Grade 1-2 Archives - Page 7 of 43 - Berkshire Country Day School

Grade 1-2 Tin Lanterns and Horn Books / Early November 2016

Dear Families,

We continue to work, run, play, consider, construct, demonstrate and illustrate both in and out of the classroom.

I hope the slide show below gives you a sense of how focused and engrossed the class was in practicing their Colonial penmanship before we started making our own Horn Books using Colonial lettering in Social Studies class. We also finally made it up to the shop and started making our tin lanterns from the tin cans that you provided. We froze water in them so they would keep their shape in the vices, and then with hammers and nails they tapped out patterns similar to ones we have seen in our study. We plan to have them ready for your Thanksgiving tables.

In Science the class continues to learn more about the ocean and all the varied and complex life that lives within it. Their Ocean Study Books will be going home soon so they can share with you all they have learned in this unit.

The play at the Mahaiwe was great fun. A flyer went home in backpacks yesterday with some details about how the theatre company put together those complex costumes that light up in the dark.

Thank you, as always, to our wonderful class parents who do such a good job keeping us up to date about classroom events. Their emails will keep you up to date on all upcoming activities.

Best Katharine and Kay

By BCD Blog|2016-11-10T16:38:47-05:00November 10th, 2016|

Poetry Cafe and Colonial Games October 20, 16

Dear Families,

Although we are all disappointed that we had to postpone Lower School Mountain Day, there are still many wonderful things happening in our classroom. Our trip to Hancock Shaker Village continues to inspire the children to learn all that they can about Colonial times in Social Studies class. Wednesday afternoon the children worked in two separate groups and enjoyed playing indoor and outdoor Colonial games. Be sure to ask your child which one was her/his favorite or most challenging. They are also working in partners on learning about specific aspects of Colonial life, from the clothing that people wore to what happened if you broke a rule in school!

On Wednesday we invited the Pre-K and K classes to join us for an event we titled “Poetry Café”. The first and second graders recited individual poems that they had each chosen to learn earlier in the year. From Jack Prelutsky to William Blake the children did a wonderful job projecting their voices, annunciating their words, and speaking with expression. The Pre-K and K joined us for snack before heading back to their classrooms.

Our study of the ocean continues in science. The class has been divided into three groups to study in depth the three light zones: Sunlight, Twilight, and Midnight. Ask your child which zone he/she is studying. We have created a large ocean mural on the wall which you will be able to see when you come in for Parent-Teacher conferences next week.
If you have not done so already, please sign up for a conference time. If none of the times work for you, please let us know and we can find a time that is more convenient for you.

Thank you to Diana and Greer for our first lunch bunch. What a treat.

The slide shows below are from Grandparent’s Day,and some more recent shots from making our ocean mural, our Poetry Cafe, and playing Colonial games inside and out! Also, making butter without a churn, and a quiet moments from reading and choice times.

We hope you enjoy them,

Best,
Kay and Katharine

By BCD Blog|2016-10-25T15:02:08-04:00October 20th, 2016|

October begins in First and Second Grade

Dear Families,

As I’m sure you’ve heard, our trip to Hancock Shaker Village was just wonderful. As we begin our study of Colonial Times, it’s so helpful for the class to have this hands-on experience and tour through Colonial buildings, kitchens, barns etc. The blacksmith shop warranted two visits as did the Discovery Barn. Our guide had us washing wool (hope those ziplocs kept things dry in the backpack home) and then showed us how to use a spinning wheel, how cheese was made and what herbs were taken for different illnesses. Thank you to Mrs. Doherty and Mrs. Heady for coming along.

The second slide show below shows the students as they worked to finish writing out their pocket poems, writing in their science journals and enjoying some Choice time together. Also the 2nd grade students working with Cuisinaire rods in Math class.

We are looking forward to having our Grandparents and Friends visit tomorrow.The Lower School will do a short poem they’ve written as part of the Assembly. The class will share some of their work and poetry with their Grandparents and have an activity in our classroom after the Assembly and Chorus with Mr. Martin.

I also want to share with you what I told the class this morning. I was very proud of them on the trip, they asked thoughtful questions, did a great job taking turns and were respectful to our guide and all the adults they saw. It was a great first trip indeed.

Wishing you all a lovely holiday weekend with your families and friends,

Katharine and Kay

By BCD Blog|2016-10-25T15:02:09-04:00October 6th, 2016|

4th Grade Adventure to Art Omi!

Last Friday, our Fourth Grade students visited Omi International Arts Center in Ghent, NY, where they had an opportunity to get up-close and personal with internationally renown sculptural works. In conjunction with their study of architecture, the class focused on the sculptures of Architecture Omi, a special program that facilitates projects exploring the intersection of architecture, art and landscape – a sixty-acre ‘architect’s playground’. Highlights of the experience included meeting Chilean artist Nicolas Arancea Muller who shared insight to his building process and investigating ReActor, a 44-foot by 8-foot structure that rotates 360-degrees atop a 15-foot concrete column. After our trek in The Fields, we enjoyed a much-deserved picnic lunch on the patio. The students are excited to get back to work on their own architectural models in the BCD studio!