Can you believe there's only 7 days of school left before Christmas break?! That means the school year is nearly half over! I know I'll say this several more times before the school year ends, but "how time flies!"
Thank you for coming to the Christmas program to support your children and the fruits of their preparation. They did a great job! I found myself getting a bit emotional several times throughout the program. I believe the Lord was speaking through your children as they brought Him praise. :)
A few items of note:
- The class Christmas party is this Wednesday afternoon. If you are helping our room parent with the Christmas party and have any questions, please contact me.
- Scholastic book orders are due on Thursday, December 18th. Please note that the books will likely not arrive before Christmas break but will be waiting for students upon their return. Just a reminder if you are submitting a paper copy of a book order to pay by check made out to Scholastic.
A Peek At Our Week:
- Math --- Students will be completing a brief review of Unit 4 before taking the written assessment this week. We *may* begin Unit 5 which focuses on geometry concepts including shapes and line segments.
- Language Arts --- Our social studies and language arts are closely integrated this week, with reading selections focusing on music and instruments from the past and present. Our phonics focus is on decoding words with r-controlled vowels.
- Bible --- This week, students will be working in small groups to create a creche of the manger scene so they can retell the story of Christ's birth with these special props.
Have an enjoyable week!
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Sunday, December 7, 2014
News & Notes {and glitter galore!}
Hello all!
I trust you enjoyed a great weekend with your children. I heard from several students that they had busy weekends and anticipated plans. It is an exciting time of the year, especially for young ones and it's certainly easy for them to become overtired quickly. We are trying very hard to keep a routine flowing in second grade while still enjoying the advent season and the anticipation of the Christmas celebration.
The big thing to keep in mind for the upcoming week is the New Danville Christmas Program. The program will begin at 7pm on Thursday, December 11th. We ask that students arrive in their classrooms no later than 6:45pm. Students should come dressed in their Christmas best. :)
One other item of note regarding spelling: I have reassessed all students' spelling development. I am so proud of how much progress they have made! I have adjusted spelling groups and assigned spelling words accordingly. Your child may or may not be assigned a different "color" of word (the color are strictly for me to keep track of spelling groups and are not indicative of a student's spelling level). I have done my best to put students in a group relatively close to their level of spelling development. If you have questions or concerns regarding the new words that come home this week or your child's spelling development, please contact me.
A Peek At Our Week:
- Bible --- We have started our ABC Advent books to help us prepare for the celebration of Christ's birth. We are taking a break from the Moses story for the month of December (though we will be finishing up a few pages of our Ten Commandments class book). Activities for Bible will help students to focus on what Christmas truly means.
- Language Arts --- Our phonics focus for the week will be on r-controlled vowels and silent letters, while grammar will focus on present-tense verbs. Students will work on summarizing the main points of their texts.
- Math --- Students will continue working on 2-digit addition. Now that they have a solid base of strategies for mentally adding 2-digit addition, we will provide a bit of extra framework for their addition by utilizing a pencil and paper record. Please bear in mind that the strategies taught will feel foreign to you at first when you help with homework. I am not teaching traditional addition (adding ones and then tens, carrying the ones, etc.) yet. Fear not! I will teach that later in the year.
- Social Studies --- We will be comparing and contrasting how Christmas was celebrated in the past with how Christmas is celebrated in the present.
I trust you enjoyed a great weekend with your children. I heard from several students that they had busy weekends and anticipated plans. It is an exciting time of the year, especially for young ones and it's certainly easy for them to become overtired quickly. We are trying very hard to keep a routine flowing in second grade while still enjoying the advent season and the anticipation of the Christmas celebration.
The big thing to keep in mind for the upcoming week is the New Danville Christmas Program. The program will begin at 7pm on Thursday, December 11th. We ask that students arrive in their classrooms no later than 6:45pm. Students should come dressed in their Christmas best. :)
One other item of note regarding spelling: I have reassessed all students' spelling development. I am so proud of how much progress they have made! I have adjusted spelling groups and assigned spelling words accordingly. Your child may or may not be assigned a different "color" of word (the color are strictly for me to keep track of spelling groups and are not indicative of a student's spelling level). I have done my best to put students in a group relatively close to their level of spelling development. If you have questions or concerns regarding the new words that come home this week or your child's spelling development, please contact me.
A Peek At Our Week:
- Bible --- We have started our ABC Advent books to help us prepare for the celebration of Christ's birth. We are taking a break from the Moses story for the month of December (though we will be finishing up a few pages of our Ten Commandments class book). Activities for Bible will help students to focus on what Christmas truly means.
- Language Arts --- Our phonics focus for the week will be on r-controlled vowels and silent letters, while grammar will focus on present-tense verbs. Students will work on summarizing the main points of their texts.
