Happy Birthday to Martin Luther King Jr. Week 17

                                                                                                                  January 16, 2018

Dear Parents,

Our first week back was busy!!  It was exciting to hear about everyone’s Winter Break

adventures.  Overall our 2nd graders did a lot of traveling Utah, California, and Idaho; but

some 2nd graders traveled as far as Illinois and Vermont.  Whether students traveled or

stayed local everyone had a good break and came back ready to learn.

Math

We started the new year out with finishing our Geometry Unit and beginning our

Unit on Measuring.  Our week began with students using nonstandard units to measure

classroom objects.  Students enjoyed using different nonstandard units to measure the

object.  We were then able to discuss why an object measured with different nonstandard

units had different measurements.

Our tables are about the length of  a 2nd grader.

2nd Graders measuring using nonstandard units.

Add caption

Here is a saying we use in order to measure with accuracy.  There are hand movements to go with it… “End to end, no gaps, no overlaps.”  Have them say and show you!  We will continue to practice next week.

“End to end…          no gaps…        no overlaps”

                            

This week students will spend time with nonstandard units and discussing standard

measurement.  We will look at different types of measurement (length, weight, time,

capacity,  and temperature) and the tools used to measure each measurement (rulers, tape

measure, scale, clock, watch, calendar, measuring cups, measuring spoons, and

thermometers).  Finally students will get some practice estimating and measuring lengths to

the nearest inch and centimeter.

Here's the homework for the week.

Monday	No School Martin Luther King Day
Tuesday	IXL S.2 Measure Using An Inch Ruler
Wednesday	IXL  S. 8  Measure Using A Centimeter Ruler
Thursday	IXL S.1 Read A Thermometer

Writing

The students completed a very short but technology filled writing assignment using the

acronym JOY.  The J stands for something the student just did, the O stands for one thing

the student wants to improve in during 2018, and the Y stands for something special about

you.  Students spent time talking and sharing their responses to the 3 statements.  

They then wrote a rough draft on paper.  Students also worked on final copies on the

computer.  This week students will be presenting their JOY to the class for an oral language

grade.

Language

In language students reviewed and assessed on adjectives and adverbs.  We then moved

onto pronouns (words that take the place of nouns).  Students have worked with personal (I,

we, they, she), but will work with possessive (my, hers, their, our) and reflexive (myself,

themselves, yourself) pronouns this week.  We are using them in sentences and

identifying the subject that the pronoun is taking the place of or referring back to.

Mrs. Bloomfield likes to ski. She (referring back to Mrs. Bloomfield) hopes to go on Friday.

(Personal Pronoun)

Josh will feed his cat in the morning.  (Possessive Pronoun)

Hannah and Kellan will make themselves a sandwich. (Reflexive Pronoun)

Miss Garcia and I  hope everyone is getting back into their regular routines and had a

relaxing weekend.  As always, looking forward to another wonderful week in Second Grade.

Sincerely,

Anne Bloomfield

  and

Miss Garcia

Happy New Year!! Welcome 2018!!

                                                                               January 8, 2018

Happy 2018 Bighorn Families,

Happy New Year!!  Miss Garcia and myself hope you enjoyed your holiday season as much as we did.  It was great fun to spend time baking, shopping, traveling, and enjoying the company of family and friends.  Vacation was very relaxing and we feel so ready to come back to school.  We can hardly wait to see all the kiddos!!

We'd like to send out a huge thank you for all the wonderful Christmas gifts.  After school on December 20th, we were presented with a Christmas stocking filled with all sorts of wonderful goodies.  We were very overwhelmed with such a generous gifts.  Thank you so much!!

Our Christmas Party was a hit thanks to the many parents that donated goodies and their time to run a station.  It was fun for both 2nd grade classes to be together and have choices about their activities.  Here are a few pictures from our party.

    

The week of before Winter Break our classes were hit hard by the flu, with many absent children and the excitement of vacation and Christmas it was not a good time to assess on 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional shapes.  That being said we will start the new year reviewing 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional shapes on Monday and assess on Tuesday.

On Wednesday and Thursday students will begin with measuring.  Second graders will be expected to work on and meet the following standards:

• measure to determine which objects are longer than others
• estimate lengths using centimeters, inches, and feet
• measure an object twice using different units of measurements
• select appropriate tools such as rulers, yardsticks or measuring tapes in order to measure accurately.

Monday	IXL U.5  Identify Faces of 3-Dimensional Shapes
Tuesday	IXL U.1  Name the 3-Dimensional Shape
Wednesday	Worksheet pg. 45-46
Thursday	IXL S.15 Choose the appropriate measuring tool

Remember that Monday, January 15th is Martin Luther King Day.  We will not have school!  Enjoy the extra long weekend!!

As Miss Garcia and myself look back on 2017, we can't believe the changes we've seen in the students.  With 2017 behind us, we’re excited to see the growth and development that 2018 will bring!

Sincerely,

Anne Bloomfield

    and

Shannon Garcia

   

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to All!!

                                                                 December 18, 2017

Dear Second Grade Families,

We are down to the last 4 days before Christmas Break!!  I know that everybody has busy households as we finish all our Christmas preparations, yet stay caught up with our day to day activities.  Easier said than done--but try very hard to enjoy some peace within this busy time of year.

Last week was very rough!!  We had many students down with the flu!  Miss Garcia and myself are hoping that everyone is healthy and stays healthy for our final week of school before vacation.

