Nutrition Unit

We have kicked off our Nutrition Unit! In this unit students are asked to consider the following essential question: What choices can I make to be healthy?

As a result of this unit students will be able to answer all of the following questions:

• What can I do to keep my body healthy?
• What are the characteristics of healthy foods?
• What are the five food groups that have been identified as important to human health? What are Some specific foods within each food group?
• Where can healthy foods be found? What are five healthy foods that you enjoy eating?
• What nutrients does your body need to stay healthy? What are different foods that provide these nutrients.

So far we have identified the 5 food groups and today we practiced sorting different foods in the appropriate groups. We also realized that some foods are considered 'Sometimes Foods' and are in their own group.

Make sure to ask your student what they have learned so far!

Learning about the Lake Champlain Watershed

Yesterday we had a very special guest from the Lake Champlain Basin Program! Ms. Kerry helped us see how polluted run off harms our lakes and rivers. She brought a water table model and allowed us to pour oil and different simulated pollutants on the landscape before a big rainstorm came. We watched as the water washed all of the water and pollution right into the lake!

Ms. Kerry helped us identify things that we do that harm or help Lake Champlain. Here is what we have learned so far...

Things that pollute or harm the lake:

• Oil from leaky cars

• Factories that dump into the lake

• Construction

• Farms - fertilizer and animal waste

• Run off from roads

• Pet waste

Things we can do to help the lake:

• Take care of our cars so they don't leak

• Clean up after our pets

• Be responsible with toxic waste

• Build fences to keep cows out of streams

• Don't cut down trees on the banks of rivers

Our First Skype!

The big news in Room 7 is that tomorrow (Friday) we have our very first Mystery Skype! We will be teaming up with Ms. LaRose's class to participate in a Number Mystery Skype. Together, our classes will Skype with another 2nd grade class and will play a 'What's my number?' game. We will use yes or no answer questions to identify their mystery number between 1 and 100. 

To help us get ready, we practiced this game today as a class. We learned that the best questions eliminated many numbers at once. Some awesome questions were: Is your number odd? Is your number greater than 50? Does your number have a 3 in the tens place? 

Make sure to talk to your student tonight about our upcoming Skype. You could even practice playing the Mystery Number Game at home!

Learn More About Room 7

ABCs of Ms. Warren’s 2nd Grade

2015 – 2016

A

Arrival - School begins promptly at 8:10 a.m. Students arriving before that time need to report to the back playground.  Students must be in the classroom by 8:10 to avoid being marked tardy. If your child arrives after 8:10 please be sure to sign them in at the front desk so that they are not marked absent. If your child is going to be absent please call Sheila in the front office at 264 - 5920.

B

Birthdays - Birthday treats are welcome (please follow the healthy birthday treat policy). Your child will be allowed to share them during our end of day snack time.  Please do not send birthday invitations to school unless there is an invitation for every child in the class.

Classroom Blog - Our classroom blog address is: http://mswarrenssecondgradeclass.blogspot.com/ .  The classroom blog is a great way to stay connected and to learn about what your child is doing in school. The classroom blog contains photographs from each week, classroom news, important dates and educational sites your student uses in school.

Student Blogs - Each student in our classroom will have their own blog! This is a place where they will respond to weekly wonder prompts and will post other thoughts. I will email families when these blogs are live. Students LOVE to receive comments from family members on their posts. Links to student blogs will be on the classroom blog.

C

Communication - One thing that I particularly enjoy about teaching at Porters Point School (besides, of course, the students) is the sense of community that exists between teachers and families. Please feel free to get in touch with me at anytime. The best way to contact me is via email. My email address is: tessa.warren@colchestersd.org . I try extremely hard to respond to all emails within 24 hours.

Conferences - We have two scheduled parent-teacher conferences over the course of the school year. However, I am happy to meet with you at anytime to discuss your student's progress or any concerns you may have. We can also hold phone conferences. Just send me an email or note to set up a time.

