Great trip to the Wetlands!

We had a great trip to the Wetlands last week! Thank you to all of the volunteers who were able to chaperone our class! The weather was beautiful, so there were many wildlife creatures out for us to see!
A note went home today with information about our next field trip to the KC Zoo. If you have any questions, please let me know. If you are signed up to chaperone our class on this trip there was also a hot pink form with information for you sent home with your child. The most important things to remember is to arrive on time to school that day (we leave at 9:00am) and to bring a sack lunch with all disposable items labeled with your child’s name and class.

Last week we wrapped up out study of area. Your children really became interested in making shapes and counting area. They loved using the geoboards and geobands to do this! We just began to work with 3D shapes this week. So far we have learned the names of the shapes including prisms and pyramids. We will be learning the attributes of each shape including the following: edges, vertices (corners/points), face (sides), if it’s able to be stacked, and if it can roll.

Our nonfiction books about our animals are getting close to being finished! Many groups have begun working on a glossary and index this week. When we are finished each child will have a copy to take home! They have put so much effort and time into this project! I have been so proud of their work!

In science we continue to study Herps… reptiles and amphibians. Last week we looked at the lizard family and then compared them with the newts and salamanders. This week we have taken a closer look at the turtle and will begin studying crocodiles and alligators as the week comes to an end. We will be learning lots of interesting vocabulary words about these creatures, as well as how to tell them apart!

Next week is wellness week! We will be having a smoothie contest as a school… if you have any ideas please share! PTO is providing a few ingredients to choose from. We will be rated on taste, how healthy it is, and creativity. Please let me know by Thursday if you have any good ideas. (May not have nuts.)

Okay… I dropped the ball… today our class earned a marble party to watch a movie. The class also wanted to wear pajamas, and I didn’t get a note home in time! I have offered to let them wear pajamas on Wednesday of this week if they would like!

Happy Earth Day Thursday!

Exploring the world of Herps...

It looks like spring is finally here!
This week, 2nd graders wrapped up their world travels and were assessed on their knowledge of maps, landforms, and the 7 continents. Everyone did an awesome job! It was great to see so much enthusiasm as we journeyed the world! In science, we are now moving into a month-long study of amphibians and reptiles. This week, students compared and contrasted these two types of animals and did some sorting. Our first animals that we has studied have been frogs, toads, and snakes! Stay tuned for more "hopping" news about these creatures!
We completed our math unit on geometry and took a break for an egg hunt! In our egg hunt each child searched for hidden eggs in the classroom and completed the math questions stored inside! Our new math studies are teaching us about counting the area of shapes. This week we also learned how to count the length and width of various shapes.
Please remember that our class will be going to the Baker Wetlands on Monday April 12th. A note explaining all of the details was sent home with your child this week. Each child should wear long pants, long sleeves and shoes suitable for walking. We will be leaving after lunch on this day and returning around 2:45pm.
Have a wonderful weekend!