Friday, December 18, 2009

Nicely Done Amanda!!



This week's V.I.P. was the lovely Amanda...and her sidekick Bella! After sharing her energetic playful puppy with the class, Amanda eloquently walked us through pictures of her family, trips she's taken, special events, and her special memories!! Thanks Amanda! We learned a lot more about you and your universe of "Supremely-Awesome-Amanda-ness". Have a great weekend second grade! Next week is a three-day (full day) work week for Sunderland Elementary. After that, enjoy your holiday break with all the blessings of friends, family, and winter beauty the valley has to offer!

Fun Friday!!



Second Grade has had a great week! Very busy learning place value in math, as well as in our extra "POWER MATH" block we've added to our schedule in the morning! Connecting our concrete thinking about numbers and value into the abstract world of place value, numbers, "tens" and "ones" has been our challenge this week. We've had fun with unifix cubes to help our thinking. We will continue our work with place value with base 10 blocks after the weekend, and more to follow after the Winter break. Hope you have a warm fun Friday yourself!!

Monday, December 14, 2009

A Better Than Average Monday...For Sure!!


When it comes to Mondays...we had a good one today! Ben and Kalesiah demonstrated our greeting rather well. As you know, part of our morning ritual includes a greeting to, from, and involving our peers at morning meeting. Today, we "felt the love" as we greeted each other with the "cool dude" greeting. Try it sometime, and feel your inner "coolness" coming out and bringing a smile to your friends! (Just snap, wink, and greet.... nothing could be simpler!)
Later, after a serious morning of weekend journals, "courage writing", and work board....we were treated to a performance of "Wired Monkeys", sponsored by our SES PTO. A wonderful, skillful, and slightly dangerous variety of dance, gymnastics, and "wiggling-about" that we found hugely appealing! Thanks to all who brought this wonderful performance back to our school for another appearance!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Wednesday Snow Day!


Hope you all enjoy the snow!! See you Thursday!!

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

It's All About Subtraction, Baby!!!


This week, math has been all about subtracting numbers (number sense)!! We've learned important vocabulary, and practiced our math facts with games and story problems (subtraction lotto, and spin and subtract). Try these games at home with your students! Numbers are awesome...numbers are easy! What you see is what you get...they always tell the truth! Play with numbers at home and "lock in" all that number sense we need to be mathematical thinkers!! Remember....when you're thinking...you're WINNING!!!

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Finally...It's official!!! Post you comments!!

Believe it or not, I have finally figured out how to post your comments....so "comment it up"!!! Friends who would like to leave messages may still need to become "followers" (easy, though... ). You may just, simply, be able to comment with out being a follower....but who wouldn't want to follow this group of second graders?!?!

Friday, November 27, 2009

Our 2W Feast!!


Second graders planned, prepared, and enjoyed a most wonderful feast Wednesday morning in celebration of our learning all about the very first thanksgiving! While we may not have had lobster and venison, there was plenty of hearty vegetable soup, apple pie, and bread to feed the masses. While we were unable to host Massasoit, we WERE able (and flabbergasted) that after inviting Chief Gilbert to our feast... HE CAME!! Your second graders just "COULDN'T BELIEVE IT!!" So thanks to all our invited guests... Mr. Merritt, Chief Gilbert, Ms. Palmer, Ms. Kuck, and Tamzeena (and that amazing freshly "juiced" apple beverage!!!), and all... for stopping your busy schedules the day before Thanksgiving to honor all the hard work and planning on behalf of our second graders! It was a memorable and meaningful occasion for your students!

The First Cafe Sun!!







Students and faculty enjoyed our very first Cafe Sun during our lunch break this Tuesday! First and second grade students rehearsed with Mr. Hines prior to their performances and "WOWED" their audience with songs and skills! Maddison brought down the house with her rendition of Rockin' Robin! Michael "hooped" his way into the hula hoop hall of fame, and Alex played piano beautifully! A cleverly crafted chorus of Annika, Autumn, and Amanda also sang their hearts out! Well done second graders!! Looking forward to more Cafe Sun performances in the future! Cool!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Preparing for our Feast!!




We've chopped, cooked and cleaned, we even suffered "crying onion juice in the eyeball syndrome", but we're ready! Soup, check.... Pie, check... bread, check.... FEAST ON!!!!

Monday, November 23, 2009

Preparing for the Feast!

We washed, peeled, chopped, spread and sprinkled today! Onions made us cry....the smells made us crave our feast! What a great job our second graders did preparing for our special celebration! Time and care was given to each decision and every task! We are looking forward to our special moment on Wednesday! Thanks to all who contributed toward our Harvest Fruit-Vegetable Feast!

Friday, November 20, 2009

Courtney's V.I.P. Well done Courtney!