D

Dismissal - School ends at 2:45 each day. If there is any change in where your child should go after school or their method of transportation please send in a note or call the front office.

E

Email -  Email is my preferred method of communication because of the quick turn-around. If you have an email address that you check regularly please provide it to me to maximize our communication.

F

Folder – Each student has a yellow homework folder that needs to come back and forth to school each day. I will copies of most announcements that need to come home but hard copies will come as well.

G

Grading - All report card grades are based on CSD grade 2 standards. Student work will frequently be sent home in homework folders.

H

Homework – Homework will be sent home on Monday night in your student’s Homework Folder.  Homework needs to be returned to school on Friday. Each week your child will receive a math packet with a reading log as a cover sheet. Your child should complete one math page a night; each page should take no more than 10 minutes. Students are also expected to read for 10 minutes a night. Reading should be documented on the Reading Log. If your child needs the weekend to complete their homework or something came up and your child didn't get a chance to finish their homework, no problem! Just send in a note.

My philosophy is that homework should practice skills that have already been taught. Each night’s math homework will reflect what was taught that day. So if a student is completing all of their homework on Monday, the Thursday page may be challenging.

I

Independence – Independence is a goal for students in 2nd grade because it builds self-esteem and is expected in 3rd grade. 2nd graders are very capable of doing work on their own, and I will encourage them to do so in the classroom.

J

Journals – In 2nd grade we LOVE to write across all subjects! Journals are used in science as Science Notebooks to document our thinking and questions. The 2nd grade science curriculum provides students with real life science experiments and notebooks are a wonderful way to document their new learning and experiments.

K

Keep Reading - Please encourage your child to keep reading. Students need to read each night for at least 10 minutes, but encouraging them to read more will go a long way. Reading to your child is a wonderful way for students to be introduced to new vocabulary and work on comprehension.

L

Lunch and Lunch Money – We have lunch each day from 12:25 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. If you would like your student to order school lunch EVERY day please sign up here .

Library - We have library on Wednesdays.  Each Wednesday your child will check out a book to take home for the week. Please be sure your student returns their library book each Wednesday so they can check out a new book.

M

Money – Please make sure that any money sent to school is in an envelope or baggie with a note telling me what the money is for (field trip, lunch money, photographs, etc.)

N

News- For the most up-to-date news from our classroom please subscribe to our classroom blog. For information that is time sensitive I will send an Email to parents/guardians directly.

0

Open Door - You are always welcome in our classroom. Whether that is in the form of reading, helping out with a project, sharing a special treat or sharing your expertise on a topic.

P

Physical Education - We have Physical Education on Monday and Friday each week. For your child’s safety, please make sure s/he wears gym shoes on these days. On non-PE days, we go outside for recess, so if your child likes to run or play on the playground equipment, it would be beneficial for them to wear sneakers daily.

Q

Questions - Instead of asking your child, “What did you do in school today?” try asking, “What book did you read during independent reading?” or “What did you learn in math?” or “Tell me what you wrote about during Writing Workshop!” Show that you’re interested, and ask specific questions. Most likely, your child will respond positively and more thoroughly.  

R

Report Cards – Report cards are sent home every nine weeks. Please be sure to sign and return the envelope that your child’s report card is sent home in.

S

Snack – We have breakfast each morning from 8:25 - 8:45 and a full snack at 2:30. When healthy snack choices are made, they provide the nutrients and calories kids need for growth, good health and energy to get through the day. Please pack your child a healthy snack to enjoy on a daily basis. Students who order breakfast at school do not need a morning snack but may need an afternoon snack.

Working Snack - Each day during math we have a working snack. The food provided during the working snack is part of our classroom “snack share.” Snack share is made possible by families donating a small snack to our classroom at the beginning of the month. Everyone having the same snack creates less distraction during our working time in math. Items that I appreciate families sending in for snack share are: granola bars, peanut butter and crackers, goldfish, animal crackers and cheeze-its.

