12/14-12/18

We had quite the busy week in 2B. We had our Advent Service...I was so proud of how well the kids did with memorizing their lines and the many songs they sang. They did a great job sharing the Good News of Jesus' birth with those in the congregation. On Thursday, we paid a visit to the North Pole via the Polar Express. It was a fun filled day filled with all things Polar Express...and lots of pajamas!

Our assembly line made an extremely long chain

All Aboard!

All Aboard!

Polar Express Surveys

Polar Express Surveys

Enjoying Snacks

Tic Tac Toe

Drawing Christmas Trees

Illustrating the Polar Express

Looking Ahead to After Break:
Memory:He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Romans 8:32
Spelling:

ee:

see, free, deer, peel, tree, weep, beep, need, freedom, wheel

Phonics: -er and -est comparisons
Grammar: noun, verb, adjective differentiation and distinction
Reading: Fiction v. Nonfiction
Math: Addition with and without regrouping, TEST Friday
Science: Chapter 10- Matter Changes. Test over Lesson 1 Friday, study guide will be sent home on Wednesday.
Writing: Third quarter begins official grading of students' writing. We will spend the week working on 5 paragraph essays, then I will conference with each student and together we will come up with a goal for the quarter on how to become a better writer.

Important News and Information:

• School will resume on Monday Jan. 4th. 2nd Quarter grade cards will be sent home that Friday, 1/8.
• Zion will be offering several services to celebrate Christmas.  Christmas Eve services will be at 1:00, 3:00, 5:00, and 11:00pm, and the Christmas Day service will be at 9:00am.

12/7-12/11

This week was busy, busy, busy! We began practicing for our Advent service next Wednesday. We also wrote a persuasive letter from the perspective of an elf looking to be hired for a job at the North Pole. In Reading, we began reading The True Gift, a really sweet Christmastime novel about a brother and sister who find out the meaning of a true gift. Then, in Social Studies, we learned about how goods are made and brought to us. We started our unit through a factory simulation in our classroom. Half of the class worked in an assembly line to produce bags of snack mix, four kids worked by themselves to produce bags of snack mix, and the other students acted as the factory inspectors, truck drivers, and store owners. We quickly learned that an assembly line is much more efficient that someone working by themselves! The unit was finished with a project where the kids were to design a factory to produce a product. They did a great job!

Building our vocabulary with words from The True Gift!

One individual doing all the work in a factory doesn't work too well

The successful assembly line!

Lots of Snack Mix was made

Looking Ahead to Next Week
Due to our crazy schedule next week with advent, polar express day, and a half day on Friday, our usual school routine will be a little different. We will have a math test on Wednesday. We will not have memory or spelling next week. In reading, we will finish up reading The True Gift, and we will hopefully (if time allows) participate in a Reader's Theatre. In social studies we will learn about Christmas Traditions around the world.

Important News and Information
-Advent: For the morning service your child should just wear the school uniform, no 'fancy' clothes please. For the evening service please have your child in the church basement at 6:50.  Please keep your child's coat.  Please don't drop your child off early.  There will be no adult supervision till 6:50.

For the evening service your child may wear a Christmas outfit, other Church clothes, or school uniform.  Please no jeans. After the service your child will be waiting for you in the Welcome Center.

We have been working hard on this service.  We each have our individual part and our songs ready.  We are excited to share the message of Jesus' birth.

-Polar Express Day will take place on Thursday. Polar Express Day is a fun filled day--students may wear their pajamas and bring a stuffed animal to school. We will spend the day doing various polar express themed activities, and will even get to have some North Pole Treats such as donuts and hot chocolate!
-Next Friday is a half day beginning with an Advent Service led by 8th grade, and ending with our class Christmas party. Our class Christmas Party will provide a Little Caesar's Pizza Lunch. School will resume on Monday, Jan. 4th.

11/30-12/4

This week in 2B we were busy writing five paragraph essays about their Thanksgiving breaks. This writing tied perfectly into our two week long focus on main idea. We learned how good writers include a topic sentence to start out their paragraphs, and how this is kind of like the main idea of the paragraph. Then, the rest of the sentences in the paragraph are the details. I was super impressed with how well they all did!
In math this week, we learned about symmetry. We tied this into art on Friday by making symme-trees. We also had fun in math on Thursday when we went outside to measure objects using our feet and comparing that same distance with a ruler's measurements. The kids figured out why rulers are so important...because everyone's feet are different sizes. If there was no universal measurement tool, there would be big problems!

