Weekly Update

Writing:

The second graders have really taken off writing poetry. As poem readers the second graders have learned about stanzas and rhyme patterns, rhythm, how syllables can create a beat, and how alliteration can be used. As poem writers they are learning to look at things with a poets eyes and see everyday objects in a new way. We read a poem about bees in a pencil sharpener and one about the sky in the classroom. We will continue poem work next week too.

Phonics:

We are exploring parts of speech: verbs, adjectives, nouns, and adverbs. This will help us write some of those poems that have rules or formulas like diamante and cinquain.

Math:

Our class hosted some teachers from around the district who were interested in seeing math instruction. The second graders really knocked it out of the park! The teachers mentioned how respectful the kids all were as they talked to each other and listened to classmates' ideas. .They were impressed with the students' behavior but also their knowledge of the topic. We were talking about fractions and equal shares that day. On Friday the second graders took a math test. Look for these to come home early next week. Then we start our very last math unit! It's hard to believe it coming so fast!

Reading:

We are going to start reading fairy tales next week!  This is such a fun unit, since we are going to read some original fairy tales, and then also some spins on the originals, and read some fractured fairy tales.  

Homework:

The five star sentence homework is due by May 8.

Extra Information:

May 8- Early Release Day

May 19- Field Trip

May 22- No School

May 24- Memorial Day

Weekly Update

Writing:

We celebrated Earth Day!

The second graders finished their last realistic fiction story. This is their last graded narrative fiction for the year. We spent some time in class on Friday assessing all three pieces they have done since spring break. Students then selected their best story, did some editing and revising and turned it in. I will score them this weekend and on Monday the second graders will be able to see their narrative writing score for the year. Next week we will start writing poetry!

Phonics:

We have been studying prefixes and suffixes and how they change words. This week we studied the suffixes -ful and -less and -ly.

Math:

We will be finishing our unit with measuring and fractions next week with a test - probably on Friday.  This week we made a "garden" and practiced measuring using our flowers! The second graders collected data on flower heights and we built a data table as a class. The next step pis to make a line plot graph with the information. We also explored relationships between fractions and talked about fractions as part of a whole and part of a set. The homework this week has a little bit of fraction practice and some double digit subtraction practice. The subtraction questions have a place to put the steps the students will use to solve the problem as well a spot for the answer.

Social Studies & Reading:

We are going to have an election in second grade!  We have been learning all about the local government, and we are going to have our very own second grade mayor and commissioners.  The kids who want to run for these positions should write a three-sentence "speech" this weekend. They will read their speeches on Monday which will also be our election day! Some of the leadership qualities the second graders came up with are: good example, trustworthy, calm, kind, focused, good sportsmanship, problem-solver, and safe. Speeches can be written completely independently or with help. It will be a fun learning experience in how voting works!

Homework:

The two-sided math page is due by Friday, May 1.

Extra Information:

Pictures due by May 1:

If you haven't sent me a picture of mom and child yet for our surprise project please do so by May 1.  Thank you!

May 19:

Our field trip date is set. We will be taking a "Tour de Hudsonville". We will be walking to the City Hall from Park Elementary.  We will get to learn all about the Police Station, Fire Department, and also meet some of our very own City Government Officials!  We would LOVE for you to come with us!  Please make sure a background check is on file, and bring your most comfortable walking shoes!  We will leave at 9am, and be back before 11:50 to enjoy lunch at our normal time.  Please email me if you are planning on coming!

Math Request:

In our next math unit we will need cardboard tubes, so please don't recycle the cardboard from inside a paper towel or toilet paper roll. Send it to school instead!

Weekly Update

Writing:

The second graders finished their second realistic fiction writing piece. They have done a great job using transitions, dialogue, and comparisions to bring their stories to life. Next week we will work on one more realistic fiction story. I am hoping to get these stories scored and returned so the second graders will be able to see their final grades for narrative writing. Our next unit will be poetry.

Math:

We are working on adding and subtracting BIG numbers! We are also reviewing measuring with centimeters and meters because that will be on the test coming up soon. This week's homework will help review measuring at home. I attached a centimeter ruler in case you need one. It doesn't have to be returned with the homework : )

Reading & Social Studies:

We have been reading informational texts about Social Studies in reading. We are working on our civics unit, so we read about a family who adopted a circus elephant and the trouble that caused. We also read about a town with no laws called "Lawless Town". Then we read a book about a girl whose grandma is the mayor. The second graders have enjoyed learning about their local government as well. They were interested to learn that Hudsonville has a mayor and a city council.

Phonics:

The second grader have earned their Compound Word badge! They are now experts on putting two small words together and coming up with a new word that incorporates the meaning of both original words. Next week we will look at affixes. 

Homework:

The math homework is due by Friday, April 24.

Extra Information:

*Please email me a picture of mom and second grader for a "top secret" project we will do in May! (Other family members can be in the picture too : )

*The amount of stuffed animals and fidgets seems to have multiplied since coming back from Spring Break and are becoming distracting for some students. Please have a talk with your child about what they are bringing to school and what their plan is for it. Toys have to stay in backpacks until recess or break, but tools can be out anytime. Thanks for helping your child make a positive plan!

*Friday, April 24 Kids Have Rights presentation

This is a fantastic body safety presentation which builds on what the students learned in kinder and first grade. It is presented  by the Child Advocacy Center. I'm linking the website (click on their logo), buut also please check your child's mail for the flyer that went home on Friday.

