A Happy Week Before Vacation!

Hello families,
We've enjoyed each other immensely this week. Our Valentine Exchange was a huge hit! No school on Tuesday made Wednesday feel like Monday again--what a crazy week! Luckily everyone was super excited to be back at school and got right into the learning spirit.

This week we worked on an opinion piece to show to Mr. Rosen. Students chose from 3 possible topics -- choosing to write about one they had a strong feeling or opinion for: 
1) What lunch meal should be added to the menu? 2) What is your favorite P.E. activity? or 3) Which do you prefer to swim in: a pool, the ocean, a pond, or a river? Students worked diligently to plan and write these opinion pieces to show all they've learned about this genre of writing.

Second grade mathematicians finished up the measurement unit. They measured things and compared lengths, widths, and heights using both the standard and metric systems. They estimated lengths and decided what the best unit of measure or tool for measuring would be appropriate in varied opportunities. They also did a fun measurement scavenger hunt around the classroom! First grade mathematicians have been discussing many strategies for adding. They have also been doing A TON of number line work. This is important work so they can internalize where numbers are in relation to each other, thinking about the order of numbers as well as how they are related to each other.

We finished reading our chapter book, Voyage to the Volcano on Thursday. We have all been really interested in learning about volcanoes so will begin to read some non-fiction books about volcanoes after winter break.

We've continued looking at and reading about landforms and bodies of water in science. This week we played a fun, interactive game identifying them on the SMARTboard. Here are links to two science games for this unit in case you want to play at home!

- High Point Lookout - Spot the Landforms and Bodies of Water
- Landform and Bodies of Water Concentration


Our Friday schedule this week is pretty awesome and exciting for our last day before vacation. Since we missed Art on Tuesday we'll have a special art time after our snack tomorrow so students can finish their clay work and their pots can dry over vacation--ready for the next step of glazing after break!

Friday's Schedule
Arrival/Morning Meeting
P.E.
Spanish
Snack
Art
Lunch
Community Cleaning
Sharing
Pack-Up and Free Read
Fitness Friday
Dismissal

I won't be in tomorrow since I have an appointment in the morning. I wish you all a happy, safe, and healthy winter break. See you in March!

Dates to Remember:
Friday February 19th -- Final Fitness Friday
Monday Feb. 22nd - Tues. March 1st -- Winter Vacation - NO SCHOOL 
Wednesday March 2nd -- School resumes
Wednesday March 2nd -- Wunderle's Big Top Adventures Circus Residency begins! - All School Introduction 9:30 a.m.