POSTED AT 04:11 PM
It's hard to believe, but the first six weeks of our year have passed!
During this time, we have gotten to know each other as a class and
worked together to learn the important routines of the classroom. The
first six weeks are the most important weeks of the year for building
teamwork, cooperation, responsibility and self-control: all skills vital
to the groundwork for a year of learning together.
As a class,
we created rules for our classroom. We have learned about the different
learning areas of our classroom. Each child has a weekly job that
ensures our classroom stays in top learning shape! Worldly partners
have been established to create instant learning buddies for any
activity. Two of our second graders are helping all of the students put
their graphs into a notebook of graphing activities on the Smartboard.
Part of our daily morning routine is to "sign in" on one of the graphs
so that we can not only learn a little more about each other, but we
practice our graph reading and math vocabulary.
In writing
workshop, students have decorated their Writer's Notebooks, made
territory lists, and started on many small moment stories. We have been
using strategies to "hook" our readers into our stories, including
using our five senses to describe, using dialog, using the elements of
mystery or surprise, and showing, not telling. Students will soon go
through the editing process with one or more books to "publish."
Student authors will bring home their publications to share.
In
reading workshop, students have decorated personal book bags, which they
fill each week with Just Right books. We have practiced being reading
detectives by using the title, the cover, and the pictures to learn more
about a book. We use clues in the words and the pictures to make
predictions. Students have brainstormed ideas about how to choose Just
Right books. We have practiced partner reading and talking to partners
about books. This month, students will begin written responses to their
reading and reading in small groups.
In math, we created patterns
using math and classroom materials. Second graders sorted buttons by
one and two variables. As a class, we counted our entire button
collection by grouping the buttons in ones, tens, hundreds, and
ultimately, a thousand! First graders practiced grouping and counting
by 10's and leftover 1's. Through our daily math work, journals,
calendar, and math games, we have been practicing ordering and comparing
numbers, balancing equations, counting on from a larger number, and
understanding place value. Each week, a student is in charge of an
estimating jar, which we count on Fridays. This month, we will begin
counting money, making change, and measuring. Second graders will be
adding two or more-digit numbers. First graders will be working on
addition and subtraction facts to 10. All students will be working with
shapes (key skills include: identifying properties, lines of symmetry,
parallel lines, and vertices).
As you can see, we have been
busy! In addition to these activities, students have been engaged in
daily discovery time with Mrs. Golesworthy's class, social studies
lessons on community, maps, and Christopher Columbus, science lessons on
habitats, our audubon field experience, safety in school and on the
bus, and daily practice on phonics, spelling, and handwriting!
In
October, we will be studying rocks with an anticipated field trip to
the Harvard Museum of Natural History (date TBA). Students will learn
fire safety as well.
Our Halloween party and parade will be on Monday, October 31st (more details to follow).
Finally,
a thank you to everyone who has volunteered to help in the classroom
this year. We look forward to welcoming you into the classroom starting
next week, October 17th. Our Room Mothers this year will be Erin
Bisesti (Ryan's mom) and Bethany Blake (Luke's mom). Thank you!