A couple of Parent Club updates: 

The Bike Bus starts this Friday!

There is a Skating party Monday 4-27

The next popcorn day is coming up on 4-30

Weekly Update

 We had a quick week but it was packed!!

Writing:

The second graders finished their realistic fiction stories and will start a new one after break. I know I've said it before but they are getting to be such great writers. The wrap-ups on their latest stories were especially good.

Phonics:

The second graders met with their word collector clubs and exploded a word to find more words. They made posters, did a gallery walk and earned a badge. Then we shifted gears and started learning about compound words. We will continue that work after break.

Math:

The second graders took their first checkpoint of this unit and we went over them in class. We also played some new centimeter measuring games. On Wednesday we started a new Number Corner and studied all of the dates over Spring Break. The second graders discovered some interesting patterns about equal parts of a whole. They also turned in a story problem work sample on Wednesday.

Reading:

We read Can I Be Your Dog and looked at how the dog was a hopeful character. We decided that the lesson in the story was to never give up. The students also had a great time reading by flashlight on Tuesday and doing some beach reading on Wednesday.

Weekly Update

Spring Dress Up Days!

Writing:

The second graders have a good start on their realistic fiction stories. Since they are writing about events that could really happen, many have based their stories on things that happened to them. Their writing has grown so much since the beginning of the year! I have been impressed with what they have done this week. We are going to try to wrap up these stories next week so they can start their second story after Spring Break.

Reading:

We wrapped up book clubs this week. The second graders did a great job doing the reading and coming prepared to talk about their books. Some of the students want to carry on with book clubs and some decided not to. Reading next week will be focused on the author's purpose as we integrate the feeling word Hopeful into our reading.

Math:

The second graders made army ant rulers as we started our exploration of the metric system of measurement. We have new workplaces all about measuring in centimeters as well as adding and subtracting within 500. We are also still working on adding and subtracting money. The Unit 6 test went home this week, so check your student's mail if you haven't seen it. I have been working on some reteaching and reassessing this week so you may have seen, or yet see a Unit 6 checkpoint come home. 

For this phonics unit the second graders are in word collector clubs where they can
talk about and share the words they find. 

Phonics:

We are having a great time being word collectors in phonics. We read two books to kick off this unit, Max's Words and The Word Collector. This unit focuses on encoding and decoding longer words so they are putting their phonics skills to work. We also get to work on building vocabulary in this unit. On Friday the second graders made some word thermometers to explore shades of meaning and we have also been sharing some of favorite new vocabulary words.

April Specials:

Weekly Update

 We celebrated World Down Syndrome Day on Friday!

Math:

The second graders took their math test on Friday! Not everyone finished it, so don't expect to see them until later in the week. They will come home with a score sheet attached. We will take the screener for the next unit on Monday. This second-to-last unit is about adding and subtracting up to three-digit numbers, including adding and subtracting money amounts. We will also revisit measurement, but this time we will explore the metric system.

The second graders worked on another quilt this week. This one was just a patchwork and so everyone got 4 squares to cut in half to make a pattern on their own square. Then we took turns laying those squares in an arrray on the floor. This project was a way to help the second graders understand that a half cut into a triangle is equal to a half cut into a rectangle if you start with the same original shape. We also made posters with words and examples to explain the idea.

Reading:

We are continuing our book clubs! The second graders have been fun reading with their friends and classmates and discussing their books. We talked about how authors choose to end their books and lessons that they teach as well as patterns across series. Next week we will continue to study author's craft in our book clubs.

Social Studies & Writing:

The second graders also took a social studies test this week. They will finish up their Hudsonville History books on Monday so I can give them an overall score. Then we will start our last full phonics unit of the year and finish up our study of the feeling word cheerful.

Important Dates:

March 31: Wing Doozy Fundraiser

3-26: Popcorn Day

April 2-12: Spring Break

Weekly Update

Looks like we are in for another round of wild weather! Thanks for continuing to send your second grader to school with a coat and boots. Sometimes the high for the day happens in the overnight hours and the temperature drops during the day making for chilly lunch and afternoon recesses. We do have some coats in the office for kids to borrow when it's cold and they don't have one, but most would rather have their own : )

Reading:

The second graders have had a successful round one of book clubs. Some of the second graders are moving to new series and some have opted to stay with the series they are on. This week's focus for reading will be on the author's craft, so we will have two book clubs doing author studies. It will be fun to hear these book clubs share about the patterns they see across books that don't have the same characters but are by the same author and how they are similar to or different from a series of books that are all about the same character. We will talk about how authors write endings and what authors are trying to teach.

We have also been reading the March Madness books. So far we have read six of the sixteen in the tournament. Ask your child which ones have won their matchups and what his or her favorite has been.

Math:

The second graders have been studying shapes as well as working on area and fractions. The two shapes that give second graders the most trouble are the pentagon and hexagon. We will be reviewing these  a ton this coming week because the unit test will be on Friday. Students will be expected to identify shares and give a reason for their answer. They will also need to know halves and fourths, so we will review those equal parts of shapes this week as well.

Writing & Social Studies:

We have been reading, researching, and writing about the history of Hudsonville. The second graders are almost done writing their own informational books about the history of Hudsonville. We will wrap up this unit this week by finishing books and taking a test. 

Upcoming dates:

3-16 Hearing screening

3-20 Early Release Day

3-20 We will be wearing our tie-dye socks to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day on 3-21

4-2 to 4-12 Spring Break