Our trip to the Groundwater Festival!
Thank you to all parent volunteers! This trip could not have happened without your time and leadership.
Our field trip to the Groundwater Festival couldn't have happened on a nicer day! We divided up into groups with our fantastic parent volunteers and explored the grounds at the Waterloo Museum. There were many stations and activities that were 'just right' for Grade 2 and many more that opened our eyes to subjects to be covered in upcoming years. Some of the highlights of the trip were the shower station, the animal demonstrations and peeking inside the old pioneer buildings! We met together for lunch to touch base and shared answers to our 'adventure quest.' Check out some of the pictures below, click on the pictures to expand.
Our field trip to the Groundwater Festival couldn't have happened on a nicer day! We divided up into groups with our fantastic parent volunteers and explored the grounds at the Waterloo Museum. There were many stations and activities that were 'just right' for Grade 2 and many more that opened our eyes to subjects to be covered in upcoming years. Some of the highlights of the trip were the shower station, the animal demonstrations and peeking inside the old pioneer buildings! We met together for lunch to touch base and shared answers to our 'adventure quest.' Check out some of the pictures below, click on the pictures to expand.
Mme Clayton Update- May 8th
Summer is fast approaching and you can feel it in the air and in the energy in our classroom! Before the Grade 2s finish their year, there are a few more things to cover. In French we will focus the last few weeks on speaking and presentation skills. Watch for some movies to hit FreshGrade. There are many exciting events happening as well so make sure to watch the planner messages coming home.
Mme Clayton Update - April 3rd
French
In French, we are working on editing our sentences and incorporating the core verbs (etre and avoir.) We are also expanding our vocabulary and building our known conversational French. The Grade 2s are beginning to speak more French in class (with some reminders!) Dictee will continue for only a few more weeks. |
Social Studies
In social studies, we are still learning about the world and the people who live in it. We are going to compare how people live in Kenya (a hot climate) to Alaska ( a cold climate) and create models of their houses. After this we will pick a country to create a short presentation on using a green screen! This is a chance for the students to pick a country they are NOT familiar with. |
Math
In Math we have just finished up our 2D shapes and 3D forms unit. Our next (and last) part of Geometry is exploring simple maps and directions. This is a chance to share their creativity in known and invented worlds! |
Quick Update.....
What an exciting Thursday we had before our long weekend! We said good bye to our principal, Mr. Fracas in a beautiful assembly where our very own drum line played, many special friends and family spoke and children from our school shared their fond memories and gave Mr. Fracas lots of advice on retirement!!!!
We have started a new science unit on Animals....and the children are LOVING it! One of the expectations focuses on the life cycle of different animals. We watched a couple of short videos, discussed what "life cycle" means (which they connected back to the water cycle), finally the students worked in pairs to research and become an expert on an specific animal that I assigned them. They had to create a poster and then share their learning with their classmates. The sharing part was the most fun and interesting. We went out into the front entry way and did an inside/outside circle! Ask your little one how it worked! So much fun and the children learned from each other! Check it out.....
We have started a new science unit on Animals....and the children are LOVING it! One of the expectations focuses on the life cycle of different animals. We watched a couple of short videos, discussed what "life cycle" means (which they connected back to the water cycle), finally the students worked in pairs to research and become an expert on an specific animal that I assigned them. They had to create a poster and then share their learning with their classmates. The sharing part was the most fun and interesting. We went out into the front entry way and did an inside/outside circle! Ask your little one how it worked! So much fun and the children learned from each other! Check it out.....
Louis la grenouille-
Unfortunately not all parents consented to having our plays on the class website. Because of this, the plays had to be edited to fit onto FreshGrade (some audio removed and quality dropped.)
Hopefully the videos work on all devices now and everyone can finally see (and hear!) the hard work that the Gr2s put into their French plays.
Unfortunately not all parents consented to having our plays on the class website. Because of this, the plays had to be edited to fit onto FreshGrade (some audio removed and quality dropped.)
