Projects in 2nd Grade
This year Second grade will
participate in projects
involving other elementary
classrooms around the country
and the world.
* In September we
begin the Travel Buddy projects. We will
mail Betsy
Bear, Curious George
and Unum the American Eagle to other classrooms. These stuffed animals will take with them a
journal/scrapbook created by our second grade; when the buddies return to us we
will be able to read about classrooms and communities in other places. Throughout the year we will “host” mascots
from other classrooms adding digital photos and journal entries to their
scrapbooks. Responsible families will
have the opportunity to "host" at night and on weekends.
* This will be the fourth
year that second grade participates in the Flat Stanley project. In late October or November we will read Flat
Stanley by Jeff Brown. (Children
should not read the book in advance;
however, it is certainly not a problem if they are already familiar with the
book.) In the book Stanley is peacefully
sleeping one night when a bulletin board falls on him and flattens him! He's flat, but he's still okay! We will create our own Flat People and glue
them to a journal cover. We'll host
Stanleys from other schools as well as send a few of our journals to other
places. "Hosts" pretend that
the flat person is visiting and write in the journal or answer questions about
the school, city, state, weather, and climate.
* Last year second
grade started a pen pal relationship with Ms. Yasmine’s class at the Green
Valley School in Cairo, Egypt. We will
again exchange letters and cards with her children. This international relationship is a
wonderful opportunity to emphasize the similarities all people share.
* USA Postcard Project
We will mail postcards
to each of the other participating USA classrooms and receive postcards in
return. This project begins in October
and ends December 15th. This exchange
has been organized by another teacher; we're hoping that all 50 states will be
represented! We'll keep track on a map
in our classroom and also keep a checklist on-line.
* All of the above projects involve writing about what our lives here
in NY and the USA are like. For
example: I went to Reilly House to visit
the residents. I made a leaf craft. I
learned that I can make someone smile.
Children's last names, phone numbers, or addresses are not anywhere in
the journals or scrapbooks. Sample pages are available for you to look at. The pen pal letters would probably include
basic information about families (for example the # and names of
siblings). I will discuss these projects
in greater detail at Open House on Tuesday and will be very happy to answer any
questions you may have.
I need to know if any parent is
uncomfortable allowing their child's writing to be mailed to another
classroom. I'll also take digital photos
of students working and playing. I will
not include your child's photo any journals or scrapbooks without your
permission. (Group photos will not
include your child.) No photographs of
children are posted online anywhere.
Please return this
permission/non-permission form to school as soon as possible so that I can
immediately begin planning this year's projects. (I need to know how to group children if I'm
photographing them.)
Student Name _________________
___ Please do not mail my child's writing to anyone.
___ You may mail my child's writing to another school, but do not
include any
photographs of my
child.
___ You may mail my child's writing including digital photographs
of him/her
working or playing
to another school.
Do you want to "host" a travel buddy?? Our first should arrive the last week in
September.
J Your child brings home one of the stuffed
animals sent to us from other schools. The
animal stays with you either overnight or over the weekend and then returns to
school. RETURNING THE BUDDY PROMPTLY IS
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
J While having the travel buddy the CHILD with
an adult's assistance writes down what they did with the buddy. Students are provided with the paper to use
in the travel buddy's folder or journal.
(In the fall, a parent might need to do some of the writing but should
not be doing ALL of the entry.) RETURN
THE BUDDY EVEN IF YOU DISCOVER THAT YOUR CHILD DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO WRITE AN
ENTRY. Go ahead and do an entry later
and send it into school.
J If you wish digital photographs can be taken
and e-mailed to me at school and I can print them out. (Printing at home is fine.) Regular photographs are fine, but need to
arrive in school before the buddy moves on to the next location.
J The child shares the entry during Morning
Meeting.
J Hosting is completely voluntary. I will not send a buddy home without an adult
accepting responsibility for the care and return of the buddy.
____ I'd
like my child to have a turn "hosting" a travel buddy.
____ At
this time I would NOT like my child to bring a travel buddy home.
Any special events coming up??
I try to accommodate requests.
__________________________________________________________________________
___________________________ _________
parent signature date