Giant Pinky Man

Here is Ethan's Small Moments Story about the time he broke his pinky finger. Enjoy the tale!

Drumming

Today we had a wonderful workshop with the Inner Rhythms Drumming group. At the end of the day they performed for the entire school!

This week children have been busy working on culminating projects. Second graders are busy finishing up their rainforest games in anticipation of the Rainforest Celebration next Wednesday, June 2 from 1-2. Third graders are finishing their final drafts of their Biography papers. In addition, they dressed up as their person and created videos in technology which introduced them. On Tuesday the third graders celebrated the study of Egypt with an Egyptian feast!

On Monday, we went to the preschool and taught them about the Kid Pix computer program. After we read them our fiction stories last week, they were interested in how we made our illustrations. We thought they might like to learn how to make computer drawings themselves! A fun time was had by all.

We working on end of year assessments. You will receive written reports by mail at the end of the year.

Next week we look forward to our third grade trip to the Mattapoisett YMCA with grades 4 and 5 on Friday, June 6th. The second grade class picnic will take place on Monday, June 7th.

Also next week we are excited to celebrate all your children's hard work this year at the SBS End-of-Year Celebration on Thursday, June 3rd at 8:30 AM.

Remember, there is No School on Monday, May 31st in observance of Memorial Day.

Have a wonderful long weekend!

Hearts for Haiti

This week in SBS 2/3:

*We presented a video that the second and third graders created about our "Have a Heart for Haiti" service project. Check it out by clicking below!

*Third graders have been hard at work reading and researching about their chosen person.

Next week they will dress up as their person and make videos introducing themselves. Stay tuned! (Costumes are being taken care of at school).

*Second graders have been busy crafting their educational games for their Rainforest project. We look forward to playing them at the Rainforest Celebration on Wednesday, June 2nd from 1:00 to 2:00.

*Third graders have finished up their pyramids and sarcophagi. They included the items they would like to take with them to the afterlife. On Friday, we made the dough for Egyptian Wholemeal bread. We will bake it next week and enjoy an Egyptian meal as a celebration of our study.

*We joined together with grades K-4 in the Commons on Tuesday to be a part of the first grade annual Bookworm Celebration.

Coming up:

*Next week we will join the rest of the school to watch the daytime performance of "The Wizard of Oz."

*We will see an Inner Rhythms drumming performance on Friday.

*Families should let Katherine Gaudet know if their child is planning to attend the summer study session for rising 3rd and 4th graders with Jodi Lawless. Contact Katherine for further details. If you choose not to do this, we should sit down to discuss a summer educational plan for your child.

*The SBS End of Year celebration will take place on Thursday, June 3rd at 8:30. This is a do not miss event :)!

*Third grade will head to the Mattapoisett Y on Friday, June 4th.

*Second grade class picnic is on Monday June 7th.

We hope you have a wonderful weekend!

We hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Allie's Thunderstorm Paragraph

I wrote a thunderstorm paragraph in writing. We first started with some ideas of what happens in a thunderstorm and then we wrote our paragraph on Kidspiration. We created a picture on KidPix and printed our photo and our words. We mounted them on the wall for Grandfriends' Day and for others to see.

In Technology, we read our thunderstorm paragraph and recorded it on Garageband. We downloaded it into iMovie and matched the recording with our pictures that we found on the internet. I hope you like my movie!

Allie

Busy weeks!

We have had a busy couple of weeks here in SBS 2/3! Last week the second grade enjoyed a wonderful field trip to Casey Farm. This was the original home of the eggs that hatched in Science. On Thursday evening the FA community enjoyed a wonderful spring concert performed by the lower division. Bravo all! Finally, on Friday it was such a treat to welcome our grandfriends to school. The kids were so proud to share their routines, hard work, and growth with loved ones. Thanks for sharing them with us!

This week we have all been hard at work researching. Second graders continue to prepare individual projects focused on the rainforest. Next week they will begin work on their learning games for the Rockin' the Rainforest Celebration on June 3rd. Third graders have been reading and researching a famous person of choice for their biography project. It is truly amazing to watch all of the reading and writing skills coming together that we have been working on all year long.

