Family Newsletter

Dear Families,

Welcome back from April vacation!  I hope you all had a restful and enjoyable break from school.  It was great to see the students again and hear about their experiences and activities during vacation.  We’re in the home stretch now.  I cannot believe that the school year is over and that our students are moving to third grade next year.  Our time together certainly went by fast….but it is not over yet!  We still have lots of learning to do together.

Here is our week in review:

Social-Emotional Learning:

• This week, the students filled the classroom buzzy jar again for being safe, kind and responsible.  This time, Mr. Matt visited our classroom as a “Mystery Reader”.  It was wonderful to see him again even if it was for a short time.

• This week, we read the book “A little spot of feelings” by Diane Alber and learned how we can all be “emotion detectives”.  Being an emotion detective helps us understand our own feelings, but also those of others.  This is especially important because other people might react differently to the same situation.  The students practiced being emotion detectives by reading each other’s facial expressions.

• We had another restorative circle with Ms. Nicole.  This time, we talked about the importance of always asking an adult for help when unexpected situations arise.  The students did an outstanding job sharing their reactions when these things happen.  They showed great compassion and understanding for everyone.

Reading:

• This week, the students read in many different settings.  They read independently, in groups, with partners and on Lexia. The students had opportunities to review reading expectations in class too. We met with our Reading Buddy’s from Ms. Emily’s class too.  We hope these get-togethers will not only enhance their love of reading, but also deepen their friendships to support them in their transition to WCS. 

• We started a new chapter book. We started reading the first book in the series about “The Miniature World of Marvin and James” by Elise Broach.  This is a sweet book about friendship and kindness.

Writing:

• This week, our second grade authors met with their editing partners to make their already great writing even better.  All the authors got a new “Word Wall Folder” and the first task was to be able to identify trick words/high frequency words and correct the spelling if necessary.  Developing self-monitoring skills in writing is important for many different reasons.  Not only do these skills enhance the writing, they also promote the development of resilience, self-efficacy and confidence as the students learn to take charge of their own learning needs.

Math:

• We started a new unit on geometry this week.  The students will still explore number sense in various work stations as review.  Our new learning will center around second grade geometry standards and math vocabulary  learning.  This week the students learned to identify polygons and non-polygons.  Ask your child to describe what these words mean.  They also learned about quadrilaterals and learned three new games using tangrams.

• The students also participated in Math Talks to deepen their understanding of place value and subtraction.  This week, they learned that asking yourself “what the difference is” between two numbers sometimes helps solve complicated subtraction problems.  Ask your child to explain.

News and Reminders:

• Harmony House started a second round of WIN sessions.  WIN stands for “What I Need” and these workshops provide opportunities for our students to participate in learning activities to deepen their skills in particular areas and interests, while also engaging in learning with peers from the entire house.

• Harmony House will visit Shelburne Museum on May 25th.  Buses will leave ABS around 8:30 am and we will be back in time for regular dismissal at 2:30pm.  We are very excited to finally be able to go on a field trip again (since we have not done that since before Covid!).

• Harmony House will host an end-of-the-year Celebration of Learning on June 8th between 7:30-8:30 am.  Family members are welcome to visit our classrooms to see a collection of student work from this school year.  More information will follow as we approach this date but we wanted to give everybody a heads up so you can pencil this in because we recognize that it can be tricky to fit everything in.

Have a great weekend,

Maria

Family Newsletter

 Dear Families,

Here is our week in review:

Social-Emotional Learning:

• This week, the teachers on Harmony surprised the students with a special team-wide buzzy celebration.  We met in our kiva for a sing-a-long in the morning one day.  It was so great to start the day off singing together.  You should have seen their faces when we announced the surprise!  They were so excited!

• This week, we continued to develop skills around understanding other peoples’ perspectives and relationship-building.  We had a restorative circle sharing our thoughts around compassion and how we can show care and concern for other people. We followed up with an activity in which the students made cards for each other to offer their help, assistance or kind words to each other.  They did an outstanding job showing compassion.  Some students also wrote letters and made cards to take home to you.  Your child has another Home Link assignment  inside the Home Folder from our Second Step Curriculum.  As always, these assignments are optional, but we encourage parents to learn these valuable life skills along with their children and we encourage parents to engage in these conversations with their children at home too.

