Hello 2-3 families,
I hope you've enjoyed this gorgeous, long weekend! I look forward to seeing the kids back at Dryden on Monday. Here is a look at what we were up to this week.
Counting Money and Making Change
This week the kids continued to solve addition and subtraction problems using money. The class is doing a very nice job being able to correctly use decimal points in their work and understanding the importance of the decimal point. We also practiced inputing a variety of dollar/cent amounts into the calculator to solve problems. I continued to reinforce the message that as the math problems become more complicated, it is very important that the kids check their work at least twice to avoid silly errors.
Moving West
As we continue to move through our Arlington Heights unit, the kids have really enjoyed writing about their covered wagon journey west. We used the book, If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon to learn about how the pioneers planned and executed their journey west. We learned about how the pioneers planned their trip, how long the trip took, what they packed into their wagons, who were in the wagon trains, and how they survived the challenges they would come across. The kids had a blast with this activity.
Arlington Heights Historical Museum
Thank you to Mr. Albrecht, Mrs. Davis, Mrs. Hautzinger, Mrs. Nelson, and Mrs. Neri for joining us on our Arlington Heights Historical Museum. We had a beautiful day for our trip and the kids learned so much. This trip provides the kids with a lot of opportunity for hands-on activities and they loved it. Check out all the photos from our tip.
Stage Write
I am thrilled that the 2nd graders at Dryden have the opportunity to participate in this program again this year. Stage Write turns writing into live performance pieces! We will be collaborating with a local theater company to turn poetry into performance. April is National Poetry Month so the timing of this works out perfectly. I will be introducing two poems to the students this week and our actor will be visiting our classroom on Wednesday to begin brainstorming performance ideas with the class. This will be such a great activity for the kids. I will keep you posted on the progress!
MAP TEST REMINDER
On April 23rd and April 29th, your children will be taking the full MAP test. Please make sure they get a good night's sleep before the test and a good meal. The test on the 23rd is first thing in the morning, and the test on the 29th is right after lunch.
I hope you all had a great long weekend!
- Danielle Porte
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Chicago Boyz Acrobatic Team
On Wednesday the kids were treated to an incredible assembly by the Chicago Boyz Acrobatic Team. Not only was this assembly a lot of fun, but it also promoted a positive message as well. To be a member of the Chicago Boyz Acrobatic Team, you must get good grades, work hard, and make good choices. The kids had a blast during this assembly. Check out the high flying photos below!
Monday, April 14, 2014
AUTHOR VISIT
On Tuesday, the kids were treated to an assembly that was arranged by the LMC and PTA with children's author Andrea Beaty. Andrea lives in Naperville and shared two of the stories she has written, Iggy Peck Architect and Rosie Revere Engineer. You can find out more about Andrea Beaty on her website.
This assembly just so happened to align perfectly with our Personal Narrative unit. Andrea Beaty discussed with the kids that when creating a story, the author must always think of a problem that her character will have. The character will then have to think of a solution to the problem before solving it. We are working on these exact steps in the classroom as the kids write their own Personal Narrative. After the assembly the kids completed a reflection page about what they learned and enjoyed during our assembly. It was a lot of fun!
This assembly just so happened to align perfectly with our Personal Narrative unit. Andrea Beaty discussed with the kids that when creating a story, the author must always think of a problem that her character will have. The character will then have to think of a solution to the problem before solving it. We are working on these exact steps in the classroom as the kids write their own Personal Narrative. After the assembly the kids completed a reflection page about what they learned and enjoyed during our assembly. It was a lot of fun!
Sunday, April 6, 2014
News Update
Hello 2-3 families,
Here's a look at what the students in 2-3 were up to this week...
APRIL FOOL'S DAY!
The kids were in a tizzy when they entered the classroom on Tuesday and saw this on the board...
They were in disbelief that there was so much homework. I let them go for a couple of minutes before I asked them to reread the first line of our Morning Message which stated, "Happy April Fool's Day!"
