Week ending 12/23/16

Hi families!  This is the last post for this 2016 year!  Amazing how far we've come this year so far and how much more we have to go!  Friday is our 73rd day in school.

3, 2, 1 things you should know...
3 read aloud we read during the week were Animal's Santa, Potato Latkes, and Kwanza.  We know that many of the students are celebrating this upcoming week.  As a class, we've talked about what the holidays have in common and how they may be different.  This is not done in a religious way, but light is a theme through each holiday as well as joining with family and friends.
We know some students will be celebrating holidays in January as well and we look forward to sharing what that looks like then!
**Ask your child what they're most looking forward to over the winter break!

2 social studies activities we worked on were Luis on the Map (comparing Luis's story to our Me on the Map story) and watching a DVD on the geography of Mexico.
**Ask your child about 1 item they saw in the video today that stuck with them.

1 writing workshop unit we have started is writing an informational book on their own chosen topic.  We started with brainstorming, moved on to writing a table of contents to help us think of chapters, and then we began the writing.  They are very proud of their work so far as they are the experts in these topics and will be able to share with the class when complete.
**Ask your child which topic they have decided to write about and to tell you two chapters they've decided on.

I hope everyone has a wonderful break and enjoys their holiday if you are celebrating!
Rest, relax, enjoy this time with family and friends and cherish the memories.
Mrs. DeKing

Week ending 12/9/16

Hi Families!
Only 2 more weeks left before the holiday break!  I'm sure everyone is looking forward to it!
This has been a busy week and we've been involved in finishing up our Social Studies unit and beginning our reading unit of determining what's really important when we read.

Important Information:

• Don't forget to start sending in the warm clothes and perhaps extra pants and socks for when we get out during lunch, and sometimes snack, in case they get wet.  
• We will continue to be in school through December 23rd.  If you're child will be out, please let us know.  Thanks in advance. 
• The Heritage Bears look fantastic!  I can't wait to start hearing about each child's bear next week as they start to share with the class.  
• Please visit this sign up to help us collect materials for a winter project we'll be working on before vacation.
• Link: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0a4ea8a928a20-2ndgrade

3, 2, 1 things you should know...

3 non-fiction reading skills we've been working on this week are determining what's important versus interesting, paraphrasing important information into our own words, and identifying what we've learned, still question, and think were "WOW!" parts of the text when reading.  * Ask your child, when they're reading with you, if they still have any questions.  Asking questions after we read is a great strategy to help readers retain what they've read, think beyond the text that's right in front of them, and to help them predict what will happen next.

2 math addition strategies we've been working with in this unit are adding 10 on an open number line and splitting numbers.  * Ask your child to add 34+57 = ?  Encourage them to solve it by splitting numbers and ask them to explain how they solved it.  Explaining their thought process and steps, helps to solidify their learning of this skill.

1 new thing we started today was "Stump Mr. DeKing'!  We call and ask him a question based on what we've been learning this week and see if he can answer it.  We like to challenge him!  

Today we asked him "What does the landform "plains" look like?  *Ask you child that questions or better yet, have them ask you! ;)

Week ending 12/2/16

Hello Families!
I hope everyone enjoyed their longer weekend last week and it's back to business in our classroom!

Important information:

• Thursday, December 8, is an early release day with dismissal at 12:30.  
• Heritage Bears are due on Friday, December 9.  
• We continue to go out at recess so please be sure your child has a jacket and anything else necessary for the weather. 
• As the 2nd grade team begins to think about field trips in the Spring, we want to let you know that to even be considered for a field trip, you must be CORI'd and have a current one on file.  This is very important but easy to do.  You can do this by seeing Ms. Sheehan in the office.  Please do this month if you need to.

3, 2, 1 things we've worked on this week.  

3 social studies activities we worked on were brainstorming and sharing what we thought we knew about the United States of America and what we wanted to learn about, learned about important landmarks in our country, and began to learn a little bit about our Constitution.  

2 reading workshop activities we worked on were completing our writing of our own book about non-fiction features and then sharing the books with our peers.  Ask your child to tell you two non-fiction features and their purpose. 

1 homework we've sent home is Heritage Bears.  Here's the scoop...

