Last Day of 2nd Grade!

We had a lot of fun on our last day watching our 2nd grade video, erupting our volcanoes, and cleaning our desks with shaving cream!  Thanks for a fantastic year 2nd graders!  Have a wonderful summer!

Final Balloon #7: Treasure Hunt

The balloon we popped today took us on a treasure hunt all around the school.  We were lucky to have Mason stop in just in time to lead us through the treasure hunt.  The clues lead us to the library for our treasure- a new book!  When we read all the Willy books by Anthony Browne, the only one we couldn't get our hands on was "Willy and the Cloud."  This was a fun surprise to add to our classroom library!

The rest of our treasure had to stay in the freezer until we could enjoy it outside at recess time!

One Final Serenade!

Thanks Mason for sharing your guitar skills with us again!  We love listening to you, and we are always blown away by hearing our classmate play as well!  These 2 kids are pretty talented!

Balloon #6: Gum Day!

The balloon we popped today was gum day!  Each student got 4 pieces of gum to eat whenever they wanted throughout the day!

Mystery Reader #19: A Volleyball Playing Older Sister

1) I'm going into 7th grade.
2) I love volleyball.
3) I have brown hair.

This older sister surprised her younger sister by being our final Mystery Reader of the year!  Thank you so much for reading a story to us and for the treat!

Mrs. Stocker and Mount St. Helens

At the end of 2nd grade the students can't wait to learn about volcanoes and make them!  Mrs. Stocker stops by each year to share with us her experience with the eruption of Mount St. Helens and her volcano visit in college.  Mrs. Stocker is a great storyteller, and she has the students laughing through much of her stories.  She also brings in items that were made out of ash after Mount St. Helens had erupted.  Thank you so much Mrs. Stocker!

Balloon #5: Daily 5 Outside

The balloon we popped today was Daily 5 outside!  It feels so nice and calming sit around the pond and enjoy our books while taking in the nature around us!

Bike Rodeo and Track and Field Day!

Luckily the weather cooperated, and we were able to get in both bike rodeo this morning and track and field this afternoon.  Another successful Track and Field Day!  Way to go 2nd graders!

Balloon #4: Bumper Seats for All!

When a student fills up a bee punch ticket, one of the choices to celebrate is bumper seats- move to whatever spot you want in the classroom.  The balloon we popped today was bumper seats for everyone!  The students got busy moving their desks.  Each individual could choose to join a group or enjoy some extra space.   It was pretty fun to do our work in these new spots today!

Thank you Seniors!

When we got back from bike rodeo today, we walked into the most wonderful surprise!  The door was shut with the lights off, and a group of seniors was sitting on our front rug!  They came to visit us to deliver letters they had written back to us.  Thank you Seniors!  That was so thoughtful of you!

Field Trip Day!

We had a great day in Winona!  We enjoyed learning about history at the Winona Historical Museum, lunch at the park, and paddling on the lake.  Thanks to all the chaperones that helped out today!

Thank you to a parent for getting this great video of the kids working together at Paddle for Life!

Ag Day

We enjoyed seeing all the animals at Ag Day yesterday!

Mystery Reader #18: A Birthday Boy We've Missed!

1) I have 5 cats and 2 dogs.
2) My favorite vacation is in California.
3) My name is the same as the past tense of draw.

This could only be our good friend Drew!  Today was his birthday, and we were so happy to see him again!  Many students jumped up to give hugs to this sweet boy.  We loved the Piggie and Elephant story you read to us and the birthday cupcakes!  We look forward to seeing you soon!

Balloon #3: Marker Day!

The students always ask to write with something other than a pencil, and today they got their wish!  Balloon number 3 was Marker Day! All day long they could choose to write with anything they wished to on their assignments.

Mystery Reader #17: Which Ellie?

1) I have a dog.
2) I like to play sports.
3) I like to bake.

After reading the clues the class was wondering which Ellie would walk through the door.  The original guess was my Ellie, then someone guessed a student's big sister, Ellie.  Which Ellie would it be?  Little sister was so happy to see that it was HER Ellie!  Thanks for reading to us, and we loved the book you chose!

