Mrs. Shaw’s Second Grade Class

Carolina Castleberry received the “Top 2nd Grade Reader” Award for having the most AR points. Congratulations!!!

Saturday was a winter wonderland. I hope each of you enjoyed the snow.

Looks like  M. H  had a great day in the snow!!!

Welcome back! I hope you had a wonderful holiday break. 

Red Ribbon Week is the oldest and largest drug prevention campaign in the country.

Red Ribbon Week serves as a vehicle for communities and individuals to take a stand for the hopes and dreams of our children through a commitment to drug prevention and education and a personal commitment to live drug free lives with the ultimate goal being the creation of drug free America. (Prevention Partners)

Planned Activities:

Monday, October 22 —“Dream it, Believe it, Achieve it Day” -Dress as your chosen career

Tuesday, October 23 —“Drugs give you the Blues Day” – Dress in blue Clothing

Wednesday, October 24— “Join the fight against Drugs Day” – Wear camouflage

Thursday, October 25— “Drugs turn you Inside Out Day”- Wear clothes inside out

Friday, October 26— “Stay in the Game Day”- Wear your favorite team shirt 

I hope everyone had a great time at the farm today.

 What was your favorite part? List 3 things you learned today?

Thanks to all the parents who attended the trip. A special thanks to Mrs.Houston for the pictures! 

In honor of Constitution Day, we have been studying about our government.   We discussed symbols of the United States. We viewed a video about the history of the American Flag, how to care for and fly the American Flag. We read about the Unites States Constitution. We listened to Schoolhouse Rock-Preamble. We learned that the Bill of Rights is a list of freedoms for all Americans. It is an important part of our Constitution.

We are very blessed to live in a country with the freedom to make choices. Therefore, we understand the importance of making good choices and being a good citizen.

•  Citizenship is having good manners and using kind words.
• Citizenship is obeying rules and respecting authority.
• Citizenship is accepting  responsibility for your actions.
• Citizenship is what you to make your home, school, neighborhood, and community better places.        

   As a special assignment, we brainstormed ideas about how to be a better citizen at home.  The students were challenged to clean up their rooms without being asked and to make their beds!!!! 

Also, we created a display,  Good Citizens Have Helping Hands,  to reinforce the concept of being a good citizenship at school and in the community.

What types of things do you do to illustrate good citizenship????

We enjoyed our grandparents visiting our classroom.  Grandparents were interviewed by their grandchildren. We discovered our grandparents’ favorite childhood memory, games, and books.

We welcome Eddie to our classroom.  What do you think about our new pet?

       I feel it is very important for students to learn basic addition and subtraction facts. However, I was perplexed by the idea of students just memorizing and not fully having a solid conceptual foundation.  In second grade, I found some children are ready to memorize or learn facts by recall while others still need  manpulatives  to build that basic foundation and number sense/relationship.  Matter of fact, research has shown that children with a solid conceptual foundation are more successful when they begin to memorize their facts.

In my class before we start taking timed drill tests, we start off with learning strategies that help us build  number sense. The first few weeks of school are spent teaching strategies such doubles plus one, fact families, etc. These strategies assist each learner with building the important conceputal framework for addition and subtraction.

We read to become a better reader.

We read to become smarter.

We read to gain information.

We read for FUN!!!!!!!!

WHY DO YOU READ????????