Thank you for an unforgettable year.
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| The kiddos brainstormed what they learned in 2nd grade....they were excited about how the list kept growing and growing |
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| The greatest group of kids I know! |
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Thank You!
Dear Families,
Thank you for an unforgettable year.
Thank you for an unforgettable year.
Friday, June 10, 2011
News Cast
After reading Hill of Fire and learning a little about volcanoes, Natalie, Tanner, Jacob, Aniya, Lola, Ethan, and Isaac decided to do a news cast as their culminating project. They wrote their scripts, made the backdrops and filmed the news cast. Enjoy!
Monday, June 6, 2011
Animal Research
Some of the students decided to take their animal reports one step farther. They were worried that some people might read their reports and want even more information about their animal. So, they decided to find websites with extra information about their animals and post it on the blog.
Make sure you come to FAMILY NIGHT tomorrow to see your students' reports. There will also be performances by the hip-hop club and students displaying their art work from this semester!
Chalaya and Blake found these great sites about sharks:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_white_shark
www.kidzone.ws/sharks/
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/animals/creaturefeature/hammerhead-shark/
Camille found these informational sites about penguins as well as a fun game:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/penguin
www.kidzone.ws/animals/penguins/facts.HTM
http://www.clubpenguin.com/
Noah researched the gorilla and found these sites:
www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/apes/gorilla/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorilla
www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-gorilla.html
Make sure you come to FAMILY NIGHT tomorrow to see your students' reports. There will also be performances by the hip-hop club and students displaying their art work from this semester!
Chalaya and Blake found these great sites about sharks:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_white_shark
www.kidzone.ws/sharks/
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/animals/creaturefeature/hammerhead-shark/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/penguin
www.kidzone.ws/animals/penguins/facts.HTM
http://www.clubpenguin.com/
www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/apes/gorilla/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorilla
www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-gorilla.html
Important Updates!
Dear Families,
IMPORTANT UPDATE for Coronado Fieldtrip:
On Friday, June 10th we will be meeting at the Grantville Trolley Station (not at school). Please arrive at the station NO LATER than 8:40am. We are catching the 8:50 trolley to the Coronado Ferry. DO NOT BE LATE!
Dee Dee and I will be gathering the before care students at 8:35 and driving to meet you all by 8:40 at the Trolley station. We will have the trolley and ferry passes for everyone.
Please send your students with swimsuits if they plan to go in the water and towels as well as a sack lunch, sunscreen, and a hat.
*If you do miss the trolley you can meet us at the Ferry Station at 10:00am.
We will return to school at 3:00 and students can be picked up in the classrooms.
Innovations Academy Field Day:
The 2nd grade has no volunteers for field day! We need parents to drive students to Allied Gardens Rec. Center and to be in charge of our game, the 3-legged race. Please sign up outside of the classroom if you are available on Monday, June 13th.
IMPORTANT UPDATE for Coronado Fieldtrip:
On Friday, June 10th we will be meeting at the Grantville Trolley Station (not at school). Please arrive at the station NO LATER than 8:40am. We are catching the 8:50 trolley to the Coronado Ferry. DO NOT BE LATE!
Dee Dee and I will be gathering the before care students at 8:35 and driving to meet you all by 8:40 at the Trolley station. We will have the trolley and ferry passes for everyone.
Please send your students with swimsuits if they plan to go in the water and towels as well as a sack lunch, sunscreen, and a hat.
*If you do miss the trolley you can meet us at the Ferry Station at 10:00am.
We will return to school at 3:00 and students can be picked up in the classrooms.
Innovations Academy Field Day:
The 2nd grade has no volunteers for field day! We need parents to drive students to Allied Gardens Rec. Center and to be in charge of our game, the 3-legged race. Please sign up outside of the classroom if you are available on Monday, June 13th.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
June
Dear Families,
The year is quickly coming to an end and we have a lot of exciting things happening in the 2nd grade.
Upcoming Events:
IA Family Night is June 7th. There will be an optional pizza dinner at 5:00pm. Please order your pizza with Donna in the office. From 6:00-7:00 the students of IA will be showcasing their work, dance, and art from throughout the year.
IA Field Day is Monday, June 13th at the Allied Garden Rec. Center. The festivities begin at 10:00am and we will return to school at 2:00pm. The 2nd grade is putting on the 3-legged race. We need volunteers to drive students to and from the park, as well as parents to man our game. Sign-ups are posted outside of the class.
