Storytime Pajama Party

Mark your calendars: Storytime Pajama Party, Friday January 6th, 6pm-8pm.

Get dressed in your PJ's and head back to school to join Monsieur Conrad and for a story (one in French, one in English)! There will be cookies and hot chocolate, and every child will get a book to take home.

See you there!

Informé et Instruit

For our current unit of inquiry, students are reading about the way different items are made (such as oil paint, ice cream, ballet slippers) and then drawing the system used for the fabrication and distribution of the item. Through this, students are becoming more knowledgable ( one of our PYP profile traits) and are also demonstrating an understanding of human-made systems.

Grade 2 updates

Fête d'Hiver

We hope you all can make the Fête d'Hiver tomorrow evening (Thursday) at 6:00 p.m.  Families should send their children to their classrooms by 5:50, so we can all come down together.  Students can wear their formal uniforms or dress nicely.

 

Club SLLIS 

The Club SLLIS forms for Dec 22 and 23 (next week) and Jan. 2 and 16-all on one form- are due on Friday.  Please let Lisa Berman know if you need another form: clubsllis@sllis.org

 

A trip to the Symphony!

Thanks to a Donors Choose project that Madame Michelle put together, the 2nd and 3rd grade students are going to the symphony on February 8!  We are very excited about this opportunity to take the students to see a performance of The Magic Flute by Mozart.

Fête d'Hiver / Winter Celebration

Regarding the fête d'hiver  (this Thursday, 12/15 from  6:00 - 8:00), your child can either wear their formal uniform or dress up.  This is not a potluck, but families may bring a tray of cookies to share.

Please send your child to his/her classroom at 5:50 so that we can come down together as a class. 

In class, we have started our new unit of inquiry, and we are excited to see how the students are approaching are approaching the question of human-made systems. Today we learned how oil paint is made and last week we explored the distribution of bananas- how they make it all the way to our plates.

Fête d'Hiver / Winter Celebration

Fête d'Hiver

Join us for our 3rd annual Fête d'Hiver (Winter celebration).  This is an evening of song, art, and community - meet your child's friends and re-connect with parents.

Thursday December 15

6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

SLLIS Multipurpose Room

Children should meet in their child's classrooms, and we will come down together as a class.  We hope you all can attend!

TumbleBook Library

Dear families,                                                                                                                                           

Great news - SLLIS has purchased an online book subscription that includes books in French, Spanish, AND English! With this subscription, you are able to view these books on computers at home as well. Here is the login information:

1.      http://www.tumblebooklibrary.com

2.     Username: sllis    Password: books

3.     Explore the following options: Storybooks, Read-Alongs, Tumble TV, Puzzles & Games, Language Learning (French & Spanish books included!), Non-Fiction Books

This is a wonderful website to use because high quality literature-based books are combined with the use of audio and animation to keep your child focused and entertained. Some books are even viewable on the iPad! 

Enjoy and feel free to let us know your feedback!      Happy reading!

Spelling words for the week

Here are our spelling words to practice this week...

pas

plus

dans

mais

And... because I've finally gotten photos uploaded to my computer, here are a few from our Arch field trip.

Hope you like the new format of the web site! 

Spelling Words and our Final Project

Spelling words

The spelling words for this week are.... 

et - and  (pronounced "ay")

sur - on

chez - at the house of  (pronounced "shay")

par - by

Final Project
The students in grade 2 are working on plays to end our unit of inquiry.  We are still in the early/planning stages, and students are getting very excited about the props and costumes they are going to be making.

Picture Day for 2nd Grade: November 14

Our 2nd Grade students will be taking pictures on Monday, November 14

Students should wear their formal uniform (ties, blazers)

Spelling Words

A copy of our spelling word lists should be in your child's binder, but here is a digital copy in case.  We are currently on List 2.

Field Trip Permission Slips due Friday

Arch Field Trip

We are going to the St. Louis Arch and Museum of Westward Expansion on Monday, November 7.

