Friday, October 18, 2024

Reminders:

Please join our narrative writing open house on Tuesday, October 22, 2024. Our doors will be open from 7:30-8:15 AM.


No school Friday, November 1, 2024 in observance of Diwali

Math: Our mathematicians have been working to develop fluency of number facts to 20 and apply facts to 20 in story problem contexts. Students have used multiple models including number racks, bead strings, and math hands. Helping to solidify your child’s fluency of combinations to 10 using their math hands (fingers) is a great way to support your child at home! Second graders learned about seven different strategies mathematicians use to recall addition facts.



Word Study: This week in word study reviewed the bonus letter spelling pattern. The letters s, l, f, and sometimes z get doubled or bonused when they are the last letter of a one syllable word and they IMMEDIATELY follow a short vowel. See the example below! We also learned about glued sounds and practiced reading and spelling words with this pattern. For more information about unit 2, check out the Family Support Letter in our blog!





Writers’ Workshop & Readers’ Workshop: We have combined our writing and reading work over the last two weeks! Students have been scouring the text they read for craft moves that are powerful. We are getting excited for our Open House!







SEL/Theme: This week we appreciated the beautiful scenery surrounding us as autumn settles over Vermont. In celebration of all things foliage, we created our own fall trees and acrostic poems to decorate our hallways.



In Second Step we learned that listening is a critical skill for learning. In this lesson, students practiced focusing their attention and learned specific ways to be good listeners. Students need good attention and listening skills to focus on what their teacher says, hear directions, and understand lessons. Focusing-attention and listening skills can also help students get along with peers.

Science: Questioning leads scientists to observe more, conduct investigations & experiments and record their findings. Scientists are curious! Our second graders were curious as they explored the question, ‘Why leaves change in the fall?’ We let our curiosity bring us outside where we observed leaves. In our science journals we used a KWL chart to organize what we already knew about leaves as well as what we wondered and wanted to know more about this phenomenon. Next week we will explore this question by learning from experts.

Digital Citizenship Week: Each October, Common Sense leads Digital Citizenship Week, an annual campaign to promote a healthy, balanced, and positive approach to media and tech use among young people.

This week students discussed the amazing possibilities that come with using technology. With the help of the Digital Citizens we learned as a class about how to be safe, responsible, and respectful when traveling through the online world. With so much information at our fingertips, students learn what it means to "give credit" when using content they find online. Taking on the role of a detective, students learn why it's important to give credit and the right ways to do it when they use words, images, or ideas that belong to others. Check out the Digital Citizens below!



Arms: Use your arms when you're online to balance your time.

Guts: Listen to your gut to stay safe online.

Feet: Use your feet carefully when leaving tracks online.



Legs: Use your legs to stand up to bullies online.

Heart: Use your heart to be kind and respectful online.

Head: Use your head to ask questions about what you see online.

Quiet Time: Our students have ‘traveled’ far these past two weeks!

Here are some photos from our time together!