As part of our Social Studies curriculum, we will soon embark on a journey to learn more about a few of the many countries and cultures that make up our world.  The Heritage Bear Project is designed to help students reflect on their own cultural heritage and help them make connections to the world cultures we will study for the remainder of the year.  The project also helps us celebrate the diverse cultures that make up our classrooms.
Templates for the heritage bear project went home this week.  Please work with your child to cut out and "dress" the bear template in a way that reflects the traditional clothing of your child's heritage.  Be creative.  Use scraps of fabric, ribbon, or paper to collage together an outfit if you can. You should only dress the front of the bear.  Please help your child to complete the bear's fact card which also went home.  Thank you!

Here's some pics of us working on our new math unit, Measuring for the Art Show. We've measured paper with cubes but today we worked on using our ten strips we made and measured with that.  It's important we work as a team when measuring and that we remember our strategies for measuring carefully.  This unit will help us build on our knowledge of place value and we will use an open number line to show our addition strategies.

Week ending 11/18/16

Hello families,
We've been pretty busy this week and I know we all look forward to next week to spend time with family and friends.

Important information:

• Wednesday, November 22, is a 12:00 dismissal.  Please plan accordingly and let me know if there are any changes.  There is no extended day or In School Creative Arts that afternoon.  
• If your child will be away before or after the Thanksgiving break, please let me know.  
• Next Wednesday, please send your child in with a special snack and a not to them answering this question: "Why are you thankful for them?"  Please do not tell them about the special snack and note...a little bit of a surprise.  :)  

3, 2, 1 things happening in room 250...

3 math skills we worked on were counting change when paying for items at a vegetable stand, reading bar graphs, and making our own tally charts and pictographs.  *When you need to decide where to eat out for dinner...have you child ask each member of the family and make a chart of the results.  

2 activities we completed during reading workshop were sorting books based on whether they were fiction or non-fiction and listening to a biography read aloud.  *Next time you go to the library, ask your child who they'd like to learn about and look for a biography for them to read about that person. We always read better and are more engaged when it's a topic we're interested in!

1 special activity we had this week was a visit from author/illustrator Ralph Masiello.  He was fantastic as always and the students really enjoyed the visit.  

Here's a few pics below:

Week ending 11/11

Hello families!  I hope you all enjoy this long weekend and take advantage of all that Fall has to offer.
Important information:

• Thank you SO much to the families who donated books to the classroom!  We have received a bunch of new chapter books and read aloud!  We already started reading some today...we read The Cookie Fiasco and Enemy Pie.  I can't wait to read the others as well.  Thank you for your generosity.
• On Thursday, we had a school wide visit from the Tanglewood Marionette company.  They are always so engaging and interesting!
• Wednesday, November 23rd, is early dismissal.  Dismissal is at 12:00 (not 12:30). Please plan accordingly.  
• Thursday and Friday, November 24 and 25th, there is no school.  

3, 2, 1 things you should know about our week...

3 features of non-fiction we have been working on identifying this week are diagram, captions, and glossaries.  * Ask you child about the other non-fiction text features we've covered and their purpose.  

2 math skills we've been working on are telling time to the half hour consistently and accurately and sharing ideas on why we need to learn how to tell time on an analog clock. * Ask your child why we need to know how to tell time on an analog clock.  

1 writing skill we continue to work on is editing and revising our work.  Many of us have finished our first pieces of writing by adding more talking, thinking, feelings, details, and describing words.  Many have started writing a final copy.  * Ask your child which story they are going to publish?  

Last week's blog for weeks ending 11/4/16

We had a very busy week last week and I apologize for getting this blog to you a few days late!
Last week was full of Fall activities and starting new math units!

Important information:

• There is no school on Friday, November 10.  Enjoy the long weekend.
• We are attending the book fair on Thursday morning at 9 am.  If you would like to join us for our 30 minute slot, you may. If you'd like to send money for the book fair, please do in an envelope with your child's name on it.  You may also attend the book fair night on Wednesday and do your shopping then if you'd like.  Please keep in mind that we are not allowing students to buy games or toys at the book fair.  If you'd like them to get those items, please go Wednesday night.  Thank you!
• Homework is coming home again tonight but is due back on Thursday this week.  

3, 2, 1 skills we worked on last week...

In math, we worked on cooperative team work, estimating, and counting in groups as we worked on counting out all our pumpkin seeds!  