Balloon #2: Lunch and Dance Party in the Classroom

When the students popped this balloon today you would have thought they won the lottery!  They sure love their dance parties:)

Congrats and Good Luck Seniors!

We delivered our senior letters today!  It is pretty amazing to see the same students that once sat in our second grade classroom about to graduate!  Good luck to all of you!

Balloon Countdown! Balloon #1

We started our balloon countdown today, and the students were so excited to see balloons hanging from our ceiling when they entered the classroom.  We pop a balloon each day and do whatever activity we get in that balloon.  Today's balloon was write a letter to a senior.  Each student wrote a letter to wish a senior congratulations and good luck in their futures.  We will deliver our letters to the seniors in the classes tomorrow morning!

Well Wishes for Drew

We are missing our dear friend and classmate as he is recovering from his surgery.  We think of you each day Drew, and we can't wait to see you again!  We hope you enjoy our book of cards and the new Pigeon just for you!  We love you lots Drew:)

The Weatherman On Trial

On Friday we performed "The Weatherman on Trial" for our families.  We've been working on this play for so long, and we couldn't wait to share it with our families and friends.  It was a hit!  Thanks to all of the families that were able to attend. 

Mystery Reader #16: A Sheep Raising Gymnastics Teacher

1. I graduated from Winona State University.
2. I used to raise sheep.
3. I taught young children's gymnastics for a couple years.

The students were originally very thrown off, but they are starting to guess by process of elimination and Mrs. Ruen was on their list of possible readers.  I tried to distract them with other guesses so Mrs. Ruen wouldn't have to give herself away.  When she walked in the students were as delighted as ever to see her.  They enjoyed the book she read, "This is Not a Cat" and the sweet treat she brought for them.  We just love you Mrs. Ruen! 

Mystery Reader #15: Grandma Donut!

1. I like to golf.
2. I have a winter home where it's warm with a lot of swimming pools.
3. My nickname has the word donut in it.

No one could guess this Mystery Reader, not even her grandson who is almost a birthday boy!  It was such a nice surprise for him though!  We also learned that our Mystery Reader is a quadruplet.  This was amazing information to our class, and she shared some fun pictures.  Thanks for stopping by to share a story with us Grandma Donut!

Mystery Reader #14: A Surprise Teacher!

1. I am a teacher, and my favorite school subject is science or social studies.
2. I have a sister and young niece.
3. I own a small pet.

The class guessed maybe Mrs. Johnson from social skills class or maybe Mrs. Crum from computer class.  They did not guess Mrs. Heim!  She shared one of her favorite picture books with us: "Caps for Sale."  Thank you Mrs. Heim!

A May Day Visitor

This student's grandma has made May Day an annual tradition to visit her grandchildren's classrooms and deliver May Day baskets.  Not only did the students enjoy the treats, but they also loved the books that she brought along to read!  This student sure adores his grandma!  We love when you visit Grandma Carol! 

Banana Bingo Celebration: Lunch and Dance Party in the Classroom!

The class voted to do lunch and a dance party in the classroom to celebrate earning a banana bingo.  This is always a favorite because lunchtime has never been so much fun!  Check out our 2nd grade dancing skills:)

Mystery Reader #13: A Farming and Fishing Father

1) I am a farmer.
2) My favorite hobby is fishing.
3) I love to garden.

This student felt pretty confident that either her mom or dad would be our Mystery Reader today.  She wasn't sure if her mom's favorite hobby was fishing, but she knew it was her dad's.  She told me afterwards that it was extra special because his job keeps him very busy so she felt so happy that he came to visit!  Thanks for reading to us!

Mystery Reader #12: Twin Mom!

1) I like to go camping.
2) I work in Rochester.
3) I have 4 children.

Although all of these clues fit this student's mom, he was convinced it couldn't be her because his twin brother had been our reader the day before.  This was a great way to fool him, and he was very excited to take the seat again next to his mom as our Mystery Reader!  Thank you so much for reading to us!

Mystery Reader #11: Twin Brother Visit!

