Poster Projects

To the untrained eye the Grade 2 classroom may have seemed pretty messy over the last two weeks but don’t be fooled!  The class has been working very hard on their final summative project for our last POI of the year, “The Cycle of Life”.  Each student chose an animal or insect they were interested in learning more about and then designed and executed an information poster on its life cycle.  This projected required Grade 2 to look for facts (no opinions allowed) and pictures from our extensive class library.  Afterwards they learned about the conventions of report writing.  The results are excellent and we look forward to sharing them with you soon. 

End of Year Info

In case you did not receive the email from Henriette, Grade 2 will be hosting an end of year party in the classroom on Tuesday June 12^th at 2pm (tomorrow).  The party will be an informal occasion - a chance to say hello, enjoy some snacks and see the latest projects the class has been working on.

It is also time for all of our artwork, workbooks, learning portfolios, school supplies, etc. to make its way home for the summer.  Please have your child bring in a large shopping bag with them to school tomorrow or Wednesday so that everything can be sent home altogether.  Any work currently on the main display boards will remain up over the summer and be sent home at the beginning of next year.

Thanks again for all your help and I look forward to seeing you tomorrow!

Kind regards,

Ms. Christine Aberley

A Frog in the Classroom

This week Grade 2 had another four-legged guest in the classroom.  Mrs. Vargas was kind enough to bring in one of Lucas’ pet frogs, aptly named Huge for his large size.  The class observed Huge and learned about the different frog body parts and their corresponding functions.  Did you know that frogs don’t have any ears?  Instead they have a small circular organ behind their eye called Tympanum that acts like an external ear drum.  Grade 2 also had the chance to ask questions and learn facts about the frog.  The class even got to see Huge eat some blood worms for a snack.

Kind regards,

Ms. Christine Aberley

Meet Lara

Last Friday Grade 2 had the opportunity to learn about the life cycle of the dog and even had the pleasure of meeting Lara the Bernese Mountain dog - kindly brought into the classroom by her owner Mrs. Suominen.  After learning about the two main stages of the dog life cycle (puppy and adult dog) Grade 2 was able to ask questions about Lara and the characteristics of her breed.  For example, we learned that although she just entered the second stage of her life cycle, she already weighs 38kg!  Having a pet is a major responsibility and you must commit to taking care of it in all the stages of its life, a lesson learned by the Grade 2.  Did you the oldest dog in the world lived to be 29 years old?    

 Life Cycle Report and Poster Project

To conclude our final POI of the year, each student in Grade 2 will be working on a short report and poster on an animal or insect of their choice (all teacher approved to ensure there are appropriate resources).  This short project will introduce report writing and how to use a poster to convey information, both valuable academic skills at all levels of the PYP.  The majority of the work will be done in class, however if your child would like to bring in additional resources from home such as books, print outs, photographs, drawings, etc. please feel free to do so. 

Kind regards,

Ms. Christine Aberley

It's a Frog's Life

This week Grade 2 learned about the life cycle of the frog and some fun facts about the different species in the Media Center.  Did you know that some frogs can breathe through their skin?  Weird but true.   Like the butterfly, this clever amphibian also goes through metamorphosis as it changes from an egg to an adult frog.  To make sure we knew the different stages in the frog life cycle, the class did a number of hands on activities including cutting out photographs and putting them in the correct order.   Grade 2  also compared the life cycles of both the butterfly and frog.  We made Venn diagrams to show the similarities and differences.  Next week each student in Grade 2 will have the chance to choose their own animal, insect, etc. life cycle to investigate.  Stay tuned!

Book Reports

Did you know that Grade 2 consistently has the highest number of books checked out from the ISW library?  We are definitely a class of avid readers.  Consequently, it was an easy task to choose a favorite book and complete a short book report.  Each student wrote a short summary, described the setting and a character and then gave their chosen book a rating out of five stars.  They also recorded important information such as the author, illustrator, publisher, copyright, and number of pages, etc.

Book Fair

Next Tuesday May 29^th there will be book fair at ISW from 1:30pm to 4:30pm.  Feel free to come and have a look with your child after school.  There will be a selection of English books direct from the UK.  If you would like further information, click on the link below:

http://www.summersbook.co.uk/

Kind regards,

Ms. Christine Aberley

Butterfly Body Parts

This week Grade 2 continued examining the life cycle of the butterfly.  Now familiar with each stage, we took a closer look at the different body parts of the insect and their functions.  Did you know the butterfly has a proboscis or a like straw like appendage used for drinking water and nectar?  After the lesson, Grade 2 had a fun quiz where they had to label a diagram of a butterfly and everyone passed with flying colours.

Red Run

Wow!  What a day - Grade 2 made an impressive effort at the  inaugural Red Run last Friday in support of the Swiss Red Cross and their “Mitten unter uns” Program.  Despite the incredibly hot weather the class managed to run/walk a combined total of 105 laps around Eulach Park, almost double our original goal.  Grade 2 was even an inspiration for the older students because of their boundless energy.  Good job everyone!   We would like to give a big thank you to all the parents that came out to cheer and support the class.

Mother’s Day

Grade 2 would like to say “Happy Mother’s Day” this year with flowers.

 

Kind regards,

Ms. Christine Aberley

What am I?

As previously mentioned Grade 2 has been working hard at writing and illustrating a class anthology of animal riddles and the finished product is here!  Titled “What am I?” it provides the reader with a chance to guess the identity of different animals from around the world.  Fresh off the printing press Grade 2 took their book up to the library to share with the librarian Ms. Wolke.  She was very impressed with their work and a copy will remain in the library for other boys and girls to read.  Each student in the class will also get their own copy to take home early next week.

