Friday, December 19, 2014

My Cup Runneth Over...

I cannot thank each and every one of my amazing parents and grandparents for all of your help, volunteering in the classroom, chaperoning on our zoo field trip, generous party food donations, and wonderful holiday gifts. We had so much food left over from our holiday party, that we were able to give it all to the custodial staff to show our thanks and appreciation for all they do.

The students had such a blast watching The Polar Express, jingling their sleigh bell necklaces, playing with their stuffed animals, and eating, eating, eating all the pizza and sweeties their tummies could hold! The laughter and fun in the classroom was definitely the best part of the day.

I also want to thank all my amazing students and parents for an AWESOME 2014. I wish all the best to you and yours as you celebrate this holiday season and ring in the new year with family and friends.




Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!


KEARSON'S CROCODILES ARE MAKING HEADLINES!

The most amazing second grade class *ever* is making headlines in the Mandarin Newsline December 2014 issue!! Crown Point Elementary did an article on Red Ribbon Week and . . . 

< pause for dramatic effect >

. . . congratulated our class on winning the Red Ribbon Week Door Decoration Contest! WAY TO GO MS. KEARSON'S CLASS!!

If you do not receive the Mandarin Newline paper at your home, don't worry... you can download a digital copy of the article from the Mandarin Newsline website (I provided a link under the article picture).

Congratulations again to my rocking awesome second graders for showing their Panther Pride and support for Red Ribbon Week and a drug free school!!


The article in the Mandarin Newsline...
Click here to download a digital copy of the article in the Mandarin Newsline




Monday, December 1, 2014

Mad Scientist Day



We had so much fun during Mad Scientist Day at Crown Point Elementary. Each of the second grade classrooms planned a science experiment to share with the other classes on our grade level as we did our Mad Scientist Day rotations.

In Kearson's Classroom, we chose to do erupting apples (thank you, Pinterest). First, we looked at each of the items needed for the experiment... baking soda with pumpkin spice, vinegar with green food coloring, and an apple. After making our predictions about what might happen if we combined these things together, we began the experiment.

I used a melon baller to scoop out the center part of the apple. Next, we poured our baking soda and pumpkin spice mixture into the apple... it smelled soooo good. Finally, we poured the green vinegar over the baking powder and pumpkin spice mixture in the apple and watched it erupt! The children were completely amazed and had a total blast making the apples erupt over and over and over again!! SO MUCH FUN!!


"It looks like acid!" ~ The video of our Erupting Apples Mad Scientist Experiment




Sunday, October 26, 2014

Our 500 Box Tops Cupcake Party

Our 500 Box Tops Cupcake Party was a smashing success. The students enjoyed Creeper cupcakes, Frozen cheese balls, juice boxes, and bubbles while they watched The Gruffalo. We read The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson the week prior, and the students were super excited to get to watch the movie based on the book.

Thank you again to all my wonderful parents and grandparents that collected box tops and sent them in. We are looking forward to collecting 500 more box tops in the second quarter and having another cupcake party... WOO-HOO!! :)




Sunday, October 19, 2014

WOW! 500 Box Tops!

CONGRATULATIONS
to Kearson's Classroom on collecting 500 box tops in the first quarter!! We set the bar high and did an AHHH-MAZING job reaching our goal. 

I cannot wait to see what the second quarter holds. Another 500? Absolutely!!



Sunday, October 12, 2014

Red Ribbon Week 2014

It is Red Ribbon Week at Crown Point Elementary! The Red Ribbon Celebration brings awareness and support to being DRUG FREE. This year's campaign theme is, "Love yourself. Be drug free.". 

All this week, each of the classroom doors at Crown Point will be decorated to promote the Red Ribbon's drug free campaign to CLOSE THE DOOR ON DRUGS! In addition, the staff and students will be wearing red on Monday to kick off Red Ribbon Week.


This week's fun activities for the staff and students during the Red Ribbon Celebration at Crown Point will be...


For more information on Red Ribbon Week, their campaign, and this year's theme, please visit their website. Parents and students can take the pledge to be drug free and read about other ways they can support their school and community to be DRUG FREE.


 Click here to visit RedRibbon.org




Box Tops for Education



Box Tops for Education is an amazing program for schools. Our school receives $0.10 for every box top that is turned in... that's one dime for every box top! Crown Point Elementary can use this money to purchase whatever the school needs... playground equipment, computers, library books, art supplies, science lab equipment, music instruments, even Smartboards... the possibilities are endless.

The Box Top loyalty program is very simple... just purchase products with box top labels, cut the box tops from the package, and turn them into your school. It's so easy... and really adds up!!

I have challenged the students to collect 500 box tops per quarter. We will have a cupcake party to celebrate each time the classroom collects 500 box tops. There is one more week left in the first quarter, and we have already collected 383 box tops!!

If you have any box tops at home, please send them in. I will be sending home this Batty for Box Tops collection sheet this week for each of the students to try to collect ten box tops before the end of October. Ask grandparents, neighbors, and coworkers that may not know about this program because they do not have school-aged children. Encourage them to clip their box tops and donate the box tops to Kearson's Classroom.



Thank you to everyone for the 383 box tops we have already collected... you are AHHH-MAZING!!



