Snow, rain, snow, wind-  weather please make up your mind!  Parents please send snow pants, boots, and gloves to school every day- you never know when we will go outside as the weather seems to be changing by the minute.  As the weather forecasters say “Wait 5 minutes and the weather will change if you live in Michigan”. 

Thank you all for sending in your can good items for our Hat Day.  The fifth graders took over 700 pounds of food to Gleaners in Pontiac. 

Turn in your “Pennies for Pasta” money tomorrow.  Please have your change pre-counted at home.  The last collection date will be February 27^th.

Enjoy our 90+ photo gallery!  

Reader’s Workshop

Over the past several weeks our excited students spent time with their “Book Club” groups.  During this time I modeled from Anansi and the Magic Stick before allowing them to convene on their own.  Our focus these past few weeks has been previewing and predicting, connect and question, infer- problem and solution, cause and effect, and word meaning.  Students picked their own books to read during this time and enjoyed sharing their findings and thoughts.

Writer’s Workshop

Students are finishing up their letters about books they have read.  Some letters incorporated writing about a secondary/supporting character and favorite part- stating specific details to support their reasons.  All writers are trying to convince others to try out the books as well.  Students picked one to edit and revise with a partner and have rewritten the final letter.   We are expecting second graders to be able to spell basic sight words and use correct punctuation in their daily writing

Math Workshop

We spent these last few weeks learning about geometry, especially two and three-dimensional shapes!  We have talked about the features of both two and three-dimensional shapes. We learned key vocabulary words like: parallel, line segment, vertice, vertex, side, edge and face, as well as the names of many common two and three-dimensional shapes. We built shapes from marshmallows and toothpicks and found the edges, corners, and faces.  Then we compared three-dimensional shapes in a shape museum that students brought to school. We also spent time noticing similarities and differences between the shapes. We had our Unit 5 test before break and will be moving onto Unit 8 after midwinter break.

Word Study

In word study we learned patterns with the double “oo”, students had to sort words with this pattern as in look and moon.  Then we moved on to high frequency words, kids organized these words in three categories- begins with a vowel, double vowel in the middle, and begins with the same first letter. Students sorted contractions with the endings of “will, not and is”.  Students compared words after we added an ending, for example- small, smaller, and smallest.  Kids drew pictures to go along with the words.  Double the consonant and add –ed to words ending in a short vowel and a consonant to form a past tense word.  Students learned there is no spelling change to the word, they just need to add on to the word.  Some examples--  hug - hugged, love -loved, and jump - jumped.

Science

Air and Weather is the focus for the last science unit.  The kids explored air using cotton balls, feathers, straws, baggies, paper, styrofoam balls, and balloons.  Many interesting inventions were made… a dancing cotton ball in the baggie and sucking up the objects using the straw, just to name a few.  The next lesson students had make bubbles, keep a paper towel dry, pour air from one vial to another, pour a styrofoam ball from one vial to another while these objects are submerged under water. 

A homework assignment was sent home to make a rain gauge.  Your child will receive extra credit in science if they do this project.  Students can try these out at home after all the snow is gone.

A pinwheel and snake was sent home to be colored.  Please color both sides, don’t cut out, and return to school on February 27^th.

Social Studies

We continue our study of our local economy.  We’re still looking at jobs and discussing producers, consumers and how they offer goods and services.  The vocabulary words this week: goods- things people make or sell and services- jobs that people do for others.  We discussed that many parents in our classroom provide a service and others provide goods that we could buy.

Upcoming Events

·       Friday, February 13^th: Valentine’s Party 3:00-3:40

·       Friday, February 13^th- Last day to return talent show permission slips

·       Winter Break: February 14^th-22^nd

·       School resumes: February 23^rd

·       Sock Hop items are due on Wednesday, February 25^th

·       Snake and pinwheel due- February 27^th

·       Sock Hop- Thursday, March 5^th 6:30-8:30