Finally, the storm has "Fay"ded away!

It's certainly nice to be back at school. We were intrigued by everyone's storm stories and ever so thankful that we all weathered the storm alright. Today we had the opportunity to continue our introduction to South America. During science, we tested different foods from the Amazon (bananas, chocolate, and pineapple) to see if we would enjoy them or not. We used all of our five senses throughout the experiment, saving taste for last. Many of us were shocked to find that we did not enjoy the chocolate as much as we thought we would. Perhaps one young scientist described it best when she said, "I should have known it would taste like throw up, when it smelled like throw up." :) We then revealed our little secret: it was 100% cocao (a.k.a. unsweetened baking chocolate). We learned to trust our senses and abilities to observe, rather than getting too wrapped up in things we assume. We also learned how to make a hypothesis and that because it's just a guess or prediction, it's okay to be wrong.
Later in the day, we finally got our student planners. The students were very excited to be using "big people" planners, rather than the folders they were accustomed to in first grade. They learned that they should copy messages and notes carefully into their planners because it is an essential communication tool between school and home. We practiced writing a message today in our very best handwriting. Please look for it and sign (Parents are asked to read and sign the planner each night!).
In closing, some thanks are in order. First, we would like to thank you for entrusting us with your most treasured possessions: your children. As we get to know them better each day, we are absolutely amazed at their gifts and delighted by their kindness and generosity to one another. They are a wonderful group. Secondly, we would like to thank all the parents who have donated items on our wish list. The outpouring of support (glue sticks, notebooks, labels, a pencil sharpener, etc.) has been much appreciated.

Class Schedule

9:00-9:10 Morning Meeting
9:10-9:30 Calendar Math
9:30-10:30 Math Workshop
10:30-11:10 Science or Social Studies
11:10-11:40 Lunch
11:40-12:00 Skills Block
12:00-12:45 Resource
12:45-1:05 Recess
1:05-2:05 Readers’ Workshop
2:05-3:05 Writers’ Workshop
3:05-3:15 Clean up & Read Aloud
3:15-3:30 Dismissal

Orientation Update

It was so nice to meet everyone this morning! Meeting all of you made us even more excited to be back in second grade. Please be sure to look over the ABC's of Second Grade and let us know if you have any questions. We can hardly wait for Monday; be prepared for plenty of fun and surprises as we begin our virtual journey around the world in 180 days.

Let the Adventure Begin!

We are so excited to begin our adventure around the world in 180 days! We are currently working to prepare our home base for the journey. Our classroom is transforming into The Copacabana Palace Hotel, which is located in wonderful Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We are diving right in to all things South American and are learning many things about the language and culture. Right now we are brainstorming ways that we can incorporate these things into our classroom using technology...virtual visits, google map journeys, blogpals, etc. We are daring to dream of what could be possible in the year of school 2.0...Bom Dia!