Christmas Around the World

Ready for some educational fun? Check out this Scavenger Hunt! Answer the questions and bring in the answers on the first day back for a prize!

SORRY

I know I said I'd post something sooner than now. I've had some trouble accessing the blog, but think I have it solved now. I will definitely add some sites for the vacation. Have a great time! Remember, show proof of reading, writing, doing math on Jan. 5th and you get a prize! :D

Rainy Day Fun

We are studying sound in our classroom. What can you use from around your house to make a musical instrument? Can you make an instrument that makes more than one sound? How do you make the sound (do you tap on it, pluck it, shake it)? Tell us about your instrument in the comment section. Bring it to school to share it with the class. We will take your picture and post it here. :0)

THANK YOU!

I write this hoping that my students from last year still visit occasionally. I just wanted to take a moment to thank the families from last year for their assistance with my quest to become a National Board Certified teacher. By allowing your students to be video taped, you helped me produce a product that the assessors found to be worthy of certification. I found out last Friday that I have achieved my goal and am now a National Board Certified Teacher! I could not have done it without you and your children. THANK YOU!!! :D

Mayflower

Here is a link to a site where you can see a timeline of the Pilgrims' voyage as well as take a tour of the ship. What do you think it would be like to travel aboard the Mayflower?

Write a Math Story

Can you write a story to go along with the following number sentence? 8 + 7 = 15

Here is mine....

8 feathery birds sat on an old wooden fence. 7 more gently landed beside them. Now there are 15 chirping birds on the splintery fence.


Post your own to the blog. Click on comments, write your story, sign it, and post as anonymous. Remember, even though you are writing for math, you must use good writing skills: capitals, punctuation, spelling, adjectives, and grammar. I can't wait to see what you write!

Build Your Own Caterpillar

Put your knowledge of caterpillars and their adaptations to the test. Design your own caterpillar by choosing the best color, spikes, and "extras" that will help it survive the environment described. Let us know how you do with the task.

Congruent Shapes

This week we have begun exploring congruent shapes. Do you know what makes shapes congruent? If you said that shapes that are the same size and same shape, you are correct! I found a site that lets you explore congruent shapes. Pay special attention to the communication aspects in the instructions. Being aware of your thinking helps you remember the concept. After exploring, leave a comment explaining how you knew the shapes were congruent. Can you find any other activities that help you practice with congruent shapes? If so, let us know. :D

Welcome Class of '08-'09

Welcome to the class blog! I will use this site throughout the year to give you information about our class. If you peruse the previous entries, you will see that I provide links to sites that relate to our areas of study as well as feature special events. I also use this to showcase student work. Students and parents have the opportunity to comment on the posts as well. If you do not want to join, you can sign your message within the comment box and publish your comment as "anonymous". I ask you to be respectful of each other's feelings; please only publish positive comments.

The first site I would like to feature is CoolMath4Kids. This is a great site that offers a wide variety of activities and games. If your child is savvy with addition and subtraction facts to 18, there are areas where they can begin to work on multiplication. Subtraction Blast is a fun game that actually prepares students for multiplying. Another great area on this site is the addition area. It accommodates students still needing practice with simple facts, progressing to more advanced addition concepts. There are games to reinforce these skills. There is also a subtraction area that is set up similarly. I hope you have fun visiting this site. Please leave a comment to letting us know what you like.

PS: Last year's second graders are still welcome! There is plenty for you to do, too. :0)

Memories of 2007-2008

This year was fantastic! I hope you like the poem. Keep up with your Summer Packet so you will impress your 3rd grade teachers! Be sure to check the blog occasionally because I will post throughout the summer. Savannah has already been on today!! Thanks so much for such a great year!

Miss Kristin’s Second Grade 2007-2008

180 days have gone by too fast

I can’t believe that it’s really the last

I knew from the very start

You’d etch a special place in my heart.

Now that the year’s over and you have nothing due

Here’s a little poem about how I’ll remember you:

Reminding Jacob to “pinch and rest”

James proud of taking another AR test

Kayleeann wanting the markers for the board

Ethan counting numbers with a high-noted chord

Soaking Caroline G. being lots of fun

Reminding Tyler to walk and not to run

Maddie offering to tuck tissues in Edward Tulane

Writing on the carpet will NOT leave a stain

Reading funny stories that Savannah wrote

“Don’t chew on that…you are not a goat!”