T

Toys – Please be sure your child does not bring toys into school.  Toys can be distracting and can cause conflicts if they are misplaced. If your child would like to bring in a toy to share I will keep it in a “safe place” throughout the day and give it back to your child at the end of the day.

U

Unique - I believe that each learner is unique and needs different strategies and supports to excel. Therefore, I may be providing instruction to your child that may be different than their peers. The students in my classroom understand that we all need different things to do our best.

V

VOLUNTEERS and VISITORS – Volunteers and visitors are welcome!  There are many opportunities for you to be involved in the classroom this year. Before anyone can volunteer in the school they need to complete a CSD Volunteer Form (click here). If you would like to volunteer please email me for a “Calling all Volunteers” sheet that lets me know what your preferences are. When you arrive at school to volunteer or visit, please sign in at the office and pick up a badge before coming to the classroom. This policy is for the safety of our children.

W

WATER BOTTLES – Please feel free to have your child bring a water bottle to class. I prefer water bottles with tight fitting lids (fewer spills) that do NOT have the spray feature. Please encourage your child to bring their water bottle home regularly to wash it.

WISH LIST – We have various supplies that need to be replenished throughout the school year.  These items are on the on the classroom Wish List and can be viewed on our classroom blog here .

X, Y, Z

It is EXCEPTIONALLY important for your child to have a successful second grade YEAR. I will do my best to make learning fun and exciting – you can expect a lot of growth in so many different areas. The 2015-2016 school year will ZOOM by!

We LOVE to Read!

This week we are learning how to help out around our classroom especially in the classroom library! In second grade we LOVE to read and have so many exciting books! As second grade readers we have practiced looking at the labels on books to put them back where they belong and making sure that books are put away properly so they don't get damaged.

Note from Ms. Maddie

My name is Maddie Sivo (Ms. Maddie to the kids). I’m the school social worker at PPS. I work with kids and families with varying needs and challenges. I often meet with kids during breakfast or lunch in my office, and will sometimes allow them to invite a friend or two to work on social skills and help build positive friendships. If you are NOT comfortable with your child being invited for these small groups, please contact me directly at sivom@csdvt.org or 264-5918. Also, as cold weather approaches, it can be a challenge for some families to pull together enough warm clothing (especially with the amount of stuff kids misplace at school!). If you have warm clothing (especially boots, snow pants, winter coats) to spare, send them my way! It is also ALWAYS helpful to have Price Chopper gift cards on hand for families who are having a hard time making ends meet. Your generosity is much appreciated. Thank you!

Please register for the LAST Porters Point Parent Forum!

MAY 14^th, 6PM

Sleep specialist,

Heather C. Finley, PhD

From UVM Medical Center 

Presenting useful information on helping your child establish good sleep habits.

Please sign up to attend by 5/1/15

Click Here To Sign Up

Any Questions, Please Email or call

Mary Axworthy at axworthym@csdvt.org or (802)264-5923

Please sign up by 5/1/15. We will not be holding forum if we do not have 10 people attending, so please sign up if you would like to hear this speaker. We will continue to take sign-ups after 5/1, if at least 10 attendees are already signed up.

Snacks and child care will be provided.

Ready, Set, Run 2015!

We are very excited to be offering the RunVermont Ready, Set, Run program again this Spring! This program helps children learn about and practice fitness, good nutrition, citizenship and goal setting all while having fun and being safe. We will be meeting once a week after school on Wednesdays from  3:00 - 4:00 starting on April 15th. 

The program costs $30 and includes a lot! Participants receive a t-shirt, medal, finisher’s certificate and other cool handouts. Students who participate are also invited to come to the RunVermont Spring fun runs: Champ on Church Street and Spring Festival of Fun at the Catamount Family Center in Williston.

There are many scholarships available for this program. Please contact one of the leaders if you would like more information about this.

To register click on the Ready, Set, Run image or click here .

