Friday, December 14, 2012

Friday December 14

Hi everyone!

We had a great day today!  We had two PE activities in the gym.  I was gone in the morning taking care of my sick child.  The guest teacher said the morning went very well.

We had a little treat, and a little movie, a little reading and a little choice time.  It was a nice afternoon.

For all who brought gifts, a big thank you!  They were both unexpected and exceptionally thoughtful!  They will certainly add to a relaxing break at my house.

I did not send home any homework or work packets.  This is such a precious and magical time; keep reading everyday and enjoy your time together.

On a personal note...
I was reminded today of a song from the movie White Christmas:
"When you're worried and you can't sleep, just count your blessings instead of sheep..."
Count your blessings, hug your babies close.  
And during this holiday season, I wish for you all whatever brings you the most joy.
See you in 2013.
Blessings...

Thursday, December 13, 2012

December 13

Today we wrapped up our comparative study of eight classic fairy tales.  It was such as treat to watch Peter Pan come to life!  Your children have completed a fairy tale book full of many different projects we worked on to demonstrate our understanding of the stories we studied.

News and Compliments:

"I really liked when Mrs. Robb complimented me when I was getting my table cleaned up. " Sami
"I really enjoyed the Dreidel game." Catalina
"Even though at first Sami didn't know how to play, I appreciated it when he played Dreidels with me because I did not have a partner." Bailey
"I enjoyed the art project!" Zac & Peter & William & Ava & others...
"When I was reading through the Fairy Tale bucket, it was interesting to learn that the Disney princesses come from real fairy tales." Grace
"I enjoyed learning about all of the fairy tales!" Peter

Don't forget, tomorrow library books and homework!  See you then!


Wednesday, December 12, 2012

12-12-12

Happy Birthday Sami!

We had a short day due to the late opening, but were still quite busy.

News and compliments:

"I liked the new math game "Cover Up". Zac
"It was nice when Della and Catalina played with me at recess." Grace
"Catalina and Kora played "Make the Sum" with me." Maddy
"Ava read So You Want to be an Inventor with me." Hannah
" I enjoyed quiet reading when Grace read Kim Possible with me." Savannah
"I enjoyed reading with Colin during quiet reading." Evan

See you tomorrow!

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Tuesday December 11

“I left the fairy tales lying on the floor of the nursery, and I have not found any books so sensible since.”  ― G.K. Chesterton

 Today we experienced the story Rumplestiltskin.  Then we created a pop-up scene showing our favorite event and wrote a description of the event.  The projects look great!

News and Compliments:

" I really liked Grace's rewritten fairy tales!" Catalina
"I enjoyed the book Rumplestiltskin and the project!" Peter, Cole, Sami and others
"Zac was very nice when I was playing "Make the Sum" with him during math." Bailey
"Katie and Ava played "Make the Sum"with me during math" Grace
"Katie and Ava played with me at recess when everybody else was busy." Hannah
"Lainey and Riley played "Make the Sum" with me during math" Savannah
"Thanks Mrs. Robb for playing "Make the Sum" with me!" Teddy

As you can see, "Make the Sum" is a very popular game that allows student to practice mulitple number combinations to 15.  

Just a reminder, school begins at 10:45 tomorrow!  See you then!

Monday, December 10, 2012

Monday December 10

Happy Birthday Grace!

This was a nice start to the week.  During math, we worked on the concept of finding the missing number in any place in an equation.  For example:

2 + 8 = 2 + ___ + 6        OR               10 - 3 =  ____ + 4

This concept is built on the understanding that the equals sign means "the same" not "the answer".  Students also need efficient strategies for solving equations to 20.
If you are writing equations for your child to solve for homework, write a few like this, using multiple digits on each side of the equals sign.  Use both addition and subtraction.  This is a nice challenge for most of the students.


News and compliments:

"I liked it when Della and Kora played with me at recess because we don't get to play that often." Grace
"I liked making holiday cards for art today." Calvin
"I liked it when Cole played with me at recess." Sami
"Grace taught me how to play basketball during recess!" Kora


See you tomorrow!

Friday, December 7, 2012

December 7 -Pearl Harbor Day

I believe it's much better to engage in dialog with children to explain the difference between fantasy and reality. Then they are better equipped to deal with people who might have taken it (fantasy) too far.”
J.K. Rowling


Today we heard and studied Hansel and Gretel.  They were a very brave brother and sister who had a happy ending after all of their troubles.  We also had some time to reinforce/practice mathematics we had been learning all week.

News and compliments:

"I liked making the witch's house for our Hansel and Gretel project." Ava & Grace
"It was really nice that Hannah showed me the math games that I missed." Grace
"When I finished my math work, Mrs. Robb gave me a nice compliment" Sami

Thanks to all for another great week!  See you Monday!



 

Thursday, December 6, 2012

December 6

“For most of human history, 'literature,' both fiction and poetry, has been narrated, not written — heard, not read. So fairy tales, folk tales, stories from the oral tradition, are all of them the most vital connection we have with the imaginations of the ordinary men and women whose labor created our world.”
Angela Carter


Today we read and talked about "The Emperor's New Clothes."  Why did all of those people lie to the Emperor?  Why was a child the only one who told him the truth?