Here's our estimates and our actual total!

 

*Whenever you have a lot of items at home such as cheerios, crayons, toy cars, etc...ask them what they estimate the number to be and then have them check by grouping items.

2 reading comprehension strategies we worked on were identifying the problem and solution of the story and the setting (paying attention to not just where the story takes place but also when).  *When your child is reading at home, have them share these 2 parts with you as a way to check their understanding.

1 math skill we've been work on through games is sorting, regrouping, and understanding place value.  We've learned the games Race to 100 and Race to 0. 

Week ending 10/28/16

Hello Families!  We've had another busy and productive week in room 250!  In case you haven't had a chance to check out the new playground...please do!  Many have parents have been working each day to help get this up and ready for the students!  Our class is very excited about playing and exploring and we thank all of you for helping out, whether it was time or a donation!

This blog entry is a bit different as I want to be sure you have all the information regarding the homework which is starting this week.

This past week we practiced homework expectations in the classroom.  We reviewed what homework should look like, learned classroom routines for collecting and passing in homework each week, and we discussed where and when homework should be completed at home, Extended Day, or elsewhere. 

On Monday, October 31st, students will receive a homework packet that will start to come home each week on Mondays. It will be due back in the classroom on Friday, November 4^th.  Our homework routine will continue like this, with new weekly packets on Monday to be returned each Friday.

Monday's homework will be completed in class.  This exception is in place so that those families that celebrate Halloween may do so without the added stress of homework. The first official night of at-home homework assignments will be Tuesday, November 1st.

Other Things to Know:

• Homework should be completed nightly.
• Students complete only the assigned homework, as scheduled on the cover sheet and noted at the bottom of each page in the packet.
• Students check off assignments on the cover sheet as they are completed.
• Students record what they've read at home in the space provided on the cover sheet.
• In class we talked about the different places students may do their homework and where they thought they could work the best.  We also talked about when to do the homework, from right after school with a snack, to after an activity, and also doing the practice after school and reading at bedtime.  

• Families may help students as needed.  An adult must help with the Thursday night word study homework.

• Reading may be done in many ways: independently, with an adult, with a sibling or friend, from a book, from a Nook, etc.  Reading should be enjoyable.

• Our grade level expectation for time spent on homework is 30 minutes per night.  This time should be spent demonstrating best effort.

Please let us know if you have any questions.  Thank you.

- Your Second Grade Team

Week ending 10/21/16

Hi Families!  I hope you've all been enjoying this beautiful weather we've been having!  I know this weekend will be a change but it's been nice while it's lasted!  Our new playground is starting to come together!  The students are so excited and have been watching the crew do a little bit every day!  There have been many parents that have been able to help out already and there is a community build tomorrow morning, Saturday for those that can come help build it.
Important information:

• Conferences start on the 25th, next Tuesday and continue through the 4th of November.  If you have not signed up, please see the Sign Up Genius in a previous post to sign up.  Please remember this is a time for you and your child to attend. They are excited to share their work with you.
• Thursday, November 3rd is a half day with dismissal at 12:30. 
• Homework will begin on October 31 with the first days homework being completed in class that day.  We will also be practicing homework next week in the classroom so students know what is expected.  To prepare for homework, a good tip is to work with your child to determine when homework will be completed every day and where the homework will be done.  Create a homework space for your child to work at each day. 

3, 2, 1 things happening in room 250...

3 math skill we've been working on are showing our work while solving number story problems in math, using fact families to help us identify which facts we know and an easier way to solve the ones we don't, and "What's My Rule?" which helps us use our number sense to solve problems in a different way of thinking.  *Have some fun with math by asking your child to make up story problems for you to solve by showing your work and writing a complete number sentence.  

2 read aloud we listened to were William's Doll and Amazing Grace.  We used these books to make text to text connections and share what was similar between the books.  *When your child is reading at night, ask them if their book reminds them of any other books they have read before.  Often, they will surprise themselves with the connections they can make!

1 writing activity we've been working on is writing what we are proud of ourselves for and what we're still working on.  These ideas will be shared at conference.  