Also this week the Third Graders had a very special visit from Jamie Lard, who is a spokesperson for the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, MA. Jamie, who is deaf and blind, came with her interpreter, Caroline. She gave a very inspirational presentation about herself and the work of the Perkins School. Ask your child about it!

Here are some important dates and key information to be aware of as we navigate through these very busy culminating weeks of school.

PLEASE MAKE NOTE OF THE NEW DATE AND TIME FOR RAINFOREST CELEBRATION!

Wednesday 6/2: Rainforest Celebration 1-2 (Second Grade)

Monday, 5/31: Memorial Day (No School)

Thursday, 6/3: Sally Borden School End-of-Year Celebration 8:30

This is a very special ceremony to recognize the growth and hard work of each student in the SBS. Students should dress up a bit for this event and bring a change of clothes if necessary for PE.

Friday, 6/4: 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grades to Mattapoisett YMCA

Students should bring a snack, lunch, water bottle, towel, and a change of clothes. Students should wear their bathing suits under their clothes to school that morning. They should have sunscreen applied before leaving home. Parents are welcome to join us at the Y for all or part of the morning. However, this is completely optional. We will return to school for the yearbook dedication in the afternoon.

Monday, 6/7: Second Grade Class Picnic

This will take place at the Gebhards home in Dartmouth, MA. Information

has been e-mailed and sent home about this event.

Tuesday, 6/8: Last Day of School!

Second and Third Graders do not attend Class Day.

Writing Celebration

Thanks to all who were able to join us this morning for our writing celebration! The kids were so proud to share their work with you. We will be venturing over to the preschool to read them our books in the next couple of weeks and then they will be coming home.

Thanks as well to everyone who has so generously donated school supplies to Ecole Soleil in Haiti as part of our "Have a Heart for Haiti" project. We will continue to collect supplies through the end of May.

Next week is an exciting one! On Thursday evening the children will be performing with the rest of the Lower School at the Spring Concert. More details to come. On Friday it is Grandfriends' Day at school. We look forward to welcoming grandparents and friends into our classroom! Please let us know who will be joining us. Dismissal is at NOON on that day, and there is no after school program that day.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Earth Day

On Wednesday our Friends Academy school community celebrated Earth Day with a special assembly. In preparation for this, each class was to design and create a flag to place on the edge of our school garden.

To begin, our class discussed the purpose of Earth Day, and ways in which we can care for the earth each and every day. Many children talked about the fact that there is too much trash and litter in our world. Others talked about the importance of recycling and reusing things. When asked what kind of trash WE as a class create, the children were silent. "Hmmmm . . .", they must have been thinking. "We DO recycle paper. We DO reuse paper. What do we throw away?" When we asked "At what points during our day does our trash can get most full?" The kids' hands shot up. "Oh I know! During lunch and snack!"

And so began a new class committment: To reduce the amount of trash that we generate during snack and lunch times. In order to begin our work, each person in the class got our their lunch boxes. We wrote lists of the things that would end up in the trash that day. Then we brainstormed ways to pack our lunches and snacks differently so that we would not fill our trash can. These included:

1. Composting fruit and vegetable peels and cores.

2. Buying larger quantities of snack foods and bringing them to school in smaller reusable containers.

3. Bringing water or beverages in reusable and safe bottles.

4. Using cloth napkins and washable utensils.

5. Recycling yogurt containers and cardboard packaging.

The children are excited about this new commitment and you will probably be hearing from them about it! Encourage your child to help pack their snacks and lunches and plan together about how to reduce their trash. We hope to end each school day with a mostly empty trash can!

Ecole Soleil

Today we had a wonderful visit from Myriam Jeanniss, who is the President of the Haitian American Student Association at UMASS Dartmouth. She shared photos with us of her recent visit to Haiti. It was a moving experience to see the devastaion that persists in the aftermath of the earthquake. Myriam told us about a health clinic where the Haitian-American student group volunteers through the organization Partners in Development. This is where she delivered our hearts of hope and peace. It was wonderful to see the photos of our hearts decorating the clinic walls!