Here are news "bites" and compliments from the class:

 " I enjoyed today's fairy tale." Catalina

 "I liked it when Sami played "Make the Sum" with me during math." Colin
"It was nice when Hannah played "Cats and Mice" with me during math." William
"Thanks to Mrs. Robb for helping me when I got stuck during math.  After she helped, I understood what to do!" Seth
"Evan played a math game with me." Cole
" Madeline played "Make the Sum" with me during math." Della
"Bailey played a math game with me when everyone else was busy working." Riley
"It was nice of Kora to play a math game with me." Savannah

As you can tell from reading their compliments, we have been spending much of math working on individual and partner "games" to increase our fluency and strategies for adding and subtracting to 20.
The time we spend on math Work Places can be a little bit loud, but the students are engaged in important learning.  This is an important time of learning each day and I encourage each student to use their time well.

Remember homework and library books tomorrow!
 

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Peter Pan! December 5

“All the world is made of faith, and trust, and pixie dust.”
J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan



As you can imagine, the only thing we really had on our minds today was Peter Pan!  It was a GREAT show, great costumes, staging, and songs. If you have younger siblings at home, you might want to get tickets for yourself and your family.  A special thanks to all of the parents who drove and supervised!  I mentioned that it might be fun to dress up a bit for the performance...
A little blurry, but here are some of the snazzy outfits...

Me, in purple velvet and Zac in his tie!  :)


Of course we also had math and reading time today after lunch.  We wrote "fact families" for numbers, for example, 4+5=9, 5+4=9, 9-4=5, 9-5=4.  When looking at addition and subtraction facts this way, mathematicians can make connections between operations and see how numbers relate to each other.

Thanks again for all the help today!  See you tomorrow!
 

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

December 4

“When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than any talent for abstract, positive thinking.”
Albert Einstein

 Today our fairy tale study was Peter Pan.  There was much magic, sword fights, good and evil characters.  We can't to see the interpretation on the stage tomorrow!

A few things about tomorrow:
If your child uses a booster seat, please bring it tomorrow. 
Also, tomorrow it might be nice to dress up a little nicer since we will be at the theater.  We do not have PE on Wednesday, so nicer clothes would be ok.  We do sit on the carpet though, so keep that in mind.  This is not a requirement, just a thought...

News and compliments:

Sami liked the new math game, "Numberline Showdown"!
"It was nice when Della and Riley played "Make the Sum" with me during math." Savannah
"I appreciated it when Aoife played "Shake, Reach, and Record" with me." Hannah
"I liked it when Mrs. Robb played the new math game with me." Cole


I really enjoy working one-on-one with your children, particularly during math.  Until just recently, I have not been able to sit and enjoy a math game with a student because I have had to monitor distracted/distracting behavior during independent and partner work time.

In order to free up my time to give students more individual attention, our class has been working hard to be "self-managers" during school hours. We drew and talked about what that meant:  basically, each student should be able to manage their own behavior during school so that I can teach, not manage.  If this can happen, we can get much more learning accomplished.   As a group, there are good and not so good moments of self-managing.  I really enjoy the good moments because I can really get to know the learners in this class- one of my favorite things!  This is a learning goal we are all working to achieve.

See you all tomorrow!  Yeah field trips!

Monday, December 3, 2012

Monday December 3

Hi everyone!  It is December, and we have been learning together for 56 school days!

Today we read a story called Amazing Grace about a girl who has a wonderful imagination and never gives up her dreams.  We also learned a new math game to give us practice working with number lines, and created some festive holiday art!

If you are driving on Wednesday, I have either spoken with you personally or sent you an email with details...

News and compliments:

"I enjoyed the holiday art project!" Zac
"When I asked Maddy to read a book with me during quiet reading time, it was very friendly when she said yes." Savannah
"I enjoyed having Ava as a partner when we played a Math Work Place." Sami
"Peter is a good friend because he made me an amazing paper airplane during choice time." Evan

Don't forget, we are having a canned food drive to benefit families in need this season.  Please give if you are able.




Friday, November 30, 2012

Friday, November 30

“Classic fairy tales do not deny the existence of heartache and sorrow, but they do deny universal defeat.” Greenhaven Press


A big thanks:
Thank you to the following families who were able to donate a new book to the classroom from the school book fair:
Katie's Family
Kora's Family
Teddy's Family
Ava's Family
and Aoife, who bought a book for the class out of her own allowance.  Thank you so much!

 Field Trip:
I will let you know this weekend who we will need to drive and more details.

News and Compliments:
"I liked learning the math game "Cats and Mice" Calvin 
"I liked it when Madeline played Bucket of Bugs with me during math." Grace
"Peter helped me find a cool book during library!" Sami

Have a wonderful weekend!
 

Thursday, November 29, 2012

November 29

"If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales.  If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales." Albert Einstein

Today we shared the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood.  I asked the kids to think about the lesson of this story, (or, why have parents told this story to their children for so long?).  They decided:
1. Don't talk to strangers. 2.  Listen to your parents!  Both are very good lessons for all!

News and compliments:

"We learned a new math game called "Make the Sum." Katie
"I liked making a Red Riding Hood book." Colin
" I enjoyed playing a math game with Mrs. Robb." Grace
"At recess, it was nice when Zac and Colin let me play 2-square with them." Hayden
"Lainey was a good friend when she played a game with me at recess." Savannah
"It was really nice when Aoife helped me figure out a crossword puzzle during Literacy Centers." Seth
"I enjoy solving crossword puzzles because they are fun." Sami

Remember, bring homework and library books tomorrow!