Week ending 10/14/16

There's no official blog this week as I don't typically write a full one on weeks when we've missed multiple days...but...a few important pieces of information:

• Don't forget to sign up for Fall conferences.  (See the link in a previous post.)
• We will be starting homework the week of Halloween.  On Halloween, students will have homework but we will be completing in class that day as part of our "Getting ready for homework at home routine" (so they will not have any at night).  
• We are spending some time at the end of the day on Fridays to talk about social issues, feelings, respect, helping, being kind, making mistakes, stretching their brain, and many more.  We will listen to read aloud about different topics, brainstorm, work together, and learn so much about each other.  Today, we talked about kindness!  We did a kindness brainstorm where students shared their ideas of kindness with the class.  We also watched the video again that was shown at the all school meeting last week about kindness.  Here is the video link if you'd like it: https://youtu.be/nwAYpLVyeFU

Here's a picture of our brainstorm so far...it's still a work in progress. :)

Have a great weekend!

Megan

Week ending 10/7/16

Hello families!
What a beautiful week it has been!  The weather has been great and it's been so nice to enjoy recess during the day.

Important information:

• Next Monday, the 10th, and Wednesday, the 12th there is no school.  
• Don't forget Friday is our library day so please send the books back in then so your child can choose new books. 
• Conferences will begin the end of the month.  Here is a link to the sign up for you AND your child to attend. 
• http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0a4ea8a928a20-deking3

3, 2, 1 things you should know…

3 writing workshop skills we've been working on are magnifying the details in our small moment stories, focusing on a beginning that grabs the readers attention, and writing across multiple pages.  

2 activities we completed in science were observing a germinating seed and talking how seeds travel.  Ask your child three different ways seeds travel. 

1 math activity we've been working on is the "Parking Activity".  Going home today is your child's work and a sheet showing our work as a whole class.  Students really stretch their brains with this activity and I am amazed how fabulous they shared their math thinking and the math process!  I'm very proud of them!

Enjoy the beautiful weekend!

Week ending 10/7/16

Hello families!
What a beautiful week it has been!  The weather has been great and it's been so nice to enjoy recess during the day.

Important information:

• Next Monday, the 10th, and Wednesday, the 12th there is no school.  
• Don't forget Friday is our library day so please send the books back in then so your child can choose new books. 

3, 2, 1 things you should know…

3 writing workshop skills we've been working on are magnifying the details in our small moment stories, focusing on a beginning that grabs the readers attention, and writing across multiple pages.  

2 activities we completed in science were observing a germinating seed and talking how seeds travel.  Ask your child three different ways seeds travel. 

1 math activity we've been working on is the "Parking Activity".  Going home today is your child's work and a sheet showing our work as a whole class.  Students really stretch their brains with this activity and I am amazed how fabulous they shared their math thinking and the math process!  I'm very proud of them!

Enjoy the beautiful weekend!

Week ending 9/30

Hello families!  It has felt like Fall this week!  What Fall activities has your family been up to?  I hope you've been able to take advantage of the apple picking, pumpkin picking, and cider with cider donuts! Yum!

Important information:

• There is no school on Monday, October 3, Monday, October 10, and Wednesday, October 12.   If you are celebrating a holiday over those days, I hope it goes well and you enjoy the family time. 
• Please be sure to send in appropriate clothing for the cooler weather.

3, 2, 1 things you should know…

3 skills we practiced during reading workshop are buzzing with our partners about books, using our I-Pick bookmarks to help us choose just right books, and making connecting connections between the books and our lives.  

2 writing skills we have been working on are our handwriting to make sure we are forming the letters correctly and choosing a small moment idea to help us get started on our stories.

1 math game we learned was Addition Grab Bag.  

Open House Questions

Below are the questions we received as a grade level at Open House.

Snack Time
Snack time gives students the opportunity to chat with friends and build social relationships.  We encourage families to send snacks that their child will enjoy, are healthy, and will sustain their nervy throughout the morning.  Healthy snacks sustain energy best and comply with our school's "no candy" rule.  Remember there are many sweet snacks that are healthy too!  Please refrain from sending in candy and other less healthy options.

Recess
Recess is an important part of the day for children.  Each day our second graders have 20 minutes of snack/recess time in the morning and 20 minutes of recess before their 20 minute lunch time.

Collaboration/How did we get so lucky to have such amazing teachers?
Well, how did we get so lucky to have such amazing families?

