Happy Spring!

Hi All,

I hope that everyone is drying out now that the rain has ended! It was so great for the children to be able to go outside today for recess. We are all looking forward to the sunny, warmth of spring!

Here is a quick curriculum update:

Math- We are working on multi-digit subtraction with re-grouping. Please keep practicing those facts! We are also working on problem solving.

Reading- We are just about finished with Balto and will begin our next unit on mystery soon! I am looking forward to exploring this exciting genre with the students!

Writing- We are working on 4-detail paragraphs now. The children comtinue to select topics and carry them through all stages of the writing process. We have added the choice of publishing with handwriting paper or using an AlphaSmart to type on and publish using MS Word.

Science- We are exploring habitats now. We have learned about the tundra, the desert, and grasslands. We will explore the rainforest next.

Social Studies- Students should be working on their Famous Person Fact Cube Project. I look forward to seeing them share their new information. We will also be starting our Family History Projects soon.

Help Wanted!

We are in need of help during writer's workshop (Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday), but especially on Tuesdays from 9:30-10:15. Please consider volunteering and making a difference in your child's class! Contact me if you are available.

Donations!

We still need tissues and Clorox wipes. Allergy season is on its way!

Toy Recycling!

Feel free to clean out your toys that are not being used and donate them to our class for indoor recess/choice time play. We just scored a pirate ship that was rescued from the Zeh School attic and the Gillerin Family has donated several card games. Items desired include: board games, legos, matchbox cars, Barbies, Polly Pockets, etc. Please only donate complete puzzles and games- no missing pieces!

That's all for now. Have a great long weekend!

-JoAnne Gorham

Another Snowy Day...

Hi All,

I hope that you are enjoying this long weekend with friends or family. I traveled home to NY this past weekend and caught up with some old friends. As much as I love visits to NY, it is becoming more obvious to me that my true "home" is now in Northborough. (Don't tell my friends...they still think I am moving back!) I just wish it would stop snowing and that spring would get a move on!

Anyways, one of my New Year's resolutions was to become better about posting. I can't tell you where the first half of the year went, but we were super-busy and it flew by! The children are making great progress towards meeting the second grade benchmarks. I am looking forward to a productive second half of the year.

Looking ahead, several projects have been assigned.

1. "Have You Seen Any Good Math Lately" is due this Friday, January 22nd. The children are to look for math in the world around them. They can use digital photos, the newspaper, magazines, or the internet to find their examples. They should try to locate 3-5 different examples and be able to explain the image's connection to math.





This is an example of an eight-sided shape called an octagon.






2. "What I Love About You" Valentine Hearts are due on Thursday, January 28th. Please contact me if you need any decorating supplies to "jazz" up your hearts. This is a special project and the children really enjoy seeing them on the bulletin board.






3. Native American Projects have also been assigned. The children are to create model on a topic that they selected for the tribe that they researched. For example, if I researched the Inuit and selected homes as my topic, I would need to make a model of an igloo.

That's all for now. Please contact me with any questions and have a great week!

-Mrs. Gorham