Happy Earth Day!

iPad Poetry

Today Mrs. Allbach taught an awesome lesson about Diamonte Poetry. A Diamonte poem is an unrhymed seven-line poem with the beginning and end being the shortest and the middle being the longest. This forms the diamond shape, hence the name Diamonte. Our themes were Earth and Trees. We went into the common area of the second floor and used the newly painted mural as our inspiration. Then, students wrote and published their poems on an iPad app called Word Mover! They did a fantastic job! Thank you Mrs. Allbach for an awesome lesson! Stay tuned for more Earth Day activities later in the week! 

More on Diamonte poems: ( http://www.poetry4kids.com/blog/lessons/how-to-write-a-diamante-poem/) 

Claxton's International Carnival

Hi families,

Don't forget to join us for the International Carnival next Saturday! Our class will have a booth all about Nepal! We will have a Nepali game for kids to play and we will be selling crafts to raise more money for the student we are sponsoring in Nepal! Please email me if you are interested in volunteering that day. We need as many volunteers as possible! Thank you for all that you do. :) 

Guest Reader: UNC Asheville Basketball Player

Last week we had a very special guest reader in our classroom! Corey Littlejohn, a basketball player for the UNC Asheville bulldogs, stopped by to read one of the kids' favorite books: Dragons Love Tacos. The kids also had a chance to talk to him about what college is like and why reading is important. Thanks so much Corey for coming! And thank you Madison Davis, Director of Men's Basketball Operations, for the awesome UNCA backpacks! :) 

Spring is finally here!

We are so excited that spring is finally here! What a long winter it has been. Bring on the sunshine! Yesterday we ate lunch outside and did Read Aloud outside--where we finally finished Beezus and Ramona. Our next Read Aloud chapter book will be Matilda, one of my childhood favorites! I hope everyone is enjoying this fabulous weather! 

P.s.- I am hoping to collect a few picnic blankets for our classroom so that we can sit on the grass (and avoid ants) in addition to the picnic benches. Please let me know if you have an old or gently used (or new) blanket that you'd like to donate for our outdoor learning time :) 

The School of Hope

Hi families,

This year students are learning all about global citizenship through our Social Studies project called GOAL Getters. As you may know, we are fundraising this year to sponsor a year of school for a child in rural Nepal. Ms. Adams's class is also fundraising to sponsor a year of school for a child in Uganda. Our classes collaborated to produce our first "film" titled: The School of Hope. This narrative is about a young Ugandan girl named Thea who faces a tough challenge. She dreams of going to school but doesn't have the money and her family needs her help at home. (Did you know that only ONE in five girls in the developing world finish primary school?) Watch our film to find out how children can help each other, even if they live on opposite sides of the world. This is what global citizenship is all about..realizing that we are a global family and that no matter who you are or where you come from, you can always help make a difference. ;)

For more information about GOAL Getters, please check out my "work-in-progress" website :)

Sound waves are vibrations in your ear, gather 'round and you will hear!

Hi Room 203 families,

We are currently studying the Science of Sound through Dr. Bob Moog's Sound School . Students are learning about where sound comes from, how sound is made, and much more--all through hands-on learning and experimentation. As our Sound School unit comes to an end, students had the opportunity to write songs about sound using vocabulary, observation notes, and other information from their Scientist Notebooks. First we chose a beat, using the Vocabulary Implementation section of Flocabulary. Next, we determined the key concepts that we've learned so far about sound and brainstormed rhyming words. Finally, students worked collaboratively in their groups to write their songs, which are performed in the awesome video below. I am so proud! Enjoy :)

Want even more Sound School? Join Claxton Second Grade students at  THE ORANGE PEEL (yes, these kids are superstars!) on April 1st at 10 a.m. All friends and family are welcome! Hope to see you there. :)