Dear Second Grade Parents

Here are some things that are going on this week!


We will:

• host our Science Museum on Wednesday.  Pre-k, kindergarten, and first grade will be attending.
• begin our Rag Coat literacy book bag project!  Families have the opportunity to snuggle together and enjoy this beautiful literacy experience.  Please make sure your child takes special care of the book bag. Students that bring the book bag home on Monday will return it on Thursday.  The student that brings it home on Thursday will return it on Monday.
• finalize our Adopt-a-Pet persuasive essay.  Will students convince others to go out an adopt a pet?
• learn more about multiplication and division.
• learn more about Brazil and Peru.

Next week we:

• will begin our new science unit on Solids and Liquids.

Jill :)

First Grade Parents

Dear First Grade Parents,

I hope you had a wonderful weekend.  We had a great time on our field trip to Mystic Aquarium.  We enjoyed the sea lion show, petting the sting-rays, and observing all of the animals.  Wow!  We learned a lot about invertebrates and mammals!

Jill :)

A few notes:

• We will have our spelling test today and wrap up Unit 3 week 4 !
• Unit 3 week 5 will be uploaded to Reading Street today!
• Homework Packets will be given out today and it will be due on Friday.
• We will begin our new science unit on Solids and Liquids next week.  We will be combining classes with second grade.
• If you have any small rocks to donate to our class please send them with your child.  We need them for our "rock jar".
• If any family could donate a bottle of hand sanitizer to the classroom, that would be fabulous.......the more bottles the better!
• Remember to dress WARM!

Jill :)

Mystic Trip

 The Beluga Whales.....

 K and First having fun!

 Exploring the crabs, starfish, and turtles!

 Eliora the octopus!

Mr. Jordan......

What can we learn about animals as they grow and change?

Dear First Grade Parents,

We are learning about how animals grow and change this week. Please take the time this week to sit with your child and log on to Reading Street.  Please pay close attention to your child as they read the e-reads, sing our weekly song, and sort our weekly anthology in the correct sequence.  It is crucial for us to work together to support your children as they grow and change as readers and learners.  This semester I am going to focus on many comprehension skills and strategies along with guiding students to build their oral fluency.  If you have any questions please don't hesitate to email me.  I am very proud to say that your children have come a LONG way in reading and writing.  Wow, it is impressive!

Thank you,
Jill :)

Plant Museum

Plant Museum

Second Grade

Dear Second Grade Parents,

Students have been learning about the life cycle of plants all semester.  In the next two weeks students will have the opportunity to show off their Plant Museum.  Students have been working diligently preparing pictures and posters of all different kinds of plants and highlighting important information.  For instance, the process of photosynthesis, the many uses of plants, the different kinds of leaves, and experiments that show what a plant really needs to survive.  Pre-k through first grade are invited to walk through our museum and observe or ask our second graders anything and everything about plants!  Thank you to Jamie Woods for all your work on this garden/plant unit! :)

Jill Davis :)

Mystic Aquarium

Dear First Grade Parents,

We will be venturing out to Mystic, CT to visit the aquarium on January 20, 2011.  We will be participating in a science hands-on program from 10:30-11:30am.  The program reinforces all of the social studies, science, and reading units students have been learning about this year; habitats, how animals grow and change, classification, and life cycles.  The kindergarten class will be joining us.  Students will need to bring a bag lunch.  We will be returning to school around 3pm.

Thank you,
Jill Davis :)

Solids and Liquids Unit with both First and Second Grade

Solids and Liquids

First and Second Grade

Dear Parents,

In the next few weeks I will begin teaching about Solids and Liquids.  We will be combining both first and second grade together two times a week for science.  The Solids and Liquids Module emphasizes the development of observation and description skills and building explanations based on experience.  The module supports the following National Science Education Standards.

Science as Inquiry:

Develop students' abilities to do and understand scientific inquiry.

Content: Physical Science

Develop students' understanding of the characteristics of matter.

Science and Technology

Develop students' abilities in technological design.

I am looking forward to this unit.  I was recently trained by Gemsnet/URI.  The science kit is full of fabulous hands-on activities that the children will love!

Jill Davis :)