October 5-11

We are finishing up our Whale Unit this week and will be starting Insects next! As a fun ending to our unit we watched the movie Big Miracle based on the true story of three gray whales that were trapped under the ice in Barrow, Alaska in 1988. We also had a special guest speaker come and talk to us today.

Henry's grandmother went on a trip last winter to go whale watching in Laguna san Ignacio, Mexico. For a week she camped off the lagoon and observed gray whales. She shared videos, facts, and pictures with us about her trip. She even gave each second grader their very own gray whale photo that she took while there. We are so happy that she was able to come and share with us!

DID YOU KNOW-----that the body of a whale feels just like a hard boiled egg without the shell?? Neither did we!

In math we have begun learning about Place Value. We talked about the hundreds, tens, and ones place. We played a game in Miss Stark's room with cards and with Miss Hamlin we made Place Value charts to keep in our math folder as a resource.

 

Chapel this week has been focused on the Ten Commandments and why God made rules how important they are to everyone and keep us safe!

 Last Friday, we had a special visit from oceanographer Dr. David Gallo of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution ! He came to speak to 1-5th graders about his work. He showed amazing pictures and videos of the sea life that live deep in our oceans and the amazing things that they can do. Dr. Gallo has personally done many deep sea expeditions to visit these creatures and has even seen the RMS Titanic!

We are continuing our own exploration of whales this week. We studied the different parts of a whale's body (dorsal fin, flukes, throat pleats, flipper, eyes, and blowhole) and got to see what it's skeleton looks like.

Ms. Stark's class got to use the iPads in Daily 5 to search and research facts from Kids Biology on whales.

Social Studies this week focused on rules and laws in our community and how to be good citizens by following those.

It is encourage for your child to be looking for current events that interest them outside of school. They can look in newspapers, magazines, or on the Internet. They can bring in an article to share with the class every Wednesday.
















Owen and Russell working together



 

In Science, the students went on a mammal scavenger hunt. They worked in pairs to find the mammals around the room and answer questions about that animals specific fact. 



Lena finding mammal facts!

Reptiles Up Close

David Nieves visited us, and brought a few of his "Up Close" friends.

Meeting Mr. Nielsen, the Wizards Goalie

Our second graders had the opportunity to meet the Wizards soccer goalie this week. Ms. Shurtleff brought this well known visitor and new St. Paul's parent to our PE classes. What an exciting way to get to know a little more about the beloved game of soccer. The students enjoyed meeting Mr. Nielsen and learning a few tips of the game. They loved getting involved and joining him in the action! Thanks Ms. Shurtleff and Mr. Nielsen!!