Building Bridges!

The children enjoyed our Science lesson that focused on "How are Materials Used for Different Purposes." The children were asked to build bridges that were both strong and waterproof. They started by testing how strong each material was by placing blocks on the bridge deck. Then they tested whether or not each material was waterproof by spraying a small piece with water. Finally, they used the data they collected to build a bridge that was both strong and waterproof. Every group's bridge was a success, nice job kids!!!!

I hope you all have a wonderful winter break and Happy Holidays!!!

Update 12/15

I hope you had a fantastic week. It's hard to believe we only have one week left until winter break. Below are some of the things happening in our classroom...

As I prepare my home and celebrate the season with my family, I really enjoyed reading all the wonderful Holiday Tradition stories the children worked on at home with you!! It’s neat to hear how different families celebrate.  During one of our writing blocks this week we had a chance to type the stories into a Word document.  You should have received the original story back, and the typed version is on display in our classroom for all to read!

We are also spending some of our writing time reading various holiday stories and responding in writing.  Some of the books we've shared together are The Night Tree, The Chanukah Guest, Arthur's Christmas Cookies, Hershel and The Hanukkah Goblins, and Cranberry Christmas.  After each book we do a follow-up writing activity such as sequencing the events of the story, answering comprehension questions, writing about what we would have done if we were in the story, and using a Venn diagram to compare characters.  This has been a nice way to include some fun, beautiful stories into our reading and writing curriculum.

During our reading blocks, the kids enjoyed reading non-fiction texts. We continued to discuss the non-fiction text features (glossary, index, captions, labels, diagrams, heading, etc.). The kids also had the opportunity to begin thinking about main idea and supporting details. This is a concept that is ongoing for second graders and will be discussed several times throughout the year during reading groups with both fiction and non-fiction texts. 

In math we worked with place value and expanded form to compare 3-digit numbers. The children also had the opportunity to do another practice Open Response where they had to make sense of a 3-digit number represented by base-10 blocks by making trades or counting. Then as a class we analyzed explanations and drawing, and children revised their work.  We began discussing measurement as well.  We discovered the importance of standard measures by reading a fun story titled "How Big is a Foot?".  We also had lots of practice measuring in class using feet, inches, and centimeters.

Our Science unit "Materials and their Uses" is going very well! The kids are really starting to ask scientific questions and conduct investigations to "solve" their questions. One lesson explored liquids.  Groups were given various containers and they were asked to predict and then test which container could hold the most water. They did a great job working together to determine how much each could hold. We had some really rich conversations of how to be sure we were measuring accurately and the importance of repeating tasks to ensure accuracy.  Our next lesson focused on the Materials and their Purposes.  The children are in the process of designing bridges that are both strong and waterproof using various materials. The children did a "strength" test and a "waterproof" test and then they will create their bridges based upon what they learned during the testing lessons. Some bridges are still in process, but all groups will have an opportunity to share their designs next week in front of the class.

I am looking forward to our winter party, which will be on Thursday afternoon.  The room parents have sent out an email with names of volunteers and who has offered to bring in food/paper product donations for the party.  Thanks again for your willingness to help out with these special events- it means a lot to me and to the children.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Upcoming Dates:

December 15th- Report Cards Available for Viewing at 4:00pm

December 21st- Winter Holiday Party

December 25-January 2nd:  Winter Break

Update 12/1

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are gearing up for the holidays! It was a pleasure to meet with each of you last week at Parent Teacher Conferences. It's always nice to discuss the progress your child is making. I am proud of each and every student and amazed at the gains they have each made in such a short time. Progress reports will be available on the parent portal on December 15th at 4:00 pm.

In terms of academics and what has been happening in the classroom over the past couple of weeks, we have been busy as usual. We have begun Unit 4 for math which focuses on place value and measurement. The first few lessons were on telling time. This tends to be a difficult concept for many second grade students. The standard for second grade is that the children are able to read to the nearest 5 minute interval. The more you can support us at home with this concept the better. I know many homes have digital clocks, but anytime you are out and about or if you have an analog clock at home, it's helpful to practice reading the clock as much as possible. We also discussed the difference between am and pm and students identified activities that they participate in during each part of the day. We ended the week discussing place value and representing 3-digit numbers using base-10 blocks and expanded form.

As part of our work with Personal Narrative writing, this week we discussed the need to starting your sentences in different ways and varying your sentence lengths in order to make your writing sound more interesting. The students enjoyed editing a couple pre-written paragraphs to practice this important skill. Hopefully we will see some carry-over to their next personal narrative story.

During our Guided Reading blocks, we have spent time reading non-fiction. The children are really invested in this genre and have enjoyed reading to learn! We reviewed nonfiction text features and the children looked for these features as they were reading books at their individual levels during reading groups. The features we have discussed are: headings, table of contents, diagrams, labels, photographs, captions, index and glossary. We will continue with nonfiction next week as well.

In science we ended our Plant and Animal Survival unit by doing a library research project. The children had the opportunity to research one of the habitats that we discussed during our unit and then share what they learned with a small group. The students also took their assessment and we have begun our next science unit which is called "Materials and their Uses." In the first lesson the children learned about the various materials that objects are made of - wood, glass, plastic, etc... We also talked about properties of these materials. Some of the properties we discovered were: hard, soft, smooth, sticky, thick, bends, clear, long, etc... Finally, the children sorted some objects depending upon the properties that the object had.

We had a wonderful time at the Turkey Trot! It was a beautiful day and so nice to see all of the children excited and getting some good exercise! Thank you to all of the families who made donations to Robinson! We appreciate your support!

Upcoming Dates
December 1st- Grades Close for Term 1
December 5th- Grade Two School Store
December 7th- Early Release for Professional Development
December 15th- Progress Reports available on Parent Portal

Update 11/9

Although we had 2 short weeks in a row, we managed to fit in quite a bit over the past two weeks in room 7!  Last week started off with the crazy storm, but we were lucky enough to still have a very exciting Harvest Party, which was organized by our fabulous Room Moms- Ruthanne Madsen and AmyJo Koser! The kids had a great time making a jack-o-lantern craft, enjoying a yummy snack, and playing a ring toss game! It's always neat to see the kids get into the spirit by wearing their costumes.  Thank you for all your donations and help with the party.  We are looking forward to our next classroom party, the Winter Party, which will be held in December.

