Get out and VOTE!

In honor of the Presidential Election, we held our own election today! The students filled out a ballot and made a choice for president and also a choice of what pet he should have in the White House.

 

Once the votes had been cast, we tallied up the results.

Here are the official results for President...

Barack Obama 77% (17 votes)

Mitt Romney 23% (5 votes)

And for the official White House pet...

Dog 50% (10 votes)

Cat 30% (6 votes)

Duck 20% (4 votes)

Happy Election Day!

Fall Update

Wow! This Fall is flying by! We have been really busy, so I have a lot to update you on... Prepare for a long post! :)

At the end of September, we took a field trip to the Rockford Fossil and Prairie Center. The kids had a great time and it was definitely a quiet bus ride home... LOTS of exhausted kids (and adults!)

First, Joel told us about the history of Fossil & Prairie Center. The fossils we were about to find are from a time before the dinosaurs!

Looking at fossils under a microscope.

What animal is that?

We did a LOT of walking and climbing! We're on our way to see the kilns.

"Mountain Climbing" according to the kids.

Learning about the kilns

Finally, we got to get down & dirty and search for fossils (and do more climbing, of course!)

Everyone came home with a bag full of neat fossils!

The day after our field trip was also an exciting day... HD HOMECOMING! We celebrated big with a publishing party of our first writing piece! Each student published a "Small Moment" story from their own life. We invited a group of kids from the high school to our publishing party. The kids were beyond excited to have them come! They each got to share their stories and have a little snack.

Later that day, we got on the bus and headed to the parade.

Bulldogs are #1!

Is the parade here yet?

So far, October has been busy as well! This week, we took our book boxes down the hall and read with Mrs. Houston's Kindergarten class. They were excited to show off their reading skills and the Kindergarteners even had some books to share. We will definitely be doing this again!

NJazi got to read with his brother!

Thanks for checking in with us!

What is Reader's Workshop?

Wondering what our Reader's Workshop looks like? This video shows us action!

Here is an overview of our 90 minute literacy block...

Comprehension Mini-Lesson (20 minutes)

• Students gather on the carpet to hear a story and practice using comprehension strategies. Students use "Think-Pair-Share" to visit with their learning partner about the story that was read. Comprehension lessons come from the Making Meaning curriculum.

Independent Reading - Read-to-Self (30 minutes)

• Students find a cozy place around the room and read "good-fit" books independently.
• Teachers work with students individually or in small groups on reading goals.
• Mrs. Tarr (ELL), Mrs. Drier (Special Education), Mrs. Wikert, and Mrs. Vosburg (Reading Specialists) also work with students at this time.

 Vocabulary Mini-Lesson (10 minutes)

• Students gather back on the carpet and learn 4 vocabulary words each week. These words come from the book used in the previous week's comprehension mini-lesson. Again, students use "Think-Pair-Share" to discuss the meaning of the words taught with their learning partner. Vocabulary lessons also come from the Making Meaning curriculum

 Choice Reading (20 minutes)

• During this time, students can choose from the following...
• Read to Someone
• Listen to Reading
• Read to Self
• Teachers work with students in small groups or individually on reading goals.

Book Sharing/Reflection (10 minutes) 

• Students gather on the carpet to wrap up Reader's Workshop by sharing something they read, reviewing strategies, and reflecting on their reading.

* Reader's Workshop is my favorite part of our day. I love seeing the kids improve their reading skills and most importantly, learn to LOVE reading!

Technology

 Once during the 6-Day Cycle, we end up without any specials in the morning. I decided to create my own "special" and dedicate that time to learning about technology! We use the computers often throughout the year, but never really take time to teach specific skills. To start the year, I am teaching a bit of basic keyboarding. Look at these kids working hard at keeping their fingers on the home row!

 Later in the year, the students will use what they've learned about typing to publish one of their stories. I am also hoping to use this Technology time to have the students create podcasts and videos. Oh that possibilities of technology!

Here are some links to games that will help your child practice keyboarding skills.

http://www.abcya.com/keyboarding_practice.htm (Students type each letter repeatedly)
http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/keyboarding_games/homekey-kennys.html (A "Whack-A-Mole" type game using only the home row keys)

First Fluency Performance!

We have a special time each morning dedicated to practicing our reading fluency. This is something new for me this year and it is already one of my (and the students') favorite times of the day! This week, we practiced a poem about a baseball player called "This Young Man." They were doing so well by the end of the week that I decided to record them performing and share it with you! Enjoy!

One Week Down!

We are off to a great start! The kids are catching on quickly to our routines and procedures. We did several activities this week to get to know each other. The students brainstormed what kind of teacher and classmates they want to have. One student shared that he wanted his teacher to be a diving expert... I am afraid he will be disappointed! :) We are having a lot of fun together and I look forward to a great year full of learning!!!

Before-School Conferences

Everything in the classroom is shaping up and I am *almost* feeling ready to go. 

The welcome letters were sent out today, so be watching the mail! With the letter, there will be a yellow sheet of paper with your scheduled conference time for the 20th. On this sheet there are also several questions for you to answer about your child. Please take time to fill this out and bring it with you to your conference. If the scheduled time does not work, please call the school or contact me and we can reschedule.

Right now, there are 14 boys and 7 girls in my class! There have been a few new second graders registering, so we might be adding another friend or two (hopefully some more girls!)