ALL ABOARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 01/02/2011
Second Grade has a tradition in December called Polar Express Day. We celebrate by coming to school in our jammies (teachers and kids) and head down to the assembly hall. When we get there, the conductor is waiting to punch our tickets. We enter to find an imaginary train set up and we listen to the story Polar Express written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg. After we compare the movie to the book, we board the train and take a very speedy ride led by Mrs. Rohli. Our fantastic grandparents serve us hot chocolate and peppermints while we wait our turn to see Santa. Santa gives each of us a bell, just like in the story, and we sing some Christmas songs for holiday cheer. We play a game of conductor says and laugh out loud at how goofy we all are. Lastly, we head to our classrooms and graph some polar express cereal. We do some crossword puzzles about the book and then snuggle up to watch the movie. It is a fun day for all...enjoy the pictures! 1 Comment Christmas Around the World 01/02/2011
The second graders took a trip around the world to learn about Christmas in other countries. The went to each of the second grade homerooms and learned facts about the celebrations of that country, tried some of their foods, and made crafts to remind them of their adventure. When they went to Mrs. Rohli's class, they learned about the traditions of Australia. There they found out that the seasons are opposite on the other side of the world and laughed learning that Santas rides a surfboard and they have a picnic on the beach for Christmas. They made sand filled ornaments and ate some pavlova. The kids always think this is the most interesting country.    In Mrs. Crawford's class the students went to Germany. There they learned about the history of the Christmas tree, made a paper tannenbaum, and made a very sugary tree to honor the history. Lastly, they read Cobweb Christmas and enjoyed some time together.    The last stop on their journey was Isreal in Mrs. Williams' class. The kids were taught about Hannukkah, some Jewish history, and the celebration of The Festival of Lights. They made menorahs out of lentils, ate some mandlebrot, and listened to a story called Hershel and the Hannukkah Goblins.    All in all, the kids learned, laughed, and had a new experience. We hope that they learned some history, some new understandings about the differences in other countries, and lastly, that they came to see that Jesus' birthday is celebrated in many ways, but always with family. Field Trip!!!!!!!!!!! 11/16/2010
I want to thank everyone who came on our field trip. The little natives had a good time, the weather was amazing, and our parents and grandparents helped make it a smooth and relaxing day together. Enjoy the pictures and e-mail me if you have a few of your own you would like to add! jwilliams@stphilipneri.org Spooky Second Graders 11/08/2010
How could you not love a face like that?  The week of Halloween was full of fun and exciting things. We read several non-fiction selections about bats and then created a nursery of facts that we learned.  Then we worked with some friends to sort nouns into people, places, and things. We had to organize, cooperate, and plan ahead to make our projects successful.  In math, we completed a haunted house glyph and graphed the things we learned about each other. We also sorted, graphed, and compared some sweet treats in our "Dem Bones" activity.    We also read a book called The Biggest Pumpkin and worked with partners to create storyboards to practice retelling important details and sequencing stories. They took a long time, but were well worth the wait.  The best part of our week, however, was the disgusting feast! The menu consisted of things like boogers on a stick, baby bats in blood sauce, monster eyeballs, and rats. We got to make, create, imagine and be silly. We made monster popcorn hands and played Halloween bingo. All in alll, it was a "spooktacular" holiday and we know the little monsters enjoyed it!     Happy Halloween from 2nd grade to you! Earth Balloon 10/19/2010
On Monday we got an opportunity to go inside the Earth. Thanks to funds provided by Dr. Stack, we were able to have a visit from the Earth Balloon via the Children's Museum. The Earth Balloon is an inflatable, hand painted replica of the Earth that allows kids to go inside of it and learn about the topography and geography of our planet. Our "teacher", Mrs. Kel, talked to us about the continents, oceans, deserts, mountains, and lakes that make up our Earth. We also talked about Pangea and how the earth is constantly shifting and changing due to the plates below it. Some of the kids were very interested in learning about the land and some were more excited by the size and novelty of the "blow up world". Life is all about experiences and this is a once in a lifetime chance. Below are some pictures of the Earth Baloon in the PC. Please ask your child about it and enjoy the view!  Going Green 10/19/2010
Click here to edit.  Our latest unit in Social Studies talked about natural resources. In an effort to better help our children understand the value of our Earth and how to conserve, we spent several days discussing how to reduce the amount of wasted resources. They were asked to create a poster showing how to conserve or preserve water, electricity, fresh air, or forests. Later, we took them to first grade and did some teaching. They got into small groups and presented to the first graders their poster and talked a little about the importance of conservation. The second graders felt very proud of their work and enjoyed being the teacher instead of the student! Please continue to work at home with your child by modeling good use of water, electricity, and natural resources. Invite them to bring your newspapers to the recycle bin right next to our school parking lot. Show them that the MANY papers sent home by school can be reused as note pads or drawing paper. Showing them that you do these things is the first step in helping them to change the world!    Flat Stanley 10/19/2010
As you all know, we recently read a book called Flat Stanley. In the story, a little boy gets crushed in his sleep by a bulletin board. He becomes flat and has many adventures with his new body. The book is an easy read and the kids love it. In the spirit of the book, we made our own Flat Stanleys and mailed them off to various locations (provided by you) for more adventures. Flat Stanley is a worldwide project and you can learn more about it by searching online. Many kids have mailed to other countries, famous people, and the President and received things in return. As our Stanleys come back to school, we will mark his travels on a map and share his adventures. The kids LOVE getting mail at school and love seeing other parts of our country. Thanks for your help in choosing a destination and for providing the "airfare"!    This is JEOPARDY!!!!! 09/30/2010
We use many different types of reviews to get ready for tests in second grade. One of the students' favorites is Jeopardy. There are two types of Jeopardy games. One is using a teacher made board (thanks Mrs. Crawford) with pockets and one is an online Jeopardy that we access through the internet onto our interactive boards.   The kids think on their own and then discuss with their team. When time is up, we roll a die or spin a spinner and the person who is that number on the team stands up to give their team's answer.    Last, the team is awarded money and the team with the most "cash" wins the game! The kids really enjoy this because it is interactive, they get to talk and think aloud, and because they love the MONEY!   Hands On Everything! 09/15/2010
This year we are getting to do new things in our class. We are touching smart/promethean boards, we are using shaving cream to spell, and using manipulatives in math. We are doing fun stuff, learning new things, and making new memories. Enjoy the pictures and ask your kids what else they have been doing!     Howdy partner! 09/15/2010
No...not the yeehaw kind...partner activities! We have been working together with partners on several reviews and learning activities this month. We find that partner work has many benefits. It teaches kids how to work together and share ideas. It also allows them to share information with each other and teach it to someone else. Some kids need to hear things in a different way and a classmate can do that. Others need to teach it or speak it to understand the subject better,and partner work allows an opportunity to do that. Enjoy these pictures of collaborative and cooperative learning!    Paragraph.  | Author2nd Grade Teachers ArchivesJanuary 2011 Categories |
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