Holiday Cheer in Afghanistan

A friend of mine had posted on Facebook that she was looking for holiday decorations for her base holiday party in Afghanistan.  Immediately I thought of putting my incredible thoughtful and talented artists on the job!  We wrote notes, made ornaments, and these incredible snowmen to bring some cheer to our U.S. airforce troops overseas.  Theresa has promised she will send pictures and keep us updated!  Great job, Second Graders!

Laptops!

Exciting news!  The portable laptop labs are now ready to use!  We do need to share them, but it is so nice to have more 1:1 computer time! Matthew is our photographer and was able to take a few pictures of them in use. 

Currently we are using them to get onto Xtra Math, Kidblog, Dancemath Typing, and Education City at least 3x during the week.  The kids are super motivated to use them and are learning quite a few...ummm...troubleshooting strategies.  All part of the fun! 

Long time, no see!

For some reason I am always more motivated to catch up on things when I am SUPPOSED to be doing something else....like report cards, for instance!  I thought this might be a good chance to update everyone on our new classroom behavior management.  As I notified families through a notice, we have started using a Clip Chart in class.  It looks like this:
 

I like that EVERYONE starts at Ready to Learn!  This gives all students the opportunity to move up the chart or down.  Even if they move down, they can work to move back up the chart.  Students should be bringing home their reporting sheet marked each day. 

I also wrote to you that I would be using a free program called Class Dojo.  I really like that it shows students very specifically why they are moving either up or down the chart.  I can show students individual reports, or how we are doing as a whole class.  Here is an example of our first week using Class Dojo:

Through my own use of the program and reflection, I remembered how hard it is to pick out the POSITIVE behaviors!  This is not because the kids aren't doing the right thing, but rather, the negative behaviors stand out because there is SO MUCH positive behavior.  On that note, I am trying to be very mindful of the positives (in addition to helping students understand why certain behaviors are considered negatives in a classroom setting...though they might not be in other settings.)   

This really is such a great group of kids!  As they keep those positive behaviors coming, I will make an effort to keep acknowledging them!  Ready...set...go! 

Halloween Crafts.....um...finally?!

Sorry I am so late getting these up here!  I have a million excuses and none of them are very good..... Enjoy!

It's only 20 minutes a night, right?

Check out this form that I found...it does the math for you. 

I'm convinced! 

Family Trees

Last year I was introduced to another great holiday event that connects to literacy by Mrs. Heidi Clarke.  The Concord Museum in Concord, MA hosts an event each year called Family Trees from November 23rd through January 1st. The museum is decorated with Christmas trees fashioned to represent a variety of children's books.  Information about the event can be found here: http://www.concordmuseum.org/visit/special_events_FamilyTrees.html.  Different events take place during the holiday season that include crafts, author meet and greets, and character visits...including one with Santa!  Some events have an additional cost, but to just check out the trees is the cost of admission ($10 adults, $5 children 6-17, and free for children under the age of 6).   
Emily and I will be checking many of the books represented this year out of the library so we can appreciate their beauty when we visit.  Here is the complete list of titles: http://www.concordmuseum.org/pdfs/2011%20Annotated%20Family%20Trees%20Books.pdf.  I hope some of you are able to check out this wonderful event! 
(One tip....if you do go on a day that there is an author scheduled, bring a book to have signed.  There is a gift shop, but it is small so all the titles aren't available.)

Grace's Photography

Grace had a lot of great opportunities to take pictures the past couple of weeks.  We had our Reading Incentive assembly  We read a ton of minutes, but Miss Spiniello's class won this time!  We also measured our pumpkins, created post cards to send out to our Post Card Exchange buddies, and designed scarecrows about which we are now writing descriptive paragraphs.  You'll see some random recess shots as well.  So much fun in second grade!   

Trick or Treat for Troops!

In talking to students yesterday, it came about that they are interested in donating some of their Halloween candy.    I was able to get in touch with Catching Joy and the FF-182 (Friends and Family of the 182nd Infantry), who are doing a candy collection to be sent to the soldiers. 
Please have your child bring in any candy they would like to donate by Friday.  We will also be making notes and cards to include in the packages for the troop.  If anyone has any Scrapbooking paper that is not being used, please send that in, too, as we can use it for some of our notes! 
To find out more about FF-182 which was started and the Connors, a Walpole family, visit https://www.facebook.com/#!/FF182.  (Believe it or not, Helen Connor is another Blue Bunny connection!)  There is also a packing event planned for Veteran's Day at Blackburn Hall.   Here is the information as provided on Facebook: 

	Time: Friday, November 11 11:00am - 2:00pm
	Location: Blackburn Hall 30 Stone Street Walpole, Massachusetts

 

Please join us on Friday, Nov 11 to celebrate Veteran's Day by supporting an FF-182 packing event. There are several ways to help:

We are looking for donations for the following items:
- children's winter clothing and accessories
- small stuffed animals (new or in good condition)- bring your leftover Halloween candy!

