Dear Grade 2/3 Families,
What a whirlwind of a week we had! We are so enthralled with each of your children and are especially impressed with the way in which they present their wonders as a group. At the start of the week, grades 2/ 3 presented our finalized Classroom Essential Agreements to the greater PJS community along with the other grades. Following a rigorous group review, several revisions and tweaks were made-- these are our agreements:
Here’s what we’ve been up to:
In Grade 2
Math Workshop: Last week Second Graders looked at both addition and subtraction as parts of a whole. This was a review from last year, and it led to children creating stories that related addition and subtraction. We will continue this work next week, and we will also look at comparing numbers.
Readers and Writers Workshop: It has been so exciting to see the children grow as readers even over the short time they have been in school this year. We are learning that readers read by interest, for a purpose, and by choosing just right books. We are getting used to the procedures of keeping a log of our reading and starting to respond to our reading through writing.
In Grade 3
Math Workshop: Mathematicians have been learning how important it is to have a strategy during problem solving. We worked on Addition puzzle squares and reviewed ways to make 10 and 100 from 2nd grade. Mathematicians also became acquainted with the word: decompose as we work to build our math vocabulary for upcoming Math Talks. Coming up: Addition and Subtraction strategies with and without regrouping, what it means to be a flexible mathematician, and explaining our strategies so that they are clear to other mathematicians in the room.
Readers and Writers Workshop:
Readers started filling their independent reading book boxes with 2 books they feel are a “good fit”. They also are getting into the habit of filling out their Reading Logs in their Reading Folders. Gaby began conferring with readers on their book selections and checking each reader’s fluency. In the coming weeks, we will be taking a closer look at our reading rates and discussing healthy reading strategies that proficient readers employ to understand interesting texts.
Writers were exposed to several mentor texts to explore line breaks and white space and how choosing how to use them can make a written piece more powerful. Many writers have finished their Rock Candy pieces and have began gathering ideas for their upcoming piece to be titled I Come From… as an integration to our IB Who We Are unit.
In our 2/3 learning community
IB Unit Inquiry: This week, sharers and inquirers presented their Family Artifact in both whole and smaller groups. Many interesting side-bar discussions and comments were spawned:
“I didn’t know you could get baptized when you were a baby….”
“I didn’t know you could get baptized as a grown-up...”
“I didn’t know what getting baptized was at all!”
“Reading can be an important part of a person’s culture.”
“I know about something like your candles but it’s called a menorah and it has 8 candles…actually 9.”
“Is Kwanza celebrated always in the winter time?”
“Bate, bate cho-co-la-te!”
Math Problem-Solving: Grades 2/3 worked together on the Handshake Problem. A number of problem-solving strategies and ways to organize our thinking were used. Some worked better than others. A popular one was the T-Chart. Ask your learner to explain the Handshake Problem to you! Ask them how they would organize their thinking to figure out how many handshakes would happen if everyone in grades 2/3 classroom space shook hands once. (Likely inquiries they should generate on their own: How many children are in both grades combined? Should we include grownups or just children? What if Mrs. Clark is in the room? What if Mrs. Gallagher is in the room? Hmmmm...all things to consider. Does the chart reveal a number pattern? How can that pattern be used to answer other inquiries? Math is SO much fun!
Important Dates and Reminders:
What a whirlwind of a week we had! We are so enthralled with each of your children and are especially impressed with the way in which they present their wonders as a group. At the start of the week, grades 2/ 3 presented our finalized Classroom Essential Agreements to the greater PJS community along with the other grades. Following a rigorous group review, several revisions and tweaks were made-- these are our agreements:
- Be encouraging and kind to each other.
- Treat others the way THEY want to be treated.
- Try harder than usual AND try new things.
- Listen to each other’s ideas.
- Be kind and honest to yourself.
- Respect the space and everything in it.
- BE SAFE and HAVE FUN!
Here’s what we’ve been up to:
In Grade 2
Math Workshop: Last week Second Graders looked at both addition and subtraction as parts of a whole. This was a review from last year, and it led to children creating stories that related addition and subtraction. We will continue this work next week, and we will also look at comparing numbers.
Readers and Writers Workshop: It has been so exciting to see the children grow as readers even over the short time they have been in school this year. We are learning that readers read by interest, for a purpose, and by choosing just right books. We are getting used to the procedures of keeping a log of our reading and starting to respond to our reading through writing.
In Grade 3
Math Workshop: Mathematicians have been learning how important it is to have a strategy during problem solving. We worked on Addition puzzle squares and reviewed ways to make 10 and 100 from 2nd grade. Mathematicians also became acquainted with the word: decompose as we work to build our math vocabulary for upcoming Math Talks. Coming up: Addition and Subtraction strategies with and without regrouping, what it means to be a flexible mathematician, and explaining our strategies so that they are clear to other mathematicians in the room.
Readers and Writers Workshop:
Readers started filling their independent reading book boxes with 2 books they feel are a “good fit”. They also are getting into the habit of filling out their Reading Logs in their Reading Folders. Gaby began conferring with readers on their book selections and checking each reader’s fluency. In the coming weeks, we will be taking a closer look at our reading rates and discussing healthy reading strategies that proficient readers employ to understand interesting texts.
Writers were exposed to several mentor texts to explore line breaks and white space and how choosing how to use them can make a written piece more powerful. Many writers have finished their Rock Candy pieces and have began gathering ideas for their upcoming piece to be titled I Come From… as an integration to our IB Who We Are unit.
In our 2/3 learning community
IB Unit Inquiry: This week, sharers and inquirers presented their Family Artifact in both whole and smaller groups. Many interesting side-bar discussions and comments were spawned:
“I didn’t know you could get baptized when you were a baby….”
“I didn’t know you could get baptized as a grown-up...”
“I didn’t know what getting baptized was at all!”
“Reading can be an important part of a person’s culture.”
“I know about something like your candles but it’s called a menorah and it has 8 candles…actually 9.”
“Is Kwanza celebrated always in the winter time?”
“Bate, bate cho-co-la-te!”
Math Problem-Solving: Grades 2/3 worked together on the Handshake Problem. A number of problem-solving strategies and ways to organize our thinking were used. Some worked better than others. A popular one was the T-Chart. Ask your learner to explain the Handshake Problem to you! Ask them how they would organize their thinking to figure out how many handshakes would happen if everyone in grades 2/3 classroom space shook hands once. (Likely inquiries they should generate on their own: How many children are in both grades combined? Should we include grownups or just children? What if Mrs. Clark is in the room? What if Mrs. Gallagher is in the room? Hmmmm...all things to consider. Does the chart reveal a number pattern? How can that pattern be used to answer other inquiries? Math is SO much fun!
Important Dates and Reminders:
- Please return Friday Elective forms by Monday, September 19th
- School Photos: September 28
- PJS Picnic postponed until Sunday, October 2nd
- Back to School Night: Wednesday, September 21st 7:00-8:30
- Sign up will be sent out next week for conferences (October 6 & 7)