Friday, May 30, 2014

Dear Families,

The second graders did a fantastic job preparing for and sharing what they learned about their individual country studies. They worked so hard and should be very proud of themselves. Special thanks to the following people:

Hamorah Ali for doing our food shopping,
Hope and Jen for helping the students to cook/bake,
Jina for picking up the breakfast foods,
Hamorah Jaime for helping with our technological issues and for printing our beautiful passports and
a VERY SPECIAL thank you to Hamorah Holly for filling in for me the day before the fair and getting everything ready AND for working with the students on their projects throughout the year.

Shabbat Shalom,
Hamorah Caren

Australia

France

England

Brazil

Egypt

Friday, May 23, 2014

Dear Families,

Your first and second graders never cease to amaze me! This week we learned about the Japanese bento box. Did you know . . . . . . .

                   that they are typically made by the mom?

                  that they are a symbol of love between the maker and the eater?

                  that rice is the main staple of any Japanese bento box?

After learning about them, we began to create our own. Check out the process! The students used Model Magic, markers, felt, pipe cleaners and tissue paper to make representations of their favorite foods. The finished boxes will be on display soon!

Reminder:
The Second Grade International Fair is this Wednesday morning at 8:30.

Shabbat Shalom and have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.

Hamorah Caren

Creating apples out of Model Magic.

It is hard to believe that the pizza isn't real!

An Oreo cookie factory!

Hard at work filling the bento box.

Friday, May 9, 2014

Dear Families,

Did you know that the Japanese celebrate Children's Day on May 5th? This past Monday, May 5th, we made carp flags. We learned that carp flags are used to celebrate Children's Day because the carp symbolizes strength and the Japanese wish for their children strength and happiness.

We also learned about the Japanese calendar and all of the other holidays that are celebrated in Japan. The students were put into groups and each group represented a month. Check out their work on the bulletin board in my room.

In addition, we also read the story The Bicycle Man by Allen Say as part of our author study. We made a connection because during our immigration unit we read a story written by him as well called Grandfather's Journey. In that book we learned that as a child Allen Say came to America where he spent most of his life. He returned to Japan to marry and then raised his children in America. As a senior, he went back to Japan where he lives today.  In The Bicycle Man we learned that Allen Say went to first grade in Japan. He recalled a time when he was having a sports day at school when two American soldiers appeared. It was his first time seeing American. In the story he shares how he felt about seeing them.

And, finally, today was Special Visitors' Day. In second grade the students did five activities with their special guests. They included the following:

  - sharing their country study boards
  - creating pages for their country study passports
  -  learning about Japanese houses
  - sharing book report t-shirts
 - writing a story together


Shabbat Shalom,

Hamorah Caren

Everyone is wearing their book report t-shirt. So cool!!

Special Visitors' Day in second grade.

Learning together during Special Vistors' Day.

Friday, May 2, 2014

Dear Families,

Our Japan unit is off to an exciting start! In preparation for our trip to the Children's Museum to visit the Japanese house, the first and second graders learned the terms for the different parts of the house and then we created and labeled our own Japanese house maps. In addition, everyone was given the opportunity to visit and answer questions about a virtual Japanese house.

Once at the museum, we had a wonderful presentation inside the house. The students asked fantastic questions and learned so much. Please ask your child the following:

How did the house get to the museum?
How long did it take to get it built?
Instead of nails, what did the construction workers use?
(There is a wonderful video on the museum's site showing how the house was built.

My second graders are just about done with their beautiful country study boards. Now, each child is creating a "restaurant" and a powerpoint presentation to show guests what delicious foods their country has to offer.

In math, we spent time reviewing/introducing regrouping. We will continue with this difficult skill next week.

And, finally, my literacy group learned to use a table of contents and an index.

Don't forget to check out the photos below.

Shabbat Shalom,

Hamorah Caren

Driving the bus . . .  .Oh no!

Sitting inside the Japanese house.

Working together to learn how to regroup.

Friday, April 11, 2014

Dear Families,

This week the first and second graders created a bar graph showing the height of several different kinds of penguins. Then, they were able to answer questions about the penguins using the information they graphed. They also measured themselves in inches and determined which penguin was closest to their height. And, last, they found out and marked where in the world several different types of penguins live. (All penguin work will go home at the end of the unit.)

My math group began a unit on place value. We completed several fun activities. For example,  students were given task cards such as take the numbers 7, 2, 9 and 4. Put the 7 in the tens place, the 2 in the thousands place, etc. Read the number. All of my students were so motivated and created numbers into the millions! Now, we need to learn to read the numbers!

This morning we cleaned our classroom and searched for chametz. What great cleaners!

Wishing everyone a wonderful Pesach break!

Shabbat Shalom,

Hamorah Caren

Proudly displaying the lowest number and highest number made with picked numbers.

Friday, April 4, 2014

Dear Families,

We had a wonderful trip to the Chabad in Natick for the matzah making workshop. Check out the photos below.

My math group continued to learn about graphs: pictographs, line graphs, bar graphs, etc. Our next unit is place value.

My literacy group reviewed possessives in addition to reading some fabulous books such as The Littles series by John Peterson and The Henry and Mudge series by Cynthia Rylant.

