Celebrating Reading, St. Patrick’s Day and Two Special Xtramath Stars in C-8

DSC_0238

This was the 50th Anniversary of Dr. Seuss’s Fox In Socks!

We attended a school-wide celebration for the national Read Across America Day. The second grade performed wonderfully on stage. Our class performed a song about reading with Mrs. Cooke’s students while Mrs. Porcello’s students did a skit about where they read. The entire school watched a powerpoint by Ms. Smith about Dr. Seuss and reading and the entire school recited the reading oath. 

DSC_0236 - Version 2

Our class on stage ready to perform!

After the assembly, the guest readers read to the classes. We were lucky that our guest reader was State Representative Colleen Garry (who is also Mrs. Riordan’s sister).  She read a biography of Dr. Seuss and posed for a photo. She answered a few questions but since she had to leave to attend another reading event at Englesby, she promised to come back again. Thank you, Rep. Garry!

DSC_0239 - Version 2

Say “READ” instead of cheese!

DSC_0242 - Version 2

Rep. Garry reading to the students.

On Monday, March 16th, five of our students brought in their creative homemade leprechaun catchers to try and catch a live leprechaun. We left them on the table in the back of the classroom at the end of the school day.

IMG_3282

Brooklynn was absent when we took the photo of her leprechaun catcher.

IMG_3277_2

Mary’s leprechaun catcher had gold eggs, shiny green shamrocks and a rainbow ramp!

IMG_3278_2

Chloe was absent but she sent in her catcher with her older sister.

IMG_3280

Dominic’s catcher included an Irish flag.

IMG_3281

Nick’s catcher had pot of gold.

This is what the students found when they came in on March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day. 

IMG_3273_2 - Version 2

The leprechauns left a message on our projector!

IMG_3266_2

They stacked our special library chairs….

IMG_3267

and they had a party with our book character stuffed animals!

IMG_3268_2

They hung a rainbow over Mrs. Riordan’s desk and messed up all the students’ desks and chairs!

IMG_3270_2

The leprechaun catchers were great but they couldn’t outsmart our tricky visitors who used our car magnets to drive all over the table! They also “borrowed” many things from the leprechaun catchers!

IMG_3272_2

Boy, were the students excited to find the results of all the shenanigans!

Mrs. Riordan gave each child a special snack bag of Lucky Charms that said “I’m so lucky to have you in my class!”

IMG_3271

Special St. Patrick’s Day snack!

The students did a creative writing craft activity. They had to write about “Who is worth more to you than gold?” They wrote and illustrated and then put it on a pot of gold complete with gold coins and rainbow streamers. We hung them up in the hallway for everyone to see.

IMG_3287_2

The students’ writing on proud display!

IMG_3285_2 - Version 2

Mia’s writing project

IMG_3284 - Version 2

Britney’s pot of gold

IMG_3283_2

I have to confess that Ava’s was my favorite!

Near the end of the day, we got a call from the office that there had been a delivery by two little men from Ireland. They asked if we could send two children to the office to pick it up. And as you can see, those tricky leprechauns gave us their pot of gold. Well, it was gold candy….and underneath the candy, we found all the things they had “borrowed” from our catchers. They returned everything they had taken after all! Each child got two pieces of gold candy.

IMG_3275_2

The leprechaun’s pot of gold

Finally, we need to congratulate our two fantastic Xtramath Superstars. Both Britney and Nicholas have now completed the subtraction level of Xtramath and are currently working on multiplication facts. We have a few other students that are getting close to finishing a level. Don’t forget you can practice Xtramath at home after school or on the weekends!

IMG_3209 - Version 2 IMG_3274_2 - Version 2

 

 

 

February Finished With Lots of Learning Fun!

IMG_3196

We are 100 Days Smarter!

We celebrated the 100th Day of School on February 24th! The students did a 100th Day Estimating Jar hands-on math activity. They were asked to estimate the objects in the jar. Then we counted each of the jars. Finally the students figure the difference between their estimates and the actual amounts.

IMG_3194

Brian thinking hard about his estimate!

IMG_3195

Estimating is harder than it looks!

IMG_3198

We counted the unifix cubes and plastic animals by tens and ones.

IMG_3199

The sugar cubes were counted by hundreds, tens, and ones.

IMG_3200

The wooden color cubes were the easiest for most students to estimate.

Learning time was more fun when we used our bodies to make the clock. Kinesthetic learning is just another method to help the students make connections and understand. Twelve students were the numbers and two more were the hands.

IMG_3214

Brooklynn was the minute hand and Nick was the hour hand.

IMG_3223 - Version 2

The students are enjoying writing on the whiteboard with the smart projector pens.

We are getting more proficient at using the Epson smart projector that we are lucky enough to have in our classroom. I am learning along with the children. It has really enhanced our instruction and the students are very engaged in the lessons. We are using the technology in all subject areas from language arts, to math, to science and social studies.

IMG_3228

Here Mrs. Marvin is using the Ziggy document camera to flash our Fundations flashcards for our daily drill.

IMG_3192 - Version 2

The word web the students created in our grammar lesson on verbs.

IMG_3265_2

The students graphed their favorite Boston sports team in math. The data is more meaningful if it is personal to the children.

IMG_3220

I wish this photo was able to capture how impressive these students were.

Finally we had an assembly for Jump Rope for Heart! Students from Londonderry, NH did an amazing job demonstrating their unbelievable jump roping skills while they also taught the children about healthy food choices and exercise.