Wow, we have come to the final week of the semester! Second grade is halfway done, how crazy is that? It's been a wonderful few months of learning and I am excited for the spring semester and the experiences we will have. Kids will learning about folk tales, 2 and 3 digit addition and subtraction, and multiplication and division. We will be completing a research project as a class and then they will get the chance to create their own project later in the semester. Thank you for all of your support so far and I am looking forward for the months to come!
A change that will be occurring is we will no longer have weekly spelling tests. Round Rock ISD has changed its philosophy on phonics education and has purchased a phonics curriculum for all second grade teachers. The lessons will be similar, students will be learning about different spelling patterns, contractions, high-frequency words, and vocabulary words, but there just won't be an end-of-week- test like there was this semester. The assessments will be more based on observation and application along with a few check-ins here and there. You won't see a spelling list coming home each week, but please still ask your child what pattern they learned about in class that day. Ask them to spell a few words that use that pattern and look for the pattern in the books they are reading. I am very excited about these changes and look forward to putting them into practice!
This week we are finishing up some holiday projects, including our Grinch letters and a very special gift for you! We will be taking our assessment on measurement before spending the rest of the week playing review games and activities. We will finish learning about energy while creating an energy robot that has multiple sources of sound, light, and heat energy.
Our holiday party is on Wednesday at 12:15. I hope you will come join the fun! Please also send in a wrapped book for our book exchange.
Winter Break begins on Thursday, December 20th and school resumes on January 8th.
Kids will need a new set of crayons and markers for next semester. Ours have worn out over the course of the semester. Please plan on sending in a box of each in January. Sending in an extra box for a child who can't bring one is always appreciated.
Happy Holidays, everyone! Hopefully I'll see you next week, but if I don't, have a very restful and merry holiday.
Friday, December 14, 2018
Friday, December 7, 2018
December 10-14
Writing:
We have a little bit of work to do to finish our letters. Students have done a fantastic job of thinking of a real problem in our community or school and coming up with actionable suggestions to fix the problem. It's so exciting to see kids take an interest in bettering our community! After we finish the letters, we are writing a completely different type of letter: to the Grinch! We are going to think about how we can cheer him up this holiday season and write a letter explaining our suggestions.
Reading:
We have two more Leo Lionni books to read. Kids have been enjoying finding similarities and differences between his books. After we finish our Leo Lionni books, we will begin wrapping up the semester with a review on everything we've learned, including retelling a story, character traits, main idea, and fiction versus nonfiction.
Math:
Last week we studied the customary system of measurement and this week we are focusing on the metric system. Students will measure items in centimeters and meters. We will have a race car derby where we will measure how far the car rolled! Students will also learn about the inverse relationship between the size of the unit and the number of units needed.
Science:
We are focusing on energy. Students will learn how they can increase or decrease energy to make a change in a material. We will focus on thermal, sound, and light energy.
Reminders:
Book Fair this week!
International Festival: Thursday, 6pm. Book Fair is open late that night!
We have a little bit of work to do to finish our letters. Students have done a fantastic job of thinking of a real problem in our community or school and coming up with actionable suggestions to fix the problem. It's so exciting to see kids take an interest in bettering our community! After we finish the letters, we are writing a completely different type of letter: to the Grinch! We are going to think about how we can cheer him up this holiday season and write a letter explaining our suggestions.
Reading:
We have two more Leo Lionni books to read. Kids have been enjoying finding similarities and differences between his books. After we finish our Leo Lionni books, we will begin wrapping up the semester with a review on everything we've learned, including retelling a story, character traits, main idea, and fiction versus nonfiction.
Math:
Last week we studied the customary system of measurement and this week we are focusing on the metric system. Students will measure items in centimeters and meters. We will have a race car derby where we will measure how far the car rolled! Students will also learn about the inverse relationship between the size of the unit and the number of units needed.
Science:
We are focusing on energy. Students will learn how they can increase or decrease energy to make a change in a material. We will focus on thermal, sound, and light energy.
Reminders:
Book Fair this week!
International Festival: Thursday, 6pm. Book Fair is open late that night!
Sunday, December 2, 2018
December 3-7
Writing:
This week we are writing for change! We will identify problems in our communities and students will write letters persuading someone to make a change. Students will practice letter writing skills and persuasion skills and have the chance to be an active member of their community.
Reading:
We are studying one my all-time favorite authors this week: Leo Lionni. We will be reading several books written by him and will compare and contrast the main characters, problems, solutions, and themes. We will also look at how he illustrates his books and look for similarities and differences.
Math:
It's going to be a long week as we focus on measurement. We will start with the customary system of measurement and students will practice measuring objects using inches, feet, and yards. Students will practice estimating the length of object before choosing the appropriate unit of measurement to measure it.
Social Studies/ Science:
We are finishing up our study of good citizenship and government with a look at the traits we think are important for a president to possess. Students will fill out a "Wanted" poster with traits they think are important in a president. Then we are starting a new unit in science where we are looking at how objects move- do they roll, spin, or slide, or can they do a combination?
Question of the week: What is your favorite Leo Lionni book? Why is it your favorite?
Reminders:
Special Library checkout- the last one of the semester! Wednesday, December 5th
This week we are writing for change! We will identify problems in our communities and students will write letters persuading someone to make a change. Students will practice letter writing skills and persuasion skills and have the chance to be an active member of their community.
Reading:
We are studying one my all-time favorite authors this week: Leo Lionni. We will be reading several books written by him and will compare and contrast the main characters, problems, solutions, and themes. We will also look at how he illustrates his books and look for similarities and differences.
Math:
It's going to be a long week as we focus on measurement. We will start with the customary system of measurement and students will practice measuring objects using inches, feet, and yards. Students will practice estimating the length of object before choosing the appropriate unit of measurement to measure it.
Social Studies/ Science:
We are finishing up our study of good citizenship and government with a look at the traits we think are important for a president to possess. Students will fill out a "Wanted" poster with traits they think are important in a president. Then we are starting a new unit in science where we are looking at how objects move- do they roll, spin, or slide, or can they do a combination?
Question of the week: What is your favorite Leo Lionni book? Why is it your favorite?
Reminders:
Special Library checkout- the last one of the semester! Wednesday, December 5th
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