Happy Friday!

We have had a great week!  Be sure to read through this post -there are some ways that we need your help, find out about Outdoor Classroom Week, read about what is happening in 2nd grade and a list of the upcoming events for the rest of the school year.

We Need Your Help!!!!
Next week, is Outdoor Classroom Week, and we have been challenged to make a door/bulletin board completely out of recycled material.  I am wanting the kiddos to make "litter bugs" next week - so we need your trash!  Can you please raid your recycling to pull out materials that can be made into "litter bugs"?  Some great examples of materials that we could use are: plastic bottles, egg cartons, paper towel/toilet paper rolls, container caps, newspapers, old magazines, cleaned out chips/cracker bags, etc.

Here are some "litter bugs" that have been made before:


Outdoor Classroom Week
Next week is RBE's 2nd Annual Outdoor Classroom Week!!

Emily Reynolds (1st grade teacher) is heading up this week.  You can click here to a letter from her to find out what this week is all about!

Which is Better? Writing Celebration
The kiddos have worked SO incredibly hard on their "Which is Better" writing.  They have researched two similar topics and are in the process of publishing their 12 paragraph book!!!  We will also be working on creating a project to go with our writing.

Our writing celebration is scheduled for Friday, May 5 from 7:45-8:30 a.m. in our classrooms (room 26 & 27).  A flyer came home yesterday in your child's homework folder.  Please RSVP by filling out the bottom portion and returning the bottom portion to school with your child.

What's Been Happening in 2nd Grade?

• In math, we finished up our measurement unit this week.  On Monday, the kiddos finished their body measurement project and they turned out so great.  I am super impressed with the students measurement skills.  We also practiced solving the difference between two items by subtracting 2 numbers.  Some kiddos forgot how to subtract - so please check through your child's work coming home in Friday Folders this week to see how your child did.  Today, we went on a measurement scavenger hunt trying to find items that are certain lengths in our classroom - the kiddos had fun with this!  We had a great discussion about which lengths were hard to find or easy to find in the classroom and why we thought this.

• Next week, we will be starting our data unit.  We will be talking about how to collect different pieces of data and then how to organize and analyze the data we collect.
• In reading, we have continued working on making predictions, retelling and reflecting in nonfiction texts.  This week the kiddos read a book about Yellowstone Park.  The students used the Table of Contents to generate three questions about what they thought would be answered in the book.  Then found and wrote down two important details from each chapter.  At the end of the book, we reflected on what the most important thing that they learned about Yellowstone and why it was important. 
• Next week, we will continue to practice the same skills of making predictions, retelling and reflecting on a nonfiction text.  The book the students will read next week is a how-to book about kites.  A how-to book has a little different structure than most of the other books we read this year, but it is important life-skill for people to learn.
• In writing, we met with a new writing partner and edited/revised our "Which is Better" books on Monday and Tuesday.  Then we started publishing our books.  We are so excited about how they are turning out and cannot wait to share them with you at our writing celebration!!
• Next week, we will continue to work on publishing our writing.  We hope to be finished publishing by Wednesday or Thursday, and then we start working on our projects.  On Monday, we will have a discussion with the class about what each student would like their project to be.
• In grammar, this week we worked on prefixes.  We talked about how a prefix changes that meaning of the word.  They learned about pre (before), dis (not/opposite), un (not/opposite), and re (again).  They made prefix flowers yesterday and today which will be on display in our classroom.
• Next week, we will be working on contractions.
• In word study, this week we continued to work on r controlled vowels.  The students learned to spell er, ear, eer, and ear that made a ur sound.
• Next week, we continue to work on r controlled vowels, but with the vowel i.  We will sorting words into four categories: ir, ire, ier, and oddball.  Our words next week will be: ir: stir, firm, third; ire: hire, wire, tire, ier: crier, flier, pliers; and oddball: fur & their.
• Tomorrow is Earth Day.  Today, we had a conversation about what we could do to make the environment better.  The students made a Earth Day mobile about how they can make the Earth healthy.  They made an Earth acrostic poem, and then four ways to make the environment better.

Maker Space

The kiddos were excited to be able to go to Maker Space today!  The last few weeks the 3rd-5th graders were using an app called Bloxel to make video games.  Today, we got to play their games that they made on the iPads.  The kiddos had a blast.  There were even some adventurous kiddos who tried their own hand at making a video game.  It was a really neat experience! :)

Nutrition Class

Next week, we will be starting a five week nutrition class.  Ms. Zapata will be coming every Wednesday from the University of Missouri Nutrition Program to talk with us about nutrition.  She will even bring in food for us to make!  This is the first time that I have had a class in the program, and I am excited about this program!

MAP Testing

If you have an older child, you know that this week was the beginning of MAP testing.  Our class was paired up with Mrs. Carmack's class to give them some encouragement.  We made a poster for them & gave them a few special treats.  On Monday, we went and presented our poster & treats to them.