In terms of academics, we continue to see the kids working hard and learning new things each and every day.  Our math lessons have been focused on subtraction strategies such as: counting back, counting up, and subtracting 0 and 1. The kids also enjoyed playing 2 new games called Salute and Subtraction Top-It. Ask them about these games, as they are great games to play at home to practice their math facts! You can find the directions by logging onto your child’s Everyday Math Account. Their login information is in their Take Home Folders inside one of the plastic sleeves. Once you login, click on the Everyday Math book image to enter the site.

In reading we've been discussing the Infer skill. This is a very tricky concept for kids to understand, as it is something readers often do without even knowing they are doing it!  We used these posters below to help make it clearer for the children, and then we practiced inferring in our guided reading groups as we read books at our own individual reading levels.

We are finishing up our final lessons in our Plant and Animal Survival Unit.  We have now learned more in depth about the plants and animals that make their homes in the Rainforest, Desert, and Ocean Habitats.  We have talked a lot about how the different plants and animals that live in each habitat have learned to adapt in order to survive in the place they call home.  Next week we will begin doing some library research to further explore these concepts.

Thank you for all that have signed up for Parent-Teacher Conferences during the week of November 20th.  I look forward to having the time to discuss your child's transition to second grade.

Have a great long weekend!

Upcoming Dates:

Friday, November 10th- No School in observance of Veteran's Day
Thursday, November 16th- Field Trip to see Beauty and the Beast
Monday, November 20th- 2 Hour Delay for Parent-Teacher Conferences
Tuesday, November 21st- No School for Parent-Teacher Conferences
Wednesday, November 22nd- Half Day of School; Turkey Trot

Update 10/30

I hope you're safe, have power today, and are able to enjoy this unexpected day off of school. I wanted to let you know that due to No School today and Halloween tomorrow, we have decided to not have Spelling or Reading Log homework this week. I hope that the children continue to read nightly, but won't be required to record what they have read. We will have our regular math homework throughout the week.

We are excited to celebrate Halloween tomorrow. We will have a Harvest Party in the afternoon. Thank you to everyone who has donated items! The children are welcome to wear their costumes for the party. We ask that they bring them to school in a bag labeled with their name. We will give them time to get dressed before the party. If possible, it would be helpful if the students can just put their costumes on over their clothes rather than changing in the restroom. It is school policy that the children don't wear face paint, masks, or have weapons as part of their costumes. Thanks for your help!

I look forward to seeing the children back at school tomorrow. Stay safe today!

Weekly Update 10/27

It's nice to finally see the sun back out! I hope you have some fun plans for tomorrow, as the weather looks great!

We have been having a blast in Second Grade the past two weeks! During our writing blocks, we have been working on a couple different types of writing. The students have begun their second personal narrative story which is the story that they brainstormed for at home. Thanks for your help! The students have written their beginnings and are currently working on the middle of their stories. I love watching their stories come to life! With Halloween around the corner, we have also spent some time doing a creative imaginary writing where the students got to create a friendly monster! I am sure they will be excited to share them with you!

During math, we finished up Unit 2 and have begun Unit 3. Unit 3 focuses on Fact Strategies. The children wrote subtraction number stories and generated related addition and subtraction facts. We also discussed the "Think Addition" strategy when solving subtraction facts. The children have learned that they can turn subtraction into addition by starting at the smaller number and counting up to the bigger number. This is a strategy that many second graders find helpful as subtraction tends to be more difficult for many students. We also spent some time discussing "fact families" and generating related number models for the families.

Fact Triangles were sent home with your child. It is important for the children to be practicing their addition and subtraction facts to 20. If they practice for a few minutes each day, it really helps their automaticity with these facts. Thanks for your support!

We are about half way through our Science unit on Plants and Animal Survival. The students learned why plants and animals live in some places and not in others. We visited three habitats- Polar, Desert, and Rainforest. We described each habitat and identified plants and animals that belong and do not belong in each place. Then after getting an overview of each of the habitats, we spent some time visiting the rainforest on a pretend rainforest trek. The students watched short clips along their journey and are now in the process of writing their own "blog" about their trip!

Our Language Arts blocks are continuing to go very well. The children are enjoying all of the components of Daily Five and are very independent at this point. This allows me to meet with students in their small reading groups. The past two weeks, we have been focusing on the skill of retelling a story. This is often done through a 5-Finger Retell which consists of telling about the characters, setting, problem, important events, and solution to the problem.

Upcoming Events:
October 31st- Harvest Party
The students are welcome to wear their Halloween costumes during the party. We ask that you send them to school in a bag labeled with their name. Due to the large amount of students, it would be helpful if your child could just put their costume over their clothes rather than changing in the bathroom. Also, there is no face paint or weapons allowed at Robinson School.
November 8th- Field trip permission slips due 
November 10th- Author Renata Bowers visits Robinson
November 11th- No School for Veterans Day
November 16th- Field Trip to the Concord Youth Theatre to see Beauty and the Beast 

Weekly Update 10/13

I hope you all enjoyed the long weekend with your families.   Every Monday (or in this case Wednesday!) the children write their "Weekend News" in their journals.  I love hearing them talk and write about all the fun activities they do on the weekends.  It was nice to hear that many of you got away for the weekend or enjoyed some fall fun around Westford.  It's always nice to have an extra day or two to re-charge!

Here is an update on what we've been doing in the classroom over the past two weeks:

We have really gotten into our Science Unit, which is called "Plant and Animal Survival".  We are conducting an experiment in the classroom to see if Marigold plants can survive without either water or sunlight.  The children have made some great predictions, and in a few weeks we will have some evidence to prove what this type of plant actually needs to survive.  Another fun lesson we did in this unit allowed the students to become engineers!  We pretended that bees did not exist, so we had to create a tool that could do a bee's job of moving pollen from one plant to another.  The kids worked in small groups and were given a bunch of materials with which to build their "pollinators".  All groups were able to successfully engineer a tool.  