- Math --- Students will continue working on 2-digit addition. Now that they have a solid base of strategies for mentally adding 2-digit addition, we will provide a bit of extra framework for their addition by utilizing a pencil and paper record. Please bear in mind that the strategies taught will feel foreign to you at first when you help with homework. I am not teaching traditional addition (adding ones and then tens, carrying the ones, etc.) yet. Fear not! I will teach that later in the year.
- Social Studies --- We will be comparing and contrasting how Christmas was celebrated in the past with how Christmas is celebrated in the present.
All of the students helped me to brighten up our room for the Christmas season... even though our tree isn't very reflective of this time of year, the lights certainly are!
Each student created a "shining synonym" light bulb.
There was glitter galore!
Earlier in the week, students teamed up to add 2-digit numbers mentally using the parts and total diagram from earlier this year.
After finding the answer mentally, some students decided to check their answers using the class number grid. Way to use those strategies!
Knowing that we would be working on 2-digit addition again next week, we took a short break from all of the adding to explore measurement and the difference between inches and centimeters.
Students measured the height of their chairs in both inches and centimeters to compare the results. We also measured the height of our desks and the width of the classroom doors, but with all of the excitement of comparing the measurements I did more conversing than snapping of pictures. ;)
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Addition Spin!
Has your child mentioned addition spin? It's a great game that I highly recommend to practice extending those addition facts they are already learning on Reflex. Though it's still difficult for some students, most are catching on quickly. They are learning to use facts they know to solve double-digit addition. Get this... they're solving these problems mentally!
Here are the directions and everything you need to get started at home.
Materials needed:
- 1 Addition Spin spinner
- 1 paper clip
- 1 pencil
- 1 calculator
- 1 sheet of paper
Directions:
1. Players take turns being the "Spinner". The Spinner uses a pencil and a paper clip to make a spinner.
2. The Spinner spins the paper clip.
3. The Spinner writes the number that the paper clip points to (optional if the Spinner can remember this number in his/her head).
4. The Spinner spins a second time and writes the new number (again, optional if the Spinner can remember both numbers in his/her head).
5. The Spinner adds the 2 numbers and writes the sum on his/her side of the paper. The other player should check to ensure the addition was done correctly.
6. Players switch roles. They stop after they have each written 3 sums. Each player uses a calculator to find the total of his or her sums.
7. The player with the larger total wins.
Tips for helping your child:
- Encourage them to add the tens place first, ignoring the ones place. Example: 40 + 25. Encourage your child to think 40 + 20 first and then to add the 5 afterwards.
- Point out addition facts they already know. Example: 55 + 30. Say "If you know that 5 + 3 = 8, then 50 + 30 = 80." Then encourage the addition of the 5 in the ones place as well.
- Refrain from using this game to teach pencil and paper strategies such as stacking and carrying the one. Those will be taught later this year. This game is geared toward helping your child develop confidence in his/her mental math abilities.
- Keep the sessions short to maintain high interest. One or two complete games is plenty.
Here's the spinner for you to print out and use at home.
Here are the directions and everything you need to get started at home.
Materials needed:
- 1 Addition Spin spinner
- 1 paper clip
- 1 pencil
- 1 calculator
- 1 sheet of paper
Directions:
1. Players take turns being the "Spinner". The Spinner uses a pencil and a paper clip to make a spinner.
2. The Spinner spins the paper clip.
3. The Spinner writes the number that the paper clip points to (optional if the Spinner can remember this number in his/her head).
4. The Spinner spins a second time and writes the new number (again, optional if the Spinner can remember both numbers in his/her head).
5. The Spinner adds the 2 numbers and writes the sum on his/her side of the paper. The other player should check to ensure the addition was done correctly.
6. Players switch roles. They stop after they have each written 3 sums. Each player uses a calculator to find the total of his or her sums.
7. The player with the larger total wins.
Tips for helping your child:
- Encourage them to add the tens place first, ignoring the ones place. Example: 40 + 25. Encourage your child to think 40 + 20 first and then to add the 5 afterwards.
- Point out addition facts they already know. Example: 55 + 30. Say "If you know that 5 + 3 = 8, then 50 + 30 = 80." Then encourage the addition of the 5 in the ones place as well.
- Refrain from using this game to teach pencil and paper strategies such as stacking and carrying the one. Those will be taught later this year. This game is geared toward helping your child develop confidence in his/her mental math abilities.
- Keep the sessions short to maintain high interest. One or two complete games is plenty.
Here's the spinner for you to print out and use at home.
Friday, November 21, 2014
News & Notes {and an Invention Convention!}
Happy Friday!