Measuring the Volume of Liquids

Measuring Distances with Feet

Measuring Distances with a Ruler

Measuirng Distances with Feet

I was impressed with their creativity and acrobatic work to measure the playground equipment:)

Looking Ahead to Next Week: 
Memory: Advent Parts (Check homework folders for their part)
Spelling: Chunk -all: hall, ball, call, stall, wall, mall, overall, rainfall, fallen, baseball
Grammar/Phonics: Adjectives
Reading: The True Gift Book Study
Math: No Test next week
Social Studies: How Goods are Made and Brought to Us
Writing: Persuasive Writing

Important Information:

• 1st and 2nd Grade Advent Service will be on Wednesday, Dec. 16th at 10am and 7pm in the church sanctuary. 
• I will place the last scholastic book order of the semester next Tuesday, Dec. 8th. If you would like for me to hold any books behind for Christmas presents for your kids, let me know:)
• As part of our class service project for the Christmas Season, we are joining with Mrs. Smith's class to collect books the Ready Readers Program (through UMSL). Ready Readers is a volunteer nonprofit organization that places over 500 volunteers to read weekly to preschool children from low-income communities in the St. Louis area. 
  They are in need of preschool aged picture and board books. They are also accepting cash donations so that they can purchase books. 

11/16-11/20

This week, 2B was kept very busy! We learned about matter in science, and started to focus in on the specific types of matter- solids, liquids, and gases. We ended our solids unit on Friday by learning about Simon Rodia, a self taught engineer who built the Watts Towers. These towers were built entirely out of salvaged materials. The kids learned about how a triangular base can help make a structure strong. We tested this through a STEM project: design a tower made entirely of toothpicks and marshmallows, that can withstand the blast of a fan. They did a great job!

In writing, the kids wrote from the perspective of a turkey. Imagining themselves and their families as turkeys was a lot of fun...until they realized Thanksgiving was just around the corner. Their goal was to persuade the reader to eat something, ANYTHING, besides turkey for Thanksgiving dinner. I was impressed with a lot of their persuasive arguments, and I've gotta say, I may be rethinking what I eat for Thanksgiving dinner this year...

Have a blessed, safe, and enjoyable Thanksgiving break!

Flip flops, sunglasses, a towel, and sunscreen...what's the main idea?

Baking sheet, spoon, bowl, and chocolate chips...what's the main idea?

Floss, Glass, toothpaste, toothbrush...what's the main idea?

Comparing and Contrasting Matter

Comparing and Contrasting Matter

An engineering challenge

Testing out their structures

Testing out their structures

Looking Ahead to Next Week:
Memory: For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. Psalm 96:4
Spelling:ing/ink: bring, sing, wing, fling, string, link, drink, pink, think, shrink
Grammar: Past tense verbs/irregular past tense verbs
Phonics: ending consonant clusters
Reading: Main Idea Review
Math: TEST Friday
Science: Chapter 9 Lesson 3: Liquids and Gases, Date of Test will be announced next week

Writing: How to's 

Important Information:

• STAR reports were sent home in Friday folders. If your child's zpd has lowered, please continue to help them find books from their higher zpd range from previous tests. Remember, it's a long test, and results are extremely dependable on student's mindset at the time, as well as various other factors. 
• Information about the Read to Succeed Program was sent home in Friday folders. If your child reads 6 or more hours by the end of February (which should be easy to do if they are reading 20 minutes a day, 4 times a week), then they will earn a free ticket to Six Flags! 
• Thanksgiving Services at Zion will be taking place at: 7:00pm Wednesday Nov. 25th and 9:00am on Thanksgiving Day. 

November 9-13

This week we learned about context clues and how we have to be detectives to figure out the meaning of unknown words. To demonstrate this, we read a book called Bologna, Henry P. This book was about an alien who is late for school. His teacher is not very happy with him, and the alien blames it on the fact that he lost his zimulus (his pencil). The alien continues to elaborate on his story of how exactly he lost his pencil, and it is quite the story...much better than the typical "my dog ate my homework excuse." :) We had to use a lot of context clues to figure out the alien's language, and the kids did a great job!
In science, we finished up our unit on pollution. On Monday, the kids watched as poor Freddy, the sponge fish, suffered as his habitat became more and more polluted. On Tuesday, the kids chose supplies and attempted to clean up Freddy's water. They found that water pollution is very hard to undo.

Freddy the Fish was having a bad day:(

Look at how polluted his water is!