Hopefully the videos work on all devices now and everyone can finally see (and hear!) the hard work that the Gr2s put into their French plays.
Mme Clayton French Update- February 26th
French
In french we have just finished up our Olympic vocab unit and are getting back into journal writing. We will also be covering the verbs 'Avoir' and 'Etre' to practice using them in a wide assortment of sentences. Watch for our performance of ''Francais!Francais!' shortly. |
Math
In math we are finishing up our strands of 2D shapes and symmetry. Next we will be looking at identifying known 3D shapes and trying out hand at building them from STEM materials. |
Social Studies
In social studies we are looking at the features of a map and how the climate of countries differs based on their location on the globe. We discovered and explored Google Maps (they had a blast dropping the 'little man' down) and found out how big our world actually is! |
Class List for Valentine's
Olympic Fun
January News
Just a quick update.....
I have read with the majority of the students in the part 2 weeks.....and WOW, they have really improved! I am so proud of how hard each and every student is working. Please check out Fresh Grade as I have posted a comment there for parents to see what next steps we will be working on in our small groups! Keep exchanging home reading daily.....it really does make a difference! The children should be really proud of themselves!
This week some marks will be coming home for reading and science.
In Reading, we just finished up a quick unit on retelling. Students practiced retelling several stories that were both read by me and by them. We practiced orally retelling several stories, retelling stories in partners and finally independently retelling stories and getting feedback on how we are doing before doing our final one that I graded. The the kids tried really hard and did a great job! I also sent a rubric home indicating how they are progressing in the following areas:
In Science, we have been exploring liquids and solids and exploring their characteristics. We did an assessment this week, and I was looking to see if:
This is one assessment that will be used with other forms to make up their science mark on their report cards.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.....Mrs. Chalmers
I have read with the majority of the students in the part 2 weeks.....and WOW, they have really improved! I am so proud of how hard each and every student is working. Please check out Fresh Grade as I have posted a comment there for parents to see what next steps we will be working on in our small groups! Keep exchanging home reading daily.....it really does make a difference! The children should be really proud of themselves!
This week some marks will be coming home for reading and science.
In Reading, we just finished up a quick unit on retelling. Students practiced retelling several stories that were both read by me and by them. We practiced orally retelling several stories, retelling stories in partners and finally independently retelling stories and getting feedback on how we are doing before doing our final one that I graded. The the kids tried really hard and did a great job! I also sent a rubric home indicating how they are progressing in the following areas:
- their reading level and fluency
- being able to read independently for a sustained amount of time and reading a variety of texts
- identify whether a story is a fairy based on characteristics of that genre
In Science, we have been exploring liquids and solids and exploring their characteristics. We did an assessment this week, and I was looking to see if:
- students could identify if something is a liquid or solid and justify their thinking with proof (characteristics) that was on an anchor chart posted in the room
- students could tell what the terms transparent, translucent and opaque meant and could give examples
- what the term dissolved meant
This is one assessment that will be used with other forms to make up their science mark on their report cards.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.....Mrs. Chalmers
Drumfit
It was an exciting week in gym......the kids got to explore the Drumfit balls! What a great workout they are. The kids got to move and dance while drumming on big exercise balls! Check it out!
English Update (Jan 15)
What a great start to 2018!