*If possible please send in old pillow cases with your students for the 3-legged race game.
Field trip to the Del Mar Fair is Tuesday June 14th. Entry is free for all students and chaperones. The students will be bringing their radishes to be judged. Then we will spend the day exploring the exhibits and have a nice picnic lunch.
YEARBOOKS: The yearbooks are awesome! Donna has a copy in the front office if you would like to check one out. Order one soon as they are running out quickly.
The students have been working on two research projects. One was a pond ecosystem project. The students wanted to know more about where Swimmy and Tad would live if they were in the wild. The students came up with all of the living and non-living things in a pond ecosystem and paired up to research and create a pond with the animals and plants that live in the pond. Students also researched the water cycle and the frog life cycle.
Our second research project is an animal report. The students chose animals to write a report about. The students started by reading books about the different animals to make an educated decision on which animal they wanted to focus on. The class also used our trip to the zoo as a way to do research on their animals. They were to visit their animal and observe its physical features and behavior. Then the students used the resources to fill out a web. The web was a way to organize their information based on physical features, habitat, diet, predators/protection, and other interesting facts. The students then used the web to write the report. Some of the students were worried that their reports would leave the reader wanting more information so the class has decided to find other resources such as books and websites. They will bring their findings into class and we will post them on this blog within the next few days.
A few months ago the class wrote letters to President Obama to express their concerns about the environment. Some students asked Obama what he was doing to protect our resources ad others shared their ideas with the President. Today we got a letter back! The students were so excited to hear his letter and see the photos that he enclosed. A copy of the President's letter will be in your student's portfolio for him/her to keep.
The year is quickly coming to an end and we have a lot of exciting things happening in the 2nd grade.
Upcoming Events:
IA Family Night is June 7th. There will be an optional pizza dinner at 5:00pm. Please order your pizza with Donna in the office. From 6:00-7:00 the students of IA will be showcasing their work, dance, and art from throughout the year.
IA Field Day is Monday, June 13th at the Allied Garden Rec. Center. The festivities begin at 10:00am and we will return to school at 2:00pm. The 2nd grade is putting on the 3-legged race. We need volunteers to drive students to and from the park, as well as parents to man our game. Sign-ups are posted outside of the class.
*If possible please send in old pillow cases with your students for the 3-legged race game.
Field trip to the Del Mar Fair is Tuesday June 14th. Entry is free for all students and chaperones. The students will be bringing their radishes to be judged. Then we will spend the day exploring the exhibits and have a nice picnic lunch.
YEARBOOKS: The yearbooks are awesome! Donna has a copy in the front office if you would like to check one out. Order one soon as they are running out quickly.
The students have been working on two research projects. One was a pond ecosystem project. The students wanted to know more about where Swimmy and Tad would live if they were in the wild. The students came up with all of the living and non-living things in a pond ecosystem and paired up to research and create a pond with the animals and plants that live in the pond. Students also researched the water cycle and the frog life cycle.
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| Our pond ecosystem lives right behind Swimmy and Tad so that they can feel at home in our classroom. Come in and check it out! |
A few months ago the class wrote letters to President Obama to express their concerns about the environment. Some students asked Obama what he was doing to protect our resources ad others shared their ideas with the President. Today we got a letter back! The students were so excited to hear his letter and see the photos that he enclosed. A copy of the President's letter will be in your student's portfolio for him/her to keep.
Monday, May 16, 2011
May 16th
Families & Friends,
This week is packed full! We are going to the San Diego Zoo tomorrow...keep your fingers crossed that it won't rain! The students are excited to visit the animals that they will be writing their animal reports about.
Wednesday is the IA Talent Show. It will take place in the 3,4,5 area from 10:30-11:30. We have a few acts from 2nd grade. It is open to all families and friends.
Thursday & Friday I will begin giving students the WRAT. This is the end of the year assessment that IA uses. It is important that your student is here on these days because this data will be used by their teacher next year and I will also want to go over it with you during conferences next week.
Thursday afternoon is the 2nd grade Birthday Celebration. It will begin at 2:30 and go through the end of the school day.
