A-2 All-Stars

Welcome to Our Simplified Class Web page!

  • Green Kids Conference in Mountain View!

    The third annual Green Kids Conference on Saturday, June 1, 2013 in Mountain View will offer many displays, an art show, and other interesting stuff!

     

    Third Annual, Green Kids Conference!

    Our goal is to educate kids and their families on environmental issues, make them aware of available resources and opportunities, and also to promote, encourage, and reward new innovative ideas.


    Come and explore the latest developments and opportunities in

     the following areas:

               1. Education and Research

               2. Clean Technology and Alternative Resources

               3. Climate Science

               4. Waste Management

               5. Air Quality

               6. Land / Nature Preservation

               7. Energy / Water Conservation

               8. Biomimicry

    (greenkidsconference.org; retrieved May 27, 2013)

     

     

  • May 21-24, 2013

    Computer Lab:
    1. Go to RenPlace and take the 25 question STAR Reading test-the last one of the year!
    2. When you finish that, please go to Lexia for the rest of the period.

     

    Spelling Words:
    vibration, hearing, volume, low, air, high, pitch, deaf, vibrates, ear, soft, sound, measure, vibrate, loud

     

    Special Events:
    This week we will be taking Fluency tests at the back table while the rest of the class reads, or watches “Horton Hears a Who”. In addition, we will lake the last High Frequency Word written test of the year, on words 176-200. Last but not least, some of our friends are auditioning for the Talent Show!

     

    Exciting Stuff:
    Next week the Second Graders will be going on their annual field trip to Meadows Park. We teachers are hoping to plan some exciting things for you to do! Permission slips and chaperone forms will go home Thursday.

    If you are interested in learning more about this week’s science or vocabulary, we have some links for you:

    eWord Game reviews words from “Moses Goes to a Concert”

    This “Science Kids at Home” page gives you a little more information on the science of sound.

    If you like reading nonfiction, you go go to the EduPlace site and check out Weekly reader articles for every grade level. The articles don’t always have pictures and they tend to be short. My personal favorite is “The Coldest Place On Earth”. 

Finally, if you want to try sound experiments at home, check out this website: SimiScience “Crackling Noise”.

  • That’s a Good Question! 1

    May 18, 2013

    Today, Danny asked how DVDs work.

    Essentially, CDs and DVDs are made of shiny plastic that is like a mirror. Many little cuts are made in the plastic, and a very small, bright light called a laser is shined against the surface of it. The CD or DVD machine “reads” the cuts and translates them into information, such as pictures, sound, or words.

    Here are three links that might help you understand a bit better. The reading level is pretty high; I bet an adult can help you with the words.

    San Diego Public Library Information Site

    How Stuff Works: CDs

    How Stuff Works: DVDs

    For a kids’ version of how CDs work, try the BrainPop web site. You will have to register for a free trial to watch their video, but if your parents say it’s OK, it is definitely worth a look!

    BrainPopUK

    Thanks for asking, Danny!

  • Spell-A-Thon on Friday Morning

    May 18, 2013

    Congratulations to Tammy and Chloe, our Spell-A-Thon contestants this year! They both earned perfect scores on the Second Grade Written Test. Our alternate, should we need one, is Alexa. All three will go to the cafeteria at 10:30 Friday morning with a whiteboard and a marker to show how much they know about Second Grade words!

    Parents are welcome to attend the Spell-A-Thon. Please sign in as a visitor at the office and be at the cafeteria by 10:30 a.m.

    The corrected tests for all students went home Wednesday. You may calculate pledges from those tests. Pledges are due in to the Carson office next week.

    Thank you for supporting Carson Elementary through this fundraiser!

  • Writing Progress Assessment (WPA) FAQ

    May 17, 2013

    Dear Families,

    This year, all San Jose Unified School District students will be taking their end-of-year writing performance assessment in May as usual. Second Graders will be asked to write a Friendly Letter. This Friendly Letter must include all five parts of a letter- date, greeting, body, closing, and signature, the letter must be formatted correctly, and the content of the letter must address the writing prompt.

    Starting next year, the Friendly Letter will no longer be part of the Second Grade curriculum. Common Core Standards emphasize Narrative, Persuasive, and Expository writing genres. In addition to these three genres, Second Graders will be expected to produce reports as part of a group, to use various sources to report on a topic, and to type their work on a computer.

    The Friendly Letter has not been emphasized in our class this year since we are transitioning to Common Core Standards. We have practiced the Friendly Letter in class. We had two whole-class mini-lessons to learn about the Friendly Letter, and have had worksheets reviewing the concepts both in our homework and in class.

    On Friday we are taking home the Friendly Letter packet we worked on in class. Please check it to see if it is complete and correct. Also, please find out if your child has any questions! I will address them in class before the Writing Performance Assessment on Tuesday, May 21, 2013.

    Thank you!

  • May 13-17, 2013

    Computer Lab:

    1. Take this survey (a kind of quiz where every answer you give is the right one). Type in your answers and then click to go to the next page.