The students and I spoke about new year's resolutions, and read a story called "Squirrel's New Year's Resolution" to help solidfy our understanding. The students were then asked to come up with a goal for home and one for school! The children were so honest and insightful, that I posted them for others to read! I will be sending home their balloon on Friday to share their thinking and goals for home! |
Outdoor Fun
Last week, the weather was so beautiful and we had so much snow that we decided to go outside for gym! We trudged across the field (it was hard work) and went to the snow hill where the children played for half an hour going up and down the hill and exploring in the marsh area! The kids keep asking to go back! |
Louis la grenouille Performance Date FEBRUARY 6th 6:30-7:30pm
French Update- Mme Clayton
Social Studies
In Social Studies we are completing our final project for this term's learning. The students are planning a party for a combination of 2 different holidays. They are brainstorming clothing, food, decoration and games to represent both holidays in one fantastic day. They will be presenting their posters as well. |
French
In French we are focusing on fine-tuning our play for the final filming and performance day! Watch for a flyer to come home with details about performance day and costumes. We well be starting a mini-unit on the Winter Olympics as well. As a reminder, Dictee will continue each week. The students are given 5 new words each Monday to write in their planner. On Friday they write their Dictee. These words are high-frequency words for Grade 2s and have been identified as the words our particular class struggles with as well. |
Math
In Math we are learning about mass and capacity. This short unit allows the students to share their thinking about objects, test their predictions and make logical comparisons. In Grade 2 there is a focus on using non-standard units and words such as light,lighter,heavy, heaviest. Following this we will briefly cover temperature before jumping into Geometry!
In Math we are learning about mass and capacity. This short unit allows the students to share their thinking about objects, test their predictions and make logical comparisons. In Grade 2 there is a focus on using non-standard units and words such as light,lighter,heavy, heaviest. Following this we will briefly cover temperature before jumping into Geometry!
Mme Schnurr Update
Welcome back. We have had a good start to our first week back. We made a flip book of what we want and what we hope for 2018! We will also be doing some writing about winter. We created a snowman, from a bird’s eye view perspective and smudged it’s circles with blue oil pastel to add the principal of design; value to the art. In math we are continuing on and finishing up Addition and Subtraction, using a variety of strategies. We are working on numbers as large as 2 digits, with a few 3 digit questions thrown in for fun!
Home reading volunteer
Our school is in need of a home reading volunteer for Monday and Wednesday mornings. If you are able to help us out please contact Mrs Oswald at the school or via email [email protected]
Thanks for your continued support!
Thanks for your continued support!
Waterloo Museum Field Trip
December 14th
The Grade 2s had a fantastic time at the Waterloo Museum learning about the different celebrations in their community. In small groups they visited 'classrooms' around the museum and got to try out dances, plays, crafts and hear stories about Eid-al-Fitr, Chinese New Year, Diwali and Hanukkah. The Grade 2s showed off their understanding from Social Studies class and their own experiences. It was a great way to try out different cultures! Thank you to our parent volunteers who helped out!
December 14th
The Grade 2s had a fantastic time at the Waterloo Museum learning about the different celebrations in their community. In small groups they visited 'classrooms' around the museum and got to try out dances, plays, crafts and hear stories about Eid-al-Fitr, Chinese New Year, Diwali and Hanukkah. The Grade 2s showed off their understanding from Social Studies class and their own experiences. It was a great way to try out different cultures! Thank you to our parent volunteers who helped out!
December Fun!
Mrs. Chalmers
The students have had a lot of fun in December, and they are very excited for the holidays!
A big THANK YOU goes out to all the families that brought in food for our first pod lunch! All I can say is WOW......what an amazing feast we had. The kids were so excited they just kept coming back for more!
A big THANK YOU also goes out to all the parent volunteers that came in to help manage the crowds and serve food to 80+ children! Now the kids want to know when the next one is......check out some of the photos of our awesome lunch!
A big THANK YOU goes out to all the families that brought in food for our first pod lunch! All I can say is WOW......what an amazing feast we had. The kids were so excited they just kept coming back for more!
A big THANK YOU also goes out to all the parent volunteers that came in to help manage the crowds and serve food to 80+ children! Now the kids want to know when the next one is......check out some of the photos of our awesome lunch!
