February 23, 2018

It has been a week of uncertain weather, however, it was also a week of resilience and joy as the children explored our new outdoor environment. 

Our holiday week began in chapel with our last group of acolytes leading Chaplain Craig in for a morning of kind words and songs. 

We have continued to explore biographies to discover specific evidence of character traits we have identified about current and historical people that are considered heroes. The children are beginning to write the examples of their evidence and posting them around the room under the character traits we have most often discussed in class. Mrs. Thomas introduced the children to the Discovery Education site that provides animated short films about some of the historical heroes we hear about most frequently. If your child would like to explore these films in greater detail please use the link and the information below:
Sign in as: oesheroes
Password: heroes
After watching a video we ask that your child write down the name of the person he/she learned about and to identify 3 character traits he/she identified. Next please have your child provide specific evidence of those traits. He/she can add this information to the back of the current reading log.

Homework

Homework for the week of 2/20, due 2/26

• Read for at least 20 minutes each night Monday through Friday (weekends are bonus) and fill in the reading log nightly
• Math Journal: pages 83-84

Homework for the week of 2/26, due 3/5

• Read for at least 20 minutes each night Monday through Friday (weekends are bonus) and fill in the reading log nightly
• Math Journal: pages 85-87

Buddy Time...

Yesterday was the 100th day of school so we explored a variety of materials with our Kindergarten buddies and then collaborated in making beautiful collages together. The only guideline was that they needed to collect items in groups of 5 and each group of 5 needed to be a different material. The children talked about their ideas and then took turns collecting the materials.

Recently the buddies read and explored the works of Dr. Seuss together. They looked for interesting, juicy, treasure words discovered in their reading.

Mary Peterson (sub during my sabbatical) and I look forward to meeting with you next Thursday and Friday for our conferences. Please complete the conference planning form and return it on Monday, February 26th so that we can set goals for the remainder of the year.

February 19, 2018

Alex, along with his mom Mei, introduced the class to their family tradition of celebrating the Lunar New Year. Alex, joined by Zach, led the class as the head of the dragon dance through the classroom. We learned that this is the year of the "dog". Each child received a good luck red envelope filled with money and then ended the celebration with a chocolate coin. We greatly appreciated their thoughtful presentation!

This was a week of celebrations, including Valentine's day. Thank you to Lisa and the parent volunteers from the other classes who brought in our delicious snack of juice and fresh fruit.

The children were invited to explore our newest addition to our playground this week and it officially opened for all to use on Friday. Children across the grades have made suggestions regarding how to use this new space.

·                Have fun, be safe

·                Slow down

·                Look before you leap

·                Be kind to the plants and stay on the paths

·                Go down the turf slope and up the sides

·                2 people per boat hammock

·                Do not climb on the top of the castle walls

Ask your child: What have you discovered about this new play space?  Do you have a favorite area in this play space?

Our class was represented at the Ash Wednesday service with 5 classmates serving as acolytes.

On Tuesday, February 20th, the final group of acolytes will be: 

Miller

Zach

Beatrix

Arvin
**Please be sure your child is in the classroom by 7:45 a.m. to go up to the chapel with the 5th grade helpers to prepare for the Lower School students' arrival. You are certainly welcome to attend this chapel and take photos.

Math

Second graders have been solving, creating and writing picture story problems.  The context for this work has been various scenarios that involve single presents or parcels of 10. Students have been learning to pull out key information to solve problems, show their thinking clearly, and create problems that are interesting and challenging for other Second Graders to solve. In the process, we are branching into larger numbers and getting a secure hold of place value as we add and subtract with those numbers.  The pictures are a powerful visual to help support the child's problem solving, but kids are also expected to use shorthand ways to represent larger numbers with efficiency and accuracy.

Ask your child about his or her story problem.

We have also worked in pairs to understand time, graphing and place value.

Homework

Homework due: 2/20:

• Reading log
• Math Journal page: 81-82

Homework for the week of 2/20, due 2/26

• Read for at least 20 minutes each night Monday through Friday (weekends are bonus) and fill in the reading log nightly
• Math Journal: page 83-84

Many thanks for the extra time and efforts in supporting our hero interview portion of the curriculum. We have enjoyed listening to them in class and hearing about the special traits of the people we are hearing about.

Progress Reports: Mid-Year Expectations

Progress reports will soon be available via the Parent Portal. This grade report reflects your child's growth since September and where he or she is in relation to second grade mid-year expectations.  We encourage you to review these expectations as you read your child’s report card. Please do not consider the five letters on this report comparable to the A through F scale on a traditional report card. Below is how classroom teachers use the letters:

• E Your child's work is consistently above expectations in that area. There are proportionately few E's given.

• M+ Your child is consistently meeting our expectations, working independently with persistence, initiative, and self-motivation.

• M Your child is meeting grade level expectations. This is a good grade. Children feeling secure at this level can develop the confidence to be more independent learners.

• M- Your child is working towards grade level expectations. We will continue working together in class to progress toward the goals. This is not a “failing” grade.