Letter From School Guidance Counselor Mr. Kriger

Dear Families,

During the month of April your child will be having guidance lessons focused on how they can stay safe.  Act 1 Section 3 of Vermont Law (V.S.A) states ALL Vermont schools (K-12) are required to provide instruction about how to recognize and prevent sexual abuse and sexual violence.  I know this is a sensitive subject, but this unit is a developmentally appropriate curriculum with an emphasis on equipping students with the skills needed to respond to unsafe situations.  Below you will find the topics covered for this unit according to grade level:  
• Kindergarten
o To use our words assertively to stay safe.
o Being safe out in the community: How to handle those situations when you may feel scared such as getting lost in a store.
o “Uh Oh” feeling and what those feelings tell us and how should we respond.
o Safe touch; some touches makes us feel good, some touches makes us feel uncomfortable like a push, punch, or when someone touches any of our body parts that are private.
• First Grade
o Personal safety concepts: being safe around people you know as well as around strangers, checking with a parent or caregiver before going anywhere.
o To be able to identify trusting adults in our lives and what things we need to tell them.
o Comfortable touch verses uncomfortable touch:  How to respond to uncomfortable touch.
• Second Grade
o People are like the weather:  We make an analogy between the weather and people, how the weather is safe most of the time.  There are those exceptions when the weather is not safe.  Just like the weather, most people behave in safe ways, but there are times when people act in ways that are not safe.
o How to tell the difference between good (happy) secrets and bad (uncomfortable) secrets, and the importance of telling secrets that make you feel uncomfortable to a trusted adult.
o Practice telling an adult about unsafe situations:  We’ll use role playing to practice telling trusted adults about unsafe situations.

If you have questions or concerns about this unit I will have detailed lesson plans posted on my blog or you can feel free to email me at krigerg@csdvt.org or give me a call directly at 264-5927.
                                                                               Sincerely,
      Greg Kriger

Exploring Balance and Motion

We have been having a blast exploring balance and motion! We have balanced paper crayfish on their noses, balanced pencils on their points and even created spinning tops! While we do these awesome experiments we are practicing writing like scientists. We have been making predictions, conducting experiments and reporting our results.

Make sure to ask your 2nd grade scientist about the experiments we have been doing!

Wonder of the Week - Why do bananas bruise?

This week we are wondering - Why do bananas bruise?

bananas because
bruise after
brown

I think bananas bruise because if they don’t get eaten often they start to turn brown. - Sam

I think bananas bruise when something hits them it’s just like our skin when something hits us we get a bruise. - Rylee

I think bananas bruise when they get exposed to air because they are supposed to be wet a little but when air gets to them they get a little brown. - Isabella

I think bananas bruise because they get weak after a while if they are not eaten and they start to turn brown. - Nick

I think bananas get bruises because sometimes when they are too old they fall. - Norman

I think bananas bruise because when they fall and they hit something really hard like the floor they get a big bruise. - Owen F.

Wonder of the Week: Why do we yawn?

I think we yawn because you might be sleepy. - Danielle
I think we yawn because it’s a warning that we might be tired. - Leah
I think we yawn because we might be tired from all of that playing. - Madison
I think we yawn because sometimes we are a little bit tired. - Norman
I think we yawn because we get tired. - Charlie

Is yawning contagious?

I think yawning is contagious because you can yawn and then someone else might yawn. - Charlie
I think yawning is not contagious because sometimes you just yawn. - Norman.

Wonder of the Week - Why do people make New Years resolutions?

What is a New Years Resolution?
Why do people make New Years Resolutions?
What is YOUR New Years Resolution?

Helpful Words:
resolution people
New Year
promise

I think a New Years Resolution is…

I think a New Years Resolution is like when someone says if they bite their nails they are going to stop doing it in the New Year. - Rylee

I think a New Years Resolution is a promise that you keep in the New Year. My New Years Resolution is to sign up for TaeKwonDo. -Nicholas

I think a New Years Resolution is when someone makes a goal like trying to get to the bus stop earlier. My resolution is to finish my series of Ivy and Bean books. - Isabella

For the big reveal on Wednesday we will check out Wonderopolis .