This week has been a week of fun and learning! The students published their second piece of writing for their Grade 2 portfolios and we had a publishing party with cookies and juice. We read a story called "How to Catch an Elf" and everyone had so many stories about their Elf on a Shelf that they did some elf writing. Lastly, we had our final STEM challenge of 2017 and constructed a trap to catch an Elf. The kids were so excited to design, build and share! Check out some of our creative Elf Traps....
Mme.Clayton Update Dec 4
Math
In math we have just finished up our unit on time. We are jumping into measuring perimeter and area, a short unit that should finish up just before Winter holidays. This unit extends our measuring length unit however Grade 2s are only expected to measure the outside and inside of shapes using non-standard units (cubes, cards, paperclips etc.) |
Social Studies
In Social Studies, we have completed our learning about the different kinds of families and the cultures that we can see in our local community. The last few months of this semester will focus on individual holidays and traditions. There will be an end presentation where students will orally present a holiday as an 'expert.' |
French
In French, we continue to fine tune journal writing following examples, adding details and using our resources. The Gr 2s are getting very good at using the in-class resources for new vocabulary! To further enrich their vocabulary and support the spelling of core words, we will be beginning a weekly dictée. Words will be introduced on Monday (and copied into the planner.) They will then be quizzed on the Friday. This system is not to add marks for their report card but to strengthen common core words they need in their vocabulary to read and write.
Louis la grenouille is going well in class. Every week there are 1 or 2 periods with group or 1-1 practice. I encourage students to practice at home at least once a week. The added time spent saying the words aloud makes them more comfortable and at ease for the eventual presentation in late January. Some quiet students can practice reading to pets or even family members that don't speak French. Memorization is not required but it will make the play more engaging for the audience and focus can go on expression of voice.
In French, we continue to fine tune journal writing following examples, adding details and using our resources. The Gr 2s are getting very good at using the in-class resources for new vocabulary! To further enrich their vocabulary and support the spelling of core words, we will be beginning a weekly dictée. Words will be introduced on Monday (and copied into the planner.) They will then be quizzed on the Friday. This system is not to add marks for their report card but to strengthen common core words they need in their vocabulary to read and write.
Louis la grenouille is going well in class. Every week there are 1 or 2 periods with group or 1-1 practice. I encourage students to practice at home at least once a week. The added time spent saying the words aloud makes them more comfortable and at ease for the eventual presentation in late January. Some quiet students can practice reading to pets or even family members that don't speak French. Memorization is not required but it will make the play more engaging for the audience and focus can go on expression of voice.
English Update Nov 28
Reading
The students have been reading up a storm! We continue to explore different reading comprehension strategies aimed at deepening our understanding of the texts that we read.
We started with the reading strategy "asking questions". We explored asking questions before, during and after reading. We read a story called "The Lotus Seed" and as a class came up with a LOT of questions. The next day we reread the book, and the author's note to help us answer the questions. We learned that sometimes we can answer questions using information from the text, our schema and sometimes we have to infer the answer. The students got to put their new questioning skill into practice by independently writing their questions when I read them a story. Next they will be exploring asking questions in texts they have read during small group instruction. We will be looking at fairy tales and their characteristics, eventually moving onto retelling. Think PinkThanks to everyone that wore pink to supporting our anti-bullying week!
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Writing
In Writing, our authors have been learning to writing with a bold beginning, a mighty middle and an excellent ending. Together we explored a variety of techniques that professional authors use. We co-created the following anchor charts and then tried to implement the techniques into our own writing!
The students then had an opportunity to explore a variety of different writing forms
The students will be choosing one piece of writing to take through the writing process to publish. ScienceWe have wrapped up our first science unit on air and water.
The last few weeks the students have explored:
Students then got to show all of their learning in a water booklet. We will be moving on to our unit about Liquids and Solids! |
New math unit! Addition and Subtraction!
Today we began out new math unit. We will work on two expectations.