*This is a repost because the format did show up as expected with the previous post.   :)

Week ending 9/23

Hello families!  It's now Fall and so many activities are happening with all of you these days!  I hope you all get out this weekend and enjoy some Fall fun!

Important information:

• This Thursday, September 29th, is an early release day.  Dismissal for everyone is at 12:30.  Please be there to pick up your child at that time.   There is still extended day.  If there are dismissal changes for your child, please let me know.
• Our library day is on Fridays so please help your child remember to bring their books back that day so they can choose new books.

3, 2, 1 things you should know about our week:

3 strategies we worked on during reading workshop were choosing just right books, how to solve words that are challenging, and making connections to the stories we read to help us understand the important parts of the text.  

2 math skills we worked on were completing pieces of a number grid by adding and subtracting tens and ones and different ways to show a number.  

1 activity we did for science was watch a video on Brain Pop Jr. on observations skills and each student shared a describing word with the class before packing up that day.  

Week Ending 9/16/16

We have finished our first full week of school!  We are all settling back into the routine of the classroom and learning more and more about each other!  

Important information:

• It's was nice to see many of you at open house last night.  I do realize it can be very difficult to attend events in the evening so if you couldn't make it, be sure to check out my website and the Open House page for the PowerPoint showing an over view of our year.  Also, your child is bringing home an "All About Me" apple for you to see and another apple for you.
• Often families ask about birthdays...please do not send any type of food in for birthdays. Another way to celebrate your child's birthday is coming in to read a story to our class near the big day.  You can choose a book from home or your child can choose one from here.  
• Be sure to enter your email address in the spot on our blog that says "Follow by email" so you don't miss any posts.  

3, 2, 1 things we've been working on:

3 math skills we've been practicing are identifying which number is larger in a Top It game (similar to a card game you may already know, so ask your child about it), quickly identifying combinations up to 10 with game called Penny Plate, and adding up larger amounts of money.  We also started working our challenge work. 

2 read alouds we read and discussed were Calvin Can't Fly (about a bird who can't fly and chooses to read instead) and Quiet Place (about how finding a quiet place to be alone and get lost in a book is a great place to be). 

1 Responsive Classroom activity we are working on is writing our hopes and dreams for the school year.  

Below are a few pictures from today's Penny Plate game:

 

Back to School!

Hello Families!
What a busy week it has been!  We have had a great week settling back in to school, getting to know each other, and learning about our classroom.  We have also spent time learning routines, expectations, when we have specials, and more!

Important information:

• Thursday, September 15th, is Open House.  2nd grade will be presenting in the auditorium at 6:00 and then moving to individual classrooms for a short time.  Grades K-2 will have Open House from 6:00-6:40, then Mr. Morris and the PTO will speak in the auditorium, and then grades 3-5 will present.    If you can not make it, do not worry.  All the current information and presentation will be on my website after Open House.  
• Please remember we are a nut free classroom this year so please choose other snacks for your children such as crackers, fruit, cheese sticks, yogurt, etc.  At lunch, children can bring what they choose.
• Specials for this year: Monday is art, Tuesday is no special, Wednesday is music, Thursday is physical education, and Friday is physical education and library.  Be sure to have sneakers on PE days and return library books on Fridays.  
• This blog will be posted almost every Friday and it's the best way to stay on top of what's going on in the classroom and a great way to start conversations with your child about their week.  

3, 2, 1 things you should know:

3 activities we've completed this week are a classroom scavenger hunt, friend scavenger hunt, and getting our book bags ready for reading workshop.

2 discussions we've had are sharing with the class why school is important and what students may need to feel successful this year.  

1 read aloud we read was, First Day Jitters.  

End of the Year

Hello families!
Our year has come to an end!  Tomorrow is our last day of school for this year and what a year it's been!  The class has learned so much, pushed themselves to do more than they thought, worked to build and relationships, be flexible, problem solve, and work as a class to support, encourage, and help each other!  I'm impressed with how far they've come and I look forward to seeing them in the halls by 3rd grade to see how far they can go!  I'm happy to have had the chance to get to know each and every student this year and I'm proud of each of them!
I hope everyone has a wonderful summer and see you next year!
Megan DeKing

We ended the year on a high note today!  Here's two pictures from today's great beach day!

 

Beach party snack and story time!

 

What's on your summer bucket list?