In Reading we have been meeting with our groups on a consistent basis now that all of our Daily 5 routines are in place.  Last week we focused on the skill of Making Connections.  This is a strategy readers use to help comprehend the actions and/or feelings of the characters in the story.  If we can connect something in our own lives to what's happening in the story, then it helps us know how the character might be feeling or reacting so that we can then better understand the story.  This is an important comprehension skill we will practice throughout the year.  Our strategy focus this past week was identifying story elements (characters, setting, problem, solution).

During our math sessions we have been talking about various addition strategies we can use when we don't know the answer to a fact automatically.  Some of the strategies we discussed were Near Doubles, Turn Around Facts, and the Making Ten strategy.  The idea is to use something we know (such as doubles) to help us solve an unknown fact.  The strategies are introduced quickly, so it's common for children to get a little mixed up at this point.  Over time we will go back to each of the strategies and practice them more in depth.  Other lessons we completed in Unit 2 looked at Even and Odd Sums and Name Collection Boxes.

Thank you for helping your child complete the homework assignment this week, which was to bring in a photo of something your child has done recently.  We will be using the photos and the details provided to write our next Personal Narrative story in class.  Spelling Tic Tac Toe, Reading Logs, and Math homework will continue as normal next week. 

I'm looking forward to our first class celebration, our Harvest Party, which will be on October 31st.  We are lucky to have 2 parents helping to organize the celebrations for us this year.  If you have any questions about parties, please contact Jonathan mom or Oliver's mom (all of the contact info is on the Friendship List sent home at the beginning of the year).

** Reminder that next Tuesday, October 17th is Grade Two School Store! 

Thanks for all you do and have a wonderful weekend!

Weekly Update 9/29

We have had a busy couple of weeks in Second Grade!

During our Daily Five blocks, the children have been introduced to two more components of Daily Five which are Listen to Reading and Work on Writing. It has also been very exciting to begin reading groups! The groups worked on making predictions before reading and enjoyed reading books at their individual levels.

During Listen to Reading, the children use an ipad to listen to stories. They do this through either RAZ Kids or Tumblebooks which is offered through the JV Fletcher Library Website. The purpose of Listen to Reading is to model what fluent and expressive reading sounds like. RAZ Kids also allows the children to answer comprehension questions about the stories they are listening to in order to help with their comprehension skills.

The children have many different choices for Work on Writing. They can write a personal narrative story, a make-believe story, or choose one of our many Work on Writing Task Cards which include fun activities such as: making a postcard, writing a letter, making lists, poems, and many other exciting writing choices. We are encouraging the kids to slow down and focus on quality writing rather than quantity.

In math, we finished up Unit 1 which was a great review of skills the children learned in first grade. The children took their Unit 1 Assessment, which was sent home for you to review with your child. If you haven't sent it back signed, I would appreciate if you can do so. We also began Unit 2 which focuses on Fact Strategies. The children have learned about grouping by tens, how to write number stories, and how to use doubles and combinations of ten/making ten to help them solve addition problems more efficiently.

We also finished up our Apple Economics unit. The children enjoyed performing plays which really helped to bring the idea of economics to "life." We also had the opportunity to learn about other types of goods and how they are produced. Each child choose one of the following to study: Sheep to Sweater, Milk to Cheese, Clay to Bricks, or Wheat to Bread. It was a great culminating activity as it allowed the children to discuss who the producer, consumer, good, etc were for these products as well along with the apple products we discussed throughout the unit.

During writing, the children are working on their first draft of their first personal narrative stories. We have spent time talking about ways to begin their stories. Some examples include: a detailed setting, quote, sound word, or a question. We also worked on writing the middle of their stories and making sure that they told the story in sequential order using transition words to help them move from one event to the next. Their stories are really coming out great! Next week we will talk about endings, revising and editing, and hope to have some time to share their stories with the class.

We also had a wonderful trip to the Living Lab! It was a great introduction into our first Science Unit "Plant and Animal Survival" that we began this week as well. The children had a chance to visit the Reed Brook and observe the plants and animals that live in that habitat. Inside we learned about various living things and how they depend on one another for survival. Finally, the kids got to learn about frogs and how they adapt to their environment. We learned about the various types of feet they have (webbed, digging, sticky) and how they use camouflage to help them survive in their habitat. We look forward to going back to the Living Lab in the Spring!

WOW, what a busy couple of weeks!!!!

Upcoming Dates: 
Wednesday, October 4th- Picture Day
Monday, October 9th- No School for Columbus Day
Tuesday, October 10th- No School for Professional Development

Weekly Update 9/15

It's been a pleasure meeting all of the children over the past few weeks! I can already tell that it's going to be a great year! We have been very busy in room 7, so I wanted to share some of the things we have been doing. Along with continuing to get to know one another, we have also begun establishing routines in many of our academic areas. 

We have spent most of our reading blocks reviewing the Daily Five structure. For those new to Robinson or those unfamiliar with Daily Five, it is a literacy structure that allows for differentiation in the classroom and provides consistency. It is an integrated literacy instruction and classroom management system that is used during our literacy block. While I am working with small groups for Guided Reading, the other children have literacy “tasks” that include: Work on Words, Work on Writing, Read to Self, Read to Someone, and Listen to Reading. It takes a few weeks for me to assess all of the children and to determine their reading levels and while I am doing that, the children will build their stamina in each of the "task" areas. So far we have begun practicing Read to Self and Work on Words. Next week, we will be adding in Listen to Reading. 

In math we are off and running with Unit 1. This unit does a lot of review of concepts learned in first grade and allows time for us to establish math routines in the classroom. We focused on number scrolls and number grids this week as tools to help us solve addition problems. 

I also had a chance to assess the children on the 100-second grade high frequency words. This is done periodically throughout the year to see what words your child needs to practice. These words will become part of their weekly spelling words that they will practice at school and home. Hopefully your child shared their first spelling list with you this week. Spelling will be a weekly homework routine from this point forward. Please help your child practice their spelling words at least 3 times per week. There is more about homework at the end of this post.