Myriam also shared with us about the school in the city of Gonaives where her group sponsors 23 children. The school, called Ecole Soleil, is in desperate need of school supplies for their children. Our students were so moved by their story that they want to help. Therefore, the second and third grades will be collecting paper, pencils, pencil sharpeners, notebooks, crayons, and markers to send to Ecole Soleil. Please drop off any items you would like to donate in our classroom. Thank you!

In other curricular news . . .

*Student are working on final drafts of their thunderstorm paragraphs. To share all the wonderful work they are doing, we invite you to a WRITING CELEBRATION on Friday, April 30th at 8:30 in our classroom. Please let us know if you will be able to attend.

*This week second graders enthusiastically chose a topic from the rainforest that we would like to research and learn more about. We began creating a Wonder Wheel, where we listed our “wonders” about our topic within a wheel. We will use these “wonders” to guide our research. We have been enjoying many books about the rainforest in our classroom, as well as finding information on the web. If your family has any books or resources that can help our quest for information, please mark them with your name and send them in for the next month. When we are ready for research assistance in the classroom, we would love to have your help. Let us know if you are interested in coming in. Sharing our ideas with others helps us to organize our thoughts and ideas. Following are our self-chosen topics…

Rainforest Topics 2010

Ean – Jaguar

Ethan – Tribal People

Mira – Macaw

Sascha - Quetzal

SAVE THE DATE! Our Rainforest Celebration is on Wednesday June 2, in the Commons, 1:00.

*Third graders completed maps of Africa and are looking forward to building pyramids next week. PLEASE REMEMBER TO SEND A BOX OF SUGAR CUBES AND AN EMPTY CHECK BOX IN WITH YOUR 3RD GRADER ON MONDAY.

*In Read Naturally readings students are beginning to set fluency goals for each story. They will continue to practice their story until they have reached their goal. Therefore, you may notice that your child brings home the same story two weeks in a row. This is okay.

Have a wonderful long weekend!

What a glorious week! We have all been enjoying the great outdoors this week as the weather has taken a definite turn toward spring. On Thursday we had a lovely lunch out on Mrs. Tukman's courtyard amid the blossoming daffodils.

This week we have been busy writing and revising paragraphs. A paragraph is a group of sentences working together to make one key point about a subject. Students are learning how to plan a paragraph by:

1. Choosing a subject.

2. Deciding on the key point.

3. Brainstorming supporting information.

4. Sequencing supporting information.

5. Writing the paragraph.

6. Editing the paragraph.

Using clear graphic organizers to help us in this process, students are thoughtfully crafting strong informative paragraphs. Currently, we are working on paragraphs that describe the various weather conditions that come together during a thunderstorm.

In reading groups, 3rd Graders continue to read and learn about Helen Keller. We are using our Reader's Notebooks to analyze the text and discuss our independent reading books. Students continue to practice cursive writing and the process is getting more and more automatic. 2nd Graders have been reading The Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry and learning about the rainforest. Students have made a K-W-L tree and added leaves that contain what they know about the rainforest and what they want to know about the rainforest. Next we will picking topics for our research projects.

In math, 3rd Graders continue to learn multiplication and division and memorize facts. Please continue to help your children commit the 2's, 3's, and 4's facts to memory. 2nd Graders are continuing to master addition and subtraction facts and place value.

3rd graders are beginning an exploration of Africa. We are starting by exploring the geography and landforms of the African continent and will move to a more specific study of Egypt. We will need your help with some materials for upcoming projects. Please send in a box of sugar cubes as well as an empty check box with your 3rd Grader. Thank you!

This week both Ean and Mira did a fabulous job presenting at Book Buzz. Bravo!!

Welcome back!

Hello!

Despite the rainy weather we have had a terrific first week back at school!

Here's what we have been up to:

*Second graders are beginning their study of the rainforest. They were treated to a slideshow and introductory information about these special places.

*Second graders enjoyed a presentation on EGGS.

*Third graders have begun reading the story of Helen Keller by Margaret Davidson. They are learning about biographies and reading some independently as well. Third graders have started using Reader's Notebooks to record thoughts and writing about their reading lives. Students and I are using this format to write letters back and forth about their reading.

