Second Grade at Shaker Lane - Room 202

About 3 weeks ago we planted potatoes as part of our science unit. I had saved some potatoes that had nodes starting to grow. We made predictions about what would grow out of  the nodes (roots, stems, leaves were all guesses) and if roots would grow downward from the potato. After about 1 1/2 weeks we started to see some growth. Check out what was going on! Ask your child what they have noticed about their potato plants.

It's almost that time of year! I wanted to share with you my thinking about holiday giving. Some families would like to give their child's teacher a holiday gift which is extremely kind and thoughtful. This year, I would love for your family to consider giving a gift to a child in need by donating to Toys for Tots . I will have a box in the classroom and if your family is interested, please consider bringing in a toy to donate instead of giving me a gift this year. I will be collecting toys and will need to take them to drop off on Wed. Dec 10th so please send them in before that date. This may be a good opportunity to talk to your family about giving back. Students love giving to others and when they come to school with a donation they have a smile on their face. If you would like to give a gift to the classroom, feel free to look at our wishlist here: http://teacherweb.com/MA/ShakerLaneSchool/PTA/apt3.aspx  and give us something we can use in school. Thank you

Wondering about Xtra Math? If your child attended our school last year, they did Xtra math in school. This year we will be using Xtra math 2-3 times a month in school but I would ask you have your child try to do it twice a week at home. Occasionally I will assign homework on Xtra Math and your child will need to log in and do it that night to get homework credit.  You will notice that working on math facts is just a small portion of our math program and we spend most time working on math concepts and skills and math vocabulary. A big focus is also working on the Common Core State Standards Standards of Mathematical Practice, such as explaining your mathematical thinking (ie. How do you know the number 73 is larger than the number 48?) We strive for balance so that students leave second grade with a good base in all areas of mathematics. Wondering "What is Xtra Math?" Here is what the website says: XtraMath helps students transition from counting or calculating the basic