1. Adding and subtracting 2 digit numbers with and without regrouping using concrete materials
2. Adding and subtracting whole numbers to 18, using strategies like doubles, near doubles, etc.
1. Adding and subtracting 2 digit numbers with and without regrouping using concrete materials
2. Adding and subtracting whole numbers to 18, using strategies like doubles, near doubles, etc.
Safety Village
What a fantastic morning we had together! A big THANK YOU to the parents that came with us today! We really appreciate the time you spent with us!
Today we learned about...
The students were given homework from the staff at the Safety Village. If the children check their smoke detectors and create a safety plan to get out of their homes and bring it to school, they can get a coupon for a free french fries from McDonald's!!!
Here are some pictures from our day!
Today we learned about...
- making a safety plan to get out of the house in case of a fire
- the importance of fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in our homes
- how to climb out of a window safely (we climbed out of Sparky's bedroom window)
- how to "Stop, Drop and Roll"
The students were given homework from the staff at the Safety Village. If the children check their smoke detectors and create a safety plan to get out of their homes and bring it to school, they can get a coupon for a free french fries from McDonald's!!!
Here are some pictures from our day!
Progress Report Celebration Meetings
Progress Reports come home on Monday. If you would like to set up a time to meet with us....please click the link below and sign up for a 15 minute interview slot by putting in your LAST name!
https://doodle.com/poll/bm9ayhfidy385m24
Any questions please do not hesitate to contact us!
https://doodle.com/poll/bm9ayhfidy385m24
Any questions please do not hesitate to contact us!
English Update - Nov 7th
Halloween STEM
Halloween was such a wonderful day....everyone looked fabulous in their costumes! The students went on a Halloween parade through the school to show off their wonderful costumes!!!
In Room 15 we were challenged with a STEM activity! The students had to build a pumpkin launcher! Together we watched videos to inspire us and then we got into groups and using the materials provided (cups, spoons, popsicle sticks, elastics and masking tape) they built their creation. After everyone was done we tested our launchers and launched our pumpkins (candy ones!!!)!
So much fun...
In Room 15 we were challenged with a STEM activity! The students had to build a pumpkin launcher! Together we watched videos to inspire us and then we got into groups and using the materials provided (cups, spoons, popsicle sticks, elastics and masking tape) they built their creation. After everyone was done we tested our launchers and launched our pumpkins (candy ones!!!)!
So much fun...
Us Building.....
Our final creations.....
November 6th- Clayton Update
Math- We have begun to explore non-standard time units and have created our own time keeping devices! Next up will be telling time using digital and analog clocks to the nearest 15 minutes. I invite you to find some fun opportunities or chances to practice telling time as analog clocks are sometimes tricky!
Social Studies- We continue to explore our families and the differences between both structure and activities we do. The grade 2s enjoy sharing how many languages they can all speak!
French-We are continuing with our play and roles have been assigned. Click on the link below to grab a home copy to help practice lines at home. Almost all students got the role they felt was a 'just right' fit. We continue to build our vocabulary using models and the Word Wall in our journals. The grade 2s are building their writing stamina from copying 1 line to writing 2-3 sentences following a model. Bravo!
Math- We have begun to explore non-standard time units and have created our own time keeping devices! Next up will be telling time using digital and analog clocks to the nearest 15 minutes. I invite you to find some fun opportunities or chances to practice telling time as analog clocks are sometimes tricky!
Social Studies- We continue to explore our families and the differences between both structure and activities we do. The grade 2s enjoy sharing how many languages they can all speak!
French-We are continuing with our play and roles have been assigned. Click on the link below to grab a home copy to help practice lines at home. Almost all students got the role they felt was a 'just right' fit. We continue to build our vocabulary using models and the Word Wall in our journals. The grade 2s are building their writing stamina from copying 1 line to writing 2-3 sentences following a model. Bravo!
"Louis la grenouille" Play PDF Click on the link to download a home copy of the play!
French Play Begins!