*Third graders are now writing all work in CURSIVE! Their hands have been tired, but they are doing a great job!

*Both second and third graders are working hard to understand and memorize math facts. Second graders are working on addition and subtraction facts while the third graders are working on multiplication and division facts (2's, 3's, and 4's so far). PLEASE help reinforce this learning at home.

*In writing we are learning about how to structure and write good paragraphs. This week children wrote about their vacations.

Have a wonderful LONG weekend!

Asian Banquet and Job Fair

What a wonderfully active and celebratory week! Both second and third graders wrapped up long-term Social Studies units with fabulous culminating performances of understanding. On Tuesday parents and students enjoyed singing, dancing, and food at the Asian Banquet. On Thursday, second graders presented their research about their chosen professions. It was a wonderful chance for them to share their knowledge, including their commercials and business cards! Thanks to parents for all your help and support in making these events such a success.

In other exciting news, the second and third grade teachers had a wonderful visit with Myriam Jeanniss, President of the Haitian American Student Association at UMass Dartmouth. Tomorrow she is heading to Haiti and was thrilled to take our hearts of hope and peace with her to distribute! Also, she will return to Friends on April 9th to speak with students about Haiti and how we may be able to help in the aftermath of the earthquake.

We'd like to encourage you to continue to support your child's reading and writing during the next two weeks. Our recommendation is that students continue to do 20 minutes of independent reading daily. Keeping a "vacation journal" would be a fun way to keep writing skills sharp. Finally, if students have access to a computer and the internet during break, they should continue to do work on Lexia and Symphony Math.

We hope you all enjoy a relaxing March vacation!

Students have been busy getting ready for their culminating Social Studies events next week. Second graders have done a fabulous job filming their commercials for the Job Fair. These will be shown during the fair on Thursday as well as at All School Meeting on Wednesday. You will LOVE them! We also enjoyed visits from Mira's Aunt Susu and Kelly Pelissier (Maddy's mom). They shared about their respective professions, dentistry and graphic design.

Third Graders are eagerly getting ready for the Asian Banquet which will take place on Tuesday. They have been making podcasts as a culmination of their research about Japanese holidays. In addition, they have been thinking about descriptive words to use in their Haiku poetry. We finished reading Sadako and The Thousand Paper Cranes and children are making their own kokeshi dolls.

What You Need to Know About Next Week:

Second Grade Families

The Job Fair is on Thursday, March 11th from 8:30-9:30 in the Commons. There will be a parent-run food booth as part of the celebration.

Third Grade Families

The Asian Banquet is on Tuesday, March 9th from 11:30-12:45. We will enjoy an Asian-themed lunch together.

Children do not need to purchase special clothes for this event. If they have a karate-style outfit, or a kimono, they may wear it. Otherwise we have many Asian style clothes here at school that they may wear on that day.

Have a wonderful weekend. We look forward to celebrating with you all next week!

The 100th Day of School

This week in SBS 2/3 . . .

1. We celebrated the 100th day of school! We collaborated with Ms. Lawless's class and participated in some activities to mark the day. We built structures with one hundred craft sticks and masking tape, 100 "Dots" candies and 100 hundred toothpicks, and, using crumpled paper bags and yarn, made versions of ourselves when we are 100 years old!

2. We continued working on our fiction stories!

3. A group of second and third graders announced our "Have a Heart for Haiti" project at All School Meeting and invited the larger school community to participate.

4. Third graders finished reading My Father's Dragon. They have brought home a letter explaining a home-based project that is due on Monday, March 8th.

5. Both second and third graders are deeply involved in their Social Studies projects! The second grade job fair will be on Thursday, March 11th. The third grade Asian Banquet will be on Tuesday, March 9th. More details to come . . .

Have a wonderful weekend!

Connected Learning

About our week:

1. Second graders are working to design business cards to go with their professions using the computer program Kid Pix. They are in the midst of their I-search projects in preparation for our Job Fair.

