Fables and Folktales Chatterpix

Our students did an awesome job coloring, writing, and recording for the Fables and Folktales unit! We learned all about parts of a story, personification, and morals, among other things. Listen to the characters of some of our books tell you their story :)




Chatterpix Fables and Folktales from Ben Kilham on Vimeo.

The Penguin Lady

Today we had special visit from Dyan deNapoli, aka the Penguin Lady! 

Dyan shared her extensive penguin knowledge with us through pictures, quizzes, stuffed animals, and her very own penguin calls. Did you know that some penguins can dive down 1,700 feet? Or that rather than the hollow bones that most birds have, penguins have solid bones that help them swim? How long do you think a penguin can hold its breath? Ask your student what else they learned!

Winter Concert

Hello families,

This Friday is the Second Grade Winter Concert. Families are invited to join us from 2:15 to 3:15 in the cafeteria. Our class is singing about winter weather, so students have been asked to wear white for the concert and will put on their hats and gloves as well.

I look forward to seeing you all then!

Sincerely,

Mr. Kilham

January Update

Hello Families!

With January well under way I wanted to give you all an update on what we've been up to in our busy classroom. When we returned from winter break we began our reading unit on fables and folktales. Students have been identifying the elements of these stories and discussing the morals they teach. As we read more examples, we have begun to see how the two types of stories are different.

Our other exciting new unit is for science, in which we have been investigating the arctic and antarctic polar regions. As we learn about the extreme climate in these regions, we discover what makes them so very cold! We are looking at the different animals who live in these regions and discussing their adaptations for survival. As we learn more about these two ends of the earth, we are also reflecting on their similarities as well as their differences. And, of course, we will learn all about penguins :)

Your students are such hard workers, here's to a fantastic January!

Sincerely,
Mr. Kilham

Geography

Our maps are coming along beautifully! There is more detail to add, but for now we've been focusing on the seven continents and five oceans. We will continue to discuss different landforms, bodies of water, and practice the cardinal directions.

Elf Store!

This past Friday we had our Holiday Elf Store, and what a time we had! The students really showed off their creativity and crafted some fantastic Elf attire. We couldn't have done it without the help of our room moms and parent volunteers, so a big thank you to them.

December Updates and Reminders

Hello Families,

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving break! With parties, events, and conferences this month, we have a busy December ahead of us. Here are some dates to remember:

This week we have storyteller Len Cabral coming in on Thursday (12/4) to share his stories, folktales, and legends with our students.

On Friday (12/5), the second grade will have our Elf Store, where we will buy fabric and decorations to dress our elves. If you have not done so already, please send in 60 cents in a plastic baggie with your child's name on it.

We are starting our geography unit this month focusing on geographical features and maps. Please send in a blue poster board by next week so that we can start building our very own world maps!

Next Thursday (12/11) and Friday (12/12) are parent conferences. Please contact me if you have any conference schedule questions and conflicts. Thursday is a delayed opening and Friday is an early release for students.

Our Holiday Party will be on Monday, December 22nd. More information on that to come :)

We're looking forward to an exciting month!