1/30/14
We had three tests in this week. Mrs. Heath is working hard this week. But she does a very good job helping all the students good and equally. She helps everyone. Mrs. Heath is the best.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Our MVP Orion
Dear Mom,
School is fun. We do a lot of stuff each day. Some of it is hard. Tests are hard. We took a math test, a social studies test, and a listening comprehension test this week. Tomorrow we have a word test.
My favorite part of school is writing. I like that we can write whatever we want but it has to be real.
School is fun. We do a lot of stuff each day. Some of it is hard. Tests are hard. We took a math test, a social studies test, and a listening comprehension test this week. Tomorrow we have a word test.
My favorite part of school is writing. I like that we can write whatever we want but it has to be real.
Snowbucks. Tomorrow I want to buy stuffed animal day.
Love,
Orion
Friday, January 24, 2014
OUR MVP MADISON
On the 100th Day of school we dressed up like they did in 1914. We ate in our classroom because there were no cafeterias in schools in 1914. Some of the games we played were Go Fish, Duck, Duck, Goose, and marbles. The best part of the day was trying War Cake.
100th Day, 1914 Style
On January 23rd, 2nd grade celebrated the 100th Day of school. We celebrated by going back 100 years to 1914. Now 1914 is much different than 2014. For one thing, we had to attend school in a one room school house. January 23rd was an especially chilly day to be in a one room school house without central heat - it was NEGATIVE 27 degrees when you factor in the the wind chill!! brrr...that outdoor outhouse was especially frightful!!
Class was much different as well. To begin with, our desks were all in rows! Students had to be silent unless they were called on. Then, the students would stand, push in their chair, and state their answer to the question, and wait for permission to be seated again. Another big difference was that there was NO technology in 1914. That meant our learning was done without the benefit of an Elmo, computer, or SmartBoard. Most of the talking was done by the teacher and students spent much of their day performing orally as opposed to discussing and recording answers in writing. Students performed math fact tests orally, participated in a spelling bee, and gave oral poetry recitations from memory.
Learning about games from 1914 was a big hit. We played marbles, SNAP (similar to slap jack), Go Fish, and Duck, Duck Goose. Students learned that while there were fun games to play 100 years ago, they were seldom played during school. They may have played running games during their lunch break, but otherwise games were played after school and on the weekends. School was for learning - not playing!!
At the end of the day, Mrs. Mazur brought in a special treat for us; War Cake. War Cake was a staple from 1914 on throughout World War I. It is a type of bread that was made without butter, eggs, or milk. Students enjoyed their sample and many were even brave and ate the raisins, though they claimed to not like them!
At the end of our adventure it was overwhelmingly decided that we prefer to attend school in 2014. We missed our technology and the interactions that are the everyday norm in our classroom. While it was interesting to see how silent a room could be when following old school ways, I question the amount of learning that was occurring. Research has learned so much about the way children learn and I firmly believe that talking, interacting,and performing hands on activities are crucial to students' development and learning. Besides, it is hard to be the teacher in 1914 because you have to talk all day!
Overall we had a wonderful trip back in time and a great 100th Day of School. :) I'm attaching a few videos here and look for our picture slide show in the next post.
Class was much different as well. To begin with, our desks were all in rows! Students had to be silent unless they were called on. Then, the students would stand, push in their chair, and state their answer to the question, and wait for permission to be seated again. Another big difference was that there was NO technology in 1914. That meant our learning was done without the benefit of an Elmo, computer, or SmartBoard. Most of the talking was done by the teacher and students spent much of their day performing orally as opposed to discussing and recording answers in writing. Students performed math fact tests orally, participated in a spelling bee, and gave oral poetry recitations from memory.
Learning about games from 1914 was a big hit. We played marbles, SNAP (similar to slap jack), Go Fish, and Duck, Duck Goose. Students learned that while there were fun games to play 100 years ago, they were seldom played during school. They may have played running games during their lunch break, but otherwise games were played after school and on the weekends. School was for learning - not playing!!
At the end of the day, Mrs. Mazur brought in a special treat for us; War Cake. War Cake was a staple from 1914 on throughout World War I. It is a type of bread that was made without butter, eggs, or milk. Students enjoyed their sample and many were even brave and ate the raisins, though they claimed to not like them!
At the end of our adventure it was overwhelmingly decided that we prefer to attend school in 2014. We missed our technology and the interactions that are the everyday norm in our classroom. While it was interesting to see how silent a room could be when following old school ways, I question the amount of learning that was occurring. Research has learned so much about the way children learn and I firmly believe that talking, interacting,and performing hands on activities are crucial to students' development and learning. Besides, it is hard to be the teacher in 1914 because you have to talk all day!
Monday, January 20, 2014
Class Election
Part of our 2nd grade social studies standards including understanding the rights and responsibilities of American citizens. One of the most important rights we have is the right to vote. Students got to learn about this right first hand by participating in a classroom election.
We decided to elect a class mascot. Our mascot would be a stuffed animal that would represent our class and what we stand for. The three candidates were: Peace, Glory, and Kicks.