"Star of the Week" was introduced to the children last Friday. Each week one child will be chosen to be our "Star" for the week. That child gets to bring in photos and other special items that tell about themselves. We will display those items for the entire week, and the child will get to present their items to the class on Fridays. It is a great way for us to learn about one another and practice speaking in front of the large group. Last week I got to be the 'Star"!! It was a fun way to demonstrate what "Star of the Week" might look and sound like. 

Finally, we began our first social studies unit on "Apple Economics." In the first lesson, the students learned about the apple tree and the "goods" that come from the tree. We then discussed some important vocabulary words that go along with our unit. Ask your child to tell you about these words: economics, goods, services, consumers, producers, and community. The children also enjoyed watching a video about apple production. The video showed the steps necessary in order for the apples to get to the markets for consumers to buy. Finally, we had a chance to put the vocabulary words into context by performing some plays for each other. This was such a great way to see some kids really shine!

**Homework: Please check your child's folder daily for homework assignments. We started this past week with only the Spelling Tic-Tac-Toe routine mentioned above. Your child will be expected to practice their spelling words at least three nights per week. The Spelling Tic-Tac-Toe sheet will have a variety of choices for your child to pick from in order to practice their words. Please return the Tic-Tac-Toe to school each Friday. 

In addition to spelling, most night's your child will have a math worksheet that reviews a concept taught that day in class. This should be a quick, independent activity. All math assignments are due back the next day. If your child feels frustrated or doesn't seem to understand a certain concept, please send the homework sheet back with a note letting me know.

Lastly, second graders are expected to read for at least 15 minutes per night. Your child will record what book they read and the number of minutes they read on their weekly Reading Log, which will be sent home this Monday. There is also a place for parent initials. The Reading Log should be passed in each Friday. 

Thank you for your help and support on homework.

Upcoming Dates:

Tuesday, September 19th is Grade Two Curriculum Night from 6:00-6:45. This is a night for parents only as we will spend time sharing the second grade curriculum and routines. Robinson is providing childcare for children who currently attend Robinson or Crisafulli. If you're unable to make it, I will send home a folder with all the handouts on Wednesday with your child. 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend! 

Weekly Update 9/5

I hope you had a wonderful Labor Day with your friends and families! We had a great first week of Second Grade and I truly enjoyed getting to know each of the students a little better. Last week we spent time doing activities that allowed us to get to know each other, discussing classroom routines, and talking about expected behaviors. This week, the students will be taking some pre-assessments, will continue with our first unit in Everyday Math, and will begin our first Social Studies unit which is Apple Economics.

I wanted to give out some extra information regarding our "Apple Free" classroom. We do have a child in the class who is allergic to apples so we need to be careful about the snacks that are sent into the classroom. Please don't send whole or sliced apples, applesauce, or juices that contain apple. The nurse gave me a list of SAFE juices- All Honest Kids except for the actual Apple Juice one, Hi C Fruit Punch and Poppin Lemonade, and V8 Fruit Fusion. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me or the school nurse. You may send apple products for lunch, just not for our classroom snack. A reminder that all classrooms are Nut Free at Robinson as well. Thank you for your help and consideration in keeping our classroom safe for all students.

I am looking forward to another great week! As always if you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask!

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to my class website/blog! I am very excited to be your child's classroom teacher! We are going to have so much fun growing and learning together this year. I've had a wonderful summer with my family. We vacationed in Rhode Island, visited the Cape and took lots of day-trips! I feel refreshed and ready to begin a new school year with you and your child!

Here is a picture of me with my two daughters enjoying the 4th of July parade!

I hope you consider following this blog by typing your email in the "Follow by Email" box. This allows you to get an email when I have made a new post. My goal is to update the blog at the beginning of each week. This will help you know what your child will be going in school that week. I also like to share games, websites, and links with you throughout the year that you might find helpful exploring at home with your child.

Our first day of school will be on Tuesday, August 29th. The Second Graders will meet their teachers in the gym. We will spend the first few days of school getting to know one another, exploring our classroom, and discussing expectations and routines.

I look forward to getting to know your child! If at any point you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at kfrazier@westfordk12.us

Final Update 6/21

I can't believe this is my last update of the year, such a bitter sweet day! I'm not sure where May and June went, but we sure did have fun! We ended the year today by doing a "web" of second grade memories. It was fun to discuss all of the wonderful things we did this year and to talk about how we will always have the memories of second grade. :)

We have been busy over the last two weeks finishing up the school year. The children did a great job on their country presentations! It was fun to learn more about each country and to see the creative ideas that the children came up with in terms of presenting the information to their peers.

Thank you to all parents who were able to attend the Second Grade Super Star Celebration! The children were very excited to show off all their hard work! It's always amazing to look back at their writing from the beginning of the year to see how much they have grown.

We also finished up our Earth's Surfaces Science unit. The focus of the unit was on how wind and water changed the surface of the land. We wrapped up the unit by having the children act as engineers and create levees to help stop the effects of a landslide. The children loved it and were very successful!

We've also had lots of fun end of the year activities. We attended the Crisafulli Orchestra and found out about the strings program at Crisafulli that the children can participate in next year. The second graders also showed off their talents at our Talent Show. Nice job second graders! Finally, we had Move-Up Day! The children got a tour of Crisafulli, met their Third Grade teachers and found out who would be in their class next year, and got to have lunch and recess at their new school. The excitement was high and I know they are all very excited about next year!

Thank you all for a WONDERFUL school year! I truly enjoyed getting to know each and every one of the students and watching them grow throughout the year. I wish you all a relaxing and safe summer and good luck to the children in third grade. Please come back to visit me!

Weekly Update 6/3

The last few weeks have been a lot of fun in second grade, and we still have so much more to look forward to in the last 13 days of school!!

Before Memorial Day weekend we had 2 special visitors sponsored by the PTO- the Bubbleology Program and a Rainforest expert. The Bubble program was fantastic! The children were amazed at the kinds of bubbles he created for us. We even learned a lot about the science of bubbles along the way. The Rainforest expert shared a lot of interesting facts with us. She also brought along some live Rainforest animals for the kids to see! This was a nice connection to our study of the Amazon Rainforest that we did on our travels around the world.

