Hi everyone! I hope you are having a beautiful Friday! We had a great week of learning at co-op. Here is a rundown of how we spent our time.

 

For math this week we continued learning about money, the value of each coin, and how to make change. I brought coins from home and gave each student the amount needed to make change for each problem in our workbook. We counted up from cost to the amount the customer gave and this method worked well for the kids. Great lessons for them to use in life!

 

In Literature on Monday the kids had the opportunity to present their creative dragon paper OR their autobiography. They worked so hard and did a great job presenting their papers! The presentations were incredible! It was wonderful to take in how beautifully their writing has developed throughout the year! Next, we finished reading our book, 26 Fairmount Ave. For the grammar portion of work we focused on using commas in dates and addresses. 

 

In science class we continued learning about constellations. We have a globe that lights up from the inside and shows the constellations. It was such a great tool for the kids to connect what they have learned about constellations so far. We worked on  science vocabulary we have covered this semester and the kids did really well remembering the material and they enjoyed quizzing each other afterward. 

 

We continued learning about Africa this week in social studies. We zoned in on South Africa and the kids made booklets that outlined everything we learned. Those came home in their binders on Wednesday. 

 

Important upcoming dates and reminders 

 -No need to send in the random house book of poetry. I have printed the poems we will be reading in advance. 

- Field Day is 5/6.

- African Experience is 5/8.

 

I hope you have a great weekend with your loved ones! See you back in school on Monday!

 

 

 

 

Hi everyone! I am reviewing my lesson plan from this week and my heart is grateful for the meaningful work of teaching. We had so much great content on the syllabus this week from learning how to count coins to writing autobiographies! Here is a rundown of what we did at co-op!

 

The kids completed math test 8 on Monday. We did a quick review before the test and once the kids started, I asked them to work independently. I graded the tests and worked with some of the kids one on one to reinforce concepts that they were still working to understand. On Wednesday we learned how to count change in our workbooks. We will continue learning how to count change in coins and in dollars next week. I am looking forward to working with them more on this!

 

In Lit this week we started a new book, 26 Fairmount Avenue. For grammar, we learned about helping verbs and linking verbs. The lesson plan in Lightening Lit has us focusing on getting the kids to write more and so we have had more time to work on our composition. We worked on the creative research dragon paper last week and this week. Then, this week we started working on autobiographies! I know pacing is different for each child and some of them finished their dragon research paper last week and that is totally fine! As I communicated via email earlier this week, the kids have the option to choose which paper they would like to present on Monday 4/22. I am so excited to hear what they have written! 

 

I introduced the topic of stars this week. We read in our encyclopedia about stars and we also made constellation star boxes, a design made by our beloved Mrs. Ko! The kids loved this project! We will continue learning about constellations next week.

 

We are studying the continent of Africa in Social Studies. The kids learned  important facts this week and made fact spinners. They also had the opportunity to map and chart the countries in Africa. They LOVE doing this and they learned so much! 

 

I don't typically mention AAR because it is very straightforward but we do spend time each day either learning our new words of the week, playing a game with the words, or we read our story from the reader in groups. 

 

Reminders for next week -

Please make sure to send your child to school on Monday 4/22, ready to present their Lit presentation!

 

Upcoming events -

Field day 5/6.

Africa Experience 5/8

Hello all! This past week at co-op was a little different, with an early release on Monday for the eclipse, and we squeezed our Asia experience in on Monday also. I was in and out of the room and each time I came in the kids were engaged in meaningful and fun activities. Thank you so much to Kristi and Anna for leading a great experience for the kids!

 

This week in math we worked more on regrouping one hundred as 10 tens. We have had a lot of practice on this concept. If your child needs more reinforcement, practice is truly key. We also had several review pages and those are always helpful, especially this time of year when we are taking stock of what they understand and what they need more practice with. If you need extra resources for practicing, please reach out!

 

We finished reading My Father's Dragon this week! I adore this book and have sweet memories reading it with my teenagers when they were young. We had some great class discussions and we made sure to talk about the theme of the book. We talked about the theme of bravery and that we can be afraid and brave at the same time. For grammar, we learned how to conjugate irregular verbs, which they did great with! For the composition portion of Lit, the kids worked more on researching and writing about dragons.

 

We finished our solar system project this week and those came home with the kids on Friday. They turned out so beautifully! We had a great time working on them these past several weeks! 

 

We wrapped up our Asia study on Monday and moved on to Africa! We started our Africa folders on Wednesday. We will begin mapping/learning the geography of Africa next week.

 

Reminders for next week -

Send Math Test 8 in to co-op on Monday April 15. The kids will take their test that morning. 