Caroline P. and her love of Junie B.

Icy proudly showing fancy artwork to me

Hannah explaining her answer with the stick

Shae writing about a skateboard trick

Kendal reading another Magic Tree House

Chris listening, quiet as a mouse

Krystle prepping for the morning graph

Cam always able to make me laugh

Carley smiling radiantly, reading to me

Nathaniel looking for Miss Ruth and PE

Jasmine blogging on the Miss Kristin site

Grinning about the cinquains Kameron would write

Damon’s knowledge of critters being cool

Who could forget My Weird School?

Robots, elections, landforms, and skits

Presentations, weather, sound, and math kits

Now it’s official, but don’t think you’re off the hook

School is over, but enjoy your Summer book!

Love, Miss Kristin

To Infinity and Beyond!

Check out the NASA Kid's Club daily to find out about Buzz Lightyear's mission to the International Space Station! There are other nifty things to check out while you visit. You can even sign up to have your name sent to the moon.

Early Dismissal

It's a good thing we got out when we did! Here's what it looks like on my street!

Science Festival 2008

The annual Cape Hatteras Elementary School Science Festival took place May 17th and 18th. The students excitedly engaged in a number of hands-on learning experiences based on the North Carolina Science Curriculum. Our newest students (More-at-Four) loved the squishy slime they made while 5th graders manipulated items like chop sticks to get a feel for animal adaptations. Several staff members served as speakers throughout the event demonstrating their versatility and interest in the field of science. Students learned about electricity from Anne Swain and Kerry Hooper from the Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative. Brian VanDruten from U.S. Fish and Wildlife had the students "gobbling" up all sorts of information about wild turkeys. J.B. Rattles amazed the students with his wide variety of reptiles. Learning about red wolves with Diane Hendry, also from U.S Fish and Wildlife, was awesome. The event could not take place without the CHES parents who always dedicate their time and talents to the fest. They run the experiments as well as donate the delicious buffet items on which our volunteers feast. The support of the PTA is truly appreciated as they generously donate funds to purchase consumables. The Science Committee thanks all who participated and supported this event and looks forward to another fantastic event next year.

RAIN Acrostic Poems

Rainbow after the rain
A bigger puddle
I do not like the rain
Not so excited
~ Caroline P.

Round and fat
Annoying
I don't care about rain
Not good at aiming into a water bottle
~ Krystle

Radiant
Always boring
In the way of the day
Not bad for plants
~ Maddie

Rain is very cool to study
And rain tastes very good
It helps the flowers grow
Never get to go outside when it rains
~ Caroline G.

Really rainy
As awesome as a shark
Incredible
Not much fun
~ Cam

Rapid water
A very strong thing
It falls from the sky
Not big
~ Jacob

Really boring
And wet
It helps plants grow
Nothing can defeat rain
~ Kameron

Rushes to the ground
All of the raindrops go the same way
It is made by water vapor
Never hits very hard
~ Chris

Really wet
Awesome after rain
It ruins my day
Never go outside in a rain storm
~ Shae

Ruins the day
As bad as a shock of lightning
It does help plants though
Never colorful
~ Jasmine

Runs down a hill when it hits the ground
As smooth as a bed
It is cold
Not pretty
~ Nathaniel

Rough when falls
Always wet
It makes mud
Never dry when it falls from the sky
~ Icy

Rivers roar
All living things need it
It rains for flowers
New plants drink it
~ Ethan

Real wet
And cold
It is a good thing
No animal will live without water because it helps the animal
~ James

Racket in the house
All the time bugs are on your skin
It's always gloomy
Not cool because it's wet and you can't play
~ Kayleeann

Really cool
Awesome
I like to play in it
Not so cool
~ Carley

Rainbows come
April showers bring May flowers
I like to hear the sounds
Nice and refreshing
~ Tyler

Really wet and cold
A bad time to play outside
It makes puddles
Not a nice day
~ Hannah

Rain and sun make a rainbow
Always comes from clouds
It can sometimes be very loud
Not very fun because you can't go outside to play
~ Savannah

Ruins my day
A bad time of the week
It makes me real sad
No fun outside
~ Kendall

Rain is cold
Always makes rainbows
It will make ice
Needs water in the desert
~ Damon

I Know....