Week ending 6/10/16

Hi Families!
We've had a great week here at school!  The field trip was great and the rest of the week, we've been working finishing up our poetry units in reading and writing.  We also finished up our Butterfly unit.

Important information:

• Tuesday is Color Day so don't forget to send your child in their team color (sheets went home on Wednesday with their color listed), sunscreen already on, bug spray already on, sneakers, and a labeled water bottle.  This is a fun day where we encourage good sportsmanship, fairness, teamwork, and fun!  
• If your child does not have the color they were assigned, they could wear a close color, something in their hair or hat that color, or they could even make neat designs with colored tape on their shirt.  
• Our book projects are due on Wednesday, the 15th.  All projects should be in the classroom then.  They can begin bringing them in on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday of next week.

3, 2, 1 things you should know...

3 exhibits we saw at the Museum of Science were the butterfly exhibit, the colorful frogs, and the indoor playground structure.  

2 activities we've been doing in school are writing reflections about our whole school year.  It's so important for students and families to reflect on the journey this year!  

1 questions we tried to stump Mr. DeKing with was "What is the life cycle of a butterfly?".  

**Mr. DeKing tried to stump us with "Why do seagulls fly over the sea?"

So proud!

I am SO proud of these kids for all they've accomplished this year!  They've all grown in their own ways and I'm amazed at how far they've come.  Some were working on academic skills, some worked on social concerns, and yet others worked on managing themselves.  No matter what they've grown in this year…they should be VERY proud of themselves and remember that feeling!  As they go on to next year and the challenges come, because there will be, they will remember that they can and will persevere through them if they work hard and keep their head held high!  I'm so proud of them and I know you all are too!  
Wondering what they're proud of?  If you missed our celebration morning…catch their ideas below!

Week ending 6/3/16

What a great week it's been!  We've spent lots of time finishing up work and getting ready for today!  Thank you so much to those that brought some things in and to so many of you for coming in today!  The kids loved it and we're so happy to share our writing and our favorite books with you!  If you couldn't make it...don't worry, the work is coming home today!

This a reminder that our field trip to the Museum of Science will be on Monday, June 6th.

A few important notes:

• Please do not send money for the gift shop, simulator, photos, cafeteria, etc.  We will not be spending time doing any of these things.
• You must send a lunch on the day of the trip.  Please send it in a disposable package.
• You should also send a small snack (that can fit in a pocket or sandwich bag), also in a disposable package. 
• Please make sure your child arrives to school on time.  Our buses will leave by 9:00.  

I can't say how proud I am of all of them for their hard work, perseverance, and effort!  Not everything comes easily to each of them and they worked hard to push through the challenges and continue building their strengths!  

As the year begins to come to an end...I want to share a little poem with you that expresses how this year has been...

Great Expectations

It's time to almost say good-bye,

Our year has come to an end.

We've made more cherished memories

and many more new friends.

I've watched your children learn and grow

and change from day to day.

I hope that all the things we've done

have helped in some small way.

So it's with happy memories

I send them out the door.

With great hope and expectations

for what next year holds in store.

~Author Unknown

Here's some pictures from today!   

Week ending 5/27/16

I can't believe Memorial Weekend is here already!  This year is certainly going quickly and after today we only have 18 days left!  Wow!

Important information:

• Please be sure to fill out this form for your child about how proud you are!  Please complete over the weekend so I can put things together early next week. 
•  https://docs.google.com/a/newton.k12.ma.us/forms/d/1YSDTjphRw-j1DVR87z9oVvArJi5Yxx4ipxNLu4PrucM/viewform
• We hope you can join us next Friday am for our end of year celebration!  It will be at 8:45 and last about an hour.  Please see the Sign Up Genius for food/plates/etc. sign ups.  Thank you for your help with this!  
• http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0a4ea8a928a20-endofyear
• Our field trip to the Museum of Science is June 6 all day.  We will send more information home next week! I'm really looking forward to it!

3, 2, 1, things you need to know about our class this week...

3 types of poems we've been working on writing are Bio-Poem, Haiku, and Cinquains.  I'm amazed at their writing...it's so fabulous and we can't wait to show you!

2 math skills we've been working on are organizing numbers into equal groups and Kojo's Math which is a tie in to our Ghana unit.  

