In addition, we had a Project Cornerstone lesson related to the book “Simon’s Hook.” Students are learning ways to handle teasing and bullying. We practiced with a few “hooks” to see if students would take the bait. Then, students practiced one of the five suggested ways to handle these situations. In first and second grade students will probably choose to try doing nothing or just pretend to agree with the teaser. As they gain better verbal skills students can try to distract or make a joke. In addition, students learned they can can swim away and be a free fish.
While we try to be bucket fillers, it seems there are always going to be bucket dippers who try to get us to take the hook. The person dangling the hook could be another student, a sibling, or a neighborhood bully, By giving students tools they can use to handle these situations they gain confidence and learn to better navigate peer and family relationships. In your child’s Friday Folder there is a Fish Quiz. If your child completes the quiz and returns it to school he or she will get a prize.
On Friday, we enjoyed an Extra/Apple Recess for achieving our halfway benchmark for the Pumpkin Run. We are still a few hundred dollars away from earning the Kona Ice party.
In addition, we had our Simple Machines Expo on Friday. The students did an outstanding job with their projects. A slide show featuring the student’s simple machines is on the “Simple Machines” page.
Grade Two: Math | Grade One: Math |
Students began using place value disks that will be used through Grade 5 for modeling very large and very small numbers. The disks went home on Wednesday night so students could work with them to complete their homework for lesson 12. Using the place value disks, students repeat the counting lessons we have been doing with bundles and money. Ask your child how using the place value disks is different than using money or bundles. The three representations: bundles, money, and disks, each play an important role in the students’ deep internalization of the meaning of each unit on the place value chart. As with money, disks are “traded,” “renamed,” or “changed for” a unit of greater value. | Students have formed a solid foundation in addition to 10 and we are now working on connecting subtraction to addition. Students begin with a set of objects, then take some away, and finally end with a smaller set of objects. Then, students learned to make simple math drawings and equations to represent these take from with result unknown stories, and connect the act of crossing off to the symbol for subtraction. During math students talk about the connection between addition and subtraction as they collaborate and discuss ways to attack add to with change unknown word problems. In number talks, students discuss and apply their understanding of addition as it relates to subtraction and vice versa. |