Happy Friday!

Happy Friday!

We have had a great week!  Be sure to read through this post -there are some ways that we need your help, find out about Outdoor Classroom Week, read about what is happening in 2nd grade and a list of the upcoming events for the rest of the school year.

We Need Your Help!!!!

Next week, is Outdoor Classroom Week, and we have been challenged to make a door/bulletin board completely out of recycled material.  I am wanting the kiddos to make "litter bugs" next week - so we need your trash!  Can you please raid your recycling to pull out materials that can be made into "litter bugs"?  Some great examples of materials that we could use are: plastic bottles, egg cartons, paper towel/toilet paper rolls, container caps, newspapers, old magazines, cleaned out chips/cracker bags, etc.

Here are some "litter bugs" that have been made before:

     

Outdoor Classroom Week

Next week is RBE's 2nd Annual Outdoor Classroom Week!!

Emily Reynolds (1st grade teacher) is heading up this week.  You can click here to a letter from her to find out what this week is all about!

Which is Better? Writing Celebration

The kiddos have worked SO incredibly hard on their "Which is Better" writing.  They have researched two similar topics and are in the process of publishing their 12 paragraph book!!!  We will also be working on creating a project to go with our writing.  

Our writing celebration is scheduled for Friday, May 5 from 7:45-8:30 a.m. in our classrooms (room 26 & 27).  A flyer came home yesterday in your child's homework folder.  Please RSVP by filling out the bottom portion and returning the bottom portion to school with your child.

What's Been Happening in 2nd Grade?

• In math, we finished up our measurement unit this week.  On Monday, the kiddos finished their body measurement project and they turned out so great.  I am super impressed with the students measurement skills.  We also practiced solving the difference between two items by subtracting 2 numbers.  Some kiddos forgot how to subtract - so please check through your child's work coming home in Friday Folders this week to see how your child did.  Today, we went on a measurement scavenger hunt trying to find items that are certain lengths in our classroom - the kiddos had fun with this!  We had a great discussion about which lengths were hard to find or easy to find in the classroom and why we thought this.
• Next week, we will be starting our data unit.  We will be talking about how to collect different pieces of data and then how to organize and analyze the data we collect.
• In reading, we have continued working on making predictions, retelling and reflecting in nonfiction texts.  This week the kiddos read a book about Yellowstone Park.  The students used the Table of Contents to generate three questions about what they thought would be answered in the book.  Then found and wrote down two important details from each chapter.  At the end of the book, we reflected on what the most important thing that they learned about Yellowstone and why it was important. 
• Next week, we will continue to practice the same skills of making predictions, retelling and reflecting on a nonfiction text.  The book the students will read next week is a how-to book about kites.  A how-to book has a little different structure than most of the other books we read this year, but it is important life-skill for people to learn.
• In writing, we met with a new writing partner and edited/revised our "Which is Better" books on Monday and Tuesday.  Then we started publishing our books.  We are so excited about how they are turning out and cannot wait to share them with you at our writing celebration!!
• Next week, we will continue to work on publishing our writing.  We hope to be finished publishing by Wednesday or Thursday, and then we start working on our projects.  On Monday, we will have a discussion with the class about what each student would like their project to be.
• In grammar, this week we worked on prefixes.  We talked about how a prefix changes that meaning of the word.  They learned about pre (before), dis (not/opposite), un (not/opposite), and re (again).  They made prefix flowers yesterday and today which will be on display in our classroom.
• Next week, we will be working on contractions.
• In word study, this week we continued to work on r controlled vowels.  The students learned to spell er, ear, eer, and ear that made a ur sound.
• Next week, we continue to work on r controlled vowels, but with the vowel i.  We will sorting words into four categories: ir, ire, ier, and oddball.  Our words next week will be: ir: stir, firm, third; ire: hire, wire, tire, ier: crier, flier, pliers; and oddball: fur & their.
• Tomorrow is Earth Day.  Today, we had a conversation about what we could do to make the environment better.  The students made a Earth Day mobile about how they can make the Earth healthy.  They made an Earth acrostic poem, and then four ways to make the environment better.

Maker Space

The kiddos were excited to be able to go to Maker Space today!  The last few weeks the 3rd-5th graders were using an app called Bloxel to make video games.  Today, we got to play their games that they made on the iPads.  The kiddos had a blast.  There were even some adventurous kiddos who tried their own hand at making a video game.  It was a really neat experience! :)

Nutrition Class

Next week, we will be starting a five week nutrition class.  Ms. Zapata will be coming every Wednesday from the University of Missouri Nutrition Program to talk with us about nutrition.  She will even bring in food for us to make!  This is the first time that I have had a class in the program, and I am excited about this program!

MAP Testing

If you have an older child, you know that this week was the beginning of MAP testing.  Our class was paired up with Mrs. Carmack's class to give them some encouragement.  We made a poster for them & gave them a few special treats.  On Monday, we went and presented our poster & treats to them.

Upcoming Dates:

With the end of the school year quickly approaching, I just want to make sure that you have all the important upcoming dates on your calendar.  

• May 1-5: Staff Appreciation Week
• May 2: Runge Field Trip
• May 9: PTA Meeting (6:00 pm in the Media Center)
• May 16: Variety Show
• May 19: Twin Day
• May 19: Field Day
• May 25: Last Day of School (early dismissal at 12:10)
• June 1: Summer School Open House 4:30-5:30
• June 5: First Day of Summer School

I hope that you have a wonderful weekend!

Mrs. Ross and Ms. Hackmann