• R   Your child is not meeting expectations or showing sufficient progress in this area.  If your child is not already getting extra help in this area, we will need to make a plan for support.

One thing to keep in mind is that with each grade, the curriculum and expectations change. If your child received a lot of M+'s and E's in first grade that does not mean they will receive the same marks in second grade. Considering the different developmental stages of children entering second grade, one of the most important things we take into account is the progress that each child has made. We consider this progress, along with grade level expectations, in assigning grades.

We look forward to discussing your child’s strengths, areas of growth and plans for the remainder of the year during Parent-Teacher conferences on Thursday, 3/1 and Friday, 3/2.
Warmly, The 2nd Grade Teachers

    Upcoming Conferences

I am looking forward to meeting with you on March 1st and 2nd for our Spring conferences. I appreciate you taking the time to complete our conference planning form. You will also receive a hard copy in the Wednesday Express next week.  I use this information in preparation for conferences, and will use your responses in goal setting with your child.  Please complete and return this form to me by Monday, February 26th..

Mary Peterson, who will be replacing me during my sabbatical, will be attending all the conferences to meet you and learn more about your children,

February 9, 2018

Service Learning at O.E.S.
Information provided by Kristen Haferbecker

OES Humble Lunch, February 14, 2018

The 2nd Annual Humble Lunch is coming up on Wednesday, February 14. We want to provide you with the context, so you can think through your own questions and wonderings in advance of the day. Second grade students heard about Humble Lunch and food insecurity on Monday from Mrs. Haferbecker and then the 5th graders shared more in Chapel on Tuesday, Feb. 6. They brainstormed phrases and questions to use in making for our campus.You will see more information about it in this week's Wednesday Express. Teachers will have specific framing and reflection questions to use in our classroom to bring our students as thoughtfully as possible into the spirit of the day (including acknowledging the different food experiences they likely encountered that day due to Valentine's Day). NOTE--PK, K, P, 1, 2 students in the Lower Cafeteria will not have the full humble lunch experience.

Did you know?
16.1% of Oregon households are experiencing food insecurity?
Food insecurity sets up a series of difficult choices--the choice between paying for food or for utilities, the choice between paying for food or for rent, the choice between buying inexpensive, unhealthy food or more expensive, healthier food to stretch a budget.

But what is food insecurity?
The USDA defines food insecurity as, “A state at which consistent access to adequate and healthy food is limited by a lack of money and other resources at times during that year."
We know that there are members of our broader Portland community, in all walks of life, of all ages, currently experiencing food insecurity.

Why the Humble Lunch?

The OES community has been engaged in conversations around how we think about the topic of food insecurity and how we then respond. One way we will advance this conversation is through the Humble Lunch on Wed. February 14. At lunch on that day the OES community will share a Humble Lunch together of soup and fresh bread. The difference between the cost of preparing this meal and the cost of preparing a fully serviced OES lunch will be donated to Neighborhood House Food Box, an organization serving SW Portland, to support their efforts to feed those experiencing food insecurity in our community. With every $1 donation, The Food Box can buy 4 lbs of food from the Oregon Food Bank to then give to their clients. The Humble Lunch also intentionally coincides with Ash Wednesday, a day when there is a focus on humility and a focus on our connectedness as a community.

Poster created by 2nd graders

Our class provided acolytes this week for our weekly chapel. This is a more personal opportunity for the children to have an active part in the service. 

Our class' upcoming schedule includes:

Wednesday, February 14th (Ash Wednesday)

Andy

Enryc

Harper

Parker

Rowan

Grant

Tuesday, February 20th

Miller

Zach

Beatrix

Arvin

If you would prefer that your child not participate, please let me know as soon as possible.

Chaplain Craig visited the class this week to help the children prepare for the Lenten season.  Each child wrote and decorated a special celebratory word that will go into a basket a remain unspoken until after Easter.  Ask your child to share that word with you and tell you what they understand it to mean.

Homework

Homework for the week of 2/5/18, due 2/12 (no school Feb. 8th and Feb. 9th)
Read for at least 20 minutes each night
Schedule to interview an adult about a personal hero (guidelines listed above)
Email the recording to schillingj@oes.edu
Return the hero story adult and student forms
Math Journal: page 78 

Homework for the week of 2/12, due 2/20 (no school Feb. 19th-President's Day)
Read for at least 20 minutes each night
Math Journal:  pages 81-82

Valentine’s Day

Second graders are getting excited about Valentine’s Day!  We are too! We will exchange valentines and
have a simple party on Wednesday, February 14th. If your child wishes to exchange or make
valentines, we request that they have one for every child in the class. Valentines may be exchanged with
members of other classes, but should be delivered before school in order to avoid feelings of exclusion
(unless there is one for each member of that class). Candy treats may also be exchanged, but we ask that
they are small, individually wrapped, and meet our school’s nut free policy. Please try to include
gluten-free treats so that all members of our community can enjoy! Second grade class lists are in your
OES directory and can be helpful in making sure everyone gets a valentine.