Classroom News: Our First Week!

We had a busy and exciting first week of school!  We worked on our All About Me books and participated in a class scavenger hunt to learn about our classmates.  Students had a chance to share about their summer vacation.  We also practiced building stamina to read independently during our "Read to Self" times.

In math class, both second and third grade groups worked on counting patterns. Second graders focused on counting by 2s.  Students had many interesting math observations to share with their classmates.  We also learned how to use our new math journals and to write numbers on the grid paper.  Ask your second grader about counting by 2s on the "scrolls".

We have also been working on our first social studies theme, which is "Building Our Classroom Community".  The first part of this unit focuses on reviewing school expectations and creating our classroom expectations "tree".  We have also been discussing KHFOOTY (Keep Hands, Feet, and Other Objects To Yourself) and the school-wide expectations for voice levels.

I have been impressed with the way students are already working together as a classroom team!

Welcome Back!

Welcome back!  I am very excited to have your child in my class.  I am really looking forward to this school year with our wonderful group.  I wanted to let you know some important information about our classroom schedule and routines.

           

Specials Classes:

Here is our specials schedule.  Students should remember to bring or wear sneakers for P.E. days and return books on library days. 

                       

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Spanish Technology units (alternating with Mrs. Fitch’s class)	Art P.E.	Music	Library	P.E.

Sharing:

Sharing is an important part of our daily Morning Meeting as a whole class.  It is a time for students to practice their speaking and listening skills.  It is also a wonderful way for us to get to know each other better and to learn about what is most important to our classmates.  Starting in September, I will give more information about our sharing schedule. 

Classroom News/Blog:

This year, I will continue using this classroom blog to communicate with families.  I will post photos, important information, and descriptions of work that we are doing in our classroom.  Please return the blog permission forms as soon as possible.

Items to bring to school:

Please remember to pack a snack for your child each day.  Please make sure to read the letter that Elizabeth and I sent home on Tuesday about peanut/tree nut free snacks and our classroom.  If you have any questions, feel free to call us.  I usually have extra snack in case someone forgets, but not enough for every day.  Also, students are encouraged to bring a water bottle that they can keep on their table.  Thanks!

Please contact me with any questions.  You can email me at lgiammusso@u32.org  You can also reach me at school at 223-7936 ext. 325.  If you have a change in dismissal plans, please also contact the front office, as I may not get the message in time for dismissal.

Classroom News

We have been busy creating graphs, participating in reading discussion groups, finishing writing pieces, and learning about how seeds travel.  Here are some photos from the last couple of weeks.

Graphing Data about our Favorite Things

Learning about How Seeds Travel

Seeds travel on the air, like dandelion seeds

and Japanese maple seeds.

 

Some seeds, such as the sea coconut, hamburger bean, and swamp palm, travel by floating on water.

We learned about other ways that seeds travel, too!

Next, we made our own seeds out of feathers, cotton balls, tissue paper, pipe cleaners, and other materials.  We designed them to float on the breeze.  We tested our designs using a fan and then by dropping them from the top of the play structure.  It was exciting to see our seeds take flight!  When they landed, we used movement to show what types of plants we imagined growing from our seeds.

 

Classroom News: Science Photos and Upcoming Events

Here are some science photos from this week.  We had our last ECO lesson of the year on Thursday. We were happy that Mrs. Fitch could join us, too!  A big thank you to Carrie for being such a wonderful ECO teacher this year!  It was exciting to see the changes in our trees throughout the year, especially since our last check-in.

We also had the chance to read Air All Around Us this week.  Afterwards, we tried a quick experiment to see how air takes up space.

Upcoming Events:

Wednesday, June 3rd, 4:00-6:00 pm: Open House to celebrate Ms. Dunkling's retirement

Monday, June 15th: Field Day

Tuesday, June 16th, 6:00 pm: 6th Grade Graduation

Wednesday, June 17th: Last Day of School for students, 12:30 Dismissal


Other Information:

Summer Reading Program Forms were sent home on Friday. Please return the form by Friday, June 5th if your child would like to participate in this wonderful program.

Classroom News

Upcoming Events:

Thursday, May 28th:  Our last ECO class of the school year

Wednesday, June 3rd, 4:00-6:00 pm:  Open House to celebrate Ms. Dunkling's retirement

Monday, June 15th:  Field Day

Tuesday, June 16th, 6:00 pm:  6th Grade Graduation

Wednesday, June 17th:  Last Day of School for students, 12:30 Dismissal 


Other Information:
 
Summer Reading Program Forms were sent home on Friday.  Please return the form by Friday, June 5th if your child would like to participate in this wonderful program.

Yearbook order forms were also sent home on Friday.  These forms are due back by Friday, May 29th.

Writing Celebration

Thanks for joining us for the Writing Celebration, Art Show, and Spring Concert on Wednesday night.  Students were so excited to share their writing with their families! 

ECO Field Trip

On Thursday, we took a field trip to the ponds in Adamant.  The weather was perfect!  We walked around the pond and saw a beaver lodge and several trees that had been gnawed by beavers.  Then, we took water samples from the pond and looked closely at the small creatures in our containers.  There were a lot of different types of birds at the pond, including a great blue heron.  Next, we enjoyed lunch by the brook and waterfall.

Check out our ECO journals at the Writing Celebration next Wednesday to learn more about our field trip and our other exciting ECO lessons.

Thank you to Shannon, Derek, Josh, Kris, and Jenna for joining us on this trip!  A big thank you to Carrie, our ECO teacher, and Susan DeForge for helping to make this trip possible.