I know what 2 little girls are up to this afternoon! My mailbox is full of comments. Thanks for using the blog and posting messages to your classmates. I will post more this weekend. What do you think I should add? Our visit from Bailey? The new spinner address? RAIN poems? Earth Day? The landform diorama project? Science Fest? Let me know what you think should be next!

PS...If you write the article at home or during FREE WRITE, I just may let you post it yourself! :0)

Probability

We are working on probability experiments. Today we had a super time experimenting with a spinner online. Change the spinner and see what happens. Report your results in a comment. Tell what you expected and what surprised you and WHY. :0)

I'm Still Here in the Bathtub

On Thursday Caroline and Carley shared I'm Still Here in the Bathtub from the book I'm Still Here in the Bathtub: Brand New Silly Dilly Songs by Alan Katz. It is a sequel to Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs. They did a fantastic job of turning a one person poem into a two person poem! Way to go! This week we will be writing acrostic poems. I know you will love it! What is your favorite poem from this book? Let us know by adding a comment. :0)

Baby Owl

Miss Susan and Caroline found an article about a baby owl on the Island Free Press (where Hannah's mom works!). Hope you all enjoy it!

National Poetry Month

To celebrate National Poetry Month we are adding a daily poem share to our calendar time. This morning Cam and Jacob shared Water Striders by Paul Fleischman from his book Joyful Noise Poems for Two Voices. Yesterday Kayleeann shared Oh Have You Heard (click on the poem for the link & then scroll down) by Shel Silverstein in honor of April Fool's Day.

Througout the month we will be reading and composing our own poems! Keep checking for poetry updates. :0)

Map Sites

I found this map game at FunBrain. I hope you like it!

This site will tell you how you and a family member can make a map puzzle using clay!

iKnowthat.com offers puzzle games for many areas of the world. You do not have to register. You can select the 'maybe later' option and still play the games.

After you play the games, add a comment to let your classmates (and me) know what you think. If you click on comments, you can add one anonymously (just sign your first name at the end of your comment - you can check out the one about the field trip to see how Caroline G. & her mom signed theirs).

Miss Kristin

The Leprechaun Story by Kameron

“Ahhhh!!!” I screamed as I saw a leprechaun in Target in Virginia. I told him to hide behind the bookshelf but he didn’t do it. So I told my mom, “There’s a small person near the bookshelf!”

My mom said, “He’s probably just a midget.”

“He’s smaller than a midget. He’s a leprechaun.”

My mom said, “I don’t believe you.” We left Target and guess who was in the car. The leprechaun! We had to deal with him the whole way home. When I got home I kicked him out the window of my mom’s car. We never saw him again.

The Tricky Leprehaun by Savannah

“Wow!” I yelled, “That’s a small house.” Then ……..a Leprechaun came out! “Give me your gold or I’ll step on you and your house!” I said. The Leprechaun gave me gold all right. Chocolate, that was wrapped in gold paper. The very next day I went back to that Leprechaun’s house and he was not there. I saw that his beautiful flowers had died. The air smelled terrible. Also, everything in the garden had rotted. Then I noticed a small sign on the door and it said, “Went to Hawaii for summer so I can go surfing on my small surf board, dudes”. So I had to wait until winter. That Winter I got my gold.

The Greedy Old Leprechaun by Jasmine

“WOW!’’ I screamed, as I walked to a huge oak tree in the middle of the woods. I heard giggling sounds by the tree but there was nothing there so I looked in the big hole in the middle of the tree. There was a leprechaun about an inch tall! He had my ten dollar bill! I grabbed the dollar and he tried pulling it harder. It felt as if I was playing tug-of-war. So I ran and got my dad because he is very strong. He got my money and he told the leprechaun, “Get lost!” Then the greedy old leprechaun stomped his feet as he went back to the oak tree. I heard him whispering, “I was going to use that money for a new home because my house stinks.” I just ignored him and went inside to read a story about a monkey that found a pot of gold.

