Reminders:
There will be no school on Thursday, October 23 (Diwali) or Friday, October 24 (family conference day).
Would you still like to meet for a conference but didn’t sign up on our document? Reach out directly to your child’s classroom teacher to find a time to set up a time to meet and discuss your second grader.
If you would like to volunteer to lead a Pease Mountain hike, please check out the Pease Mountain sign up.
Readers’ Workshop: We wrapped up our mini-retell unit this week! We learned that readers have two important jobs: to figure out the words and to think about what they are reading. Retelling helps us do this! We practiced stopping throughout a story to retell the important parts in order, which deepens comprehension and helps us remember what we’ve read. We also explored how understanding the setting (the where and when of the story) and characters (the who of the story) helps us picture and connect to it more deeply.
Some of our favorite read-alouds included Caps for Sale, Big Al, The Snowy Day, The Relatives Came, The Paper Bag Princess, and Julius, the Baby of the World.
We have now launched a new bend in reading where readers learn to “read like writers.” Each time we have a reaction to a story, we’re asking, “How did the author do that?”
Writers’ Workshop: In writing, we focused on making our sentences strong and clear by learning about subjects and predicates– every sentence needs both! We also practiced editing our work as a class and independently, making sure each piece had punctuation, capitalization, and spelling that looks “like a second grader’s best try.” Students have been proud to see their writing grow stronger and more polished each week!
Word Study: We officially wrapped up Unit 1, which focused on closed syllables, short vowels, and the /k/ sound. Students practiced recognizing closed syllables (where a single vowel is “closed in” by a consonant and the vowel makes a short wound), and they became experts at identifying and spelling words that fit these patterns. We celebrated the end of our unit with assessment and reflection on how far our word knowledge has come! Families who’d like to learn more about the specific skills in each unit can find the Family Support Letter linked on the side panel of our classroom blog.
Math: In math, we’ve been building fluency with addition and subtraction facts within 20 and learning strategies that help make number thinking flexible and efficient. We explored doubles and halves, doubles plus or minus one, and identified even and odd numbers. Students used these strategies in hands-on and authentic ways, such as figuring out how many ways we could seat guests at a dinner party– a fun challenge in logic and reasoning!
We also played games like Battling Bugs and What’s the Difference?, which gave us the chance to practice our new skills while having fun and working together.
Science: We kicked off our new Properties of Matter unit! Students read the book “Matter” by Abbie Dunne and learned that matter is anything that takes up space. We explored the three states of matter– solid, liquid, and gas– and discussed how scientists use the properties of materials to classify (describe and sort) objects. Students have been eager to observe and use descriptive language like “hard”, “flexible”, “shiny”, “dull”, “rough”, and “smooth” to describe the materials around them.
Project- LatinX Heritage Month: Our class learned about the incredible artist Frida Kahlo. We learned about her life, her art, and how she expressed herself through self-portraits. Students then created their own self-portraits inspired by Frida’s bold colors and storytelling style. Want to learn more about Frida Kahlo, check out this video we watched as a class.
Second Step: This week’s lesson, Being Assertive, focused on how to ask for what we need in a calm and respectful way. Students learned that being assertive means using a confident voice—not passive, not aggressive—to get help, solve problems, and stand up for themselves or others. We discussed real-life scenarios and practiced identifying the right adults to ask for help. This skill supports both academic success and healthy friendships.
Quiet Time Vacations:
New Game Alert!!!
Second graders learned a new card game this week, Trash. This game is not only fun but reinforces incredibly important number sense. Need an activity for a rainy day? Give Trash a try! Check out this website for complete instructions!
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