Week #14 December 2-6, 2019

Welcome to December!  We have a short, full month ahead.  Please read below to enjoy a few highlights from the week. 

Earth changes occur quickly or slowly.  We began a model to investigate erosion with our rock tumbler.  Here we are as a whole 2nd grade group looking at our rocks after the first step in our procedure.

Our word study changed this week.  We are using new curriculum materials and working as "Phonics Professors".  The objectives of our lessons this week included a review of first grade skills with a focus on silent e, long vowels, vowel teams and SNAP words.  For the next 2 weeks in December, we will also look at r-controlled vowels, spelling with correct patterns, using rhyming to spell and complete a winter assessment.

Have you heard that our President is now also our time keeper? Our "leader" wears an analog watch to report and update our schedule throughout the day.  This watch has an elastic band with clearly marked hands and the minutes labeled to assist in our time-telling skills.  So far our Presidents have been very responsible!

This week in math we finished a unit about adding 2-digit numbers.  The standard for 2nd grade is that students add with a place value strategy.  This means students use their understanding of the meaning of the digits, and their relationships, to put the quantities together.  Using the standard algorithm for addition is an expectation for 4th grade.  This strong conceptual foundation in 2nd grade will bring greater fluency and accuracy to the standard algorithm later in 4th grade.  In this unit, we:

1. added 10 and multiples of 10 using a 100 chart and showing our thinking on an open number line (54 + 20 = ____ ) .  
2. added single digit numbers by decomposing that number so we first add to the next decade and then add the leftover ones (54 + 8 = 54 + 6 + 2 = ____ ).  
3. added two 2-digit numbers by first adding the tens, then adding the ones (54 + 28 = 54 + 20 + 6 + 2 = _____ ).

Here is what that looks like in our work:

We also enjoyed Farm-to-School with Kayli this week to celebrate Hygge and create a feeling of coziness and comfort.  We steeped tea using 4 different herbs and enjoyed a Scandinavian winter tale.

Other things to ask your child about this week:

• Welcome Penny!  Our new student from Texas
• Publishing our class book
• Whole-school assembly hosted by 4th grade
• Creating a bar graph
• Asking Questions and Paying Attention to Detail to Grow Our Knowledge while reading non-fiction

Enjoy the winter wonderland this weekend!

Mrs. Hock