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