CENTERS
This week during our center rotations, I was working with one of the groups and we were finishing up a book about a the first submarine used in warfare. It was called the H.L. Hunley and it was used during the Civil War. As the kids were reading and we were discussing the story, I glanced around the room to make sure the other students were on task and I noticed the group that was supposed to be writing was listening intently to our conversation. They couldn't believe what we were talking about and asked if they could learn about the sub too. After recess that morning, we adjusted our plans a little bit and I read the Civil War Sub story to the whole class and were able to use the National Geographic website to look at the pictures of the Hunley after it was resurrected 136 years after it sank. The story and photos generated a lot of thought-provoking discussion amongst the students. These are the kinds of organic learning/teaching moments that I love as a teacher! If you are interested in learning more about the H.L. Hunley, check out this link.
MATH
This week we wrapped up Unit 9 and began Unit 10. When we reviewed our Chapter 9 tests the day after we took them, we discussed the importance of double checking your work to avoid silly mistakes. Measuring objects can be challenging and needs to be done slowly and precisely. As we move onto Unit 10, I will be sending the same message to the kids. Unit 10 can be challenging as the kids take their money and place value skills to the next level. I have reminded the kids not to be intimidated by this because they CAN DO IT! It might take a little longer and make require a few more steps to solve the problems, but they have the necessary skills to allow them to tackle these problems.
THE HISTORY OF ARLINGTON HEIGHTS
This week we launched our AH unit. Before AH was the bustling city that it is today, it was a prairie. The kids will learn in the upcoming weeks how AH grew into the city as we know it and who helped it get to that point. I sent home permission slips for our trip on April 17th so the AH Historical Museum. I just want to remind you that the cost of the trip is $7.75. Please make sure to send a check or cash when returning the permission slip.
We have a lot of fun activities going on at Dryden this week so I will be updating our blog throughout the week to let you know what we are up to. I hope you all had a safe and fun weekend.
- Danielle
Here's a look at what the students in 2-3 were up to this week...
APRIL FOOL'S DAY!
The kids were in a tizzy when they entered the classroom on Tuesday and saw this on the board...
They were in disbelief that there was so much homework. I let them go for a couple of minutes before I asked them to reread the first line of our Morning Message which stated, "Happy April Fool's Day!"
CENTERS
This week during our center rotations, I was working with one of the groups and we were finishing up a book about a the first submarine used in warfare. It was called the H.L. Hunley and it was used during the Civil War. As the kids were reading and we were discussing the story, I glanced around the room to make sure the other students were on task and I noticed the group that was supposed to be writing was listening intently to our conversation. They couldn't believe what we were talking about and asked if they could learn about the sub too. After recess that morning, we adjusted our plans a little bit and I read the Civil War Sub story to the whole class and were able to use the National Geographic website to look at the pictures of the Hunley after it was resurrected 136 years after it sank. The story and photos generated a lot of thought-provoking discussion amongst the students. These are the kinds of organic learning/teaching moments that I love as a teacher! If you are interested in learning more about the H.L. Hunley, check out this link.
MATH
This week we wrapped up Unit 9 and began Unit 10. When we reviewed our Chapter 9 tests the day after we took them, we discussed the importance of double checking your work to avoid silly mistakes. Measuring objects can be challenging and needs to be done slowly and precisely. As we move onto Unit 10, I will be sending the same message to the kids. Unit 10 can be challenging as the kids take their money and place value skills to the next level. I have reminded the kids not to be intimidated by this because they CAN DO IT! It might take a little longer and make require a few more steps to solve the problems, but they have the necessary skills to allow them to tackle these problems.
THE HISTORY OF ARLINGTON HEIGHTS
This week we launched our AH unit. Before AH was the bustling city that it is today, it was a prairie. The kids will learn in the upcoming weeks how AH grew into the city as we know it and who helped it get to that point. I sent home permission slips for our trip on April 17th so the AH Historical Museum. I just want to remind you that the cost of the trip is $7.75. Please make sure to send a check or cash when returning the permission slip.
We have a lot of fun activities going on at Dryden this week so I will be updating our blog throughout the week to let you know what we are up to. I hope you all had a safe and fun weekend.
- Danielle
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