We are beginning to explore the fantastic play "Louis la grenouille." As a class we will be trying out the new words and expressions. We will be informally practicing and finding the 'just right' role in the play before groups are assigned. The hope is that all the hard work and time the students put in will result in a final product to share with their families! I will be uploading a PDF of the play so you may practice at home if you wish. Stay tune for updates!-Mme Clayton
We are beginning to explore the fantastic play "Louis la grenouille." As a class we will be trying out the new words and expressions. We will be informally practicing and finding the 'just right' role in the play before groups are assigned. The hope is that all the hard work and time the students put in will result in a final product to share with their families! I will be uploading a PDF of the play so you may practice at home if you wish. Stay tune for updates!-Mme Clayton
French - Schnurr update!
French
We are working on our reading, making connections to stories we read to together and starting to do this independently. I have also been reading one on one with each child and we will begin FRENCH home reading in the next week or two. Stay tuned for a permission form to come home in your child’s planner. IN writing, we are drawing pictures to inspire our writing. We then had our learning buddies help us build vocabulary lists so we would have a bank of words to use when writing. This week we will actually begin writing our story. In grade 2, I expect 3-4 sentences only. The students will then share their stories orally with peers to get some feedback and make some simple revisions to their writing. Look for pictures on Fresh Grade in about two weeks, when I will post their completed work! |
Math
We have been working on place value, skip counting, number patterns and basic addition. As well we continue to do math strings as a whole class on a regular basis. This is where I show them images like 6 dogs and then quickly cover the image and they need to tell me how many dogs they saw. It teaches them how to group images in order to count more quickly. We also have started doing this with a rek’n’rek (see image below). I show them 6 beads on top and 4 beads on the bottom and then quickly cover it. They then have to tell me how many beads in total I showed them and how they figured it out! |
Fresh Grade
Dear Parents,
If you haven’t had a chance to send us your email address you are missing out on lots of great pictures, notes and marks for your child! This is where we are keeping all of that organized. We would love to get you hooked up! 😊 Please send your email address in your child’s planner.
If you haven’t had a chance to send us your email address you are missing out on lots of great pictures, notes and marks for your child! This is where we are keeping all of that organized. We would love to get you hooked up! 😊 Please send your email address in your child’s planner.
English Update October 15
Reading
In Reading, the Grade 2s have been very busy. They are experts at reading independently and they love to get lost in a good book.
As a class we were practicing sharing our thinking with our "talk partners" when books were read. This past week we have started a mini unit on predicting when we read. We talked about how predicting is about guessing what is going to happen in the book we are reading using our schema (what we know) and the clues from the text (illustrations and words). This week we are going to unpack what predicting looks like before, during and after reading and we are going to start to practice predicting with books the children are reading. |
Writing
The Grade 2s are great author's. Their love of writing is evident every time we have writer's workshop.
We have introduced Author's Chair, which means 2 students get to read their writing to the class and get feedback on what they can do to improve and what the students liked about their writing. Our focus has been on generating ideas. We have spoken about how writers are inspired by words that they find, they write about things they know and love, they create lists and we learned how to create a timeline of our day and choose something from that to write about. Our second focus was on what makes a piece of writing "good". The children generated some great ideas that we will unpack as the term unfolds. This week and next we will work on taking one of our masterpieces through the writing cycle and publish it. |
Science
We love science in grade 2!!!!
Our focus has been on Air and all of it's characteristics. We have explored that air can move and is called wind. We then built paper rockets to explore how air makes them move.
Next we focused on how air takes up space, and conducted an experiment where air kept a tissue dry. Ask your child to recreate this experiment at home. We then explored how air has weight using balloons and a meter stick. The children are also learning how to "write up" an experiment in their science books. We talked about how we need a title, a good diagram with labels, and a section to explain what we learned and how the experiment supported our new learning.
This week we are going to conduct an experiment that shows hot air rises and cold air doesn't.
