Newsletter

Second Grade News – May 30, 2014

*PLEASE send all school books back in to school, it is time to start re-shelving our school and classroom libraries!*

Important Dates:

·         Literacy Night – June 4^th see below for details

Time and Activity	Description/Notes
All Night Long – Art Show!	Take a walk through the halls to see our K-6 students’ creations and read their artist statements.
5:00-6:00 – Rising First and Second Grade Parent Info Session	Childcare is available; please contact Marissa by Monday, June 2nd if you will need to take advantage of this option.
5:30-6:00 – Library Open House	Families and students can visit with Mrs. Abair to show off work completed in library class this year and learn about summer book bags and our summer reading challenge.
6:00-6:30 – Celebration of Literacy Learning in Classrooms	Visit your child’s classroom to see how hard students have worked this year and how much they have learned. Keep an eye out for some great writing en Español as well!
6:30-7:00 – Book Swap and Summer Reading Kick-Off in the Gym	Come check out the selection and find a new book to love! Please see below for a note about how and when to donate books.
7:00-7:30 – Library Open House	If you missed this opportunity earlier due to the 1/2 Info Session (or for any other reason), swing by now.

·         Field Trip to Hubbard Park – June 11^th (Rain Date June 13^th)

We will be going to Hubbard Park in Montpelier on this day!  Please fill out the pink permission form your second grader will bring home today and return it as soon as possible.  Let me know if you would like to join us on this trip!  We will be having a picnic lunch that day as well as playing games, hiking around the park, and just enjoying some time in nature. 

·         Field Day at School- June 17^th (Rain Date June 18^th)

The entire school will be participating in the fun that is field day that afternoon!  Students will be in groups with students from all other grades and will have a chance to see many different school friends.  Second graders should bring a bathing suit or extra clothes for this day and SUNBLOCK.  They may also want a beach towel.  Please be sure to label as many things as possible because we have a lot of students and things tend to get misplaced! 

·         Last Day of School – June 20^th (half day)

School will be ending on this day at 12:30.  Students will receive their year books that day and have time to sign them.  Students will also enjoy a slideshow in the gym at 11:30! 

I would like to celebrate our summer birthdays on Tuesday, June 10^th during snack.  If you child has a summer birthday we would love for you to send in an early birthday treat on that day! 

Supplies we are still in need of for our last week of school fun include:

-9 bandana of any color other than blue

-5 golf balls

-1 bag of cotton balls

-2 cereal boxes of the same variety (just the boxes no cereal)

Thanks again for your help!

And for some news about what has been going on in the classroom……

(This edition brought to you by Avery, Sophia, Annabelle, and Alex.)

Science:  In science we have been working on land and water, our garden – pumpkins and our seed germination books.  In our seed germination books we have been recording things about our plants.  In our garden we have pumpkins and they are growing a lot.  In land and water we are making a land and water diorama.  That’s what we are doing in science. 

Literacy:  2^nd grade is having literacy night Wednesday, June 4^th.  We have been starting to prepare for literacy night, like having fix-ups on our prompts.  Mrs. Raynor is testing our reading skills.  We want to be great readers when we are bigger. 

Math:  In math we are talking about even and odd.  We are learning how even and odd work, like an even plus and even equals and even.  Like 6 + 6 = 12.  And an odd plus an odd equals an even.  And an odd plus and even equals an odd.  Like 11 + 12 = 23.  Me and some other kids are learning multiplication.  I only know easy ones like 1 x 1 and 2 x 5.  We all are working really hard to learn multiplication!

Count Down:  This week we have started a balloon count down and we started it on Wednesday, May 28^th, 2014.  So each day until the end of the school year there is a balloon.  In each balloon there is a surprise for the day, like no shoes in the classroom or use marker to finish your work instead of pencil. 

Have a great weekend! – Mrs. Raynor

Count down

Ask a second grader why these balloons are in our room!

What we've been up to....

Planting our pumpkins! 

Technology time 

Materials Needed For Last Week of School Fun

Thank you to families that have already sent in items and volunteered to bring things in!  Check the list below because it has changed.

May 21, 2014

Dear Second Grade Families,

 I am trying to put together some fun activities for the second graders the last week of school and would love some help gathering materials!  The materials are very random but all play an important role in the fun that will happen that last week.  Some of the materials needed are:

-         6 golf balls

-         1 package of water balloons

-         bandanas -9 of any color but blue!

-         bag of cotton balls

-         1 bag of kidney beans

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Please let me know if you would like to help by sending in an item from the list.  I would like to have all these items gathered at school by Monday, June 2.  Thank you so much for your help! –Mrs. Raynor

Hands on nature

Learning how to spot things using monoculars. 

Learning about birds and where they can be seen in the Forest. 

Enjoying the warmer weather

Reading time outside by the garden! 

Preparing the garden for our pumpkin plants. 

Second Grade News – May 15, 2014

This edition brought to you by Sam, Cole, Avery, Amy, Bre, Allie, Sophia, Alex, and Alice these are their words!

Math: During math we have been learning about measurement.  We have been doing pages in our math workbook that involve measuring our classroom and our classroom things.  Then we would record it in our math workbook on the right page.  We think that we have been doing good at measuring!  I hope that you are proud of your kids!

Reading:  During reading we usually read outside, and we can read with a partner if we want to for about 15 minutes.  We usually have reading group, in reading group we read about two chapters in the book we are reading, then we talk about the chapters that we read.  Everyone in our class is reading chapter books, some of the chapter books are A Mouse Called Wolf, How to Eat Fried Worms, and Marvin Redpost A Magic Crystal?  After partner reading we read by our self.   

Word Study:  In word study we have been learning about the sounds oa, ow, oCe, and short vowel o.  Some words like coach are oa words.  Other words like flow and show are ow words.  Also, we are practicing an oCe spelling pattern.  When we practice we usually use our word study notebooks.  It has been a great week for the second graders.       

Science: In science we’re learning about seeds.  We’re also growing beans using a cup, cotton balls, soaked bean seeds and ½ an inch of water.  Last week we planted pumpkins!  We started Bean Germination Books to record our observations of our bean seeds.  Also, at the beginning of the school year we each planted a baby spider plant.  We have been caring for them throughout the year.  Some plants have grown a lot, and others have died, and some are on their last legs!  That is what we have been doing for the past week.                

Other fun stuff: In 2^nd grade we have started some extras.  A few weeks ago we had an all school kickball game – Mr. Middleton made it up.  It was very fun.  The 2^nd graders have been reading outside, it’s really fun for them. 

Thank you for enjoying this special newsletter written by my 2^nd grade friends.

Have a great weekend! – Mrs. Raynor