The second graders are so busy working on their country study boards. We can't wait for all of you to see their finished work!! I'm still looking for a volunteer to do some cooking with the kids right before the fair.

And, finally, my science and social studies students made a graph to show the height of different kids of penguins and then they compared the heights to themselves. Next week we will learn where different penguins live.

Shabbat Shalom,

Hamorah Caren

Rolling out the matzah dough. 

The chametz station.

Grinding the wheat.

More grinding . . . . 

Learning about how matzah is made.

Friday, March 28, 2014

This week my science and social studies class continued learning about penguins. Do you know what a rookery is? Do you know what a penguin does if it doesn't have enough rocks to make a nest? Ask your first or second grader!

My math group reviewed bar graphs and line graphs.  Next we will look at pictographs. The most important thing we learned this week is that we have to READ all of the information about a graph before we can understand it. Now that it is spring, I am pushing all of my students to read all directions carefully before they say, "I don't get it!"

My literacy group learned about possessives. The kids had a great time cutting out various pictures of people, animals and objects and making different pairs (the penguin's ice cream, the girl's magnifying glass).

And, finally, grades 1 and 2 completed the science experiment for the Science Fair. Will wheat grow in a straw without soil? If you want to know, you'll have to find out at the fair!

A reminder that our trip to Chabad in Natick is this Monday. The kids are looking forward to learning about how matzah is made.

Shabbat Shalom,

Hamorah Caren

Morning math review on elapsed time.

Some of my literacy students displaying their beautiful dioramas.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Dear Families,

The students had a great time celebrating Purim on Monday. The carnival was fun and it was  exciting to see all the wonderful costumes!

My math group completed their "Best Day" maps in inches as well as our unit on measuring. Check out the final products in the hallway.

My literacy group finished learning about plurals this week. We covered the rules for s, es, y, f and fe. We also learned about exceptions to the rules. Check out the Dinosaur Cafe menu that went home on Wednesday.

And, finally, grades 1 and 2 worked on their weekly science observations. Out of the 30 wheat seeds that we placed in straws, 28 are growing or changing.

Shabbat Shalom, 

Hamorah Caren

Friday, March 14, 2014


Dear Families,

This week in science/social studies we learned about Rockhopper penguins. The kids did a great job researching interesting facts about them. We generated a class list and compared it to our class list of Emperor penguin facts. Then, the kids filled in Venn Diagrams to compare the two on their own.
We also made adorable penguin covers to contain all of our work. They could choose a template or design their own.

My math group learned about area, volume and measurement this week. We are in the middle of creating our own "special day" maps. When the maps are complete, we will measure, in inches, the distance between all of the stops during our special days.

My literacy group began learning about plurals this week. So far we have covered changing the "y" to an "i" and adding an "es" as well as how to determine whether a word needs an "s" or an "es."

Our science experiment is well underway. Some of our wheat seeds have sprouted in some of the straws, but not all.

Reminders:
Next Monday is our Purim carnival. Please send your child to school in a costume.
Also, no school on Friday due to parent/teacher conferences. Please sign up!

Shabbat Shalom,
Hamorah Caren

Friday, March 7, 2014

Dear Families,

This week, as we continued our unit on geometry, my math students learned how to solve for perimeter. We looked at all sorts of shapes to practice and then we created some "perimeter art." The students were given one inch squares and asked to create a unique shape. Then, using one inch pieces of yarn, they marked the shapes and determined perimeter. Check out their work in the hall!

My literacy group continued to practice contractions. We also continued with writer's workshop (one of the favorites of the week). The students are becoming quite the authors! They write stories with amazing detail and great illustrations. Several days a week our class authors share their finished products with the rest of the group.

In Social Studies we began learning about Emperor penguins. The students were put into groups and given information to read. They had to determine which facts they thought were the most important and then record them. Together as a class we compiled our lists and made one class poster.

We had a successful pajama day and ice cream party. See our "pajama twins" below.

And, last, grades 1 and 2 began their science experiment for the science fair. Will grass and wheat seeds sprout and grow through a straw? Through a curly straw?

Shabbat Shalom,

Hamorah Caren

Friday, February 28, 2014


Dear Families,

Our first week back from February break was a busy one!

We spent Monday celebrating our 100th day of school. The students made posters to display 100 items, they did fun worksheets involving the number 100 and they had a "scavenger hunt" to find 100 items hidden within five containers of colored foam.

My math group began learning about symmetry as the first part of our unit on geometry. We looked at many different shapes and pictures of different items and tried to find a line of symmetry. Then we made our own creative symmetrical designs using construction paper, scissors and glue. Check them out in the hall!

My literacy group began to learn about contractions this week. We will continue to practice in class. Although the students didn't know the term "contraction," they all knew what they were. Please help your child to practice at home using the flashcards that we made in class.

And, last, we spent our first "Science Friday" learning about how important it is to follow specific steps when conducting an experiment. Teachers modeled for the students how to make a bowl of cereal. Then, the students were put into groups and together they had to write and illustrate the steps to brushing their teeth. We will begin our grades 1/2 experiment next week.

