A very special guest!

The one and only Mr. Frank De Lima, one of Hawaii's most popular and beloved, kid-friendly comedians,  visited our school on Friday and shared a wonderful message about the importance of school, respect, and living a healthy and happy life.  It was not only a funny,  entertaining, and educational experience for the children, but also a nostalgic one for me!  If you're born and raised here is Hawaii like me, you've probably seen Frank De Lima at school at least a handful of times.  It was a blast experiencing it all over again with D103 students singing Peanut, Peanut Butter, Jelly and Buta Hunt.  

CANDY, CANDY, Oh my!  With Halloween recently ending, I know you must have a lot of candy around the house you're trying to get rid of.  I sure do!  Please refrain from sending candy to school with your child as a snack.  Let's encourage healthier choices!  We also want students to maintain their focus during instructional hours and candy will not help.  Please adhere to our Ho`okele Welness Policy.  

Here is a summary of what happened in our classroom:

​In Langauge Arts...

• Students read narrative non-fiction this week.  We talked about the characteristics of this type of genre.  Students learned that narrative non-fiction is when a text presents true information in a style very close to fiction.  The two narrative non-fiction stories we read this week were Prairie Guard Dogs  by Wonders and Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out! by April Pulley Sayre.  Using these stories we answered the following essential question this week: What are the features of different animal habitats? 
• Students learned about main topic and main idea.  The main topic was Prairie Dogs and the main idea of this text was that prairie guard dogs works hard to protect their family from danger.  After determining the main idea, students identified 3 supporting details that support the main idea.  ​​​

• Students learned about Author's Purpose.  They learned that authors write for three main reasons: to persuade, inform, or entertain.  After reading various text and sorting them into those categories, we found some common features amongst the three categories.  Books that may want to persuade its readers will have strong words like "you must" "STOP."  It may want to try to convince us to feel a certain way about a topic or even try to get us do so something.  We also talked about how we should be critical of the text we read and be aware that only the author's perspective is presented and can be sided or bias.  Text with an author's purpose to inform will present lots of facts or true information, may teach you how to do something step by step, and has text features.  While text with an author's purpose to entertain can be a made-up story, have characters, and makes us emotional (happy, sad, excited).  ​ ​​

• Using the text Magnets Work! we discussed our essential question: How do earth's forces affect us?  Students looked for clues that helped to determine the author's purpose.  Using this text students noticed the author's precise use of language, particularly with the smilies used.  Students learned that smilies are when two unlike objects are being compared.  We read a great book called Stubborn as a Mule and Other Silly Smilies by Nancy Loewen.  
• We have been reading the classic Bunnicula by James Howe.  We’ve gotten to the best part- the war is on!  Chester and Harold have decided that Bunnicula is a threat and to "fight" back, and the kids are loving the heightened conflict between Chester, Harold, and Bunnicula.  It gives us the perfect opportunity to discuss rising conflict and resolution.

In math...

• Students learned how a hundreds chart can be a useful tool when adding.  They practiced moving their fingers down to add ten and to the right to add ones.  

Using Hundred Charts to Model Addition and Subtraction Strategies from ORIGO Education on Vimeo.

• Students practiced their skip counting fluency using a number line.  They practiced adding 10 to any given number, not starting at 0.  For example 52 + 10 or 27 + 10.  They also practiced skip counting by 5s.  They noticed patterns as the skip counting continues.      
• Students used the number line to add numbers.  They learned to start at the larger number, then decompose the other addend to more friendly jumps.  For the example 57 + 12 students should start at 57 then decompose 12 into 10 and 2.  Then do a jump of 10 first, then a jump of 2.  We call this strategy the "Jumps-of-Ten."  
• Students learned that numbers can be decomposed in other ways to stop at 10s on the number line.  For the example 58 + 9, students learned to think 58 + 2 + 7.  They would jump from 58 to 60, then 60 to 67 on the number line.  We call this strategy "Make-ten."

Teaching the count-on strategy for addition from ORIGO Education on Vimeo.

In Science...

• Our form and function PLTW unit is in full swing.  Students are learning the form and function of things found in nature and how man-made objects can be made modeling after the form and function of things found in nature.  As they are engaged in this unit students have already begun exploring plant life cycles and seed dispersal.  They will be helping to design and build a product that will help the characters in this Unit's fictional story to disperse seeds over a large field.  
• Students participated in a science lab about plant pollination.  Using fake flowers and cheetos, students transferred the pollen on the stamen of one flower to another flower of the same species' stigma then down the pistil.  

Reminders and announcements...

• Our Ho`okele Book Fair is running until Wednesday 11/20.  Please have your child bring in their cash.  They are allowed to purchase books during 1st recess.  
• Turkey Trot is on 11/26.  Pledges are being accepted.  Thank you for your much needed monetary contribution to support student activities and programs.
• Out Grade 2 Parent Involvement Activity is on 11/27 from 8:30-9:30 in the cafeteria.  Please reserve the day.  Thank you!
• No school on 11/27 and 11/28.  Happy Thanksgiving!