June Updates
We are nearing the end of the year! Check out some photos of fun measurement activities we did, and also photos of field day from last week. Tomorrow morning (June 9th) is School Fair from 9-11. Then on Thursday we have our field trip to Northfield Mountain. It is a busy and exciting time of year!
Math Photos and Field Day!
End of April Updates
Reading
We have started Unit 5 in reading, which is our last one of the year! You should be getting Unit 4 Benchmark test scores in the next week or so. Our first story of Unit 5 was about firefighters, so on Thursday before vacation we had a firefighter come in to answer student questions and show us his truck!
Math
We have been working on telling time, and now we are starting to collect and analyze data. This week students will be coming up with survey questions to ask first graders. After they collect their data in a tally chart, throughout the week they will use it to make a pictograph and a bar graph. Finally they will analyze their graphs. We’ll also be using Venn diagrams and line plots to represent data. Our next chapter (9), which we’ll start in another week or two, will be all about measurement!
Social Studies
Our animal reports are finished! Students worked very hard on every step of their research projects. If you haven’t had a chance to come see our savanna and jungle murals, you should check them out. This week we will finish our mini-unit on African crafts. That will conclude our Africa studies.
Field Trip
We had a wonderful trip to the Springfield Science Museum on April 8th. Check out the photos!
Science
Upcoming science units: plants and pond! Before break we planted three trays of flowers that are sitting on a light table in our classroom. These flowers will be planted in downtown Greenfield as part of a special community service project that second graders are doing through the Just Roots organization. We are planning an early June field trip to visit Just Roots and then plant our flowers on Main Street. More details will be coming. We will also be planting sunflowers, marigolds, and a variety of potatoes in our school garden.
We also study ponds in the spring. We will be getting tadpole eggs to observe soon, and we will be taking a field trip to Northfield for a pond program on June 12th – details to come.
Important Dates
Friday, May 2nd – Spaghetti Supper
Friday, May 9th – All School Meeting
Friday, May 23rd – All School Meeting
Friday, May 23rd – Half Day
Tuesday, June 3rd – Field Day
Thursday, June 12th – Pond Field Trip to Northfield
Monday, June 16th – Half Day
Tuesday, June 17th – Half Day
Wednesday, June 18th – Last Day of School, Half Day
More June events will be added to the calendar as they are announced.
We have started Unit 5 in reading, which is our last one of the year! You should be getting Unit 4 Benchmark test scores in the next week or so. Our first story of Unit 5 was about firefighters, so on Thursday before vacation we had a firefighter come in to answer student questions and show us his truck!
Math
We have been working on telling time, and now we are starting to collect and analyze data. This week students will be coming up with survey questions to ask first graders. After they collect their data in a tally chart, throughout the week they will use it to make a pictograph and a bar graph. Finally they will analyze their graphs. We’ll also be using Venn diagrams and line plots to represent data. Our next chapter (9), which we’ll start in another week or two, will be all about measurement!
Social Studies
Our animal reports are finished! Students worked very hard on every step of their research projects. If you haven’t had a chance to come see our savanna and jungle murals, you should check them out. This week we will finish our mini-unit on African crafts. That will conclude our Africa studies.
Field Trip
We had a wonderful trip to the Springfield Science Museum on April 8th. Check out the photos!
Science
Upcoming science units: plants and pond! Before break we planted three trays of flowers that are sitting on a light table in our classroom. These flowers will be planted in downtown Greenfield as part of a special community service project that second graders are doing through the Just Roots organization. We are planning an early June field trip to visit Just Roots and then plant our flowers on Main Street. More details will be coming. We will also be planting sunflowers, marigolds, and a variety of potatoes in our school garden.
We also study ponds in the spring. We will be getting tadpole eggs to observe soon, and we will be taking a field trip to Northfield for a pond program on June 12th – details to come.
Important Dates
Friday, May 2nd – Spaghetti Supper
Friday, May 9th – All School Meeting
Friday, May 23rd – All School Meeting
Friday, May 23rd – Half Day
Tuesday, June 3rd – Field Day
Thursday, June 12th – Pond Field Trip to Northfield
Monday, June 16th – Half Day
Tuesday, June 17th – Half Day
Wednesday, June 18th – Last Day of School, Half Day
More June events will be added to the calendar as they are announced.
Early March Updates
Hello families! It is hard to believe it is March, but it's great to know spring is coming soon!
Our class lead a singing activity at All School Meeting on Friday 3/14/14. The next All-School Meeting is March 28th, 2014.
Mark Your Calendar
Friday March 21st and 28th are half-days due to Parent/Guardian-Teacher Conferences.
Math
This week we reviewed two-digit addition and subtraction, and on Friday we took the chapter 1-6 test. Next week we begin a fun unit on geometry and fractions!