We are also looking for volunteers to help us pack items for transport to the 182 in Afghanistan.

We are seeking assistance with fundraising to help defray the shipping costs. If you represent an organization, group, or business and would like to attend the event - we can arrange for you to have a table where you can promote your group/biz, have a children's activity/craft, or even hold a sale (i.e. baked goods). We are open to all ideas and welcome the entire FF-182 community to participate!

This event is taking place in conjunction with the Walpole Veteran's Affairs Office Veteran's Day ceremonies on the Town Common.

Please contact us for additional information on how you can help. And stay tuned for more details. 

 

 

This is a fantastic way to involve the kids in doing something important for Veteran's Day and to say "Thank You" to those who sacrifice for us all every day!

Oozing Pumpkin

I totally forgot to take pictures of the kids in their costumes-ugh!  We will definitely have a lot of photos from our Halloween Craft Party on Monday, though.  In the meantime, here is a fun video for the kids to watch!  (They do say not to do it at home because of the chemical involved, but maybe some of our brilliant scientists can think of substitutes to use?) 

Lantern Festival at Jamaica Pond

   Last post for tonight-I promise!  We decided to got to the Lantern Festival at Jamaica Pond this weekend hosted by Spontaneous Celebrations, an organization that I do not know much about, other than that they encourage culture and community through art.

  Out of curiousity, I drove by the festival on Saturday evening around 8:00, figuring most people would have left by then.  There were still tons of lanterns making their way around the pond and it looked SO COOL!  I was able to get a good look at some of the lanterns, too, and noticed they were made of recycled soda bottles! 

I made it my mission to scrounge some up on Sunday and get to work! 

   Since I am not a huge soda drinker, though a big fan of A&W Diet Root Beer, I had to borrow some bottles from my aunt and mom who mostly had 1 liter bottles.  These worked out great, however!  I pulled out all the leftover tissue paper I had, a bottle of Modge Podge (that I watered down), some paint brushes, and scissors.  (BTW The Modge Podge was actually glittery, so my vampire creation really did SPARKLE!!!)

    Next, Emily and I got to work!  We painted the glue onto the tissue and stuck it to our bottles-as simple as that.  The nice thing about tissue paper is that, although it is delicate, it is very forgiving to work with.  If it rips...paint it with more glue!  I hope you enjoy our final products in the slideshow above and I hope you get a chance to make some lanterns of your own!    

Note: We used electric tea lights.

Onto the Garden!

   After a great morning outside with many pumpkins and parents, the kids got a break to eat lunch and have recess.  Then, though, it was back to work!  Mrs. Cooke, and her friend J.T., brought their super helpful "Gardens With Spirit" trailer and played in the dirt with us!  Students learned about planting bulbs, such as which end goes UP!  See if your child can tell you the vocabulary word we use for what plants, such as bulbs or apple trees, do in the winter months!  (Hint: college students sleep in a place that starts the same way....) 

   Mrs. Cooke also found a pod of seeds on one of our milkweeds.  Inside were enough seeds for each student to plant one somewhere in the garden.  Milkweed seeds travel in a really cool way.  Ask your child if they can tell you three ways that seeds travel.  They ESPECIALLY love to tell about one way in particular..... (Hint: It has to do with animals.  Waste not, want not!)  

   The kids also loved watering the garden with the cool "Ghostbusters" watering backpacks!  A HUGE thanks to Mrs. Cooke and J.T.!  Enjoy the show! 