Speaking of travels, we "arrived" back in Westford from our Around the World travels on Thursday. All the second grade classes joined together on our pretend flight home. We got to watch "Rio" for our in-flight movie. This movie takes place in the Amazon and focuses on a special bird that is in danger of becoming extinct. We are putting the final touches on all of our Around the World projects. I hope you received the invitation to our Second Grade Celebration on June 14th. This is where the kids will have an opportunity to share all of this hard work with you.

The kids were all looking forward to our Robinson Field Day this past Wednesday. It was a BLAST!  I hope your child came home telling you all about the fun events we participated in throughout the day. 

On Friday we got to take another walk up to Crisafulli to see our third grade buddies and to watch the 5th Grade Play. This is just one of the many experiences your child will have in the Crisafulli school before 3rd grade begins. We will be back at Crisafulli for a longer visit on our Move-Up Day, which is scheduled for June 20th.

We ended the week with a fantastic all school DANCE PARTY!! This was to celebrate our great success with the Race For Education fundraiser back in the fall.

In terms of academics, even with only 3 weeks left of school there is still lots of learning to do! Our writing blocks have focused on finishing up the last details of our informational books. We also reviewed what a personal narrative story looks and sounds like. The students will be doing their final writing piece next week about a special memory from 2nd grade.

In Math, we are continuing with our final unit- Unit 9. The last few lessons focus on solving number stories about 2 equal groups. The children will also skip count and add to solve problems involving multiples of 10 and 5. This will be an introduction to basic multiplication facts.

We began working on our last science unit of the year, Earth's Surfaces. We have been talking about the various types of land and water surfaces that cover our Earth. The students will be creating some fun 3-D models of these surfaces. During the unit we will also be examining rocks to determine what minerals they are made of. Students will also be able to identify things that make up soil and rocks. We will continue discussing natural resources and how people use them to meet their needs and wants. Finally, the children will do an experiment to discover how water affects the land.

Have a great week and please note the important dates below!

Upcoming Events:

Wednesday, June 14th- Second Grade Celebration 9:15-10:00

Tuesday, June 20th- Move Up Day

Wednesday, June 21st- Last Day of School (1/2 Day- 12:20 Dismissal)

Weekly Update 5/19

We have had a VERY busy couple of weeks!

In Social Studies, we finished our Around the World unit by learning about Brazil. The students had an opportunity to pretend that they were in Brazil and writing home to their families about their exciting experience. These postcards have been placed on their scrapbooks pages which we will share with you soon! Please note that the MOUNTAINS AND RIVERS ASSESSMENT WILL BE MONDAY, MAY 22nd.

The students have been working hard on their Ancestor Country research in the library! After each research session, the kids have used the information to write informational paragraphs about their country. These paragraphs are being turned into a wonderful book! Thank you to all the parents who have helped with library research! It is a big undertaking and made possible with the help of volunteers.

During reading groups, we have been reading fictional texts and discussing comprehension strategies such as: problem/solution, most important event, lesson, and character traits. Next week, I will begin doing the Developmental Reading Assessment with each child to see the progress that they have made.

We recently started Unit 9 in math which is our last official unit of the school year. The unit focuses on fractions which tends to be a challenging concept for many second grade students. Please know that we will continue to practice at school and we don't expect mastery of this skill. The purpose of this unit is to simply introduce the children to the concept of partitioning rectangles and circles into 2, 3, or 4 equal shares.

We are looking forward to starting our last Science Unit next week which is about Earth's Surfaces!

We had a wonderful Enrichment Program this past week called Day In Ghana. I'm sure your child told you about it or maybe came home singing and dancing! The children were very engaged in learning about the culture and daily life of those living in Ghana. Make sure you check out the adorable video and photos of the children participating in this program.

Upcoming Events: 
Monday, May 22nd- Mountains and Rivers Assessment
Tuesday, May 23rd- 2nd Grade Rainforest Enrichment Program
Friday, May 26th- U.S.A. Spirit Day
Monday, May 29th- NO SCHOOL- Memorial Day
Wednesday, May 31st- Robinson Field Day

Weekly Update 5/7

It's hard to believe it's May already!  We have a packed month ahead of us, including some really fun trips to Crisafulli, two enrichment programs (Ghana and the Rainforest), and our all-school Field Day.  We are sure to really enjoy all of these special things and more this month!

The day after vacation we were VERY excited to welcome a new student to our class.  It's been fun getting to know a new friend and showing him all our 2nd grade routines.  I updated the friendship list to include his information.  A new copy was sent home this past week.  Please let me know if you didn't receive it.

Here are some other highlights from the past two weeks...

During reading, we read some more non-fiction texts with our guided reading groups.  We discussed and non-fiction text features and spent some time learning about KWLQ (Know, What to KNow, Learned, and Questions I Still Have) graphic organizers. The children read about various topics and filled in their organizers before, during, and after reading.

We had a great couple of days doing ancestor research in the library.  The kids were really excited to begin looking at the books about their country.  Everyone had a chance to find information about some things they were wondering about their country (food, animals, holidays, famous landmarks).  Thank you to all the parents who have helped out so far- your support has been wonderful for the children. We have two more sessions planned in the library to research our next questions.

This past week during our Writing time we began using that information to write informational paragraphs.  We also spent some time writing letters to a third grade buddy.  The purpose of the letter was to introduce yourself, tell your buddy some things about you, and ask your buddy some questions you have about third grade and/or the Crisafulli school.  We got a chance to meet our buddies in person on Thursday when we walked up to Crisafulli to listen to the 5th grade chorus.  We will have a few more opportunities to meet our 3rd grade buddies in the coming weeks. So fun!!

We traveled from the very cold continent of Antarctica to a MUCH different place this week, South America.  Our Social Studies time was spent learning about South America's location, landmarks, animals, and land features.  We touched on the Amazon River and the incredible Amazon Rainforest, but we will learn more about both in the week ahead.

The past 2 weeks in Math we almost completed unit 8.  Our lessons looked at Equal Groups and Arrays (an introduction to how multiplication works).  We also reviewed what we’ve learned during this unit about 2-D and 3-D shapes, Polygons, and Equal Parts.  All of this work helped prepare the children for the Unit 8 Assessment, which we will do in the next few days.

