Newsletter & Economics Project

I hope you all can read this - it is the letter that the 2nd grade team sent home regarding our economics project.  Please let me know if you have any questions!

Also, click HERE to view the newsletter!

Have a lovely weekend!!

Wonderful Wednesday & Tug-of-War

Sorry for the late post - I have been packing, moving, and unpacking since last Friday.  Needless to say, I have been busy and exhausted!!  Last week, we had a couple of exciting events to take place - Wonderful Wednesday awards and our annual Tug-of-War competition.  Here are a couple of picture of the fun :)

Congratulations to Mason & Ella for receiving the 'Best Effort' award and Collin & Harley for receiving the 'Citizenship' award for the 2nd Quarter!

Here are our tuggers in action & their crazy coach ;-)

Let's try this again...

First, let me start by saying that I hope each and every one of you had a wonderful, restful break with family and friends!  I really enjoy this time of year not only because of the holidays, but also because of the huge growth I see in my students.  I'm not sure what Santa sprinkles on the gifts, but my kiddos always seem to be more focused and mature when they return from the break!

Furthermore, I would like to say that I initially had high hopes for this blog; nonetheless, I honestly had NO idea the amount of time and energy coaching, grad school, and a full-time job would require of me :( With that being said, time to blog was nonexistent.  Currently, however, things are much more settle and I feel confident that I will be able to blog weekly to update you all on what's going on in our classroom :)

Through this blog, I will post important dates, events, and information via our newsletter.  Normally, I print off copies and place in them agendas, but this seems more convenient for everyone and saves on printing costs - it's a win-win!  I will also post pictures and information regarding current projects, activities, events, etc. so that you may have a glimpse of what is going on in our classroom.

You can click HERE to view this week's newsletter.  

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Ms. Cothran

Ohhhhh... Back to School, Back to School

We have officially been "back to school" for 8 days now!  My new babies are so sweet and sooo chatty! ;)  This year, I am starting a new positive behavior system using ClassDojo the kids are responding well to it as well as parents.  There is nothing better {in my opinion} than finding quick and convenient ways to communicate - especially when it comes to my students' parents, and ClassDojo provides just that!  

We do a good bit of small group/center activities in my classroom, so I have started using these catchy attention-getters for transitioning.  

I also tie these into our behavior system by tallying the number of times I have to repeat a phrase (after the initial one of course).  Each tally represents a minute taken away from recess for the whole class, which NO ONE wants (including myself!).  Although we have a lot to work on as far as structure in the classroom, I can already see an improvement and know they will continue to improve with time. :)

Now that we are getting in the groove of things, we will begin our first unit over roller coasters this week.  Last year, I implemented a few thematic units in my classroom and they played out wonderfully!  Both the students and I were excited for each new theme and the engaging activities provided.  With that said, I plan to incorporate LOTS of thematic units this school year - starting with roller coasters!  We will examine forces and motion, read books about roller coasters and theme parks, incorporate with writing, etc.  Stay tuned for outcomes and pictures as we ride through this roller coaster unit!

Savoring Every Second

Welcome!  I have created this blog both to keep parents informed as well as share all the fun and engaging learning that will be taking place this in my classroom.  Please follow along as we savor every second in second grade...