Weekly News 10-31-25

 Weekly News for 2-P 10-31-25

         100 Mile Challenge Update!!!

          Hello Families, Mr. Hutchings here!  Here is an amazing opportunity to earn miles at home for the 100 Mile Challenge!.  Sign up for the November challenge at this link November 100 Mile Challenge Link and earn up to 10 miles!  They will be logged through the site when you enter which allows me to see it and add it to their totals in school. Every month I will put out a challenge to earn some miles at home!  I hope this gets the whole family moving!  Thank you all!  

   

*We are moving through Unit 4 of Reveal Math. We are working hard on problem solving. Our focus has been on representing and solving “add to” problems, “take from” problems, “put together” and “take apart problems,” as well as two step number stories. Students are making great strides creating equations that help them find the unknown number. 

*During reading workshop we read a lot of informational how-to books that give step-by-step directions on how to do or make something. We learned the characteristics of this genre and read many examples so that we could write our own.

*In writing workshop we published our realistic fiction stories by typing them in Google Docs! Students were VERY excited to type their own work. We shared our published pieces and had many proud authors! We switched to informational writing and chose topics for our own how-to books. On a brainstorming chart we planned our introduction, middle (the steps) and conclusion and then composed our first drafts. We will revise and edit these next week.

*Our spelling pattern this week was high frequency words. Next up is silent e words.  Our phonics work focused on the open/closed syllable words and -dge and -tch endings.

*In Social Studies we worked on the parts of a map (key, legend, compass rose). We also learned to use a map grid and answer questions about a map using map tools. 

*We kicked off an exciting new program using Pebble-Go, called PebbleTown, which is an amazing digital research tool designed for kids. This program encourages students to research topics of interest and keep track of their new learning. We use Pebble-Go to help all students access informational text at their level and the kids were so enthusiastic about all the facts they were learning on new topics!

Doing some fun choice activities on Friday

Search and Find Fun with a snack break

We learned all about the many bones in our hands and did this fun multi-step art project!

Buddy reading

We found GIANT feathers blown down on Friday!

Spooky Eyeball math!

Tracing the bones in our hands

Comparing Booklets in math

Pebble Go Partner work

We used Pebble Go for research!

Weekly News 10-24-25

 Weekly News for 2-P 10-24-25

*Sneakers Tuesdays for PE and water bottles every day 

*Library books due back on Mondays

      *Thank you to the PTA for sponsoring our amazing Chewonki visit, "Mammals of Maine!"

*In math we learned how to solve word problems using addition and subtraction equations. Part of this is reading a problem carefully to figure out what the unknown quantity is. We used “part-part-whole” diagrams to help us organize our information.

*During reading workshop we continued to read a lot of realistic fiction and identify its traits as a genre. Kids had a lot of fun choosing their own realistic fiction books to explore and this helped them write stories that fit into this category.

*In writing we drafted our realistic fiction stories after mapping out characters, setting, plot and the beginning, middle and end. We also wrote our full drafts and learned how to do a peer writing conference. We revised for organization and ideas.  Our grammar tie-in was learning to use pronouns to replace proper nouns in our writing!

*Our phonics work focused on open and closed syllables. In spelling we focused on -ng and -nk digraphs. 

*Our Go2 Science work brought us to the end of the mission. The crew uncovered more artifacts at the dig site and walked to the island at low tide, then explored underwater once the tide came back in. We are busily examining our data to see if we think the hypothesis is true or false.

*Our social studies work this week focused on the types of communities: rural, urban and suburban. We worked to identify what you might find in each type of community. We enjoyed a virtual helicopter ride over 6 communities and we identified every single one correctly, providing evidence for whether it was rural, urban or suburban.

Showing what we know about community types

We "rode in a helicopter" over 6 communities and showed evidence of how we identified them.

Community work in social studies

Working with partners on a social studies project

We created a visual model of rural, urban and suburban (not crowded to very crowded)

Mrs. Saufler taught us the great song "Tony Chestnut" in Guidance!

Getting in some laps for the 100 mile challenge before writing!

Practicing some dribbling

Writing partners sharing the dialogue they added to their stories

Gorgeous weather Thursday at recess!

Breaking words into syllables to spell accurately

Our writing planner this week to help us get organized

Phitus from Chewonki came to visit!

He loves to eat broccoli, collard greens and other veggies.

We loved learning from Sam all about mammals of Maine.

We had lots of chances to explore artifacts.

We couldn't believe the size of the moose bones!

Sam brought lots of skulls for us to explore.

We were able to feel the animal skins.

Writing partners hard at work

Weekly News 10-17-25

 Weekly News for 2-P 10-17-25

*Sneakers Tuesdays for PE 

*Library books due back on Mondays

        

*This week we completed the unit 3 test in math that focused on number patterns. We grew our skills by counting by 2,s 5s, and 10s within 3 digit numbers. We will continue to practice that skill as it can be a tricky one. We also practiced making arrays and equal addition sentences. Our next unit will center on problem solving strategies. 

*During reading workshop we worked on reading realistic fiction and identified this genre as books that are made up, but COULD really happen. We read a lot of realistic fiction - we are  tackling this genre in writing workshop so this helped us get prepared.

*In writing workshop we took our folk tales through revision and editing and published them. We did final copies in booklets with covers and had a lovely time sharing our illustrated folk tales with friends! Then we started to plan our realistic fiction stories, by using a chart to plot out the characters, setting, problem and beginning, middle and ending!  We wrote our first drafts on Friday and will have another week to revise, edit and publish.

*We did -all and -alk words in spelling. During UFLI phonics we worked on -ed endings and -ing endings.

*Our Go2 Science work had us exploring lots of artifacts found at the dig site. We saw evidence of Indigenous People through shards of pottery, pipes and canoes. We also got to see Beth and Curtis explore a tidal area and search for mola mola! We are gathering evidence to help support or refute the hypothesis. Next week is our last week of the mission and we will need to analyze all the data we have collected.

*We continued our social studies unit on geography by exploring communities. We drew our houses and labeled who lives in them and also drew a community, complete with a place to live, work, play and get problems solved! We brainstormed ways problems can get solved in a community setting and made badges to represent our community.

Community Badges

In Art we painted our pumpkin for the pumpkin decorating contest. We chose Lulu from a book we love!

Mr. Collins shows us all the tools on the ambulance.

Fire truck photo!

We used this chart to plan our realistic fiction stories.

Folk tale sample!

We liked seeing how everything worked on the ambulance!

We learned about all the tools.

Playing Array Concentration in math!

It's so helpful to see the firefighters in their equipment.

Fire hats are heavy!

Got a match!

We drew important community locations.

In Guidance we learned what it means to collaborate!

We made secret handshakes too!

Playing UP AND DOWN in math

Beth and Curtis found so many cool artifacts in Go2 Science.

We speculated about each artifact.

A new math game is always fun!

More secret handshakes

Sharing our folk tales

Publishing is lots of work!

We are learning to provide evidence in book responses.