 

That is all! I am so grateful for each of you and your sweet kiddos! See you on Monday!

 

 

Hello parents, I hope you all have had a beautiful week homeschooling your children. We were not in school at the co-op on Monday, for Easter break. Wednesday was great! Here is a quick rundown of how we spent our time together.

 

Math on Wednesday we continued learning/reinforcing the concept of regrouping. We worked on continuing patterns. Our class enjoys taking turns at the whiteboard solving problems, so worked through the pattern problems together and they totally had it down. We also worked on regrouping visually, breaking down one hundred into 10 tens. They did great with this! 

 

For Lit this week we started reading a new book called My Father's Dragon. We read aloud and had a class discussion afterward. We worked on understanding plural possessives. I introduced the composition assignment that the kids will be working on this week and next. Typically we finish our comp assignment at the end of the week but this one is structured to be completed in two weeks. The kids are to write a research/creative paper about dragons. We brainstormed what the kids know about dragons and they wrote down some ideas on a template that came home in their binders. In the teacher's guide, parents are encouraged to nudge their students to focus on writing more for this assignment. That will look different for each student, but it is important at this point in the school year that the children are showing they can write two to three concise paragraphs. If your student would like to bring their final writing assignment to school to share, that would be wonderful!

 

Science this week was all about the moon. We completed the moon portion of our solar system project and learned some interesting facts about the moon. 

 

Our Asia continent study is coming to a close soon. For this last week of learning about people/culture in Asia, we focusing in on China. I found a great resource highlighting some meaningful topics about China and we went through that material together as the kids colored the China booklets. 

 

Reminders for next week -

We will dismiss early at 12:30 for the solar eclipse on Monday April 8th. We will NOT eat lunch at school that day so that we can optimize learning time. Please send a larger snack for your child so that they are held over for a later lunch!!

 

One more reminder to please send a jacket or coat for your child on chilly days. The kids need to move their bodies and there is just no better place to do that than outside where they can run free and truly burn off energy in between classroom time. 

 

Have a great weekend! 

Hi parents,

 

I hope you are enjoying this beautiful Easter weekend. At the co-op we typically write in our journals first thing in the morning. This week, we put journals aside to learn about Holy Week. We read scripture and did a few activities to honor Holy week and those activities came home in the kids' binders. We are grateful every single day for the love of Jesus and it felt even more special this week. Thanks so much to Hannah and Kristy for leading the Easter party on Wednesday! The kids had such a great time! 

 

Highlights from last week -

 

Math this week was a mix of word problems and mental subtraction. The kids are still locking in how to regroup while subtracting. I would recommend setting time aside each home day to practice regrouping in subtraction if your child doesn't fully understand the concept. Practice is truly key with this concept!

 

In Literature this week we finished our Boxcar Children book. It was a favorite in our class! The kids worked on making singular words plural, which came very naturally for them. The comp assignment for this week was for each child to write a paper about their favorite character from the book. On Monday we spent time talking about the characters and writing down words that describe each character. The kids were given a template and they wrote down some of the words that described their character. The template and lined paper for the kids to write their paper on were sent home in their binders. I am so looking forward to seeing what the kids came up with!

 

We learned about Neptune and Uranus in Science! We are getting close to completing our planet project!! 

 

In Social Studies we are at the tail end of our Asia continent study. We learned about China this week and will continue to learn more about culture in China next week.

 

Important reminders -

 

Our Asia experience is on the syllabus for Monday 4/8. We are in the process of rescheduling it due to the solar eclipse early dismissal that day. I will be in touch about the date of the Asia experience as soon as I have that info. 

 

We will not have lunch at school on Monday 4/8 due to the early dismissal at 12:30. Please send a bigger snack so that the kids are held over until they are dismissed! They normally eat at 11:30, so I am positive they will be very hungry and need an extra snack!

 

I hope you all have a beautiful, meaningful Easter weekend with your families! 

 

Hello everyone! We had a great week of learning at co-op! It felt good to be back together again after the break. THANK YOU so very much for the beautiful teacher gift and for the teacher lunch at co-op on Wednesday! I am so grateful!! It is hard to believe we have entered into the last quarter of the school year. I am praying for God's presence to be with us, animating our words and actions as we learn together these last nine weeks. He is so faithful!

 

Highlights from this week -

 

In math we learned how to regroup in subtraction. I lingered for a long time in the lesson portion of math both days and we really took our time to ensure the kids understood the concept before working in their workbooks. On Monday we had a bit of a learning curve and I know several of you spent more time reinforcing the concept on Tuesday at home. On Wednesday it was clear the kids were really understanding it! 

