May 31st - Parade Day!

Yes, Disney now owns Marvel, so this works!

Did anything more important than the parade happen today? Our Disney theme was fun...look for a picture of us The Bee! The weather was great!  Here a just a few pictures I snapped...enjoy!

May 30

Today we continued to learn about and create projects for our habitat of the week: temperate forests. 
It was also our birthday celebration for our March, April, May, and June birthdays: Happy Birthday to you all!

Tomorrow is the parade.  I hope the weather holds.  I'm looking forward to seeing all of the cool Disney inspired outfits...please no face paint or masks though.

Please bring your homework and I'll see you all tomorrow!

May 28, Tuesday

I hope you all had a wonderful three day weekend. 

We jumped right back into work today, learning a new story and poem of the week.  We evaluated story problem solutions and practiced reading and writing numbers in the 1,000's. 
Our habitat study of the week is temperate forests which is the natural habitat that surrounds Portland.  The students know much about this habitat, but I can't wait to see what they come up with this week!

Remember: tomorrow is our Last Chance to check out books for home!  Please bring back your books!

Thoughts from the students:

Aoife appreciated Savannah helping her create during choice time.

Savannah is looking forward to working with Kora on a habitat project since Kora was kind enough to agree to work together.

Grace was glad when Aoife and Hannah were friendly at recess and let her join their game of pole tag.

Peter and Colin enjoyed the different science videos we watched to learn more about forests.

See you tomorrow!

Friday May 24- Zoo Day

Thank you to all of the parents and drivers who made this day such a great success!
Rosemary
Andrea
Steve
Michelle
Nicole
Alecia
Sara
Janie
Your zoo passes and great energy helped our day go so well!

 I am sure your child will tell you all about the owl, hedgehog and turtle we saw in Zoo Class.  The weather mostly cooperated as well!

Have a great weekend...see you Tuesday!

Thursday May 23- Field Trip Tomorrow!

Hi everyone!

Just a few reminders:
Tomorrow the weather looks to be unpredictable, so plan on wearing warm layers and a waterproof jacket.  Good walking shoes are important.  Also, please send a backpack with a lunch and filled water bottle.  We are attending ZooSchool from 11:30-12:10 (which is basically our normal lunch time), so I'm thinking that a little extra snack would be good for the morning.  We will not be visiting the gift shop, so please do not send money with your child.  Thanks!

Don't forget, the amazing Talent Show is tonight!

We had a very busy day again completing independent reading projects, solving each others story problems, learning a new fraction math game, and presenting our wonderful projects that showed how much we have learned about the ocean as a habitat.  Next week...forests!

Student ideas:

Della really enjoyed the new math game.

Peter enjoyed making origami designs during choice time for Lainey and Riley.

Grace and Della worked on an ocean project together, and Grace appreciated it when Della had a good attitude about how to divide the project for taking home.

Colin thought it was very friendly earlier in the week when nobody would work on a ocean project with him, Seth said he would!  They both enjoyed working together this week and the project looked great!

Aoife appreciated how Catalina helped her make an artistic design during choice time.

Please bring homework tomorrow!  Hurray for the zoo!

Tuesday May 21

Today we were busy working on our habitat projects for the ocean! 
We also spent time writing our animal research reports, independently reading and working on literacy activities, and learning to evaluate our math story problem solutions. 

Whew...kinda makes me tired when I type it all out.  We are busy busy second graders!

LIBRARY is tomorrow morning!  Please bring your books!  Thanks!

That's all for now...let's cross our fingers that this weather will pass by Friday!

Monday May 20

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Reminders:  Almost everyone has brought their permission slips for Friday.  If you can, please send in the $3.00 as well!  Thanks!

News and ideas from the students today:

Bailey wanted to start his ocean project today, but instead joined Cole working on a marble creation during choice time when he asked.  Cole really appreciated how friendly that was.

Savannah enjoyed all of the facts she learned when we watched information about the ocean today.  It reminded her of Hawaii!

Evan was very helpful when Sami was creating a soccer field model during choice time.

Grace enjoyed our book of the week "The Pain and the Great One."

Cole and Sami helped Evan when he was designing a choice time project.  That's what friends are for!

For the next two weeks, we will have library on WEDNESDAY because we are busy or out of the building during our library time.  Please bring books on WEDNESDAY this week and next week.  Thanks!

See you tomorrow!

Thursday May 16

We had another great busy day!  The kids did a fantastic job with all of our visitors; they were very impressed! We learned a fun game called "What's My Number".  You can play it at home with just a pencil and a piece of paper...ask them about it!  :)

The students also completed their wonderful projects about the desert biome.  I continue to be impressed by the way they choose to express their knowledge!

I am gone tomorrow.  Please remember to bring homework and library books.
See you Monday!

Wednesday May 15

Sorry we did not have a post yesterday!  We are just so busy working on our projects and helping each other that we lose track of time!

Yesterday we learned and shared what we know about the desert habitats of the world.  Today we began our posters and other creations to show what we have learned. 

Today we watched the Portland Play performed by the third graders.  It was great and our class was a wonderful audience.  I think they are excited to think they get to perform it next year!

Tomorrow our class will be hosting a math demonstration lesson for a select group of second grade teachers from all around Portland Public schools.  I am excited to let others see what wonderful mathematicians your children are!  The kids helped me clean up the room, much like we would clean up our houses when company is coming - they show real pride in their classroom space.

Thanks, as always, for all the support from home.  See you tomorrow!

