2nd Grade

updated 03/16/2026

2nd Grade GATE Winter 2026 Highlights

What a wonderful few months it has been for our second graders!

To wrap up December, students took part in the Snowman Competition through the New Jersey Shore Consortium for Gifted Programs. They designed and built snow characters using at least 50% recycled materials, connecting their creations to one of the Seven Pillars of Character. They also reflected on how their designs met the specific criteria and constraints of the challenge, and it was wonderful to see their creativity and problem-solving shine.

When students returned in January, we dove into logic puzzles from the PETS curriculum, which stands for Primary Education Thinking Skills. These activities are designed to strengthen reasoning, flexible thinking, and problem-solving in a way that feels really accessible for young learners. Students practiced identifying patterns, eliminating incorrect choices, and explaining their thinking out loud. The puzzles have been a wonderful way to build confidence and sharpen analytical thinking while tackling challenges that require real critical thinking skills.

Students have also been busy preparing for our upcoming STEAM Convocation with a special focus on the Arts. We explored portraiture and talked about how artists tell stories through their work, and how portraits often include subtle clues about a person through things like clothing, props, facial expressions, and background details. From there, students created their own self-portraits, thoughtfully choosing elements that reflect their personalities and interests. We also learned about Pablo Picasso and how his development of Cubism helped change the art world by encouraging artists to show objects and faces from multiple perspectives all at once.

Students are really looking forward to the STEAM Convocation, where they will take part in hands-on workshops and creative learning experiences led by our eighth-grade GATE students. It is going to be such a fun and inspiring day!