Weekly News 12-8-23

 Weekly News for 2-P 12-8-23    

 *Thanks for sending coats, mittens, and hats daily as the weather turns colder. Also, please send indoor shoes daily or a pair to leave in the locker.

*We enjoyed an amazing Chewonki program on Friday morning, thanks to our generous PTA. Colleen taught us all about animal adaptations and we were very engaged as we met three live animals. Ask your child all about it!

*Our social studies work this week was on timelines and how they help us study the past. We wrote about our own past, present and future. We also began to compare and contrast homes, schools, work and toys from long ago to today. Students are making great observations in this work. They are very quick to pick up on all the changes over time. We also worked on the concept of community and who and what make up a community. 

*In math we began unit 4 and worked on telling time to the hour, half hour and then began to work on 5 minute intervals, which is more challenging. We also touched on AM and PM. One of the tricky parts with telling time is mixing up the hour and minute hands - we are practicing that!

*Our reading workshop time focused on identifying an author’s purpose. We read many books and learned to name the reason the author wrote each book: to persuade, inform or entertain. Second graders were very good at this work! 

 

*In writing workshop we finished our realistic fiction series and shared stories with each other at an author’s celebration on Friday afternoon! Next up is nonfiction writing!

*Our spelling pattern this week was long e patterns. Our phonics work was with r controlled patterns and ending patterns (y and final stable syllable words like -ble, -cle, -dle). 

First snowy recess!

We made a lot of "woodchip" snowmen!

Lots of watering this week to keep our plant experiments going

Checking the progress

Roll and Spell - a new phonics game!

Using our mini clocks during math

Partners worked on "Which one doesn't belong?" cards in math

It encourages great conversation

and flexible math thinking

Dancing to a favorite Go Noodle song!

Math partners sharing their thinking

Kids love coming up to "teach" the class!

Moving

and grooving!

We played a new math game called More, Less, Equal.

Partners speed sorted cards in piles according to place value

In Social Studies we worked on timelines.

Each student wrote about their past, present and future.

Chewonki came on Friday!

We dressed up and discussed animal adaptations.

Getting to see artifacts and touch them is fantastic!

Owl feather

Tarantula skin

Turtle shell

We met two walking sticks.

Beaver claw

Bear paw

Rapt audience members!

We were so excited to meet Luna the owl.

Author's Celebration with 2-V

Fitness Friday!

Rocking the boat pose!