 

We are reading the Boxcar Children in Literature. This book is so great and we are enjoying it immensely in the classroom. The kids' comp assignment this week was to interview an adult about their childhood. We brainstormed together in class about what questions we could ask and we wrote them down for you all to use as a springboard at home. That list along with a paper for the kids to write their interview down on came home in their binders. This was such a meaningful assignment! If your child would like to bring in their final draft in to share, that would be great!

 

We paused on our planet study to do a space art project for science this week and those came home on Wednesday. Next week we will resume our planet study and learn about Neptune and Uranus.

 

In Social Studies we continued our Asia continent study. We focused on Japan this week, locating it on our world map and then we worked on a Japan booklet. We also watched a virtual field trip of Tokyo, the capital of Japan. It was really interesting!

 

I don't usually mention AAR in my posts because its very straightforward, but we do have allotted time each day to learn our word cards and read the story assignment out of the AAR reader.

 

Upcoming reminder - 

 

On April 8/9 we will have our parent lead Asia experience.

 

Have a great weekend! See you all next week!

Hello parents! I hope you are all enjoying spring break with your beautiful families! We have learned our way through another quarter at OG and I am so proud of your kiddos! I hoped to hand their progress reports to you all at pick-up on Wednesday but the weather had other ideas.  

 

Highlights from this week -

 

In math this week we learned two new concepts. On Monday we learned how to regroup twice in one problem and on Wednesday we learned about regrouping in subtraction. We spent plenty of time learning about the concepts before the kids went to work on their workbook pages independently. The class caught on quickly and showed a solid understanding both days. Amazing!

 

Our book in Lit this week was The Boxcar Children. Such a great book! We read aloud and discussed afterward as a class. The kiddos have excellent reading comprehension, so our class discussion was fantastic. The kids composition assignment this week was to write a descriptive paper about their bedroom. We spent time in class brainstorming ideas all linked to things they can see, feel, hear, and touch in their bedrooms. We had a template for brainstorming and another for the kids to write their paper on. Both went home in their binders. 

 

For Science this week we learned about Saturn and completed the Saturn portion of our solar system project we have been working on. They are looking amazing! SO colorful with info about each planet. The kids will bring those home when we wrap up our solar system study.

 

We continued learning about Asia in Social Studies this week. We learned about the Taj Mahal and the Great Wall of China.

 

 

Next week is spring break!! I hope it is a restful and fun week for you all and your families!! See you all after the break!

 

 

Hi parents! It is hard to believe we have one week until spring break! This quarter has FLOWN. At the end of each quarter I am more focused on what we have learned and where we need more reinforcement. It is also a great time to acknowledge how the kids have grown and how much they have learned. I am so proud of them!

 

Highlights this week -

 

The kiddos completed math test 7 on Monday and did a GREAT job. We then moved on to regrouping tens to a hundred. We spent some time as a class working together on problems on the board and they worked out the math problems in their workbooks mostly independently. 

 

Lit was poetry focused this week. We read the poems aloud and had our class discussion. We used the remainder of class to make a collection of words for the children to use to write a poem at home. We had a good list of nouns, verbs, and adjectives all with the theme of family. This list came home along with a poem writing template for them to complete their poem. I did tell them that if they wanted to write their poem about a different subject, they absolutely had my permission. Several of the kids brought their poems in on Wednesday to share and I enjoyed reading them.

 

We learned about Jupiter this week in science along with a short lesson on asteroids and meteors. The kids have been compiling information each week and adding it to their planet project. They are very cool and a great resource full of info they have learned throughout this quarter. 

 

Social Studies this week we learned more about Asia. Our beloved Mrs. Koh is from South Korea and gave an amazing presentation rich in interesting facts and the culture in South Korea. We were so thankful she did that for us!

 

Reminders for next week -

 

Progress reports will be given out on Wednesday March 6.

The kiddos filled their reward container and voted as a class for a treat and an extra recess to celebrate. We will do this on Wednesday before pickup!!

 

Have a great weekend!

- Nadia 

 

 

Hey everyone! I hope you are having a good week! I prayed peace and connection over our classroom throughout our co-op days and the Lord met me in that prayer. I am so thankful we get to do the beautiful work of caring for children. It never gets old.

 

Highlights this week -

 

Math this week was about learning how to weigh in lbs and Kilograms, and also some review for the upcoming test. We used a food scale and a bathroom scale in our classroom and it was incredible how the kids connected with it. First we weighed Oakley (the class fish) in his fishbowl. I asked everyone to guess as they passed Oakley around in his bowl and they thought he weighed at least 15 lbs. We learned the fish in the bowl weighed about 4 lbs on the scale. The kids were shocked at how off they were! We learned how to use the scales, and we learned how to gauge the weight of several different items around our room. Review was much needed for past lessons. I would encourage everyone to continue to reinforce how to read a clock at home. This was the most confusing section for the children yesterday. 

