Most Learning Community families recently came to the United States from another country. To begin our annual school-wide exploration of immigration, one second grade class talked about how it feels to move to a new place. They made collages that represented how they feel and wrote down some of their ideas. Our conversation about moving got us ready to connect our own experiences to things that happen in books. We are reading a series of books that explore immigration from a different point of view. We are talking about each book and forming our own opinions.

1. How I Feel About Moving
Most Learning Community
families recently came to the
United States from other
countries.
To begin our annual school-
wide exploration of
immigration, one second grade
class talked about how it feels to
move to a new place.
They made collages that
represented how they feel and
wrote down some of their ideas.

2. How I Feel About Moving
Moving to a new place
makes me feel sad because
I miss my dad, my cousin,
my old house, and my old
friends.
Alexandra

3. How I Feel About Moving
Moving to a new place
makes me feel happy
because I had rats in my
old house in Pawtucket.
One went in my room and
under my bed, and when I
went to get milk, the rat
jumped on my feet.
Aylin

4. How I Feel About Moving
Moving to a new place
makes me feel sad because
I miss my sister from
Ecuador, my horses, the
mud, the orange tree, and
my grandpa and grandma.
Anthony

5. How I Feel About Moving
Moving to a new place
makes me feel sad because
I was in Tennessee when I
moved, and I never got to
say goodbye to it when my
dad moved me up here.
Jaylyn

6. How I Feel About Moving
Moving to a new place
makes me feel happy and
sad because you get to be
in a new house, but I don’t
like moving to a new home
because of packing and
being squished in the car!
Averi

7. How I Feel About Moving
Moving to a new place
makes me feel sad because
I left my friends and my
two-year-old sharks. It
was in Puerto Rico and the
sharks grew bigger and I
swam with them.
Vidal

8. How I Feel About Moving
Moving to a new place
makes me feel sad because
in John Street I felt sad
when my cousins left.
Jacob

9. How I Feel About Moving
Moving to a new place
makes me feel happy
because I got to have a dog
and I was happy. I also
didn’t like my old house
because we couldn’t have a
dog, but my landlord had
one.
Angelina

10. How I Feel About Moving
Moving to a new place
makes me feel happy
because I got to go to a
new place and meet new
friends. Sometimes I
changed schools and
neighborhoods and
sometimes I stayed in the
same school.
-Michael

11. How I Feel About Moving
Moving to a new place
makes me feel mad
because I had rats in my
old house. I did not like it
when they used to crawl all
around the house.
Karina

12. How I Feel About Moving
Moving to a new place
makes me feel happy
because I don’t have to go
on the bus and my sister
can pick me up.
Jessie

13. How I Feel About Moving
Moving to a new place
makes me feel sad because
I thought I would not have
any friends. That is why I
did not want to move.
Pablo

14. How I Feel About Moving
Moving to a new place
makes me feel mad, sad,
and happy because I used
to live with my cousin in
New York City (sad),
because there were beetles
in my house (happy), and
because my cats went to a
farm and I miss them
(mad). I can’t have them
back.
A’Jadah

15. How I Feel About Moving
Moving to a new place
makes me feel happy
because there was a big
shadow outside my freaky
window and it was scary.
Camilo

16. How I Feel About Moving
Moving to a new place
makes me feel happy and
mad. I was mad because
my friends were there. I
was happy because there
were crooks and they stole
my uncle’s 360. He had to
buy a new one.
Jashon

17. How I Feel About Moving
Moving to a new place
makes me feel nervous
because I like to stay in
one place, and I get shaken
when I move to a new
place.
Camilo

18. How I Feel About Moving
Moving to a new place
makes me feel happy
because I could find all of
my many Titanic movies.
Hector

19. How I Feel About Moving
Moving to a new place
makes me feel good
because I get to meet new
friends and have a new
house.
Mia

20. How I Feel About Moving
Moving to a new place
makes me feel happy
because we can get use to
living and doing lots of
stuff together at a new
house.
Amber

21. How I Feel About Moving
Moving to a new place
makes me feel happy
because I can find my
soccer ball and find all my
money.
Darrius

22. How I Feel About Moving
Moving to a new place
makes me feel happy
because I get to see my
family.
Jahir

23. Books We are Reading About Immigration
Our conversation about moving got us
ready to connect our own experiences to
things that happen in books. Each of these
books looks at immigration from a different
point of view. We are talking about each
book and forming our own opinions.

24. Thank you for listening to our voices.
Jill Strandson & Allie Hills’ Second Grade
The Learning Community, Spring 2009
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