Friday, February 10, 2017

In the Swing of Things


 January simply flew by! Here we are almost at the middle of February and it is well past time to catch you up.

Mrs. Evans provided the sweetest activity for the children's Social Studies rotations. She had seen some Tacoma Rocks during a visit there. She wanted to bring this joy to the Cherrydale community. She gathered up a bunch of river rocks on her winter camping trip, sprayed them white and gave one to each of the Cherrydale 2nd Graders. 
The rules were simple...decorate with love, and take and place somewhere in your neighborhood. The rocks have sweet inspirations, and a message on the back to pass on the good wishes. What a lovely activity. Thank you Mrs Evans! You prove that CHERRYDALE ROCKS!



Science rotations brought our first STEM challenge.
STEM is the integration of science, technology, math, and engineering. 
Our challenge was to work in teams, and create the tallest, freestanding, snow-person possible using only: 30 cotton balls, 6 dinner napkins, 6 pipe cleaners, 5 straws and 30" of tape in 30 minutes.  
For some, the greatest challenge was working in a team! By the end, everyone had something to present and everyone was successful, because we know that our brain lights up whenever we face new challenges. This was fertile ground for brain growth!






























Much of January was spent preparing for our  music 
presentation with Mrs. Gonzales. Here are some pictures from our rehearsals 










Jocy's mom came by to help one day, and I sent her off to PE to capture some photos there. She was pleased to report about Mr Kirby's well rounded program. The children are discussing nutrition and smart choices, along with the importance of staying active.








Finally, it was time for our concert. What a lovely evening it was. The children all scrubbed and wearing their best. I hope you all enjoyed the evening. Kudos to Mrs. Gonzales for a beautiful event.







Monday is our 100th day of school. 
Tuesday is Valentine's Day.
Monday the 20th is President's day and school will be closed.

Have a lovely weekend!
xxoo