 

In lightening lit we finished A Mouse Called Wolf. Each of the children did a review of the book after we finished reading on Wednesday. For the composition portion of our work we wrote thank you notes. What a great assignment! I LOVED reading what the kids wrote. We also learned about compound sentences and how to diagram them.

 

Science this week was all about Mars. We have really enjoyed focusing on one planet each week. The kids have been working on a solar system project that will come home once complete! 

 

In social studies we mapped out Asia on a world map and on our globe. The children labeled larger countries and the Pacific Ocean. 

 

Reminders for next week -

 

Send Math Test 7 on Monday Feb. 26th.

No need to send Random House Book of Poetry in to co-op for Lit. We will be using a printed copy of the poems so that the kids can highlight important words. 

 

A thank you note from Mrs. Ko -

 

I want to say a huge thank you for the wonderful valentines and teacher gifts! Your love and thoughtfulness mean the world to me! I am truly grateful to have you and your children in my life.

 

Sincerely,

Mrs. Koh

 

Hello everyone! I am so thankful for another week of learning under our belts! 

 

Highlights this week -

 

In math we learned more about units of measurement. We used a ruler and yard stick in our classroom to measure several different items to give the kids some hands on learning in our space. We also talked about distance on Wednesday and used Siri to learn the distance from Knoxville to several other locations. Next week I will bring in a scale as we learn about weight in pounds. 

 

Our chapter book this week was A Mouse Called Wolf, written by Dick King-Smith. The composition portion of Lit had the kids writing a personal essay about music. In class I emphasized that a great essay starts with identifying a subject they are interested in. I truly believe this is what spurs kids on to not only write more but to WANT to write. I hope they really engaged with this assignment! SIDE NOTE: I sent out an email this week and last communicating that I would be doubling up on the reading on co-op days. From here on out we will follow the syllabus and split the reading between co-op and home. The ladies on the curriculum committee have worked hard to map out our syllabus and I want to stay on track with what they have planned. Sorry for any confusion!!

 

In Science we learned about the moon. We read a book about the moon and we made a model earth and moon to help the kids get a hands on idea of what it looks like for the moon to rotate around the earth. 

 

We wrapped up our European study this week with a super fun/educational party lead by Rebekah and Emily. I am so thankful for the time and energy they gave to the party. The kids truly enjoyed it! Thank you!!

 

Shout out to Katie and Rachel for throwing a great Valentines Day party for the kids!! It was a blast!

 

Reminders for next week -

Please check your child's backpack before each co-op day to ensure they have the workbooks they need. Missing workbooks has been a recurring issue that does cause disruption during our classes. Thanks!

Hello friends. We learned a lot this week at co-op this week. Here is the rundown!

 

Math this week was Test 6 on Monday and measuring in inches and half inches on Wednesday. The test went really well! All of the children did their best, and that is truly a wonderful thing to see. On Wednesday we learned how to measure. I think the kids were already familiar with this. Measuring to the nearest half inch took a little effort to lock down, but we got there. 

 

For literature this week we read the book Bears on Hemlock Mountain. While I loved this book, the kiddos gave it a mixed review. We had a great class discussion afterward about the theme of the book, which was Jonathan (the main character) had to face his fear and make the trip over hemlock mountain on his own to his Aunt's house. We talked about having courage and that we can be afraid and brave at the same time as we each face our own fears in life. For the composition portion the kids are writing a story about family members. I hope they enjoy and have fun with this!

 

In science we are studying the planets of our solar system and it has been so cool! This week we focused on Venus. We are working on a very cool planet project that will come home once this study is wrapped up. 

 

Social Studies was focused on the people and culture of Europe. We created art and learned about a technique called pointillism. We used q-tips and paint to create images on construction paper. 

 

Important reminders for next week -

 

Send Shipwreck reader to co-op on Monday Feb. 12.

The European experience is happening on Monday Feb. 12th!

Valentines party will be on Wednesday Feb. 14th! Send a bag or mailbox for your child's valentines! 

 

Prayers for a restful and fun weekend!

 

 

 

 

Hi! I hope everyone is having a great Friday!! On Wednesday we celebrated 100 days of 2nd grade and I want to share a moment we had as a class. I printed some certificates for the kids and decided to call them up one by one. The first child was called and the kids clapped and cheered for him as if he was receiving his high school diploma! They continued this for one another and it was just precious to witness. I love seeing them cheer one another on through life's big and small moments. 

