Have You Filled a Bucket Today?

Today we read a book called "Have You Filled a Bucket Today?" by Carol McCloud. This author has the idea that everyone walks around carrying an "invisible bucket." You "fill" a bucket when you show love to someone, when you say or do something kind, or even just by smiling at someone. A bucket "filler" is kind and treats others with respect. You can also "dip" into a bucket and take out these good things and feelings. You are a bucket "dipper" when you make fun of someone, say mean things, or even ignore someone. A bully is a bucket "dipper." The author says,"All day long, we are either filling up or dipping into each other's buckets by what we say and do."

This year in our class we are working on becoming bucket "fillers." So, have you filled a bucket today? Click here to listen to "How Full is Your Bucket For Kids."

Meet the 2nd Grade Chefs

2nd graders had a great 1st day back in our Z&S Learning Cafe!  We began our day reviewing our "Daily Menu" and got right to work.  First in the menu was our "Waker Upper." This is a critical and creative thinking sheet we will do each Monday to "wake up" our brain and get our creativy going.  Check out your child's waker upper sheet in their binder.  We "met our chefs" with a getting to know more about you activity.  The kids drew themselves and described what kind of chef they were, these will be on display in your child's binder.  We talked about our school "Recipe for Success" theme and after discussion about ingredients for a great year each student wrote their own personal "recipe" for their school year.  Ask your child what ingredients they chose.  What day in the "kitchen" would be complete without making tasty treats?  We created our own trail mix and we talked about what ingredients each item represented(goldfish=teamwork; marshmallows= kindness; pretzel sticks=we stick togther, m&m's=fun, etc.)  What a yummy and fun activity!  It was "raining cats and dogs today" and we read a book called Butterflies in my Stomach and Other School Hazards.  We discused the meaning of  some of the idioms in the book and had fun illustrating one too! 

To be a "5 Star Chef" each week your child needs to: 1. Have you sign their daily menu. 2. Come prepared with their binder and lunch. 3. Follow our classroom rules. 4. Finish their work. 5. Be a classroom contributer.  They will write highlights from their day and/or challenges and goals, please review this with them each week and help them be "5 Star Chefs"!

What We have Been Up To...

"Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?"- Winnie the Pooh

That's how I feel about my blogging efforts!  I have great intentions when it comes to blogging, but sometimes no follow-through on actual posts.  Our gifted days are filled with learning and activities and I will try to do a better job of sharing those with you.  Here are a few things that we have been up to:

K/1st Grade-
Not a Box-  This clever book by Antoinette Portis sparked our creativity and imagination!  Check out this video and ask your child what they drew for their "not-a-box." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KXuBcdmktY&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

K/1st/and 2nd-

Six Thinking Hats- All three classes were introduced to the Six Thinking Hats this week.  Six Thinking Hats is a proven and pratical thinking tool. It provides a framework to help people think clearly and throughly by directing their attention in one direction at a time:
White hat- facts(logic)
Red hat- feelings
Yellow hat- benefits(positive)
Black hat- cautions(negative)
Green hat- creativity
Blue hat- summary

Ask your child about Six Hat Thinking!

Coming Soon...
~Sweet Pete's Field Trip Pictures and Wrap Up
~Guest Student Bloggers
Save the Date...
~ We are going to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm on April 24th!  Mark your calendars!  Permission slips coming soon

Critical Thinkers

One of our K/1st grade activities today was solving riddles. Using flexibility is part of being a critical thinker. We do this a lot every Tuesday as we stretch our minds and think in different ways. Ask your child to help you solve these riddles. Leave your answers under comments. Stretch your mind even further and leave a riddle for me!

1. I fly through the air,
and I start with A;
Fasten your seat belt,
And we're on our way.
What am I? __________

2. I sit upon your shoulders,
And I end with K;
You would surely lose your head,
If I went away.
What am I?___________

3. I look out on the world,
And I start with E;
You would depend upon hearing,
If it weren't for me.
What am I? ___________

HAVE FUN!!

Some Spider!

We are still learning a lot about spiders.  Today we did a spider web quest.  We are working on spider reports and we can't wait to share all we have learned.  We did a simulation of how spiders "ballon."  After we made our "spider parachutes" we made up plays and performed them for the class.  We all have such big imaginations and love to be creative. 
Our class is reading Charlotte's Web by E.B. White.  Second graders, think about these questions.  Leave a comment on the blog with your answers to at least two questions.

• Why is Chapter X titled  "The Explosion?"
•  If you were Charlotte, what would you have written in your web about Wilbur? Why?
• Why did Avery get sent to bed without any supper?(Chapter XI)
• What is the meaning of the word "idiosyncrasy?"  What is the goose's "idiosyncrasy?"  Do you have one?(Chapter XII)
• Why did the sheep say that Wilbur's destiny and Templeton's destiny were closed linked?
• What clues are in the story that tell you that Mr. Dorian is not worried about Fern?

We can't wait till next week!

Kindergarten and 1st Graders are Going Batty!

We are "Going Batty" in Kindergarten and 1st grade!  We started a unit of study about bats last week.  We read the book Stellaluna by Janell Cannon and discussion similarities and differences between bats and birds.

This week we learned about echolocation and went on a webquest to learn more.  Ask your child to tell you what they have learned and take some time to explore and learn about bats with them.

(Click on the highlighted (linked) words in this post to discover more!)

Arachnologists

Do you have arachnophobia? The 2nd graders sure don't! They have quickly become arachnologists and are learning everything they can about spiders. They are fabulous researchers who are diving into our new spider unit.  If you want to learn more about spiders try out this cool website: http://www.kidzone.ws/lw/spiders/facts.htm. Leave a comment about a spider fact you learn.

We are also starting a 2nd grade book club and we are reading Charlotte's Web by E.B. White.  Leave your comments about the book here too.