Dear Second Grade Families,
Happy Friday! It’s a bit hard to believe it is already November!
This week, the engineering spirit was alive and well in second grade! Your children made hats to protect themselves from the elements after a shipwreck stranded them on a deserted island! They designed and constructed their hats using only the paper bag, plate, aluminum foil, and paper towel from the lunch they had on board (don’t worry, it wasn’t really trash!), along with some ship material like string and clips. So much creativity! Students even convinced me to let them use glue by persuading me that there was a sticky plant on the island! Great work, second graders! A few pictures are attached.
Also this week, we welcomed back Ms. Andie from the Alameda Free Library! She read the class a book called “Facts vs Opinions vs Robots” to underscore what we’ve been learning through our opinion writing and get us ready for some informational writing in the weeks ahead. 🙂
Below is our weekly update:
Focus Areas for Our Learning Next Week:
- Reading – Students continue book club, with a focus on retelling key details, connecting events (cause and effect), and using context to understand vocabulary. Fluent reading (reading at an appropriate pace with accuracy and expression) is always a focus for all students.
- Grammar/Spelling – In Superkids, students will practice decoding words with ear, ar, and or spellings for the /ėr/ sound. We will also practice making comparisons by adding -er and -est to base words.
- Writing – The class will discuss informational texts and review facts versus opinions. Students will begin research for an informational paragraph. We will also discuss main ideas versus supporting details.
- Math –Students create and use number lines as a measuring tool. They will use increments such as 5s and 10s and practice the skill of measuring objects in the classroom with accuracy.
- Religion – We will finish our chapter about Jesus, the Son of God. Students will reflect on Bible stories that demonstrate Jesus’ mercy. Jesus is the greatest sign of God’s love for us.
- Science – We will reinforce the ideas that materials have different properties and that certain materials are more useful for certain purposes. Using their knowledge about the properties of different materials, students will identify the properties they would want to have in different types of clothing.
- Social Studies – The class will learn about globes, map keys, and the compass rose. We will discuss different types of maps and why they may be used to support our understanding about a place. We will also identify the Earth’s continents and oceans and do an art project to support our learning.
Other Updates for this Week:
- Star Testing: The second STAR tests are this week – STAR reading on Monday and STAR math on Tuesday. Please make sure your child has a good night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast each day. 🙂
- Dates to remember:
- Wednesday, Nov. 10th: Noon dismissal, teacher PD
- Thursday, Nov. 11th: No School – Veterans Day
- Friday, Nov. 12th: End of the 1st Trimester
- Nov. 15th-19th: Scholastic Book Fair
- Tuesday, Nov. 16th – Free Dress for November Birthdays
- Friday, Nov. 19th: Report Cards
- Nov. 22nd-26th: Thanksgiving Break
We hope you enjoy the weekend and look forward to seeing our students on Monday!
All the best,
Catherine
