With the help of Mrs. Wright, the 2nd graders worked together to create rosemary sachets.  Using rosemary from the garden and rosemary oil, along with donated cloth and other materials, students followed multistep directions to create the stress reducing sacks.  We plan to donate them to a local group home.

We have been busy finalizing letters to our pen pals in Liberal, KS.  Students eagerly read the first letters, peppered with questions, and responded with information about their favorite food, animal, and sport.  We made sure to ask follow up questions to learn more about our new friends and what life is like in their town and school.  

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.2
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.1
Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

On Tuesday we were visited by Miss Colleen and Annie, from Susan B. Anthony in Torrington, who presented the second graders with strategies for dealing with conflicts.  They related with Annie about how it feels when they get angry, and what to do about it.  Each student received a book mark with TAKE 5 on it, reminding students that when they get upset, it is a good idea to take a break...count to 5, do 5 jumping jacks, or 5 deep breaths.  They talked about compromising with a friend they disagree with, taking turns, and getting an adult to help if those strategies do not work.