Falling Leaves Growing Learners

Hello Families, it has been a busy two weeks in second-grade. The pods have been working hard, learning new skills and having fun! Please read on for highlights from each of the three subject teachers. 

 

General Studies- Jacob

 

These second-grade writers sure have stories to tell! This week, the pods have begun our first big writing unit crafting a personal narrative story. The unit will be our first venture into the multi-step writing process, and already the pods have shown their commitment to work hard and stretch their writing skills! Each student began by brainstorming as many possible story ideas as possible, compiling an extensive list of bad accidents, memorable birthday parties, new pets, nasty stomach viruses, and the births of a baby sibling. We then moved onto our planning stage, picking one idea to develop into a story and mapping it into five sections. Next week, we will consider how writers use their five senses to write with rich, descriptive details as we begin drafting. 

 

In Reader’s Workshop, the second-grade readers have been strengthening their word attack strategies. In fact, we have a new motto for what we do when we get to a tricky word while reading. If you’re curious to know, ask your second grader to share. I’m sure they will be delighted to show it to you.

 

 

 

Math and Science – John 

 

This has been an exciting first week for me as our Second Grade Math & Science Teacher.  I also provide SETSS for some of our first and second grade learners just before and after the start and close of our student school day.  I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to share my expertise and training in working with students of early childhood and with learning disabilities in such a collaborative professional learning community.   The support I have received from parents and families in such a short time has been invaluable as we embark on this new academic journey together at Hannah Senesh Community Day School.  I look forward to a successful year together as we work to find the best ways to support your child’s individual learning needs and academic and social-emotional development.

 

Second graders finished their first math unit by using their acquired knowledge of place value to solve number patterns. They learned to identify the rule of a pattern by looking to see what changed: the hundreds, tens, or ones place? After solving some patterns, second graders made their own number patterns with missing numbers and took turns solving each other’s work.

 

We found time to finish our self portraits this week. Second graders used hand mirrors to draw the lines of their faces. They then used yellow, red, and brown crayons to create their own unique skin color. Finally, they finished their portraits with watercolors and noticed that the wax in crayons resists water. These portraits are adding some much needed art to our classroom spaces. 

 

In science, students began their study of the phases of matter by observing how liquid changes when it is moved in a bottle. Second graders noticed that while the volume of water stays the same, the shape changes. 

Hebrew and Judaic Studies – Ariana

 

We have been learning so much in our Judaic Studies and Hebrew class. 

In Judaic Studies we learned all about the holidays of Sukkot and Simchat Torah. 

We read a lot of sukkot stories such as “Tamar’s Sukkah”, “The Vanishing Gourds”.

We also read the story “The Mysterious Guest” and learned that it is a mitzvah to welcome guests in sukkot.  Likewise it is believed that the forefathers and foremothers visit our sukkot to bless us.  The second graders learned the rules that make a Kosher Sukkah. The children created fabulous 3D sukkot from different places in the world.  We made sukkot from Israel, America, China, Russia, England and even from the North Pole.  This project combined our Hebrew skills and Judaic Studies knowledge as every child presented their sukkah and its place of origin in Hebrew as well. For example they wrote:” Ani…., HaSukkah sheli me Sin”which means ”I’m Leah and my sukkah is from China”.

 

Second grade learned also about the 4 species/4 ha minim. We learned that you need each one of the 4 species to perform the mitzvah of shaking the lulav. The students reviewed how to recite the blessings we say whenever we shake the lulav and when we dwell in the sukkah.

The students created a fabulous 4ha minim matching game. They have been playing with their classmates in a socially distant way. We had so much fun! 

We are currently learning about the holiday of Simcha Torah.We are connecting this holiday to our own future Chumash exploration/Bible study. The students learned that the Torah has 5 books: Bereshit, Shemot, Vaykrah, Bamidmar and Devarim. They also crafted beautiful flags for Simchat Torah with Iviva in Art.

 

Lastly, we sent our buddies in 6th grade we wrote notes wishing them Chag Sameach.

 

In Hebrew we continue practicing our print letters. We have been exploring some of the sofiot letters, the letters that have a partner that is only used at the end of the word. So far we focused on chaf + chaf soffit, mem + mem sofit and nun + nun sofit. The children brainstormed many words with the letters we reviewed. The vocabulary we reviewed they remembered from last year.We also found some of these letters in our own names. Some of the words the children brainstormed were: Yom, mayim, ima, shemesh,chamesh,morah,chum, shtaim,katom shmonecham,shtaim, nerot, nun, yaiin, kachol amongst others.

We are currently practicing the hebrew vowels as well.

 

We read two Hebrew stories, “Gueshem baSukkah” and “BeSukkot Teshvu Shivat Yamim”. These two stories describe a family’s experience in a sukkah when it rains and the historical context of Sukkot.

 

We are currently reviewing the days of the week thinking about what day of the week was yesterday and the day of the week we will have tomorrow. The key words of this exercise are machar (tomorrow) and etmol (yesterday).

We are having lots of fun learning Hebrew and Judaic Studies together.

We wish all of our families Chag Sameach. We look forward to continuing our learning together!

 

2nd Grade Music

Our Second Grade musicians have continued to learn the difference between beat and rhythm through games that allow them to feel it viscerally in their bodies. They are learning to perform rhythmic counterpoint (individual students playing different body rhythms at the same time) with our Music Rules Rap. They use their rhythm sticks and shaker eggs to play along to rhymes and songs, as well as to create and repeat original patterns. They have begun to read quarter notes and eighth notes and to compose and play 4-beat rhythms using those notes.