Please return your child's permission slip by Friday.  If you need another copy, let us know!

Cost: $5 per child;  $7 per adult volunteer (This covers the ticket cost to go up to the top of the Arch)

Some funds may be available for families who are in financial difficulty- please let us know, so we can accommodate.

Please also let us know if you would like to go with your child- the more the merrier!  

Grade 2 updates

Tomorrow
Costumes are allowed tomorrow at school.  Please, no accessories or masks as these will distract from learning.  Save those items for Monday!
 
A field trip!
The second graders are going on a field trip to the Museum of Westward Expansion and the Gateway Arch.  This field trip is scheduled for November 7.  This trip will help students better understand the history of our area and how cultural exchanges (between the Native Americans and European settlers) impacted society.

Say "Fromage"!

Also to put on the calendar, we will be having school pictures on November 14 and 15.  We will have more information at a later time.

No School

Don't forget, there is no school on Monday, October 31, as we will be having family conferences. 

2nd grade updates

Bullying prevention program
SLLIS (TFS and TSS) 2nd and 3rd graders are participating in a Bullying Prevention Program.  This program is organized with the school social worker, and we are looking forward to seeing positive changes in how our students interact with each other.

Scholastic Book Orders
Scholastic book orders will be sent home tomorrow.  They will be due back November 10. If you really can't wait, they are available online - click the Scholastic tab for the link.  Holiday shopping season has arrived!

Conjugation fun!
In class, students have been learning to conjugate verbs, starting with the first group of verbs (-er).  This includes verbs like parler (to speak) and écouter (to listen). We have begun with the pronoun "je" (I) and have added "il/elle" (he, she).  Conjugating verbs is quite fun - you chop off the ending (-er) and, for je, il and elle, you add -e  to the end.  
Now, some of you might say, but why don't you just drop off the "r" ???   WELL, then you'd mess up later when things get more complicated.  It is really just better to do a clean break and chop the whole ending off.

Quick quiz for parents:  Conjugate these verbs using the pronouns je (I), il (he) or elle (she):
1.  je (parler)
2.  il (marcher)
3.  elle (communiquer)
4.  je (arroser)  
5.  il (penser)
6.  elle (ranger)

le 17 octobre 2011

What's new in grade 2?

In class, the second graders have been working with maps, creating books on the first inhabitants in the St. Louis area, and reading stories and learning songs about Native Americans. They are conjugating -er verbs with the "je" form (I), and are adding on il/elle (he/she/it).  They actually LOVE verb conjugation, and are competing to get the most written down in their cahiers.  Both classes have been observing our "coléoptères" (beetles) and marveling at the changes our little mealworms went through to become these fascinating insects.  In math, we have also been working with number stories that involve subtraction.  For example, if Madame Wilson has 22 books, and Madame Jennifer has 13 books, how many more books does Madame Wilson have that Madame Jennifer?  Another example that can be tricky:  Mr. Conrad has $22 and gives half of it to Madame Sonia, how much does he have?"  Word problems like these can really help students understand the concepts behind mathematics.  Anytime you can talk through real math problems like these with your children, you are helping your child see how quantities and numbers work in tangible ways. 

Allez les Cardinals!

Wednesday, students in The French School are invited to dress in Cardinals colors/clothing to help show support for the Cardinals in game 1 of the World Series!  Get out your red and white!

Pas d'école (No school) 
Don't forget that there is no school on Thursday and Friday this week for professional development. 

What's in a name?

We have begun our new unit of inquiry... starting with a study of maps.

