Spring Tea Video

Tra la la la la, the flowers that bloom in the spring!  The second graders' infectious performance was recorded by John Lark and I am thrilled to share it with you to watch whenever you need a boost.  Their grand finale capped off a fantastic musical show!

Spring Tea video

Japanese Tea Garden Field Trip 5/21/12

After flying to China and Japan on Friday, students in 2A and 2B were able to visit the famous San Francisco Japanese Tea Garden today.  Students were able to climb the Drum Bridge, stroll along the Main Pond, Zen Garden and Long Bridge.  We stopped and learned more about the Pagoda and Buddha.  Our peaceful morning ended with tea, crackers and fortune cookies.

Just for this week, there will be two separate spelling lists

2A's Spelling List                                         2B's Spelling List
1.    stain                                                       l.    braid
2.    daisy                                                     2.    grease   
3.    spray                                                     3.    pleat
4.    plate                                                      4.    sleeve
5.    easel                                                      5.    eleven
6.    teach                                                     6.    twelve
7.    seek                                                       7.   thirteen
8.    sneeze                                                   8.   fourteen
9.    mime                                                     9.   trucks
10.  spice                                                     10.  sneakers
11.  pry                                                        11.  guesses
12.  nylon                                                    12.   radishes
13.  coach                                                    13.   pressed
14.  roast                                                      14.   followed
15.  golden                                                   15.  drifted
16.  follow                                                   16.   cracking
17.  cast                                                       17.   moose
18.  pike                                                      18.   scooter
19.  dock                                                     19.   stood
20.  tackel                                                    20.  woodpecker

Weekly Highlights Mrs. Barulich 5/18/12

A special thank-you to Mrs. Tan, Mrs. Natarajan, Mrs. Mathur, Mr. Brady and all of the other parents that brought in so much delicious food for our flight to China and Japan.  From our history of China and the facts on the Great Wall, to the brush painting that Mrs. Natarajan showed us,  to Mrs. Mathur's talent at flower arranging and to end it with Mr. Brady's cool presentation on sumo-wrestling, 2A and 2B had quite a morning.  Thank-you for our final flight and as Bryn Brady mentioned, "We just never seem to fly back to Woodland School."  It's been wonderful enhancing the children's view of other cultures.

l.    Renee   -  I really liked Move Up Day, our flight to China and Japan, the Spring Tea and Natalia's visit on Monday.

2.   Rohan   - I liked the flight today, the food was great.  I also liked Move Up Day and watching the movie on Michaelangelo.

3.   Oliver    - I liked celebrating Rohan's birthday this afternoon, art, Spring Tea and our flight.  The sumo wrestling was just so cool.

4.   Aidan    - I liked Natalia's visit on Monday, celebrating Rohan's birthday, art, gym, P.E., science and the doing the word search in French.

5.   Liam     - I liked P.E., Natalia's visit, our flight, my nana's visit and Spring Tea.

6.   Ivan      - I liked the flight today, Natalia's visit, our first rehearsal for the Greek play.  Nathan is really funny.

7.  Nathan  - I liked the flight today, math,  finishing 2nd grade Saxon, starting on our six times table and Mrs. Barulich!

8.  Vicki    -  I liked P.E., science, gym, french, Rohan's birthday celebration, Spring Tea and the flights today.

9.  Stefan   - I liked P.E., Move Up Day, Spring Tea and our flight today was great!  The sumo wrestling was amazing.

10. Madeline- I loved the food on our flights today, art, Move Up Day and Natalia's visit.

11. Kenna   -  I liked the flights, Natalia's visit, art and music.

Domo Arigato! Weekly Highlights & Flight, Ms. Der Yuen

Thank you to all our volunteers for your time and help making our final flight to China and Japan so spectacular! A special thank you to Laxmi Natarajan, Tim Brady, and Vinita Mathur for their engaging presentations on Chinese brush stroke painting, Japanese culture, and ikebana floral arrangements (check out her arrangement in the front office this week!).  Your stories and expertise make the flights such a memorable part of second grade.  More photos are posted on Smug Mug.

