Dragonfly News November
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Do you hear the hums of Christmas songs? Can you feel the excitement of the holidays in the air? The Dragonflies have caught the holiday bug! Along with reading, writing, solving, wondering, and creating, the children have been working hard on the annual second grade Christmas program! We hope you will be able to join us on December 11, 2015 (1:00 - 2:00 p.m) in the Thurston Chapel! I guarantee you will not want to miss it! :)
Literature Unit/Keiki Thanksgiving:
As a culmination of our literature unit on Molly's Pilgrim, the day started early with the children sharing their ancestor dolls! I am simply awed by the creativeness! We had dolls dressed in traditional costumes, homes, and even some carrying special cultural artifacts! Many were able to make connections between the Molly's mom, and the immigrants who lived on the plantation villages, to their own ancestors. We then moved on to lunch...where the children also had a delightful time sharing a dish from their culture. The children each had something wonderful to share about their dish! The children unanimously agreed that it was "the best lunch ever!"As a result of your generosity, the Dragonflies feasted on a variety of dishes from all over the world. It was so amazing to see the children "try" so many new foods!
Literature Unit/Keiki Thanksgiving:
As a culmination of our literature unit on Molly's Pilgrim, the day started early with the children sharing their ancestor dolls! I am simply awed by the creativeness! We had dolls dressed in traditional costumes, homes, and even some carrying special cultural artifacts! Many were able to make connections between the Molly's mom, and the immigrants who lived on the plantation villages, to their own ancestors. We then moved on to lunch...where the children also had a delightful time sharing a dish from their culture. The children each had something wonderful to share about their dish! The children unanimously agreed that it was "the best lunch ever!"As a result of your generosity, the Dragonflies feasted on a variety of dishes from all over the world. It was so amazing to see the children "try" so many new foods!
Dreambox:
I hope all of you have had a chance to check out Dreambox Learning, an online Intelligent Adaptive Learning (tm) program which helps students develop better, faster, math proficiency. Throughout the day, the children have time to access if on their iPads, and progress at a pace that is "just right" for each individual child. There are opportunities to review, practice, and expand. Another great feature for me is the "teacher report" which lets me know where a child might need one to one assistance. It would be greatly appreciated if your child can carve out some time each day during the holiday break to go on Dream box.
I hope all of you have had a chance to check out Dreambox Learning, an online Intelligent Adaptive Learning (tm) program which helps students develop better, faster, math proficiency. Throughout the day, the children have time to access if on their iPads, and progress at a pace that is "just right" for each individual child. There are opportunities to review, practice, and expand. Another great feature for me is the "teacher report" which lets me know where a child might need one to one assistance. It would be greatly appreciated if your child can carve out some time each day during the holiday break to go on Dream box.
Writer's Workshop:
As authors, the children published their very own "How ______ got his/her name" book. Modeled after out read aloud Gooney Bird Greene, the children composed their own piece using the facts obtained from the homework assignment interview with you. They added bits of fiction to bring their stories to life, in addition to dialogue, and Gooney's favorite word, "suddenly." Next time you visit, be sure to visit the Dragonfly author's shelf. :) I'm sure the stories will absolutely delight you!
They also just completed their Images of Christmas piece. This workshop began with a mini lesson on the parts of speech, reviewing adjectives, verbs, and nouns, and learning how to use different words to make our written pieces more detailed and "juicy." As a class they brainstormed a variety of "holiday images" that they enjoy. From there, the children had to pretend, act out, or imagine what these images might be doing, to attach an appropriate verb. The end result were the beautiful books entitled "Images of Christmas." Please be on the lookout for them under your Christmas tree.
As authors, the children published their very own "How ______ got his/her name" book. Modeled after out read aloud Gooney Bird Greene, the children composed their own piece using the facts obtained from the homework assignment interview with you. They added bits of fiction to bring their stories to life, in addition to dialogue, and Gooney's favorite word, "suddenly." Next time you visit, be sure to visit the Dragonfly author's shelf. :) I'm sure the stories will absolutely delight you!
They also just completed their Images of Christmas piece. This workshop began with a mini lesson on the parts of speech, reviewing adjectives, verbs, and nouns, and learning how to use different words to make our written pieces more detailed and "juicy." As a class they brainstormed a variety of "holiday images" that they enjoy. From there, the children had to pretend, act out, or imagine what these images might be doing, to attach an appropriate verb. The end result were the beautiful books entitled "Images of Christmas." Please be on the lookout for them under your Christmas tree.
