S N O W !

There's no denying it: WE LOVE SNOW!

On the first day of snow, we got outside to enjoy the fluffy white stuff (before it got way too cold!) All bundled up!

Snow angels!
Showing off a big snowball...

Don't worry, he's just pretending!

Sliding down the hill!

Penguin belly slides

The start of a really good snowman

Writing & Conferring

Our class has been busy writing! This week we read a story called "Let's Get a Pup," Said Katie. The author, Bob Graham, gave lots of details about the dogs that Kate and her family saw at the Rescue Center. We used Bob Graham's writing as a model for how we could add more details into our own writing. The students then wrote about their own pet, imaginative or real. We've learned that when we think we're done writing, we're not actually done. There is always more work to be done! This week we started conferring with partners. When students confer with their partners about their writing, they ask questions and help their partner think of more details to add to their writing.

We continue to work daily on our Journal Prompts as well. Lately, we have been doing expository writing. Below is a "how-to" piece of writing.
How to make a pizza: More writing! We received our pen pal letters in the mail this week! The Second and Third Graders spent some time this week making cards for their pen pals. We also made some other special cards for Maddie's uncle who is a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan.

To fine tune our handwriting, we have been doing daily handwriting practice and review!

Two special visitors from the 209 Reading Club visited our classroom and read Gasp!, a story about a fish left home alone and his search for water. They did an excellent job reading with fluency, accuracy, and lots of expression!

We met with our Fourth Grade buddies on Friday. With them, we decorated snowflake people. They are on display in our hallway!

Kayla was our Star of the Week. Her survey question and poem will be posted next week.

Steve was our Virtual Field Trip Planner. He took us on a trip around the solar system!

Question of the Week

As the holiday season nears, many families participate in holiday traditions. What is your family's holiday tradition? What is the one special thing that you do each year that you just couldn't live without?

Each year, I help my mom make Christmas cookies. Our family's favorite is her decorated butter cookies (pictures coming soon!). I just couldn't have Christmas without my mom's yummy cookies!

Mr. Peterson and I also started our own holiday tradition. Every December, we go downtown to see A Christmas Carol at the Goodman Theater. After, we visit the Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza and enjoy delicious German food!

Please share your favorite holiday tradition! I can't wait to read your comments!

December Details

December is a time to celebrate! All week, the Second Graders have been journeying around the world, learning about how different countries celebrate Christmas. In writing, we worked on the structure of a really good paragraph. We used opening sentences, detail sentences, and a closing sentence. This past week, everyone was excited to see the first snowfall of the season! To celebrate, we went outside to play!

With our Fourth Grade Buddies, we listened to the story called The Legend of the Poinsettia and made our own beautiful poinsettias to decorate the classroom.

I was excited to put all of my Christmas and holiday books out in our classroom library this week!
In math, we did a fun lesson on geometry. The students received squares which they cut diagonally into triangles. Using four triangles, the students had to make as many shapes as they could with their table groups. After creating many shapes, I grouped the shapes together. The students figured out that I grouped them by the number of sides and angles. We talked about the different polygon names: triangle, quadrangle, pentagon, and hexagon.

Our new read aloud is The Plant That Ate Dirty Socks. We are having so much fun reading this story about two brothers, neat Norman and messy Michael, and their pet plants, Fluffy, and Stanley. One day, we visualized what was happening in the story and drew pictures.

"Fluffy"

The Third Graders began learning about immigration and Ellis Island. We are reading Hope in My Heart: Sophia's Immigration Diary.

Like Sophia's diary, the Third Graders wrote their own imaginary journals about their journey to America.

Danielle, our previous Star of the Week, asked her survey question. We made a pie chart to show the results!

Olivia was our Virtual Field Trip Planner. She took us on a trip to the North Pole! How exciting!!

Turkey Tom & Pilgrim Pete

Petey and Tommy wish you a Happy Thanksgiving, too!

Pilgrim Petey

Turkey Tommy

A Time to Give Thanks

I am so proud of your children for their performance of "A Time to Give Thanks." They did an excellent job! Last week, we talked about the First Thanksgiving and the things we are thankful for. I am always reminded, especially on Thanksgiving, of all the things I have to be thankful for. Your children are all blessings in my life. They make my job exciting and enjoyable every day. They surprise me and fascinate me constantly. What a special group of kids they are! I am also blessed that they all have such great, supportive parents! Thank you for all you do!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Below are a few pictures from "A Time to Give Thanks."

For the last couple weeks, the Second Graders have been learning about Native Americans. They learned about several tribes: Sioux, Makah, Mohawk, and Anasazi. They used social studies books to research information about each tribe.

The Third Graders read a great story called Molly's Pilgrim. Molly is a modern day pilgrim and her classmates learn the true meaning of Thanksgiving when she shares her Thanksgiving project with them. After reading the book together, the Third Graders worked on some comprehension and vocabulary activities related to the story.

The Third Graders also finished reading Sacajawea and wrote three paragraph essays about her life. They did a fabulous job! Their work is on display in the hallway.

Alan participate in this year's Science Fair. His project was called "The Electrophorus." Way to go, Alan!

Katie was the Virtual Field Trip Planner. She took us on a trip to Minnesota. Katie made a book to show the things we would be doing and seeing on the trip.

Danielle was the Star of the Week. This is her acrostic poem. Next week, she will ask the class her survey question.