Super Second Grade With Mr. Smith: March 2016

Saturday, March 26, 2016

Smith update, 3/26

Hello Fantastic Families,

Open House is one of my favorite nights of the year. Allowing time for our students to share the fruits of their learning and labors is edifying and inspiring. It also grounds me in what is most important in the process of growing young learners and citizens: balance.

As I plan for the "whats and wheres" of learning-product presentation I am conscious of the need to make sure both curriculum and its delivery and social and personal education are kept in focus. Are the kids learning? What is being emphasized? Where does my focus need to turn for learning objectives to be met? These very academic questions are balanced with questions of citizenry and individual needs. Does that student feel empowered in their thinking? Are they able to express their wants and needs and feel validated? Is the affective filter too high for that child? How can I help them to engage with their peers in a reciprocally positive manner? In the end, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve as an educator of not just your students’ minds, but also of their personal beings. I will and do make mistakes, but I am privileged to do my best to build balanced people through education.

Our second-grade Flex-Fridays are another way that the concept of balance is articulated at Del Mar Heights. Most Friday afternoons the second grade students rotate to three stations, headed by the three second-grade teachers, for activities which speak to parts of the child outside of the core academic disciplines. Spanish language, physical education, engineering through tinkering, and chess have been some of the stations this year. These Flex Fridays are anticipated eagerly and embraced as a way to work the mind and the body in slightly different but certainly beneficial ways. Also, this structure allows all three of the teachers to know each child- empowering us to talk more collaboratively and strategically when setting learning goals.

With Earth Day approaching and our recent studies of animals continuing we will be designing our own animals and habitats out of reclaimed and recyclable materials. This project will integrate research, writing, art, engineering, and math as we create our own unique pieces. In order to help with this we need some supplies. Please gather clean, dry recyclables and reusables and send them to class on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of next week. The supplies will be shared among the classes so send as much as you are able. Also, donations of masking tape would be appreciated. Thank you!

After Spring Break, the second graders will have the special opportunity to attend two new field trips that support our science standards. On April 13, we are going behind the scenes of Urban Corps Recycling Center to participate in the actual recycling process. Then, on April 25^th the second grade will be visiting the Urban Plantations’ organic farm and restaurant for a “farm to table” experience. Students will be taken on a private tour of the farm to taste various crops. Then, they will tour the restaurant’s kitchen to help prepare some of the freshly picked greens. Both field trips should be unique experiences rich with learning. If you would like to chaperone, please let me know. In May, we will be going on a series of 3 in-house geology field trips in partnership with the San Diego Natural History Museum.

Have a happy weekend and thank you for turning in your field trip permission slips.

Best,

Andrew Smith

Teacher, Del Mar Heights School

This Week’s Highlights

3/28-4/1

Phonics and word study focus

Contractions, syllables

Reading focus

Comprehension focus: Non-Fiction Texts: animals and habitats

Close reading: Non-Fiction, magazine articles and Animals

Book club individualized strategy lessons: Lessons created for specific skill outcomes based on individual and group needs

Focus books: Animals and Habitats, James and the Giant Peach

Writing focus

Conventions- Spacing, Feeling ending of sentences, Periods and Capitals, Commas in a series, Indentation

Writing skill- Fictional Narrative- Vibrant Verbs

Topical writing- Fictional Narrative “My Magic Medicine”

Math focus

Full Math workshop

Math journal problem solving through visual models

Individualized challenges

Word Problem solving, larger numbers in addition and subtraction

Fraction essentials

Social Studies focus

Science focus week

Science focus

MARE in class and in Mrs. Minarik’s Science Lab

Homework

Daily reading, homework packet, and optional online work (razkids, rosetta stone, dreambox, typing club)

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Update, 3/14

Mon. and Tues., March 14-15: Kindergarten and New Student Visitation

Sun., March 20: Second Grade Picnic

Mon., March 21: Science Fair Projects due (optional, but encouraged)

Thurs., March 24: Open House

Week of April 4: Spring Break

Wed., April 13: Field trip to Urban Corps Recycling Center

Hello Fantastic Families,

My brain is bubbling with all the wonderful things happening!

The PTA Gala seemed to be amazing! I wish I could’ve attended. Thank you for helping make our school a great community of collaboration and ambition!

First, thank you for sharing conferences with me this past week. The time to speak about our students with a collaborative eye and set goals for the future is incredibly valuable. As always, please be in touch with me if you have any questions.

Thank you for taking the time to enjoy the kids’ performance of Heroes All! I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did! It was a joy to practice and perform. I am working on finding a full copy of the video to share. If I can find one I will share it for all to enjoy. I appreciate how the performance paralleled our study of biographical figures.

Congratulations to our little athletes for winning two rounds of March Madness in Mileage Club. We defeated two third-grade classes to advance to the semifinals. Two more victories will make us the Mileage Club Champions! Each victory comes with a prize of some sort, but I have to say that the feeling of pride that I see in the kids is the real incentive.

As we wrap-up biography studies we are readying to present our reports and posters to third and first-grade classes. This opportunity for public speaking is important as the intelligence of our students must be see through many different channels. The ability to communicate to groups of people with confidence is a fantastic skill that must be practiced. I will try to take some pictures of the sharing events to share at Open House.

We have begun science studies of the seashore area and all it’s fun crustaceans as part of our school-wide MARE program. Students will pursue investigations in science lab and in class, where work on animals and their habitats is progressing in a broader sense as well. As MARE studies continue, it might be a great idea to take a purposeful nature walk along the shore. Aim for a low tide and enjoy!

The Garden is alive with activity! Our little farmers planted sweet potatoes not long ago and the harvest is imminent. Take a look at some of the attached photos for fun!

After Spring Break, the second graders will have the special opportunity to attend two new field trips that support our science standards. On April 13, we are going behind the scenes of Urban Corps Recycling Center to participate in the actual recycling process. Then, on April 25^th the second grade will be visiting the Urban Plantations’ organic farm and restaurant for a “farm to table” experience. Students will be taken on a private tour of the farm to taste various crops. Then, they will tour the restaurant’s kitchen to help prepare some of the freshly picked greens. Both field trips should be unique experiences rich with learning. If you would like to chaperone, please let me know. In May, we will be going on a series of 3 in-house geology field trips in partnership with the San Diego Natural History Museum.