Gr 2 Blog Week 11/19

Dear Families, 

We are in the midst of a busy and fun week here in second grade. This week we are continuing with our class read aloud Puppy Power. We are noticing patterns that occur with our main character, Fran. She is always acting bossy and mean! As the book progresses, we are also starting to notice the times when she acts “out of character” and is beginning to change. These are key moments for our second grade readers to pay attention to. We are also using the plot to spark conversations about how we deal with friendships in second grade. 

In Writer’s Workshop, our researchers have learned why and how to take notes from what they are reading. We have learned how to pick out important information from books and documents. When we are reading for information we have discovered that your brain needs to do a lot of work to figure out what is important. We have created a list of steps to aid in our note taking skills. 

Here is what we are practicing:

-Read it and reread it

-Say it in your own words

-Close the book

-Write it in your own words 

-Then open the book to check spelling of keywords.

This is the second step in the journey to create our nonfiction books. We started by creating chapter headings to help keep us focused while we are researching. We are now filling in those chapter headings in with our notes. Be sure to ask your children what they have learned about their nonfiction topic today! 

Researching with Laptops! 

We have been making a list in our Word Study notebooks of sight words that we should know from kindergarten and first grade. These are words students should be spelling correctly by this point with no trouble. Students will be randomly assessed on these words. Here is our list so far:

In Math, we are starting an exciting new unit: Measurement and Data! In this unit, students will use a variety of nonstandard units to measure and compare length, and will develop an understanding of the need for standard units. Then our second graders will begin to explore standard measurement tools, including rulers and yardsticks to measure familiar objects. Students will explore both US Standard measurement (inches, feet, yards) and metric measure (centimeters, meters).  Students will also develop strategies for finding the difference between measurements. Later, we will work with analog clocks as a tool for measuring time, and will learn to tell and write time to the nearest 5 minutes. We will need your support with this at home! We will keep you posted as we move forward with the unit.

We have exciting news: it’s Post Office Season in second grade! We are gearing up to open the annual BSI Post Office in mid-January by exploring what we know about communication. Over the coming weeks, we will be designing stamps, mailboxes, posters, and postcards, and writing tons of letters! We are currently looking for donations of kid-friendly magazines and catalogs, which we will use to design the postcards we will sell. You could also send in winter-themed stamps and stickers, as well as glitter glue or other decorations. 

Just a few important dates for the future:

-Scholastic orders will be placed on the last day of the month.

Second and Third Grade will be participating in Scholastic’s Pajama Program. It is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides new pajamas and new storybooks for children in need. Snuggling up in cozy, new pajamas with their very own new book, these children are given a secure and nurturing “good night” at bedtime. You can help by donating new pajamas  for the children who need them most. If you would like to donate, you may send in a pair of brand new pajamas (in any size). We will then collect them and send them out to kids in need. Please send them in by December 5th, 2019. 

Have a great week!

Ms. Mathis and Ms. Mila