A Message to Our Wonderful Families
Winter may be cold outside, but inside our classroom, things have been anything but quiet! Our 2nd and 3rd graders have been working hard, growing as learners, and showing up every day with curiosity and enthusiasm. We are so proud of everything they have accomplished these past few months, and we can’t wait to share it all with you!
📐 Math: Building Number Sense and Measuring the World Around Us
One of the biggest focuses of our math block this winter has been building a strong foundation in number sense — and our students have absolutely risen to the challenge!
We dove deep into addition and subtraction strategies, with a special focus on place value. Using hands-on manipulatives like tens blocks and ones blocks, students explored what it really means for a number to have a tens place and a ones place. Rather than just memorizing facts, our 2nd graders got to build numbers with their own hands — physically constructing values from 20 all the way up to 100! Watching a child’s face light up when they realize that the number 47 is made of four groups of ten and seven ones is one of those magical classroom moments we treasure.
From there, students practiced adding and subtracting within 100, learning strategies for breaking numbers apart, regrouping, and finding efficient ways to solve problems. These are skills that will serve them well for years to come.
We then launched into our Measurement unit, where students explored the world of metric units — centimeters and meters. One of the highlights? Students created their very own rulers! Using what they learned about centimeter units, they built rulers from scratch and then immediately put them to use — measuring reptiles featured in our workbooks and hunting around the classroom to measure everyday objects. It was a wonderful reminder that math isn’t just something that lives on a worksheet — it’s everywhere around us!
✏️ Writing: Finding Our Voices on the Page
Our writers have truly blossomed this winter, and we have been blown away by the voices emerging from their pencils!
We spent several weeks exploring Opinion Writing, using the OREO method as our guide:
- Opinion — State your Opinion, – what you believe
- Reasons — Given Reasons- Tell why you believe it
- Explanation/Evidence — Explain your Reasons- Support your reasons
- Opinion — Tell your Opinion again – Wrap it back up!
Students loved having a structure that gave them the freedom to say exactly what they think — whether that was arguing for their favorite season, favorite pet, the best school lunch, which flavor of Ice Cream is the best ! Reading their opinion pieces is a true joy because you get to see each child’s personality shine through so clearly.
We then transitioned into the beautiful world of Poetry. Students learned about the elements that make poetry its own special kind of writing — line breaks, stanzas, rhythm, and even figurative language like similes and metaphors. They discovered that poems don’t have to rhyme to be powerful, and that sometimes just a few carefully chosen words can say more than a whole paragraph. Our budding poets surprised us every single day with the depth and creativity of their work.
🌏 Project-Based Learning: Celebrating Culture, History, and Changemakers
Perhaps the most exciting part of our winter has been the rich Project-Based Learning (PBL) experiences woven throughout all of our subjects!
Lunar New Year brought our classroom to life with color, performance, and cultural discovery. Students learned about the traditions, symbols, and meaning behind this celebration, and then shared what they learned with the wider school community through a wonderful performance that families will not soon forget. They also created beautiful crafts to honor the holiday — each one a little work of art.
As we moved into Black History Month and Women’s History Month, our students dove into the stories of remarkable leaders and changemakers who shaped our world. Across reading, writing, and social studies, they researched, discussed, and reflected on the courage and contributions of so many inspiring figures. These conversations were rich, thoughtful, and age-appropriate — laying the groundwork for our children to grow into informed, empathetic citizens of the world.
A Final Word
We are so grateful for each and every one of our 2nd ad 3rd graders — and for the families who support and cheer them on every day. These winter months have been full of learning, laughter, and growth, and we cannot wait to see what spring has in store!
As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or just to share a win from home. We love hearing from you. 💛With gratitude,Your 2nd Grade Team