The end of a school year is quite bittersweet. Teachers are very proud of their children, for they know how hard those little ones work each day. The journey passes much too quickly, but Ms. Cranfill and I know that each of these "Stars" is ready for their next adventure.
Each year at our Author's Tea, a video is shown so that our parents can see a few special moments of our second grade journey. I couldn't post the music that was played with this video, but I encourage you to think of the song "Let Them Be Little", grab a box of tissues, and treasure your little star.
Thank you for sharing your precious child with Ms. Cranfill and me this year!
Our little STARS gathered the books they had written in our class and chose a "favorite" to share at our annual Author's Tea. Parents and our principals joined us for some tasty lemonade and cookies as the children read their books to our special audience.
Author's Tea on PhotoPeach
One of our old classmates paid a special visit on one of our last school days. What a wonderful surprise for us to have time to visit, catch up, and share our second grade adventures!
One of the second grades' favorite trips each year is to SciWorks. The children always have an engaging lesson that aligns with our curriculum. Our lesson this trip focused on "Sound". The outdoor "Animal Exhibit" is also a yearly treat!
SciWorks on PhotoPeach
If you haven't already guessed, our class loves food. I'm sure the grocery stores wonder what I do with some of my rather unusual afternoon purchases. This week we completed a mini unit about landforms. To better internalize what North Carolina looks like on a map, we used our fine motor skills to cut a replica from flour tortillas. With a pattern, toothpick, and fork in hand each child carefully cut out the shape of our state. The fun part then began. We always get excited when cake icing appears! After spreading our "base glue" (icing), we then used different yummy treats to form the three regions of North Carolina. Take a look at our video and see if you can determine which treats we used!
The Regions of North Carolina on PhotoPeach
Second graders have to learn a lot of things and it just makes more sense if we have a real life purpose for learning those things. Measuring with centimeters...when could we really use that skill in the real world? We slipped into the role of "College Lab Assistant". Our Quest: Determine the length of mouse tails so the professor knows how his growth serum is working! These dedicated workers quickly began their task. When measuring, organizing data, and recording results were complete, the challenge began! What kind of cage could our little designers create for our furry friends? Stay tuned for upcoming peeks at the cages!
Operation "Mouse Tails" on PhotoPeach
Our class has been very fortunate to have a very special student intern from WFU this semester! Ms. Rogers spent time with us every week and jumped right in help us with our daily activities. She worked with small reading groups and math groups and even spent time jumping rope with us during recess! We love you Ms. Rogers and know that you are going to be a fabulous teacher!
Our little Stars have been quite busy! They have donned their detective's hats, latched onto their case folders, and delved into a Reading Mystery Unit. Take a look at our "Detective Line-up"...
Super Star Sleuths and some projects.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! CELEBRATE!
I have the most wonderful class of children and parents! They are always helping me with projects, reading activities, and more in our classroom. No surprise that I was given a special birthday party last Monday. Take a quick peek at our party pics...and thank you for sharing your children with me each day. The smiles on their precious faces and the times they call me "Mommy" are daily gifts!
We have been learning about Weather during our Science lessons. Using books and online resources, we're learning more about the Water Cycle, Clouds, Wind, and more. One of our recent topics was "Wind". One windy afternoon we decided that a perfect way to end our day was to try out our wind vanes!
Second grade is a fun place to be! We love to find hands on activities that correlate with our NC curriculum. We began our St. Patrick's Day math by creating a math "glyph". Using specific directions, we artistically created our individual shamrocks and then used our math skills to sort these creations by various attributes. Team work really works as we try to come up with ways we can group our creations! We invite you to stop by our classroom to view our finished products!
We are learning about our seven continents in Social Studies. A mother of one of our teachers is a missionary in India. Mrs. Hurst joined our class to help us "Skype" her mom so that we could learn more about the country, the people, and how she is helping young people learn about the English language.
More Than Meets The Eye Mrs. Lyerly's daughter, an optometry student, visited the classroom to talk about eyes. The children enjoyed the activities and asked lots of questions. It was amazing to see how much they already knew about how eyes work. Perhaps there will be some budding optometrists in our group!
Gaby's mom, a doctor at the Winston-Salem VA Outpatient Clinic, visited our classroom to talk with us about our digestive systems. The children certainly enjoyed her colorful analogies, which helped us have a better understanding!
Our Digestive System on PhotoPeach
Our second grade classes had the wonderful opportunity to participate in a special African drum and dance workshops called Living Rhythms. Mr. Bill (drum specialist) and Miss Jerry (dance specialist) worked with students in daily sessions last week. On Friday the children presented a terrific program showcasing what they had learned in the workshops. Enjoy these videos!
Thanks to our very creative grade parents, our classroom magically transformed into the "Pancake Cafe" so that we could help Ms. Cranfill celebrate her birthday. We enjoyed a morning of "mixing, fixing, and savoring the delicious taste of pancakes and bacon. Of course we also reviewed some of our math concepts as we worked. There were fractions, addition, subtraction, fair shares, and more to practice in this hands on lesson. We enjoyed "conjuring up" some adjectives and verbs to describe this delicious event after some munching. A special day for a very special teacher...We love you Ms. Cranfill!!!
Happy Birthday Ms. Cranfill on PhotoPeach
We've been learning about "Matter" in our Science Investigations. The children have been engaged in some hands on activities and have used some interactive websites. Take a look at the video to see some of our activities! Teachers' Domain: Density and Buoyancy: Pouring Air into Water
It's hard to believe that we breezed so quickly through our January days. Perhaps it was the surprising number of snow days, which was a little unusual for North Carolina. Nevertheless, our classroom has continued to be a busy place as we worked around days out of school and two hour delays. The children worked diligently on an Arctic Animal Project. They have read about, gathered information, and created books about a special animal. Make sure to look at our Wiki. You will be able to see and hear their beautiful creations! Our math has focused on "Fractions". Our little STARS have learned how to determine the numerator and denominator, to explain how fractions can be equivalent, and to solve problems. Of course, we love to incorporate "food" in our math lessons, so along with our Smartboard lessons we just had to have some edible hands on activities! The children also created Fractions of Me poetry.
January School Days on PhotoPeach
Our Winter Celebration was so much fun! We certainly appreciate all that Mrs. Darden, Mrs. Olsen, and Mrs. Dembosky did to make our holiday celebration so special. Take a quick peek at our celebration!
May each of you have a truly blessed holiday season. Enjoy your special family moments.
Ms. Cranfill and I want to wish each of you a very blessed and happy holiday season with your families. Each of the children are dear to us and we hold them close in our hearts. Thank you for sharing your child with us as we make this second grade journey.