    2. Play the Vermi the Worm game to connect with what you learned at Walden West.

    3. Do Math facts in a Flash until it’s time to go back to class.

    Spelling Words:

    This week you get to choose your Spelling Words! Pick the 15 most challenging words from your list and work with those this week. There will not be a Spelling Test on Friday.

    Projects:

    This week, we are working on a project that will show what we’ve learned and share it with others. Details to follow!  

    Special Events:

    This is Spell-A-Thon Week. We took the test on Monday and will take home the tests on Wednesday. The Spell-A-Thon itself is on Friday. Winners from our class TBA!

  • Walden West Field Trip

    May 12, 2013

    On Friday, our class visited The Abby Sobrato Center at Walden West. We reviewed the stages of the life cycle- birth, growth, death, and decay. We later looked under a microscope at insects in different stages of their life cycle, and compared their shapes, sizes, and attributes. In addition, we went on a nature walk to look for insects in  their own habitat and observed all the different stages of the life cycle, including decay and death. Finally, we thought about trash, and created a “Trash Timeline” that illustrated how long it takes for different types of garbage to turn back to soil on their own.

    Our goals were to apply our knowledge of life cycles by connecting with examples in nature, and to think about our effect on their world around us by reconsidering something big that we don’t think about much.

    We missed watching some videos due to technical difficulties at the site. As long as you have the correct video player on your computer, you will be able to watch videos, including “Magazines” and “Juice Boxes”,  on this site: PBS Kids Loop Scoops.

    We are going to think about all that we learned when we plan and write a report about it on Monday morning! See you then!

  • San Jose Museum of Art Field trip on Wednesday

    On Wednesday, Ms. Seyan’s and Ms. Won’s classes will board the Light Rail heading to the San Jose Museum of Art! We will leave at 10:00 a.m. and return after lunch.

    We will participate in the 2-Part Art program. Students get a tour of appropriate shows at the museum, and then get a chance to create their own works of art!

     

    There is a suggested donation of $8.00 per student, but no one will be refused due to lack of funds.

     

    Please turn in your field trip form by Tuesday if possible. Families, please fill out both sides of the permission form!

     

    Finally, thank you for volunteering to chaperone. Students will be placed in groups with one adult in charge. There is a form chaperones sign for this field trip; you may do so when you meet us Wednesday morning.

    Here’s more information about the museum and our field trip:

    San Jose Museum of Art

    SJMA Educator’s Page

    Two-Part Art

  • Spelling Bee

    Students took home their Spelling Bee fundraiser packets today.  The Spelling Words include  San Jose Unified School District High Frequency Words and words from the National Spelling Bee list of study words for Second grade.

    We will start working with the Spelling Words this week, and have class tests next week.

    The two spellers who score highest in each class will participate in the school-wide Spelling Bee!

    This is a fundraiser. Every class with a 100% pledge rate (every student in the class brings in a pledge, no matter how big or how small) will earn participation in a squirt gun party hosted by Mrs. Doss! Everybody wins. Please only ask friends and family when fundraising, and please don’t knock on any doors!

    (Note: If you can get NO ONE to pledge, ask me. I will do it!)

    For more resources about the National Spelling Bee or teaching your child Spelling, look below.

    National Spelling Bee Students and Parents link

    Ten Awesome Ways to Teach Spelling

    A long Education.com article on teaching spelling

  • May 6-10, 2013

    Computer lab:

    1.  Click on this link: http://www.a-home-for-wild-birds.com/milk-jug-bird-feeder.html, and visit a site that tells you about a project we will do this afternoon.

    When you are done looking at that page, click the “Back” button and come back here.

    2. Next, close your browser window and open KidsPics to create your Mother’s Day card. Be sure to include your name and some words for your mother, like: Happy Mother’s Day, I Love You!, or You’re The Best!

    Remember to ask me to check your work before you print it.

    This week’s Spelling Words:

    science, compost, reduce, reuse, recycle, water, animal, Earth, pollution, air, land, soil, worms, garbage, weather

    Field Trips:

    1. Wednesday, May 8, 2013: San Jose Museum of Art, 2-Part Art 10:00-1:30

    2. Friday, May 10, 2013: Walden West/ Sobrato Center, Life Cycles 9:00-1:30

    Permission slips must be signed by parents or adult guardians and completed on both sides. We need 5 chaperones for each trip. Chaperones will ride the light rail to the museum and/or the bus to Walden West with the class.

    Science Project: Milk Jug Bird Feeders

    On Monday afternoon, we will work in groups to make bird feeders out of recycled milk jugs. As we work on the jugs, I want you to think about these questions:

    1. Will putting bird food in the Carson Garden affect the birds’ environment? How?

    2. Will having food more available in their environment affect the birds’ life cycles? How?

    3. How does making the milk jugs into bird feeders affect the jugs’ life cycle? Did you think plastic milk jugs had life cycles??!!??

    It’s International Compost Awareness Week! This Friday, your class will be visiting Walden West and learning about compost. Here are two links to get you interested:

    Posters designed by kids: http://compostingcouncil.org/posters/

    ‘Vermi the Worm” game: http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/Vermi/Game/menu.html