Information and Forms
Hello Everyone!
It’s hard to believe that our school year is almost over! It’s really amazing to see how much they have grown throughout the year. It will certainly be difficult to say goodbye in just a few days. We wanted to give you one final update on all that we have been doing lately in second grade.
In math, the students have been working on shapes, fractions, telling time, identifying coins and solving word problems involving money, and repeated addition and arrays which help to build a foundation for multiplication in third grade. We are currently working on finishing up our last unit on measurement. Through all of the work we have done this year, particularly in our number talks, the students have built incredible number sense that allows them to see and solve problems in many different ways! They are absolutely ready for third grade math!
We completed our unit on informational writing, in which the students created several books designed to teach their readers about their topic. We focused a lot on structure and organization of information. The students also read many different nonfiction books, noticing the text features that are used in informational writing, so they could try these same craft moves in their own writing. The students really enjoyed this unit! Look forward to those books coming home very soon! We are finishing up the year with a brief unit on poetry writing. Many of the students really like this unit, as it is much more free in structure and allows the students to play around with words as an artistic tool. They are learning to use a poet’s eye to look at the world in new and different ways. It’s a great way to end the year!
Throughout the year, our big focus in reading has been on developing and utilizing comprehension strategies that support the students as they move into more complex texts. They have worked on written responses to their reading, which encourages them to listen to their inner voice as they read, and to write down their thinking with supporting evidence from the text. This is such an important skill that they will use throughout their entire educational experience (including in college!!). It has to start somewhere, so why not in grade 2! They’ve done a really great job! Many students also worked on writing nonfiction reports, or creating informational posters based on facts that they learned through the reading of nonfiction texts. In case you haven’t noticed, second graders are sponges when it comes to interesting and unusual information! It’s been fun for them to learn, and to have various platforms for sharing their knowledge!
Our big science unit this year was on engineering and design, as well as properties of matter. The students were presented with a design challenge to build a house for the 4th little pig, except the town was out of bricks and they had to use the materials that were supplied for them in our classrooms! It was a lot of fun, and the students worked cooperatively to design and create bridges, flying machines, fly catchers, and finally their house for the 4th little pig. They learned about the properties of matter, and tested various materials throughout the unit in order to develop their final house design, which we tested to see if it could stand up to the forces of water and wind. (Perhaps their greatest discovery was that duct tape fixes everything! One of life’s very important lessons!!) 😊
The students are wrapping up the year with a “Second Grade Project” of their choosing. This is a very independent project, on a topic of their choice. The only guidelines given to them was that they are asked to learn, create, write, and teach through their project. Some students are creating sculptures, others are creating posters, and some are even creating puppet shows, complete with puppets, a puppet theater, and written scripts! The freedom and choice in this project makes it so exciting for the students! As they finish, they are each presenting their project to the class, and then it will be displayed in the hall. As teachers, it has been fun to just support from the sidelines, rather than to lead the way on their projects. Second graders are amazingly creative, and super independent!
So, as you can see, we’ve been quite busy in grade 2! It has been an absolute pleasure to spend each day with your children this year! They have worked very hard, and should be so proud of the work they have accomplished. We certainly are! We wish you all a great summer, filled with fun memories! Your kids will be awesome third graders!
Best Wishes,
Mrs. Walsh & Mrs. Raccuia
Dates to Remember:
Wednesday 6/13 – Spring Music Showcase 2:00-2:45
Thursday 6/14 – Camp Jewell Field Trip
Monday 6/18 – Field Day
Friday 6/22 – Last Day of School! (1:00 dismissal)
It’s hard to believe that our school year is almost over! It’s really amazing to see how much they have grown throughout the year. It will certainly be difficult to say goodbye in just a few days. We wanted to give you one final update on all that we have been doing lately in second grade.
In math, the students have been working on shapes, fractions, telling time, identifying coins and solving word problems involving money, and repeated addition and arrays which help to build a foundation for multiplication in third grade. We are currently working on finishing up our last unit on measurement. Through all of the work we have done this year, particularly in our number talks, the students have built incredible number sense that allows them to see and solve problems in many different ways! They are absolutely ready for third grade math!
We completed our unit on informational writing, in which the students created several books designed to teach their readers about their topic. We focused a lot on structure and organization of information. The students also read many different nonfiction books, noticing the text features that are used in informational writing, so they could try these same craft moves in their own writing. The students really enjoyed this unit! Look forward to those books coming home very soon! We are finishing up the year with a brief unit on poetry writing. Many of the students really like this unit, as it is much more free in structure and allows the students to play around with words as an artistic tool. They are learning to use a poet’s eye to look at the world in new and different ways. It’s a great way to end the year!
Throughout the year, our big focus in reading has been on developing and utilizing comprehension strategies that support the students as they move into more complex texts. They have worked on written responses to their reading, which encourages them to listen to their inner voice as they read, and to write down their thinking with supporting evidence from the text. This is such an important skill that they will use throughout their entire educational experience (including in college!!). It has to start somewhere, so why not in grade 2! They’ve done a really great job! Many students also worked on writing nonfiction reports, or creating informational posters based on facts that they learned through the reading of nonfiction texts. In case you haven’t noticed, second graders are sponges when it comes to interesting and unusual information! It’s been fun for them to learn, and to have various platforms for sharing their knowledge!
Our big science unit this year was on engineering and design, as well as properties of matter. The students were presented with a design challenge to build a house for the 4th little pig, except the town was out of bricks and they had to use the materials that were supplied for them in our classrooms! It was a lot of fun, and the students worked cooperatively to design and create bridges, flying machines, fly catchers, and finally their house for the 4th little pig. They learned about the properties of matter, and tested various materials throughout the unit in order to develop their final house design, which we tested to see if it could stand up to the forces of water and wind. (Perhaps their greatest discovery was that duct tape fixes everything! One of life’s very important lessons!!) 😊
The students are wrapping up the year with a “Second Grade Project” of their choosing. This is a very independent project, on a topic of their choice. The only guidelines given to them was that they are asked to learn, create, write, and teach through their project. Some students are creating sculptures, others are creating posters, and some are even creating puppet shows, complete with puppets, a puppet theater, and written scripts! The freedom and choice in this project makes it so exciting for the students! As they finish, they are each presenting their project to the class, and then it will be displayed in the hall. As teachers, it has been fun to just support from the sidelines, rather than to lead the way on their projects. Second graders are amazingly creative, and super independent!
So, as you can see, we’ve been quite busy in grade 2! It has been an absolute pleasure to spend each day with your children this year! They have worked very hard, and should be so proud of the work they have accomplished. We certainly are! We wish you all a great summer, filled with fun memories! Your kids will be awesome third graders!
Best Wishes,
Mrs. Walsh & Mrs. Raccuia
Dates to Remember:
Wednesday 6/13 – Spring Music Showcase 2:00-2:45
Thursday 6/14 – Camp Jewell Field Trip
Monday 6/18 – Field Day
Friday 6/22 – Last Day of School! (1:00 dismissal)