Math:
In math we have been learning all about the different strategies for adding 2 digit numbers. We started out thinking about adding tens. From her we will look at other adding tens strategies, adding tens and ones, and then adding their sums. My goal is to teach a variety of strategies and have the children decide which ones is "just right" for them. We also continue to explore math through hands on activities using ten frames, unifix cubes, and counters. Christmas is the perfect time to integrate geometry - folding origami Christmas trees, polyhedras, and of course thinking about parts and whole, and fractions as we build a holiday wreath! Origami folding also helps to develop spatial sense. But perhaps the favorite of all, was the discovery that math could be "magical." I hope the children have shared the "Magic Cards" with you at home. Math in the classroom continues to give the children opportunities to think critically, problem solve, and practice.
In math we have been learning all about the different strategies for adding 2 digit numbers. We started out thinking about adding tens. From her we will look at other adding tens strategies, adding tens and ones, and then adding their sums. My goal is to teach a variety of strategies and have the children decide which ones is "just right" for them. We also continue to explore math through hands on activities using ten frames, unifix cubes, and counters. Christmas is the perfect time to integrate geometry - folding origami Christmas trees, polyhedras, and of course thinking about parts and whole, and fractions as we build a holiday wreath! Origami folding also helps to develop spatial sense. But perhaps the favorite of all, was the discovery that math could be "magical." I hope the children have shared the "Magic Cards" with you at home. Math in the classroom continues to give the children opportunities to think critically, problem solve, and practice.
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Mealworms
As scientists we are coming to the end of our mealworm unit. Each student was given a mealworm to observe, document, and care for. Using the iPads the children read about, discussed, and shared what we learned about the mealworm's life-cycle and made connections to their own. Children were amazed by how short the life-cycle of the mealworm actually is. We also wondered why some reached the third stage before others? The children started to wonder and hypothesize...was the temperature of the room? Were the mealworms from different batches? Too little water? Too much food? Why did some mealworms thrive while others did not? Through inquiry, the students designed and created their own experiments to test their hypothesis. Their final product will be to create a mealworm book on their iPads using Book Creator. The Dragonflies are such a wonderfully curious bunch!
As scientists we are coming to the end of our mealworm unit. Each student was given a mealworm to observe, document, and care for. Using the iPads the children read about, discussed, and shared what we learned about the mealworm's life-cycle and made connections to their own. Children were amazed by how short the life-cycle of the mealworm actually is. We also wondered why some reached the third stage before others? The children started to wonder and hypothesize...was the temperature of the room? Were the mealworms from different batches? Too little water? Too much food? Why did some mealworms thrive while others did not? Through inquiry, the students designed and created their own experiments to test their hypothesis. Their final product will be to create a mealworm book on their iPads using Book Creator. The Dragonflies are such a wonderfully curious bunch!
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Kimono Dressing: しちごさん
This month the children celebrated shich go san. A traditional rite of passage and festival day in Japan, for three and seven year old girls, and five year old boys. Each year, Omizo sensei enlists the help of kimono master Sakihara sensei for a special kimono dressing. Sakihara sensei shares her love for the art of kimono dressing, teaching the children the proper etiquette while also emphasizing the the cultural value.
This month the children celebrated shich go san. A traditional rite of passage and festival day in Japan, for three and seven year old girls, and five year old boys. Each year, Omizo sensei enlists the help of kimono master Sakihara sensei for a special kimono dressing. Sakihara sensei shares her love for the art of kimono dressing, teaching the children the proper etiquette while also emphasizing the the cultural value.
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Plantation Villages:
In January we took a field trip to the Plantation Villages. Here, the children took a step back into time to learn about what life was like in the "olden days" here in Hawaii. They learned about the cultural differences of the various immigrant groups who came to work on the sugar plantation. The recreated homes gave the children a first hand look at how the different group brought and retained their own sense of identity, while sharing also sharing them amongst each other. Even language (pidgin) was the result of the people developing a common language to communicate. Games, dress, music, and food are just some of the many cultural things we enjoy today, which stem from a combination of traditions and cultures from so long ago.
In January we took a field trip to the Plantation Villages. Here, the children took a step back into time to learn about what life was like in the "olden days" here in Hawaii. They learned about the cultural differences of the various immigrant groups who came to work on the sugar plantation. The recreated homes gave the children a first hand look at how the different group brought and retained their own sense of identity, while sharing also sharing them amongst each other. Even language (pidgin) was the result of the people developing a common language to communicate. Games, dress, music, and food are just some of the many cultural things we enjoy today, which stem from a combination of traditions and cultures from so long ago.