It was wonderful to return to the classroom in January after my maternity leave! I was so happy to reconnect with students, meet everyone again, and spend time rebuilding our classroom community. The beginning of the year was a great opportunity for us to get to know each other better, review routines, and jump back into learning together.

Math

In February, our 2nd graders worked with base ten blocks to strengthen their understanding of place value. They practiced building numbers and using place value strategies to help with addition and subtraction.

Our 3rd graders focused on multiplication and division, learning different strategies to solve problems and build confidence with these important math skills.

Reading

During January, we spent time building our classroom community through reading and discussions. Students shared their thoughts, made connections to stories, and practiced important reading skills while learning more about each other as classmates. We have been using HMH and small group practices to strengthen our reading.

Writing

For writing, students have been working on a fun project called “Why Books Are Awesome.” They are sharing their thoughts about why reading is important and enjoyable, and we are excited to publish these pieces in March.

Our 3rd graders have also been writing persuasive pieces about something they would like to change in our school community. They are learning how to organize their ideas like a speech and support their opinions with strong reasons.

PBL (Project-Based Learning)

For PBL, students explored Black History Month and learned about important Black leaders and their contributions to history.

We also had fun celebrating Valentine’s Day, Lunar New Year and the 100th Day of School, which gave students a chance to reflect on how much they have learned and grown so far this year while enjoying some special classroom activities.