Second Grade March Newsletter

March 5 - Half Day: Parent Teacher Conferences

March 10 - February Student of the Month Celebration

March 19 - School Spirit Day: College Awareness Day

March 20 - No School: Eid al-Fitr

March 23 - Tiger Family Morning

Focus: Reasoning

• Thinking about Your Thinking: Metacognition. Know your knowing!
  
• Applying Past Knowledge. Use what you learn!
  
• Gathering Data Through All Senses. Use your natural pathways!
  

1. They demonstrate courage to try new things, even if they initially fail, encouraging a growth mindset.

2. They faced a challenge that was difficult and conquered it!

3. They are patient, determined and work hard to achieve a goal.

In Unit 7 of Second Grade Fundations, students will focus on open syllables, where a single vowel at the end of a syllable makes a long sound. It introduces "y" as a vowel, sounding like long i in one-syllable words (ex. cry) and long e in multisyllabic words (ex. baby). Students will also learn to mark these syllables with a macron and combine them with closed/v-e syllables.

In Module 8, students will focus on Plants in Reading and Informative "How-To" in Writing.

In Reading, students will be learning all about plants as they work towards answering the Essential Question: What do plants need to live and grow? Students will analyze text structure and explore vocabulary related to plant processes (ex. sprout, seedlings). The module emphasizes analyzing plot, including beginnings, middles, and ends. At home, you can continue talking about plants with your child. Discuss the parts of the plant, the way they change as they grow, and what they need in order to grow.

In Writing, students will deepen their understanding of sequential steps as they complete their original "How-To" Writing. Students will choose an activity in which they can detail step by step. They will use time-order words like "First, Second, Then, After, and Last" to write a procedural text to teach their reader how to do their chosen activity. At home, you can practice talking through the steps you take to complete a simple activity such as cooking dinner or preparing to go to school in the morning with your child.

Investigations (Classes 201, 204, 205)

Math: Unit 5 – How Many Tens? How Many Hundreds?

In Math Workshop, we are continuing our work on place value. Students are learning to use their understanding of tens and hundreds to solve story problems with unknown changes. They are practicing a variety of strategies to solve problems and show their thinking, including counting up, counting on, using a number line, and using a 100 chart. Example problem: 34 + ? = 54

You can support your child at home by helping them make different combinations of a number using dimes and pennies. This is a fun way to reinforce the concept of tens and ones while practicing addition and subtraction!

Imagine Learning (Classes 202, 203, 206)

Math: Unit 5 – Three-Digit Numbers to 1,000

Students are building on what they already know about tens and ones by learning that 10 tens make 1 hundred. They will practice breaking apart and building using hundreds, tens, and ones.

In this unit students will: 1) Read and write numbers up to 1,000, 2) Break numbers into hundreds, tens, and ones (ex. 462 = 400 + 60 + 2), 3) Use drawings and base-ten blocks to show numbers in different ways, 4) Compare using <,>, and =, 5) Put numbers in order from least to greatest, and 6) Show numbers on a number line.

We will focus on understanding place value and explaining our thinking. By the end of the unit, students will feel more confident working with larger numbers and understanding what each digit represents.

Thank you for supporting your child's math learning at home!

Art🎨

Ms. Brill: Second graders will create art based on nature and plants. We will learn about female artists for Women's History Month who were inspired by nature, including Georgia O'Keeffe. If you have not sent in a pack of baby wipes this year to art, please consider doing so. It would be appreciated.

Mr. Hanratty: Second grade artists will be looking at how artists portray the weather. We will explore how lines and mark-making relate to showing expression and movement.

Gym⚽

Ms. Gursoy and Mr. Meehan: This month, we will begin our soccer unit. We will work on skills such as dribbling, passing, shooting, and some defense. We will practice these skills in a variety of group games.

Music🥁

Mr. Schorr: In the Chamber of Rock, March is 'Drumch.' We will explore drums from different cultures. We will learn about famous composers of the past. We will solidify our understanding of high, middle, and low pitches. We will be introduced to the concept of melody and harmony.

Technology💻

Ms. Birshtein: We will learn how to log into Google Classroom and a website called “Code.org”.

Science🧪

Ms. Bakalac: 2nd grade scientists continue to work on the unit Properties and Patterns of Water. Students have been doing various experiments involving water. Next, they will learn about the water cycle. To support your child at home, please talk about how they think clouds are formed.

Ms. Markovinovic: The 2nd Grade Scientists will be finishing up their unit, States and Properties of Matter. They will end the unit by learning about chemical changes, mixtures and solutions. Students will then begin their new unit, Changes to Land Over Time. In this unit, we will learn about weathering and erosion.

Please continue to support your child by reading through the newsletter carefully. Don't forget to check Class Dojo everyday for important updates and reminders!

- Ms. Baizan, Mrs. Coiro, Ms. Dalonzo, Ms. Roldan, Ms. Jakubowski, Ms. Sidman, and Ms. Giddings