Happy Fall everyone! We have loved the cooler mornings the last couple of weeks and have taken full advantage of a cooler recess time! Second graders love recess at St. James. The last couple of weeks have been full of fun! We counted to 1000 recently using straws as an introduction to our new math module dealing with place value, counting, and comparison of numbers to 1,000. Students worked as a team to bundle 1000 straws into units of 10, then units of 100, and finally 1,000. They were so proud when they finished such a big job.

We’ve also been reading all about glaciers and how they can change the surface of the earth. We learned that glaciers are HUGE and can move very slowly, however sometimes a glacier can move quickly, even up to 150 feet in one day. The students watched a tutorial on how to draw a glacier. Check out their work! They are so smart and very talented artists.

If you didn’t know, second graders start every morning with reciting the classroom rules. Each week a new student is chosen to lead the group in reciting the rules. We like to start our day with high expectations. Other classroom jobs are pencil sharpener, door holder, and line leader. The students take these jobs very seriously and I am proud of their pride in our classroom.

Rule Reader

At least once a week the class participates in “workshop”. Workshop is a series of stations set up around the room that students rotate through. Stations are designed each week to practice skills that were introduced such as new spelling sounds, counting strategies, language art skills like synonyms and antonyms, and writing skills. Workshop also builds responsibility in the students as they are their own boss and must complete the tasks independently. This week the students were so diligent in their workshop stations and showed a great amount of hard work and accountability.

Second grade is looking forward to Book Character Day on October 30th. Students are allowed to choose their favorite book character and come to school dressed as that character.

*Parent conferences are next week, October 15th starting at noon. I look forward to meeting with parents and sharing the awesome work that has taken place thus far in second grade.

Blog Update!

We have been so busy the last couple of weeks finishing up our reading unit that focused on TEAMWORK and entering new math territory with adding and subtracting units of measure. In science we have moved on from a unit study on matter to studying forces in motion which are push and pull. We closed the door on Teamwork with a group challenge. The activity was called “Who Can Save Fred?” Fred the friendly worm’s boat capsized on a lake leaving him stranded on top with his life preserver stuck under the boat. Students were only allowed to use paperclips to flip the boat, put the life preserver on Fred and get him safely back in the boat without letting him drown in the water. This was a great learning experience on planning, assigning tasks, and working together to achieve a goal. Students learned very quickly they would need each other help and communication would be essential. Check out the pictures and video of their teamwork experience.

On Friday we always have a science experiment or investigation of some type. Last Friday we began to investigate force and motion with a Hot Wheels ramp experiment using different types of ramps and measured the distance of the cars. Students learned that the SLOPE and MATERIAL of the ramp determined the distance the car would travel. We also had a little bit of fun pushing and pulling each other in a bucket on the soccer field. You should really check out those photos.

This week we got a new student! Meet Easton! We are so happy to have him at St James Day School.

Welcome back SJDS parents! We are off to a busy and exciting start here in 2nd grade. The kids are thriving with new learning and getting to see their friends again! I would say I am also thriving here in the classroom. It is a joy to teach at St. James and a privilege to teach your children every day. Thank you for trusting me with your precious kiddos.

The first month of school has been a blast! We are learning something new every day and having plenty of fun when we can. On Wednesday of every week we get to choose the location of our lunch. So far, lunch has been in the amphitheater, Lower School Commons, and the 2nd grade playground. It has been a sweet experience to eat lunch with the kids in the great outdoors.

We’ve also had choir each week with Ms. Tipton. Choir occurs in the amphitheater or any place we can have proper spacing between the students.

In class, many things have occurred! Each week is filled to the brim with activities that include counting collections, workshop, Happy Counting, whole group reading, and some science experiments, just to name a few!

Stay tuned for more information throughout the year and photos of what we have going on here in 2nd grade at St. James.

Jaclyn

In the second grade, we are studying about Earth and Space for our scope unit. The students are learning about rocks and how to classify them. After discussing the many ways that rocks can be classified, the students went outside and collected several rocks. They then sorted and classified according to size, shape, color , and texture. Next week we will expand what we learned and learn about the effects of weathering and erosion on the Earth’s surface.

We had a special visit from the tooth fairy! The students learned about the importance of oral hygiene. They even did a few experiments that showed the effects of sugar on the teeth. The students really enjoyed our special guest and learned about how important it is to take care of their teeth and gums. They were each given their own toothbrush to take home!