Tuesday, November 29, 2016

ImaginOn this Thursday

We will be visiting ImaginOn this Thursday, December 1st. Please send in your children's library books ASAP so that we can return them on time and ensure everyone is able to check out new books. Thanks so much! This will be our last visit to ImaginOn before the holiday break.

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Quick Updates and Happy Thanksgiving

As we settle into Thanksgiving break, we'd like to share a brief update on what to expect when we return. The race to Christmas Break will be upon us and we will certainly be staying busy in the classroom. No surprise there!

In Writing, we will use our new skills as persuasive writers to write letters advocating for the rain forest. Having been exposed to the many gifts of the rain forest, the threats to the rain forest, and having built a rain forest right outside our classroom, we look forward to seeing the passion and excitement that your children will pour into these letters -- which we will, in fact, mail to cattle farmers and paper companies! While we cannot promise a response, we can count on students learning that their voice makes a difference and that words can be powerful. Reader's will begin to merge in with our work as writers, given we will shift our focus in nonfiction reading. Generally, this is an exciting unit for students as they learn the different parts of a nonfiction text and it will also help make their writing stronger.

In Math, we will jump into Unit 3 of Investigations which will lead us back into problem solving with numbers. We will be revisiting story problems and efficient strategies to problem solve, as well as continuing work with money and time.

Other things to take note of:

  • Continued time with InReach. Stay tuned for more detailed, logistical information!
  • Tuesday, December 6th: Hour of Code with Josh Thorton
  • Thursday, December 15th: Best Christmas Pageant Ever at the Children's Theater
  • Tuesday, December 20th: Lessons and Carols Service 2:00
We will share more post Thanksgiving and as December settles in -- but wanted you to have a blueprint of the direction we're headed. Wishing you all a happy Thanksgiving! We hold so much gratitude for you and your families. 

Monday, November 7, 2016

Weekly Update 11/7/16 - 11/11/16

Big things happening this week in Second Grade! Mark your calendars...

Tuesday, November 8th -- Election Day! Many thanks to Mr. Grady Smith for hosting Kids Voting. We'll be taking a trip upstairs tomorrow morning to participate in a voting simulation. Having studied the election process in Social Studies, we're excited to make this learning real. Students will even complete voter registration cards!

Thursday, November 10th -- Dream Makers Luncheon with InReach! Thanks to Jennifer Bankhead for quickly coordinating our volunteer drives for this event and for the many willing volunteers who will join us. We're so excited to participate in this program put on by InReach and look forward to an afternoon singing and celebrating what has been a wonderful beginning to our service learning partnership. During our past visits with InReach, we have been rehearsing "Climb Every Mountain" with Mrs. Brenda and hope to be ready for the stage come Thursday. The program will be held at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral on East Boulevard and we will be sure to take pictures for those who are not joining us by driving. InReach has kindly offered to provide a pizza lunch for students, so if you child will not enjoy a pizza lunch, please send a bagged lunch on Thursday. Please also be sure that your child wear a BLUE Trinity shirt. Let us know if this poses a problem for you.

Wednesday - Thursday, November 9/10th -- We start our rain forest build! The classroom will be abuzz with creative minds as we work together to represent the rain forest and its layers on the windows outside our classroom. Groups have been assigned layers of the rain forest that they are responsible for building and we look forward to seeing the final product come Friday!

Friday, November 11th -- Middle School Musical! All TES will head to Pease Auditorium at 1:00 to see the production of Legally Blonde and we will return right before dismissal. Thank you for your patience on Friday afternoon as we scurry back for carpool!

Outside of these exciting additions to our schedule, we will continue moving forward across subjects and will send a more detailed update regarding curriculum later in the month. Let us know if you have questions, and we'll look forward to seeing many of you this week!