 Hi Families, Thank you for such a great year! It has been a privilege and a joy to teach your children this year. They are definitely one of the best classes I’ve ever had! I have so many fond memories filled with silliness, nerdiness, pride, and joy. What a great group of kids. I will miss them. Also, thank you so much for your end of year generosity. I definitely feel the love and am humbled by it all. Below, check out students working on math and welcoming Nurse Rose to Morning Meeting. Community Building Although students were a little dysregulated this week with the excitement of the end of the school year, we had a very positive week. I stretched out our Morning Meeting so we could spend more time socializing, sharing, bonding, and playing games together. I’ve always found that a well-run Morning Meeting everyday is the best tool in creating a strong, empathetic, collaborative classroom community. It definitely worked this year! Literacy We wrapped up our Greek Mythology unit. Students were riveted for much of it. I was amazed at the high-level of vocabulary and sentence structure in the read alouds. My apologies that so many of the myths involved violence and death. Students were quick to figure out that the words, “subdue,” and “defeat,” actually meant “kill.” However, we discussed how myths are “fictional stories that explain events in nature, teach moral lessons, and entertain listeners.” They were very entertained, that's for sure! Highlights:
Writing Students wrote reflections this week about their year in 2nd grade. I encouraged them to use our “sentence expansion” technique to say more. Phonics We wrapped powered through an abbreviated unit 17 on the “consonant -le” syllable. We practiced reading and spelling words that end in “-le,” such as “giggle,” “bubble,” “pickle,” and “sparkle.” If your child is still struggling with Phonics, see my Literacy Page, on the Phonics section for all of the Fundations Home Support Packets for each unit. Math We finished Unit 7 on Addition and Subtraction within 1,000 just in time for the end of the school year. Highlights:
Science We were engineers this week, designing homes for burrowing owls. Highlights:
Below, check out students planning, designing, building, and testing their owl burrow prototypes. Lastly, check out students working on their writing reflections --on the 2nd to last day of school! Our learning community was strong right up until the very end. Thank you for taking the time to read the entire update! It was a great year. I hope you have a wonderful summer!
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 Hi Families, Can you believe it? It’s the last week of school! We had a busy week last week; still going strong with the learning! We had a special visit on Thursday from Dr. Milascheski who joined our class for a short Literacy block. It was great to show him what we’re learning. On Friday, we spent the morning watching the Talent Show, which students will be able to participate in next year as 3rd graders. Important Upcoming Dates
Barrows School Spirit Week Please show your school spirit as we approach the end of the 2023 school year! For this special week children are asked to choose between wearing two different themes. Pick the theme that works for you!
Thank you for showing your love for Barrows! Have a wonderful summer vacation! From the Barrows Student Council Community Building With a few reminders about being a respectful audience and letting teachers teach and learners learn, students kept our class community strong. The end of the year excitement often unravels behavior, but we are holding it together. We enjoyed our last All School Assembly on Wednesday where many students in our class received certificates for completing the Kindness Challenge. Congrats! And thank you for bringing that kindness into our classroom. Literacy We are learning about Greek Mythology. Highlights:
Writing We wrapped up our Opinion pieces this week. Highlights:
Phonics We wrapped up our abbreviated unit 15 on the sounds in the words “school” and “book.” We then tackled an abbreviated unit 16 on the sound “aw.” Highlights:
For at-home Phonics information and practice:
Math We are learning how to add and subtract 3-digit numbers in our Unit 7 on Addition and Subtraction within 1,000. Highlights:
For at-home Math information and practice:
Science We wrapped up our Organisms and Their Habitats unit. Highlights:
Thank you for taking the time to read the entire update! Please reach out with any questions. Have a great weekend!   Hi Families, I hope you’re beating today’s heat! We’re in the home stretch now. Field Day was HOT but fun. Check out some pictures below. Thank you to our P.E. teacher, Ms. Atwood for all of the planning and preparation, and to all of the parents who volunteered to help out. Also this week, Barrows welcomed back former students who are now graduating seniors. Congratulations to those shining stars! In 10 years our current second graders will be doing the same. Unfortunately, we got a bit behind in pacing this year, so we are not going to appropriately cover the remaining units in Math and Phonics. I will do my best to teach the essential concepts from the units so that students are prepared for third grade! Important Upcoming Dates