 
Brennan: I liked Move Up Day and learning about endangered animals, Spring Tea, flight to China and Japan, Capture the Flag in PE, and the Greek play.

Brynn: I LOVED Spring Tea (and being the grand finale!), Move Up Day, the Greek play, and having my dad come in to teach us about Japan. I also like PE, science, and Paddington.

Spencer: I liked Move Up Day- my favorite part was seeing Mrs. Hayer’s silkworms. I liked Capture the Dodgeball in PE, Spring Tea, Greek play, the flight, Paddington traveling, and the rap.

Maya: I liked Spring Tea, starting the Greek play (and getting to be Athena!), and Move Up Day.

Nina: I liked Move Up Day, Spring Tea, the flight, starting the Greek play and getting to be Eros, and I’m looking forward to keeping Paddington this weekend!

Alex C.: I liked everything! Most of all, I liked the flights to China and Japan. I liked eating yummy food! I also liked playing Capture the Flag in PE.

Lindsay: I liked Move Up Day, and I LOVED Spring Tea! I liked PE, community, and the flight to China and Japan. We got to eat yummy food! I liked getting Aphrodite in the Greek play.

Alex L.: I liked Spring Tea, Indian in the Cupboard, Greek play, the rap, computers, art, Spring Tea, and science. I also definitely like getting to be TWO Gods in the Greek play- I get to be Apollo and Hades! I mostly liked everything this week.

Mishal: I liked everything! I especially liked Move Up Day and getting to be Persephone in the Greek play.

Mihir: I liked learning about the Greek play, listening to the Trojan War song, Indian in the Cupboard, and basically everything! I liked my mom’s ikebana flowers.

Riley: I liked Spring Tea, learning that I got to be Artemis like I wanted in the Greek play, and the flight. Basically I liked everything about the week!

Kayla: I liked the flight to China and Japan (and eating sushi!), Spring Tea, starting the Greek play, and Indian in the Cupboard.

Matt: I liked PE, Move Up Day and being in Mrs. Hayer’s class, French, math, community, and I love getting to be Zeus in the play.

Trojan War

This week we started practicing for our Greek plays which we will be performing the last week of school.  We are adding a new "act" to the show this year, singing "Trojan War" by high school humanities teacher Amy Burvall.  The lyrics and video were created as part of her Music for History Lovers project which has garnered a huge international following.  The children have the lyrics as part of their scripts, but here is the video.

"Trojan War" (to "Tainted Love")

Spelling Words for Week of 5/14/12

l.    mall
2.   stall
3.   squall
4.   stalk
5.   frisky
6.   grumpy
7.   fluffy
8.   glossy
9.   swing
10. blink
11. cranky
12. finger
13. glove
14. shiver
15. shovel
16. chute
17. crate
18. twine
19. zone
20. gone

Weekly Highlights - 5/11/12 Mrs. Barulich

Happy Mother's Day weekend.  I hope that you all get pampered and the attention that you so richly deserve.  

Thank-you so much for all the beautiful flowers and lovely gifts.  I can't remember when I've enjoyed a Teacher's Appreciation week more.  Everything and everyone put such a smile on my face.  The class book is unbelievable.  The next four weeks are always somewhat bittersweet.  Ms. Der Yuen and I are really going to miss this group.

Vicki   -   I loved art, painting our door hangers, doing the Mexican Hat Dance in gym, playing Star Wars in P.E. and working on my state poster.

Renee  -   I liked gym, working on the Japanese website in computers, the creative writing pieces about the space creature and working on my state poster.

Stefan  -   I liked playing Star Wars in P.E., receiving my Flat Stanley from Miss Nelson from Columbia University and working on my state poster.

