Dear Grade Two Parents,

Happy Transitions Week! Students enjoyed celebrating all they have accomplished this year in grade two and are excited for their move to grade three, whether it is at UNIS Hanoi or a different school around the world.  Students staying at UNIS visited one of the grade three classrooms and learned about the highlights of grade three.  Students moving on celebrated their time here in Hanoi by decorating ribbons and creating a beautiful banner.

Thank you

I want to say thank you very much to all of the parents in 2D for the lovely gifts that Ms. Hang and I were given today. We appreciate them very much. The photography of Hanoi is absolutely fantastic. 2D spent the day completing many end of year events. The students had their first taste of grade three during Move Up Morning today. After that we reflected on the experience and finished our last unit of inquiry by posting about our unique totem poles on Seesaw. This afternoon we celebrated our year by watching the democratically chosen film Night At the Museum 3 and eating popcorn. This has been a special and memorable school year for us all and I sincerely thank you all for your ongoing support. Have a wonderful weekend.

Reminders

• Tuesday, June 9 is the last day of swimming for Grade Two
• The sun is out and it is getting hot. Always bring a hat, and a full water bottle to school.
• All library books are due back in the library.

UOI

For our final week of inquiry into How We Express Ourselves, students learned about Native American totem poles as a form of cultural expression.  Throughout the week, students viewed, read, and discussed how and why totem poles are made, and what they mean.  Students then created their own totem poles based on their values and personal iceberg.

Math

In math, students investigated arrays and repeated addition as building blocks for multiplication. They created a birds eye view map of a zoo, using arrays to design rectangular enclosures for their favorite animals.

Literacy

In reading this week, students continued to practice reading with expression and fluency as they enjoyed performing fairy tales through  Reader’s Theater.  Ask them to tell you about the role they played. In writing, students learned about and wrote different types of poetry.

Best regards,

The Grade Two Team

Dear Grade Two Parents,

Happy Arts and Music Week! Students had a great week getting musical and creative during our daily Arts activities.  They made wonderful music in our Assembly on Thursday! 

Reminders

• Next week, Grade Two students will continue swimming in PE lessons. Please refer to the email sent home this week for more information or contact Mr. Hamilton at aquaticsmanager@unishanoi.org
• The sun is out and it is getting hot. Always bring a hat, and a full water bottle to school.
• Next Friday is Moving Up Morning, where we will celebrate all we have accomplished in grade two and visit our new grade three community (either in the real world or digitally!).  Students moving on from UNIS will have special activities during this morning.
• Students will need a paper towel roll for next week’s UOI final project.
• All library books are due back in the library.

UOI

This week we inquired into different forms of cultural expression through workshops learning about and making masks and textiles, creating new hairstyles and dress, and performing plays. Ask us how we expressed our values and creativity during these activities.

Math

Continuing our inquiry into Shapes and Geometry, students explored nets and created 3D shapes.  They divided shapes into equal pieces, and began an exploration of multiplication through arrays.

Literacy

In reading this week, students practiced reading with expression and fluency.  They enjoyed performing Reader’s Theater with their classmates.  Ask them to tell you about the role they played. In writing, inspired by different Arthur stories by Marc Brown, students planned, drafted, revised, and edited realistic fiction stories.

Best regards,

The Grade Two Team

Dear Grade Two Parents,

Happy Wellness Week! We had a fantastic week of celebrating health and wellness. Each morning the PE department hosted a morning meeting full of fun, energizing activities. Next week is Art and Music Week and we are looking forward to getting creative and musical. 

Reminders

Next week, Grade Two students start swimming in PE lessons. Please refer to the email sent home this week for more information or contact Mr. Hamilton at aquaticsmanager@unishanoi.org

Grade Two is doing a project and needs paper towel rolls. Please send your rolls to school! Thank you

The sun is out and it is getting hot. Always bring a hat, and a full water bottle to school.

UOI

This week we started our last unit of the school year: How We Express Ourselves. Cultures express their creativity in many ways. Students reconnected with the theme and central idea of this unit by thinking about how their values and actions have changed over the school year. Ask us how our values have changed and grown this year!

Math

We started our Shape and Geometry unit this week. Students began to learn the vocabulary to name, describe, and classify 2D and 3D shapes. They may be looking for shapes at home!

Literacy

This week students continued to read and write fiction stories. They drafted their stories and learned how to revise and edit drafts, and make their stories come alive for a reader using active, descriptive language.

Best regards,

The Grade Two Team

Dear Grade Two Parents,

The entire grade two team was so happy to welcome students back to the campus, and for some, new digital classrooms. The students have handled the transitions skillfully, calmly, and with flexibility. None of this would have happened without your support. Thank you very much. Now we can, fingers crossed, look ahead to an eventful end of year in grade two.

UOI

This week students chose to take action by preparing a presentation about a resource. Students could choose to make a poster, piece of 2D or 3D art, or write a story, poem, or reader’s theatre. Our Sharing the Planet unit finishes this week. 

Next week we end the year with our last three weeks of How We Express Ourselves. This has been an ongoing unit of inquiry for grade two this year. We have inquired into festivals and learning more about Vietnamese culture and special events. To finish the year we will look at how similar values are expressed uniquely in different cultures. 

