CLASSROOMS/K-5 CURRICULUM

GRADE 2 - MRS. BYRON, MRS. SHEDIAC, MS. LUCENTE, MS. HINCKLEY, MS. CAPLIN, MS. DICHTER

It is hard to believe we managed to escape a snowy winter and have sprung into March! The new season brings with it the start of new curriculum units in all subject areas, in 2nd Grade.

In Literacy, our focus for the next 6 weeks will be on Fairy Tales. We will be reading and discussing both familiar and lesser-known stories from the Brother’s Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson. We will read different versions of some of our favorites, comparing how authors put their own “voice” into their stories. We will look for the typical characteristics in Fairy Tales – good vs. evil, numbers 3, 7 and 12, magic or trickery, royalty, and of course a happy ending. Please help your child select Fairy Tales to read for their reading logs.

In writing, students will write summaries, character descriptions, and their own retellings of Fairy Tales with details and “sparkle words”. All six classes will culminate the literacy unit with their own version of a Fairy Tale festival. Watch for notices from your child’s teacher about the date and time for your child’s celebration.

In Social Studies, the 2nd grade classes will be traveling to Asia. After a brief visit to the continent and some of the mainland countries, we will then leave for an extended 6-week stay in Japan. While in Japan, we will learn about the geography, people, lifestyle, and culture of this beautiful island country. Through non-fiction books, photographs and video, our second graders will learn about the lives of children in modern day Japan. They will have an opportunity to compare their home and school lives with children we will learn about. This unit will include many opportunities for hands on art and learning activities. To wrap up our unit in May, we will visit an historic Japanese house at the Children’s Museum in Boston and learn the Japanese art of suminagashi, making marbled paper.

In math, we are working on combining (adding) and separating (subtracting) numbers. During this unit, we will practice addition and subtraction with “regrouping”. In the olden days, we called this carrying and borrowing! We will also revisit story problems. We will practice explaining our math thinking with vertical equations, and number lines – while beginning to move away from using only pictures and words. It will benefit your child, if he/she continues to practice basic addition and subtraction facts to 20. When students are automatic with their basic math facts, their “brain power” can be spent on problem solving. Please also make an effort to practice “real world” math – counting and trading coins, telling time on an analog clock, and figuring out elapsed time. Remember, practice makes perfect!

The 2nd Grade will host the Pride Assembly for the month of March. Our focus will be on bullying.

We are truly proud of our second graders and appreciate all of your continued support!

Classroom Policies/Procedures

Morning Entrance

The entrance bell rings at 8:10. Students should line up on the playground with their classmates by 8:05, so they can enter the school and begin their day as a class. It is extremely important that your child be ON TIME, as we get right to work, first thing in the morning. If your child is late, he/she must stop at the front office for a late pass. Mrs. Fischer will mark your child tardy. Your child will not be allowed in the classroom with out the late pass.

In order to foster independence and self-reliance, parents should NOT come into the building with the children in the morning. Second graders are expected to hang up their own belongings. Parents who are in the hallways during morning entrance will be asked to leave. If your child is having difficulty entering the school in the morning, please see me and I will provide support for your child.

If you need to see me in the morning, please see me before 8:00. Do not come in with the morning bell, as I need to be available to greet the students and get the day started.

Dismissal

School ends at 2:10. Second grade students will be dismissed through the gym doors leading out to the playground. We are usually outside by 2:15.

Parents should wait outside until we come out. Please do not come into the school to pick your child up. If we are running late, there is probably a good reason, so please be patient.

Each child must be picked up by an adult everyday. I will wait with your child until you arrive. If your child will be picked up by someone other than you, please let me know. If your child is not picked up by 2:20, he/she will be brought to the front office to call you and will then wait at the front office.

If you need to speak to me after school, please wait until I have finished dismissing all the students. It is difficult to give you my full attention, while I am watching for parents.

