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BROADWAY BOUND

Props Needed For An All-Star Show

Hello second grade super stars! We hope that you are enjoying your summer holiday. While you're enjoying the sun and fun, keep in mind that it's just about time to do some shopping for school supplies. Several of the items listed on this year's supply list will be on sale soon so check the newspaper or Internet for weekly sales. We do ask that you purchase all school supplies, as soon as possible. If you are unable to purchase school supplies, please let us know as soon as possible. Please do not label any of the supplies with your child’s name as they will be part of community supplies.

All of the supplies can be brought to school as early as the morning of our orientation on August 21st, at 8:00 A.M. Items may be deposited in the labeled baskets that will be set up in the hallway right outside of our classroom so that we can begin to prepare student folders over the weekend.

Second Grade Supply List - Each child should bring:

• 2 packs wide-ruled notebook paper
• 2 packs sharpened pencils
• 6 three prong, 2 pocket solid color PLASTIC folders in the following colors: orange, red, green, yellow, purple and blue (Plastic folders are available at Target for $.77 & Walmart for $1.50)
• 2 packs white copy paper 8 1/2 x 11
• 2 black and white composition notebooks
• 2 packs of glue sticks
• 2 highlighters
• 1 pack of 16 or 24 crayons
  
• 1 fabric recycle bag
  

Boys – box of tissues, hand sanitizer, gallon size Zip-Lock baggies, 8160 and 8163 labels (Both available at Office Depot)

Girls – hand soap, non-bleach wipes, page or sheet protectors (Office Depot), quart size Zip-Lock baggies

Optional Teacher Wish List:
Card stock 8 1/2 x 11
Index cards
Post-It notes
Black sharpies

Well, that's all for now but stay tuned for more exciting updates!

CAST CALL COMING SOON!

Hello new second graders. Information about the new school year will be coming to you soon. For now, Mrs. Wallace and Mrs. Chant hope that you continue to have fun with your friends and family and read everyday. Lots of love!

Color Poems

Our young poets have been working hard at creating all types of beautiful poems. Check out the clip below to view their most recent creations titled Color Poems.

Persuasive Writing:

Isn't it great when you can debate with someone and get them to come around to your way of thinking? Well, that is what persuasive writing is all about. Listen as the students read aloud the letters they wrote to friends and family.

                              

Watch the interview below as some students explain what persuasive writing is all about.

                                                  

Let's Say Thanks

The "Sleepover" At School

"Do we really get to spend the night during the first grade Sleepover?" wondered many of the students. Not exactly, but we do get to pretend that we are during the school day. We begin this fun unit by having the kids make a stuffed teddy bear at home. Thanks to CH's grandmother and her generous effort, all of the children this year had a homemade teddy bear. During this time, we begin reading fictional books about sleepovers. During Reader's and Writer's Workshop, the students learn about story elements, strategies for comprehension, responses to text, and functional writing (How To). The weeks prior to the big day are filled with fun and creative activities such as completing teddy bear glyphs and decorating paper pajamas. When the big day finally arrives, all of the first grade students and teachers come dressed in their pajamas and slippers. We begin the morning with a our Teddy Bear Parade, walking around the school showing off the bears while the principal (in her pajamas as well) leads us around the school singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. This is followed by a yummy pancake breakfast. Thanks to our amazing resource teachers, for the rest of the day the students participate in different centers such as Bear Square Dancing, making book covers for their narrative stories, and participating in a scavenger hunt. During the afternoon, each class is invited into the media center for a "Sleepover Party". There we dance with the lights off, watch a movie, eat popcorn, and listen to great stories. Thanks to Mrs. KK and her awesome team, this is a slumber party that the students will never forget! 

Nonfiction Writing Takes Us Around the World

As we stay in step with the District's Learning Schedule, all first graders are expected to produce a report that is aligned to the standards. Our class accomplished this task through researching how people in other countries celebrate holidays during the month of December. The students completed an attribute chart and a web for each country with things that they found of interest. The end result was a fabulous holiday feast of foods made by our families representing the various countries under study. This link is a blog post written by dayle timmons, our first grade Literacy Coach, showcasing the work of one of our students.  

Everything Comes from Something

Last week, my husband and I presented at the National Council of Social Studies conference in Houston, Texas. Our presentation was based on a lesson designed to increase student awareness of a geography-related concept. The lesson represented an instructional process that integrated literacy skills, used social studies content regarding natural resources and the products that emanate from them, and promoted the use of critical thinking skills (in particular, analysis and prediction). Everyone who attended the presentation participated in a hands-on investigation of a box containing 10 natural resources (many of which were purchased on eBay). They completed the Natural Resources Prediction Chart in groups of 4-6 participants and discussed possible products that could be made from each resource. This activity was followed by a picture walk and read aloud using the text Agatha's Feather Bed: Not Just Another Wild Goose Story by one of my most favorite authors for children, Carmen Agra Deedy. Once completed, everyone participated in a discussion making connections to what the participants had noted during the picture walk, as well as on their Natural Resource Prediction Chart to determine relationships with the text. An interactive resource map presentation using Google Maps, which emphasized each of the ten resources from the resource box, their original location on earth when first documented as a resource, historical summaries, and products that are produced from the resources was used as a reinforcement activity. Check out the video below to see how the lesson went with a group of wonderfully curious first graders facilitated by Agatha herself.  

Time Flies When You Are Having Fun

I can't believe that it will be Thanksgiving break soon. We have been so busy learning and having fun that I haven't posted much lately. But have no fear, those of you who know me know that I have been chronicling our learning journey through pictures to share with you. After our Open House event in late September, we had the pleasure to host Mrs. B as a guest speaker. She shared with the students The Story of Ramadan. Mrs. B then read another book, which she gifted to our class, called I Am America. The children made crafts and Mrs. B's son, one of our class members, passed out treats to his classmates. 

The month of October was filled with literary characters, parades, crafts, festivals and pumpkins followed by the month of November, filled with mock elections and character education. 

Next week, our class will be partnering up with Mrs. Meissner's kindergarten students to have a "Barn Dance", a spin off of Kylene Beers' Tea Party pre-reading strategy, based on this month's book of the month, A Plump and Perky Turkey.