Math

This week students solved word problems using addition and subtraction and mental math. They also completed a 3 Act Math Task, number talks, and played math fluency games. 

Next week we start our final math unit of the year, Geometry and Shape.

Literacy

This week students consolidated their reading and writing skills while recognizing Book Week at UNIS-Hanoi. Students read stories and identified fiction story elements and the author’s message. They also planned a monster themed story using a story map and began to draft a fiction text. 

Best regards,

The Grade Two Team

Dear Parents,

Thank you for the productive and focused learning conversations on Wednesday. I feel that it was really beneficial for our students to see that school and home have a strong connection and to communicate about the learning happening in and out of school. Students spent a good amount of time reflecting on their goals and preparing for the learning conversations. We welcome any feedback you might have. Have a fantastic Tet holiday.

Reminders

Tet Holiday January 24-31. See you back at school on Monday, February 3.

Global Read Aloud Day is Wednesday, February 5. It is a day to celebrate the power of listening to a story. 2D would love to have parents come in and read a story to the class. All languages are welcome! Please email Mr. Kenny if you can come in. Students also encouraged to share a favorite picture book in their native language.

UOI

This week we dipped into our How We Express Ourselves Unit-Cultures express their creativity in many ways. Grade 2 started the week off with a field trip to the Temple of Literature and a nearby Tet Market to look for signs of how Vietnamese Tet is celebrated and to learn more about Vietnamese culture. This week we also have four Tet inspried lessons taught by the Grade 2 Teaching Assistants: Ms. Hang, Ms. Hue, Ms. Ha, and Ms. Hoa. We learned some calligraphy, made a lucky money envelope, did the bamboo dance, and made fresh spring rolls.

Dear Parents,

This week we have had several students in our class out of school for influenza. This time of year the flu season has most definitely arrived. In an effort to try to keep us all as healthy as possible I am promoting regularly hand washing, with soap, to help prevent the spread of any germs. We have also talked as a class about drinking plenty of water, and getting a good amount of sleep, as preventative measures. Hoping for a healthy start to 2020 for us all!

REMINDERS / INFORMATION

• We will be going on a field trip on Monday morning 20th January 2020 as part of our Celebrations unit to inquire into Tet. We will be visiting the Temple of Literature. Remember to pack a jacket, wear comfortable walking shoes, bring a hat, a water bottle, and a snack.

Upcoming Events

• January 17: Beginning of Semester 2
• January 20: Grade 2 Field Trip
• January 21:  Report Cards available on Veracross
• January 22 (Wednesday), 8:00-4:00: Student-Parent-Teacher Conferences
• January 24 – February 2: Tet Holiday

UOI

This week students wrapped up the WWAIPT-We explore to discover and understand the world around us. Students are posting their Google slide presentations on Seesaw, and putting the final touches on the vehicle or tool they engineered in the maker space for their explorations. Next week, we dip into our How We Express Ourselves Unit-Cultures express their creativity in many ways. We will be focusing on the Vietnamese holiday of Tet, and other Lunar New Year celebrations. Students will look at why and how this holiday is celebrated and compare it to other celebrations.

Math

This week students continued measurement in math. We practiced telling time using analog clocks. To the hour, half hour, and quarter hour. We also started to measure length using centimeters.

Literacy

Students worked to publish an information report this week on very fun paper. They also read non-fiction books in their reading groups, and did some word inquiry into the word act.

Buddies

We presented our Google slides to our buddies. They were very interested in our topics!

Dear Parents,

Next week students in 2D will be building a tool or vehicle in our maker space that they would use on their exploration. The students are using recycled materials from our class and maker space to build their designs. I have asked students to bring in any recycled material they have at home to use for their build. It might be a paper towel roll, cereal box, plastic bottle, yogurt cup, can, etc. However, please do not buy anything for this project. We are trying to be as sustainable as possible and use materials that might just end up in the trash. Thank you very much for your support with this.

REMINDERS / INFORMATION

• We will be going on a field trip on Monday morning 20th January 2020 as part of our Celebrations unit to inquire into Tet. We will be visiting the Temple of Literature. The permission form will come home Monday and please return by Friday 17th January. We are looking for a parent to join the trip! Please email Mr. Kenny if you are interested. Leaving at 8:30 and coming back at 11:00.
• What:Grade 4 Market Day
  When: TUESDAY 14 January 10:45-12:00
  Bring: maximum of 100,000 VND to spend
  The products and services being sold will range from 10,000 VND to 50,000 VND.  All profits will go to organizations that support Children’s Rights

UPCOMING EVENTS

• January 14: Grade 4 Market Day
• January 17: Beginning of Semester 2
• January 20: Grade 2 Field Trip
• January 21:  Report Cards available on Veracross
• January 22 (Wednesday), 10:00 – 18:00: Student-Parent-Teacher Conferences
• January 24 – February 2: Tet Holiday

UOI

This week students began designing their vehicles or tools for their individual explorations. Students started by thinking of possible problems they might encounter on their journey which they then engineered solutions for in their designs. We will be building theses designs in Maker Space next week. Stay tuned to the process.

