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| Gala & Auction: April 28, 2012 | Family Fun Night: February 24, 2012 | | www.barnesvilleschool.org | joy. support. excellence. | |
| Odds and Ends | | With the winter weather upon us, it is important that the students come to school prepared to be outside for recess. This includes winter coats, gloves, and hats as well as boots if appropriate. We want to make sure all our students stay warm! Please also make sure that your child has a healthy snack every day. We usually take our snack break between math and reading, and the students are ready for a little something to eat by then. |  |
| February Book Report  | | Read one biography about someone of interest to you. Create an interview with the character. Make up a list of questions (with answers) that you could ask that person. You can video tape yourself interviewing a friend or your can choose a friend from your reading class (in advance) to interview in class. | |
| Academics in February | | The big news in second grade is we have started to learn cursive handwriting. The children are extremely excited. We want the students to develop good habits so please do not encourage them to write at home as they do not know all of the letters. We will know them by the end of the year, and over the summer they can write to their hearts' content. In reading, we are starting a new theme—Amazing Animals. In math, we are currently working on our unit about “Geometry” and then we will start a new unit on “Whole Number Operations and Number Stories”. Your children should continue to practice their facts. In social studies, we are studying Native Americans. In science we are wrapping up our dinosaur unit and will soon begin our space unit. | |
| Amazing Animals! | | Through the month of February, we are going to be reading stories about amazing animals and then completing written research projects. Each student will pick a Maryland animal to learn about. All of the research and the written report will be completed in class, but you can support your child by asking them what they have learned about animal. This unit will culminate with a trip to the Baltimore Zoo to see our animals.
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| Sproutzilla and Carnivorous Plants, Oh My! | | Throughout the months of February and March, second grade will delve into the world of interesting and unique plants. We'll cultivate and harvest a crop of sprouts in a mini-hydroponics system. Second graders will accomplish this goal using common household items such as baby food jars and seeds. The children will also learn about some of the world's most exciting plants, carnivorous plants. Using their science and art skills, students will create and operate Venus Fly Trap models. The children continue to anticipate the arrival of spring when they will put to good use all of the environmental science information they've learned thus far this year. | |
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| | Important Dates | | 2/9-- Parent Visiting Day
2/10—1:30 Dismissal 2/21—No School (President's Day)
2/25—No School (Professional Day) 2/24—Trip to the Natural History and Air and Space Museums in Washington, D.C.
2/28-- February book report due
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| Art | | In December in January we learned about the Plains Native Americans. We talked about the plains where the buffalo grazed and horses were used for traveling. We also talked about the importance of tepees and traveling bags called parfleches. The children made a picture showing a horse, buffaloes and tepees on the plains. They also made model parfleches. We have just begun our unit about the Southwest Native Americans. The children learned about the environment and adobe houses. They are currently practicing weaving and will also make a clay pot, both artifacts typical of the indigenous groups of this region.
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| Music | | In music class, the Second Grade students have rung in the New Year with bells, and songs about bells. They sang about Peace. They have also sung songs of Initiative and Courage, the Virtues-Of-The-Month for January and February. They are singing songs about Winter, and they continue to build their repertoire of traditional and fun folk songs which have originated in our great big, diversified country of America. They are playing their recorders in music class, learning new notes while mastering good tone production. They have been listening to instrumental duets, and to piano trios by Chaminade, Beethoven, and Dvorak.
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| Physical Education | | Second grade is jumping to the top! They have been working hard to master their jump roping skills. They have been jumping forward, backward, crossing their arms, jumping on one foot and two feet, they are improving with each class. They are also in a challenge with the third and fourth graders to try and jump rope across the state of Maryland. Each class they are given a minute and a half to accumulate as many jumps as they can. Each class’ total is added together to try and reach our goal of 389,000 jumps!! | |
| Spanish | | The school year is moving by very quickly. I am excited at the progress that I have seen from our younger grades. We will begin new topics in class on February. During this month we will learn about body parts. We will learn a song called “Cabeza, manos , pierna y pie” (Head and shoulders, knees and toes). | |
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