In preparation for the election, students worked together to create platforms for the mascots. What exactly did each character stand for? They then created posters and gave speeches outlining the platforms. They did a fantastic job making the platforms meaningful and appropriate for our classroom - Glory stood for being an American and being patriotic, Kicks for good sportsmanship, and Peace for everyone getting along.
We decided to elect a class mascot. Our mascot would be a stuffed animal that would represent our class and what we stand for. The three candidates were: Peace, Glory, and Kicks.
In preparation for the election, students worked together to create platforms for the mascots. What exactly did each character stand for? They then created posters and gave speeches outlining the platforms. They did a fantastic job making the platforms meaningful and appropriate for our classroom - Glory stood for being an American and being patriotic, Kicks for good sportsmanship, and Peace for everyone getting along.
Students practiced voting privately and then we read the votes. The winner is Glory! It was a wonderful lesson in rights and one that I hope will serve the students for the rest of their lives.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Penny Olympics
2nd grade celebrated the return from break and kicked off the Winter Olympics with The Penny Olympics. Students participated in a 8 different "events" that all focused on pennies. The events included:
Penny Roll
Penny Stroll
Penny Spin
Penny Words
Penny Toss
Penny Poetry
Penny Stack
Penny Grab
Gold, silver, and bronze medals were awarded for all events and two very special "Good Sportsmanship" awards were given as well. It was a great way to kick off the New Year, practice some math skills, and work together as a team.
Go USA (and TEAM Heath)!!!!
Penny Roll
Penny Stroll
Penny Spin
Penny Words
Penny Toss
Penny Poetry
Penny Stack
Penny Grab
Gold, silver, and bronze medals were awarded for all events and two very special "Good Sportsmanship" awards were given as well. It was a great way to kick off the New Year, practice some math skills, and work together as a team.
Go USA (and TEAM Heath)!!!!
Our M.V.P. Bryce
In the summer I like to ride my bike with my dad. We ride around the neighborhood or in the park. I just got a new bike from Santa. It is purple, pink, and blue and those are my favorite colors.
I am allergic to eggs, milk, and cheese but I can have a type of ice cream. I can only have soy ice cream. My favorite ice cream flavor is strawberry with cherries in it.
I am allergic to eggs, milk, and cheese but I can have a type of ice cream. I can only have soy ice cream. My favorite ice cream flavor is strawberry with cherries in it.
Friday, January 10, 2014
Winter Party
TEAM Heath had a ball at our Winter Party. Prior to the party beginning, we had a visit with Sadie, a therapy dog in the district. Then during our party the students had the opportunity to pin a nose on Rudolph, decorate a Christmas tree, participate in a gift bow relay, and do some stocking guessing. (He pretty much failed!!) A great time was had by all and the snacks were fantastic! It was a lot of fun when Mr. Guthmiller came in and tried to pin a nose on Rudolph. We appreciate all of the hard work and effort put forth by our class liaison and our volunteers. Thank you for helping us celebrate the holidays!
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Thursday, January 9, 2014
Meet Miss Smrcina
My name is Ms. Smrcina and I am
beyond excited to work with Mrs. Heath’s second grade class. I am so excited to begin the next chapter of
my life and learn from not only Mrs. Heath, but also from each and every one of
the twenty one students as well. I will be with Team Heath for ten weeks and
will then move to Portal Elementary to student teach in the Special Education
department.
I was born in Omaha, but was raised
in Fremont, Nebraska. I attended a
one-room country school from Kindergarten through sixth grade. I am able to use many memories and
experiences from my elementary school as I am beginning to work with elementary
students more and more. My dad and mom
have been happily married for twenty five years. I have three brothers, Jake (23), Josh (19),
and Zach (17. They are all very
dedicated runners so I am constantly attending races and meets to support
them. My family has three dogs, Bailey,
Lacy, and Zoey. I also have a dog of my
own, Jerzee, who weighs a measly six pounds.
She has quite the attitude and loves to play ball and go on walks.
I can remember back to when I was
in fourth or fifth grade and the idea of being a teacher crossing my mind. Ever since then, becoming a teacher has been
my goal. I love being able to work with
children on a daily basis and hopefully make a difference somehow in their
lives, as my elementary teacher did for me.
I will graduate from Midland University in May of 2014 with a double
major in Special Education K-6 and Elementary Education K-8.
In my free time I love to take
Jerzee for walks, spend time with family and friends, arts and crafts and
rooting for the Green Bay Packers. I am
on Pinterest constantly coming up with new ideas for arts and crafts, as well
as games and activities for different classroom settings. Thank you for allowing me to spend the next
ten weeks with your children! I know it
will be an experience that I will learn from and remember for the rest of my
life.
Our MVP Marriah
I am 8 years old. I have one brother. I have one dog and one cat. I am a dancer on the performance dance team. I dance Tuesday and Thursday at Dance Dynamics. Thursdays are fun for dance because I get to practice for my performance. One of my favorite songs is "Make Them Laugh". We are also doing a sunshine song. I want to do gymnastics. I like to do sports. I have two very nice teachers, Mrs. Heath and Miss Smrcina. My favorite store Justice.
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