Shhhh… It’s a surprise!  This Thursday, the children will get “homework” that they will take home to read.  This “homework” will invite the children to a Polar Express party!!!  The children will get an invitation and a ticket.  Please have the children bring their ticket back to school on Friday!  We will have the conductor punch their ticket to enter the show!  The children will also be invited to wear pajamas to the party.  They can also bring a small blanket or towel to sit on.  We will be watching the Polar Express throughout the day, and we have some special treats of popcorn, hot chocolate and peppermint sticks for the children to enjoy!  We are really excited to share this fun day with the children!

Given that this week is a busy week, filled with many fun activities, we are not going to have spelling words, or focus on any new skills.  Instead, we will use the time to revisit some previous skills that were challenging to the children.

In the afternoon, the second graders will be rotating through three different activities, in all three second grade classrooms.  They will be learning about ice crystals, building catapults and mixing up some potpourri.  This should be a great experience for the children.

Last week in Wonders we read about force and motion in our reading groups.  As a fun culminating activity to this, we reviewed what we had learned about force, motion, friction and gravity.  Using what they had learned, the children created a sleigh for Santa, that could travel on the ground.  The children had to take into account the friction that both the ground, and the materials they chose, would create.  It was fun to see how they applied what they had learned in the creation of their sleighs.

Mrs. Wright brought in some beautiful paper white bulbs to share with the class.  We planted the bulbs, and have been observing their growth, since then.  The children have been excited to measure and record the growth of these bulbs.  We are hoping to see some blooms, before Winter Break.

The Candy Cane Calamity was a fun STEAM challenge, where the children had to create a package that would protect a candy cane from a drop.  The children were very thoughtful with their designs, and we had several successful designs.