This was a fantastic week in 2nd grade! There was so much going on, but it didn't feel crazy as busy weeks can often feel. The students did a wonderful job of following directions and showing self-control amidst all of the action. I love to see them grow this way. :)
Items of Note:
- A huge THANK YOU to all of the parents who made our Thanksgiving party possible! The students enjoyed themselves and so did I!
- Students will not be given spelling words next week due to the two day week. Instead, I will be reassessing their spelling development to determine if they need to change spelling groups.
- You may notice that students are not bringing home their Friday Journals today. Our Invention Convention was going so well that we lost track of time and didn't get them done! Yikes! We will write in them on Monday so you know what we've been up to.
- Thank you for sending in those box tops to help out our school! Keep 'em coming!
And now... A Peek At Our (very short) Week:
- Math --- Students will be reviewing math concepts we have covered so far this year through a variety of fall themed math stations.
- Language Arts --- We will be reviewing Language Arts concepts with several different Thanksgiving themed activities and books. I will also integrate our Social Studies focus on the past in these activities.
- Bible --- Students will finish their Ten Commandments book pages and share them with the class before we compile them into book form.
I couldn't ask for a better week. :)
This was a fantastic week in 2nd grade! There was so much going on, but it didn't feel crazy as busy weeks can often feel. The students did a wonderful job of following directions and showing self-control amidst all of the action. I love to see them grow this way. :)
Items of Note:
- A huge THANK YOU to all of the parents who made our Thanksgiving party possible! The students enjoyed themselves and so did I!
- Students will not be given spelling words next week due to the two day week. Instead, I will be reassessing their spelling development to determine if they need to change spelling groups.
- You may notice that students are not bringing home their Friday Journals today. Our Invention Convention was going so well that we lost track of time and didn't get them done! Yikes! We will write in them on Monday so you know what we've been up to.
- Thank you for sending in those box tops to help out our school! Keep 'em coming!
And now... A Peek At Our (very short) Week:
- Math --- Students will be reviewing math concepts we have covered so far this year through a variety of fall themed math stations.
- Language Arts --- We will be reviewing Language Arts concepts with several different Thanksgiving themed activities and books. I will also integrate our Social Studies focus on the past in these activities.
- Bible --- Students will finish their Ten Commandments book pages and share them with the class before we compile them into book form.
This week was all about inventors for Social Studies and Language Arts. Our LA selection was all about African American inventors. From there, we also studied other famous inventors including Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, the Wright Brothers, and Elijah McCoy.
Students worked in groups to create a visual about one of the inventors we studied.
We ended our Friday with an "Invention Convention"! This was a huge hit! We discussed that inventors always created something to solve a problem. So, we talked about problems that we'd like to solve. Then, students moved through three stages: Planning, Diagramming, and Creating a Model. I didn't get many pictures of the actual building time (check out the LMS Facebook page for those), but here are a few examples of the work they did.
One of our math activities this week was learning a game called "Addition Spin". This game encourages students to use addition facts they already know to solve double digit addition problems mentally.
Stay tuned for an upcoming blog post about how to use this game at home. I highly recommend it!
In Bible, students began working in pairs to create a Ten Commandments book.
They did a great job of creating illustrations to show each commandment!
To top it all off, we had some Thanksgiving fun! Here's the adorable craft they made during the party!
We made these mashed potato bowls to show what we most enjoy about Thanksgiving.
What?!? A second grader who likes taking naps as their #1?! A student after my own heart. :)
Students also enjoyed playing Gobble-O (a Thanksgiving Bingo) during our party.
Sunday, November 9, 2014
News & Notes {and a wonderful Grandparents' Day}
What a busy but wonderful week we had last week! Between Grandparents' Day and Parent-Teacher conferences, we had a lot to get ready for, but I can say with conviction that it was well worth it. The students did an outstanding job of welcoming and guiding their grandparents through our class activities! I was so proud of them. :)
Thank you all to meeting with me for conferences. It felt very encouraging to hear your perspective on your children's school experiences. If you would like to follow up on anything that we discussed or have any further thoughts or questions, please contact me.
Please check out the calendar page to stay up to date on the upcoming events.
A Peek At Our Week:
- Bible --- Students will continue their study of how God cared for the Israelites in the wilderness. They will reenact the story of God providing manna and water and also map the route the Israelites have travelled since leaving Egypt.
- Math --- We will complete Unit 3 this week and taking the Unit 3 written test after a brief review of counting coins and making change.
- Language Arts --- This week students will learn to what a possessive noun is and begin to identify possessive nouns in their writing. The comprehension strategy of focus is making inferences. In our writer's workshop, we will continue to work on revising by subtracting unrelated information.
- Social Studies --- We are transitioning from Science to a Social Studies for the 2nd quarter. Our first area of focus will be comparing the past and the present.
Thank you all to meeting with me for conferences. It felt very encouraging to hear your perspective on your children's school experiences. If you would like to follow up on anything that we discussed or have any further thoughts or questions, please contact me.
