Happy Finally Friday

Open House came and went.  23 out of 25 students visited their home away from home.  We made our welcome sign, with student made pictures of what to do with their parents.

Then they grabbed a to do sheet.

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Somehow when parents show up, students seem to forget what they have been working on for the last month.

They read a Johnny Appleseed book with their family and then were able to feed their reading monster.

  They read their class books to their families, as well.

 And then we all to the cafeteria for ice cream!  Now off to the weekend.

2 1/2 Weeks....

2nd grade is great!  I am so glad to be teaching a straight 2nd grade this year.  I LOVE the looping that occurs with the blends I have had the past couple of years, but am thankful for only having to deal with one curriculum.  Anyway Open House is Thursday.  Here is what we have been up to:

1)  After telling my students about my brother and I breaking his "Baby's 1st Christmas" ornament and how upset my mom was, we compare that to how sad we would be if our favorite books were destroyed.  We drew our "1st Christmas" ornament and added it to our chart about caring for books.

 2)  Thank you Abby at The Inspired Apple for her Ready to Read unit.  We made reading monsters.  They are hungry little things every time we read a book, we write down the title and feed it to them.  The reading motivation they have created has been wonderful.  

 3)  We read  Teammates by Peter Golenbock  The book is about the friendship between PeeWee Reese and Jackie Robinson, during the first season Jackie played baseball with the Dodgers.  Peewee Reese was the only teammate to stand up for Jackie when no one else would.  It seems a strange book to start the year with, but I love baseball and the Dodgers, so it helps my kiddos make a connection with me as well.  We are then able to discuss how we are all different…because of where we are from, what we like/dislike, and so many other things, and yet work together as a team, within our classroom.  Students pair up into “teams” and make venn diagrams comparing the differences and similarities they have.  Then, like Peewee, we talk about how our “team” stands up for each other and what that might look like in daily life at school.

After a couple weeks of talking about teamwork, community, and cooperation, drew ourselves wearing the uniform for our favorite sport/team.  Oh how student art makes me laugh!  Close up of two of my favs--a mohawked, flag football player and cheerleader with very un-supportive top:-)

 4)  My "chickadees" made venn diagrams comparing themselves to their partner.  Then we made a chickadee and are all hanging out on the telephone wire.

 5)  And finally we made heart maps.  For now, they are displayed on the bulletin board, but will soon be moved to the front of our writing journals.  Hopefully they will serve as inspiration for some great writing!