Community Building Students course-corrected this week and are now back on track to their typical expectation-following behavior, often prompting other teachers to compliment them. We’re going to finish the school year strong! Literacy We finished Insects and began a short, fun unit on Greek Mythology (high interest and high utility for background knowledge!) Highlights:
Writing We worked on writing an opinion piece about insects, our last activity of this unit. Highlights:
Phonics We began an abbreviated Unit 15 on the vowel sounds in “school” and “book.” Highlights:
For at-home Phonics information and practice:
Math We began an abbreviate Unit 7 on Addition and Subtraction within 1,000. Highlights:
For at-home Math information and practice:
Science We didn’t really get to Science this week. We just watched part of a video on animals in the habitats to learn more about habitats around the world, the different animals that live in them, and how the animals have adapted to their environments. Thank you for taking the time to read the entire update! Please reach out with any questions, or to connect to discuss your child’s progress. Have a great weekend!  Hi Families, Happy Memorial Day! I hope you all enjoy the weekend. What a fun week! Students had a lot of fun visiting Fenway Park in Boston on Thursday. We released our butterflies on Friday –all 22 of them! It was one of those magical, movie-like experiences where the butterflies fly out among the students as they reach out in joy and awe. Check out pictures below. Students also enjoyed watching the Disney/Pixar movie, “A Bug’s Life,” using their background knowledge of insects to understand more of the plot and humor. We are counting down the days until summer break! 3 more weeks! Important Upcoming Dates
 Community Building This week we again had to revisit some behavior expectations. We discussed how to be a full body listener and how to stay calm and in control even when excited. Also, we played a couple games of “Silent Ball” during our Morning Meeting activity, and we debriefed each game with discussions on playing within boundaries and learning to accept losing. Literacy We wrapped up our informational unit on Insects this week. Highlights:
Writing Highlights:
Phonics We finished unit 14 of Fundations on the sound /ou/, which is spelled with “ow” or “ou.” Highlights:
For at-home Phonics information and practice: Math We reviewed concepts from Unit 6 on Geometry, Time, and Money and finished the unit. Highlights:
For at-home Math information and practice:
Science We continued our unit on Organisms and Their Habitats. Highlights:
Butterfly release pictures!Thank you to Nurse Rose for taking pictures of the spectacular butterfly release outside for us! Fenway Park Field Trip PicturesMore to come! Check out individual student photos with Wally! Thank you for taking the time to read the entire update! Please reach out with any questions. Have a great long weekend!
 Hi Families, Wow, only 4 more weeks left of school! We had yet another great week of learning. We dove deep into our study of insects, both in Literacy and in Science. We wrapped up our sixth math unit. Our reading specialist and I began administering some end-of-year assessments to see how much students have progressed. We’ve all been very busy! Important Upcoming Dates
 Students checking out our terrarium of future butterflies (currently all in chrysalis form) Community Building This week we revisited some expectations on sharing, learning, and collaborating. Students did well to adjust their actions. For example, some students were having trouble being a respectful audience and taking on the role of a listener instead of a contributor. I reminded students that ongoing commentary during instruction, share sessions, or presentations makes it difficult for others to focus on what is being said. Students course-corrected effectively. Literacy We continued our informational unit on Insects this week. Highlights:
Writing We used our writing time to deepen our understanding of insects. Highlights:
Phonics We began unit 14 of Fundations on the sound /ou/, which is spelled with “ow” or “ou.” Highlights:
For at-home Phonics information and practice:
Math We wrapped up our work in Unit 6 on Geometry, Time, and Money. We finished the last section (D) on Money. Highlights:
For at-home Math information and practice:
Science We continued our unit on Organisms and Their Habitats. Highlights:
Check out some student work!Below are some samples of the imaginary insects students came up with that use mimicry to protect themselves. Thank you for taking the time to read the entire update! Please reach out with any questions. Have a great weekend!  Hi Families, It was lovely to see many of you for Open House on Thursday. Thank you for coming and touring our classroom and school. We had a busy week of activities. The Understanding Disabilities program instructor taught students about hearing and vision loss, and we welcomed special guest Greg Kapamajian, who shared about growing up with a hearing disability. In other exciting news, our caterpillars are getting ready to morph into pupae, the third stage of their life cycles before turning into adult butterflies. We transferred them to my terrarium, and they are happily chowing down on the thistle plants I put inside. Important Upcoming Dates