Cleaning up the water

In honor of Veteran's Day, the kids wrote letters to veterans. We mailed them and they should arrive to the veterans soon!

40 letters are on their way to veterans!

 In Religion, we learned about the story of Gideon in religion. It was such a cool story about trusting God, and how great, strong, and mighty he is. Check out Judges Chapter 7 for the full story:)

Looking Ahead to Next Week:
Memory: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
Spelling: Chunk -oo
Grammar: Synonyms and Antonyms
Phonics: Sounds of Y
Reading: Main Idea
Math: TEST THURSDAY
Science: Matter- Solids, Liquids, and Gases. We will have a short test over Lesson 1 on Wednesday. A study guide will be sent home on Monday. We will have a short test over Lesson 2 on Friday. A study guide will be sent home on Wednesday. 
Writing: Save a Turkey, Eat More________ Persuasive Writing 

Important News:
-The thanksgiving food drive for seminary families is this coming Wednesday. 2nd grade has been asked to bring boxed potatoes.
-Book Order Flyers went home in folders on Friday. These are due Wed. Nov. 18th. You can place orders through the link on the blog's sidebar.

Cup Stacking Day in PE on Thursday

Nov. 2nd-6th

This week we began to talk about pollution in science and social studies. Many of the kids stepped up to the challenge of pollution and spent their recess time picking up trash from our playground. They were so proud to show off all of the trash they had collected. 

In reading and writing this week, we learned about a protagonist and antagonist in a story. We learned that oftentimes, the protagonist and antagonist of the story depends on who is telling the story. We read The Three Little Pigs (the classic tale), then read The True Story of the Three Little Pigs (a tale told from the wolf's perspective). We compared and contrasted the two versions of the story and picked out the protagonist and antagonist in each. Then, in writing, the kids had to choose who was telling the truth: the pigs or the wolf. We had a lot of fun debating in class which character was right and which character was lying. Next, the kids had to write a persuasive paper as to which character is telling the truth and why. Be sure to ask your kids which character they believe!

We finished off the week on Friday with a successful compound word day! Thank you so much for your help in prepping the kids' outfits. 

Taste Testing Apples: I cut them into fractions, then we taste tested them and created a bar graph

Picking Up Their Playground at Recess

Compound Word Day

Looking Ahead to Next Week:
Memory: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Spelling: oke/ell: broke, choke, yoke, stroke, awoke, tell, yell, shell, smell, yellow

Phonics: vowels and r

Grammar: Action Verbs

Reading: Context Clues

Math: TEST Thursday

Social Studies: Pollution

Writing: Letters to Veterans 

Important News and Information:
-2nd grade is collecting boxed potatoes for the Seminary Food Drive which will take place Wed. 11/18 during chapel
-Zion has church services this weekend at 6pm on Saturday, and 8 and 10:30 am on Sunday. With Sunday School for both adults and kids in between Sunday services. They even have donuts!
Hope to see you there:)

10/26-10/30

We had a great week in 2nd grade. We learned about apostrophes and how we use them when a noun owns something else. We learned about point of view in a story and how different characters can have totally different perspectives on the exact same event. In science, we finished up our natural resources unit by creating Pic Collages on the iPads (check them out below). Then, in art, Mrs. Stuhr came and had the kids draw spooky black trees. She reminded the kids that even when things seem spooky or scary, God's light still shines through because he is always with us! To show this, Mrs. Stuhr had the kids use oil pastels to color the light shining through the spooky trees. It was a great reminder for all of us as we go into this weekend's festivities. 

Memory: Lord, I love the place where you live, the place where your glory dwells. Psalm 26:8

Spelling: chunk -or, -ea

Phonics: Beginning Consonant Clusters

Grammar: Compound Words

Reading: Protagonist/Antagonist

Math: TEST Tuesday

Science/Social Studies: How do people use the environment?

Writing: Persuasive Writing

Important News and Information:

--Wednesday Nov. 4 is Muffins for Moms (or special guests if moms are unable to make it!). Goodies will be served in the church basement from 7:00am-7:45am. Afterwards, feel free to join your child at chapel.

--Wednesday Nov. 4 is also an inservice day. School will dismiss at noon.

--Friday Nov. 6 will be a special day in grammar. Rather than doing a test over compound words, we will dress up as compound words. More information to come next week!

--Chapel on Wednesday Nov. 18th will be the Thanksgiving food drive for seminary families. If your family is willing to donate, 2nd grade has been asked to bring boxed potatoes, but of course, any other donation is welcome:)