Wow! Our field work to Solid Rock Gym in San Marcos was incredible. First, let me say a huge THANK YOU to all the parents that were able to come. The students were able to rock climb as much as they wanted. When we first walked into the gym, I saw little eyes get wide and bodies tighten up. The walls were very high and looked difficult. When I asked students how they were feeling, I heard a single word...nervous. And to be honest, I felt a bit nervous too! Those walls WERE high and those rocks WERE far apart. Once our paperwork was turned in, the wonderful guides taught the adults how to keep the kids safe while rock climbing. Then we began to climb. Many of the first climbs were to about half way up the wall. However, as the day rolled on, fear turned into excitement as many kids made it all the ways to top! I was very proud of every student as they pushed themselves passed their comfort zone. I especially enjoyed hearing the students encouraging their peers that were climbing. It was a rewarding day for all involved! Another exciting activity our class participated in was our Marshmallow Building Activity. To prepare ourselves for working in groups on our Mural Project, students worked in groups of 2-3 to build something out of marshmallows, straws, and toothpicks. I gave the groups 20 minutes to come up with ONE idea to create as a group. Many groups found it difficult to agree on one idea and then divide the work evenly. But we all persevered and finished! After building, we shared our sculptures in a gallery walk and made a list of things we learned about working in a group. We will use this chart to help us as we work in groups throughout the year! |
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We are so excited to get the chance to take a risk as a class on our field trip to Solid Rock Climbing Gym in San Marcos! To hear more about our risk taking project and our fabulous field trip taking place next Thursday, Sept. 25th, head to the section above titled "Projects."
This week we began talking about our Hopes and Dreams for the year. To go along with our project about taking risks, we decided to have students think of a risk they want to take this year at school. Some of the risks included reading 40 books(or more), running 100 laps, jumping off the high tree stump on the playground, and making new friends. Once we brainstormed our risk, we wrote our first draft. We then worked with a partner to edit our sentence and use a rubric to see if our sentence was ready to be "published" in our classroom. If so, students wrote their risk to be displayed in the classroom and serve as a reminder of their goal for the year. We can't wait to share them with you at back to school night on September 18th! Below is a picture of two students working on their sentences!
Dear Parents, September 2, 2014 I am thrilled to begin this adventure at High Tech Elementary North County with you. The staff and building crew worked hard during the summer in order to get ready for our first day of school. Much of the school is finished, however we are also still a work in progress, as little details are added to the school daily. Classroom computers will finish being installed and our playground will be finished within the first few weeks of school! Our first project will be a 9 week project based around the questions “Why do we take risks?” and “What do we need in order to take a risk?”. In this project students will be reading books, hearing from community experts, and participating in off-campus field work, in order to compile a list of character traits that might help them take risks in and out of the classroom. Students will be making group and personal goals and thinking about how we can use the characteristics of a “risk taker” in order to meet those goals. During this project, we will also be focusing on building a classroom community where students care about those around them, and persevere when faced with a problem. Students will be making several products to share their learning at exhibition night in the fall. You will hear more about these soon. Here at HTeNC, we believe in the integration of all subject areas into our projects. However, students will also be receiving instruction outside of project time in math and reading. We will have a daily reader's workshop, where students will learn to enjoy reading and be able to respond to reading in a meaningful way. In math, students will be learning through exploration and problem solving. This trimester, our class will also be spending 3 hours a week with Mrs. Lee in Science! If you haven't received a student supply list, I have hard copies in the classroom and have also posted it on my website. Please know that you are not required to donate anything! This list is a purely optional way to contribute to our classroom. I will periodically be sending letters home and will also be updating my blog and website weekly. Please check it out at www.mrsfuentes2ndgrade.weebly.com. I'm excited to begin this journey together! Please contact me with any questions or concerns. ******Si necesita esta carta en español, por favor haga clic aquí. I had such a wonderful time getting to know most of you yesterday at orientation. I'm thrilled to start this new year with you. This weekend I'll be putting the finishing touches on our classroom in order to be ready for Tuesday. School starts at 8:15 am, however I suggest coming a bit early, if possible, in order to navigate the drop off route. We will begin dismissal at 2:45 pm. Looking forward to Tuesday!
Hello Parents and Students!
I am so excited to meet each of you next Thursday, August 28th at Student Orientation. I saw our classroom for the first time today and it is....BEAUTIFUL! And don't even get me started about our playground! I can't wait to explore our wonderful facilities with my students. The second grade team and I have been spending countless hours planning projects and preparing for our exciting year ahead. I'm looking forward to meeting you soon. ~Mrs. Fuentes |
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May 2015
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