 

Highlights this week -

 

Math was subtracting whole tens on Monday and more subtraction along with bar graphs and pictographs on Wednesday. I could see some confusion, especially with subtracting whole tens and we worked through that with the students who needed it. If you are wanting extra reinforcement with subtraction, there are resources on the Math Mammoth website. If you need help navigating the website, I am happy to help!

 

Literature this week was centered on the book This is New York. It was fun to change it up with a book that was factual. We compared and contrasted Knoxville and New York and worked on diagramming sentences. The kids are researching their city of choice for next week and writing about what they discover. I hope they have fun with that!

 

Science this week was all about Mercury. We read, had class discussion, then did an activity to help them remember the info. 

 

We are still learning about Europe in Social Studies and compiling info as we learn in our folders. 

 

Important reminders for next week -

Send math test 6 to co-op on Monday Feb 5th.

Oral presentations are happening Monday Feb 5th.

 

Have a great weekend!

 

 

Hi! It was so so so great to be back together in our classroom on Wednesday! We all enjoyed hearing about the break and what everyone did with their time during snowmageddon. Praise for higher temps and melted snow!!

 

Highlights from last week -

 

In math we added with whole tens, which really helped us to emphasize and learn more about place value. This new curriculum has taken some time to adjust to, but one thing I truly appreciate is that it is teaching the kids to do mental math. What a great lifelong skill to have! The lesson this week required some mental math and the kids did great!

 

Literature was focused on the book Sam, Bangs, and Moonshine. We had a class discussion afterward, using the questions from the teachers guide and it was rich with so many insights from your sweet 2nd graders. I was intentional to let them share their thoughts and to also bring in the importance of empathy to the conversation, noting that Sam was going through a lot in this story. The kids are writing their creative book report from the POV of Thomas. Don't stress! The important thing here is that the children have a solid understand of Thomas' character and that they enjoy writing this paper! I cannot wait to hear what they create!

 

For science this week we reached back to last weeks lesson and learned about the solar system, then we turned our attention to the sun. The kids seem interested in the idea of the earth revolving and rotating around the sun, so we made a sun and earth model for them to take home. 

 

In social studies we are learning about Europe. We have done some mapping of different countries in Europe and started our folders for the continent. 

 

Reminders for next week -

 

Send "shipwreck" reader into co-op on Monday Jan. 29.

Creative book report presentations will take place on Feb 5th. 

 

I hope you have a restful weekend! See you on Monday!!

Hi everyone! First of all, I hope you all are well! We are hoping and praying for this snow to melt so that we can get back to school! In the meantime, I want to check in and give quick overview of last week.

 

Math last week was all about adding and subtracting with whole hundreds. Super straightforward! I hope the kids enjoyed it!

 

For literature we read Many Moons and wrote a summary. We also worked on understanding comma placement. 

 

We are learning about Europe and focusing on climate and weather. I will definitely do an overview before moving on to plants and animals on Wednesday.

 

In Science we learned about the solar system and this week will move on to learning about the sun. I will cover both on Wednesday in class.

 

Reminder - 

Presentation of creative book report will be on Feb 5th!

 

Please connect with me if you have any questions!! 

 

 

Hi parents! Welcome back to the beautiful rhythm of school! I hope you all had a restful and joyful break! 

 

Highlights from this week -

 

Math this week was skip counting and comparing numbers. I typically teach the kids our new lesson by doing a few problems from each section on the board and then set them free to work at their own pace. This really works for our class. Some work through math very quickly and I have extra work to challenge them a bit more, while some take their time and have a few unfinished problems. What a gift to see kids work at their own pace and do their best. 

 

Our read aloud for Literature class was Snowflake Bentley and we gave it a thumbs up. We discussed the book afterward as a class and then talked about some of our favorite scientists and their contributions to the world to brainstorm for the kids writing assignment this week. I brought in several books about Marie Curie and we looked through those and discussed how her work has impacted our lives. We also talked about homophones and worked through our workbook pages together as a class. We had a little extra time and used it to make snowflakes out of coffee filters. 

 

Social Studies this week was our intro the Europe! We mapped it out and learned where Europe is in correlation to where we are on both our flat map and the globe. Then we talked through facts about Europe and major landmarks. I was not in class on Wednesday but I know Mrs. Ko had a fun lego/landmark project for the kids. I hope they enjoyed that! 

 

Science this week was about caring for the earth. We are pumped to start learning about planets next week! 

 

Reminders for next week -

No school on Monday 1/15 and Tuesday 1/16.

That is all! I look forward to being back in the classroom on Wednesday!

 

Have a great weekend!