Halloween Party!

Our crew had a wonderful time celebrating Halloween together! We started by parading around the school to show off our costumes. After, Ms. Kimberly Eloe planned an exciting Halloween Party for us! We ate yummy treats, created spider hats, participated in a candy corn relay race, and played minute to win it games and trick or treat surprise! We had a fantastic day! Thank you to all the families that donated supplies and/or joined us for the party. Your support means the world!

Reading Stamina

Our readers have been working on building their reading stamina. To kick-off, the students learned about a famous runner named Wilma Rudolph. She was born small and was sick with Polio at a young age. Doctors told her she would not be able to walk. But because Wilma showed stamina and perseverance, she raced in the Olympics and became the fastest woman in the world. We learned from Wilma that stamina means doing anything for a long period of time without giving up. The students compared their stamina to Wilma Rudolph's stamina as a runner.

After, the students graphed data of their reading stamina and set a goal for themselves. We reflected on behaviors that build and break reading stamina. We are continuing to work on building our reading stamina over the next few weeks. We are eager to share with you are growth in reading stamina at Student-Led Conferences.

Backcounty Visitors

Today during expedition we had two experts join us from Backcountry Wilderness! These experts taught our crew how animals and plants survive. We rotated to five different stations and observed many different scientist artifacts such as photographs, seeds, plants, fur, skulls, and other replicas. Each station was incredibly hands-on. The students were engaged and used their background knowledge of the organisms we have been studying to understand new animals and plants. We also learned of the three essentials animals and plants need to survive: food, water, and shelter. Thank you to Backcountry Wilderness for joining us!

Thinking as a Mathematician

Our mathematicians are working on feeling confident solving addition and subtraction problems using a variety of strategies. Over the past few weeks, the mathematicians have been experimenting with some new strategies that help with efficiency. Many of our mathematicians originally showed their thinking by drawing circles and taking away or adding circles. We are starting to realize we can represent our thinking in a variety of ways!

We also spend a lot of time following the thinking process of a mathematician which can be found below. I want our crew to realize that the job of a mathematician is not to memorize problems, but it is actually all about communication. We have been working on drawing clear models, explaining our thinking by talking with a partner and using our partners' suggestions to revise our thinking. It has been a true joy listening to the conversations our mathematicians have with one another. We are eager to continue this deep, thoughtful work!

Regulating our Emotions

For the past two weeks, our crew has been working on identifying and regulating our emotions. Last week, our crew worked on identifying our emotions by using the Zones of Regulation. The students were able to express if their emotions matched the blue, green, yellow or red zone. We learned it takes courage to share how you are feeling and to advocate for what you need as well.

This past week, we focused crew time to establish our "Calm Down Center." This a space the students can visit if they are feeling in the blue, yellow, or red zone to practice mindfulness and regulate their emotions. The students and I collaborated on strategies they can use when they visit the "Calm Down Center" which have been posted below. We also collaborated to include materials they could use at this center such as a calm down glitter jar, stress balls, Play-Doh, noise-canceling headphones, Zones of Regulation reflections, and a breathing stick. Each child has created their own breathing stick to use at home and has also brought home the Zones of Regulation chart to share with his/her family. It is my hope that the strategies the students learn in the classroom can be practiced in other aspects of their life. 

Fieldwork this week!

This week was filled with fieldwork for our second-grade scientists! We learned about scientific sketches and how scientists observe. We walked to Cheese Ranch and sketched all of the organisms in the pond habitat. When we returned to the classroom, the students gave each other feedback using our critique etiquette. This ettiquette asks students to give feedback that is kind, helpful, and specific. After receiving feedback, we returned to the Cheese Ranch pond habitat and revised our drawing for accuracy.

   

On Friday, we visited Carson Nature Center to compare the wetland and grassland habitats. We noticed that wetlands are wet, shady, calm, and include short and tall plants. We also reviewed some animals that use the wetlands as their habitat. When we observed the grasslands, the students noticed that the grasslands were sunny, dry, and home to different plants and animals. In the weeks to come, our young scientists will be learning what makes a grassland and how organisms are connected to the habitats around them. Thank you SO MUCH to the fabulous volunteers who joined us at fieldwork this week. Your help was truly invaluable.

Picking a "just right" book

As readers, our crew has been using the Five Finger Rule to find a "just right" book. Choosing a book that is just right for our readers is challenging, yet all students have a tool they can always use....their fingers!



This week, our crew has been reading books and determining if the book is just right for them by counting the number of words on each page they cannot decipher.  If a student cannot figure out more than five words on the first two or three pages,  the book is too challenging. If a student knows every word in the book, it is too easy. If a student is trying to decode two to four words on each page, the book is just right! This is a great strategy to use when reading at home, as well as when visiting the library or bookstore. We will use this strategy throughout the year to gain independence and confidence as readers.