Our focus has been on Air and all of it's characteristics. We have explored that air can move and is called wind. We then built paper rockets to explore how air makes them move.
Next we focused on how air takes up space, and conducted an experiment where air kept a tissue dry. Ask your child to recreate this experiment at home. We then explored how air has weight using balloons and a meter stick. The children are also learning how to "write up" an experiment in their science books. We talked about how we need a title, a good diagram with labels, and a section to explain what we learned and how the experiment supported our new learning.
This week we are going to conduct an experiment that shows hot air rises and cold air doesn't.
Traditions and Celebrations
Thank you to all parents and guardians who took the time to interview their child about the traditions they enjoy. We were able to create a world map pinned with all the countries we have special ties to. Watch for a second sheet in the coming weeks after we’ve delved into changing traditions (how parents/grandparents might have celebrated differently.) – Mme.Clayton
Thank you to all parents and guardians who took the time to interview their child about the traditions they enjoy. We were able to create a world map pinned with all the countries we have special ties to. Watch for a second sheet in the coming weeks after we’ve delved into changing traditions (how parents/grandparents might have celebrated differently.) – Mme.Clayton
French Learning buddies!
We have learning buddies! Our grade 5 buddies from Mme Collee and Mrs Fleisig/s class will meet with us for one period a week. We will begin by getting to know each other and reading to each other in French. As the year progresses we will add other activities into our time together.
Library Day!
The grade 2's will visit the library every day 2. This is their dedicated library day. Please help your child remember to bring their library books on day 2's!
Update in English for September 18
Reading
The children have settled in wonderfully and they are ready to start our regular routines in Grade 2!
This week was our first Caring Assembly as a whole school and we read 2 beautiful books. The exciting news, is that the students in Grade 2 read Todd Parr's new book "Love the World" to the whole school! I took pictures of the page, voice recorded the children reading and my dear friend Ms. Nelson put the two together and we have this beautiful story being read by our class. I have shared the video below, they were fantastic! This week the student's and I looked at a biography about Edna Staebler, as it's our 10 year anniversary. It was surprising to me, that very few children knew about her or what makes her so special! We created a chart about all the things we learned about Edna and then wrote about why we think our school was named after her. We also had a chance to look in our cabinet in the lobby of the school to see all of the different books she wrote and even the mice she knit!
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Writing
In Writing, the students continue to familiarize themselves with writer's workshop. We are learning where the tools are in the classroom (e.g. paper, pens) and the routines that we follow. Some of the criteria the children and I talked about was important for children to be successful when they write are:
We will continue to explore writer's workshop and how to generate ideas, the different forms of writing and author's chair! ScienceWe have started our first science unit - Air and Water!
To launch we talked about what we already know about "air" and some questions that we have about air. We then looked at the characteristics of air (and learned what characteristics means). We also got our Science Inquiry books and started to record our learning in there. Next week we will conduct some cool experiments to highlight some of the characteristics of air that we may not be aware of! |
STEM Challenge
What a great bunch of Grade 2 students we have this year! They are all so eager to learn and participate in the fun activities that are planned!
Last week we participated in our first STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) challenge. Students were given a task with specific materials. Last week we had to help "Harry" build a perch so he could watch over our classroom. Before we started we spoke about how to work with a partner or in a group (collaboration). Students quickly mentioned that we have to
I put the students in groups of 2 or 3 laid out some materials (cardboard, pipe cleaners, tape) and the kids got right to work. What great teamwork I saw and such creativity. The children had 5 minutes to plan, 15 minutes to build and 10 minutes to test and fix!
Check our our creations!
Last week we participated in our first STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) challenge. Students were given a task with specific materials. Last week we had to help "Harry" build a perch so he could watch over our classroom. Before we started we spoke about how to work with a partner or in a group (collaboration). Students quickly mentioned that we have to
- listen to each other
- be kind, polite
- share the workload
- share materials
- share ideas
- stay on task
I put the students in groups of 2 or 3 laid out some materials (cardboard, pipe cleaners, tape) and the kids got right to work. What great teamwork I saw and such creativity. The children had 5 minutes to plan, 15 minutes to build and 10 minutes to test and fix!