We have a spelling test on 10/14/11.  The words this week are focused on the continents.

la carte - the map

les continents - the continents

l’Amérique du Nord - North America

l’Amérique du Sud - South America

l’Afrique - Africa

l’Europe - Europe

l’Asie - Asia

l’Océanie - Oceania or Australia

l'Antarctique - Antarctica

culturel - cultural

les échanges - exchanges

Learning about the different continents is an interesting (and surprisingly complex) subject.  Depending on the person asked, there can be  a varying number of continents (usually between 5 and 7).  Asking a group of people to name the continents may give you a variety of answers- particularly when an international perspective is included.  For example, French students learn that there is a continent called "l'Amérique" that encompasses both North and South America (Americans usually learn that they are separate).  Sometimes Europe and Asia are combined to make "Eurasia."  Antarctica is not always counted.  For those of us who like precise answers, the continent question is a bit messy.  The important thing to remember is that - while the landmasses themselves are part of nature, the names of continents are a  human-made classification.  Here is an entertaining and informative video about this topic (for those who are interested!):    http://blog.cgpgrey.com/what-are-continents/

Reminder:
Scholastic book orders are due October 10 (and will subsequently be due on the 10th of each month, or on the first day back from school if the 10th falls on a weekend).   Please let your teacher know if you need another day.  A link to the online catalog can be found under the Scholastic tab.

Synergize! Working together is better.

The kids of Seven Oaks (Les Sept Chênes) gather at their local park one afternoon, and are invited to play a game of soccer with a scary (and very good) team.  At first, it is a catastrophe!  Goob is looking for bugs, Lily is picking flowers, and little Allie scores a goal for the wrong team!  Sophie gives a pep talk to her friends, and encourages them to play together as a team.  Jumper is great at scoring goals, Goob is great at blocking, and Allie just needs to know which side is which.  The game turns around, and the friends play together as a team to win the game.

Here are our words for this week...  sorry for the delay! 
Mini flashcards for Chapter 6 are available on google docs.
 

1. l’équipe - team

2. les atouts - assets  (personal assets/abilities)

3. aider - to help

4. un camarade de classe - a classmate

5. respecter - to respect

6. être gentil - to be nice/kind

7. encourager - to encourage

8. avec - with

9.  l'esprit d'équipe - team spirit

Language homework has arrived!

In your child's binder, you will find a new section with phoneme practice sheets.  This is to be used for enrichment/homework at home, and morning work in class.  It should stay in the binder, and can be done at your child's own pace.  Behind the loose worksheets, there is a packet for you to refer to if you need the words for the images.

Poeme : Le Ver

In Grade 2, students have begun Poetry Journals, which they will add to regularly.  Our latest poem, Le ver  (the worm) was chosen because we adopted a terrarium full of meal worms on Thursday!  The students were risk-takers, as they confronted their fears and touched the wriggly creatures.  Some students were inquirers - testing to see if the meal worm would come to them if placed on the table, if they preferred to climb up or down, if they liked being on a tissue or their hand.  The students got a chance to name their meal worm friends before placing them in the terrarium to live.

Le ver

Un ver de terre
Rêvait souvent
De devenir un ver luisant.

Pour se donner plus blanche mine,
Il se roula
Dans la farine.

Mais quand le ver
Éternua
Blanche farine s’envola.

Alors, le ver
Fut si déçu
Qu’il fit un trou et disparut.

                                     Pierre Coran

Also of special note:  

Yesterday was Madame Wilson's birthday!  Make sure to wish her a "bon anniversaire" if you see her this week.  

Vocabulary Words for Chapter 5

Here are our chapter 5 vocab words:

répéter - to repeat

comprendre - to understand

les yeux - eyes 

les oreilles - ears

le coeur - the heart

perdre - to lose

trouver - to find

chercher - to look for

écouter - to listen

parler - to speak

As an added bonus, mini flashcards are available on google docs.  Print them off for extra practice!

Coffee and a Good Cause

Starting October 4, Starbucks retail stores and participating grocery stores will feature specially marked bags of Gold Coast Blend® – Morning Joe Edition coffee with $5 DonorsChoose.org donation stickers for customers to direct funding to the public school classroom project of their choice.  Remember, we have a Grade 2 project already up on Donors Choose:  http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/search.html?zone=223&community=9310:3&school=97474

TFS Back to School Night

TFS Back to School Night is on Thursday, September 15

This is one of very few adult only events in the French School. You will learn about our plans for the school year and have the opportunity to visit your child’s classroom to gain a better understanding of our academic and social goals.