Monday May 13

We had another busy day of learning.  We began the day with Number Corner and discovered that the number 13 is a prime number.  Then we created our own Toy Store story problems.  We heard a new story called "The Art Lesson" which we will be retelling this week as part of our independent work.  Then we created art styled after the Caldecott Honor book "Hush!" by MinFong Ho.

I was impressed today by the kindness I saw and heard.  Boys and girls were complimenting ideas and artwork.  This is a very supportive group of students!

Please return Fund Run pledge forms and field trip money and permission slips as soon as you can.
Thanks!  See you tomorrow!

Friday May 10

We had a really great day!  Friday is really a "wrap up day".  We finished our independent work during literacy block, we practiced solving money story problems, and we explained our freshwater habitat projects to our classmates.

In fact, Riley's project is a great idea to raise some money to help save Oregon Wetlands.  If you could send a clean milk jug to school that would be great.  Riley and her team want to explain their project to classrooms and put a jug for coin collections in each of our 17 classrooms.  Thanks!

The Fund Run was great!  The students ran their hearts out in 85 degree heat, rockin' to tunes the whole way!  The yummy ice cream treats after the run were greatly appreciated.  Thanks to all the parents who put in so much time and effort into this event!

Have a wonderful weekend, and HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

Thursday May 9

Just some reminders today:

1. Fund Run is tomorrow.  Please wear running shoes and clothes.  Our time is from 2-2:30 and if you are watching or helping and want to take your child home after, just check them out at the office.

2.  Please bring a water bottle tomorrow!  It is supposed to be hot and the drinking fountain is not fixed yet.

3.  Please bring homework and library books tomorrow!

We had a busy day reading non-fiction books, working on our wetlands projects, and solving "Toy Store" story problems.  We will be creating our own story problems next week.

See you tomorrow!

Wednesday May 8

Thanks to those who turned in their permission slips so quickly.  I am looking forward to our last field trip as a class!
Please bring a filled water bottle tomorrow since the fountain is still "off-line".
Today we began working on our projects to show what we have learned about freshwater habitats: rivers, lakes, ponds, swamps, etc...  
I continue to be impressed by the projects your children are "assigning" themselves (with guidance, or course).  Each person finds the idea surrounding ecosystems and habitats that interests them, and then "runs with it!"  I can see the excitement when they talk about their ideas, and I see their growth as learners as they explain their thinking and justify their choice of project to other students.  Learning is joyful!

News and notes from the students:
Colin really enjoyed working together with Evan to create a poster with information about the Nile crocodile and it's habitat.

Evan thought it was really nice when Calvin complimented his habitat poster and also enjoyed working with Colin.

Bailey appreciated that Colin let him join a game at recess.

Seth enjoyed reading and creating a book about Pokemon with Evan during choice time.

Sami was grateful when Evan, Cole, Hayden, and Colin played soccer with him at recess so that he would not feel left out!

See you tomorrow!

Tuesday May 7

Just a few things today:

First, I have been seeing some amazing at home research being done about the animals you have chosen!  Keep up the reading at home so you have even more ideas to share about your animal.

Next, a big thanks to Sami and his family for sending a creek habitat with a little tadpole for us all to observe in the classroom!  We are working on projects this week that show what we know about freshwater habitats: rivers, creeks, ponds, lakes, swamps, and marshes.

Permission slips went home today for our field trip to the zoo on May 24th.  Return as soon as you can.

Finally, there is a new drinking fountain being installed in the hall and it may not be finished tomorrow.  Please send a full water bottle with your child.

That's all for now!  It's pretty toasty here in room 13...I hope you are enjoying the sun where ever you are!

Monday May 6

Hi everyone!  Please turn in Fund Run pledge sheets ASAP if you have not done so already.

News from the students:

Seth enjoyed it when Colin built Widgits with him during Choice Time.  They made a good team.

Kora was kind and let Hannah join her game at recess.

Sami and other enjoyed creating the crayon-resist art.

Calvin had a great time when Colin and Seth started a kickball game with him at recess.  They had such a great game that other kids wanted to join in the fun!

Savannah appreciated Katie playing with her at recess.

Aoife was happy when Katie gave up her spot helping with lunch recycling so she could have a chance.


See you tomorrow!

Thursday May 2

Hello Everyone!  Thanks to all who brought glue sticks...very helpful!
Today we played a fun math game to learn more about place value, and we continued our work on personal project about the savanna and prairie grasslands...tomorrow is our display day.  I can't wait to see the final projects!  I'll take lots of pictures.

Thoughts from the students today:

Cole really enjoyed working more on his habitat project.  He also complimented Colin, Seth, and Bailey for playing with him at recess.

Sami appreciated Colin's compliment about his habitat project.

Evan thought it was very friendly when Calvin was a good sport during their game of checkers.

Seth was glad when Peter played a game with him during math- they played 'Target 700', the new game today.


Thanks for the great ideas.
Tomorrow is Friday- please bring homework and library books.  It is also the last day to order books through the book order.  See you tomorrow!

Wednesday May 1

Hi everyone!  After studying grassland habitats yesterday, the students launched into their chosen projects.  There are some great ideas being expressed very creatively!  Stay tuned...

Ideas from the students today:

Sami appreciated Mrs. Robb's compliment about his project.

Evan was grateful when Peter helped him design a paper die for his project.

Catalina liked seeing the new May Calendar Grid!

Zac really enjoyed the time we spent working on projects.  He is working on a game about the prairie!

Grace appreciated Della saving a ball for her at recess.

When Bailey wanted to work on a habitat project with Cole, he said yes!

Colin was glad that Evan decided to work on a project with him.

We've sure been busy!  We are also continuing to work at our own pace on our animal research.
Have a great sunny day!  See you tomorrow!