Check our our creations!
Fresh Grade update
So sorry parents, I misunderstood how Fresh Grade works. I am not able to send you an "access code" to gain access. I actually have to add your email address in, and it will send you a direct link email. However based on the new CASL legislation I can't ASK you for your email address. :)
So... if you would be INTERESTED in joining Fresh Grade to garner access to your child's marks, anecdotal notes, photos, etc and have access to the messaging system we will be using through Fresh Grade then you can VOLUNTEER your email address to us by writing it in your child's planner!
Thanks!
So... if you would be INTERESTED in joining Fresh Grade to garner access to your child's marks, anecdotal notes, photos, etc and have access to the messaging system we will be using through Fresh Grade then you can VOLUNTEER your email address to us by writing it in your child's planner!
Thanks!
First Week is Done.....
Hello Everyone, it was so exciting to meet everyone last week....what a lovely bunch of students we have! Looking forward to seeing everyone on Thursday for Meet the Teacher night from 6pm to 7pm!!!!
This year Mme Schnurr and I were given two 2/3 classes....this is because there are more than 20 Grade 2 students and the cap on primary classrooms is 20. Mme Schnurr and I have straightened out the 2 classes as much as possible. This means that the Grade 2 students are in one class and the Grade 3 students are in a different class. The students were thrilled when they heard this!
I (Mrs. Chalmers) have the Grade 2 students in the morning, and the Grade 3s in the afternoon, and Mme Schnurr is the reverse. What does that mean for you? Nothing, other than Mme Schnurr will be the homeroom teacher for the Grade 3 students and I (Mrs. Chalmers) will be the homeroom teacher for the Grade 2 students. What does that mean?????? Well....again not a lot, except that we ask that you connect with your homeroom teacher about general questions or concerns and that book orders go through your homeroom teacher (Mrs. Chalmers for Grade 2 and Mme Schnurr for Grade 3).
If you have any questions at all please let us know and we will be happy to figure things out together!!!!
Love,
Mrs. Chalmers
This year Mme Schnurr and I were given two 2/3 classes....this is because there are more than 20 Grade 2 students and the cap on primary classrooms is 20. Mme Schnurr and I have straightened out the 2 classes as much as possible. This means that the Grade 2 students are in one class and the Grade 3 students are in a different class. The students were thrilled when they heard this!
I (Mrs. Chalmers) have the Grade 2 students in the morning, and the Grade 3s in the afternoon, and Mme Schnurr is the reverse. What does that mean for you? Nothing, other than Mme Schnurr will be the homeroom teacher for the Grade 3 students and I (Mrs. Chalmers) will be the homeroom teacher for the Grade 2 students. What does that mean?????? Well....again not a lot, except that we ask that you connect with your homeroom teacher about general questions or concerns and that book orders go through your homeroom teacher (Mrs. Chalmers for Grade 2 and Mme Schnurr for Grade 3).
If you have any questions at all please let us know and we will be happy to figure things out together!!!!
Love,
Mrs. Chalmers
Fresh Grade is coming!
This year Mrs Chalmers and I will be using Fresh Grade to share marks, rubrics, anecdotal notes AND messages/communication with you. It will be our MAIN means of communication, besides this website and daily planners. The messaging available in Fresh Grade will allow us to send reminders like "field trip tomorrow" or "Library on Thurs", etc Forms will be coming home with your INDIVIDUAL access code on it. PLEASE sign up for Fresh Grade. If you signed up for Class Messenger, please ignore. As that was a system we used last year and we accidentally didn't delete it. So sorry. we will NOT be using Class Messenger.
FRESH GRADE IS IT!!!
FRESH GRADE IS IT!!!