We’re off to a great start in second grade! Our first day of school was full of fun and learning!

Last week we got to know more about each other and completed a collaboration project. Students were challenged to “Save Fred”. They worked together to get Fred the worm back in his life jacket and back into his canoe that tipped over. They had 2 paper clips as tools and 1 rule: don’t touch or injure Fred. This was a fun and relaxed opportunity to work with peers and collaborate to solve a problem.

Students began to participate in workshop this week as well. Workshop is an opportunity to work independently on previously learned skills. The students get to listen to our weekly story, work with math manipulatives, read independently in our classroom library and work with me on specific skills .

We like to call Fridays “STEM Friday” here in second grade. We took a virtual field trip to the ocean, but on our trip we shipwrecked! Thankfully we swam to a nearby island. The island was very hot and sunny, so we used what washed ashore from our lunches to design and create hats. We knew our hats needed to provide shade and protection from the sun and also be comfortable enough to wear. Students performed softness, absorbency, and stiffness tests on the materials to see how they could best be used.

I’ll love you forever. I’ll like you for always. As long as I’m living, my student you’ll be.

Second grade has come to an end but we aren’t sad here at SJDS. We are looking forward to the bright future and a sweet summer break! This year’s group of students have been amazing and worked hard all year to achieve their goals. As always, it is my joy to teach them, become their friend, and watch them grow and learn. Good luck to the future third graders and always remember, I am cheering for YOU!

Second grade was able to visit the For the Sake of One’s building and put in some manual labor. Students pulled weeds, trimmed trees and shrubs, planted lots of flowers, and spread mulch to give the flowers beds a spruce up for the summer. All plants and mulch were purchased using money the students raised by selling lemonade and popsicles. This day is always sweaty but the kids have the opportunity to see their hard work make a difference in our community.

The Lower School celebrated the 4th grade class by “sending them off” to summer break with color changing sunglasses and leis. We told them they were “Too Cool for Lower School” and good luck when they move to middle school.

The month of May is always busy with so many fun activities at SJDS. Second grade recently visited the Colonial Fair and learned about life during the time of the thirteen original colonies. Middle school students presented on different types of jobs colonists had like candle maker, apothecary, and farmer. Second grade students were taught to make butter as they carried around a jar of heavy cream and shook it until all presentations were over. Then, they were able to taste their homemade butter on fresh sourdough bread.

Second grade also visited the zoo this year! This field trip is always anticipated and always delivers the most fun. The Caldwell Zoo in Tyler, TX boasts 3,000 individual animals and over 200 species living at their zoo and we gave it our all to see each one. We explored the habitats and learned a great deal about each animal.

Lemonade for sale! Each year the second grade class helps a local non-profit: For the Sake of One. This non-profit serves the Texarkana area before, during, and after foster care. Second graders sold lemonade at school to raise money to donate on East Texas Giving Day and also to spruce up the front entry of the FSO building. The community service project teaches students about our community’s needs and helping others through service. Fundraising teaches our students about goods, services, consumers, money, customer service and public speaking. It is always such a joy to see the students work hard to reach a goal and also to see the SJDS community support our cause.

Recently, second graders experienced a solar eclipse and wrote about what they learned. Fourth graders presented their solar system research projects to the second grade students. They learned about various planets, black holes, and objects in the sky. Great job fourth grade!

Second graders are learning about democracy and have studied the symbolism of our flag and the meaning of behind the Pledge of Allegiance. Each student wrote a summary of the pledge and we created our own abstract version of our country’s flag. They learned the meanings of words like liberty, justice, united, and indivisible.

Students have learned to measure and estimate length using customary and metric units. Students are challenged to use what they know to solve problems posted around the classroom. This activity is completed during a small group rotation called “Workshop”. They also practice weekly spelling patterns using dry erase markers on their desks.