1 activity we did today was "Stump Mr. DeKing!"  For two weeks now we've been trying to stump Mr. DeKing through FaceTime by asking questions about things we've learned about to see if he knows.  :)  It's been so fun!  

Week ending 5/20/16

Hello families!  We've had a busy week in room 250!  Please read the important information below as there's some dates and other info that you need to know.  Thanks!
Important information:

• Monday, May 30, there is no school.
• Friday, June 3 at 8:45 is our classroom celebration!  
• Please see the sign up genius link to bring in an item if you are able.  Thanks! :)
• http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0a4ea8a928a20-endofyear
• Monday, June 6, is our field trip to the Museum of Science.  More specific information will be coming.
• Please follow the link below to complete something special for your child.  I am proud of them for so many reasons and I know you are too!  Please read the form and write your words there.  I will then use them for our celebration.  
• http://goo.gl/forms/51K8mUl8dN2XCfI12
• Ask your child about "Stump Mr. DeKing!"  We started it last week and they have loved it!

3, 2, 1 things you should know...

3 elements of poetry we've been working on are: noticing stanzas and longer line breaks, many poems rhyme, and punctuation can be used in many different ways.

2 math skills we've been reviewing are subtracting money, breaking down numbers into place value, and solving number stories.

1 thing Jayden wants you know is we had our chrysalises change into butterflies!  They were beautiful!  We released them yesterday and it was awesome to see them take off!

Week ending 5/13/16

We've had a great week!  The weather has been nice, the class has been working so well together today and we have finished up some units, such as math for place value…and we started some new ones, such as poetry for reading and writing.
We had an in school creative arts presentation today from the Museum of Science on life cycles.

Here's some things the class wanted to share with you that we learned today at our in school presentation:

• The animal life cycles are not always the same as humans.
• Pine trees, the Sequoia,  start out as seedlings and the grow to pine cones with seeds in it.  
• The Sequoia trees need forest fires for the sap to melt so the seed pods can open up.
• The Sequoia trees could be as large as three blue whales stacked on top of each other, 350 ft. high.
• The life cycle of a reptile is an egg, hatchling, juvenile, and then adult.
• When mammals are born, you can tell it's a bird but maybe not which type of bird it is.  
• Frogs have a big change in their life cycle, metamorphosis.
• The life cycle of a butterfly is an egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and then butterfly.  
• The whole group practiced growing as trees too.  
• We saw a reptile, the Chuckwalla.
• We saw the largest living thing…a Sequoia…well, we actually saw a seedling of a Sequoia.
• We also saw Caatinga Horned frog.

Here's some pictures from today's presentation as well:

 Museum of Science Life Cycles presentation

 Chuckwalla lizard

Sequoia seedling

 Practicing growing as a tree.

 Sequoia full size

 Egg stage

 Caterpillar

Chrysalis

 Butterfly

Caatinga Horned Frog

Week ending 4/29/16

We are just about in May!  We have less than 40 days left!  It's amazing how fast time has gone by!  This week has been very busy with practicing money in math, summarizing in reading workshop, learning about the Earth in science, and finishing up our opinion recommendations in writing workshop.
Important information:

• Tuesday the 3rd and the 10th, CAP will be here to present to our class.  Please be sure the permission slip is returned.  
• Thursday, the 5th is an early release day with dismissal at 12:30.  

We had a fabulous visit from our Ghana friends Joe and Vida!  They are fantastic and love to share the history, geography, games, and an idea of what it would be like to be in Ghana for a day!

Important facts we learned about Ghana…

• The capital city is Accra.
•  There are 40 different languages.
• The biggest man-made lake in the world is located there.
• The Northern region is the largest region.
• Aburi - city where you visit after landing and riding a small bus
• Adinkra symbols are important and on the drum we saw today.
• Villages will drum from village to village to send messages.
• Gourds are used to make a variety of items such as bowls, spoons, and games.
• Children in the villages must do their chores before the sun comes up.
• In Ms. Vida's village there is no electricity so the rooster wakes them up!  
• Malls just started being built there in the last 10 years.  
• Students in Ghana wear school uniforms.  
• Kente cloth is important in Ghana culture…but we'll learn more about that in our Ghana unit!

The kids LOVED trying out carrying a baby or the water bowl!

Here's some pics from today:

 



 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Ask your kids to show you their new dancing moves!