Wednesday, November 28, 2012

November 28

"Fairy tales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten." G.K. Chesterton


 Today the fairy tale we read and discussed was Jack and the Beanstalk.  We wondered why Jack went up for the third time even though he had enough eggs to make him rich from the hen?
"We created a beanstalk "storyline" about Jack and the Beanstalk." Ava

During math, we analyzed and discussed a subtraction chart with facts to 18.  We are jumping into addition and subtraction strategies through our discussions and Work Places.
"I enjoyed math because we learned a new game." Grace

Compliments:

"Aoife was really nice while we were working on our math job." Savannah
"Kora volunteered to be my partner for the new math game, Bucket of Bugs Subtraction." Riley
"I'm giving a compliment to Catalina because when nobody would play with me at recess, she did!" Katie

Field Trip:  At this time, I have enough drivers for the trip.  Thanks for the help!  If you did not get to drive this time, I will put you at the top of the list for the next time!

Have a great day!




Tuesday, November 27, 2012

November 27

Today we began our Fairy Tale study with Goldilocks and the Three Bears.  I posed these questions to the students:  What is Goldilocks doing?  Should she have gone into the house?  Would the story have been interesting if she had not? 
During math, we created a subtraction chart with facts to 18.

Field Trip:
Our field trip is next week on Wednesday!  I need to get permission slips from all students ASAP.  If you have volunteered to drive, thank you!  At this time, we have enough parents to drive all of the students in our class.

Thank you...
Thanks to Kevin and Andrea for hanging our art in the hall this morning.  It looks great...and saved me a TON of time! 

Have a great day! 

Monday, November 26, 2012

Monday November 26

Happy Birthday Zac!

Today we were very busy.  We read and discussed the book "Animals in Winter"and learned a new poem about Thanksgiving.  During writing, we talked about using time words to connect our sentences.  We also completed an art project inspired by a paper collage called "Beasts of the Sea" by Henri Matisse.  We learned a new game during math called "Shake, Reach, and Record".

News:  We will not have a class book order in December due to the shortness of the month and the current school book fair this week. 
Also...if there is a volunteer who can help for a few minutes tomorrow...I need to get the artwork the students completed today hung up in the hall!  Shouldn't take more than 20 minutes...if you are dropping off your child in the morning and can hang around to help, great!

Compliments and News:
" I really enjoyed art because I like creating." Riley
"I liked the art project because I got to fold paper shapes." Sami
"I liked when Della played with me at recess because we both stopped what we were doing to play with each other." Grace

See you tomorrow! 


Friday, November 16, 2012

Friday November 16- Pictures

We had a very busy day!  Here are some of the things we did:

"I enjoyed the cut out turkey project!" Riley
"We all really enjoyed making a final project ant book!" Hayden and the rest of the class!
Here are some pictures.  Take a look at your child's project.  All I can say is WOW!





" I enjoyed learning more about the pilgrims by watching Charlie Brown's "Mayflower". Evan

Compliments:

"When I was outside, Madeline and Catalina were playing and they let me join in!" Hannah
"Kids were playing with me at recess." Grace
"Grace and Savannah were nice to me when they won a game." Lainey

Have a wonderful week!  I am looking forward to having a chance to chat with you all during conferences next week. 

Thursday, November 15, 2012

November 15

We had a special visitor today: Barb and Abby the dog visited from the Oregon Humane Society to teach us a little about dog safety and care.  Abby is such a sweet dog; she let everyone pet her and then asked for more!  The kids really enjoyed the visit. Ask your child what they learned during the visit.

Please bring your homework tomorrow!

"Riley and Catalina played Achi with me." Grace
"When I asked Della and some other friends to play with me at recess, they said yes." Savannah
"We played "Roll and Count" during math" Riley (So we could practice the addition strategy "counting on" Mrs. Robb)
" I enjoyed the ant learning.  I really liked watching 'Magic School Bus Gets Ants in Its Pants'. Peter and Calvin
"When I was playing outside I asked Hannah to play and she said yes." Aoife

See you tomorrow!

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

November 14

Today your child brings home a permission slip for a field trip in December.  We are going to watch a stage production of Peter Pan.  Keep an eye out for the paper!

Today we discuss, drew and wrote together about the four main ways that ants positively impact our ecosystem.  Ask your child about it!

Compliments and news:

"I liked The Ant and the Grasshopper project!" Calvin & Grace
"Aoife and Hannah were especially nice to me today" Savannah
"Thanks to Teddy for designing the cover of our class thank you card!" Mrs. Robb

"When I asked Lainey to read with me, she said yes."
"Riley let me play with Kora when she wanted to do something else."

see you tomorrow!

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Monday November 13

I hope you all enjoyed some extra family time this weekend. 

First, a big thanks to Dr. Kathleen Johnson, Grace's grandmother for visiting us today.  Dr. Johnson is a retired entomologist who agreed to teach us more about ants.  She brought in live Thatcher ants that are native to Oregon.  She showed us some very interesting pictures about ants and explained why ants are such an important part of our ecosystem.  Thanks again!  :)

A personal thanks to Grace and her family for donating the first installment of "A Series of Unfortunate Events" to our classroom library. 

Compliments:
"Kora and Catalina complimented my necklace." Katie
"I liked making the Addition Facts to 20 chart during math." Madeline
"Della was a really nice partner during math." Savannah
"At recess, Ava played 2 square with me." Grace

See you all tomorrow!


Thursday, November 8, 2012

November 8

Hi Everyone!  Here are some news and compliments from today!