The kids did a wonderful job on their book reports!  Thank you for helping them with this project. The book reports have been turned into "flowers" and are displayed in the showcase as you enter the school.  I hope you get a chance to check out our "Garden of Great Books". They will be displayed for the whole month of May.

Have a wonderful week!

Weekly Update 4/14

Happy Friday, Happy Passover, Happy Easter, and Happy April Vacation!!

We have been busy in Second Grade the past two weeks! The students have been working very hard on their poetry and have started to put together their books. I know that they are excited to share them with you soon! The students learned how to write template poems and shape poems!! It's amazing to see how creative they can be! After vacation, we will begin our last Writing Unit which is on Informational Writing. This writing unit included library research. Your child will have the opportunity to come up with their own "I Wonder" questions that they would like to research in order to learn more about a country from which their ancestors have come from.

Last week we finished up our study of Africa by writing poems about African animals and this week we went to the coldest continent on Earth, Antarctica! The kids enjoyed learning about Antarctica and the fact that the only people who go there are scientists and that nobody lives in Antarctica. The children wrote interesting facts they learned and next week they will learn about the loveable animal... penguins!

In math, we are working on Unit 8 which focuses on Geometry. In the first few lessons, the children have described the attributes of 2-dimensional shapes and have identified shapes that have certain attributes while playing the game Shape Capture. The kids also had a lot of fun using straws and pipe cleaners to build various polygons. Finally, in our last lesson of the week, the children began looking at 3-dimensional shapes and sorted them according to their attributes. We look forward to continuing our Geometry unit after vacation.

I hope that you have a fun and restful April Vacation!

Weekly Update 3/31

I enjoyed meeting with you all and sharing the progress your child has made in term 2.  This truly is a collaborative process, and I really appreciate all your support and time.  Although spring conferences are our last formal meeting, please know that you can contact me at any time if you have something you'd like to discuss.

We had so much fun performing for you last Friday in our "Colors" show.  We were amazed at how many songs, dances, and lines the kids memorized.  It's always great watching these shows coming together, and it meant a lot to your children that you could attend to witness how all their hard work paid off.

In Social Studies we continued our study of Europe by focusing in on the country of Italy.  The students learned a little bit about what life is like in this country.  We also found out many interesting facts about some famous landmarks, such as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Colosseum, and the Gondolas of Venice.  After finishing up our Europe study by watching a short video, we then took our next journey to Africa.  We began discussing where this continent is found in the world, as well as how the weather and land affect the daily life of the people and animals that live in Africa.  We will continue to study Africa for at least another week.

Math over the past 2 weeks looked at measuring and collecting data (Arm Spans and How Far We Can Jump!) and representing that data on a line plot.  We then used the data to answer various questions.  The children also explored both Metric and US Customary units of measure, as well as shapes and their attributes.  We finished up Unit 7 on Friday with a brief assessment of what was learned in the unit.  We will be sending this home early in the week for you to take a look at.

The children are doing great with the poetry unit.  They have already written a couplet, cinquain, as well as 2 form poems ("I Like" and "I Meant To").  They are doing rough drafts and final copies of each to be included in their Poetry Notebooks.  They will be excited to share their completed notebooks with you soon!

On Friday 2nd Grade had a chance to tell the rest of the school about our next compassion project, which is a Pet Drive.  Over the next 2 weeks our school will be collecting items for the Lowell Humane Society.  Look for a notice in your child's folder about how you can help.

Let's hope the Spring weather is right around the corner!!!  Here is a look at some important dates to be aware of:

April 5th: Early Release Professional Development
April 14th: School Spirit Day- Beach Day
April 14th: Early Release
April 17th-21st: Spring Break: No School

Weekly Update 3/17

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! This has been a busy couple of weeks with the Alice Drill, Living Lab, Snow Day, 2 Hour Delay, and Play Rehearsals. Although there have been a lot of special activities, we have also been hard at work in the classroom.

Last week we worked on making inferences and visualizing while reading books. We began with a whole class lesson that not only reviewed these reading skills, but also introduced the kids to poetry which is our March writing unit. This reading skill was reinforced during our reading groups.

In terms of Poetry, we spent some time talking about what the kids already knew about poetry, read a few fun poems, and wrote couplet poems to get us started. The kids enjoyed writing their 2 line poems that rhyme. Over the next couple of weeks, the kids will get the opportunity to write several different types of poems. Some of which will rhyme, some of which will be template poems, and some will be free verse.

In math we finished up Unit 6 and have started Unit 7 which focuses on whole number operations, measurement, and data. The children practiced finding differences between 2-digit numbers and multiples of 10 by playing a game called Hit the Target. We also spent some time talking about adding multiple numbers in a logical way to make the problem easier. The children were encouraged to look for "friendly numbers" which could be a multiple of 10 or a doubles fact.

Last week we finished up our travels to Australia by visiting the computer lab to learn more about the Great Barrier Reef. The children then created their own coral reef scrapbook page and included facts that they learned in the computer lab. After Australia, we traveled to the amazing continent of Europe. The kids learned about Europe as a whole, and next week we will focus on the country of Italy!!

The Second Grade performance is coming along nicely and we are excited to perform for you next Friday, March 24th at 1:45 in the Robinson Cafeteria!

I look forward to meeting with you all during Parent Teacher Conferences March 29th and 30th.

Upcoming Events:

• Tuesday, March 21st - School Store for Grade Two (rescheduled due to Snow Day) 
• Wednesday, March 22nd- Performance for the School 
• Friday, March 24th- Performance for Parents at 1:45 
• Wednesday, March 29th- 2 Hour Delay for Parent Teacher Conferences
• Thursday, March 30th- No School for Parent Teacher Conferences 

Weekly Update 3/3

I hope your children all enjoyed February vacation and got to spend some quality time with families and friends.  It’s always nice to have a little extra time at home to refresh, especially when the temperatures allow for some outside time!

