Germination! / Poetry Cafe this Friday

In science we are making observations as seeds germinate.

Hello everyone, here is the update for the week.

NWEA Testing for Spring
Spring NWEA testing begins this week.  Our days for testing are as follows:  This Tuesday, April 28th we will be taking the English Language Arts portion of the exam.  Next Thursday, May 7th we will be taking the Math portion of the exam.  Please make sure that your students get a good night’s rest and a healthy breakfast before each exam.

Poetry Cafe Reminder
On Friday, May 1st second grade will be hosting parents for our annual Poetry Cafe.  From 10:35 to 11:15 Room A-2 students will be reading some of their original poems while parents enjoy coffee, snacks, and juice. 

Curriculum Overview
Literacy - In literacy we will be working on summarizing and synthesizing the text we read.  As we read we will look for the most important information and big ideas and we will work to summarize and share what we learn in writing.

Writing - Students will be finishing up their poetry writing in preparation for this Friday's poetry cafe.  Before the big event we will also practice reading and expressing our poems out loud.

Math - This week we will be finishing up a unit on time, analog clocks and elapsed time.  We will also be beginning a unit on multiplication and division.  We will have a math exam on Time this Wednesday, a study guide will go home on Monday.

Science - Last week we learned what a seed needs to germinate and we placed seeds in moist plastic bags so we could watch the germination process.  This week we will learn more about germination as well as plant some seeds in pots.

Social Studies with Mrs. Heron - We finished our review of Unit 4 last week and students will be taking their test this week.  Our next unit will be called "How do communities change?".

Word Study with Mrs. Sepich - Students will be getting their new vocabulary words for this week. They come from the book “Stellaluna.”  They are:  anxious, grasp(ed), clutch(ed), clamber(ed) & peculiar.  In addition we will be completing the word sort for this cycle which will come home in the Monday Envelope today (Sepich) and next week (Heron, Luxon & most Wesley)

Leadership - Learning about the power of our words.  Ask your students about Mr. Peabody's Apples.

Thank You For Attending Student Led Conferences

Last week students dissected three different kinds of seeds.  When our work was completed students were able to identify
different parts of each seed (see chart below).  In the photo above you can see the tiny plant embryo in a Fava bean seed.

It was really great seeing you all last week for Student-Led Conferences. If I was busy during your conference and you have additional questions please don't hesitate to reach out to me.  Two important events are coming up in second grade: our annual poetry cafe and a field trip to the Walled Lake Nature Center.  More information about both of those events is below:

Poetry Cafe
On Friday, May 1st second grade will be hosting parents for our annual Poetry Cafe.  A informational sheet went home today in the Monday envelopes on pink paper.  From 10:35 to 11:15 Room A-2 students will be reading some of their original poems while parents enjoy coffee, snacks and juice.  We need help from parents to organize this event, if you are interested in volunteering please see the pink sheet for more information.

Field Trip
On Wednesday, June 3rd, second grade students will be leaving school for a field trip to the amazing Walled Lake Nature Center.  At the center students will attend four 45 minute outdoor classes on different topics.  I've looked over the agenda and looks like an amazing trip.  A packet of information printed on white paper went home today in the Monday envelopes.  We will need drivers for this field trip, if you would like to attend there is a form within the packet you can fill out and return.

Curriculum Overview
Literacy and Writing - In both literacy and in writing we are studying poetry.  We will study and emulate different types of poems and different techniques used by poets.  

Math - This week we are beginning a unit on Time.  Students will practice reading both analog and digital clocks.  We will also practice calculating elapsed time.

Science - Last week we dissected seeds and learned about their different parts.  This week we will begin planting seeds so we can watch them germinate.

Social Studies with Mrs. Heron - Last week we learned about how people specialize to produce certain goods and services.  We also learned how we trade money to get the things we want and need.  We will be finishing our unit this week so please look for a study guide and your child’s packet to come home as we will be taking our test next week.

Word Study with Mrs. Sepich - This week students will be working with the new word sorts.  We will continue to work with the vocabulary words from the book Lon Po Po as well as our new sorts

Leadership - Choosing new jobs, learning how to take chances and be comfortable with mistakes.

Half-Days and Student Led Conferences This Thursday and Friday

Room A-2 students use hand lenses to examine the seeds they discovered around the school.

I hope all of you enjoyed having your children home for Spring Vacation.  Maybe it was the pajamas they wore today but they all seemed very rested.  Here is the update for the week:

Spirit Week
This is Spirit Week!  Here is the schedule, slightly updated from what I originally sent out:

Monday 4/13: Pajama Day
Tuesday 4/14: School Spirit Day
Wednesday 4/15: Hat Day
Thursday 4/16: Crazy Hair Day
Friday 4/17: Wacky Day

Silver Springs also uses Spirit Week as a fundraiser.  If possible, students should bring $1 for each day they would like to participate or $5 at the beginning of the week to participate every day.  All of the donations will go to help support this year’s Lorax Project.  This is a great way to have some fun and support a great cause!  Brought to you by the Community Service Student Lighthouse Action Team.

Thursday and Friday are Half-Days of Instruction
Student led conferences are set for this Thursday and Friday, April 16th and 17th.  If you haven't already, please sign up for a time to come in and have your child show you their work and progress.   I created an online sign up which you can access here.  To accommodate the conferences Silver Springs will have half-days of instruction this Thursday and Friday.

Curriculum Overview
Literacy and Writing - In both literacy and in writing we will be studying poetry.  We will study and emulate different types of poems and different techniques used by poets. 

Math - We are currently finishing a unit on money.  This week we are specifically focused on real world math problems involving money.  We will have an exam this Wednesday.  A study guide went home today.

Science - In Science we are continuing our study of the plant life cycle by examining seeds.  Last week we searched for and found seeds and seed pods around the school.  This week we will be dissecting seeds and learning about their different parts.

Social Studies with Mrs. Heron - We are reviewing natural, human, and capital resources which are are needed to produce goods and services.  We are also learning about how our economic wants are satisfied by businesses.  Students are also creating a business directory page for a local business.

Word Study with Mrs. Sepich - Classes will be receiving their new sort this week (the old one will come home in the Monday Envelope) as well as beginning to work with the vocabulary words using games.

Leadership - Keeping our leadership notebooks up to date.  Preparing for student led conferences.