Ben's "Question of the Day"

Question: Do you think school is fun? Response: not fun...fun... nice response!

And They Feast!!!!

Howdy Friends!
Finally, we've made our feast decisions! And what a feast it will be! A fruit and vegetable feast (now I call that a fresh, local harvesty- partaaayy!!). Great idea Gabe (as usual)! So now....we prepare, plan, and get ready for our feast!
As decided at our morning meeting, we will prepare vegetable soup, apple pies, and (if that wasn't enough!!!) bread and butter. Each student has offered to bring in a contribution toward our collaborative meal. If your student is bringing in apples, or vegetables, we would need them in school on Monday, as we will begin preparations then! If you are bringing bread or drink (Kalesiah, Ben, Michael) we don't need your contribution until Wednesday. Game on "Feasters"!!!!
Thanks to all the parents and colleagues who are helping support this rich, meaningful learning experience. It has always been a truly special event in our second grade community!
Great job at the morning meeting Courtney! And, "shout out" to our birthday girl, Autumn! Eight years old (and wise) this Saturday!! Woohoooo!! Have a great weekend, and see y'all Monday morning rested and ready for schooling!!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Welcome New Followers!

Welcome Alina and Alex! So great to see two new followers to our little blog-project! I hope you like what you see, and feel free to let me know in school tomorrow morning! I can't wait to plan our feast! See you! Happy Friday!!

Friday!!!!

Hola Amigos!
It's been a while! Things are chuggin' along though! We are currently planning our Feast...in celebration and recognition of the first Thanksgiving feast between the Pilgrims and the Native Americans! We'll plan our gathering tomorrow morning, and send a list of details home with your students. This is usually a low-key, school event where students actively prepare some seasonal (harvest/local) type foods for each other and invited guests (Mr. Merritt, Ms. Palmer, Ms. Easton....to name a few). This is one of my favorite historical events to teach, as it recognizes the peaceful co-existence that began between New Plymouth settlers and their new friends, the Indians, and how grateful we should be for our blessings! Health, education, food and shelter, good friends to name a few!
We will take lots of pictures and post the event for your viewing pleasure! Next week will be a short week, and I hope your students are "thankful" that Ms. Worthley will not be assigning homework....but, please...read every night!! 15 minutes (or more) is all I ask!!! Have a great weekend everyone!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

What a day!!

Tuesday Greetings!
What a day! We started with an awesome meeting with our own Alina leading the way! Well done Alina. Chelsea...ready for Thursday?? You're on, my friend! What will we sing and play?
After (probably the best ever) word study time: mixin' and fixin' (yeah, I'm talkin' 3 or more buttons went in that jar during word study....all business...seriously!!) we got ready for our walking field trip. After reviewing safety and a little chat about veterans (who, what, hmmm...) we were off on our walk to Town Hall.
We were greeted by some of Westover's finest, polished, serving members of our military. Personal stories were shared by SES alumni presently serving, thanking our students for their appreciation of this day. Mr. Hines lead students in songs of appreciation for our great country (This Land Is Your Land, America the Beautiful), and our students, your students were very impressive! Mr. Merritt shared his personal experience missing an absent military father as a second grader, and there were a lot of tissues and tears.
Overall, this day, this tribute was extremely (developmentally) appropriate, and everyone felt a sense of pride and unity that was unexpected! Well done Sunderland!
I will post the pictures tomorrow, so stay tuned!
I'm very proud of our second grade students! What a great day! Enjoy tomorrow, sleep, stay healthy, and see y'all Thursday! More tomorrow!
PS: Mathathon permission DUE THURSDAY. Please bring in, and thanks to those already participating!
PPS: We miss you Ms. Cialek! Take time to recover, and look forward to your return! Many thanks to Kristin Morse (supremely awesome substitute teacher) for all your support both last week and this week!

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Comments??

Howdy Friends!
I figured out how to change the settings so you can post comments if you like! Feel free to share your thoughts about our cool cyber-spot...or about our equally cool classroom!

Friday, November 6, 2009

Another follower!

Welcome Chelsea! So nice to see you checking out our cool cyber-spot! How do you like the blog? So glad you've joined! Hope you feel better! Many friends were out today. Hope to see you Monday!
And to all our friends who were out today...(7 friends...yikes!) It's just not the same without you! It was a little strange to have so many empty seats. You were all missed! We started our new work board, but it will be there on Monday for you when you return! Jakob will also be our meeting helper (and I know he's ready!!). Annika will have another week at her math helper job... it was so good to see you back in today, friend!!
Happy Birthday Courtney! Thanks for sharing your special day with us all! Hope you have an awesome family dinner.... I know you're looking forward to it!
Conferences have been a great opportunity to meet you all. Thanks for your valuable time, and for understanding when conference schedules have run a little late (30 minutes seems to evaporate quickly)!! What a privilege it has been to work with you and your students! Looking forward to all the memories this year brings! Be well and enjoy your weekend with family and friends!