Home/School Communication

Your child should have a “Home/School Folder” (provided by you), in which he/she will bring home notices and corrected schoolwork. Please check and empty it daily. This folder should be brought to school each day. Notes from home or forms that need to be returned to school should be put in this folder. It will be checked each morning as the children come into school.

Whenever possible, please contact me via email. I usually check my email before the start of school in the morning, and after school or in the evening. My email address is: cshediac@arlington.k12.ma.us.

I am available to meet with parents before and after school most days. Unless it is an emergency, please make an appointment.

A newsletter will be sent home each Friday, outlining the previous week and informing you of upcoming events. Please read it carefully.

Homework

Every Monday, Your child will receive a “Homework Folder” containing a weekly homework packet. I will provide a pacing guideline (usually two/three activities per night) for completing homework, but your family’s schedule will best dictate how homework is approached. Children are generally expected to spend approximately 20-30 minutes per night on homework. This “Homework Folder” should be returned with the completed homework packet and reading log (described below) every Friday morning.

Your child should have a special homework spot with a supply box, containing the following: sharpened pencils, erasers, markers, colored pencils, a ruler, scissors, and a glue stick. There should also be a folder for papers and charts that will be used throughout the year - such as hundreds charts, spelling lists, etc. Other things may be added as the year progresses.

Reading Log

In addition to the homework packet, your child must read at least 20 minutes EVERY night, including weekends. He/she will receive a weekly reading log to help keep track of the books read. I will discuss this more at “Parent Information Night”.

Snack/Lunch/Birthday

We will have a daily snack time around 9:40. Your child should bring a healthy snack and drink to school each day. Due to life threatening allergies in our classroom, the only acceptable snacks will be fruits, veggies (with or without dip), and dairy (cheese, yogurt). A juice box or water bottle should also be sent in daily also.

The second grade lunchtime is 11:30-12:00. I encourage all families to prepay for a block of lunches with a check. This eliminates the daily issue of finding/bringing lunch money, which is often forgotten or lost. Prepaid lunches also speed up the traffic flow in the lunch line, giving your child more time to eat and enjoy recess.

Children will be acknowledged on their birthdays with a selection from the “Prize Box”. Please do not send in birthday snacks.

Specialist Schedule

Monday - Library

Tuesday - Guided Activity (sneakers please)

Wednesday - Phys. Ed. (sneakers please)

Thursday - Music

Friday - Art

Curriculum Outline

MATHEMATICS
TERC Investigations in Number, Space and Data investigations.terc.edu/ exposes students to mathematical concepts through a problem solving approach and the extensive use of manipulatives. Supplemental materials are used to teach concepts not covered in TERC. Math will be taught in a 60 minute block each day. Friday math centers will be used to reinforce and review skills year round.

The concepts will be taught in units – not necessarily in this order:
Mathematical Thinking at Grade Two:
(Introduction)
· Counting and grouping
· Addition combinations
· Sorting and describing 2 and 3 dimensional shapes
· Collecting, recording and representing data

Coins, Coupons and Combinations:
(The Number System)
· Counting and Grouping
· Addition combinations
· Exploring patterns on the 100’s chart
· Developing strategies for adding and subtracting numbers
· Solving story problems

Does it Walk, Crawl or Swim?
(Sorting, Classifying Data)
· Sorting and Classifying Information
· Using Venn diagrams to represent information
· Constructing categories to describe data
· Inventing representations of data

Shapes, Halves and Symmetry:
(Geometry and Fractions)
· Sorting, describing and identifying shapes, by attributes
· Composing and decomposing 2 and 3 dimensional shapes
· Rectangular arrays
· Fractions as equal parts
· Symmetry

Putting Together and Taking Apart:
(Addition and Subtraction)
· Number Patterns on the 100’s chart
· Numeration through 100
· Developing strategies for adding subtracting and comparing numbers
· Adding Coins

How Long? How Far?
(Measurement)
· Measuring length through direct and indirect comparison
· Measuring in non-standard units
· Paths and lengths of paths

How Many Pockets? How many Teeth?
(Representing Data)
· Collecting, recording and representing numerical data
· Comparing data sets
· Describing and interpreting representations
· Important features of data
· Conducting a data analysis investigation

Timeline and Rhythm Patterns:
(Representing time)
· Sequencing events
· Representing events in time
· Representing patterns

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
English Language Arts is broken down into three areas – Writing, Reading, and Handwriting. These are integrated throughout all curriculum areas.

