January News

Happy New Year!  2015 has gotten off to a strong start in our classroom.  We've been busy as always.  Here's what's going on in second grade this month!

We are continuing unit 4 in math.  Students have been learning many different strategies for subtracting two and three-digit numbers.  We've looked at the traditional method of borrowing, and have also practiced counting up from the smaller number.  Students are encouraged to subtract using whatever methods work best for them.  Thank you for all your support at home with this important skill!  Throughout the next week, we will practice using the strategies learned in trickier story problems, including those with multiple steps.  There are several links to the right that are for math subtraction games.  Check them out! 

During our Writer's Workshop, students continue to practice writing personal narratives.  Over the past couple of weeks, we have had discussions about writing with intent and using "tips and tricks" from well-known children's authors like Jane Yolen.  Students are encouraged to use comparisons in their writing, look in different resources to find meaningful words that bring out the mood of a story, and revise writing to make it sound better and better.  I love seeing the stories your 2nd graders are writing about their lives!  We will wrap up our narrative writing unit in a few weeks. 

In language arts, we continue to work with the 2nd grade sight word list in our classroom.  We should be ready to begin our next spelling unit next Wednesday.  During our read-aloud time, we are reading a variety of picture books that have been nominated for the 2015 Bill Martin Junior award.  Our class will have the opportunity to vote on our favorite book the first week of February.  It's been a lot of fun reading some new, great literature!  We are also getting ready to begin one of my favorite books...Mr. Popper's Penguins.

This week, we are finishing up our unit on the "Wild West".  Students have been learning about the historical significance of the Pony Express in the 1800s and comparing communication methods from that time period to communication methods today.  For Social Studies next week, students will look at the life of Martin Luther King Junior.  After that, we will move into our next big science unit.  For the first time this year, second graders will be studying water.  Students will work with assigned partners to prepare a short presentation for the class about an experiment that can be done with water.  More information on this project will be coming home soon.

By the beginning of next week, I hope to be finished with January testing in reading and math.  If you have questions about your child's progress that you would like to discuss before conferences at the end of February, please don't hesitate to contact me.  I'd love to talk with you! 

Please make note of the following dates on your calendars.  As always, thank you for all you do to support our classroom!  Have a great afternoon!

January 16 - Bobcat Buck Party - Hot Cocoa Celebration

January 19 - No School - MLK Day

January 29 - Birthday Breakfast (moved to a Thursday this month) - Happy birthday, Kinsey and Elaina!

February 20 - No School

February 25-26 - Parent Teacher Conferences

February 26-27 - No School