Ms. Pennington's 2nd Grade Explorers

Our Daily Schedule

7:50 Announcements

8:00 Reading Workshop

9:10 Language Arts

9:30 Writing Workshop

10:30 Math Mini-Lesson

10:45 Lunch

11:15 Recess/Bathroom

11:45 Math Workshop

12:45 Specials - PE, Art or Music

1:25 Social Studies/Science

2:10 Dismissal Begins

I Keep Bookmarks

Explore valuable and fun learning websites selected by the teachers at Powers Ferry for their students at...

I Keep Bookmarks

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Ten Read Aloud Commandments by Mem Fox

Mem Fox’s Ten Read Aloud Commandments

1. Spend at least ten wildly happy minutes every single day reading aloud.
2. Read at least three stories a day: it may be the same story three times. Children need to hear a thousand stories before they can begin to learn to read.
3. Read aloud with animation. Listen to your own voice and don’t be dull, or flat, or boring. Hang loose and be loud, have fun and laugh a lot.
4. Read with joy and enjoyment: real enjoyment for yourself and great joy for the listeners.
5. Read the stories that the kids love, over and over and over again, and always read in the same ‘tune’ for each book: i.e. with the same intonations on each page, each time.
6. Let children hear lots of language by talking to them constantly about the pictures, or anything else connected to the book; or sing any old song that you can remember; or say nursery rhymes in a bouncy way; or be noisy together doing clapping games.
7. Look for rhyme, rhythm or repetition in books for young children, and make sure the books are really short.
8. Play games with the things that you and the child can see on the page, such as letting kids finish rhymes, and finding the letters that start the child’s name and yours, remembering that it’s never work, it’s always a fabulous game.
9. Never ever teach reading, or get tense around books.
10. Please read aloud every day, mums and dads, because you just love being with your child, not because it’s the right thing to do.

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All About Mrs. Pennington

I have been teaching kindergarten, first and second grades for 14 years. I have a B.S. in Journalism from the University of Kansas and a M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education from Kennesaw State University. Honored as a Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year in 2005, I consider myself most honored to work with young people every day at Powers Ferry School. Our school is an America's Choice School where children are held to the best national and international standards. 

I have been married for 30 years to my husband, Mr. Pennington. He is in the elevator and escalator business. We have one daughter. Our daughter, Anna, is a graduate student at Florida State University. She is studying speech pathology. When we're not working, we love to read, cook, work on projects of all sorts, and travel whenever we can. We consider ourselves adventurous and are curious about so many things. Our family roots are out west in Colorado and Kansas. We moved to Marietta 23 years ago. One day we hope to get back to our beloved Rocky Mountains.

I LOVE being a teacher! I may go home tired at the end of the day, but I am excited to come to school each day. The children I teach, and the specifics of what they need to learn, challenge me. My goal is to help each of my students develop a passion for learning. If they're wondering why an earthworm disappears for the winter, how playdough can change from a liquid to a solid, why it's important to be able to add numbers, how to communicate in different ways ---  we can be happy in knowing they will succeed!

And that is why I do what I do---to help children be successful in life and all they do!

Brain Food!

  Healthy snacks keep your child alert in school and keep hunger away until lunch time! Please have your child bring in snacks like yogurt, fresh fruit and veggies, pudding, granola, cheese, peanut butter, and whole grain cereals. Avoid high sugar and carbohydrate snacks that can make a child "crazy or lazy". Foods like candy, cookies, cake, and chips are treats that can be offered at home, but are not good choices for the classroom.

Please send in a snack daily with your child. We have a refrigerator for perishable food.

Water is the healthiest drink! Children may bring in water bottles  and refill them each morning at the drinking fountain. 

All About Homework

A homework packet will go home every Monday. The packet includes a week's worth of practice and is not meant to be completed in one night. It is due on Friday morning. Your child may choose how he or she practices the sightwords each and every day. Your child should be reading every day and keeping up with the reading log. If your child would like to do any type of independent project, please let me know and I will help out with supplies and resources if they are needed.

Keep homework time light and happy. Provide your child a snack while working. Give lots of encouragement and help as needed! Homework should not be tedious or involve any tears or hard feelings. If you have any problems, please let me know and we'll figure something out.

Our Purple Folders

Purple folders are very important! The children know that it is a daily link between home and school. Inside you will find a behavior form, a reading log, homework, special notes, and a variety of learning aids. Please review it each and every day with your child and help your child get in the habit of returning it to school each morning with an updated reading log and your signature on the behavior form. Keep the homework packet stored in the folder. All homework is due on Friday.

Many expected and unexpected rewards come when reading logs fill up! Be on the look out for pizza certificates and your child's budding, brilliant mind!