Who was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.? Second graders spent time recently learning about who Dr. King was and why we celebrate him today. Lower School students were able to participate in a Scholastic event: MLK Scholastic Live Read Aloud of “You Are A Star, Martin Luther King JR.” with author Anastasia Magloire Williams. Students listened to the reading and were able to pose questions to the author afterwards. The live event ended with students across the nation collaborating to create a “Peace Poster” with the author. Students were challenged to think about where they want to see peace in their communities and how they can help achieve that peace.

Second graders were given the opportunity to Show & Tell about their Christmas Break! Each student brought an item to share with the class. We learned about Pokémon, Lego sets, skating, board games, Box Car Derby races and much more! Children are eager to share what they LOVE and we use this opportunity to practice public speaking, eye contact, and asking-answering questions.

Lower School loves an opportunity for Show & Tell. This week a 3rd grader earned enough “positive punches” to choose a reward and he chose to bring his dog to school. Our class was lucky enough to have the pup visit our classroom. After lots of snuggles and several puppy kisses the second grade class unanimously voted to have a campus dog. Maybe this will be our next persuasive writing opportunity.

The weather has been quite cold which means recess is indoors. While we are hopeful for warmer temperatures soon, we know how to make indoor play stimulating and fun! Marble Run and Lincoln Logs continue to be the favorite choices for recess but reading is also at the top of the list.

Students recently visited the Middle School to attend the Colonial Village. Mrs. Kimmel’s fifth grade history class hosted an interactive tour of a historic colonial village. Our class first visited an apothecary and learned about herbs and how they were used to treat different illnesses. Next, they went to the candle shop and watched the process of candle making from animal fat. Then, all second grade shoes were mended at the Cobbler Shop and students got to shine some shoes themselves. The General Store was next on the tour and students purchased small candies for one cent and learned the General Store was a place to purchase or trade for supplies and also a place colonists like to socialize. Students then visited a colonial kitchen and were able to make their own butter while learning about starting a fire and cooking over an open flame. The last two stops on the colonial tour were the farm where they heard about different crops and farm animals and the Blacksmith Shop where they watched a demonstration of repairing a horseshoe.

Texarkana did not receive the snow we hoped for, but second grade students did not let that stop them from having an epic snowball fight! We turned our excitement in a different direction and had a classroom snowball fight! Students crumbled papers that were printed with contractions and the 2 words that make a contraction into snowballs. They competed in 30-second snowball fights and each time the fight was over they unfolded their snowballs to break apart or build a contraction with the word(s) on the paper. Multi-sensory activities always ensure students are engaged and learning as well as having fun!

We love to be hands-on in second grade! Students are working hard to learn subtraction strategies with numbers to 200. They use place value charts and manipulatives like place value blocks and place value chips to model math problems. Before the learning begins, students get a few minutes to build and explore with their blocks. This time of “play” allows students become familiar with their math tools, gives them an outlet for creativity and independence, and also improves focus and participation during the math lessons.

Second graders have been learning about plants and animals, how they work together in an environment, and the benefits of symbiotic relationships. Each student chose an animal to research and then created habitat dioramas. They presented their research and displayed their habitats for our Saint James community. Students discovered facts about their animal like diet, lifespan, habitat and predators. They learned that “vore” means eat and also learned carnivores are meat eaters, herbivores are plant eaters and omnivores eat both plants and animals. Nice work second grade!

Second graders helped host a Thanksgiving Chili Feast with all the Lower School families and it was a great event. Students performs short poems, songs, and told the audience what they were thankful for this year. Second graders sang a song of thanks to their parents and did an excellent job remembering the words!

The recent cooler weather brought about some creativity and collaboration on the playground. For the past two weeks students from all grade levels have worked tirelessly to create many types of structures using sticks they collected and a cluster of trees on the Lower School playground. Watching the kids problem solve, work together, adjust their strategies when they needed to, and tap into their outdoor-play creativity has been very rewarding to the teachers and students.

Second grade is erupting with fun! Students have studied ways the surface of the Earth can change quickly and over long periods of time. They learned what makes the Earth shake, glaciers are like rivers of ice, and volcanoes can be destructive and creative. We had a little fun in class and modeled creative volcanic eruptions in class.

Tuesday, November 5th was Election Day and our students practiced their future civic duty of voting. Each Lower School student waited in line at the polls for their turn to use a voting booth cast their vote on paper ballots. Students voted for “The Best Things in Life”. Categories were: Best game in PE, Best Animal, Favorite Snack, Best Movie Character, and Best Thing to Add to the Playground. They even got to turn their ballots into a ballot box and results were announced the next day. Great job Lower School students!

The fall season brings about many fun activities at SJDS. One of the beloved events is Book Character Day. Students pick a character from a book of their choosing and come to school dressed as that character. They also give a brief presentation telling why they chose their book, character, and any favorite parts or interesting details from the book.

Halloween Day was another exciting time for students. Each classroom participated in Minute-to-Win-It games in the commons and had a Mummy Making Competition.

Second grade wants to give a special thank you to Mrs. Denise and the Middle School students for a very fun hay ride and visit to the pumpkin patch and for making the fall season such a fun time at St. James Day School.