Liam    -  I really liked Greg visiting our class and that he got to see me sing, "Dynamite".  I also liked P.E., gym and Mrs. Barulich!

Oliver  -  I liked working on my state poster, gym and learning about our voice box in science.

Kenna  - I liked music and using the shakers!  I also liked gym, doing the Mexican Hat Dance and having Greg visit our class.

Aidan  -  I liked core and learning about the Iron Horse and how the last spike that completed the railroad was made of gold!  I also liked the Teacher Appreciation gift presentation to Mrs. Barulich and playing Bingo in math.

Rohan  - I liked playing Star Wars in P.E., working on my state poster, Greg's visit and playing Multiplication Bingo.

Nathan - I liked P.E., gym, working on my state poster and Greg's visit.

Madeline - I liked gym, the creative writing pieces, learning about our voice box in science and different pitches and working on my state poster.

Dear Ivan,  we have missed you this week.  We  hope that you are feeling better.  You need to be better by Monday as Natalia will be here and we're celebrating Mrs. Barulich's birthday with her.  

Happy Mother's Day!

Thank you to all the thoughtful moms who were able to attend our breakfast this morning.  It was such a treat to spend the morning with you and the kids were delighted to share their writing with you.  I hope you enjoy the weekend together with your families!

If you'd like to rewatch or share the slideshow, please find the link here.

Weekly Highlights, Ms. Der Yuen, 5/11/12

Thank you for all the unnecessary kindness this week! I am the one who should be expressing gratitude! Thank you all for being so wonderfully supportive and engaging in helping your children succeed in school this year. I recognize that I can’t fully comprehend just how much behind the scenes work goes into getting homework done, learning states and capitals, practicing songs and times tables, and getting out the door with a smile. It’s been a fun year full of growth and milestones- and we still have a month to go!

We finished all of states and capitals regional tests this week- congrats! The students should all be very proud of their accomplishment. The final hurdle is matching and labeling all of the states and capitals. The students aren’t expected to recall landmarks and facts about states on this exam. It will look just like the practice blank map going home today. They will have the sheet with the states and capitals listed from which to copy spelling. The test will be on Thursday, May 24th.

Riley: I liked earning the compliment party, the Mother’s Day breakfast, and practicing the rap more. Basically, I liked everything!

Maya: I liked sharing the state posters, practicing the rap, the Mother’s Day breakfast, and handing over Paddington to Mihir. I also liked losing my tooth in class and making a tooth necklace!

Lindsay: I liked doing the rap, earning the compliment party, Mother’s Day breakfast, making tissue paper flowers, and sharing my Hawaii poster.

Alex C.: I liked being captain in Star Wars in PE, the Mother’s Day breakfast, and sharing my Vermont poster.

Mihir: I liked Star Wars in PE, math, Mother’s Day breakfast, making flowers for our moms, spelling, and our compliment party.

Mishal: I liked everything! I liked PE, playing the guitar in science, and painting in art. I especially loved the Mother’s Day breakfast!

Matt: I liked PE, math, computers, compliment party, Mother’s Day breakfast, and sharing my Florida poster.

Nina: I liked earning the compliment party, Mother’s Day breakfast, and using watercolors for my haiku.

Spencer: I liked Star Wars in PE, having gym outside, Mother’s Day breakfast and Tay coming, and earning the compliment party.

Brynn: I liked Star Wars in PE, Wilma and Mom coming in, watercolors for our haikus, sharing my Michigan poster, finishing the states regions, and partying! I also liked making the “Otter Juice” experiment with Kayla.

Kayla: I liked making our slideshow for our moms, sharing my New York poster, the “Otter Juice” experiment with Brynn, and the Mother’s Day breakfast.

Brennan: I liked Mother’s Day breakfast, sharing my Texas poster, playing Star Wars in PE, and the compliment party.

Alex L.: I liked science, music, and reading my book to my mom.

2A's Fabulous Mother's Day Luncheon