Week of 10/28

October 31st: Book Celebration Day
On Thursday students may dress up all day in a character from Peter Pan.  We will watch Peter Pan and do Peter Pan activities throughout the day.

PJ Day/Marble Party
On Friday, November 1st students may wear pajamas to school.  Also, students earned another marble party and voted for a game day on Friday.  Students may bring card games or board games (no electronics) that they would like to play with classmates during our special game time.  We will be playing an assortment of games throughout the day. 

Conferences
Next Friday, November 8th, will be parent teacher conferences.  I sent a link to the conference sign up form yesterday.  I will attach a link here as well in case you didn't get that form.  I've received requests from 13 parents so far.

Conference Form

Science

Your 2nd grader is becoming a scientist in how they observe, ask questions and investigate to find answers.  They have been practicing these skills for a couple of months.  The past few weeks they have been learning about the diversity of animals.  They learned to categorize animals like scientists and they practiced identifying different types of frogs by the sound they make.  The next step is for students to become engineers and build something for an animal while considering the needs and characteristics of that animal.

Next week, we will begin working on engineering bird feeders.  The students will research local birds and their needs then build a model of a feeder that will meet those needs.  This is our first research activity so I will give students a lot of support.  If you would be willing to donate items for our feeders I have provided a list of items that we could use.  You don't need to go buy anything, but I know sometimes these items are already laying around the house.

If you would like to guide your 2nd grader in research, you could find information on birds that live in our area.  Discover what they eat, their size, how they eat, what kind of habitat they like (nearby plants and other animals).  Students can bring that information to class to share.  We will also be doing this research in class so the home research is only if you would like to learn more with your child.

Science Supplies (not required)
aluminum foil
8 oz paper cups
pipe cleaners
skewers
clothes pins

Week of 10/14

This is a short week.  Students don't have school on Friday, the 18th.  The following week is fall break, there is no school from October 25th - October 29th.

October 17th is our field trip to Linder Farms.  We are going to a farm so students need to dress appropriately.  They should wear closed toed shoes and have a jacket that is just right for the weather.  Gloves can be helpful since they have to pick up a pumpkin.  Students will go on a hay ride, go through the maze, pet some animals and select a pumpkin to bring home.

Because of the field trip there will be no Thursday math test this week.  We will resume after fall break.

Homework:  Homework came home on Monday and will be due October 28th.  If you are going to be busy over fall break and are concerned about forgetting about or losing homework, students are welcome to turn it in Friday and I will keep it safe.

Book celebration:  Students are welcome to dress up as a character from Peter Pan on October 31st.  We will celebrate the book.  We began reading it and students have been making a list of characters.  There are quite a few to choose from.  I will send you the list they made by the end of the week.

Science: If you would like to see some of the things students are learning in science there is a video under the links on the side of this post called Frog Mystery.

Week of 10/7

Upcoming Events

Field Trip to Linder Farms
We will leave the school at 10:15 on Thursday, October 17th.  We will arrive at Linder Farms around 10:45.  Students will go on a hayride, pet the animals, eat lunch and choose a pumpkin to bring home.  Make sure students wear closed toed shoes good for walking in fields, long pants and jackets appropriate for the weather.  It is a good idea to bring gloves to carry the pumpkins.

Fall Break
Fall break begins Friday, October 18th and ends October 25th.  There will be no school.

Conferences
Mark your calendar, conferences are November 8th.  I will send out a form for you to select times as the time gets closer.

Book Celebration - Peter Pan
On Thursday, October 31st we will have out book celebration.  This year, students may dress up as a character from Peter Pan for the entire day.  We will watch the movie and do Peter Pan activities throughout the day.

Week of 9/30

If you come into my classroom, you will see a few things you may have never seen before.

    I have learned that movement is essential to keeping or brains healthy and working well.  When we get tired, movement can actually renew our energy.  My classroom is outfitted with places that encourage students to move.  The colorful box in the second photo is a landing location for standing movements as are the colorful shapes in the third photo.  Students especially enjoy jumping on the hopscotch squares and the red lines.

If you come to visit and you see a 2nd grader hopping, doing jumping jacks, lunges or some other movement they are either doing it because it is one of the steps on their list of tasks: complete the facts, do 5 jumping jacks. . .  or, they know that movement will help them focus so they are getting their brain ready to work again.

I have posted a video below to demonstrate.  Some students are sitting at their desks completing the assignment.  Some are on the floor correcting their own work, the jumping students are moving between those steps while they are on their way to the next.

We all need to move and stretch our muscles in addition to our brain.  I've decided to build it into each 2nd grader's day.

Week of 9/23

 










Reading and Writing
These past couple of weeks we have been learning about tall tales and fairy tales.  This week we are writing our own fairy tale.  Students have to include a setting, characters, a problem and solution in addition to royalty, magic and a happy ending. 

Today, they drew a picture of their setting.  Tomorrow they will write about it.

Science
We are also learning about the diversity of life.  Students have been trying to figure out how to know if something is alive.  They are learning how scientists categorize different living things.

Groups
I am starting to create learning groups.  Learning groups are based primarily on the topics students need to learn and the amount of time a student needs to learn something.  Some students need more time than others.  I don't want to rush anyone through a concept and I don't want to hold anyone back who already understands.  Students are learning to work independently when it is time for me to work with a different group.  I am pleased with how responsible they are.

Week of 9/16

Yesterday, the first reading practice homework went home.  It should have been stapled to the reading log.  It is due on Monday along with the reading log.  The practice homework will periodically look different.  Sometimes it will be a fluency practice (practice reading like we talk), sometimes it will be reading and comprehension and sometimes it will be both. Almost every second grader turned in their homework the first week.  Great job!

Each Thursday students have a math test on skills.  We practice the skills together and I send home the practice paper on Tuesday each week.  You and your second grader can go over the practice page and make sure he or she understands everything before the test on Thursday.  The first completed test came home yesterday.  Students graphed their scores and looked at why they missed and what they did so they don't make the same mistake next time.

Because everyone learns at different rates and it is very important to me that students learn spelling patterns and not simply memorize words for a test, students are often on different lists.  Because of this fact, I don't send lists home.  Right now I have 3 lists in the class.  The class is practicing spelling words that have the "a" phonogram.  This phonogram has 3 sounds, but is always spelled with an "a."  Some words you will find on their lists are: pass, carry, capture, walk, almost, lake and black.  Students are encouraged to find more words that fit into the spelling patterns.  By finding patterns and noticing rhyming words, students are more likely to remember how to spell these words for a test, and more importantly, spell them in their writing.

Marble Party

Students have been working really hard to earn their first marble party.  Today was an exceptionally good day and they got all their marbles! 

They voted to have a stuffed animal/blanket party.  That means on Friday, September 13, they may bring EITHER a stuffed animal or a blanket to school.  It needs to fit inside of their backpack. 

As long as it isn't a distraction, they get to keep that item with them throughout the school day.  We'll have a special time when they can cuddle up with it and their book.

We are working especially hard on being trustworthy and respectful.