Reminders: my math group is having a celebratory ice cream party on Monday (Tuesday is the make up date) and grades 1/2 will be having a pajama day on Tuesday.


Shabbat Shalom,

Hamorah Caren

Friday, February 14, 2014

Dear Families,

This week we spent some time preparing for our 100th day of school by making signs and working on our 100th day posters. We will have our celebration after our February break so that all of our students can participate.

Our immigration unit has come to a close. I hope that everyone was able to check out our "walking tour" of Ellis Island that is hanging up on the bulletin board by the front door of the school. Next up, penguins!

First and second grade "walking tour" of Ellis Island.

And, finally, our time unit has also come to a close. After break we will begin a unit on geometry.

Wishing everyone a fabulous February break!

Shabbat Shalom,

Hamorah Caren

Fabulous book report mobiles!

Working on the stairs at Ellis Island.

Drawing the "health inspection" at Ellis Island.

Friday, February 7, 2014

Dear Families,

This week my literacy/grammar class focused on using commas in a list. Next week, we will learn how to use commas when separating city and state and when writing the date.

My math group is finishing up our unit on telling time. My goals for the unit were to tell time to the minute and solve simple elapsed time word problems. Everyone did a super job! After vacation we will move onto our Geometry unit.

And, last, the first and second graders continued working on their "walking tour" of Ellis Island. Their posters look amazing! We will finish before vacation and the bulletin board should be up by the end of the week!

Shabbat Shalom,

Hamorah Caren

K-2 Dance Party Birthday Celebration for Will!

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Dear Families,

This week the first and second graders started a fun project. It is our job to decorate the bulletin board in the front hall in a couple of weeks. So, we began to learn what is was like to go through Ellis Island, step by step, when coming to America as an immigrant many years ago. There is a wonderful website for kids from Scholastic which takes viewers on an interactive tour of Ellis Island and we used that as a guide. The students are working to represent each step of the way, from arrival to inspection to entering New York. When we are finished we will display our work as a "walking tour" for the rest of the school. In addition, we read a beautiful story called The Memory Coat by Elvira Woodruff. Rachel and her family arrive at Ellis Island and their cousin receives a chalk mark "E" on his back as he is inspected at Ellis Island. Will he be able to enter America?

Shabbat Shalom,

Hamorah Caren

Friday, January 24, 2014

Dear Families,

We had a short but busy week!

My math students are really becoming experts at telling time and answering elapsed time word problems! Throughout the day I ask them fun time questions and I love to see how they support one another and work together to come to an answer.

Typical Morning Message with an elapsed time question.

Because of the holiday and the snow day, we only had immigration once this week. We shared a story called American Wei by Marion Hess Pomeranc. It is the story of a little boy from China who comes to America and on the day he is to be sworn in as an American citizen, his tooth falls out and he loses it. How will he find it in time and make it to the court house?  We also got caught up on some other immigration work that we started last week. Next, we will be learning about Ellis Island and making our dream jars.

Reminder: no school next Friday, January 31st for professional development day.

Shabbat Shalom,

Hamorah Caren

Friday, January 17, 2014

Dear Families,

This week as we continued our study of immigration, we read a story called The Dream Jar by Barbara Pryor. Valentina's family has moved to New York and her dad's dream is to be able to have his own store. Everyone in the family works and adds money to the "dream jar" until they have enough. All Valentina hears is that she is too little to work, until finally she realizes that she too can help. She ends up teaching English to the people in her tenement building. We discussed ideas such as what could the first and second graders do for jobs to help their families. We also discussed their dreams. Shortly, we will make our own "dream jars."

We also spent some time learning all about Martin Luther King, Jr. We shared a story, wrote adjectives to describe MLK, shared our dreams to make the world a better place, and we even played MLK Bingo with our Shabuddies.

Shabbat Shalom,

Hamorah Caren

Learning to tell time!

Tu B'Shvat seder

Israeli Emmersaries

January 10, 2014

Happy New Year!

This week my math group began to learn how to tell time. I was so impressed at how quickly all of the students picked up the new concepts. It took them only one day to go from reading time to the hour to time by the minute! The students were even able to start answering elapsed time word problems.

My grammar group learned all about synonyms and antonyms this week. Next, we'll move on to homonyms.

For immigration we read three wonderful stories. First, we shared I Hate English by Ellen Levine. Mei Mei is afraid to speak English now that she is in America because she fears she will forget how to speak in Chinese. To Mei Mei, her language was the most special thing she had from China. Afterwards, the students were asked to think of four items that they would bring with them if they were to immigrate to a different country. Next, we shared Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say and we learned about Venn Diagrams so we were able to compare Japan (where Grandfather was born) and America. We also had a little fun and compared ourselves to our parents. And, finally, we read The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco and we created our own class "quilt." Patricia's family quilt was made of a dress that her great grandmother had from Russia. Our class "quilt" is made up of pictures of our most special possessions.

And, from our Guest Blogger, Ella:
"Math was really fun this week because we did telling time. And, in immigration, we read a good story. We worked on our stories in Writer's Workshop."


Shabbat Shalom,

Hamorah Caren