The event will begin promptly at 6:00 and will be over by 8:00.  

Vocabulary Words for Chapter 4

Here are this weeks vocabulary words - chapter 4 is entitled "Lily Jardine" (Lily Gardens) and centers around Lily the skunk and her idea to make a garden.  She found a way to make her garden project a "win-win" situation, by fulfilling both her mother's needs, and her own... and a bounty of fruits and vegetables was the result.

1. niveler la terre - level the earth

2. planter les graines  - plant the seeds

3. désherber - to weed (pull out the weeds from the garden)

4. arroser- to water

5. les légumes - vegetables

6. le potager - kitchen garden (fruit and vegetable garden)

7. la récolte - the harvest

8. les fruits - fruit

Help your child practice the words a little each day - just like Pokey for his spelling test!

This week in Grade 2

Happy Labor Day (Fête du Travail) to all of our second grade families!  We have no school on Monday, in honor of Madame Jennifer's birthday.  Enjoy! :)

Work First, Play Later

This week, we read Chapter 3 of our book "7 habitudes des enfants heureux" - this chapter is about Pokey the porcupine and his dictée (spelling test).  Pokey knew the big spelling test was coming up but he kept putting off studying because there were so many fun things to do.  He did not do very well on the test because he waited until the night before to start cramming.  His friend Sophie helped him learn a very important lesson about procrastination.  We have to work/study first, then play after.  Pokey changed his ways - studying his vocabulary words a little each day (and even said "no" when his friends proposed to play instead). He did very well on his next test, and offered Sophie a gift for helping him study.

As such, here are our vocabulary words of the week.

1. réviser - to study

2. faire la sieste - to take a nap

3. mémoriser - to memorize

4. apprendre - to learn

5. atermoyer - to procrastinate

6. faire ses devoirs - to do homework

7. faire une dictée - to take a spelling test

8. épeler - to spell

9. écrire - to write

10. se souvenir - to remember

After-school book/math clubs  

Next Wednesday, afer-school book and math clubs are starting!  

Please note that there will be no bus service for the first week.  If your child is normally a bus rider, and is enrolled in after-school book/math club, PLEASE let us know if they should go on their normal bus, or if you want to pick them up after club at 5:00.  If we do not hear from you, your child will be sent home on their regular 3:30 bus.

Homework and Enrichment

The students in Grade 2 have homework this weekend - practicing their vocabulary/spelling words for Monday's test.  We sent home a worksheet (half-page), but if it got lost somehow, the words are in our previous post, and you can have them practice on a separate sheet of paper.

As for math, the homework packet really gets started on activity 1.11 for the first unit, (we are on 1.5).  For subsequent units, homework starts earlier in the unit. Here are the areas of learning that you can support at home:

• telling time (it gets trickier after the half-hour point, as the hour hand starts looking a little closer to the following hour)  Here are two worksheets, uploaded to Google docs:  Worksheet 1: (Telling time quarter hour)   -  Answer sheet W1  and  Worksheet 2: (Draw the hands on the clock) - Answer sheet W2
• counting change - students know the coins and their values, but it is worthwhile to give them a chance to play with a handful of change and count the value of the money.  Counting by 5s and 10s should be emphasized... if this is too easy, add more quarters!
• playing games, taking turns (lifelong skills!)

What's happening in Grade 2

Having a Plan
This week, we are reading Chapter 2 of "7 Habitudes des Enfants Heureux."  In this chapter, Goob (the bear) comes up with a plan.  He wants to buy a bug kit, a gift for his friend Allie, and put some money into his savings.  He then goes about making his plan become a reality by setting up a lemonade stand with his friend Jumper the rabbit.  Students compared the ways in which these two friends used their earnings... and how having a goal in mind from the start can make all the difference.

Binders and Badges

Just a reminder, students are to bring their binders to school each day.  They should also have their name badges (stored in their money&notes pouch).  Even if your child does not purchase lunch, this should be made part of their daily routine.

