Thursday, March 28, 2013

Wednesday and Thursday

We are almost done with our biography reports!  The projects are rolling in and they are fantastic!  In reading today, we read the beginning of Thank You Mr. Falker. We will finish tomorrow.  This is an important book about how we all need help and that it's okay to ask for help. This is a theme that we have been discussing at length in 2F.

Today, we switched rooms and mixed up for WIN groups. This cycle the lessons are involving Word Work.  Some children are using word wall words, some are working on vocabulary lessons, while others are doing some intense phonics work.

In math, we are working through mental math strategies. Students are learning how to add and subtract large numbers in their heads using the following strategies: Add/Subtract the ones, tens, and hundreds and Make Tens/Hundreds.  I am impressed by students' abilities to add and subtract in their heads!

The BFG is a fun book to read aloud!

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Monday and Tuesday

Greetings from 2F!

We are so busy lately.  Students are working hard on their Write about Reading letters. They are learning how to use templates on the computer to guide them in writing a reading response letter. So exciting! Also, we've been typing our portfolio reflections as well as our biography reports. For the biography reports, we've learned about how to change the lead to something that will grab the reader.  Today, we learned about wrap around endings. This is an important way to end our papers that ties it up nicely, referring to something mentioned in the lead. Tomorrow we will learn about how to make our sentences varied. There is some amazing revision happening!

In math, we are sharpening our mental math strategies. Students are learning strategies such as add the ones, add the tens, add the hundreds, make a ten and make a hundred to help them add in their heads. Tomorrow, we look at mental math with subtraction.

Biography projects are coming in!  It's so exciting! I'll put videos of the students presenting their work on this blog later in the week.  Second graders are so excited about doing projects!  I love their enthusiasm.

Friday, March 15, 2013

Friday

Where has this week gone?  It has been a blur, for sure.  3 of us in my house have been sick with the stomach bug (yuck) as well as a bad cold.  Thankfully, we are on the mend. 

Today, was a catch up day in many ways. We had a math test on measurement and we're done with this unit. We're on to Mental Math and Estimation! 

Many of us finished writing our first drafts of our biography reports. We will look at how to revise them next week. In word work, we learned the new word wall words for the week (better late than never!)  I usually introduce them on Tuesday, but, like I said this week was crazy!

This afternoon, we were in the computer lab working on our Write about Reading letters. Some of us began portfolio work as well.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Tuesday

It feels like it's been forever since I've seen your children.  Between the snow day on Friday and then me out yesterday, I was glad to get back to the routine.  Both of my girls have been sick so Mrs. Jones covered for me yesterday so I could stay home with them.

Today, we had a "normal" day.  In writing, we did a shared writing where I'm showing them how to write a biography report. We talked about an exciting lead, a middle that has details and some personal comments, and a conclusion that wraps it all up.  We will look at this tomorrow again and students should be on their way writing their own. 

In reading, I showed students how to do this week's Write about Reading. This week, they are writing actual letters to me about the books they are reading. We are using a template on Kidspiration to do this, therefore, they are done on the computer.  We had guided reading and did the work board.  In word work, I read a book about suffixes.

This afternoon, we talked about using bar models to help us solve word problems using measurement.  I also did a few math assessments.

Please remember our field trip on Thursday morning. Students need cans of soup and permission slips.
Thank you!

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Thursday

Please don't forget to come to the Celebration of the Arts tonight at the high school.  Students from HMS (2 in our class) will be performing at 5:30 in the auditorium.  There will also be student artwork on display in the cafeteria.  This is a fabulous night.  I hope to see you there!

Students are being asked to bring a can of soup on the day of the Stone Soup play (Thursday).  All soup cans will be donated to the Hopkinton Food Pantry. 

Today, we began our day with math.  We are comparing lengths using centimeters.  We worked in our handwriting books as well.  In reading, Mrs. Jones read a book called Bartholomew and the Oobleck. Students were asked to visualize two times, once in the middle of the story and once at the end.  Next, students worked on their own Write about Reading using the strategy of visualizing. 

This afternoon, we began to discuss the important components of a written biography report.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Wednesday

Happy Read Across America Day!  We had our traditional assembly where Mr. Carozza reads Green Eggs and Ham and the audience participates.  I think this is the best assembly!  Our class got to hold up umbrellas to represent reading "in the rain".  It was great!  That was at the end of the day.

This morning, Mrs. Clark came in and did an activity with wrap around endings in writing.  Ask your child about that!  Also, she stayed for reading time while I was at a meeting. She read The Lorax and students wrote about the problem and solution in that story.

In word work we talked about words that had letters that made the /ow/ sound.  After read aloud, we did more measuring with centimeters.

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Welcome Back!

Happy Tuesday and Welcome Back from break.  It was nice to hear about all of your adventures of the week prior yesterday during Morning Meeting.  Students seemed very happy to share and also to be back with their friends.  It's so nice to see the nice community we have here in 2F.

Today, we had a zigger zagger day because we went to see How I Became a Pirate at the Capitol Center for the Arts.  It was a musical and we sat in the balcony.  Ask your child how he/she liked it.  There were mixed reviews when we got back.  After we got back, we learned 5 new word wall words.  This afternoon, we read  The BFG, our new read aloud.  Next, we had math.  We are continuing our study of measurement.  Today, we talked about and measured things using centimeters.  Yesterday we talked about comparing lengths using meters.

I sent homework home last night.  There are the regulars: reading log and math logs.  Then, there is a March calendar to fill out as well as March Word Wall Words to study.  Another permission slip for a trip on next Thursday was sent home.  Please send that one back as soon as you can.  Thank you!

Let me know if you have questions or concerns!