"I liked working in my Number Corner book during math." Grace

"I liked making the ant book about what ants do at different times of the year." Sami

All of the students enjoyed watching the actual footage of ants defeating a spider and crab. We also watched how ants make an ant bridge with their own bodies and an ant raft to float the colony to dry land when their nest floods.  Wow!  Amazing ANTS!

"I liked scrubbing tables at the end of the day." Zac
(I love how fresh and clean the room is! Mrs. Robb)

"I enjoyed the read aloud about stepping back into time and finding out how the first Thanksgiving was celebrated." Aoife

"It was nice when Peter gave me a paper owl." Seth

Teachers will be working hard tomorrow to prepare for conferences.  I hope you all enjoy some quality family time this long weekend.  See you TUESDAY!  :)

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

November 7

News and compliments:

" I liked how when I asked Savannah to play Race to 100 during math, she said yes!" Madeline
"I liked writing equations from the story 12 ways to make 11." Ava
"I liked the Types of Ants book-thanks for letting me work on it at home!" Teddy
"Sami and Evan were playing a math game very quietly so other students could learn." Mrs. Robb
"I liked how Grace played with me at recess." Catalina
"Ava played Race to 100 with me." Grace


That's all for today!  :)

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

November 6

Busy busy day!  Here are news and compliments:

"Ava read with me at quiet reading." Katie
"I liked learning about ant predators and watching ant videos." Calvin and others
"I liked writing about ants." Evan
"I enjoyed watching the ant movies because they showed us ants up-close." Grace
"Peter played with me at recess." Bailey

That's all for today...have a great evening!

Monday, November 5, 2012

Monday November 5

Hi Everyone!  A few things before our student "report".

1.  We had a wonderful class party last week!  Please help with the costs by donating $3-$5 to the party committee.  There is an envelope by the door you can put the money into or hand to me.  Thanks!

2.  I need clean and sanitized styrofoam meat trays for art if you have them.  Thanks!

3.  Thanks to all who ordered books this month.  Everyone who ordered receives a gift certificate for a book from Scholastic.  Your orders made it possible for me to receive nine new books for the classroom library! Wow!  Here are the titles joining our library:

Brave (novel)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
2 Puppy Tales chapter books
Gulliver's Travels
Lift the Flap: Sharks
National Geographic Kids: Mummies
National Geographic Kids:  Sharks
Magic School Bus: Inside a Volcano
Esio Trot by Roald Dahl

This month, the book order will be due by Friday the 9th - This Friday!  I want the books to get to you before the long break.  I will put a rush delivery order on them to make sure. 

News and compliments:
"I liked making tissue paper turkeys- the tissue paper looks like feathers!" Sami and many others
"Catalina played a math game with me." Katie
"Aoife and Hannah were nice when they played with me." Savannah

Ask your child about the bird with an ant on it's feathers project!
See you tomorrow!

Friday, November 2, 2012

November 2- Hurray for Friday!

Just a few things today...we were very busy at the end of the day and did not have time for our normal "giving compliments" routine.  However, I would like to thank Katie, Della, and Ava who volunteered to help kids who were absent put together some of the "ant books" we've been making. 

Also, independent reading and writing work went home today, as well as school pictures and a letter from the foundation.

During the past week, we have been writing our own ant math story problems.  Then the students went "shopping" for story problems to solve. Here are a few pictures of the story problem wall.






Thanks for all of the support of the learning we do at school.  Have a great weekend!

Thursday, November 1, 2012

The day after...November 1

The kids were actually pretty good today given the festivities of Halloween. No sugar crashes that I noticed!

What we did today and compliments:

"William helped me fix my ant project." Aoife
"I enjoyed making the ant books about how ants communicate."Colin, Peter, Della, and others.
"I enjoyed playing a math game with Della."William
"Sami played Hour or Bust with me" Hannah
" I enjoyed the ant story problems." Ava
"Hannah read with me during quiet reading." Della
"I really liked quiet reading because I read a Harry Potter book." Grace
"When I had a hard time figuring out a story problem, Mrs. Robb helped me!" Seth
"Aoife and Madeline were good friends today." Savannah

Homework tomorrow!  See you then!

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

October 31 Happy Halloween- Photos!

Photo heavy, word light.  In case you were wondering what was on everyone's mind today...Our Halloween Party!!!
Creepy Crafts!


Beanbag Toss

Halloween BINGO!


"Smarty" pants!

Eating Our Homemade Carmel Apples!

Messy But FUN!


Amazing Planning Committee and Party Workers!


       
I am so impressed!  If laughter, giggles, messy faces and hands are any indication of a good party, this one was a blast!  A huge thanks to Carole, Katie, Nicole, Rosemary and Andrea. 

Have fun tonight!  Happy Halloween!

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

October 30

Tomorrow is Halloween and I feel the excitement in the air.  For the month of November, the students are designing the calendar pieces.  I have asked them to think of 3 things that November makes them think about.

Please be on the lookout in student backpacks today for several pieces of "mail" for you, the parents.  

News and compliments from the day:

"We liked writing our math story problems." Cole & Zac
"It was nice when Ava read Amelia Bedelia with me." Katie
"I liked reading with Savannah, Colin and Sami," Grace
"When I asked Catalina to read a story with me, she said yes." Madeline
"Kora, Lainey, and Hannah were nice to me today." Savannah
"I liked our ant project today.  We made a little book that tell about the jobs ants have in the ant colony." Colin
"I enjoyed listening to "Are You and Ant" book." Peter
"I liked the book "13 Nights of Halloween" Sami

See you all tomorrow!  Remember, no costumes, but bring your great attitudes and smiles!


