Our new science kits have arrived! We will learn about plant life cycles in our last Foss Science Kit investigation. The students will be observing and recording the growth of their Brassica plants for the next few weeks. Students will also have a chance to grow and “mow” their own cups of grass. As we cover the individual investigations, be sure to ask your child to elaborate on some of the lessons they are learning.

Science is a great way for students to learn about the world around them, to develop inquiry skills and to learn non-fiction writing. We are finding this unit on new plants is proving to be both engaging and interactive. Our new young botanists are very excited about their new scientific knowledge. As the unit progresses children will observe and describe the changes that occur as plants grow and develop. The Foss website is also available for students to use at home. The website is www.fossweb.com. Remember to click on the K-2 module to find the interactive activities.

The students have also started a new unit in math. In this unit, your child will explore and count coins and various coin combinations. Children will also explore dollars and combine different coins to equal one dollar. You can help at home by providing opportunities for your child to practice counting money. Please begin with amounts less than $1.00. We will also be learning how to subtract 3-digit numbers. The students will learn two methods for 3-digit subtraction. The children will be expected to use “tens and ones” language. This will help show the students’ understanding as we continue to develop our math talk skills.

Finally we look forward to our grade level fieldtrip scheduled for this month.  All second grade classes are scheduled to visit the Pequotsepos Nature Center in Mystic, CT.  More information about this trip will be sent home soon.