Math

We started with week off with some revision of our addition and subtraction strategies. We then moved to learning about telling time. Students made an analog clock and practiced telling time using the language: o’clock, half past, quarter past, quarter to.

Literacy

Students planned and drafted out an information report about Komodo Dragons, and continued reading non-fiction books.

Dear Parents,

I would like to wish everyone a peaceful and relaxing winter break. The students have been working very hard at school since we began in August and they deserve the down time to play and rest. That being said, I would request that students continue with their reading while on holiday. Every student has a Reading A-Z log in located inside the front cover of the reading log. It is also a great time to pick up books in your mother tongue while you are visiting home, or find yourself in a location with nice book shops. Thank you all for your ongoing support. Happy Holidays!

Ways to Make Connections to School Over the Break

• Where We Are In Place and Time (Exploration)
  For several weeks, students in grade two have been inquiring into the central idea: We explore to discover and understand our world. “Exploration” can take place in another city, another country or even right here in Hanoi. Some areas to think about or talk about over the break are:
  – What did you need to pack?
  – Where did you go? What transportation did you take?
  – What interesting discoveries did you make? (landmarks, natural wonders, sights, food, culture)
  – How has travel and exploration affected your destination? Are there any positive or negative impacts?
• How We Express Ourselves
  In this year-long unit we are exploring how cultures express their creativity. Some things you can discuss with your child over the break are:  Are you celebrating anything over the break? What do you do that is special? What traditions do you have? What does your family or culture value?

UPCOMING EVENTS

• 14 January Grade 4 Market Day
• 20 January Grade 2 Field Trip to the Temple of Literature (part of our year-long unit)
• 22 January Student-Parent-Teacher Conferences
• 24 January – 2 February Tet (Lunar New Year) Break

The Design Process in 2D

After a week of learning about how cultures express their creativity through winter celebrations students designed and made an object or decoration that represents a festival. Check out the photos below of us making our ideas a reality.

Dear Parents,

This week brought us some crisp, cool air and a sense that our Winter Break is just around the corner. Our field trip to the Botanical Garden couldn’t have been better. Everyone explored the garden and made many interesting discoveries. It was also a lovely opportunity to enjoy one of the few large green spaces in central Hanoi. A big thank you to all of you for making sure your child was prepared for our trip, and a special thank you to Michaela for joining us as a chaperone. Please find some photos and important reminders below.

Information/Reminders

The week before winter break (Dec. 9-13) we will be reconnecting to our How We Express Ourselves unit by exploring festivals that are celebrated around the world at this time of year. To help your child explain any festivals that you celebrate, I will be sending home a homework sheet on Friday. Could you please fill out this sheet with your child and return the sheet by Monday December 9 so that we can use it in class. Thank you!

Winter Break December 16-January 3. No School. See you back at school on Monday, January 6.

Guest Speakers are still welcome this week if anyone would like to share a winter celebration, or any celebration, with the class. Please let me know if you would like to come share your culture with us.

UOI

This week we took our first field trip of the year to explore the Botanical Gardens. Students collected data about what they saw and made sketches of their discoveries. We then took that data and used it to make bar graphs in math. Students also finished their research for the individual explorations and began their google slides presentations to show what they have learned.

Math

Students focused more intensely on subtraction this week by practicing three different strategies: using a split strategy, an empty number line, and models. These are the same strategies we used for addition but they can be much trickier when applied to subtraction. We also solved some subtraction story problems and made bar graphs.

Literacy

Students began drafting their own information reports this week. They also read non-fiction books for enjoyment and to learn fun new facts. Because our work with unit of inquiry requires research skills and writing skills are unit of inquiry and literacy are very intertwined at the moment.

Dear Parents,

Field Trip for Grade Two!

Monday, December 2,  Field trip explore to the Hanoi botanical gardens.We will be leaving school at 8:30 and taking the bus back at 11:45 to be back in time for lunch. Please be sure to pack the following items: a water bottle, snack, hat, comfortable walking shoes, a jacket if it’s chilly, a backpack that holds those items and that your child can carry. We are explorers!

Request for Presenters! The week before Winter Break, Grade 2 is going into our How We Express Ourselves unit once again to inquire into winter festivals. We have previously inquired into Vietnamese festivals such as the Moon Festival. If you would like to come and present to the class about a winter festival significant in your culture please email me and let me know. This will be the week of December 9-13.

UOI

This week students chose their focused area for their individual exploration and used non-fiction texts and a collection of online resources to gather facts and information. Our inquiries are taking and shape. Be sure to ask us where we are exploring and find out what we know. Also, Mr. C came to class twice this week to show us how to use Google Earth. So cool! Many students looked up cities they lived or where they are from. Try Google Earth at home, it’s free!!

Math

This week we began our work with double digit subtraction. We started with modeling our thinking using unfix cubes and base ten blocks. We are learning to regroup by breaking a ten into ones. We will continue to transfer our skills from addition to subtraction. Next up, story problems and empty number lines.

Literacy

Students have begun planning and drafting their own information reports this week. They created their own lists of expert topics for their reports. Find out what topics we are experts on. You might be surprised!