Nature Poems

We did a special project using the iPads this week.  It was multi-step and included taking and uploading a picture as well as typing text to an app called Haiku Deck.

We read a book called Step Gently Out which is all about observing nature and noticing its beauty.  It is a poem with simple sentences and beautiful pictures of nature.

Ms. Zbacnik and Ms. Olson developed this project.  Ms. Olson did it with her class first and encouraged us to try it out.  First we learned about taking pictures using the iPads.  Then we visited the school grounds to take pictures of what we found.  We uploaded one picture to the app.  We wrote a haiku poem about out nature object and edited it.  Last we had to type our poem on the iPad over our picture.

The pictures turned out so well!  They are beautiful!  The poems are equally as wonderful.  I am so proud of all the hard work the students did on this project.  Thank you to Ms. Zbacnik for coming to our rescue a few times.

Thursday Fun!

Today was a busy day!  It was also rather hot in our room even with the fan going!

We are busy practicing for our Reader's Theater performance next week. 

Read, read, read!

Today we started listening to and reading Ramona Quimby, age 8.  It is on tape!  We already know quite a bit about dear Ramona!

Ramona!

We have been using the iPads the past few days for a special poetry project.  Be watching for a blog post about that next week.  

Today we used them to get to Pebble Go  to do our final project for our Communities Change unit. 

Researching!

Field Day!

Today was Field Day!  We had beautiful weather for our afternoon of fun!  Thank you to Mrs. Beink and Mr. DePrez for planning such a fun day for us.  We loved it!

Here are a few highlights:
     - Relay Races - Ice Cream Cone
     - Hula Hoop Contest
     - Tug of War
     - Sponge Bob water game
     - Water Cup game
     - TREAT!

Listening to directions.

Boys waiting to tug!

Girls waiting to tug.

Working hard - pull, pull, pull!

Pull!

Enjoying a treat!

Friends!

All smiles!

Yum!

Having fun!

What fun!

Treasures

Today was a very special day.  We were lucky enough to have someone shares their treasures with us so that those already treasured things could become our treasures.

This morning Lucille Little came to our school to share with us a bit about her life and her doll collection.  Lucille has always loved dolls.  She had been collecting them since she was very young.  Her collection grew as friends would give her dolls from their travels.  She became a teacher and was able to save money to open a doll shop in St. Paul.  She owned and operated her doll shop for about five years and made it a point to sell dolls that represented various countries and cultures.  She closed her shop  and needed to find good homes for her dolls, where they were wanted and would be loved.

She connected with Mr. Nelson who taught second grade last year and now teaches fifth grade.  Lucille was looking for a place to volunteer and work with children after her husband passed away.  Through this connection, she offered us the opportunity to meet her and have her share her dolls with us.  Each class had a certain number of dolls to give away.  Students had the option to put their name in for the drawing.  Each student got a bag and teddy bear to take home and some students got to pick a doll.

These were loved treasures to Lucille and her hope is that they will be well loved and become treasures with their own stories. 

All School Clean Up

This afternoon was our All School Clean Up!  We worked with our buddy class to pick up trash all along the front of the school.  It looked like there was not much to do, but we found lots of trash out there hidden in all kinds of areas.

We read and shared good books with our buddies too!  We also enjoyed a snack and then played with our buddy for a little bit.

Clean, clean, clean!

Buddy time!

Sharing books!

Enjoying the day!

Buddy time!

Roseville Summer Reading Program

Today Jennifer from the Ramsey County Library-Roseville came to talk to all of the second graders about the Summer Reading program - Bookawocky!

Through the Roseville Library, you can earn some rewards by reading books over the summer.  Ask your child about what he/she could earn and what the requirements are for earning the rewards.  Thre are different programs for all ages of kids.  More information will be coming home in the next few weeks.  Please be watching for it!

For more information, follow this link:
http://www.rclreads.org/kids/summer-reading-program

Here are some of the books you can pick when you return your form.