Good afternoon parents,
There are many reminders coming up for the next couple of weeks. First of all, this Friday, March 16th, we are dressing up green for St. Patrick's Day. Feel free to wear fun St. Patrick's Day related clothes and accessories, like clover necklaces, headbands, wristbands, etc. Also there is no school next Friday, March 23rd, as it is a PD day. That is the beginning of spring break. There is no school from March 23rd to April 2nd. School resumes Tuesday, April 3rd. Last but not least, a friendly reminder to sign the swimming permission form online, as well as make a payment via credit card or in school.
Grade 2 is a very busy year for students. They work very hard on many aspects of their academics, particularly on reading, writing, and math. We are at a point in the year where I should be seeing great improvements in these areas. Next Wednesday, March 21st, is our annual student led conferences. This is an opportunity for your child to take you on a tour of the classroom, while showing you different activities and skills they perform in the classroom on a weekly basis. It is your opportunity to get a glimpse of how they function in the classroom and observe their skill set on relevant activities, such as reading, writing, basic math facts, and math games. This is a great evening where your child can showcase their abilities, as well as we can discuss their positives and their concerns.
Math:
Our measurement unit in math is moving right along. The students are now able to compare two items using terms like longer, taller, lighter, wider, and smaller. Last week we talked extensively about time, but not telling time with clocks, telling time with a calendar. We focused on days of the week and months of the year. The students need to know the days of the week, starting with the first day, Sunday, and their proper order. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. They need to understand that there are 7 days in a week. They must also be able to recognize the months of the year (12), the correct order, and what comes first/last, etc. They should be able to answer a question like "What month comes 3 months after July?" The answer being October. They should also be able to find days on a calendar. For example, If I asked, what day of the week is February 27th, 2017, they should be able to answer Monday. This is assuming a calendar is in front of them. We will continue this week to work on days of the week, months of the year, and reading calendars. I encourage all of your children to talk about days of the week, when appointments are, how many months until school ends, at home as much as possible.
Science:
In science, we have began our Buoyancy and Boats unit. In this unit we look at how material and design/shape of a boat can affect its buoyancy. We now know that buoyancy is the ability of an object to float. How buoyant something is has many factors. We even made plasticine float by changing the shape of a plasticine ball. The students will also have to create a boat that propels itself through water.
Social:
In social we finished up looking at the cultures of the people in our 3 communities. We discussed traditions of the Inuit of Iqaluit, the Acadian's of Meteghan, as well as the Ukranian's of Saskatoon. The next unit we study will look at the work that people do in the 3 communities. How do they make a living? What types of natural resources contribute to the local economy?
I hope everyone has had a great first couple months of 2018. I know I am looking forward to the snow melting and green grass starting to grow.
Mr. Aasen