• We continued our work on improving skills for task initiation this week.  The students continued to practice specific skills for getting started right away in their academic work, while having opportunities to reflect on their choices.  As I mentioned last week, the students are learning to make a simple, step-by-step plan for getting started.  They are encouraged to get their materials and find a good learning spot in the classroom before they make a plan for their work.  This week, some students, for example, chose to select three books to read during reading class.  These books were removed from the book bin before reading started and placed on top of the desk to avoid distractions.  What a fabulous idea!  Reducing distractions help our young learners develop stronger stamina for all kinds of learning.  You might want to try these steps at home too?  Ask your child about a specific task that must be completed at home (such as packing library books, lunch/snack, or getting ready in the morning).  Then, ask your child to verbally tell you the step to create a plan for successful completion.  You can write them down so they are visually available.  Don’t forget to include steps for how to get started.  Perhaps your child sets a timer as a heads up before the task must begin?  Perhaps the task starts immediately after something else ends, like dinner or a bedtime story?  Ask your child to share what works best for them!

Reading:

• We continued to read in partnerships, small groups and as a whole class this week.  Library class was very special too because Mr. Deyo’s Kindergarten class joined us to enjoy some good books.

• We read another book in the Global Read Aloud Project.  This week, we read the book “Each Kindness” by Jacqueline Woodson. This powerful story is about a little girl who regrets not showing kindness to a peer at school and about the opportunities for change and compassion.

Writing:

• The students continued their animal reports this week and added more information about different specific areas, such as the habitat, the food and special facts. Some students also added a glossary to explain content-specific words.

• The students also learned how to use technology to find information about where in the world their chosen animal lives.  They were encouraged to name the continent and find out more about its habitat.  Ask your child to explain how we used maps for this project.

Math:

• Second grade mathematicians learned how to measure distance in centimeters this week.  They rotated through several small groups while also developing a deeper understanding about coins, place value and counting.

• We had a special math celebration this week too.  The students participated in a “Really Wheely Racing Day” based upon our read aloud book “Humphrey's Really Wheely Racing Day" by Betty G. Birney. They chose little cars and built ramps to measure how far their cars raced in centimeters and inches.  It was so much fun learning math together this way!

News and Reminders:

• Thank you for your generous donations to the FAP Basket Raffle! The Basket Raffle will be held on Saturday, April 15th.  More information will follow in the School Bell.

• As the weather changes, please encourage your child to pack and bring home any left-over winter gear from school.  A second pair of socks or pants will also help in case your child gets wet outside. Outdoor mud boots also help keep your child’s feet dry and clean.

Have a great weekend,

Maria

Family Newsletter

This week's newsletter is from Mr. Matt, who finished his solo week yesterday. He will be in a supportive role until mid-April and I will return as the lead teacher next week.

Enjoy your long weekend,

Maria

This week I was leading the classroom while Mrs. McCormack was in a supporting role on Harmony or hosting parent-teacher conferences. All of the students did a wonderful job learning this week, and I’m so proud of them.

Social-Emotional Learning

-This week the students all had a word of the day that I revealed at the beginning of class. These words included SEL words such as “Kindness” and “Respect”. Students were given opportunities to share what these words meant to them and how it made them feel when they showed kindness or respect to their peers. They were also given opportunities to share a time they used kindness and respect, whether in the classroom or at home.

-Students continued to use their calming cards this week.The students used them effectively and appropriately when they needed a break or a calming tool.

-In our restorative circle, Ms. Nicole talked about something that may have been challenging this week, and something that students were proud of and did well. She also talked about the importance of honesty and accountability. I was impressed with the honesty most students showed with Ms. Nicole during this time.

-I tried to give the students an opportunity to share this week in our morning meetings. We learned about a vast range of fascinating things from the students such as: what Japan is like, a book two students wrote, and an object that meant a lot to students. It was terrific to see how respectful and thoughtful the questions that were asked to the sharer were. For those who didn’t get a chance this week, I hope to hear from you next week!

Reading

-This week we continued to learn about the Iditarod Trail. Students had the opportunity during independent reading time to continue Harmony’s optional Iditarod Reading Challenge. Many students participated in this, some even bringing these worksheets home because they were so interested in it. I was very impressed by the hard work, dedication, and perseverance these students showed when doing this. We will continue this reading challenge next week so there is still time for your child to join.

-This week we learned about two other dogs that were key players on the Iditarod Trail. These furry friends were Balto and Togo! We read The Bravest Dog Ever: The True Story of Balto by Natalie Standiford and Togo by Robert J. Blake. Through these two dog stories, the students learned about the heroic 1925 serum run to Nome, Alaska.

