Dear Second Grade Families,

January 2014

Welcome back! We hope these first few weeks of 2014 have treated you well. Literacy This month students are inquiring into how people express themselves through literature. Students are reading and writing fairy tales, myths, fables, and poetry. For the celebration, on January 24th at 2pm, students will share their favorite writing. We are looking forward to seeing you there. At the end of the month, students will begin reading and writing all about science! More information will be coming in the February newsletter. Stay tuned! Math

We are finishing a unit on number sense. Students studied strings of numbers and considered whether order matters when adding and subtracting. We have revisited story problems, investigated even and odd numbers, made sense of skip counting patterns and dived into place value (tens and ones). Students will soon begin a new study in math which will focus on whole number operations, addition and subtraction to 100, and place value. They will continue to develop their telling of time and understanding money values. More details will be shared as we move further into the unit. Any chance you get to ask them questions about numbers, money, and the time you see in your everyday life is a fun way to reinforce and for the children to practice what they are learning. Unit of Inquiry Students have been continuing to explore how art forms reflect the experiences, traditions, beliefs,and values of a particular group. They have been comparing art forms from around the world and

analyzing them as art critics. Students have been truly openminded throughout this unit of inquiry. In the coming weeks, students will select and analyze an art form based on interest. They will share their understanding of the central idea by choosing from a menu of presentation options. These presentations will then be emailed with parents. To further support this unit, below are a list of fantastic museums around Bucharest that we highly encourage you to visit and explore with your family. Peasant Museum (Muzeul Taranului) Soseaua Kiseleff 3, Sector 1 http://www.muzeultaranuluiroman.ro/ The National Museum of Art (Muzeul National de Arta) Calea Victoriei no. 49-53, Bucharest 70101 http://www.mnar.arts.ro/Home Village Museum (Muzeul Satului) Kiseleff Road 28-30, Bucharest 713211 http://www.muzeul-satului.ro/ On January 27th we will begin a new unit of inquiry all about sharing the planet. The focus will be about living things and their environment. The February newsletter will include more details about this unit.

UPCOMING EVENTS Grade 2 Takes Over Elementary Assembly: Friday, January 17

at 2pm in the theatre Its time for students in second grade to put on the assembly. We will be focusing on the Learner Profile of being Balanced. Family Reading Night: Tuesday, January 21st at 6pm in the library A fabulous night for children and parents alike to celebrate reading. This Family Reading Night there will a production of the beloved classic James and The Giant Peach. For grade 2 and 3 the Reading Night will kick off the Readers on the Move Reading Challenge! Literacy Celebration: Friday, January 24th at 2pm in the library Come celebrate how your children have grown as readers and writers in second grade! There will be fairy tales, myths, fables, and poetry to read together

around the library . Furthermore, students will share their very own fairy tales, myths, fables and poetry! Report Cards Available: Wednesday, January 29th on parents on parent portal Please be aware of the grading scale used at AISB: B- Beginning, D- Developing, C- Competent, E- Exemplary These marks are used to evaluate your childs performance based on a range of growth. It is AISB policy to not mark students with an E unless they are performing one year ahead of grade level expectation. Students performing at grade level will receive a C. Students who are growing towards the grade level expectation will receive a D. Students who are significantly below grade level will receive a B. Please contact your childs teacher if you have questions about the report card.

APP OF THE MONTH FarFaria

A magical world of stories for children on the iPad, with new stories added every week!

Professionally, The Grade 2 Team

Lyndsay Bain lbain@aisb.ro Margaret Lewis mlewis@aisb.ro Meagan Mathews mmathews@aisb.ro EAL: Alina Guzganu aguzganu@aisb.ro