This weeks words of the week are Zoo words:
animal, habitat, nature, captivity, offspring
NEXT WEEK:
Monday - Thursday are half days for conferences and presentations of learning. The students will be focusing on their animal reports this week so even though it is half day, it is important that your child is at school. We will also be working on our Pond Ecosystem this week and your student is part of a partnership. Hopefully, they came home and told you what part of the ecosystem they are in charge of. If not, ask them!
Friday there is no school for professional development...and the following Monday there is no school for Memorial Day. Enjoy your long weekend!
Thank you for reading,
Jenn
This week is packed full! We are going to the San Diego Zoo tomorrow...keep your fingers crossed that it won't rain! The students are excited to visit the animals that they will be writing their animal reports about.
Wednesday is the IA Talent Show. It will take place in the 3,4,5 area from 10:30-11:30. We have a few acts from 2nd grade. It is open to all families and friends.
Thursday & Friday I will begin giving students the WRAT. This is the end of the year assessment that IA uses. It is important that your student is here on these days because this data will be used by their teacher next year and I will also want to go over it with you during conferences next week.
Thursday afternoon is the 2nd grade Birthday Celebration. It will begin at 2:30 and go through the end of the school day.
This weeks words of the week are Zoo words:
animal, habitat, nature, captivity, offspring
NEXT WEEK:
Monday - Thursday are half days for conferences and presentations of learning. The students will be focusing on their animal reports this week so even though it is half day, it is important that your child is at school. We will also be working on our Pond Ecosystem this week and your student is part of a partnership. Hopefully, they came home and told you what part of the ecosystem they are in charge of. If not, ask them!
Friday there is no school for professional development...and the following Monday there is no school for Memorial Day. Enjoy your long weekend!
Thank you for reading,
Jenn
Monday, May 9, 2011
Thank You!
Dear 2nd graders and 2nd grade families,
THANK YOU for making Teacher Appreciate Week so special! You have all been so supportive and generous throughout the year but this past week was above and beyond anything I could have imagined. On Tuesday my desk looked like a garden had sprouted and the kind notes I recieved from you and your kiddos brightened my day on Wednesday. I am also so appreciative of the thoughtful gifts of chocolates, books, and the Target gift card. Not only were these such generous gifts but they were each so thoughtful. I am so lucky to have families like yours and to be working with you and your students this year!
We have started two new projects in our classroom. The first was created by Esther (a big thank you to you!). The students will be using their knowledge about money, adding, subtracting, measurement, writing, reading, and mapping skills to travel through magical lands. They will have budgets to keep and adventure logs to record their travels within. This is going to be a great project to have the students delving into their imaginations. Ultimately we are hoping that the students will create their own magical lands for their friends to travel to.
The other project is based around Swimmy (our tadpole). As Swimmy becomes a frog we are wondering what to do with him. We are doing research on lakes, ponds, and streams to determine what frogs need to survive and what else is in their habitat.
In math we are continuing to explore addition, multiplication and division as well as their relationship to each other. Today we played a game called "Left Overs." The students played the game in pairs and used counters and dice to divide groups of objects. Ask your student to teach you the rules! Some students began to realize that division problems that had a remainder of 0 could also be turned into multiplication problems but division problems with a remainder were different. This is something we are still discussing in class.
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| Broc is helping Ethan decide if he wants to place his role in the 10s column or the 1s column. |
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| Javhi is adding up his total of the moment before he decided where he wanted to place his last role. |
On Friday we played another great game called "101 and Out." This is an addition game that is also played in pairs. This game is about number sense and place value. Again, all you need is a die and a sheet to record the scores on. Please ask your student to play with you at home! They can teach you the rules.
Words of the Week: plural nouns where we drop the y and add ies
city - cities
party - parties
family - families
story - stories
baby - babies
END OF THE YEAR CONFERENCES AND POLs: May 23rd-26th
Please sign up under the class bulletin board for your choice of date and time. So far I only have 4 families that have signed up. If any of the times do not work for you please let me know and we can schedule something before school or I can stay later to meet your needs.
SD ZOO FILEDTRIP:
If you have volunteered to chaperone for the Zoo Trip, thank you! The students will have small assignments while they walk around the zoo so I will get a list of your group members as well as what their assignment at the zoo will be on Friday. You will only have about 3 students in each group and I will probably be doubling up chaperones. If you or your student has a preference of who they would like to be with please let me know by Thursday.
Thank you all again for a wonderful week last week! I am blessed to be working with your students and to have the support of families like you!
Jennifer
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