Upcoming Dates:

With the end of the school year quickly approaching, I just want to make sure that you have all the important upcoming dates on your calendar.  

• May 1-5: Staff Appreciation Week
• May 2: Runge Field Trip
• May 9: PTA Meeting (6:00 pm in the Media Center)
• May 16: Variety Show
• May 19: Twin Day
• May 19: Field Day
• May 25: Last Day of School (early dismissal at 12:10)
• June 1: Summer School Open House 4:30-5:30
• June 5: First Day of Summer School

I hope that you have a wonderful weekend!

Mid April Already?

I cannot believe that it is already mid-April!  This year has gone by SO quickly!  We have worked so incredibly hard this week!!

Summer School
With us already being to mid-April, summer is right around the corner.  Enrolling your child is summer school is a great way for your child to stay in the school routine, meet two of the third grade teachers (Mrs. Koberman and Mrs. Cunningham are teaching summer school) and have some fun learning experiences.  If you have not signed your child up for summer school a new summer school form came home with your child earlier this week.

Ms. Hackmann's Special Gift
As a reminder, Ms,. Hackmann's last day  with us the first week in May.  The kiddos love having her in our classroom and she will be deeply missed when she is gone!  We are continuing to collect school items for her to use to start up her classroom, or some of her favorite snacks (goldfish crackers, chocolate, etc.).  If you would like to donate an item please have it to school by Friday, April 28.  Please let me know if you have any questions!

We took advantage of Ms. Hackmann not being here today & the kiddos worked on a special gift for her.  We are making an advice book for her first year teaching.  Each student wrote a paragraph about advice that they would give her on what she should do in her classroom.  We also put our opinion writing into action this afternoon and the students worked on designing "You Should Hire Ms. Hackmann" posters.  They had to come up with at least 3 reasons why a school should hire her.  We will be secretly finishing these up over the next week.

A Learning Filled Week!
It might be April, but there is still a LOT of learning happening in 2nd grade!!

•  Math: We continued to work on estimating and measuring the lengths of items, and finding the different (subtracting two lengths) this week through different fun projects.  
• On Monday, we used regular and sour gummy worms as our items that we measured!  The students estimated the length and then measured each worm.  Then they estimated the length of each worm stretched.  Finally they found the difference of how much the worm could be stretched. 

 

•  Another fun project we have been working the students put their measurement skills into action by measuring a variety of their body parts.  They then compared the lengths of different body parts by finding the difference.  Afterwards, each child made a life-size cutout of him/herself and labeled the body with the lengths.  We will finishing these bodies up on Monday.  I cannot wait to be able to show you the final product - they are turning out so cute!! :)

• Next week in math, we will continue to work on measurement using centimeters.
• Reading: This week, we have worked on generating questions that could be answered in a nonfiction by looking at the Table of Contents.  In addition to generating questions, the students read a book called The Mighty Mississippi.  They worked on identifying 2-3 important facts from each chapter.  We also talked about what is the most important they learned in the book and supporting their answer with a valid reason.
• Next week in reading, we will continue to work on these same learning targets with a How To book about kites.
• Writing: We have worked SO incredibly hard on our writing our rough draft of our "Which is Better" book.  Your child wrote a lead paragraph, 10 reason paragraphs (5 reasons for each topic) and a conclusion opinion paragraph - that is a 12 paragraph book!!!  We also talked a LOT about adding voice into each paragraph - some of the voice that your child used is so funny or unique.  You should be so incredibly proud of your child's work!! 
• Next week, we will be editing/revising using CUPS and ARMS.  
• Word Study: This week our focus was on vowel patterns with ar, air, and are.  
• Next week, we will be focusing on er, ear, eer, and ear (that makes the /ur/ sound). Next week's words are: earth, germ, clear, deer, learn, stern, cheer, clerk, heard, hear, steer and dear. 

We Always Swing Jazz Concert

Second grade was very lucky to be able to attend the "We Always Swing" jazz concert at Hickman High School on Wednesday.  We learned about some of the different components that make up jazz and even got to create a jazz piece!

Hat and Sports Day

On Friday, April 21, we will have a school-wide spirit day.  Your child can support his/her favorite sports team by wearing a hat, shirt, etc.  

Best Place to Live

Your child's best place to live opinion writing is coming in your child's Friday Folder.  This is a piece of writing you would probably want to save of your child's because your child completed all the research, and took the writing through the entire writing process. 

Special Visitors in Room 26!

Today we had some special visitors in room 26!  Addi & Avery brought in a grasshopper that they found.  Lexi had yet another caterpillar turn into a butterfly at home, and so she brought in pictures to show us. 

Have a wonderful weekend! :)