Class 2

Hi! My name is Annette Warnick, and I am Meridian's Second Grade teacher. Second Grade at Meridian is a time for students to leverage the reading skills they have acquired in Kindergarten and First Grade to discover a whole new world of knowledge.

At the beginning of the school year, Class 2 becomes Meridian's "Mariners," setting sail for a year-long "Oceans of Fun" adventure. Our classroom becomes a vessel for exploring students' interests and the diversity of topics in the state's Core Curriculum. Thematically sampling every continent, the class works together to chart a specific course, keep a log of our adventures, and ãdrop anchorä at intriguing stops along the way.

Sailing the seven seas together means being "shipmates." Students take turns as First Mate, placing them in the spotlight while serving in leadership roles. At other times, students may have other responsibilities such as Quartermaster, Deck Officer, Line Lieutenant, Fishery Steward, etc. Each role reinforces the student's sense of self while recognizing their unique contribution to a larger community. In the process, student's gain an appreciation for the value of cooperation and the realization that everybody has something to offer to our learning mission.

As we explore together, we focus on strengthening our reading and vocabulary skills, putting them to work discovering places, cultures, people, and ideas through literature. Part of the classroom is dedicated as "Imagination Island," a cozy corner for exploring the world through books. Nearby is the "Treasure Chest," a collection of books featuring the spotlight author of the month. "Writers' Reef" features our word wall, where sight words are caught in our net of knowledge for use in studentâs creative writing activities.

These activities are further supported by literature centers, guided reading, and shared reading and writing exercises. The goal is to help students move past the mechanics of reading and writing and become fluent in the world of ideas and imagination.

Students strengthen math skills daily in "Countersâ Cove." Moving beyond algorithms, we reinforce critical number concepts through scenarios relevant to the journey e.g. planning provisions to bring along; budgeting expenses; measuring time, distance, and temperature, etc. We discover number tools native to different cultures, such as dominos and the abacus, and use them to understand place value and practice core arithmetic concepts. Students develop expertise with graphing, estimation, fractions, and story problems during their adventure.

In the "Navigation Station" students learn to read maps by interpreting map symbols to explore concepts of scale, orientation, and navigation. This part of the classroom is the captain's cabin for working together to chart our course and make critical decisions about which countries to visit. Students then formulate questions about each destination and use information books to answer them. Further investigations take place at "Discovery Dock," where a culture of asking questions and developing skills to answer them is reinforced.

Throughout our experience, my goal is to help each student develop a stronger sense of self and begin to think about the unique role they can play in a larger world. I strive to inspire and build upon their sense of wonder and quest for knowledge. I want students to recognize their capabilities for questioning, searching, and working together to deepen their understanding of their world, and I want them to establish a foundation for creative expression to respond to that understanding with their own unique contributions. My hope is that students will lose, and discover, themselves in "Ocean's of Fun" through fiction, non-fiction, biographies, fieldtrips, special projects, guest speakers, and all the experiences we craft together as Meridian's Class 2 Mariners.