Time is Flying Now!

What a busy few weeks it has been!  You can always tell when spring hits around a school because the whole school is crazy with activity!
In Math we have been working with our Instructional Coach Mrs. Ferrone on a math concept new to our School Board called BANSHO.
What is BANSHO you may ask....well, it is a mathematics teaching and organization strategy originating in Japan that supports the explicit teaching of math concepts and student thinking. BANSHO is a collection of classroom mathematics artifacts that allow students to see their own thinking in the context of similar thinking of their peers.  Students are expected to follow and discuss all of the work represented and engage in discussions about their thinking.

Here is some of our BANSHO:

The students are having a great time doing BANSHO, especially because they are allowed to use markers for math!

In Science we have been having a great time with our Life Cycles unit.  The students have particularily enjoyed learning about the life cycle of Painted Lady Butterflies.  We have seen them go from caterpillars to chrysalis to butterfly right before our eyes.  The other day, we had the big butterfly send off, as we released our butterflies to goand  live their lives and continue the butterfly life cycle.  Here are a few pictures of our butterflies....

And the release of one of the butterflies.....

We also had a great afternoon going to see the musical "Seussical Jr." at Sandwich West.  The students were able to identify a lot of the characters from the Dr. Seuss stories we have been reading in class.
As you can see it's been a whirlwind of activity around here. 
Hope you and your family are enjoying the beautiful weather! (When it isn't raining....)
Stay tuned for more updates!

What a Great Trip!

Special thanks to Mme. Maguire for arranging our trip to the symphony yesterday.  We listened to some beautiful music. My favourite part was listening to a nine year old from Bellewood school as a featured soloist play.  So incredible.  While some students I'm sure would have enjoyed a rock concert more, the exposure to the culture that a trip to the symphony brings is invaluable.



Happy April!

I finally can confidently say that we are on our way to spring....It has been a realllly long winter.  The spring will bring some really busy times in our class and a lot of different activities that I hope the students will find enjoyable.
In Math, we are going to leave addition and subtraction for awhile to take a little break from it.  We will still be doing review, but I have moved into our new unit on "Time". In this unit, your student will be learning about time, temperature and money.  The learning goals for this unit are:

• to name and order months and seasons of the year.
• use ordinals first to thirty-first.
• tell time to the quarter hour on analog and digital clocks.
• use a thermometer to see if the temperature is rising or falling.
• count and create money amounts up to $1.00

You can help support your child's learning in this unit by:

•  discussing with your child the special events your family celebrates during the year.  Have your child help record these dates on a calendar.
• if you have an outside thermometer at home, direct your child's attention to where the mercury is in the morning and then again at night.  Ask him or her if the mercury has risen or fallen.
• when shopping with your child, point out food products (up to a dollar) and have your child read the amounts.

We are also looking forward to our field trip next week to the Symphony.  I am really looking forward to taking the students.  It will be a very culturally rich experience for them.

I would like to thank everyone who has already sent in toonies for the Japan relief effort.  The devestation there has been astonishing and every little bit we can do to help is appreciated.  It is such a great thing to give the students the opportunity to help others less fortunate, and realize that in reality their "problems" are pretty trivial.....
Have a great weekend!

Welcome Back!

I hope that everyone had an enjoyable March Break! We are already back in full swing here in Grade Two.  In Language Arts, we are working on writing a really good narrative story.  It is a long process.  We have been working on stories all week and will continue into next week.  The students have developed some really good characters, plots and settings.  I am really anxious to read the finished product!
In Math, we are continuing our work on addition and subtraction.  Any review that can be done at home to increase speed and accuracy will really help make it easier for the students as we move through adding and subtracting larger numbers.
For Social Studies, we are taking a little tour around the world.  We are just finishing up our passports, and will begin our journey on Monday in China.  We will also be travelling to Mexico, Australia and Egypt.  I have told the students with your permission, if they have any books or artifacts from any of these countries, they are welcome to bring them to school carefully labeled.  Please don't send anything valuable, as I would hate to see anything accidently broken....
Please note, we will begin our Grade Two testing on Monday March 28. This is standardized testing that all grade two students in our board take part in.  We will be doing the testing on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning during the first periods before first recess.  Please try to schedule any appointments either in the afternoon or after Wednesday. 
Thanks again for your continued support!

We're almost there!

It is so hard to believe that March Break is just around the corner!  If your family is travelling over the break, have a safe and enjoyable trip!  Spring will quickly follow, and I'm sure everyone is looking forward to spring as much as I am.  It has been a long, cold winter and seeing blue skies and green grass will definately lift everyone's spirits!
We are continuing with numeracy in math.  Right now our major focus is on subtraction, using invented strategies to help the students solve the problems mentally, using what they already know about addition and subtration.  We will move into the more traditional subtraction after the break (borrowing as we know it).  It is very important for the students to have a good grasp of the mechanics of subtraction before they learn about borrowing.
In Literacy, we are continuing with the daily five activites.  I am so impressed with how far the students hacve come with their writing, and more and more students are asking to read in their free time which is definately a sign that we are moving in the right direction!
We will be finishing off our "water" unit in science and moving into another social studies unit after the break.
Again, have a safe and restful break!

We Started A New Book Today!

For our read aloud this morning, we started a new book, one of my favourites..."The Tale of Desperaux".  Ask your son or daughter about it periodically.  It is an amazing book!

Wow! We made it to February!

I can`t believe it is February already!  I hope all of you are keeping warm-the weather has been absolutely frigid, and I am not a big fan of cold weather, so I am definitely looking forward to springtime.  Let`s hope Wiarton Willie doesn`t see his shadow!
We are busy as usual in 2B.  In Math, we have moved into the main addition and subtraction unit.  We are learning to add and subtract 2 digit numbers.  It`s pretty challenging, but everyone is plugging along and it is getting a little easier each day. Your child can practice some of the concepts we are learning about at home by doing the following activities....
1) Use the first three digits of phone numbers to write and solve addition sentences with your child.  For example, if a phone number begins with 735, the math sentence would be 7+3+5=15.
2) Have your child explain how he or she found the answer to 64+9.  Then work together to make up at least 3 more pairs of numbers that add up to 73.
3) Place 6 pennies in a row.  Ask your child ``How many pennies are there?" Add a dime to the row and ask "How much money is there altogether?" Continue adding dimes until you reach 96 cents.
Any situations where two numbers have to be added together can become a teachable moment!
In Science, we have begun our Unit "Solids and Liquids".  In this unit, the students are investigating the properties of solids and liquids.  The students then consider the properties of solids and liquids when designing and building object that float.  We will be doing quite a few experiments in this unit.  The students really seem to be enjoying it so far!.
In Language Arts, we are continuing our Daily 5.  Some of the students have moved into chapter books for our guided reading.  They are all working so hard!  Nightly reading practice goes soo far!
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me.  I am having so much fun working with your children!  I am so blessed to have such a great group of kids to spend my days with!