Twin/Triplet Day!

Yesterday the students voted to have Twin/Triplet Day as a reward for earning another 20 stars!

Lila and Rilyn look lovely in purple!

Myles and Shauna are sporting their Patriots jerseys!

Lilly, Brooke and Hope did a great job dressing up as triplets!

Riley, Tucker , and Nason looking cool in their blue shirts and 'shades'!

Jake and Elliot-wearing green shirts and jeans!

Holden and Reed are wearing their Brady shirts!

Brooke, Kaia, and Christina are looking pretty in pink!

Congratulations boys and girls on earning another 20 Stars for role model behavior!

Classroom Update!

20 Stars!

The Munchkins have earned 20 Stars already!  Students earn stars when exhibiting excellent effort, showing role model behavior, superb listening skills, and on task behavior when they are in learning spaces outside of our classroom (such as: during specials, recess, and lunch.) Congratulations Munchkins....you are the first class to ever earn 20 stars in September!  Keep up the great role model behavior!

As their reward, students voted to have pajama/stuffed animal/cozy blanket day!

The 'new'look of Aims Web 

Rather than taking the Aims Web assessments with paper/pencil, this year the students will take these assessments on lap tops.  Last week, the students took the reading assessment, and quickly adapted to the new computerized version.

Getting Ready for Guided Reading Groups

During the month of September, we have been launching reader's workshop.  The students have practiced all aspects of reader's workshop-read to self, read to someone, work on writing, and listen to reading.  Our independent reading stamina has grown from two minutes in the beginning of September to twenty minutes by the end of September. Wow!

In October, students will study of the genre of realistic fiction, as they read realistic fiction books at their instructional reading level. In addition to practicing the various aspects of Reader's Workshop, students have also practiced/will continue to practice comprehension and decoding strategies.  Last but not least, the students have been practicing the 'Five finger rule' when choosing 'Just right books'!  

Here are some pictures of the munchkins practicing 'read to someone':

Fabulous Job Munchkins!

-Mrs. McCarthy

Welcome to Second Grade!

Dear Parents, I am looking forward to a wonderful second grade year with your Child!  Please make sure you follow our blog this year!

Whale Mobile and NOAA Wildlife Fisheries

What an exciting week we have had in grade two!  On Monday we attended the Whale Mobile with marine biologist and Topsfield resident, Mrs.  McInnis.  On Wednesday, we were visited by scientists from the Gloucester NOAA Wildlife Fisheries.  Check out the amazing learning which took place! Whale Mobile  

Mrs.  McInnis engages all the students with her knowledge of whales.

This is a life sized blow up replica of a humpback whale.  We got to go inside, and hear about a whales internal organs and feeding habits.

Mrs.  McInnis talks with the children about the importance of keeping our oceans clean.

The students learn about harmful litter which can hurt ocean animals.

Many thanks are sent to TESPTO for funding this program for the second graders!

NOAA Wildlife Fisheries

On Wednesday morning, the Steward School cafeteria was transformed into a scientific laboratory, as students visited five different center activities which focused on ocean animals native to New England.  The children enjoyed the educational hands-on activities provided!  The stations focused on:

• Sturgeon
• Fish characteristics, adaptations  and dissection
• The feeding habits of toothed and baleen whales
• Sea Turtle's eating habits and adaptations
• Identifying the sounds made by different whales and dolphins

Sturgeon Center:

Fish Adaptations and Dissection Center:

Toothed and Baleen Whales Center:

Sea Turtle Eating Habits and Adaptations Center:

Identifying sounds of whales/dolphins center:

Many thanks are to sent to our very own Mrs.  Ford, who coordinated with her husband (NOAA marine biologist) to share this amazing program with the Steward School second graders!!!  Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Ford!

D.A.S.H.

Here are some photographs from our D.A.S.H. sessions!  The children enjoyed every moment of this educational event!  Thank you to all of our parent volunteers for helping us.

Munchkin Math

Today the students took part in a special math lesson, called Munchkin Math.  The purpose of this math lesson reinforced the students 'money skills' while using critical thinking and problem solving strategies.  We recently finished our money unit in Math in Focus, and this lesson allowed the students to use their newly acquired money skills in a hands-on environment.

Two 'stores' were set up in the classroom-'The Pizza Shop', and the 'Ice Cream Sundae Shop'.  The students were given two worksheets, outlining the various items which could be purchased at each store. However, the students had a budget of $4.00 to spend at both stores.  At the beginning of our lesson, the students spent time problem solving the items they wanted to purchase, and adding up the total to make sure they were within their budget.  This computational portion of the lesson involved addition, subtraction, and multiplication.  For example, at the 'Pizza Shop' one piece of Pepperoni cost ten cents, so if the student wanted to purchase five pieces of pepperoni, then the total amount for this purchase was fifty cents.  

Using construction paper replica's, the students purchased and created their own pizza's and sundaes.  I would like to send out a big thank you to our parent volunteers who helped us today!  Many thanks are sent to Mrs.  Riley, Mrs.  Ginley, and Mrs.  Cassidy (Trevor's Gramma).  

When we were finished with the lesson, I asked the children their thoughts....and they all said how much fun they had, and how they understand money more.  Here are a few pictures from our event:  

The students are planning their budgets!

Mrs.  Cassidy helps Song with her purchases at the Ice Cream Sundae Shop

Mrs.  Ginley helped students with their purchases at the Pizza Shop!  Tristan, Sadie, and Haydon are looking over their options!

Keira was so proud after using her innovation....she used her purchases from the 'Pizza Shop' to create a person on her pizza!

Mrs.  Riley reviewed Laney's budget sheet as Laney purchased items to create her ice cream sundae!

Liam likes sausage on his pizza!  He displayed great problem solving and critical thinking on his budget sheet!

Miles has a special ice cream sundae in the works!

Check out my icecream sundae!  Thank you Mrs.  Riley for helping me with my purchases at the 'Sundae Shop'.

Alexander and Mason are digging deep into their money to pay for their purchases!

Granuaile, Sara, and Song are busy creating their pizza's with Mrs.  Ginley!

Trevor loved sharing his creations with his Gramma!

It's all in the math!  Look what we created today while refining our money skills!

And now for a silly picture...because we worked really hard, learned a lot,  while having fun!

Tomorrow, after we take our Fraction Post Assessment...we will create Fraction Art!  Math is so much fun!

Sports Day!

Our class received another twenty stars, and the class voted to have 'Sports Day'.  Each student dressed up in a sports uniform or dressed in their favorite team jersey.