A short review of our short week.....

This week in second grade we were still able to focus on a variety of learning tasks...even with all the excitement of the coming Thanksgiving break looming in the air.

Thanks to scholastic.com, we were able to take a virtual field trip through a webcast to Plimoth Plantation.  We were able to get a "taste" of what the first Thanksgiving might have looked like!  We met a pilgrim and a Wampanoag Native American.  We were given a tour of a pilgrims house, and were able to take a tour within a model Mayflower ship.  If you would like to experience the First Thanksgiving again with your child, click on the link under reading sites.



This week in phonics we focused on the two sounds of c.   C makes either a "soft" s sound or a hard "k" sound.  We did a variety of word sorts and activities.  A class favorite was this "c" hip hop that we listened to each morning at our morning meeting time.

In math, we are continuing our practice of double facts.  Remember to have your child visit math facts in a flash over this long weekend to keep up on their fact speed and accuracy!

AND finally, the biggest highlight of our week, was seeing the snow flurries outside.  There were multiple times kids were crowded around the window shouting for joy at the sight of falling snow.  Let's just hope they can keep the spirit throughout the long Minnesota winter!

The VERY Busy Day!

Today the second graders had a fabulous experience while visiting the MSU State College Campus for the production of The Frog Princess.  The play was an African take on the story, and the students loved the music and costumes.  Unfortunately field trips have been cut, so we thank the 549 Foundation for providing the transportation and we also thank you the parents, for covering the admission costs for your child!  Here are some pictures of the kids high-fiving the actors after the wonderful performance!

Some of the girls with the Frog Princess herself! 

After we returned to the school, we were greeted with a presentation by Marsha Wilson Chall.  Chall has published a children’s chapter book and seven picture books, including One Pup's Up, Up North at the Cabin, and Bonaparte. Her books have received numerous awards: an International Reading Association Teacher’s Choice Award, American Booksellers Pick of the Lists, Parents Choice, and Smithsonian Notable recognition.   Chall shared with us the journey of becoming an author and the process of writing a book. She also shared with us a sneak peak at her new book!

The Importance of Reading to Self

We all know that reading is a crucial life-long skill.   Readingrockets.org states, "Unfortunately, the older a child is, the more difficult it is to teach him or her to read. The window of opportunity closes early for most kids. If a child can't read well by the end of third grade, odds are that he or she will never catch up. And the effects of falling behind and feeling like a failure can be devastating."  At Heart of the Lakes Elementary school, we strive to reach all students before that window of opportunity seems out of grasp.   In second grade, we have taken great strides to help each child succeed to his or her greatest potential in reading in a variety of ways.  One of the biggest (and perhaps sometimes the most under-estimated practice) is to provide each child with a quality chunk of time to read books at his or her reading level.

This starts first with assessing your child and assigning him or her with a reading level.  We then help guide and train each child on how to select "just right" texts.  This is key because students who are reading books that are too hard will become overwhelmed, get lost in decoding the text and lose focus of the meaning.  And sadly, the joy in reading will be lost. Your child will gain fluency and comprehension skills when they immerse themselves in text that are at their reading level, or books that are easy!


In our second grade classroom, we practice reading to ourselves for 22 minutes a day.  This is in addition to a guided reading lesson,partner reading and hopefully the reading your child is doing at home!  Each student has her or her own book box and is in charge of filling it with "just right" texts.  Everyday we are busy learning new strategies to use as readers.  We talk, write and most importantly, THINK about our reading.

So tonight, ask your child about what it means to pick out a "just right" book.  See if they can find any around your house.  You will know it is "just right" if they can read most of the words with 95% accuracy.  Get a book box started at your house, and lets get all kids soaring through that window of opportunity. 

An October Celebration!

There is nothing better than topping off a week of hard work with a fun filled Halloween celebration!  It was so fun to see everyone decked out in their outfits!

We started out the day with morning stations in each 2nd grade classroom.  The students transitioned between a musical celebration with Mrs. Hein, Games with Mrs. Cresap, Art with Mrs. Bormann and Cookie Decorating with Mrs. Dahlin!

Cookie Decorating with Friends

After doing some "Monster Math" that afternoon, we were all excited to change into our costumes for the big parade!

Mrs. Yates and Julia had very similar witch outfits!

Alivia's family joined us for the celebration!