Snack Rotation 

The kids love having snack in the afternoon, and we are happy to facilitate this with parent support.  Lisa Berman (Holly's mom) has volunteered to make the snack rotation list for both 2nd grade classes, so this will be coming soon.  Until then, if you would be willing to send in a snack for 21 students (carrot sticks, pretzels, etc.) the students would appreciate it!  

Water Bottles

It is hot outside, and our 2nd graders are thirsty little things!  Please remember to send your child with a water bottle - particularly for gym days - this will help ensure they are adequately hydrated.

Vocab words of the week

These vocabularly words come from our reading this week.  They are to be practiced by first copying, and then memorizing them.  Accents count, so make sure these are not overlooked!

gagner - to earn / to win

collectionner - to collect

acheter - to buy

planifier - to plan

travailler - to work

économiser - to save

se divertir - to entertain oneself

vendre - to sell

dépenser - to spend

gaspiller - to waste

Picnic!
This Sunday (August 28) is the 2nd grade family picnic!  It is at Tower Grove Park from 2:30 - 5:00.  Please bring a dish to share.

Spelling Test Tomorrow!

Don't forget that our first spelling test is on Monday!  Please see below for this week's words.

Also, The French School Formal Day (blazer day) is now on Mondays.

Today's notes

Math
Today we finished Unit 1.1 in math, and the students worked on number sequences (les séquences).  Some of them are a bit trickier (like 549, ____, _____,  552, ____, ______, ...)

The Homework packet for math (Unit 1) will be sent home tomorrow, so look for those!

PYP and Communication Arts
We started on our first chapter of "Les Sept Habitudes des Enfants Heureux" (Seven Habits of Happy Kids), and the students have received their first vocabulary list.  Their homework for tonight is to copy each of the words in order to prepare for their upcoming spelling test.

vouloir :  to want
lire :  to read
jouer de la guitare : to play the guitar
faire du sport:  to play sports
peindre: to paint
dessiner: to draw
bricoler:  to fix things
se déguiser : to dress up
faire du vélo : ride a bicycle
nager : to swim
sauter à la corde : to jump rope

Snack
The kids are about ready to stage a sit-in for afternoon snack.  Is there a parent who would like to organize a snack rotation with our classroom parents?  

 
Badges
Name badges have been made for SLLIS kids.  These are used for breakfast and lunch counts (to help our lunch line run efficiently).  Please make sure that these stay in the notes pouch of the classeur, or another safe place in your home.

First day of 2nd grade!

We had a great first day of school!   The kids in 2B started to get to know each other in the morning with name games and songs.  They met our French intern, M. Adrien, and our helper-for-the-day, Mme. Nadia (Kindergarten TA).  They traced their hands and drew or wrote things about themselves that make them unique.  We also went over our hopes and dreams for the school year, and started our notebooks.  Kids at each table voted on a table name, and worked on a poster design for their new équipe.  In our closing meeting, our students shared their favorite parts of the day.  Several said "tout."  It was a lot of fun!

Tomorrow is PE day for our students, which means they should wear polo shirts and sneakers.

Here is the breakdown of our week, in terms of specialist

Monday: Library
Tuesday:  Music
Wednesday & Thursday:  P.E. (Polo shirts and sneakers)
Friday: Art

Formal days (blazers) are Fridays. Every day (but PE days) students should wear a tie and button-down shirt.  Make sure to label all new clothes!

Click here to view our class schedule (google doc)

Donors Choose Project is up!

Here is a link to the first of Donors Choose project that we created to support our 2nd grade curriculum. 

http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=610468&challengeid=45996

These crafty materials will help bring our second Unit of Inquiry to life.  Feel free to pass it around!  If you choose to donate, don't forget to check with your employers to see if they match charitable contributions.

Welcome!

Welcome to our blog!  This is the official blog of our 2nd grade class.  On this blog, we will post information about our in-class activities, reminders about school events, and other important information.  Bookmark us!