I want to make sure to thank Mrs. Sperry, Mrs. Madsen, and Mrs. Su for planning and running the parties this year for our class.  The 3 parties were lots of fun! Thank you also to all of the other parents who came to help out and/or provided snacks or paper goods.  We certainly couldn't have these celebrations without your support!

Here is a look at what we accomplished this last week in school...

Our rehearsals began this week for the upcoming second grade show entitled "Colors". We had 3 practices this week, and the actual performance will be next Wednesday, March 22nd for the school and Friday, March 24th for parents.  The kids were excited to learn what parts they would play in the performance, and I’m sure you’re already hearing the songs being sung at home!

During reading time this week we finished up some loose ends from before vacation.  I also met with a few remaining kids to assess their reading progress in preparation for our upcoming conferences. We continue to practice comprehension strategies during our groups, including summarizing, discussing problem and solution, and making connections.

In math we taught the Partial-Sums Addition Method to combine two and three digit numbers together.  This method should look very familiar, as it is most like the traditional way of adding multiple-digit numbers together. We began the week trying this out with base ten blocks to provide a physical model of what happens when we combine 100's, 10's, and 1's to add two and three digit numbers together. We then transitioned to trying this out without the base ten blocks to help us.  For some kids, this is a difficult concept.  We will provide much more practice in this area in the coming weeks.

Our travels around the world brought us to the continent of Australia this week!  We spent some time learning more about this beautiful continent, and next week we’ll be doing a fun project to explore the incredible Great Barrier Reef!

During our spelling time next week we'll be checking on the spelling of the 100 High Frequency Words.  The list of words is in your child's take home folder.  It's always helpful to be reviewing these words with your child on a regular basis.

On Wednesday of next week our class will be visiting the Living Lab at the Day School. We already have signed permission slips from all of you from the beginning of the year, so the kids are all set to ride the bus over.  Please check the weather and make sure your child has appropriate clothing and footwear for some outside time by the brook.

Coming soon...

Friday, March 10th- Tie Dye School Spirit Day
Monday, March 13th- Online Conference Sign-Up Begins
Friday, March 24th- Parent Portal Opens to View Progress Reports
Wednesday, March 29th- 2 Hour Delay, Conferences 9:00-11:00
Thursday, March 30th- No School; Conferences 2:00-8:00

Weekly Update 2/112

I hope you had a fun Snow Day on Thursday and looking like we might have another tomorrow! We've had a great couple of weeks in Second Grade! The kids had a great time celebrating our 100th Day of School on February 8th!!

We have been enjoying our time in Asia and learning about the geography of the biggest continent of the World. We also spent time reading about Japan and learning about their culture. The kids loved learning about Children's Day and how the people in Japan fly carp kites to celebrate. We are even going to make our own carp kites! We also spent some time writing Haiku poems which is a type of poem that originated in Japan.

The students ability to write opinion pieces is continuing to strengthen. We put the final touches on our restaurant reviews and now the children are writing another review, this time they get to pick the topic they would like to write an opinion piece about. Some children have chosen to review a game, toy, place, famous person, pet, or sport. The children are getting really good at starting their writing by stating their opinion, giving their supporting details with examples, and ending with a conclusion.

In math, the children have been introduced to various diagrams to help them organize their mathematical thinking in order to solve addition and subtraction problems. The diagrams we discussed were: Total and Part Diagrams, Change Diagrams, and Comparison Diagrams. The children used their knowledge to decide what diagram worked best for various word problems. We also spent some time collecting data and graphing it with both picture and bar graphs.

During Guided Reading, we have read a variety of fictional texts. After reading the stories, we focused on 2 essential questions. The first being "What do you think was the most important event in the story? And Why? The second being "What do you think the author was trying to tell you in this story? These questions require the children to interpret and reflect on their reading. Next week I plan to begin checking in with each child and doing a DRA (Developmental Reading Assessment) in order to get ready for the end of Term 2 and to adjust reading groups as necessary. I can't wait to share your child's reading growth with you at our next conference in March.

Mrs. Oliver is hosting a parent volunteer meeting for the upcoming 2nd Grade musical program "Colors" on Wednesday, February 15th from 10:45-11:30 in the music room. She is looking for parents to help with simple props and costumes. No experience necessary! :) More information about the performance will be coming home soon!

Upcoming Events:

• Tuesday, February 14th- School Store for Grade Two 
• Tuesday, February 14th- Class Valentine Party 
• Friday, February 17th- Crazy Hat Spirit Day
• February Vacation- February 20th-25th 

"My Favorite part of the past 2 weeks was"

• celebrating the 100th Day of School because I liked the 100 seconds activities (Elizabeth) 
• Patriot's Spirit Day because the Patriot's won and we get to wear red, white, and blue. (Melanie)
• celebrating the 100th Day of School because we got to do a fun activity instead of regular math. (Nicole) 
• learning about Japan because I liked making the carp fish. (Rosalie) 
• the 100th Day of School because we got to a couple things in 100 seconds. (Alexis)
• making Valentine bags because it is fun. (Annabelle)
• Wellness because I got to play games. (Sangeeta)
• Listening to Reading because we get to use the computer. (Malcolm) 
• making a Valentine bag because I got to decorate it how I wanted. (Caitlin)
• 100th Day of School because we only have 81 more days until summer! (Patrick) 
• celebrating the 100th Day of School because we got to do lots of fun activities. (Mary) 

I hope you have a fun and relaxing February Vacation! 

Weekly Update 1/27

Hello everyone!  The past two weeks have been a whirlwind!  We've been trying to stick with routine despite the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, the professional development day, and the unexpected snow day.  Here is a look at what we've been doing in Room 7…

Our Around the World Unit is going very well.  We spent a few days over the past two weeks reviewing mapping skills and learning about North America.  As we travel the world it's important that we become familiar with the names of the continents we will be visiting.  Here is a link to a song that is helping us do this:

https://safeshare.tv/x/ss588563c9ba68a

We also studied a little bit about Mexico and what itís like to live there.  As we visit each continent, the children made a scrapbook page to show some important information they learned about that part of the world. This page shows some animals that are found on this continent and features a written portion that compares the United States to Mexico.  We will be compiling the scrapbook pages into a large book that will be shared with families in the spring.  

