Your children might have told you that we started our unit on Native Americans. It's so exciting and engaging for them. Each second grade teacher is responsible for a region of North America and every Wednesday the students will rotate to the other classes to learn about; climate, terrain, animals, resources, tools, weapons, food, clothing and shelter of each of the regions. So far, our lessons have covered terrain, climate and animals. On January 28, we will have a visit from a real Native American, Dan Krips. On March 6, we will visit the Peabody Museum at Harvard. Clear your calendars because chaperones will be needed. It is a wonderful museum if you've never been there.
We are also finishing up our mapping unit with a final assesment which was given on Friday. The children learned a lot about the continents, major mountain ranges, oceans and rivers of the world.
Their Mapping portfolios should be coming home in the next week or so.
In Fundation's, we are working on the R-controlled syllable type (R controlled vowels), Unit 8 of the Fundation program. We will work on this unit this week and next having Dictation on the 28. If you are looking for words to study, practice spelling trick words that went home last week and all Fundation's worksheets that go home over the next two weeks. Fundation's words that we'll cover are: part, cart, bird, her, port, burn, turn and words that are in these word families. Also words such as; partner, carport, sport, hurt, manner, partnership. Refer to Edline for more information.
Second grade will be finishing up Chpater 4 of InFocus Math. We will all be reviewing bar models and assessing the chapter on Friday. It was a very difficult chapter but all the students should "GRIT" and stayed with it.
Finally, there has been much talk about the anticipated safety drill called ALICE. I will begin to talk about this drill with the kiddos on Tuesday. Some students have already heard information from parents and who are beginning to discuss it with their children. There have been a public meetings about the new safety procedures. Mrs. Giles will have an assembly on Wednesday morning, January 29 the day of the safety drill ALICE. All classrooms in the school will be at the assembly and will have had a preview of the procedures for their teachers. These new procedures are to be put into place when there is danger or an "intruder" in the building. An "intruder" is someone who is not suppose to be in the building. I will do my best to answer all the questions the children may have. Please know, all the people in the Killam SchoolCommunity, will work to provide a calm, safe and informative drill with all the students and faculty in the building. (The Barrows School had a very safe and successful evacation this week due to high levels of carbon monoxide.) Our school psychologist has put together a photo story to assist us with an appropriate explanation of the ALICE plan. Please take the time to discuss it with your child over the next couple of weeks.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend. Stay warm!
Deb Dellovo