1) I like to play softball.
2) I have 2 brothers and 1 sister.
3) My favorite color is pink.

This twin brother didn't hesitate to predict his brother would be visiting us today as a Mystery Reader!  He was right!  He had been waiting and hoping his twin from the class next door would be one of our Mystery Readers.  It's not often that we have the chance to have another 2nd grader as a Mystery Reader.  We enjoyed it!

A Surprise Visit

During our math stations we had two 7th grade visitors stop in to share a song they are practicing for an upcoming event.  What a surprise! The song they performed was so beautiful.  I had one of these girls in this very classroom as a first and second grader, and I've been lucky to watch both of them grow throughout the years.  I'm so proud of you girls for all of your hard work!  Thank you for sharing your gift with us today!

Mystery Reader #10: A Favorite Familiar Face

1) I had a paper route in junior high and high school.
2) I used to have a pet rabbit.
3) I have straight hair.

Mrs. Stocker remained a true mystery until she walked into our classroom this morning.  The class guessed a few moms who have straight hair.  We couldn't have been happier to see Mrs. Stocker's smiling face!  We are so lucky that Mrs. Stocker volunteers in our classroom every Wednesday, and today she surprised us as a Mystery Reader!  She read one of her favorites to us: "Harry the Dirty Dog."  We love you Mrs. Stocker!

Force and Motion Science Unit

We recently finished up our science unit on Force and Motion.  We started our unit by learning that a force is needed to make an object move, change speed, or change direction.  We explored this concept through an interesting obstacle course.  The students had to push or pull a bowling ball with a broom through our course and keep it in the boundaries.  The students found that the direction they pushed or pulled with the broom was the direction the ball went.  The students found that it wasn't as easy as it looked!

Another concept that we explored was friction.  We questioned whether the type of surface on each ramp would affect how quickly or slowly a small car would go down a ramp.  We measured this by how far the car traveled from the ramp.  In our investigation, the plain wooden ramp had the least amount of friction and the rubber material on another ramp provided the most amount of friction. 

Mystery Reader #9: A Grandma with a Sweet Easter Treat

1) I am related to someone in this class.
2) I live on a farm and sometimes have sledding parties at my place.
3) I like to grow giant watermelons and pumpkins.

The class wasn't exactly sure who our Mystery Reader was today, but this student was so proud and happy to see his grandma arrive with not only books, but Easter cupcakes.  We enjoyed both the Easter books and treats!  Thank you so much for reading to us today!

Poetry Books

In the month of March we learned about 4 different types of poems: acrostic, portrait, haiku, and 2 words on a line poem.  The students wrote several of each type of poem and chose their favorite of each type to publish.  To publish our poems we typed them and added unique artwork to each.  We also included a page about the author.  After finishing up our books, we invited the first grade class into our room to share our poems with.  Since then our books have been on the rug in a basket.  The students love reading each other's poems.  They are beautiful booklets!

Mystery Reader #8: A Lover of Books!

Today's Mystery Reader shared with us that...
1) She likes to grow things in the garden and indoor plants.
2) She has a dog and two cats.
3) She plays piano and sings.

Her son was so excited to share his mom and their collection of books with us!  Starting out with "The Book with No Pictures" by B. J. Novak had the students rolling with laughter.  The next book, "The Word Collector" by Peter Reynolds, was a very special book for this family, and we were honored to hear this story.  The final book, also one of my favorites, was "Extra Yarn" by Mac Barnett.  This story opened us up to so much conversation about why the young girl had a never ending supply of yarn, yet the Duke had none.  This mom compared the yarn to love... the more you give the more you get.  Such a beautiful message!  Thank you Stela for reading to us today!

Mystery Reader #7: The Sweetest Grandmother!

We had the sweetest grandmother visit us as a Mystery Reader today!
1) I live in Rochester.
2) I used to be a teacher.
3) I love art.

Her grandson was so excited and proud to have his grandma visit 2nd grade today.  Not only did she read a nonfiction book about snakes which the students loved, but she also brought cupcakes!  What a way to end the day!  Thank you so much for being our Mystery Reader!