Our next destination…Asia!!!

The math lessons the past 2 weeks touched upon Open Number Lines and Change-To Number Stories (starting with a number, then changing that number by adding on to get a new number). We discussed this concept by looking at fish that increase their weight by eating other fish. The students also spent two math periods working on their math mid-year assessment.  

Our restaurant reviews are coming out awesome in writing!  I've been so impressed by how convincing second graders can be! Many kids finished them up this week and began the editing process.  Look for an email from me in the coming days, as the children are working on a fun way to share their reviews with you!!

We took a break from spelling last week and focused on Complete Sentences.  We did several lessons and practice activities around sentences.  I am beginning to see the transfer of this knowledge in our writing journals- so exciting!!

Coming Up:

• Look for class Valentine lists coming soon. We will celebrate with our last class party on Tuesday, February 14^th.
• February 8th- Early Release at 12:20 for Professional Development
• February 14^th- 2^nd Grade School Store
• February 14^th- Valentine Party 
• February 17^th- February Break begins at 3:05

Weekly Update 1/13

It was great to be back in school and the kids had a very busy yet fun week!

We began the week with a whole class introduction to the reading strategy of "making inferences." The kids learned that sometimes an author doesn't come straight out and tell you things and that you have to "read between the lines" to interpret what they are saying. The students learned that in order to make an inference you use both the text clues and your background knowledge. Throughout the week, the students had the opportunity to practice this skill in their reading groups.

In math this week the children made purchases and practiced paying exact amounts as well as paying more and finding the change. We also spent some time doing our Unit 5 Exploration activities which focused on making arrays, matching clock faces to digital notation, and constructing shapes on geoboards. Next week, the kids will learn to use open number lines as a tool for solving number stories.

We enjoying starting our unit on mapping this week! We even had a pretend airplane trip to our first country which is Mexico! We will spend some time learning about the continent that we live-North America! Then, we will move onto Mexico and will learn about the culture of the country and compare and contrast it with the culture of the United States.

The students are off to a great start with our Opinion Writing unit. They learned how to write an opening sentence, filled out a graphic organizer about a restaurant of their choice, and began to write their first review. Next week we will focus on specialized language and that a review should not sound like a "story" but should use persuasive language.

Finally, we finished off the week learning about Martin Luther King Jr. and the amazing impact he had on our lives today.

Friendly reminder that there is NO SCHOOL Monday and Tuesday next week.
Monday- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Tuesday- Professional Development

*** One final reminder that the students should be answering the reading comprehension questions on the back of the Reading Log each week for homework. These questions are to be answered in at least 2 complete sentences. Many of the kids are doing a great job with this. Please take the time to review the comments with your child and make changes if necessary. We appreciate your support with this important component of their homework.

Here's what the kids had to say!

My favorite part of the past 2 weeks was: 

• the toasting the New Year activity because you got to glue stuff. (Saathvik)
• I learned about Eve Bunting because then I can start writing books like her. (Sujit)
• our airplane trip to Mexico because we got to sit in a chair and watch a movie. (Alexis)
• Crazy Hair Day because it's crazy! (Caitlin)
• Wellness because we got to play games. (Sangeeta)
• Crazy Hair Day because it was fun! (Brielle)
• when we went to the Computer Lab because I got to play math games. (Josh) 
• our airplane trip to Mexico because I've never been to Mexico. (Melanie) 
• social studies because we got to learn about maps and the compass rose. (Mary)
• going on the airplane because we watched a video. (Patrick) 
• playing Dreambox because I like the arcade. (Malcolm)
• Crazy Hair Day because I like seeing all different types of crazy hair. (Rosalie)
• the airplane trip to Mexico because we got to learn about Earth, continents, and other stuff. (Sofia)
• lunch and Crazy Hair Day because I get to eat at lunch and I like seeing everyone with crazy hair. (Nick)
• the Pencil Challenge because you have to try to keep your pencil for as long as you can. (Sohana) 

Weekly Update 1/3

Happy 2017!! I am feeling rested after our long winter break!  I look forward to seeing all the children on Tuesday morning and hearing about their exciting week off.

We are kicking off a new year, a new math unit, a new writing unit, and a new social studies unit over the next two weeks!!

The children have completed the first half of the Everyday Math program, so this week they will begin working in a new math journal. We will start Unit 5, which reviews addition fact power (automaticity of math facts), as well as money and making change. Please note that the concept of making change can be a difficult one, and we don't expect mastery at this time. Please note that the children will be bringing home their first math journal. Some of the pages are incomplete or not corrected depending on the lesson and time allowed. Please be assured that the journals were reviewed regularly and incorrect answers were reviewed with a teacher. 

Our term 2 writing time will be spent working on reviews/opinion writing. This week we'll discuss what people might review and what a good review should include. We'll start off by reviewing the Robinson School Cafeteria, a place we're all familiar with!!

In Social Studies we'll begin a mapping unit. The students will get a chance to review different kinds of maps and cardinal directions. We'll also look at map keys. These mapping skills will be a stepping stone into our very large unit of study- “Around the World."

You will notice that the Reading Log will look a little different starting this week- it's now double-sided!  Now that we are almost halfway through 2^nd grade we would like the children to deepen their reading skills by answering 2 comprehension questions each week about the books they are reading at home and recording on their Reading Log.  You will notice that the questions will be different each week based on what skills we've been working on in our reading groups.  We ask that they answer the questions in at least 2 complete sentences.  It is expected that they will need some support with this new routine for a few weeks, but we hope that over time the children will get more comfortable answering in thoughtful, complete sentences more independently.  We appreciate your support as we begin this new routine, as reflecting on your reading and writing complete sentences are two very important foundational skills.  

Have a great week! I hope you're finding my BLOG updates useful. As always, please contact me with any questions or concerns.

One final note…
Thanks to all who donated and/or volunteered at our Winter party before vacation. These parties wouldn't be successful without your support! Also, a special thank you to our Room Mom's! 

Upcoming Dates:

• January 3^rd- school resumes
• January 10^th- 2^nd Grade school store
• January 16^th- No school for MLK Day
• January 17^th- No school for Professional Development