Mrs. Michael's Class Blog

Our school-wide track and field day was held on May 28th.  Montana weather is typically rainy during the spring, but usually the sun comes out at least once a day.  Not this day.  We had planned on leaving the school at 9:30 and staying most of the day, but instead we left after lunch and stayed less than 2 hours!  And it rained the ENTIRE time.  The good news:  the students didn’t complain at all (!) and actually wanted to run more races when we were leaving.  Here are some pictures to prove that you can be happy and have fun when there’s not a ray of sun in sight!  I’ve also posted the standings for our three events.

Our last science unit is about energy: sound, light, and heat.  While learning about sound energy, we had the chance to create a musical instrument out of everyday items.  Then we grouped our instruments into Percussion, Winds, and Strings.  Of course, we played for each other, too!

We had our school-wide talent show on May 25th.  Our 2nd graders performed a song with 7th grader, Hannah B.  They sang the song “Angels Among Us,” and performed very well!  Hannah was so impressed with the singing that she baked cookies for us as a thank you the next day!

A big part of our social studies is a program called “Project Citizen.”  It puts students in charge of identifying a problem in their community and then finding a way to solve it with public policy.  This year, the students saw that there were some unsafe behaviors on the playground, so they spent a lot of time discussing ways to solve it (with the school board’s help, since they are the governing body of the school).  We had our first presentation of the project on May 20th when we entered in the state competition.  Several judges either heard our presentation or viewed the display.  We are looking forward to presenting to the school board on June 8th.  The first set of pictures are shots the students set up and posed on the playground for using on our display.  The last part of the photos show us presenting for the competition.

In second grade, we learn how to write in many different formats.  This week, we were learning about the features of a book report.  Students got to choose their favorite book to write about and then share the report with the class at the end of the week.  I’ve never seen these students so focused and intentional about their writing as they were with this assignment!

One of our math explorations was to measure area by counting square centimeters.  We had two things to measure, our hands and our feet, so using a piece of centimeter grid paper, we traced each one and counted up the squares.  Some students were wearing sandals that day, so they were doing “barefoot math!”

We are fortunate to have a local Rotary Club that chooses to support education by giving all 2nd graders in the community new chapter books.  Our students were able to choose two books from a wide selection that the members brought to our school.   Interestingly, when writing thank-you letters, several of our students wrote that they had already finished one of the two books!

One of our math objectives is to introduce the concept of capacity.  To do this, we construct two cylinders out of the same sized paper and then pour macaroni into each to compare how much they hold.  It was interesting to see students’ predictions about the cylinders.  This is also an activity that can be repeated at home.

Our students had the opportunity to preview the book fair before it opened.  It’s so enjoyable to watch students’ eyes light up at the prospect of a new book!  Thanks to all the parents who supported this effort.

After almost a month, the site is finally going to be updated…. thanks for your patience!

On the last day of March, our school participated in a fundraiser for the March of Dimes by walking/running a mile together.  Even though it was a bit chilly, lots of our 2nd graders had big smiles and great attitudes!  After the run, we had some snacks waiting for us in the classroom.  It was a good day for a good cause.