learn to:

Identify words with the sound.
Blend, read, and spell words with spelling patterns.
Apply phonics skills to decode unfamiliar words in connected text.
Read and write high-frequency words
Build fluency and automaticity through daily practice with word reading, spelling, and sentence reading.

By strengthening these foundational skills, students will become more confident readers and writers who can apply their phonics knowledge to both reading and everyday writing.

September 14th

Identify words with long e.
Blend and spell words with long e.
Spelling words: after, before, call, do, earth, father, give, her, know, large, here, need,queen, clean, thief, leaf, happy, funny, key, piece.

September 21st

Identify words with long i.
Blend and spell words with long i.
Spelling words: good, many, near, off, people, right, that, two, under, very, pie, tie, child, kind, sky, dry, high, lime, light, bright.

September 28th

Identify words with long u.
Blend and spell words with long u.
Spelling words: again, below, carry, does, eight, find, house, laugh, mother, school, music, menu, January, few, rescue, cue, use, cute, huge, cube.

SRSD and narrative writing

Students have finished the pre-writing stage using the SRSD (Self-Regulated Strategy Development) approach for our informative writing prompt: "Describe how an octopus can protect itself."

What Students Practiced

Analyzing the Prompt: Breaking down what the prompt is asking so they stay focused on how an octopus protects itself.
Brainstorming & Planning: Gathering facts (like camouflage, releasing ink, and squeezing into tight spaces) and organizing key details before writing.
Using Graphic Organizers: Structuring their main ideas, supporting details, and topic sentences so their thoughts flow logically.

Why Pre-Writing Matters Planning ahead helps 2nd graders organize their ideas, build confidence, and prepare to write strong, structured informative paragraphs!

We will work on writing one more personal narrative this week. Then next week we will focus on editing our work and making corrections.

Benchmark unit 2 Characters learn and grow

Unit 2, titled "Characters Learn and Grow," students explore how characters face challenges, make choices, and develop throughout a story. Through engaging fiction and folktales—such as Yeh-Shen, The Baker’s Dilemma, and Angel Fish—students learn to analyze character traits, describe settings and plot elements, and practice retelling key story events. Throughout the unit, children build reading comprehension by creating mental images, using context clues to understand new vocabulary and idioms, comparing characters across different versions of tales, and exploring elements of poetry such as rhyme and repetition.

How communities changed over time

We have finished habitats for now. We will come back to them when we move into our research writing.

For now we will work on how communities changes over time. We will mainly be learning about Parker and how it has changed over time. Long ago, our neighborhood was mostly farmland with a few quiet streets. Over time, as new families moved in from different parts of the world, the neighborhood began to change:

In the Past: Many years ago, there was only one small general store and a single schoolhouse. Most people spoke one language and shared similar daily routines.
Cultural Arrival: As families from diverse cultures moved into the neighborhood, they opened new local businesses, like ethnic grocery stores, bakery shops, and unique restaurants.
Present Day: Today, walking down the main street shows murals painted on public walls, signs written in multiple languages, and annual cultural street festivals where neighbors gather to share food, music, and traditions.

Through these contributions, the neighborhood grew into a rich, welcoming community shaped by the unique cultures of all the people who have lived there over time.

Run for Funds Our Class needs $1350 more dollars!

FUN Run

September 9th- Run for Funds Assembly at 9:00 am in the gym (Students Only)
September 18th- Run for funds in the baseball field (Parents are invited)
September 30th- Prize Day

Next Steps

Send personalized emails & texts from the Parent Portal on our website.

Click HERE for video directions for sending emails from the Parent Portal.

Go to the Parent Portal tab
Enter our school password - train26
Enter your student’s School ID (this is issued by your school and is often their lunch number for the cafeteria)
Send out personalized communication to friends and family. When donors click the donate link in your email or text, they will be directed to the donor site where your student’s name and grade will already be filled in!

Texting/social media: Use the buttons to copy the verbiage and text out or post to your social media
Emailing: Scroll down to the email template, fill in the information boxes and adjust the email as necessary and send!

These emails will count toward the class email prize.
You can enter up to 10 email addresses in the To: box, separated by a comma (,).

Click HERE for a video overview of the Parent Portal, including communication and checking student donations.