Monday, October 29, 2012

Monday October 29

Hello!  October is zooming by...I can't believe it will be November this week!

Today we were very busy.  Here are news reports and compliments from today:

"When I could not find a learning partner on the carpet, Savannah said she would be my partner." Aoife
"I liked it when Katie helped me round up the pencils to sharpen." Madeline
"I liked the art- we used liquid glue and tissue paper and I have never done that kind of art before!" Calvin and many other students
"I liked designing the ant math story problems. "William and Teddy
"Reading the story Two Bad Ants was fun because it is told from an ant's point of view." Grace

As you can see, we were very very busy today!

Just a reminder:  Please have your student complete any work attached to the homework cover sheet.  This work reinforces math concepts learned at school.  Your child gains much understanding with your one-on-one support.  Thanks!

See you tomorrow!

Friday, October 26, 2012

October 26, Friday

Hi everyone!

From the class:
"I enjoyed learning about the life cycle of an ant today!" Peter
"I liked writing today because we got to read our published stories to the class!" Madeline

If you still want to order books, please do so before 8pm tonight. (L6VB8 order code)

We did not have library today because the library aide was out sick.

Have a great weekend- hopefully not too many of you are playing soccer out in the rain!

Thursday, October 25, 2012

October 25

Hi everyone!

Reminders:
If you are able, join us for Family Math Night from 6-7 this evening.  There are five fun math activities to try (and some candy to be eaten!).  Our room will be open as I am hosting "M&M Math".

Homework tomorrow!  Thanks!

Thoughts from the kids:

"Aoife helped me when the math was hard." Savannah
"I liked the ant math story problems!" Cole & Grace
"When I asked Hannah to play a game at math, she said yes!" Della

Thanks everyone!  I hope you were able to get outside in this beautiful weather today!

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

October 24

Hi everyone...sorry no blog yesterday...I was home taking care of sick family who are now on the mend!

Compliments:

"Katie volunteered to help Catalina finish a project she missed when she was gone." Mrs. Robb
"Kora helped me count during Race to 100 game." Savannah
"I liked it when Calvin made me a paper airplane during choosing.  It was very nice of him." Della
"Mrs. Robb helped me solve a problem." Grace
"When I asked Della to play a math game, she said yes." Aoife
"Catalina made me a cool heart design during choice time." Katie

Thanks to all the students for being helpful and kind to the guest teacher yesterday. 


Just a reminder:  Last day to order books for this month is Friday! 

Monday, October 22, 2012

October 22

October is flying by!  Speaking of flying, today we created folded paper owls for seasonal decorations.  They are decorating our lockers for now, but we can take them home on Friday so they can decorate your home!
"I liked art!" Calvin

"I liked making paper owls and sorting buttons into groups of 10's and 100's" Aoife

"Catalina complimented my owl." Hannah
"At recess when nobody would play with me, Riley did!" Grace.

Just a reminder, I am still in need of small plastic containers for art.  If you have yogurt, cream cheese or other similar sized containers, send them on in!  Thanks!

Friday, October 19, 2012

Friday October 19

We had a very full day with reading, writing and math.  We had some nice time for observing and writing about ants.  We were so busy with our Friday choice time that we did not have time for compliments today!  Too bad!  :)

We had our quarterly Second Grade birthday bash today.  Students who had birthdays in July, August, September, and October were recognized with a little gift and all Second Graders were able to enjoy a little treat and Magic School Bus video.  We will have two more celebrations this year so all students will have a chance to be recognized!

Thanks for all the support of your child's learning at home.  I am watching excited, motivated learners everyday, and you are a big part of that.

Have a wonderful weekend!

-Mrs. Robb

Thursday, October 18, 2012

October 18

We had much more "ant talk" today.  We labeled the parts of an ant according the the uses.  For example, we wrote that ant jaws are used for many purposes such as chewing, cutting, biting and carrying.  We measured 14 meters in the hall: that is how wide army ants fan out in a swarm, and we started a new book: Ant Attack, which we are reading and writing about!

Compliments:
" I liked it when Riley played One Hour or Bust with me." William
"Special thanks to Bailey for picking up a CD from a CD book and finding the book where it belonged without me even asking." Mrs. Robb
"I liked it when Riley complimented my ant story writing." Sami
"Hannah gave me the book that we made." Catalina
"Seth offered to let me play Race to 100" Hayden
"When I asked Catalina to play Count and Compare 2', she said yes!"Maddy
"Sami played a math game with me when everyone else was busy working."Seth

Remember, bring your homework tomorrow!  :)

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

October 17

Today was day 30 of school, which is a nice milestone.  We learned the "three" song today, a cute little song which gives us practice with counting by multiples of three.

"I liked the three song!" Calvin & Teddy


During math, I posed this question:  Why do we measure the length of objects?  Ask you child what they think the answer is...
Here are some thoughts about math today:

"I liked math." Peter
"Today at math centers, Ava played a math game with me." Katie
"I liked that Sami played the counting by 2's math game with me." Evan
"Peter played Race to 100 with me." Cole
"Hayden gave me a compliment during math." Bailey

More ideas and compliments about the day:
"Riley was really nice to me" Aoife
"I liked seeing new ant tunnels." Grace
"I like when Evan helped me spell a word." Sami

The weather is so beautiful right now...such a pretty view of the changing leaves from our classroom.
Have a lovely day!  See you tomorrow!



