Disco Dino- Multiplication

To practice multiplication, we've been playing some games together on the Smart Board.  The site multiplication.com is full of games and resources that you may find helpful (and fun) for practicing multiplication over the summer.  Today we played Disco Dino, and I promised the kids I would post it here.  You can choose specific factors or a range of factors to practice, then once you complete a series of problems correctly, you collect dance moves to choreograph a dino disco dance at the end.

Dino Disco

Rap of the States

The second graders performed the Rap of the States with pizazz and flair this morning!

Check out the video here.

Weekly Highlights 5/25/12 Mrs. Barulich

Dear Parents,
The next two weeks are going to fly by and are always so bittersweet.  Even the students expressed these same feelings today.  We have quite a bit going on.  First of all, a big congratulations to all the students for doing so well on their fifty states test.  It is my hope that they will now get to travel to as many of our fabulous states as possible and retain some of what we've learned.  After all, travel is an education in itself.  Also, our state rap will be performed this Thursday, right after assembly, the 31st of May.

Liam    -   I liked taking the states test and having it be my placemat now!  I also liked having Paddington with me for the week and making our own instruments in science.

Vicki   -    I really liked the field trip to the Japanese Tea Garden on Monday, gym and science.

Oliver  -    I liked P.E., giving my presentation on my state poster and science.

Kenna   -    I loved climbing the Drum Bridge at the tea garden, music and doing round offs in gym.

Rohan -    I liked making our instruments in science, our field trip, having Sergeant Mahon chaperone us and art.

Maddie -  I liked gym, art, painting on our backs just like Michaelangelo and receiving my second Flat Stanley from Oregon this week!

Nathan  - I liked rehearsing my role as Zeus in the greek play, science and Multiplication Bingo!

Stefan   - I liked P.E., art, reading about Roald Amundsen who discovered the South Pole and Mrs. Barulich!  The last day of school is going to be bittersweet.

Ivan      - I liked gym, the Japanese Tea Garden, art and P.E.

Aidan   - I liked reading comics in french, music and having my dad chaperone on the field trip.

Renee  - I liked taking my state test, the field trip and tea with my dad and the girls and making our instruments in science.

Last spelling words

Next week will be our final week of spelling.  The last words are all related to second grade.  Just going through the list together with the class stirred many wonderful memories!  Since it will be a short week and some of the words are more challenging, we are posting them today.  Please note that many of these words have appeared in past spelling lists as challenge words, so hopefully they serve as more of a review.

pioneer
immigrant
Greece
India
China
Japan
capitals
multiplication
poetry
perform
research
butterflies
changes
sounds
literature
cursive
virtues
homophones
adjectives
celebrate

Weekly Highlights, Ms. Der Yuen, 5/25

As we are coming to the end of the year, this week was the last week of tutoring.  Everyone who came at various points of the year should be proud of their progress!  I will be sending summer enrichment activities.

Nina: I liked playing bumper babies at the park by the Japanese Tea Garden, origami, having Paddington, and practicing the Greek play. I also like finishing the states test!

Lindsay: I liked the field trip, of course! I liked writing and drawing about the Japanese Tea Garden, finishing the states, more Paddington and Indian in the Cupboard. I am looking forward to the popsicle party at lunch today! I also want to add that I loved bumper babies.

Alex L.: I’m also looking forward to the school-wide popsicle party. I liked science, math, reading Japanese folktales in computers, finishing the states and capitals, next week’s second grade spelling words, and the Greek play, especially my Hades voice. Basically, I liked everything!

Alex C.: I liked everything but I especially like soccer and capture the flag in PE. I also liked doing our second to last spelling test.

Mishal: I liked everything! I liked practicing the Greek play and the field trip. The best part was running around away from my dad! I also liked bumper babies in the swings at the park.

Mihir: I liked the field trip to the Japanese Tea Garden and everything else! I liked how I learned about a lot of new things there. I didn’t know the Japanese prayed to Buddha.

Riley: I liked learning about the states, practicing the rap, and finishing our spelling workbook. I liked everything!

Matt: I liked practicing the Greek play and being Zeus! I liked computers, watching the koi on the field trip, Indian in the Cupboard, and science.

Kayla: I liked Indian in the Cupboard, the field trip, and practicing being Hera in the play. I like dropping the baby Hephaestus! I also want to add that I loved bumper babies at the field trip.

Brynn: I liked going to the park on the field trip and playing bumper babies! I liked practicing the Greek play, Type to Learn in computers, soccer in PE, and we had the second to last spelling test. I like to the second grade themed words for next week and writing sentences with them! And I also liked art.

Spencer: I liked finishing the states and capitals. I liked going to the Japanese Tea Garden and trying tea for the first time. I liked soccer in PE, especially being goalie. I also liked our second to last spelling test and the second grade words for next week.

Maya: I liked the Japanese Tea Gardens (even though I was sad that my dad couldn’t come and I felt sorry for the koi when they were touched). I liked the beauty and nature there. I also liked art, computers, soccer in PE, and I guess you could say I basically liked everything (especially being the wise Athena in the Greek play!).

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")