Dates, Goals and Prizes

Check out our website for more details.

Help your student(s) win great prizes and rewards by hitting the deadlines and goals below!

Email Campaign due by 5pm: Wednesday, September 16, 2026

Class Prize: Each classroom that collectively sends out at least 30 emails by 5pm on 9/16 earns Pencil Charms for the class!

Early Bird Donations due online by 5pm: Wednesday, September 16, 2026

School Prize: Raise $5,000 by the Early Bird Donation Deadline, and the whole school earns Popsicles on Run Day!

School Prize: Raise $10,000 by the Early Bird Donation Deadline, and the whole school earns a Foam Party on Run Day!

Run Day: Friday, September 18, 2026

Students will run laps on a 1/16-mile track with their grade for 30 minutes. Make sure your class is ready to go before their run time.

Parents are welcome to volunteer and/or attend Run Day to cheer on their students!

All Donations due: Thursday, September 24, 2026

All donations are due today. Most donations will be made online. If you receive any cash or checks (made out to Iron Horse PTO), please drop them at the front desk.

Online donations will reflect online in real time.

Prize Day: Wednesday, September 30, 2026

We will celebrate our successful fundraiser!

Classroom Prizes:

Send 30 emails per class by 9/16 = Pencil Charms for the class

$65 / Student = Silent Disco

$75 / Student = Photo Bot

School Prizes:

$5,000 by 9/16 = Popsicles on Run Day

$10,000 by 9/16 = Foam Party on Run Day

$15,000 = Slide

$20,000 = Obstacle Course

$25,000 = Dippin Dots

$27,500 = Slime the Principals

Individual Prizes:

$50 = Prize Trolley Fun Buck

Every $50 earns an additional Prize Trolley Fun Buck
$100 = Hamster Ball @ School

$300 = Money Machine

$500 = Inflatable Gift Card ($175 value)

Star Jar: As your student reaches the milestones on the Star Jar Coupon sheet, they will drop them in the Star Jar in the office. We will pull turned in coupons for prizes several times during our fundraiser

Most Laps (average/student) Class: Extra Recess

Top Dollar (average $/student) Class: K-1/2-3/4-5 Hamster Ball Party
Best Spirit Grade: Bling Rings

Candy Drive

Come feed the Candy Monster in the lobby! Each bag of candy will be used for our SLT team in the Legend Homecoming Parade and split amongst the cars at the Trunk or Treat at the Fall Festival. Please donate between September 7-25th.

Next PTO Meeting

Join us for our next PTO meeting on September 16th in the cafeteria at 8:30 am! We would love to see you there!

We have two board positions open for the 2026-2027 school year!

- Secretary

- Communications

Save the Date Fall festival October 23 from 5 to 7 here at Iron Horse.

Mrs. Leech's Newsletter

September

What's Buzzing in Mrs. Leech's Class

Math

Unit 1 Fluently Add and Subtract within 20

Unit 2 Work with equal Groups

Unit 3 Add within 100 using strategies

Phonics and Spelling Word Lists

Writing

SRSD and narrative writing

Reading

Benchmark unit 2 Characters learn and grow

Social Studies

How communities changed over time

Special Announcement

NO School

A Peek at What's Ahead

Run for Funds Our Class needs $1350 more dollars!

Specials Calendar

Where to find things

What's Buzzing in Mrs. Leech's Class What's Buzzing in Mrs. Leech's Class

Math Math

Unit 1 Fluently Add and Subtract within 20

Unit 2 Work with equal Groups

Unit 3 Add within 100 using strategies

Phonics and Spelling Word Lists Phonics and Spelling Word Lists

Writing Writing

SRSD and narrative writing

Reading Reading

Benchmark unit 2 Characters learn and grow

Social Studies Social Studies

How communities changed over time

Special Announcement Special Announcement

NO School

A Peek at What's Ahead A Peek at What's Ahead

Run for Funds Our Class needs $1350 more dollars!

Specials Calendar Specials Calendar

Where to find things

What's Buzzing in Mrs. Leech's Class

Math

Phonics and Spelling Word Lists

Writing

Reading

Social Studies

Special Announcement

A Peek at What's Ahead

Specials Calendar