2. Third graders had an exciting week with their study of Asia. On Thursday we were generously treated by the Patys family to enjoy a hibachi

style lunch at Umi's restaurant in celebration of Chinese New Year. It was delicious, fun, and very educational! Thank you Patys family! On Friday, the third grade skyped with my friend Ari who lives in Japan. Students had prepared questions for Ari, who grew up in the US but moved to Japan 15 years ago, asking him about various aspects of Japanese culture, as well as differences between US and Japanese culture. It was a fabulous exchange!

3. Sally, our writing moose, has had grand adventures! She spent last week at Ethan's home. She bowled, met another moose named Ted, and snuggled with 2 week-old baby Aubrey. This weekend she is getting to know Dallas and his family. We can't wait to hear what she has to say!

4. We are playing around with the new SBS Promethean Board and learning how to use it. Very FUN!

We look forward to chatting with you all at conferences next week. Have a wonderful weekend!

Valentine's Day

It has been a full and productive week, despite the gift of a snow day mid-week!

Here's what's happening in our classroom:

1. Children have been working hard on their fiction stories. This week we finished editing and stretching our stories. Using the software Kidspiration, students have typed up their final drafts. Next week we will illustrate them using another neat computer program called Kid Pix.

2. Book clubs continue! Second graders are now reading The Outside Dog by Charlotte Pomerantz, while third graders are finishing up My Father's Dragon Ruth Stiles Gannett. Book clubs are an exciting venue to practice our learned reading comprehension strategies, build fluency, and share the excitement of a book with friends. The children seem to be thoroughly enjoying this experience.

3. In math, both second graders and third graders have been working with the concepts of multiplication and division. As always in our math program, learning begins with concrete experimentation, then moves to pictorial representation, while ultimately focusing on the abstract manipulation of the concept. (Challenge: Can you figure out "What's my rule?" for the pictured Venn diagram?)

4. In social studies, second graders have been enjoying visits from parents working in all different professions! Research on their chosen jobs is ongoing. In the coming weeks, students will be bringing home some work to do relating to their I-Search projects. Stay tuned. Third graders have been learning about Japanese home life. We made a book about ourselves to send to a school in Japan, with questions about their lives to answer. Next week we will skype with a friend of Mrs. MacGregor that lives in Japan! Finally, the third grade will travel on Thursday to an Asian restaurant to learn about Chinese New Year. (See note in blue folders for more information on this). Many thanks to the Patys family for this wonderful opportunity!

5. "Have a Heart for Haiti" update: Students drafted a letter to the FA community explaining our project and delivered a copy of it to each classroom and faculty member. Many folks have written messages of hope on the board! Come in and add your own!

We have a short week next week! Monday is a day off for Presidents' Day. On Tuesday there is no school for children as the faculty has a professional development day. We hope you all have a wonderful long weekend!

Have a Heart for Haiti

This week second and third graders have been involved in a collaborative service-learning project. As we are learning more and more about the tragic events in Haiti, and the devastating conditions that the Haitian people are living in, our students have had a natural impulse to help. Third graders decided to research reputable organizations that are working in Haiti and offering relief efforts there. They made informational posters to educate our community about these organizations, the kind of work that they do, and how to donate to specific organizations.

Second graders have been making symbolic "hearts for Haiti" and writing messages of hope, love, and peace for the Haitian people. They have also made many blank hearts and are creating an interactive display where others from our community can contribute their own messages of hope, love, and peace.

Together our students have learned about where Haiti is, what the climate is like there, and what the Haitian flag looks like. Students then created a Haitian flag. To learn more and to add your own message of hope, please visit the our display in the Reed entrance.

In other news, Sally the Moose traveled last week to the Michaud household! She had tons of adventures, and is now off to the Harrison residence for the weekend. Everyone is enjoying reading what Sally is writing in her journal, and anxiously awaiting their turn to bring her home! Second graders have been immersed in their job research. Third graders were lucky enough to learn how to make (and eat!) Sushi from FA parent Aaron Derego. Thanks Aaron!

Next week third graders will be traveling to the Boston Children's Museum to visit a traditional Japanese home and to engage in a traditional Japanese art. Thank you to Barbara Corey for chaperoning this trip!