Searingtown School Second Grade October 2012 Highlights

After a sensational September, Searingtown’s second graders had an outstanding October.

Students and staff enthusiastically participated in School Spirit Week by wearing team uniforms, pajamas, crazy hair/hats, and dress up clothes for Picture Day. The school spirit pep rally was phenomenal and the PTA generously gave all the students flashlights.

Everyone proudly wore their Searingtown T-shirts to the Pep Rally and after school homecoming events at the Herricks High School. The PTA also sponsored a “Theatreworks USA” performance of The Velveteen Rabbit. Kindergarten, first, and second grade students laughed as they enjoyed watching their favorite moments of the bookcome alive.

Writing, reading, conferencing, editing, proofreading, revising, publishing and celebrating “Small Moments, Authors as Mentors” personal narratives has kept students very busy during the teachers college writing workshops. “Characters Face New Challenges” was the unit of study during small group-based reading workshops. The students learned more sophisticated word attack strategies to figure out tricky words and how to apply Fundations skills. Retelling and comprehension skills were also emphasized. Students also learned about the closed syllable exceptions, glued/welded sounds, bonus letters, trick words, suffixes and basewords during daily Fundations word study lessons.

Everything has been adding up to fun during daily enVisionMATH/ Math Investigations lessons and “One Minute Mastering Math Facts” tests. Student mathematicians have been learning addition and subtraction strategies as well as problem-solving strategies, skills and applications. Taking the NWEA Mathematics tests in the computer lab was also challenging.

After reading “What If Rain Boots Were Made of Paper?” and discussing what materials different objects are made of, second grade scientists astutely observed and identified the best combinationof ingredients to make the stickiest glue. During Designing Mixture” lessons and experiments, the students have been recordingnew scientific terms on a science/everyday word chart.

During Social Studies lessons, “explorers” learned about Christopher Columbus’ brave explorations by studying maps andglobes. Learning about how “Germs Make You Sick” made Health lessons very interesting while practicing various drills during Health and Safety Week taught students to how to stay calm and respond quickly during different emergency situations. A special visit by Albertson firefighters with a brand new shiny fire rescue truck both informed and excited students.

October’s monthly Character Education “SearReads” book selection was Enemy Pie” by Derek Munson. Students learned aboutgetting to know people and making friends. October festivities concluded with pumpkin picking in the courtyard and the PTA’s fabulous Family Fun Night. This “spooktacular” month endedwith “Frankenstorm” Sandy.