Mr. Navarra

WELCOME BACK!!!!!!!!

Welcome back Kennesaw Families! I'm looking forward to meeting all of you this year. I'm so excited to work with you to make your child's second grade experience a memorable one. This is my 11th year at Kennesaw Elementary. I have remained in second grade because second graders are numero uno! That's number one in Italian. I was a second grader and can act like one on occasion. My wife says I speak their language. As for me, I live in Kennesaw with my wife of 15 years. She is from California and I'm from New Jersey. I finished college here with a B.S. and an M.E.D. from Kennesaw State University. I also have a music option degree from NJ. More importantly, I love spending my day with the future leaders of America. This level of education is most important and quite an impressionable age. With that in mind, I try to instill a love for exploring our world and all that it has to offer. When I'm not teaching, I'm traveling. In June, my wife and I went to Iceland. Volcanoes, geysers, waterfalls, and black beaches were awe inspiring. Life is a journey. It is our job as adults and educators to give this generation a chance to see for themselves. So, let's get going and pack your bags for our journey together! See you soon.

Don't Worry...Be Happy!

Dear Parents,

First, I'd like to thank all of you for the generous teacher appreciation gifts. My room moms Andrea Gibson and Vanessa Aguilar have been a tremendous help this year. It made my birthday that much better! Hope all of you had a relaxing spring break. Now, it's the season of the standardized test! Thanks for assisting your child with the homework and practice tests. We have covered all the standards and I feel confident that each student is as ready as they could be for this fun test. Above all, don't worry and stay happy. I look forward to seeing you at our end of the year publishing party on May 14th!

Thanks for Conferencing

Dear Kennesaw Families,

Thanks again for attending conferences on behalf of your child. It was my pleasure to spend time with you in order to review your child's progress in second grade. I do hope it clarified everything for you. Speaking of clarified, did you know that Indian food uses clarified butter? It's true. Some other facts you might not know: Mr. Navarra used to be a second grader . When the students leave for the weekend, I wait patiently at my desk all weekend. I can make learning more fun by being funny. Learning and school are more fun when there are commercial breaks. Thanks for all you do for your child. It will pay off in the end. And one final fact...........Kennesaw Kids are the best!

Welcome Back to the Second Half of Second! 2010 is here! Happy New Year!

Welcome back everyone! I'm so excited to begin the second half of our journey. I do trust everyone had a relaxing holiday filled with valuable family time. I'd like to give you some indication as to what your child will be focusing on for the third nine weeks of the school year. First, within the mathematics category, we will be learning about fractions: thirds, sixths, eighths, tenths as equal parts of a whole and a set.  Some of my students have already been introduced to some of these concepts for the 3rd nine weeks as a means for extension. Three digit addition and subtraction will continue for some while others will learn it for the first time. Two digit addition and subtraction will continue to be reviewed.  We will make change using a collection of coins and currency( dollars and cents together). Each students will measure objects using inches, feet, yards, centimeters, and meters using rulers. I will take this further for extension skills. There will be many opportunities to design, estimate, measure, and create within lessons. Venn Diagrams and graphs will be reviewed and used within our RAP calendar activities and Mountain Math. Social Studies will focus on Martin Luther King, Jr and Jackie Robinson. Rules and laws will be discussed as part of this unit of study. As for science, we will study our sun and compare/contrast it to other stars using physical attributes (size, brightness, and patterns). Shadows is also part of this unit.  I will finish my reading assessments for the third nine weeks data this week. The new shared reading book is entitled Keep it Simple. Guided Reading will continue with many fiction and non-fiction books. I sent home a copy of all the writing targets to give you a better understanding as to the expectations for the rest of the school year. Well, that's it for now. If you aren't reading this, then look for the Monday parent letters each week. Hope to see you soon!

All the Best,

Mr. N

The Holiday Season

Hello,

It's me again and after some reflection of the importance of the holiday season, I have come to one conclusion: we are fortunate to be living in a time where children and learning matter. Sure, the season for joy is approaching, but every season should have joy. I feel a sense of joy each day as I walk into work. I can't wait for my little apple dolls to walk down the hall to greet me with a smile. My students have been getting more and more excited each day as winter approaches. Winter is a time of reflection. It is a time for peace and some tea by the fire place with a good book. Families get together to share their appreciation for each other. Wherever this holiday season brings you, I do hope it's a peaceful and loving place. I'd like to thank you for allowing me to teach your children. I'm already thinking of my New Year's Resolution. Here are some of mine from the past: take better care of my teeth by flossing twice a day, be more patient with others and myself, don't yell at inanimate objects like the vaccum and the dishwasher. Eat better and try to exercise. This year I think I'll try to develope a better sense of humor and not take things so seriously. Laughter is the cure-all for everything. So, laugh and feel some joy all throughout the year! Just remember: the elf on the shelf is watching you! Have a safe and happy holiday season.

addendum to Monday letter

Hi Parents,

Hope all is well and everyone is safe. I would like to thank everyone for turning in the parent permission slips for Etowah. All the students were very good on the field trip. Hope you didn't mind the treat I sent home. Thought it would be nice for each student to have a token reminder of Georgia's history. 1,000 ad is a long time ago. I was just 3 years old. I left Etowah around 1500 because Publix ran out of food. Now if you believe that, you will believe anything! Stay dry, safe, warm or cool. Make it a great year. The choice is yours to make. And remember kids......eat your Spinach!

Best Regards,

Mr. Happy

Together Again for the First Time! 2009

Dear Parents of my 2009-2010 class,

Welcome to my blog. I'll try to keep this thing updated on a regular basis. I will send home parent letters with all important information pertaining to our class. Eventually, I would like to phase out hard copy letters and just blog away. I'm looking forward to seeing all of you at Open House on August 27th. Please be at the PTSA meeting starting at 7:15. You might want to get here by 7:00 in order to park your car easily. At 7:30, we will meet in my class room for our orientation. Hope all is well and see you soon.

Mr. Navarra

Welcome Back

Hello New Families,

It is my pleasure to welcome all of you back for another year of learning and fun! Yes, it has taken me a long time to get back to this blog. Of course, you haven't missed a thing since I send a parent letter home every Monday. Feel free to read my past blogs about me in order to learn more about..........me. I will update this as much as possible within the constraints of a busy teacher work day. Let me know what you need. Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions.

Mr. Navarra

NEWS FROM THE FRONT

Hello good people. Things have been going very well lately. The class has been busy with writing their stories for their hard cover books. I have edited 13 so far and hope to have a Publishing Party sometime in April. The stories are varied and exciting. I'm sure you will enjoy reading them. Each student will read his or her book to the class as a final read-aloud. Also, the class has been reviewing for the CRCT test. There is a lot of material to rview. That's why we started early. We'll be done with all of our review before Spring Break. Our unit on Japan is just about finished. We have the play Momotaro that we are rehearsing. Thanks to Dr. Davis for his incredible hands-on lesson of Japanese Bunraku. Hope everyone is getting the hard cover parent letters. Mrs. Perez sent out two letters this week. Hope all is well with you and yours.

General Navarra

2008 New from the Fronlines

I know everyone has been reading the hard copy parent letters so I'll make this brief. All of my students are the best. Reading, writing, and math are going strong. Spelling is going well. Science has been all about space. Social Studies will be about Japan. Keep up the excellent work and behavior. 2008 is a great year..............so far!