MLK 2014

“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”

- Martin Luther King Jr. 

Free at last, they took your life, they could not take your pride.

Happy New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2ND GRADE!!!

I hope that all of you had an amazing Christmas and a safe New Year!  It's 2014 and that means we are only 6 months away from summer!!  I like to think of it that way, I'm pretty sure all of you know how little I love cold weather and snow.  Did you get everything you wanted for Christmas?  You know what I say, never hope for everything, because then you have nothing to work for.  When you work hard for anything, it means a lot more to you than anything that can be given to you.  

Before I head outside and start shoveling the mountain of snow from my sidewalk and brave the roads to clear my mom and grandma's snow, I wanted to share some of the pictures I've been promising you guys for so long.  I know I forget to do this sometimes, but I promise it's only because of how busy I am planning other great things for all of you.

Henry Ford Museum Trip

I had the girls group with me for the entire day.  I didn't run into the boys much!
If Alvin's dad or Messiah's cousin have pictures to share, please email them to me to post! 

 

We were being read The Polar Express on an old train car.

 

Part of the Avatar exhibit!

 

Classroom Photos

 

 

Games to help us with place value.

 

Math Bingo

 

The day we made butter in class.

  

Fresh butter on crackers.

 

Making gingerbread houses!

Things were a little messy!

 Classroom Christmas party & Alvin/Kevin's birthday celebrations.

Our behavior raffle winners!  Congratulations kids!

I promise there are so many things to be excited about in 2014!  We are officially starting our class store with our Behavior Bucks and I did my best to get prizes that all of the kids would like.  There's something for everyone and a few sweets, too.  I hope everyone enjoys the rest of their winter break.  I will see all of you on Monday!

Don't forget to finish Study Island to earn ribbons towards Free Dress AND your packets from me for extra credit!

Christmas Behavior Raffle

That time of year is upon us once again and it's the time of year to promote positivity.  In an effort to really push for positive behavior and rewarding it, our class is having a raffle.  For each day that a student is on blue or purple they will receive entries into the raffle.  Blue days receive one entry and purple receive two entries.  There will be no entries taken away for yellow or red days (it's better to be a bucket filler than a bucket dipper!).  There are two prizes available - one for a boy and one for a girl. 

The boys prize:

 

The girls prize:

 

Anyone who has at least one entry has a chance at winning one of these Christmas prizes!  It's really open to everyone in our class!  

Starting in January, we will be starting a positive behavior system that provides students with punch cards.  Each punch card is worth a point and students will be able to purchase items with these punches in our classroom store.  It's very exciting because the students basically gave me all of the ideas for the things that they could want!

Another exciting moment, and a true blessing of the holiday season, is the opportunity for the entire 2nd grade class to attend a field trip at Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn on December 12!  This is one of my very favorite places to go (I'm a history fan!).  I can only hope our students will enjoy it as much as I do.  There are amazing opportunities for learning in this remarkable museum.

Last but not least, our classroom hallway has become a little festive this holiday season!  Make sure to ask your 2nd grader about it.

Thanksgiving already...?

It seems like we just started the school year (or 2013 all together) and it's already time for Thanksgiving!  Where does the time go?  When I was in 2nd grade, time seemed to drag by soooo sloooow!  Christmas and summer vacation could never come fast enough.  Things changed when I grew up.  Now the days go by very fast.  We've already been in school for 46 days and we have accomplished so much as a class!  Here's another peak at what we've been up to...

 

Enjoying center time with Even & Odd math games.

 NaKayla was the first to win in addition Bingo!

Dontravion & Alonzo enjoyed the fall themed Place Value cards

 

It's almost time to take these down, but our class worked hard on writing and editing their stories about their pumpkin or Frankenstein.

APPLE ORCHARD FUN!!!

Today was the field trip to Blake's Orchard for all of my wonderful second graders who worked hard and earned their field trip.  I am so proud of my students for how well they behaved for myself and the chaperones that attended.  A huge thank you to Alvin's dad for tagging along - I hope you had as much fun as I did!  I promised that I would post pictures as soon as possible, so I didn't want to let any kids down, because they always remind me when I forget.  (Thank you, Kyra!)

 

My wonderful 2nd graders that worked so hard to be a part of this trip!

But this is how you can usually find them.... 

 
My small group that hung out with me all day.

Time for the hay ride!

 Mrs. Hall's group for the day.

Alvin's dad with his boys.

Emanii picking her first apple!!

After we picked apples and pumpkins.

Fun by the....hay man?

Just another day on the farm.

 We got to pet the ponies!

Some kids even climbed the mountain of hay with Ms. Harper!