Happy New Year and Where We are Headed in Second Grade...

Happy New Year! I am very excited for 2011. The winter break always brings much growth in the students and as we continue this adventure in learning, I am very excited for the new year.

We start with a shift in our integrated unit of study. Our focus is now on South America and includes, regions, culture, geography, animals, water cycle, and much more. I am very excited to introduce students to not only the animal life but the culture and beauty of South America. The next few weeks will be exciting as we delve into a new land. I remember how excited first grade was when we studied Australia and much like Australia, I believe South America will have the same response. At least I hope so!

We are also shifting our writing focus. Previously we have focused on writing "Small Moments" about our own life. Using those stories that are true to ourselves, I guided students to add details, create exciting events with punctuation and word choice. Our shift occurs not in "how" we write as far as accountability for exciting sentences, word choice, grammar, content, etc. But "what" we write. The next few weeks will shift from personal stories to narrative stories with solid beginning, middle, and end. The stories are not necessarily true events, but stories created by the students. I am excited to share with them my passion for story writing and how each of them is a fantastic author in his or her own way. I am very excited to have this opportunity to write on a different level with my class.

Math continues to focus with fluency, time, and money. We had a very fun activity yesterday that included division strategies and learning about remainders. This is a great leap into future lessons when we start to subtract bigger numbers and learn about borrowing and carrying. (Using that term makes me feel just like I did when I learned how to do it and remember my second grade teacher talking about borrowing and carrying!) I am very fortunate to have students who are EXCITED about math! It makes my job a LOT easier!

As always, we continue to be set goals, establish routines, and challenge ourselves in second grade. And as always, I worry about how I will let these kids go on to third grade when the year ends. I am pretty attached!

I hope that your holidays were wonderful and full of life long memories. Happy New Year!

~Ms. McD