Tuesday, October 16, 2012

October 16

We were very busy today with special events.  We saw our ant farm for the first time.  The harvester ants inside are quite busy building tunnels and chambers.  They are very interesting to watch.

We also were able to paint our clay totem designs- can't wait to see how the colors turn out when they are fired again.

Finally, we were lucky to have the "tree lady" come and give us wonderful information about many kinds of trees and show us a huge leaf and huge seed pod and huge cone!  She also helped us make paper (it's drying now and we will take our paper home when it is dry.)

"I enjoyed learning about trees." Peter
"I liked making paper." Ava
"I liked painting clay totems." William

Compliments:
"Grace, thank you for being willing to tie someone's shoe without being asked." Mrs. Robb
"Katie read the I Spy book with me when I asked." Madeline
"Colin helped me design a haunted house drawing." Seth
"When I didn't like how my totem was turning out, Della told me it was cool.  That made me feel better." Aoife

Reminder: 2 hour late opening tomorrow!

Monday, October 15, 2012

October 15

I hope you all had a restful three day weekend.  I really enjoyed the extra time with my family.

Call me crazy, but I am loving the rain because it finally feels and looks like fall- such a beautiful time of the year!  The leaves outside our classroom windows are fabulous!

Today we experienced a lovely story that we will retell during our independent work time: Charlie Anderson.  Have your child retell this story to you!

We also learned more about ant anatomy.  Did you know that ants have two stomachs?  One stomach is for the ant's own nutrition, and the other is used to hold food for the grubs or queen ant.

Compliments:

"Cole was kind when he helped Teddy lift a heavy bucket of books. " Mrs. Robb
"When Bailey's water bottle fell on my arm, he said sorry." Riley
" Hannah waited for me so we could read a book together during quiet reading time." Aoife
"I enjoyed reading I Spy with Calvin, Catalina, and Calvin during quiet reading time." Grace

We are painting our clay art tomorrow!  See you then!

Thursday, October 11, 2012

October 11- Student Book Order code & info

Hi!  We had another busy day.  You child brought home their independent literacy center work today.  Remember, this is independent thinking and writing that reflects their time management as well as reading and writing.
We had our Writing Workshop time and began our own stories.  Later, we found information about ants in non-fiction books and shared that information with a group.


Please return book orders by Friday, October 26.  The simplest way to order is on-line and you get many incentives to use this on-line system.  Our class code is L6VB8     Book orders are voluntary.


Compliments:
"I liked it when Catalina was nice to me when I fell." Ava
"Bailey complimented my picture." Sami
"Hannah was very nice to me on the playground."  Savannah
"Hannah played with me when nobody else would." Grace
"Calvin said that he thought my picture was the best in the world." Bailey


That's all for today...enjoy your three day weekend!


Wednesday, October 10, 2012

October 10

Today we began our research study of ants.  We are entomologists who are focusing our study on amazing ants!  There will be an ant farm to observe, books to read, and reports to write.  I anticipate this unit of study taking approximately 5 weeks.  Let me know if there is an "ant expert" out there who wants to share their knowledge with the class...we would be thrilled to learn from you!

Our COGAT testing went very well.  I was very proud of all of the students- they were quiet and respectful and worked hard for almost and hour...whew!  Great work guys!

Remember: bring your homework tomorrow since there is no school on Friday.

That's all for today!

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

October 9-Pictures of measuring....

Our last Special Person was Kora who told us a story about watching the circus as the Rose Garden.  We have had 24 days of Special Person and we learned so much about each other.  Thank you students for sharing your stories with the class.  We look forward to hearing more and learning more about you and your families this year. Tomorrow, we begin immersing ourselves in a new subject to study....

Compliments:
" Cole impressed me as a team leader during math today.  When a member of his team was looking upset, Cole helped him feel better and rejoin the team.  Wow!"  Mrs. Robb
"Kora and Lainey let me play with them on the playground." Grace
"When I told Catalina about the concert I went to last night, she was happy for me. "  Hannah
"Evan was willing to share a project with me."  Bailey
"I enjoyed the measuring job!" Kora

Well, here was the job...the students were in groups and given an animal with it's length. The mathematicians had to measure how long the animal was, make a piece of paper that long and write the length in inches, feet, and yards, then decorate the paper to represent the animal.
Here is how they did:

Evan was this team leader.  The boys measuring the length of a komono dragon: 10 feet!

Cole was this team leader and they measured the length of a tiger: 10 feet!

Ava was this team leader and her team measured the length of a dolphin: 15 feet.

Grace was this team leader and they measured the length of a boa constrictor.

William's team measured the height of a female giraffe: 14 feet.

Katie's team measured the height of  an elephant; 10 feet!













Great job mathematicians!  See you tomorrow!

Monday, October 8, 2012

October 8

Happy Monday!  Today our Special Person was Colin!  He told us about going swimming while vacationing because it was very hot.  Thanks for the story Colin!

What we did today:
Today we practiced measuring in yards.  We have been working on measuring in inches, feet, and yards.  Try estimating the length of some items in your home, then confirming the estimate with a ruler. 
"I enjoyed choosing new jobs." Peter


Compliments:
" When the girls were playing teacher on the playground, they let me be the teacher helper." Aoife
"Kora was nice to me." Savannah
"Cole played Race to 100 with me." Evan
"I liked it when Catalina read to me." Ava
"It was nice when Cole complimented my art." Teddy

A few things:
Remember, homework is due on THURSDAY because there is no school on Friday.
Also, a very nice parent brought a gray fan to our room when it was still very hot.  I have forgotten who that parent is.  If you brought the gray fan, feel free to pick it up at your convenience.  Thanks!