Grade 2 is currently learning about the different stages of the butterfly life cycle and metamorphosis.  True to the underlying philosophy of the IB PYP program our POI has found its way into other subjects such as Math.  For example, the butterfly was used as both the basis of addition and graphing review activities.

Kind regards,

Ms. Christine Aberley

Pen Pal Program Update

Also waiting for Grade 2 after Spring Break was a brand new batch of letters from their Canadian pens pals at Collingwood School in Vancouver, BC.  Overall the pen pal program has provided a wonderful opportunity for not only writing practice but for cross-cultural exchange.  The students have come to realize that although they live in different countries thousands of miles apart - as Grade 2 students they have a lot in common from favorite school subjects to hobbies to sports.  Hopefully, we will be able to write and receive one more set of responses before the end of the school year.

After writing our responses Grade 2 was lucky enough to use the address stamp from the main office. 

Kind regards,

Ms. Christine Aberley

The Animal Kingdom

Since coming back from Spring Break, we have started our final POI of Grade 2, titled the Cycle of Life.  We began by looking at the animal kingdom and acknowledging the unbelievable and diverse number of species living around us.  Connecting to our previous work on parts of the book, we set about being authors and illustrators by producing our very own class anthology of riddles.  More to come!

Red Run

On Friday May 11^th Grade 2 will participate in the inaugural Red Run hosted by the Swiss Red Cross in Eulach Park.  All money raised will go towards supporting the “Mitten unter uns” Program which provides newly arrived immigrant children with access to German language and academic support.  As a class, we have set an ambitious goal of 5 laps per student (and teacher).  With some determination and a little sweat, Grade 2 has the opportunity to improve the lives of others.

Kind regards,

Ms. Christine Aberley

 

Parent Visits

This week Grade 2 was lucky enough to have not one but four parents come into the classroom and share about their different jobs.  Each visit gave the class the opportunity to learn about their roles and responsibilities.  Most importantly, the class had the chance to inquire into the positives, challenges and perks of each job.  They no doubt now have some very inspiring role models!

Mrs. Hyafil shared with us about her job as a French Language Teacher.  She even prepared a short lesson and Grade 2 experienced what is like to be in one of her lessons.  We learned some basic greetings and played a fun game to learn the names of different animals.

As an Asset Manager and Banker, Mr. Gregorio taught us about the different jobs in a bank and the general concepts behind buying and selling stocks.  Grade 2 also had the chance to apply for a loan or make a deposit during a role play activity.  He even gave the class some gold (chocolate) - a very sound investment.

Mr. Eykerman explained to Grade 2 about his responsibilities as Sales Director of a company that makes engines for very big ships - even bigger than our school!  He showed us a video and answered with accuracy an unbelievable amount of questions about the height, weight, and dimensions of his product. 

Lastly, Mrs. Dettingmeijer came in to talk to us about her job as CFO of an international company that produces aluminum.  She ran her visit like a real meeting and Grade 2 was very keen to follow along.  Overall the visit was very informative and I’m sure each student experienced what is like to be a true business person.

Assembly Invitation

Our assembly will be on Monday March 26^th at 10:35am in the gym.  Please feel free to attend and watch Grade 2 share some of the work they have done for our current POI.

Kind  regards,

Ms. Christine Aberley

Chocolate Factory Visit

Grade 2 ended this week with a field trip to a very unique workplace - Maestrani Chocolate Factory in Flawil, SG.  Together with the Early Years and Kindergarten classes we took a rented bus to the picturesque Swiss countryside.  After meeting our friendly tour guide, Grade 2 had the opportunity to ask questions about the different jobs involved in the chocolate making process - from the product developer to the chocolatier.  We then watched a movie about where cocoa beans come from and had a private tour of the factory floor.  Did you know that workers at the factory are allowed to eat as much chocolate as they like?  Talk about perks of the job! 

Back in the classroom and full of chocolate, Grade 2 sat down to do some recount writing.  The field trip provided just the right inspiration for the task and everyone was able to write about the day’s events in chronological order using different time connectives. 

Acting 101

We also spent quite a bit of time preparing for our assembly.  To do this, we all took the job of an “actor” and practiced our different parts using a loud and clear voice.  Each student was also given the challenge of memorizing a short riddle.  Grade 2 was also thoughtful enough to give each other constructive feedback during our rehearsals using a scale of 1-5.  The hard work will definitely pay off!  

Kind  regards,

Ms. Christine Aberley

Who am I?

POI

This week Grade 2 continued with our exploration of different jobs and their connected workplaces.  First we listed to some examples of job riddles and tried to guess the profession being described.  After reviewing the format for a short riddle such as rhyming in the second and forth lines, Grade 2 undertook the challenge of writing their own.  During the writing process, each student had to think about such themes as qualities and tasks completed on the job.  Professions chosen included, teacher, artist, police officer, banker, actress and even a lighthouse keeper!

Assembly

On Monday March 26 (time TBA) Grade 2 will be hosting an assembly for the rest of the PYP program.  This will be an opportunity for the class to share the POI work they have been doing this month and practice presenting in front of a larger audience.  Grade 2 will also be showcasing our musical talent!  We will be singing “People Work”, a song about various jobs with some clever rhyming and “Donny the Dog Walker”, a song about one man’s very unusual job from our multiplication unit.  We have also started making some visual aids for the second song.  Below is a link to “People Work” - I highly encourage some at home practice.

 http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/songs/people-work

Book Fair

ISW is hosting an Usborne Books Fair on Tuesday March 13, from 2pm to 4pm.  Feel free to come by after school and browse all the wonderful titles with your child.  Usborne publishes the “First Reading” series - the hardcover chapter books that many of you are familiar with as they are very popular with Grade 2.  A brochure with further information will be sent home shortly.

Sorry for the delay with this post.

Kind regards,

Ms. Christine Aberley