 Community Building We had an All School Assembly on Thursday to learn about and celebrate Asian and Pacific Islander month. We also did a little Mother’s Day project on Friday, and students enjoyed the laid back atmosphere to chat and bond. Literacy We continued our informational unit on Insects this week. Highlights:
Writing We used our writing time to deepen our understanding of insects. Highlights:
Phonics We wrapped up Unit 13 of Fundations on the “long o” sound spellings, “oa,” “oe,” and “ow.” Highlights:
For at-home Phonics information and practice: Math We continued our work in Unit 6 on Geometry, Time, and Money. We began the final section (D) on Money. Highlights:
For at-home Math information and practice:
Science We continued our unit on Organisms and Their Habitats. Highlights:
Thank you for taking the time to read the entire update! Please reach out with any questions, or to connect to discuss your child’s progress. Have a great weekend! Below, students counting coins in math, observing our caterpillars, combining with the entire grade 2 for our special guest, and working on their Mother's Day projects.  Hi Families, Thank you so much for joining us for our Country Presentations! Students were so excited to share their hard work with you and to have the opportunity to speak in front of a large group. It was such great practice for them, as public speaking is such a useful life skill! Every student did a great job presenting and I’m so proud of them all! We had a fun week of learning, which I will detail more below. I’m sure you’ve already heard A LOT about our classroom caterpillars! Here is an important school-wide reminder from Principal Gallegos: Families, please remember that students arriving to the school property before the school bell should be under the supervision of an adult. We do not have staff outside until 8:15. Students are asked to follow the rules we adhere to during the school day regarding safe play on the blacktop and playground equipment. We kindly ask that students do not play football on the blacktop before or after school so that we can all start and end our day safely. Thank you! Important Upcoming Dates:
 Community Building This week we had a chat about how to use our words when something bothers us. Some students were having fun as a group being silly, but things got a little out of hand. I talked to students about making sure they are mindful and respectful of the feelings of those around them, and recognize how their actions might be perceived by others. I showed students how to use a serious face and tone to address problems, instead of escalating the situation. Literacy We started our informational unit on Insects this week. Highlights:
Writing This week our writing work was varied. Highlights:
Phonics We started Unit 13 of Fundations on the “long o” sound spellings, “oa,” “oe,” and “ow.” Highlights:
For at-home Phonics information and practice:
Math We continued our work in Unit 6 on Geometry, Time, and Money. We finished Section C on Time. Students definitely struggled with this! Highlights:
For at-home Math information and practice:
Science We continued our unit on Organisms and Their Habitats. Highlights:
Thank you for taking the time to read the entire update! Please reach out with any questions, or to connect to discuss your child’s progress. Have a great weekend! Below, pictures of students observing plants, practicing their speeches, at Library, and delivering their speeches at our Country Presentation.  Hi Families, We had a good first week back from the April break. We dove into some folktales from around the world, related geometry and fractions to telling time, and launched our science unit on organisms and their habitats. On Friday, we welcomed a new student, John, to class! Everyone was very excited. Important Upcoming Dates
 Community Building Students have had a number of overly silly moments this week, some that build our sense of community, others that have hindered teaching and learning. We had a conversation about how to reign in our silliness when needed (finding ways to get calm), and how to balance having fun with each other with “letting teachers teach and learners learn.” Literacy We learned about the characteristics of folktales and read some from around the world. Highlights:
Writing This week we wrote to enhance our comprehension of the folktales we read. Highlights:
Phonics We finished Unit 12 of Fundations on words with “oi” and “oy.” Highlights:
For at-home Phonics information and practice: Math We continued our work in Unit 6 on Geometry, Time, and Money. We worked through Section B on Fractions and began Section C on Telling Time. Highlights:
For at-home Math information and practice:
Science We had a pausing point in Social Studies to launch Science, exploring organisms and their habitats. Highlights:
Don’t forget, our Country Presentation will be Friday, May 5th at 12:10-12:40pm. Parents are encouraged to join us! Below, students drawing butterfly habitats, turning and talking during Literacy, and sorting cards for a math activity. Thank you for taking the time to read the entire update! Please reach out with any questions, or to connect to discuss your child’s progress. Have a great weekend!