-I had the opportunity to listen in on a few students reading during independent reading, and I really enjoyed this! What a great group of engaged readers we have!

Writing

-This week in writing we filled out Venn Diagrams comparing Togo to Balto. We did this as a whole class and I was amazed by the input of students. Some students even presented comparisons/contrasts I hadn’t even thought about!

-Students were also given time for more creative writing. They all have such an abundance of creativity when they write.

Math

-This week students learned two new math games: Star Power and Steps & Leaps. They all had assigned partners for these math games, and I thought it was great how they got to learn more about other friends rather than the ones they are most comfortable with.

-We continued our Number Talks and learned about understanding patterns in addition that involved two-digit numbers. I even threw a three-digit number into the fray to challenge them because they are such strong mathematicians. They all had fantastically unique strategies. These involved isolating the ones place (or tens in three-digit number case) to solve the problem more efficiently; figuring out the ones place via rounding up to the tens place, and so much more!

Science

- The students picked out animals for a project they will be doing within the upcoming animal report writing unit.  These animals ranged from the curiously unheard to beloved fan-favorites. We had Axolotls, Dogs, Cats, Jaguars, Basking Sharks, American Shortbread Horses, Cuttlefish, and Tasmanian Tigers to name a few. I loved their diverse choices. The students picked these using an assortment of books and PebbleGo Online to see their options.

-Some students chose to get a head start in jotting down facts about their animals for the project they will be starting next week with Mrs. McCormack and Ms. Scott. I am impressed by their “go-getter” attitudes.

News and Reminders

-Mrs. McCormack will resume helming the ship next week. I know they’ve all missed her very much and she has certainly missed being in the classroom with them!.

Best,

Mr. Matt

Family Newsletter

 Dear Families,

Here is our week in review:

Social-Emotional Learning:

• This week the students assembled individualized calming cards to help them be more engaged learners, sustain attention and complete work more independently.  These calming cards will serve as a visual reminder for the students and hopefully help them make responsible decisions at school.  We also hope that these calming cards will lead to more self awareness, a sense of control and confidence. The students are so excited to use these strategies and are doing a wonderful job!

• In our restorative circle with Ms. Nicole this week, the students learned how they can be “Kindness Superheroes” at school and at home.  They learned that reaching out to other friends on Harmony to ask to play a game at recess together or sit together at lunch can be examples of how they can be “Kindness Superheroes”.  They can also use kind words and expressions to show kindness.  Ask your child to share more about their special Kindness Superhero powers.

Reading:

• We started learning about the Iditarod on Harmony.  The students will learn about the history of the race and about the equipment and training of the dogs as we explore this topic together.  The students will participate in different read alouds and have a variety of learning projects to work on.  The students listened to the book about Akiak, for example, and completed a character comparison, finding similarities between themselves and this amazing sled dog.  They discovered that they are all brave, kind and can show resilience and perseverance.

• The students also have the opportunity to participate in an Iditarod Reading Challenge on Harmony.  This is optional and the students can participate if they want to.  During independent reading times (or any other explore/choice times during our school day), the students can read a chapter (or book) and write a summary about what they read to “move” along the Iditarod Trail just like the mushers and the sled dogs. The students have their own trail maps and read along the trail.  When they reach the finish line, they will get a special certificate/prize.

• We had a special visit from the author Rebecca Rule this week.  She read her book “The Iciest, Diciest,, Scariest Sled Ride” to the students at ABS. The students enjoyed talking to a real author.

 

Writing:

• Mr. Matt continued to teach his creative writing unit this week.  The students were very engaged and eager to add more details to their words and pictures. This week, they learned to add suspense and a solution to the problem their characters adventures.

Math:

• Second grade mathematicians started learning more systematic ways to use a number line to show their math thinking, using both addition and subtraction. As you may recall, the students are very familiar with using number paths.  A number line is slightly different in that it allows the student to show their math thinking by indicating “jumps” along a number line that can represent any number sequence.

• Second grade mathematicians also continued working on fractions.  This week they learned about how to “extend” fractions in drawings/representations.  For example, if ⅓ was visible on a paper, how could they add to the drawing to show ⅔ or a whole.  They are fantastic math problem-solvers!

News and Reminders:

• If you have not signed up for a parent-teacher conference yet here is the link.  I look forward to the opportunity to chat with you again about your child’s learning at school.

• Mr. Matt started his solo week today and did a terrific job.  He will be the lead teacher all of next week too with me in a supporting role.  

Have a great weekend,

Maria