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Another follower!

Jakob! Thanks for becoming a follower! Nicely done!

Hola Amigos!

Eaglebrook Band! Wow! What a treat to hear the variety of tunes, and see how enthusiastic the band members were to show off their skills! We really enjoyed seeing each of the instruments and hearing their unique sounds...both with the whole band, and on their own! I hope we've planted many seeds of musical interest with their wonderful performance! The audience participation by our own SES students (lead by the one and only Timmy Barrington) was equally awesome! What a treat!
Tomorrow!! Friday!! New work board!! New center jobs!! Yippee skippee!! Need I say more? Our meeting helper was Kai today, and what a rousing rendition of "Oh Kai!" we sang... to the tune (Oh Susanna). Well done Kai! The illustration of Mrs. Cialek eating her chicken and reading her cards (by 2W writers) was an especially nice touch to the message!
Owen has been helping with our math helper jobs this week. Thanks Owen! In fairness to Annika, we will grant her another week at this special job, since she was "on the mend" this week, and look forward to her return to school!
Thanks to all the parents who have had conferences! What a nice opportunity it's been to get to know you all! Sleep well and see you bright and early in the morning!

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Wednesday!

Greetings Friends!
Take a moment and look outside your window and see that bright beautiful full harvest moon! Wow! Mother nature knows what she's doing when it comes to a breathtaking view!
Tomorrow...Wednesday....We will have a half day (no lunch and dismissal at noon). This will also be our schedule for Thursday and Friday, as they are all conference days. I have responded to many who have scheduled conferences during the afternoons. If I have not scheduled a time to meet with you, we will arrange something soon! There are still one or two openings, if you'd like to call and check in.
The students and I will have a brief meeting tomorrow to discuss some behaviors that require our attention. While Monday seemed like an awesome day (indeed, it was!), we slipped into some older (unproductive, slightly awkward/friendship) behaviors that we need to iron out. And so...iron things out we will! After all, we made a promise to each other to "fix things up" when things need fixing! We can, and we will do it!
We also have a new work board ready for tomorrow! Exciting! New literacy jobs(along with Ed Emberly, a fun sequencing/drawing job we learned today).
Natalie will be our meeting helper tomorrow! I wonder what she wants to sing?
Hoping Annika feels well enough to join us, as she's our math meeting helper! Of course, nothing to worry about with Owen, our substitute!
Have a good sleep, and see you bright and early tomorrow! Can't wait to see you all!

Monday, November 2, 2009

Followers!

Wow! Nice! We have some followers! Well done, Ben, Owen, Kai, and....Maddison! See you tomorrow!

Hellooooooooo Second Graders!!

I hope you are enjoying this new exciting way to communicate! Remember, you can just log on and read/play for fun. Or, you can comment back by asking a grown up in your house to become a follower. Either way, I hope you enjoy the site!
I was thinking about what to say tonight...and I wanted everyone to know how impressed I am with all the ways we/you work together! We enjoyed our extra recess today because we learned how to... be ready on time...work quietly at work times....and really cooperate! That's what good friends do, and that's what learners do to learn better! We already have one tally mark on the board for tomorrow (only 4 more)! Let's see how quickly we can earn 5!!
So...tomorrow...Gabe is our meeting helper! I wonder what song he will choose for our meeting? Hmmmm....
I hope Annika is feeling better, as she is our math helper! Owen did a great job today helping Annika by substituting for her! Well done Owen....be ready, we may need you tomorrow (of course you'll be ready... you're always ready!!).
Get a good sleep, everyone, and see you bright and early tomorrow morning! Looking forward to a special presentation with Ms. Weinberger about our St. Jude's Mathathon!

Sunday, November 1, 2009

See you tomorrow!!

Greetings Friends!
Hope you're all enjoying this beautiful fall Sunday! Tricks and treats were slightly dampened by the weather...but plenty of spooky spookers were out and about early in the evening. Try not to OD on too much candy...and remember...healthy snacks are the best snacks for school!
We have a new math helper and meeting helper tomorrow morning, so get a good sleep and come in bright and early and ready to go, friends! Think about all the fun events/stories from your weekend and bring in all the juicy details for tomorrow's writing workshop: Weekend Journals!
Look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow morning!
Ms. Worthley

Friday, October 30, 2009

Greetings!

Welcome to our new blog. You are invited in for a virtual peek of our time together in second grade! My goal is to share newsworthy events more regularly, and keep every parent and student in the information loop!