Pumpkin Day 2011

   On Friday, October 21st, 2011, Miss Perron's Class had their First Annual Pumpkin Day!  Thanks to the hard work of our wonderful room parents, Mrs. Hazel and Mrs. Powderly, along with a number of awesome parent volunteers, we were able to take our classroom outside! 
   Students visited three stations.  At the first station students work together to construct incredible scarecrows for our garden!  A big thanks to Mr. Powderly for being the "brains" behind the operation!! (That's a reference to Wizard of Oz, not a commentary on Mr. Powderly's brainpower!)
   At the second station, students got creative using various materials to decorate their pumpkins.  Every one was unique and beautiful! 
   At the third station, students explored pumpkin science and math, which we will continue in the classroom.  Do you think a pumpkin will sink or float?  You might be surprised!  See if your second grader can tell you why!  You might also want to see if they can surprise you with some interesting info about what determines the difference between a fruit and a vegetable! 
Enjoy the slideshow and please remind fellow class-families to sign up for the blog so they can get a glimpse into a "Day in the Life of a Second Grader" as well!

Thanks again to Mrs. Hazel, Mr. and Mrs. Powderly, Mr. and Mrs. Florio-Sousa, Mrs. Blakley, Mrs. Grady, Mrs. Clemons (and her nephew), Mrs. DeMartino,  Mrs. Samargedlis, and Mrs. Connell for coming in and helping us!  Also, thanks to any parents who sent in supplies!  You are all the best! 

Make Your Mark

I discovered this great song inspired by "The Dot" and I had to share!  Enjoy!
Make Your Mark by iamemma

Read and Romp

As many of you know, I have developed many good friends at The Blue Bunny Bookstore in Dedham, MA. One of the friends I made, Joy, is the founder of an organization called Catching Joy. Catching Joy's mission is to teach young children the joy of volunteering and giving. This is something that we will be incorporating into our classroom this year through a number of service learning projects that I am hoping to do in conjunction with Catching Joy!
We've already had a wonderful example of the giving spirit in our class by Will who asked for books for his birthday to donate to the school library! To learn more about Catching Joy, click on their logo below:

One of the programs I learned about through Catching Joy is Reach Out and Read, an evidence-based nonprofit organization that promotes early literacy and school readiness in pediatric exam rooms nationwide by giving new books to children and advice to parents about the importance of reading aloud.  Here is a clip of the work they do:

Through Joy, I was fortunate enough to become an ambassador for a wonderful Read Out and Read event coming up on November 13th at the Seaport Hotel in Boston called the Read and Romp.  Emily and I went for the first time last year and had a wonderful time!

Read and Romp is the annual family friendly event to help raise money for Reach Out and Read’s mission. It is a fun day for the whole family where children are able to experience some of their favorite books by participating in activities and crafts.

Read and Romp 2011 will take place at the Seaport Hotel in Boston on November 13, 2011 and features:

·         12 storybook-themed stations with fun children’s activities

·         Each child receives a gift bag with a book, toys, and other goodies

·         Meet and greet with:

o    Norman Bridwell,  Clifford creator

o    Peter Reynolds, children’s author and illustrator of the Judy Moody series

o    Hallie Durand, author of Dessert First.

·         Buffet lunch with musical entertainment by Stacey Peasley

·         Raffle and online auction with a chance to win great prizes

For tickets and more information visit: http://www.readandromp.org/.

If you are unable to go, but are interested in supporting the cause, here is another option! 

Draw a Book Give a Book!

Encourage your child to read and give back to others!

The Draw a Book Give a Book project supports Reach Out and Read by emphasizing to children the importance of reading and generosity.  Children design, draw, and color their very own cover to their favorite book and send it to Reach Out and Read along with a suggested donation of $10.   Parents or caretakers may send in a donation or encourage their children to raise the money through their own creative ideas.

Please make checks out to:

Reach Out and Read, Inc.

56 Roland St. Suite 100D

Boston, MA 02129

Your child’s beautiful drawing and demonstration of service to others will be displayed at Read and Romp on November 13, 2011 at the Reading Makes You Feel Good Station, sponsored by Catching Joy, a 501c3 non-profit that promotes volunteerism beginning with young children and their families.

All submissions must be received by November 10, 2011.

For questions or more information please email fundraising@reachoutandread.org, or call 617-455-0665.

Here's the template (clicking the pic will take you to Google Docs):

A peek at last years event....

