April 29 - May 3

What's Happening This week. . .

WOW!  Can you believe this week is the beginning of May?  The year has flown by and the children have grown by leaps and bounds.  It's interesting how at the beginning of the year a teacher can be overwhelmed with the task ahead as he/she looks out at her little "projects".  Yet, at this point of the year a teacher tends to sit back a bit and enjoy the fruit of his/her toil.  I am at that point now.  I enjoy continuing a morning task while one of my students takes control of our morning meeting. I enjoy loosely leading a paideia discussion while all of the students participate eagerly.  That is what teaching is - instructing, but handing over the reigns to the student as the student becomes more and more independent. (Isn't that parenting as well. . .)

FIELD TRIP 

The field trip is on next Tuesday, May 7th.  You need to provide your own transportation.  Please simply meet at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences' courtyard @ 9:30 AM.  There are many parking options.  I suggest you take a minute to look up the website on line for specific directions and parking options.

Our class will sign in @ 10:00 AM and then you will be able to roam the museum for about 2 hours.  At 11:45 we will rendezvous on the 3rd floor where our life cycle curiosity class will take place. (About 45 minutes)  Then we will join the rest of 2nd grade in the courtyard of the museum where we will eat our bagged lunch.  At this point we will pass out goody bags filled with small souvenirs.  After lunch the you are free to explore more of the museum.  The teachers will leave the museum at 2:00 to head back to NCS. 

:

READING:

FAIRY TALES:

We will continue to look at various fairy tales identifying the common elements of fairy tales in each story.  Monday we will specifically read Cinderella and compare the European version to a Korean version using a Venn Diagram.  On Tuesday the students will begin brainstorming story elements for their own fairy tale.  Wednesday the students will begin composing their fairy tale.

Bag Books:

This weeks bag books will revolve around insects and amphibians.  There will be a test on Friday.  However, there will not be a worksheet this week.  Please make certain the students read their book at least 2X's at home.

MATH:

Monday we will review geometry and take a short quiz.  Tuesday we will begin fractions.

SOCIAL STUDIES:

MULTICULTURAL PROJECTS DUE MONDAY!

SCIENCE:

This week we will move back into science and focus on life cycles.  Our room is becoming one big life cycle science lab.  Presently we have tadpoles that are turning into froglets.  We have caterpillars which have begun to make chrysalises. AND, at the end of May we will have fertilized eggs from the Johnston County Agricultural Center! 

 FUN FUN FUN

If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me at:

scabasacango@neusecharterschool.org

April 22 - 26

EARTH DAY WEEK!

In celebration of Earth Day this Monday we will have the opportunity to learn more about our special place we call home - Earth.  The PTO will have a presentation in the afternoon.

This week in our 2nd grade class. . .

MATH:  GEOMETRY

This week we will recognize and draw shapes having specific attributes such as a given number of angles or a given number of equal faces.  We will identify triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons and cubes.

Math will run a bit differently this week just as geometry runs its own unique course in math.  We will be observing and creating various shapes in our classroom.  Geometry deals with a lot of definitions and rules.  This week we will learn these definitions and rules preparing ourselves for future more in depth geometric studies.

READING:

This week we will begin to look into fairy tales and the various literature attributes of fairy tales.  We will start the week slowly since Monday is Earth Day.  Each day we will read a fairy tale and identify literature elements in each story. 

 

SMALL GROUPS:

We will return to our bag books this week.  I realize some of this literature is tough, but encourage your child to push on.  Each child has been stepping up to the plate as the text continue to be challenging.  Each week the cumulative test score have been improving.  I am proud of all the efforts the students are putting forth.

SOCIAL STUDIES:

We will continue our unit on Multicultural traditions.  Remember that the project is due Next Monday.

MULTICULTURAL LITERATURE PROJECT

Due Monday, April 30th

For the past week and for the next two weeks we will be studying multicultural literature in our reading block.  Last week we enjoyed the Anansi Fables from West Africa.  This week we will study various Aesop Fables and next week we will enjoy various versions of Cinderella from diverse countries around the world.  In addition, we are reading about how the cultures of the world have touched our country in many ways – one being literature.

The students will be required to participate by completing the following project at home.  It is due Monday, April 30^th.

1.      Choose a country. (Students MAY NOT choose the US). Complete the country report using the Internet or the library for a resource.  Students may print maps/flags or they may draw these items.  All research should be recorded neatly onto the given worksheets.

2.      Make a “paper doll” that represents a specific people group from the chosen country.  The doll should be a larger paper doll measuring at least 8 ½ inches by 11 inches but no larger than ½ a poster board size. The doll should be decorated with clothes that represent its country.  Students may use cloth, yarn, markers, crayons etc.  Be creative, but make certain the doll accurately represents the people of its country.

3.      Chose one piece of literature (story/book) that is famous from the country.  Create a book to glue onto the paper doll’s hand.  The book should have its title written neatly so that people will be able to read the words and understand that it is a piece of literature that originally comes from that country.  Ex.  Germany – Hansel and Gretel    England – Harry Potter     Ghana – Anansi Stories     Jamaica – Anansi and the Pig  etc. . .   You may need to do a bit of research. The Internet has many websites that will aid your research and choice of country.

