Gr2 Blog Week of 10/4/18

Hello Families!

Welcome to October! We have been very busy this week.

In Math Workshop, we have begun our story problems unit, in which we will focus on how to interpret the action of the problems and how to communicate our thinking clearly both in writing and orally. We started by reading 12 different problems and sorting them into groups according to the action. We ultimately found that we had two types of problems: combining problems and removal problems. Here’s an example of a combining problem: There were 40 students in the gym. One class of 23 students joined them. How many students are in the gym now? And here is a removal problem: There were 47 students in the gym.  One class of 23 students went back to their classroom.  How many students are in the gym now? Even though both problems are about classes in the gym, they have a different action. Identifying the type of problem can help kids know how to get started with solving. We will spend time this week and next solving the problems and sharing strategies.

In Reading Workshop, we are focusing on solving “tricky words”. Our second graders have many word-solving strategies already, including rereading, using the context for clues, trying different vowel sounds, and looking through the word part by part. We are also working on understanding words that we can read, but do not understand. Context clues can definitely help readers understand (and take on) new words.

In Writers Workshop, we are taking a closer look at how stories are broken down. We have discovered that stories are broken down into three major parts, the beginning, the middle and the end. We worked together by looking at story beginnings to help fill in our chart. We have noticed that authors can choose many different ways to start the story. Please look at our chart to see what the kids have noticed.

In Social Studies, we are exploring Urban, Suburban, and Rural communities. We are beginning to notice features that make each community unique. This week we read about the natural resources in the different communities, and we looked at maps to see how population density is different in urban, suburban, and rural areas.

Class Reminders:

• Dismissal is at 2:45 in the school. If your child is picked up by an after school program please make sure that they are aware of the dismissal time.  
• If you have a dismissal change, please make sure to notify the office early in the day.
• While we love sequins shirts and accessories, they have become a distraction in class, as many children want to touch the patterns. Please save them for the weekend!
• Salt Marsh Nature Center Trip: October 9th. Dress accordingly
• Picture Day: October 10th
• Brooklyn Conservatory of Music (BCM) will begin on October 12th.
• Students will be receiving a letter with attached envelope for a subscription to Scholastic News. Please read and send back.

Have a great week!

Ms. Mathis and Ms. Anne