Friday, October 5, 2012

October 5

Today the Special Person was Cole.  He told us a story about playing Wii with his mom.  Almost all of the kids have played some kind of electronic game, so that gave us much to write about. Thanks!

Today Evan turned 8.  Happy Birthday!

What we liked today:
"I like special person because we get to know more about the other people in the class. "  Peter
"I liked measuring with rulers during math." Kora


Compliments:

"Aoife listened and was nice to me." Savannah
"I felt bad for Evan when he hurt his eye." Calvin
"I liked it when Katie and Savannah helped me during math." Sami
" At recess, Katie played with me." Madeline
"Peter has been very nice all week." Bailey


Have a wonderful sunny weekend...enjoy the sun while it lasts! - B

Thursday, October 4, 2012

October 4

Today our Special Person was Riley.  She told us a story about the goats on a farm she visited with her family...fun!

A classroom has many jobs, and on Monday, your child chose a job for the week.  Paper passer, door closer, teacher helper...there are many jobs in a classroom.  Each Monday, the kids will choose a new job for the week.   The kids in the room 13 are great helpers!

Compliments:

"William, Catalina, and Calvin did a great job cleaning up the very messy art bucket- and William helped even though he did not make the mess!" Mrs. Robb
"Lainey made me a paper purse." Hannah
"Peter showed me how to make a paper airplane, and Colin read "Runaway Pumpkin with me when I asked." Evan
"Bailey said he liked my picture." Calvin
"When I was sad, Grace was nice to me." Catalina
"When I asked Peter to make me a paper airplane during choice time, he did!" Bailey


Don't for get your homework and library books tomorrow!

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

October 3

Today our Special Person was Evan.  He told us a story about visiting OMSI and seeing the Star Wars exhibit.  I remember when that was in town and it was very interesting... thanks for sharing Evan!

Just so you know...the playground was approx. 93 yards from gym to fence...how many feet is that?

Compliments:
"Aoife gave me the yeardstick during math and I didn't even have to ask." Lainey
"Hanna made me a phone during choosing." Aoife
"Catalina helped me spell rainbow when I asked" Katie
"Savannah helped me on the playground." Grace.

Below is a picture of all the wonderful volunteers and artists from yesterday!

Have a great day!

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

October 2

Della was our special person today!  She told us a story about seeing a deer up close during a family trip to Sun River.  Seeing such beautiful animals up close are magical moments so thank you for sharing!

This week and next we are working with various measurement tools during our math time.  Yesterday, we used 12 inch "feet" to measure various objects in the classroom.  Today, we used 3 foot "giant feet" (yards) to measure objects.  We have discovered that small feet = more , big feet= less.  Our work asked us to estimate the length of the playground in giant feet...stay tuned for the results.  We will check our estimates tomorrow morning at recess!

Thanks to Seth for bringing in the cute little pumpkin...very festive!

Compliments:

"When nobody else would play a game with me, Riley would." Aoife
"I liked when Bailey complimented my All About Me book." Sami
"Zac helped me out when we were working on the giant feet activity together." Bailey
"Evan complimented my clay owl." Calvin

Thank you to the parents who helped during our art time today!

Thank you also for all of the kind words regarding the blog...the help I receive from parents on Friday makes it possible for me to find the time during the day to devote to writing.  Thanks...

Monday, October 1, 2012

October 1

We have reached October and are settling into the routine of school...we are lucky to have this nice stretch of sunny weather before fall really sets in!

Seth was our Special Person today!  He told us a story about seeing a movie at the movie theater with his family.  Thanks for the story Seth.  The idea gave us much to write about since most of us have seen a movie before!

Compliments:
"Aiofe and I worked together to get our math job done!" Savannah
"Savannah complimented me on my singing."Riley
"Peter and Evan helped me design a paper airplane during choice time." Seth
"Riley played 2 square with me on the playground when nobody else would."Grace

News & Reminders:

*Attached to homework this week are some daily ideas for homework or family activities.  These are optional, but I found them and thought they might be fun for you.  Also, there is a Scholastic News Magazine attached.  Your child can keep the magazine at home after completing their homework.
*We did NOT have library last week due to a scheduling mix up.  We will have library this Friday- much more time to get all of those books returned!
*Tomorrow we begin our 2 part clay art experience.  The parent volunteer is requesting that each student bring 2,  28oz sized tin cans for the project.  (this would be the size that canned tomatoes come in).  I'm hearing that there are extras available, so don't knock yourself out finding them.  :) 

That's all for today!  Enjoy the sun!



Friday, September 28, 2012

September 28 Happy Open House!

Hello all!

Lainey was our Special Person today!  She told us a story about riding the Tower of Terror at Disneyland.  Truth be told, I love that ride too...but I can't ride it more than once a day or it turns my stomach! 

Our little Open House time had a huge turnout.  I hope you all enjoyed taking a closer look around as your child "showed you the ropes".  Thanks for coming!

Compliments:
"Lainey was quiet so I could get my work done." Savannah
"Hayden read a book with me." Seth
"I couldn't find the book I wanted, so Seth and Cole helped me find it." Evan

Grace and others love the new Race to 100 game.  This is a fun, easy game where students role two numeral dice and have to quickly add the digits together and move that many spaces.  This is a fun way to practice addition facts!  When the addition facts become quick and automatic, they can add a third die for more of a challenge!