Writing
Writing encompasses all areas of the curriculum throughout day. We integrate best teaching practices from a variety of programs to provide children with the tools and techniques to become skilled and creative writers. Phonics, spelling, punctuation and capitalization are practiced in every piece of writing.

Lucy Calkins Model for Writing Workshop
This model incorporates a ten minute mini-lesson of direct explicit instruction followed by 40 minutes of focused writing time 2-3 times per week.

The Six Traits of Writing
This program works in congruence with the “Lucy Calkins” program and all other classroom writing. The term trait in the context of this title refers to a characteristic or quality, which defines writing. The six traits are:
1. Ideas
2. Organization
3. Voice
4. Word Choice
5. Sentence Fluency
6. Conventions

The emphasis of both programs is that children, who become good self-editors and revisers, will ultimately become better writers.

Reading
Through flexible guided reading groups (small homogeneous), literature groups, shared reading, reader’s theatre, and teacher read-alouds, we hope to achieve the following goals:

• To develop the appropriate strategies in the following areas: prediction, self-correcting, using context, demonstrating fluency and expression, and phonemic awareness
• To improve comprehension by recalling events sequentially, summarizing content effectively, participating in literature discussions, participating in shared and independent reading experiences and responding to literature
• To develop simple study skills through activities that require students to follow simple directions, locate parts in a book, use the dictionary and simple charts and graphs
• To expose the children to many different genres for personal pleasure and worldly knowledge

Phonics

Fundations is an adaptation of the Wilson Reading System authored by Barbara A. Wilson. It is a systematic, sequential, multisensory method of teaching reading and writing. The main elements of the program are phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, and fluency. Six new second grade spelling words are introduced with each new unit and are reinforced with activities adapted from the Rebecca Sitton Spelling program.

Handwriting
The goals for the Zaner-Bloser handwriting method are:

• To reinforce proper manuscript motor patterns for making letters and numbers learned in kindergarten and first grade
• To practice accuracy in letter formation, legibility and neatness
• To introduce proper cursive motor patterns later in the school year

TECHNOLOGY

The goals for second grade are:

• To continue to develop keyboarding skills
• To introduce simple word processing skills
• To begin independent use of the computer with educational mathematics, reading games, activities and exercises, etc.
• To introduce the internet as a research tool

SCIENCE

The goals of the science curriculum are based on the Massachusetts state frameworks.

The integrated thematic science units taught at Stratton are:

Life Cycles:

• Frogs and Toads
• Butterflies

Earth Science:

• Soils
• Study of the moon

Physical Science:

• Balancing and weighing

SOCIAL STUDIES

The social studies curriculum for second grade aims to achieve the following:

Some of the integrated thematic units taught at Stratton are:

• Geography and map skills
• Early explorers
• Native Americans (specifically Wampanoag)
• Pilgrims
• Lighthouses

HEALTH

Open Circle

This is a grade-differentiated social competency curriculum being incorporated throughout all elementary schools in the town of Arlington.

The main goals of the program are:

• To create a common language across grade levels
• To provide a forum for the discussion of issues
• To create a classroom community based on respect for the individual and the entire group
• Learn problem solving skills to be applied both in and out of the classroom

The Great Body Shop

All grades will cover similar topics at a level that is developmentally appropriate for them.

The main goals of the program are:

• To reinforce the concept of basic nutrition, dental health, physical exercise and the five senses
• To introduce the children to some environmental issues
• To discuss the concepts of disease prevention