Just a few reminders about this week -
Field trip to Urbana High School on Wednesday morning!
Class pictures, Thursday morning!
Spelling quiz has been moved to next Friday, due to the delay in the spelling lists getting home.
Thank you for all your continued support and communication - have a great week!
:) KM
Monday, March 28, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Springing Forward...
...into DRAMA!!
We have started our drama unit in language arts. The students have historically had a great time with this unit - the creative juices really get to run wild! Students will be comparing stories to plays, identifying the components of plays, reading plays and performing plays. As you know, we are also going to be observing a play at Urbana High School on the 30th - Rodger's and Hammerstein's Cinderella.
We will be continuing multiplication strategies in math for the remainder of the week. Students will be learning division strategies beginning next week.
In science, we are wrapping up our Changes unit - which was focusing on the different forms and properties of matter. Our next science unit will be Life Cycles - we'll study the life cycles of plants, meal worms - and butterflies!
The Leprechaun traps were A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! It was great to see such innovation and effort go into these projects. The students clearly put so much effort and planning into their projects - way to go! Additionally, I would like to add how impressed I was with the students' attitudes towards one another's projects. Such positive, encouraging language was heard throughout the room - complimenting each other, asking questions, thanking one another for the exchange of kind words. It was a great, "bucket filling" experience!
"What is this 'bucket filling' you speak of?"
If your child hasn't already shared with you, we read a book a few weeks ago titled, Have You Filled a Bucket Today? I had noticed that we had gotten to the point in the school year where we need to take a moment to remind ourselves of the school rules, and how to treat one another. Another second grade teacher, Mrs. Crawford, had introduced me to this fabulous book. The essence of the story is that everyone carries an invisible bucket around with them. This bucket holds the good thoughts and feelings that each of us have toward ourselves. Each person has the capacity to be either a "bucket filler" or a "bucket dipper". Bucket fillers give encouraging words, compliments, use manners and say kind words. (The best part about filling someone else's bucket, is that you fill your own bucket at the same time!) However, a bucket dipper teases, bullies, says unkind or rude words to others in the hopes that this will fill his/her bucket. Dipping into someone else's bucket is not going to fill your own. This has been a very helpful tool, and a useful language to use with the students in building their own self-confidence, as well as positive relationships with one another. There is a link in the new "Parent-Teacher Connection" section of the blog with more information about this program.
About the New, "Parent Teacher Connection" Section...
During Parent-Teacher conferences, I had shared a few tid bits from various articles that I have read at various trainings and meetings with parents. It was brought to my attention that perhaps I could post these articles on the blog to share with everyone. What a great idea! So, in it's debut, the Parent-Teacher Connection has a few links in it. You'll find the FCPS home page, the link for the Volunteer Training (mandatory to chaperone any field trips), the bucket-filling link, and then two links to the National Education Association's website - featuring two different articles. One, is a link to the Bully Free Starts With Me program. As I'm sure you've heard in the news, the frequency and severity of bullying as increased dramatically in schools across the country. This link provides access to the bully-free pledge, video links about the campaign, and as well as other related links on the topic.
The other link is to an article entitled "The Praise Paradox". In our various trainings and meetings throughout the school year, this has been one of many hot topics of discussion. It has been rather enlightening to me, as an educator, and I encourage you to read it for yourselves, as parents of gifted students.
I hope this will be a good resource for the both of us to use as we continue to work together throughout the rest of the school year.
Finally, I hope you and your families enjoy the long weekend ahead, as well as the last quarter of the 2010-2011 school year! Thank you so much for your continued support and communication.
:) KM
We have started our drama unit in language arts. The students have historically had a great time with this unit - the creative juices really get to run wild! Students will be comparing stories to plays, identifying the components of plays, reading plays and performing plays. As you know, we are also going to be observing a play at Urbana High School on the 30th - Rodger's and Hammerstein's Cinderella.
We will be continuing multiplication strategies in math for the remainder of the week. Students will be learning division strategies beginning next week.
In science, we are wrapping up our Changes unit - which was focusing on the different forms and properties of matter. Our next science unit will be Life Cycles - we'll study the life cycles of plants, meal worms - and butterflies!
The Leprechaun traps were A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! It was great to see such innovation and effort go into these projects. The students clearly put so much effort and planning into their projects - way to go! Additionally, I would like to add how impressed I was with the students' attitudes towards one another's projects. Such positive, encouraging language was heard throughout the room - complimenting each other, asking questions, thanking one another for the exchange of kind words. It was a great, "bucket filling" experience!
"What is this 'bucket filling' you speak of?"
If your child hasn't already shared with you, we read a book a few weeks ago titled, Have You Filled a Bucket Today? I had noticed that we had gotten to the point in the school year where we need to take a moment to remind ourselves of the school rules, and how to treat one another. Another second grade teacher, Mrs. Crawford, had introduced me to this fabulous book. The essence of the story is that everyone carries an invisible bucket around with them. This bucket holds the good thoughts and feelings that each of us have toward ourselves. Each person has the capacity to be either a "bucket filler" or a "bucket dipper". Bucket fillers give encouraging words, compliments, use manners and say kind words. (The best part about filling someone else's bucket, is that you fill your own bucket at the same time!) However, a bucket dipper teases, bullies, says unkind or rude words to others in the hopes that this will fill his/her bucket. Dipping into someone else's bucket is not going to fill your own. This has been a very helpful tool, and a useful language to use with the students in building their own self-confidence, as well as positive relationships with one another. There is a link in the new "Parent-Teacher Connection" section of the blog with more information about this program.
About the New, "Parent Teacher Connection" Section...
During Parent-Teacher conferences, I had shared a few tid bits from various articles that I have read at various trainings and meetings with parents. It was brought to my attention that perhaps I could post these articles on the blog to share with everyone. What a great idea! So, in it's debut, the Parent-Teacher Connection has a few links in it. You'll find the FCPS home page, the link for the Volunteer Training (mandatory to chaperone any field trips), the bucket-filling link, and then two links to the National Education Association's website - featuring two different articles. One, is a link to the Bully Free Starts With Me program. As I'm sure you've heard in the news, the frequency and severity of bullying as increased dramatically in schools across the country. This link provides access to the bully-free pledge, video links about the campaign, and as well as other related links on the topic.
The other link is to an article entitled "The Praise Paradox". In our various trainings and meetings throughout the school year, this has been one of many hot topics of discussion. It has been rather enlightening to me, as an educator, and I encourage you to read it for yourselves, as parents of gifted students.
I hope this will be a good resource for the both of us to use as we continue to work together throughout the rest of the school year.
Finally, I hope you and your families enjoy the long weekend ahead, as well as the last quarter of the 2010-2011 school year! Thank you so much for your continued support and communication.
:) KM
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Dates Updates
Hello all!
~Class picture day: Tuesday, March 15th
~Leprechaun Trap Project: Thursday, March 17th
~Field Trip to Urbana High School to see Cinderella: Wednesday, March 30th
~Class picture day: Tuesday, March 15th
~Leprechaun Trap Project: Thursday, March 17th
~Field Trip to Urbana High School to see Cinderella: Wednesday, March 30th
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