4.      Bring Research Worksheets and Paper doll on Monday, April 30^th.  Work ahead of the due date to ensure the project is done well.

QUESTIONS???  E-mail me at scabascango@neusecharterschool.org

SCIENCE:

LIFE CYCLES

We still have plump tad poles in our room.  Nothing much has happened yet except they all have grown quite round.  I am hoping we will begin to see some legs soon.

Our caterpillars should arrive this week.  This is my first time using caterpillars, so I am a bit nervous, but also excited.

FINALLY:

Field Trip to Science Museum is coming up soon.  Make certain you return the attached form so that we know whether or not you are able to transport your child there.  The note had the entire day's schedule for your convenience.  My only suggestion is that you leave early so that you and your child can stop at Crispy Cream on the way.  (That is our family tradition.)  Let me know if you have any questions concerning the trip.

April 15 - 19

SPRING HAS SPRUNG! New creatures are in the room!

In our room we will be observing various life cycles.  Presently we have tadpoles in our room thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Gahagan's pond.  At this point they have hatched and are at the tadpole stage.  I have brought my fish tank in so that they have a respectable home.  My only fear (is that they don't die). . .  So far so good.  This week in reading centers the students will observe and read about a frogs life cycle.  We also have caterpillars on the way!  And finally, we will attempt to plant some type of vegetation in the next few weeks so that we can observe how plants grow.

This week in our room. . .

MATH:  We have a week built in for review.  Most of the students did well on the measurement quiz.  If your child didn't do as well as expected, take the time to print off a few cm/inch worksheets from the computer to review this concept.  Also, offer a measuring tape so your child can go around the house and measure various items.
This week we will review a bit of subtraction with borrowing.  I do not feel confident all students have mastered this skill.  Homework will reflect this academic concept as well.  There will be a short quiz on Friday.  Next week we will jump into geometry.

SPELLING:
COMPOUND WORDS
I was so pleased with the students' spelling tests this week.  Everyone did well!  I have decided to allow everyone take the second compound word spelling list this week as well.

Monday:  Cut words out/ Study
Tuesday:  Write out words in ABC order in preparation for reading centers.
Wednesday:  Ten sentences
Thursday:  Study, study, study

READING:
This week in reading we will be studying Aesop Fables. (pronounced E sop)

Aesop was an ancient Greek storyteller. He lived 2500 years ago, around 550 BCE.  Some say he was a slave who so delighted his master with his stories that Aesop was given his freedom. The Greeks were like that. They rewarded talent. That old legend could be true.  There are no records to prove that Aesop ever wrote anything down. Fortunately, many years after his death, people started to write down the fables Aesop collected, so they could be more easily shared.     Over the centuries, Aesop's fables have been rewritten and published and illustrated and translated into almost every language in the world.

Each day we will read a fable and discuss its moral.
THERE WILL BE NO BAG BOOKS THIS WEEK.  HOWEVER. . .
Each night the students will bring home a fable to read and ponder after which the student will answer questions revolving around the fable.  Encourage your child to think beyond the obvious.  We will be discussing these homework fables in our small groups.

THERE WILL BE NO READING TEST THIS WEEK!

SOCIAL STUDIES:
We will continue our multicultural studies this week looking into how people came to our country creating our family heritage.  We will also enjoy reading about various multicultural celebrations.

FINALLY,
AWARDS CEREMONY ON FRIDAY @ 11:00 AM.  Every child will be recognized.  Please feel free to take your child home after the ceremony to celebrate his/her success.  I will not have significant plans for the afternoon.

 

APRIL 8 - 12

Welcome Back!

What a wonderful Spring Break!  I hope your time was as restful as ours here in the Cabascango House.  We simply hung out, enjoyed neighbors, did home improvement projects and visited the wonderful Science Museum of Raleigh.  The new addition is amazing with so many hands-on items from which to learn.
Yet, now it is time to make our final stride toward the finish line.  Here we go. . .

This week. . .

READING:
We will be reading an Anansi Tale titled Anansi Goes Fishing.  Anansi Folktales originally come from West Africa and revolve around a trickster spider.  We will be viewing and reading other Anansi Tales throughout the week.
A great information website about Anansi can be found at:  www.anansistories.com.  Check it out if
you have time.

Small Groups:  This week we will return to our bag books.  The books this week will not be as difficult of a level, but will deal with multicultural topics.  I thought these selections would be appropriate since we will be diving into multicultural literature as well as multicultural studies in our Social Studies Unit.

There will be a

 response sheet due Friday and the test will be given at school on Friday as well.

We will also review pronouns this week.

MATH:
MEASUREMENT REVIEW with story problems.  Students will use their measurement skills to find answers to various story problems this week.  We will also touch on Line Plots.

SOCIAL STUDIES:
MULTICULTURAL STUDIES!  We are beginning a new unit that revolves around the diversity of people in our country and around the world.

SPELLING:
WORDS THEIR WAY
This week we all will study compound words for our spelling list.

FINAL NOTES:
REPORT CARDS GO OUT FRIDAY!