Thanks to all who joined us on our California Museum field trip! We sure appreciate your time and energy in keeping us engaged and safe during this field lesson that kicked off our Difference Makers unit. Thank you also to all who donated items to our Class Store. Its grand opening on Friday was a great success!
Class Party on Thursday, December 20th (Also PJ Day!):
We voted on having a Winter Holiday/Friendship Party with a movie and activity stations on Thursday, December 20th. Students would like hot cocoa and/or cookie decorating to be part of the party. Please let me know if either would be a concern for your child and we can adjust accordingly. I am also thinking of reaching out to our big or little buddies to see if they would like to join us. More details as we get closer to the date.
Candygrams on sale after school on this Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday for a suggested 25 cent donation a piece to benefit the Camp Fire victims.
Curriculum Highlights:
Thematic Unit/Language Arts: We have begun our very exciting "Difference Makers" unit which will culminate in our famed 2nd Grade Living Museum! Mark your calendars--this showcase event will take place on Wednesday, February 6th @ 9:00- 9:40 am. Second graders will be enlightening our Westlake community on their chosen Difference Maker! In the next few weeks, we will be exploring various Difference Makers, choosing one, researching him/her, writing/editing/publishing/memorizing a script, and performing for our museum goers in February! As a parent, you can help by guiding your child in his/her choice, providing books/resources for research time at school, and assembling a costume of their difference maker that your child can wear on February 6th. We will be doing the majority of the work in class.
I am sharing this spreadsheet for us to work on together to help communicate during this project! Let me know if you have any questions or concerns. More details to come.
So far, we have learned about Harriet Tubman, Dr. Martin Luther King, and Rosa Parks. We have had rich and insightful discussions on what it means to be an activist/upstander and doing the right thing/questioning and changing unfair laws through peaceful protests, powerful words, and proactive boycotts. We will read about Ruby Bridges next.
Math: We continue to practice various strategies for double digit addition and subtraction with and without regrouping. Please practice at home--this is a major mathematical standard in 2nd grade. We are doing a great job counting and exchanging money and sure enjoyed shopping in Friday's class store.
Class Wish List:
* Chlorox or Lysol Wipes
* Kleenex
School-wide News:
Talent Show Auditions: Click HERE to sign up to audition for our Talent Show by December 20th. Students will be notified of audition time slots on 1/11/19. Please note that we will not have group dance performances this year, instead will be showcasing our After School Enrichment programs with short performances. The Talent Show will take place on Friday, February 15th at 6:00 PM
Enrichment Sign Ups Happening Now: Our winter session of AS Live: Enrichment will start Monday, January 7. Click HERE to see class offerings, prices, and links to sign up. Scholarships are available; there is a spot on the sign-up form to indicate that you would like a scholarship. Email [email protected] with questions.
Parents go to School Night: Save the Date-January 30th, 2019 5:30-8:00-Parent’s Go to School Night. Our fantastic staff will be presenting on various topics during our annual Parent’s Go to School Night. Save the date to come learn about everything from Math and ELA to Social Emotional Skills. This your chance to learn more about how your student is learning at Westlake Charter & ways to help support them at home.
K-2 Walk to School Prize Day: The K-2 grade prize day is right around the corner! Kids who have been participating in Jibe's walk to school programs can spend those hard earned boot bucks on Prize Day, December 13th. All they have to do is bring their trip scanners to their last recess of the day to redeem boot bucks for prizes. If your child does not have a trip scanner or you would like more information about the walk to school programs Westlake offers, please contact Kristyn Escobedo at [email protected]. Don't forget to remind your student!
2nd Grade Quote of the Week:
During a discussion about how Difference Makers in history made it such that people who have darker skin than others are treated more equally than in the past, Claudia asks, "Is my skin dark? Would I have been treated unfairly?" I reply, "No, Claudia, you would not have been treated unfairly because of the color of your skin." She responds, "You mean, I'd be one of the bad guys?!" "No, you would have been smart enough to know things were unfair and you'd probably be one of the upstanders/activists." "Yes!! I would've been!!"
That's all for now! Have a great week!
Mrs. A