Second graders are growing every day. Their brains are also s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g at at an amazing pace. As we grow as readers, we are beginning to notice the patterns that occur in words. Recognizing and naming these patterns are helping us to become better spellers. Through our weekly word study lessons, student are working in small groups to cut and organize sorts focused on a particular spelling pattern. After we have noticed the pattern in the words, students are excited to engage in a variety of activities to find and practice our spelling words. Activities such as searching around our classrooms to find the words are a fun way to call our attention to the how we can spell these patterns correctly in our own work everyday. Currently, students are examining a variety of different sort patterns. Patterns such as short vowels spelled with one vowel, long vowel teams, and common digraphs such as ch, sh,th and wh. 

Also this week, classes focused on our favorite Brookside motto: We care. We are kind. We are The Cougars! To celebrate kindness week, each class committed themselves to a kind act to enact for members of our community. 2N students secretly practiced paying people compliments before they went into the community to make peoples' days better, 2S students made play dough for the Kindergarten students to enjoy, and 2M visited the Pre K to read stories. It was exciting to pay attention to how we treat each others as well as being recipients of kind acts ourselves. The second grade is considering continuing kindness week into the rest of the year. Who's in?

​

This week and next, second grade students are spending time learning how to log on to online resources and use tools that will help them practice skills in math and language arts content areas. Students are gaining experience using laptops and iPads to access resources on shared devices. They are also learning that log on information such as passwords are private and learning the basic procedures of logging off at the end of exploration times. Second graders are using strategies to help them recall their log on information and will have the scaffolded support of password reminder sheets that travel to and from school in their homework folders until their username and password recall is more automatic for them. Students are also being introduced to tools on classroom iPads that will allow them to share their thinking with others and self-reflect on their learning as the school year progresses. In class exploration times allow students to become familiar with capabilities and navigation menus of educational technology tools. It is exciting to watch students gaining confidence and demonstrate leadership skills as they help and coach classmates using Ed. Tech. tools in class. 

We look forward to see you all on November 15th for Parent/Teacher Conference Day!

2M - Parent/Teacher Conference Day Signup link
​www.SignUpGenius.com/go/30E0F44A4AF29A0F85-november2 

2N - Parent/Teacher Conference Day Signup link
www.SignUpGenius.com/go/30E0E4CADAE28A20-november4 

2S - Parent/Teacher Conference Day Signup link
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0e4da9a72ea2f85-fall

​​Second grade writers have been busy planning and drafting Small Moment stories which culminated in celebrating the finished pieces this week. The celebration was complete with popcorn and Pellegrino! These stories, which are also called personal narratives, are pieces that are true, about the student writer, and happened in the past over a short period of time. Second graders are learning that opportunities for small moment stories surround them in their everyday lives, and that writers live on the lookout for these moments by keeping a list of seed ideas in their writing journals. Writers are learning various ways to plan each story, including telling the story on their fingers, touching each page and talking out the story, planning on post-its, or using graphic organizers. Children are learning to incorporate specific small moment craft techniques, such as including a character's feelings, dialogue, comparisons, and small actions. The children spent several days rereading, revising and editing their final pieces. It was a also a week to celebrate a 2nd grade favorite...Halloween! Looking ahead...we are looking forward to welcoming the visiting authors at the Book Fair this coming week. 

2M - Parent/Teacher Conference Day Signup link
​www.SignUpGenius.com/go/30E0F44A4AF29A0F85-november2 

2N - Parent/Teacher Conference Day Signup link
www.SignUpGenius.com/go/30E0E4CADAE28A20-november4 

2S - Parent/Teacher Conference Day Signup link
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0e4da9a72ea2f85-fall

​