Sunday, September 21, 2014

Beginning, Middle & End

We have been working hard on retelling the beginning, middle and end of a story. Last week we read, "Stellaluna" by Janell Cannon, and created a story map to outline the beginning, middle and end of the story. The students did an amazing job retelling the story. :)

Here is the mini-anchor chart and writing activity we used in the classroom for our beginning, middle and end retelling story map...


Click here to see this activity in my TpT store




Open House was a smashing success!

I would like to thank all of the parents who came to our Open Hose Thursday night. It was so wonderful to get to see and speak with each of you.

For those of you that were not able to come because of previous engagements, here is a PDF copy of the PowerPoint presentation from Open House. If you should have any questions, require additional information, or would like to schedule a conference, please do not hesitate to contact me at your earliest convenience.

Click here to download the Open House PDF file



Saturday, September 13, 2014

Calendar Math

Here is a fun way to make your daily calendar math more interactive in the classroom. I pick a different day each week to use this as "morning work" so that it does not become monotonous throughout the school year. It works great to keep reinforcing skip counting, place value, odd and even numbers, and coin value. 

I have also included a copy of the daily calendar math activity in color and filled out for you to use when introducing this activity to your class for the first time. The monthly calendar templates can be filled out by your students and kept in their agendas/planners each month. Your students will gain a better understanding of calendars, days of the week, and months of the year by filling out these templates each month. :)




 Click here to visit my TpT store to purchase this Calendar Math activity



Sunday, September 7, 2014

How Do I Infer?

We will be working on inferring in science this week... how does a scientists infer? How does a scientist come to a conclusion? Although I originally created this mini-anchor chart poster for our literacy unit on inferring from the text in a story, I thought it would also make a nice little addition to our science unit on conclusion and inference this week. :)

Click here to see this mini-anchor chart poster and activity in my TpT store



Saturday, September 6, 2014

Well That's Odd... Or Is It Even?

We have been working hard to learn what makes a number odd, and what makes a number even. To help my students remember their odd and even numbers, I made these "Odd Todd" and "Even Eve" mini-posters to use as anchor charts during our math lesson.

I also wrote a little rhyme to go with each mini-poster... FUN!! :)

Click here to download these anchor charts from my TpT store





Monday, September 1, 2014

Spelling City

Kearson's classroom is so excited to be on Spelling City!! This website is a great way for your child to learn the weekly spelling words. Spelling City can help your child study and learn with weekly lists, quizzes, and games... wait, games to help you study?!? What fun!!

Each week I will post the spelling list with the words your child needs to know for Friday's spelling test. By utilizing all the games and resources on Spelling City, your child will be engaged and have fun while learning. :)

Our Spelling City website is... 
http://www.spellingcity.com/Kearson/



Saturday, August 23, 2014

Our First Week Back ROCKED!

We made it through our first week back in school... and what a GREAT first week back it was! 

The students worked so hard this week, that you would never know they just had an entire summer off. We worked on reviewing our math and literacy skills in our centers, and I have to say that I la-la-loved hearing the students say, "Ms. Kearson - this is so easy". I just love my second grade smartie-pants!! :)

We worked on story sequencing, characters, and setting with the story, "Lost and Found". The students did a most excellent job with their story comprehension, and I *know* they breezed right through the story skills test they had on Friday.

We also spent time this past week talking about, exploring, and using math and science tools in the classroom. Here are the journal entries we made this week to help remind us what tools we will be using in second grade, as well as how to use them...



Under each one of the "flaps", the students wrote how or why they would use these tools. This will be a great resource for the students to refer back to throughout the school year.

Friday we had our first Panther Pride day in Kearson's classroom. Each Friday we spend the first five minutes of recess picking up trash, bits, and what-nots around the playground area to show our Panther Pride at Crown Point Elementary. The students are really proud of the difference they are making... and I couldn't be prouder of them!

This upcoming week we will continue to review mastered skills in centers, and introduce new skills in the classroom. We will also begin having homework this week... YAY! ;)

I'm looking forward to another great week with my awesome second graders... I know they will continue to amaze me!!


Monday, August 18, 2014

Welcome Back Crown Point Panthers!


Kearson's Classroom... Making 2nd Grade SUPER Stars!!

What an AHH-mazing first day in second grade!! I don't know how I got so lucky as to get all the awesome second graders in my classroom, but my cup runneth over!! I am looking forward to a great school year.

I would like to give a special *THANK YOU* to all my parents for their support and the great big pile of classroom supplies. It was such an absolute pleasure to meet each of you at orientation and on the first day of school.

Please let me know if you should have any questions or require additional information... especially regarding the new *free* breakfast and lunch program at Crown Point Elementary this year.

Thank you again for making today amazing!! :)



Friday, August 15, 2014

I Made Good Choices!


Punchcards are so much fun in the classroom... and the little ones love them! I use the punchcard system in my classroom to reward the student's *good choices*. After getting five punches on the punch card, the students get to go to the treasure box... and once the punch card is filled with all 10 punches, the students can turn it in for a classroom coupon.

Here are the classroom coupons I made for the students to choose from...
Click here to visit my TpT store to download these coupons