March Terrific Kids!

Congratulations to our awesome Terrific Kids for the month of March: Hannah, Caroline P., and Kameron! All three are very deserving of this honor! Hannah has worked hard to become the best student she can be. She is very attentive to the needs of others. :0) Caroline does nothing less than her absolute best at all times! She is a super student and is always eager to learn new things. :0) Kameron is always ready for our next project. I can always count on him to set a good example for other students. :0) KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!!!

Telling Time

OK, kids, here are some of the telling time sites we've used in class. Check them out and let me know what you think. If you find any others, let me know.

Time Clock: We haven't played this, yet, but we will. You can practice moving the hands for different times at 5 minute intervals.

Teaching Time: This is the one with the big clock. :-)

Willy the Watchdog: Have fun!

Digital Clock: This is the one we played with the lever and the apple clock. You can practice hour and half hour.

Dr. Seuss

Sorry I was not there for your celebration. Mrs. Kee told me that you all had a fantastic day! Write a post telling me what you thought was awesome! I also can't wait to hear about Maddie's WCHE appearance on Thursday or the Book Talks on Friday. What books are you sharing?

Have you been to Seussville? Play games and write your own story!!!!

I miss all of you a lot!!

Primary Games

Here's another new site I found! You can engage in all sorts of fun activities: telling time, spelling, puzzles, etc. Tell me what you like best about the Primary Games site!

Friday Fun

Watching the otters playfully swimming in their habitat.....excitedly gazing into the 17 feet deep tank as Olivia and Winn floated among the sharks, barracuda, and other local fish......leaning over the ledge of the touch tank to pet a stingray.......gently stroking a blue-tongued skink (congrats to Damon & Jacob for impressing all the second grades in the county by identifying this critter!!).....WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF OUR LEAP DAY TRIP TO THE AQUARIUM? Leave your comment!

In the spirit of Leap Day, did you read about Beelzebufo? Find out all about this large frog fossil and find links to other frog-related sites! Post a comment about what you've read to earn Caught Being Good coupons.

BubbleShare: Share photos - Powered by BubbleShare

Leap Day

Get ready for a day of field trip fun! We are heading to the NC Aquarium to take part in Leap Day: a celebration of leap day and life cycles! Students will board the bus at 8:15. We are not "forbidding" iPods, video games, etc., but we will not be responsible for them. When we arrive at the aquarium we will have a small snack before venturing into the aquarium at 10. After we finish at the aquarium, it's on to McDonald's for lunch! We will arrive back at school in time for dismissal. Be sure you get your permission slip and lunch order to school by Wednesday. Parents are welcome to drive separately and meet us at the aquarium. Students may ride home with their parents, but me must present a note to us upon leaving.

Congratulations!

Today at the Terrific Kids Assembly we honored our student of the month: Carley! She eagerly enters the classroom each day ready to work hard and learn as much as she can! She is friendly and always tries her best!

We also honored our February Terrific Kids: Jasmine & Shae! They are both fantastic members of our class! Jasmine is always ready to help anyone: adults and students alike. She constantly tries her best! Shae is a super friend and works hard all the time! He is well-behaved and sets a good example for others! WAY TO GO, TERRIFIC KIDS!

National Geographic Kids

Do you want to try some fascinating experiments at home? Do you want to read some awesome expository writing about topics like penguins? How about trying some cool, educational games? If you answered YES to any of these questions, then National Geographic Kids is the site for you! Bright, vivid pictures greet you when you visit this site. Test your geography skills by playing one of the Geospy games! Make a kaleidoscope with common items! There are all sorts of boredom-busters on this site! Check it out and let me know what you think!

Cool Website

To encourage reading at home visit Book Adventure sponsored by Sylvan Learning Center. There are plenty of book titles to interest a wide range of readers. It is similar to Accelerated Reader in that students select a book, read it, and then take a test to earn points. There is a parent section where you can go to set the awards for your child; each book is worth 100 points. When your child/children sign up, you can link them to your account so you can monitor their progress. I have set this up for my children: a kindergartener and a 6th grader. You can search by titles, authors, interests, and grade levels. If it's too much to juggle now, keep it in mind for the summer! Check it out and let me know what you think!