Half and Half

Dear Families,

It was such an amazing turn out tonight for the Taiko Drumming performance.  The children were so proud to share their new learning .  Thank you all for supporting this school wide event!

On Monday we had our last Math Through Art session.  The children created 'half and half'' designs using a grid with 48 squares.  We were able to create a second grade mural of all the designs that will hang on our team bulletin board. 

The biggest excitement of the week for the children by far, was finding out the name of the state they are going to research!  I'm sure you have heard your child singing  'Fifty Nifty United States' at home! I am still looking for copy paper boxes if you have any to donate. 

Thank you for sending back your conference forms so quickly.  In your child's folder today is your scheduled conference time.  If you are unable to make your time, please let me know as soon as possible.

Making name necklaces, thanks Truly!

Other Things to Ask Your Child About:

~Beat You to $1.00

~Typing nomination letters

~Roscoe Riley Rules: Never Glue Your Friends to Chairs

~United States time zones

~Reading goal clubs

Have a great weekend!

Katie

Which Shape is the Rule Breaker?

Dear Families,

It was a very busy and fun week in second grade! Math Through Art, Disability Awareness, Farm to School, an all school movie celebration, and some learning thrown in there!

We began our week with our first Math Through Art session with Ms. Nancy.  Our PTO generously funded two sessions for each second grade classroom.  Math Through Art is an opportunity for students to experience a broader understanding of concepts in math while learning about and practicing cooperation skills.  Students engage creatively and learn math concepts as well as show their understanding in many different ways, making the bigger concepts become second nature.  We can't wait for our second session on Monday!

We wrapped up our guidance unit on Changing Perspectives by participating in four stations that helped build our awareness of disabilities.

In Farm to School we learned about Cacao and made homemade hot chocolate!

Other Things to Ask Your Child About:
~Political and Physical maps
~Counting pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters
~Adding quotes to support our opinions in writing

Have a great weekend!
Katie

Keeping Track of Longer Books

Dear Families,

Another short week, but still full of learning in second grade!  We had a wonderful first week of Taiko drumming with Paton Sensei.   We learned a lot in a short amount of time!

We began our study of the United States by completing a scavenger hunt using a junior classroom Atlas.  We are collecting large cardboard copy paper boxes for a culminating activity at the end of our unit.  If you have any at home, please send them our way!

During Reading Workshop, we began working in same-book partnerships.  The goal of this unit is to help readers keep track of longer books by using their partner for help.  During this bend of the unit, partners are working on setting goals for a stopping point, where they will meet to discuss the important events in the chapter or section.  They are also learning how to stop along the way and jot important events on post-it notes.

Other Things to Ask Your Child About:
~Mystery Doug
~Identifying coins
~Adding fun little extras to our opinion letters
~Making withdrawals from the Base Ten Bank

Have a great weekend!
Katie

Welcome Back!

Dear Families,

I hope you had a restful and relaxing vacation with your family. It was wonderful to see all the smiling faces and get back into routine.

This week we concluded our unit of measurement by informally exploring the concept of proportions.  Using Jim and the Beanstalk, students used pictures of "giant" sized objects to measure other objects such as a rake, ladder, and door. Next week we will take an end of unit assessment and begin a short, focused unit on money.

Today we enjoyed a wonderful field trip to the Flynn to see Rosie Revere, Engineer! and Friends. 

We are looking forward to our Taiko Drumming residency next week!  Today we attended a performance by the drummers at the kick-off assembly.  Thanks to our wonderful PTO for giving our school this opportunity!

Other Things to Ask Your Child About:
~Clementine
~ Noticing when an author uses figurative language ("It was a piece of cake!")
~How Tall is the Giant's Door?
~Two quarters a day
~Reading closely to gather more opinions about our books
~Talent share

Have a great weekend!
Katie

Go Cats Go!

Dear Families,

We've had a wonderful week of learning in second grade.  This week we continued our unit of measurement by informally exploring the concept of proportions.  Using Jim and the Beanstalk, students used pictures of "giant" sized objects to measure other objects such as a rake, ladder, and door.

Wednesday's field trip to the UVM Women's Basketball game was a lot of fun.  The children were so well behaved and were great fans!   Children who attended the game were given a journal, courtesy of VSAC!

Today your child is bringing home their writing folder from our Nonfiction writing unit.  Inside you will find their published nonfiction book.  Enjoy looking through all the wonderful writing!

Other Things to Ask Your Child About:
~How Tall is the Giant's Door?
~Reading at a just-right pace
~Writing about more than one part of a book
~Our guest teacher, Miss McMorrow:)

I hope you all have a wonderful vacation.  See you in March!

Katie

Happy Hearts!

Dear Families,

Many thanks to all who contributed in some way to our Valentine's Day pancake breakfast!  It was a wonderful way to begin our Valentine's Day!

Wednesday, February 20th we will join all the other RMCS students and staff to attend the UVM Women's Basketball game.  We will be eating lunch at the basketball game, so please send your child with a lunch from home or they may purchase a bag lunch from the cafeteria. 

On Friday, March 8th the four second grade classes will attend Rosie Revere, Engineer at the Flynn Center.   Chaperones are not needed for this trip. 

Other Things to Ask Your Child About:
~Drinking mint tea in Farm to School
~Gathering new opinions by looking at pictures
~Capture the Clock
~Iris and Walter
~Using meaning to read fluently

Have a great weekend!

Katie

100 Days of Second Grade!

Dear Families,

It's hard to believe we have been in school for 100 days! 

Reading:  We began a new unit in Reader's Workshop.  This week the children learned strategies for building reading fluency. Reading with fluency is one of the most important skills for second-grade readers, because reading fluently helps you understand what you're reading.   Strategies that were taught were; reading aloud to help in-the-head reading voices, scooping up words into longer phrases, and reading dialogue tags to help read dialogue with expression.

Writing:  This week the children began writing opinions about our reading.  Students chose a character from a book they love, that they have a strong opinion about.  Then they

Math: This week students learned how inches, feet and yards are related and used yard strings to measure objects in the classroom that were about 1 yard, exactly 1 yard and longer than 1 yard.

Valentine's Day is right around the corner.  We will be celebrating by having a pancake breakfast and passing out valentine cards to classmates. If your child chooses to participate, there was a class list in their folder last week.  Please make sure they include one for every classmate.

Other Things to Ask Your Child About:
~A day in the life of a city child and country child in Japan
~Measuring in yards and Twelve Snails to One Lizard
~Quick facts in Number Corner

Have a great weekend!
Katie