Also, last week we began "Walk to Math" on Thursday afternoons. This is a chance for all first and second grade students to group according to their number sense, and what they are ready to learn. Ask your child what they have been doing in Walk to Math.
Africa Studies
We have been busy working on African animal research. Each child chose an African animal, and we have been reading about our animals. We began taking notes about our animal's habitat and body on Wednesday.
Take a look at these photos from Grandparents' Day and animal research.
Hello families! It is hard to believe it is March, but it's great to know spring is coming soon!
Our class lead a singing activity at All School Meeting on Friday 3/14/14. The next All-School Meeting is March 28th, 2014.
Mark Your Calendar
Friday March 21st and 28th are half-days due to Parent/Guardian-Teacher Conferences.
Math
This week we reviewed two-digit addition and subtraction, and on Friday we took the chapter 1-6 test. Next week we begin a fun unit on geometry and fractions!
Also, last week we began "Walk to Math" on Thursday afternoons. This is a chance for all first and second grade students to group according to their number sense, and what they are ready to learn. Ask your child what they have been doing in Walk to Math.
Africa Studies
We have been busy working on African animal research. Each child chose an African animal, and we have been reading about our animals. We began taking notes about our animal's habitat and body on Wednesday.
Take a look at these photos from Grandparents' Day and animal research.
Africa Studies Begin!
Last week we started learning about Africa, a big continent surrounded by the Pacific and Indian Oceans. We have also been busy preparing for the Showcase this Friday! Today we learned about the repetition and improvisation that is common in African music.
We watched the following short videos that I'm posting for you to check out ...
African Drummer Kids:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNtrfcU_Esk
African Music Solo Improvisation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9ufZQ-DRV4
One of our showcase songs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG9jbUvNcME
Pete Seeger singing an African folktale/song Abiyoyo:
http://youtu.be/ovaRSnHfzQw
We watched the following short videos that I'm posting for you to check out ...
African Drummer Kids:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNtrfcU_Esk
African Music Solo Improvisation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9ufZQ-DRV4
One of our showcase songs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG9jbUvNcME
Pete Seeger singing an African folktale/song Abiyoyo:
http://youtu.be/ovaRSnHfzQw
Happy New Year!
I hope everyone had a great winter break. Here's a photo from Pajama Day! Check out the V.I.P. page, newly updated for 2014, info also to be sent home.
Before the break we spent three weeks learning about different festivals of lights around the world, including Hanukkah, Divali, and Christmas. Here are some photos of the children making rangolis (colored rice designs) for Divali. Also included are pictures of some of the glass jars children decorated as lamps for Divali.
It's December!
A new Home Practice Choices list is in journals beginning today. Check out the Geography Games link!
Thank you, families, for your support with the Family Origins and Disguise a Turkey projects.
Fall Garden Clean Up Day
Students worked hard for about an hour on Friday cleaning up 3 beds in our garden and getting them ready for winter. We found lots of worms and insects and spiders along the way!
Reading with our Kindergarten Buddies!
We are buddies with Ms. Scagel's kindergarten class. Last Thursday we visited our buddies to read together.
Math Games: Working on Fact Families
Leaf Men
After reading Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert, the children each created their own leaf man and wrote a story about him or her. You'll see them in the hallway when you come for conferences!
Building Imaginary Insects - 9/26
Thank you to Kim Babineau for photographing and helping, and to Heidi Fortin and Katie Caron for manning the glue guns and helping all the kids.
Insect Field Trip
We had a wonderful time at Northfield on Friday and observed lots of insects!
Check out the photos!
Check out the photos!
Incredible Insects Field Trip Announcement!
- Next Friday (September 20th) we will be going on a field trip to Northfield Mountain to learn about
insects from 9:15-11:50.
- Students will examine, live and up-close, the fascinating world of insects in an autumn field.
- Please have your child wear long sleeves, long pants and sneakers or boots.
- We will be eating snack at Northfield. Please make sure to send your child to school
with a snack. We are leaving at 9:15
and will be back in time for lunch at 11:50.
- We would appreciate parent volunteers. All volunteers must have a CORI completed annually Please come to the main office with your drivers license to initiate the process- it can take a few weeks so the sooner the better.
The Peace Book
On Wednesday, we talked about peace. We read two books (see the photo captions for descriptions) about peace and discussed the importance of resolving problems peacefully. Then each child decorated a peace flag with an image or images of what they think of when they think about peace. Soon the flags will be hanging in our classroom!
First 5 Days Activities
Take a look at what second graders have been up to during our first days together!
Scavenger Hunt
Exploring Math Materials
Friendly Interview
Students interviewed a classmate to find out more about him or her. They discovered a lot of things they had in common with their buddy!
Welcome to Second Grade!
More information to come ... See you soon!
- Ms. Wolfson