Learning the World By Heart

A few weeks ago, the Elm Street community was lucky enough to be visited by author David Smith. Mr. Smith traveled from his home in Vancouver and talked to his audience about his books and the importance of geography and understanding the world we live in. Some of the information he shared was amazing! For instance, not all places in the world recognize 7 continents and 5 oceans as we do in the United States. (Be honest....did YOU know there were 5 oceans? When I was in school there were only four!) His picture books are "If the World Were a Village", "If America Was a Village", and "This Child, Every Child". They are very factual and content rich, but I have found second graders to be very engaged when presented with the information in smaller parts. Mr. Smith is also the author of a program called Mapping the World by Heart. The program itself is more appropriate for middle schoolers, but some of the activities are adaptable for the younger grades.
Most of my students are able to name the continents and oceans. They see the map and globe all the time, though many are still discerning between continents, countries, and cities. As an experiment, I gave my students a template with only North America drawn in. Together we listed the names of seven continents and five oceans. (Students were able to choose to call Australia, Oceania or Australia.) I told students not to get hung up on the shapes of the land, but rather see if they could place "blobs" of land in the right area on the world. The results are so interesting and fun to look at! (See the photos of a select few in the slideshow below.)
I will hold onto the maps and we will complete this same exercise at the end of the year to see how their perceptions change after a year of social studies instruction and our Travel Log Project which will be coming home soon! Enjoy and maybe give this a shot yourself! Maybe even try to locate countries.....talk about a brain buster!

Autumn Day

Rick Riordan in Burlington, MA!

Attention all fans of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, 39 Clues, Kane Chronicles, and Heroes of Olympus! Author Rick Riordan will be at the Barnes and Noble in Burlington, MA this Friday, October 7th at 7:00 PM.
The store is representing the Aphrodite cabin for this event.

Special Store Instructions:
Pre-Order your copy of The Son of Neptune from this store, and your name will be added to our Wristband Reservation List. Your wristband secures your spot in the B&N VIP line. Reserved wristbands can be picked up Tuesday October 4th or Friday the 7th. He will sign 2 books only. Call store for more details! (781-273-3871)

Open House Fun!

Apples Continued!

Apple Science

We started learning about the life cycle of a plant! We will be learning more in depth using apples, but to start we took a look at some different seeds. Students used toothpicks and magnifiers to find and count the seeds in apples, grapes, beans, and strawberries. Together, we will take a look at a mango seed. Once we have collected the data, we will graph the information to analyze and discuss. Stay tuned!

Dot Day News!

Here's an article about the origin of International Dot Day for those interested.  DOT DAY

International Dot Day

Peter Reynolds' picture book, The Dot, has inspired so many people around the world that it now has it's own day!  September 15th is International Dot Day, a day to "Make Your Mark" and "Connect the Dots"!   In my classroom, we watched and listened to The Dot, as read by Mr. Reynolds himelf, using the Fablevision program Big Screen Books.  We also enjoyed a 10 minute virtual author visit that is also included in the program.  When it was over, a number of kids asked, "Can we watch it again?!"

After talking about the story, we started our Sharpie Tie-Dye T-shirts.  This is a simple activity that uses permanant markers and rubbing alcohol.  Please enjoy the story and our slideshow.  :)

About Me Project

In order to get to know each other a little better, students created "About Me" bags. They decorated the bags so they they represented them. They then had to add five items they could use to teach their classmates about themselves. Take a peek and see if you can tell what some of the kids in our class are into!

September 11: Ten Years Later

Like many, I can't believe it has been ten years since September 11, 2001.  The students I had then are now seniors in high school or freshmen in college.  (I was teaching a mixed class of second and third graders at the time at Boyden School....long story!) The students I have now weren't even born yet! 
I have to admit I wasn't really sure if I should even address the event with my current class.  The more I thought about it, I realized I had to.  This is an event they will be hearing about for the rest of their lives...even though they weren't alive when it occurred.  I have to say that many of them already knew quite a bit, once again showing that parents are a child's first teacher!   
As a school, we decided to address the events of September 11th, 2001 by focusing on the Heroics and Patriotism that were ignited as a result of that tragedy.  I was fortunate to come across a beautifully illustrated book that  addressed the events of 9/11 in such a way.  The book is Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey written and illustrated by Maira Kalman.  Please ask your child about this special book.

As a school, we also acknowledged the day by having a short, simple ceremony that consisted of a few words by Mrs. Grinavic about helping one another in times of need, the raising of the flag, The Pledge of Allegiance, a moment of silence, and singing "This Land is Your Land" and "God Bless America".  Please view the following slideshow to witness just how wondeful your children were during this ceremony!

Happy First Day of Second Grade!!

Welcome to Second Grade!

Dear Second Graders and Families,
I hope you are ready for a wonderful year!  I know I am!  Isn't our new class blog beautiful?  We will use this as a place to share classroom events, students work, post assignments, and more.  Get ready to blast off! :)
Miss Perron

By the way, here's a quick slideshow to show you what I've been up to while waiting for school to begin!