The End

This day is always bittersweet.  I am definitely ready for summer, but giving your kiddos a final hug good-bye is hard.  They come in as adorable strangers and leave as one of "my kids".  (This year I watched the first group of "my kids" graduate high school!)  I repeatedly tell my class, "If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you."  Keep them challenged this summer and keep them safe.  Don't forget to venture down my end of the hallway and visit in the fall.  Thank you for all your support this year!  Enjoy your summer!

Stuff

Look out your child's bag is full!  We cleaned out our desks, excluding a few items, and it is all coming home!  Your child should have two language arts workbooks that I pulled pages from throughout the year.  These are great to work in over the summer to review skills we've learned.  A quick words book is also coming home; keep this on hand for when your child practices writing stories.  Have him/her look up words that are tricky.  Add more words to it!  Tomorrow the last few things will come home.

Dvd/Address

Two things to look for today when your child arrives home... a dvd and an address.  The dvd is a gift I give each of my students at the end of the year.  It is a collection of pictures from throughout the year.  We played it today in class.  I love watching the students as they watch themselves!  Please try it out in your dvd player tonight; this will give me time to burn a new copy if it doesn't work.  The second item is my address.  I promised the class that if I received a letter from a student, I would write him/her back.  Getting a real letter in the mail is the best!  This is a great way for your child to practice his/her writing.  Help them edit as they write and review how to address an envelope.

Final Friday

We had a good final Friday.  Check out the PLES Facebook page for pictures!  Enjoy the weekend!

Field Day Tomorrow

Tomorrow is field day.  Be sure to send your child dressed ready to move!  If the rain hold off we will be outside, 12:15-1:45.  If  you are free, come watch your child play!  Parents are welcome to take their children home when we are finished.  In case of rain, students will have an hour of activities indoors.  Cross your fingers for no rain!

Lecompton Readers

We celebrated volunteers from the Lecompton Methodist Church today.  Each week they come to our school and read with the 2nd graders.  The students love them and I'm pretty sure they love your children too!

SLIME!!!

Mrs. Gantz, Mrs. Scrimsher and I decided we would have some science fun this week.  Each of us chose an experiment.  We completed it today with our own class.  Over the next two days will rotate students and teach it to the other 2nd grade students.  My experiment was making "Troll Slime", muck like gak which used to be very cool when I was younger. 
We divided into two groups, girls and boys. Each group was very eager to help.  The girl's group added ingredients without waiting for directions so their slime was a little hard.  They boy's slime turned out okay, but not up to my ideal slime standards. (I think we needed hotter water than we had used.)  We learned an important lesson about reading carefully and not getting into a hurry.
We tried a third batch all together; this time following the recipe carefully, and using HOT water.  The slime turned out perfect!  I forgot my coloring, so it is plain white.  This didn't seem to bother the class.  Each student is bringing a small container of slime home with him/her.  The slime contains Elmer's glue, water, and borax.  We had a long discussion that it should not be eaten or left anywhere where a sibling/pet may try to eat it.