Please check out the calendar page to stay up to date on the upcoming events.
A Peek At Our Week:
- Bible --- Students will continue their study of how God cared for the Israelites in the wilderness. They will reenact the story of God providing manna and water and also map the route the Israelites have travelled since leaving Egypt.
- Math --- We will complete Unit 3 this week and taking the Unit 3 written test after a brief review of counting coins and making change.
- Language Arts --- This week students will learn to what a possessive noun is and begin to identify possessive nouns in their writing. The comprehension strategy of focus is making inferences. In our writer's workshop, we will continue to work on revising by subtracting unrelated information.
- Social Studies --- We are transitioning from Science to a Social Studies for the 2nd quarter. Our first area of focus will be comparing the past and the present.
Sunday, November 2, 2014
News & Notes {not to mention chlorophyll}
Yep, chlorophyll might have been the highlight of the week. We had been discussing photosynthesis which led nicely into a little learning activity about chlorophyll. Students were able to rub chlorophyll out of a few leaves onto a paper to create a tree picture. (See photos below.) Though I think this activity took the cake, I was surprised with the enthusiasm students seemed to have for learning about plurals and prefixes. This class really seems to enjoy their grammar. :)
Here's a few reminders for this week:
- Our "50 Dollars in 50 Days Challenge" has officially begun! I'm excited that we will all be learning about world poverty and being Christ's hands and feet through this service project. If you haven't yet looked at the packet of information that was sent home, please do so. The challenge began on November 1st and will run until December 23.
- Grandparents' Day is on Thursday! If you indicated that your child would be packing lunch on Thursday, I will send a reminder email home on Wednesday evening, just to ensure that each student has a lunch. Remember that this is a half day due to Parent-Teacher Conferences taking place for the remainder of the day.
- Please ensure that your child has clothing suitable for 15-20 minutes outside (i.e. jackets, hats, light gloves). We are in November now!
And now... A Peek At Our Week!
- Language Arts --- Our reading focus this week is on identifying the main idea. This is a tricky concept, so we will go slowly and revisit this skill several times throughout the year. In our Writer's Workshop, we will be discovering how we can revise our work by taking words out to better focus on our main point. We will also be discussing proper nouns which I expect will be a hit. (I know how these kiddos like their grammar!)
- Math --- The main focus of math this week is on making change. We will also touch on frames and arrows again, but making change will take the brunt of our energy.
- Science --- Students will be creating their final project for our Plant unit. After this project is complete, we will be moving to a Social Studies unit.
- Bible --- Students will review the exodus from Egypt and then study how God provided for the Israelites in the desert. We will discuss how God provides for us today as a connecting point.
Here's a few reminders for this week:
- Our "50 Dollars in 50 Days Challenge" has officially begun! I'm excited that we will all be learning about world poverty and being Christ's hands and feet through this service project. If you haven't yet looked at the packet of information that was sent home, please do so. The challenge began on November 1st and will run until December 23.
- Grandparents' Day is on Thursday! If you indicated that your child would be packing lunch on Thursday, I will send a reminder email home on Wednesday evening, just to ensure that each student has a lunch. Remember that this is a half day due to Parent-Teacher Conferences taking place for the remainder of the day.
- Please ensure that your child has clothing suitable for 15-20 minutes outside (i.e. jackets, hats, light gloves). We are in November now!
And now... A Peek At Our Week!
- Language Arts --- Our reading focus this week is on identifying the main idea. This is a tricky concept, so we will go slowly and revisit this skill several times throughout the year. In our Writer's Workshop, we will be discovering how we can revise our work by taking words out to better focus on our main point. We will also be discussing proper nouns which I expect will be a hit. (I know how these kiddos like their grammar!)
- Math --- The main focus of math this week is on making change. We will also touch on frames and arrows again, but making change will take the brunt of our energy.
- Science --- Students will be creating their final project for our Plant unit. After this project is complete, we will be moving to a Social Studies unit.
- Bible --- Students will review the exodus from Egypt and then study how God provided for the Israelites in the desert. We will discuss how God provides for us today as a connecting point.
Here are a few examples of the chlorophyll rubbings. It was so much fun to watch these develop from start to finish!
Rub, rub, rub! Get that chlorophyll out!
Earlier in the week, we learned how the shape of leaves indicated how much sunlight a plant needed. So, of course, we had to head out into the sunlight to experiment!
For math, we collected pocket data and ordered our data from least to greatest and then learned how to find the median.
In our next lessons, we learned how display our data in a few different ways.
We created both bar graphs and picture graphs.
As a Friday activity, students started learning how to play a game called Bullseye. Students toss paper clips at a target to create a number and then write that number in expanded form. Great for understanding place value!
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