Cotton Ball Punting Measuring Activity

Last week, the 2nd graders got to work on a cotton ball "punting" (or flicking) activity. They flicked their cotton balls off of a table or desk and then their teammates needed to work together to measure how far each flick was. 

Welcome Back!

It was so great to see all of the kiddos again last week! We had a short but fun and learning-filled two-day week. 

In writing, the students learned about New Years Resolutions and were able to create their own. They did a fantastic job thinking of ways that they could improve themselves!

 In math, we spent time reviewing how to do two-digit addition and how to show proof drawings that match. We also worked on explaining their thinking with two digit addition problems by using words like hundreds, tens and ones to support answers. Students will be assessed on two digit addition this week. Our next math unit focuses on shapes and measurement. 

In Phonics, we are beginning to learn about homophones. You can help your child practice at home by pointing out when you notice a word that sounds the same as another, but is spelled differently. 

In Reading, our focus is still on non-fiction books. Please encourage your child to read non-fiction books at home and review with them what they are able to take away from their books. We are also reviewing the different non-fiction text features such as the table of context, index, diagrams, headings, maps, etc. 

I am so excited for our new Social Studies unit! We are beginning to learn about important people in history. We will start as a class by learning about George Washington. Throughout the unit, students will also learn about Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Ruby Bridges, Harriet Tubman, and more. By the end of our unit, students will have an opportunity to learn about one important individual and make a poster to show-off a timeline of their person's life. They will also get to dress up like their chosen person for our class "living wax museum." More information about this will come home as it gets closer. 

Last week, we also celebrated Weylin's 8th Birthday! He turned 8 over Winter break and we were so excited to celebrate him on our first day back. Thanks for the delicious cupcakes, Weylin! We hope your birthday was as special as you are! :) 

Ephram also won our "Cherry Pie" spelling game again last week! I have officially lost count of how many times he has won now! We are so proud of him!

Coming up...

*Our Scholastic book orders for January will be due next Wednesday, January 15th. The flyers will be coming home with your child tonight. 

*The 2nd Quarter ends next Friday, January 17th. There is also NO SCHOOL for students next Friday. 

*Monday, January 20th is our full-school "Read 20" day.  It is also Martin Luther King day. We will spend time learning about Martin Luther King on this day.

*Friday, January 31st is a school-wide "Sports" dress up day.

*Friday, February 7th is Suamico's annual "Sweetheart Auction." I hope to see you there! Our classroom basket is themed "Green Thumb." Thank you to those of you that have already donated gardening items to our class basket! We are still accepting donations. 

*Thursday, February 13th: We will have our Valentine's Celebration in class. More information about this will come home as it gets closer. We will exchange valentines at this celebration. :) 

Updates

We sure have been busy in 2nd grade lately! Scroll down to see quick updates and photos that show off what we have been up to. 

Last week, we welcomed our friends from Ms. Mikle's class next door into our room for the last 45 minutes of the day. The kiddos enjoyed catching up with their old friends and reading a "TIME for Kids" article together!

The 2nd graders sure do love their time playing "Prodigy!" It's a great math website that tracks their progress and gives me updates to how they're doing. They can even plan at home!

The kiddos are doing great in math! They are continuing to work on story problems and focusing on place value. 

P.S. Just for fun... I loved KayteJo's shirt this day. :) 

Updates

2nd Grade Reminders and Updates:

*Our October Scholastic orders are due this Friday, October 11th.

*Our "Oh, How Things Have Changed" interviews for Social Studies are also do this Friday, October 11th. 

*Our "Fall Celebration" will take place on Thursday, October 31st from 2:25-3:25 pm. A letter with more detailed information will be coming home soon. In the meantime, if you would like to volunteer to bring a sweet treat, salty snack, healthy snack, juice, cups, plates or napkins, please let me know. We are also looking for someone to volunteer planning and organizing a game and someone to plan and organize a craft. Please let me know if you are interested in doing either of these things. 

*As the weather continues to fluctuate, I appreciate you sending your child to school with layers. Our classroom often ranges from REALLY warm, to kinda chilly all within one week. I would also recommend sending your child to school with light gloves and a light hat. 

In math, the 2nd graders are continuing to work on "Math Mountains." They know that the total goes on the top and the addends go on the bottom. They are also working on making at least 4 equations, including both addition and subtraction, for each math mountain. We are also continuing to work on different strategies for adding and subtracting. At home, you can help your child by practicing his or her facts with them. 

Our reading groups are continuing to do well! The 2nd graders are excited to come and read with me and are doing a nice job with their books. Please remember to read these books each night at home with your child and send them back to school each day so we can meet during group to re-read or get new books to take home. :) As always, please do not hesitate to contact me with questions or concerns!

Updates and Reminders

We had a great four-day week together in 2nd grade! Here are a few updates and reminders:

Reading: In reading, the 2nd graders have been learning about our first unit, "Readers Grow Like Beanstalks!" They are doing a great job! They are working on choosing how to set goals for how much reading they can do in a session. They are also working on reading the books how the author intends for them to be read by using clues like punctuation, pictures, and context clues.

Math: We have done a lot of reviewing in math with number sense. The second graders have spent some time focusing on place value and also the "Make 10" strategy for addition. At home, please take some time to review correct number formation with your child. I have noticed that a few kiddos are still mixing up their numbers and making them backwards. I would also recommend practicing addition and subtraction flash cards (a bag with flash cards should be coming home with your child each night and should be returned to school each day). 

Social Studies: The second graders did a great job wrapping up their citizenship project! Be sure to check out your child's SeeSaw account to see their project. (*SeeSaw information was sent home a few weeks ago. If you need an extra copy, please let me know.) We have now started our second Social Studies unit on "Life Long Ago." Our field trip to Heritage Hill this week was a great kick-off to the unit! 

From Mrs. Foley's (Guidance) office: Just a reminder for families from Mrs. Foley. (This is also found in the school newsletter). Click on image to enlarge:

Week #4 Cherry Pie Spelling Winner: Our winner this week was Delaney! We are so proud of you! 

Paws Pals: We met with our kindergarten Paws Pals from Mrs. Preston's class on Friday for the first time! The second graders got to share picture books with their Paws Pals and did a great job!

Have a great 3 day weekend!