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!