Your child brought home some independent literacy work today.  Four days a week our class has a literacy hour where I am bringing small groups of students to my table for individualized reading instruction.  This way, all the students are learning reading at their level and pace in a small group setting.  While they are NOT with me, they are expected to engage in meaningful literacy activities that include reading, writing and thinking.  This work is on open ended forms that allow each student to approach the task at their ability level.  I expect this independent work to be completed at each students' personal best.  Both you as a parent and I as the teacher can see how your child tackles this independent work time as reflected in their work. 

Thanks for all the support and for visiting today!  Have a wonderful sunny weekend!

Thursday, September 27, 2012

September 27


Special Person Today was Aoife and she told us a story about visiting Ireland.  I'm impressed...I have to admit, I don't even have a passport!  Amazing world travelers!

Compliments:
"At math centers, Savannah gave up a spot at a game for me." Hannah
"Della let me spin when we were playing a math game." Kora
"I really wanted a book that Seth had, so when he was finished, he gave it to me!" Evan
"While we were playing 'Count and Compare Two's', Hayden was really nice to me" Seth

Hayden told us that he enjoyed math today!





Reminders:
Homework is due tomorrow.  Please give it to me as you walk in the door.
Library books due tomorrow.
Open House tomorrow at 2:30! 
Have a nice day!  :)

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

September 26

Hi Everyone!

Today our Special Person was Hannah!  She told us a story about her mom surprising her with a new kitten.  So sweet...I love kittens!

This week I have been sharing stories about cats and kittens.  I hope the students have been enjoying them!

During math we learned a new game called "An Hour or Bust!".  This gives the kids practice using a face clock.  Being able to read a face clock and understand elapsed time are important Mathematics Common Core State Standards for second grade.  This also happens to be a math topic you can practice together at home!  If you do not have a face clock at home, think about getting one and using it together.

Compliments:
"Teddy was very kind when he shared the ball at recess." Ms. Julie
"I noticed Hannah and Riley helping Teddy clean up a math game." Mrs. Robb
"Thanks to Seth for letting me have the book "A Kitten Called Moonlight" after he had finished reading it" Catalina
Both Cole and Seth were very kind and shared books with each other during quiet reading.

Just a Reminder...
If you are able to visit with us at 2:30 on Friday, please let me know if you choose to leave before 3:00.  If you choose to leave before 3:00, you have to sign out with your child in the office before leaving the building (district safety rule).  Thanks!


Have a great day!  Thanks for reading!  :)


Tuesday, September 25, 2012

September 25- With Weekly Academic Schedule

Hello Everyone!

Today Catalina was our special person!  She told us a story about climbing a rock wall with her family.  Great story! 
During special person, I demonstrate writing interactively with the students.  Part of their job as learners is to look at the words being written, and choose at least one to either
1. practice reading while they watch the writing, or
2.  learn to spell while they watch the writing.
All students should be taking personal responsibility for learning during this time.

Math:
The kids wanted to let you know that this is the first school day of the month, 9/25, when we build an array that was a square, with the same number of tiles on all sides.  We build arrays for each day of the month.  Here is an example of what we built today:

Lainey enjoyed making creations and designing during choice time.

"Madeline taught me how to make folded kitty faces." Riley
"I liked when Ava reminded me how to make a paper fortune teller during choice time." Sami

Schedule:
Here is the basic schedule for the class.  This is subject to change, but most days is pretty consistent.

Time
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday

8:45-8:55

Morning Routine

Morning Routine

Morning Routine

Morning Routine

Morning Routine

8:55-10:00
Literature Integrated Art Instruction


Literacy Block-
Differentiated Reading Instruction
Literacy Block-Differentiated Reading Instruction
Literacy Block- Differentiated Reading Instruction
Literacy Block- Differentiated Reading Instruction
10:00-10:15
Recess Break
Recess Break
Recess Break
Recess Break
Recess Break
10:15-11:00
Interactive Read Aloud and Poem of the week
Integrated Content Instruction-Language development/Reading & Writing Science/Social Studies
Integrated Content Instruction-Language development/Reading & Writing Science/Social Studies


Integrated Content Instruction-Language development/Reading & Writing Science/Social Studies
Integrated Content Instruction-Language development/Reading & Writing Science/Social Studies
11:00-11:45
Writer’s Workshop
Writer’s Workshop
Writer’s Workshop


Writer’s Workshop
Writer’s Workshop
11:45-12:25
Lunch & Recess
Lunch & Recess
Lunch & Recess
Lunch & Recess
Lunch & Recess

12:25-12:55

Read Aloud
Independent Reading
Read Aloud
Independent Reading
Read Aloud
Independent Reading
Read Aloud
Independent Reading
Read Aloud
Independent Reading

12:55-2:10

Number Corner
Math
Number Corner
Math
Number Corner
Math
Number Corner
Math
12:50-2:00 NC/ Math

2:00-2:30 Library

2:10-2:20
End of Day Routines/update class news blog
End of Day Routines/update class news blog
End of Day Routines/update class news blog
End of Day Routines/ update class news blog

2:30-2:50 Choice time
2:20-3:00
Music
PE
Music
PE


2:50-3:00 End of Day Routine

As you can see, we keep pretty busy!  The Integrated Content block will be full of reading and writing as we study science and social studies concepts.

That's all for today.  :)  Robb