We started making homemade weather vanes and finished them yesterday. We had a lot of fun learning about the weather using this simple tool. 

We have been learning more about the water cycle and studying water in all states of matter. 

We conducted an experiment to help us understand why road crews put ice down on the roads in winter to melt the ice. Here are the directions we followed (somewhat) and materials you need: 

Melting Ice With Salt

The kids really enjoyed this!

Poetry Alive came to Lawndale on Monday morning. The kids loved it! The two gentlemen were very entertaining! They emphasized that poetry can be funny or sad or serious....We have really been getting into poetry this week. We have been reading poetry after lunch each day. If it even looks like for a second that I might have forgotten, at least three students remind me! :) They love it. We have also had many wonderful poets come out in our very own classroom! I will get some of their fantastic work posted soon! Amazing poets already in second grade!!!! So very proud of you writers! Keep it up! Here are a few pics from Poetry Alive. 

I had fun when I went to sleep because I dreamed that I was on a shark's back and I swam with the sharks and I had so much fun! And a great white shark showed up that was awesome.  I had so much fun! And I heard a sound it sounded like a whale. And my mom woke me up.

I am so proud of this young author and blown away by the progress made! I can't wait to hear the rest of this story!!!!!!

Two very hard workers trudging through the writing process. Trying hard to remember to use their Potato! Writing with Mr. Potato Head

Really working on Show Don't Tell! Show Don't Tell Explanation

Here is another explanation of Show Don't Tell: 

Our class is working really hard on trying to increase their writing scores from a 1 to a 2 to a 3 to a 4 which is the best. 





Working together to make their writing "come alive".



Keep going Writers! 
It will be worth it when the octopus pops right out!!!!

Our Valentines party will be February 13th. I will be sending out more information about that soon and about the Valentine box project. Each year  I invite parents and students to create their own Valentines boxes. It is a fun opportunity to work together to create something unique to showcase artistic ability plus the interest of the student.  I am always amazed at how wonderful the boxes come out! These kids are so very talented and the parents are so awesome to spend this time working with their sweet kiddoes! This is truly one of my favorite times of year. :) I can't wait to see what the kids and parents come up with this year. Here are the links to last year's and one of my previous classes and my favorite kindergarten teacher friend Mrs. Leverett :) as well. I am attaching a link to another teacher's awesome blog that has even MORE fabulous ideas if you need a little help.

 

Addition w/ Regrouping Ones As Tens

Addition w/ Regrouping Tens As Hundreds

Subtraction w/ Regrouping 1 Ten as Ones

Subtraction w/ Regrouping 1 Hundred as Tens

Word Problems