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