 Hi Families, Happy April Break! Students finished the week off strong. Every child earned a nice, relaxing, fun break! I was so impressed that we actually had everyone present for this last day –no early travelers this time. Thank you so much for making your travel plans around school. We were able to have a productive, fulfilling day of learning and fun. I hope everyone has a wonderful time away from the demands of school –students have all earned it! Congrats to all of our amazing Read-a-thon participants for logging so many minutes. We had two lucky students from our class win the Read-a-thon raffle –Lienn and Evan. Thank you to everyone who donated to the Read-a-thon fundraiser to support our school! As a class, we will be celebrating the completion of our Country Project, where students researched a country, wrote an informational report, and created a map. Our Country Presentation will be open to parents and will take place on Friday, May 5th from 12:10-12:40pm. Students are thrilled to show off their hard work. Save the date!  Important Upcoming Dates
Community Building The school added “Be Kind” to our core Barrows Beliefs. I gave out our first Star Tickets for “Being Kind” to Evan and Grant for helping classmates. I’ve noticed so much kindness happening in the classroom, from students helping one another on tricky assignments to students encouraging others to share in front of the class. We have built a strong class community this year! Ms. Raucci, the music teacher, even said we were the best class she had all week! Literacy We wrapped up our study of Fables. Highlights:
Writing This week we did more writing about Fables and finished our Country Reports. Highlights:
Phonics We finished Unit 11 of Fundations on the various spellings of long “e.” Highlights:
For at-home Phonics information and practice: Math We continued our work in Unit 6 on Geometry, Time, and Money. We wrapped up Section A on Geometry and moved into Section B on Fractions. Highlights:
For at-home Math information and practice:
Social Studies We basically finished our Country Project. Hooray! Highlights:
As mentioned above, our Country Presentation will be Friday, May 5th at 12:10-12:40pm. Parents are encouraged to join us! Thank you for taking the time to read the entire update! Please reach out with any questions, or to connect to discuss your child’s progress. Have a great break! Check out fun pictures below: Students creating cubes; using pattern blocks as parts of wholes; writing silly sentences together in phonics; and posing as a class with our Country Projects.  Hi Families, We had a great week of learning. We started learning about Fables, morals, and summarizing stories. We began writing reports on our chosen countries. And we began a new unit in math loaded with many hands-on activities. We will wrap up the Read-a-thon next week. Last call for logging those minutes! 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades took the ELA MCAS this week. Schedules had to be a bit mixed up (we had lunch, recess, and Library with the 5th grade a couple of days), but we survived and thrived. Important Upcoming Dates
Community Building We revisited what it looks like to be a respectful audience this week. Many students needed reminders on how to listen with their whole bodies. We also changed table groups this week. Literacy We learned about Fables this week. Highlights:
Writing This week we did some writing about Fables and began writing our research reports. Highlights:
Phonics We launched Unit 11 of Fundations on the various spellings of long “e.” Highlights:
For at-home Phonics information and practice:
Math We began Unit 6 on Geometry, Time, and Money. Highlights:
For at-home Math information and practice:
Social Studies We wrapped up the research part of our Country Project. Highlights:
Note: In early May, we will invite parents into the classroom for a presentation of our Country Project. Stay tuned! Below, students researching their countries, drawing maps, and starting their reports; and comparing 2D and 3D shapes during math. Thank you for taking the time to read the entire update! Please reach out with any questions, or to connect to discuss your child’s progress. Have a great weekend! |
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