Math

Last week we started some work in geometry.  Our focus was categorizing 3-dimensional shapes.  We worked on this in whole group as students suggested different ways to sort the solids.  Students came up with many different ideas such as color, shape, and size.  Eventually student sorted them by solids with curved faces and solids with flat faces.

During the week students also made 3-dimensional shapes.  We are focusing on identifying the 3-dimensional shapes by name (sphere, cube, cone, retangular solid, triangular solid, pyramid, and cylinder.  Students are describing the 3-dimensional shapes by talking about their edges, vertices, and faces.  Students spent time constructing 3-D shapes using toothpicks and raisins.  

Here’s our math homework for the week.

Monday	IXL U.2  Select 3-Dimensional Shapes
Tuesday	IXL U.3  Count Vertices, Edges, and Faces
Wednesday	IXL  U.4  Compare Vertices, Edges, and Faces
Thursday	No Homework--Happy Christmas Vacation

Language

Our work with adverbs is continuing!  Students are getting much better at identifying adverbs and sorting them by if they tell--How, When, or Where.

Writing

We are finishing up our Gift to the World pieces.  Your children have amazed us with their thoughtful gifts that they would like to give to special people.

Projects

In projects this week students took the knowledge they have gained about the properties of solids, liquids, and gases.  Students watched and discussed a short science video on properties.  They were given the scenario of being stranded on “Desert Island” and having to make a hat to protect them from the sun.  Students were given the following items to create a hat-- a paper plate, a paper bag, 3 feet of yarn, a 12 X 12 sheet of foil, a rubber band, and 2 clothes pins.  Students got very creative about using the material and considering the properties of those materials to create a hat that would protect them on a Desert Island.

As we close out the year 2017, we’re wishing all Second Grade Families a wonderful, restful, healthy, and safe holiday season!  

Sincerely,

Anne Bloomfield

and

Shannon Garcia

Week 14

                                                                                            December 11, 2017  

Dear Parents,

Wow, last week was soooo busy!  Between the Polar Express evening and Parent/Teacher Conferences it was a fun but busy end to the week.  It was so wonderful to have some time at conferences to discuss your child’s academic and social progress.  We appreciate you taking to the time to come in to conferences.  Both Miss Garcia and I have a few more conferences this week, but we are proud to say we will have met with 100% of our families!!

             

Math

Last week in math we continued our work with graphing.  Students reviewed tally charts, picture graphs, and bar graphs.  Second graders also learned about line plots.  We collected lots of data including the length of various books in the classroom, the amount of children in our families, and the amount of pets each child has.  This made for some interesting line plots.

                                                                       X

                                                       X

                                                                       X       X

                                                           X         X       X

                                                           X         X       X         X                

                                                 X        X         X       X         X        X        X      

                                      1      2      3      4      5      6       7      8      

Amount of Children in Families    

Here's the homework...

Mon.	Line Plot Worksheet
Tues.	IXL  T.2  Select a 2-Dimensional Shape
Wed.	IXL T.3  Count Sides and Vertices
Thurs.	IXL  T.4 Compare Sides and Vertices

Writing

Last week students started working on descriptive writing.  We discussed gifts, going from talking about concrete gifts (items you can touch) to abstract (things that you can do for others).  Students generated a list of abstract gifts, selected 1 gift and who they would like to recieve that gift.  They are writing a descriptive piece that goes along with their abstract gift.  

Language

Our work in language this week was all about adverbs.  Students learned that an adverb can tell how something happened, when something happened, or where something happened.  The work on adverbs will continue this week.

Projects

Students are continuing their work with matter.  They will be determining how the solid or liquid they selected will change when heated and cooled. They will also be experimenting to see if the changes are reversible or irreversible.  

Wishing you a great week filled with peace!!

Gratefully yours,

Anne Bloomfield                

and

Shannon Garcia

Week 13--Welcome to the 2nd Trimester

December 4, 2017

Dear Parents,

Last week we said good-bye to the first trimester and today we say hello to the 2nd trimester.  Our 2nd grade students have been BUSY, BUSY, BUSY working on many 2nd Grade Standards.

Math

Second grade students have been busy collecting data, creating picture graphs and bar graphs, and answering questions using the graphs.  Students are zooming along with these Measurement and Data Standards.  This coming week students will learn about line plots.

Here’s the homework for the week....

Monday	Picture Worksheet
Tuesday	IXL R.3 Which Bar Graph Is Correct?
Wednesday	IXL R.5 Interpret Line Plots
Thursday	IXL R.6 Create Line Plots

Language

Students have continued to work on identifying adjectives in text and using adjectives in writing.  This past week students participated in an activity called “Adjective Triangles”.  They picked an image and listed 4 adjectives to describe the image.  The formatting of this writing made a triangle, thus the name “Adjective Triangles”.  Second graders will move on to adverbs this week.  Being aware of adjectives and adverbs will help students to write with stronger details.

Writing

The 2nd grade writers have just finished up their opinion piece on the best holiday.  We had a wide variety of holidays that students gave reasons with explanations to tell their opinion about the best holiday.  This writing will be up in the hall for you to enjoy when we conference on Friday or next week.

Projects

Projects have continued as students continue to explore solids, liquids, and gas.  Students focused on the properties of liquids this past week.

Looking forward to another wonderful week full of learning!  Also looking forward to seeing many of you at conferences on Friday!!

Sincerely,

Anne Bloomfield

and

Shannon Garcia