Temperature changes matter

Today we melted chocolate chips in different temperatures of water.  We realized that the change in matter occurred faster if the temperature was warmer.  

Have you ever heard of the Global Cardboard Challenge? It truly is a PERFECT connection for our school and scholars!! This global effort challenges students all over the world to get involved in making cardboard creations, using only cardboard and other recyclable materials.

The Global Cardboard Challenge launched from the overwhelming global response to the short film, “Caine’s Arcade,” through the Imagination Foundation, in order to "foster and fund creativity and entrepreneurship in children around the world to raise a new generation of innovators and problem solvers who have the tools they need to build the world they imagine." Click here to read more about this challenge! All Cannon scholars are invited to participate in, Cannon's Cardboard Creations Challenge. All that choose to participate will make their cardboard creations at home. On Friday, October 10th, all Cardboard creations will be brought to school and all grade levels will participate in a school-wide Cardboard Creations Gallery Walk, in order to view all of the creative cardboard creations! All scholars that participate will earn a digital badge, in recognition of their innovative thinking and creative use of recyclable materials! We are also planning to keep the cardboard creations to make an awesome display for our Family Engineering Night, scheduled for November.  We can't wait to see what the 2nd graders create.  

Weather Tools Skype

Today we got to skype with Jeff Jamison to learn about all the tools a meteorologist uses to predict the weather. 

Muddy Mats Engineering Challenge

Today we are testing layers for or mats. We are testing what materials don't let water through because we don't want our mats to leak.

Tens and Ones

Working on making groups of tens and ones.  Once they have their groups they are recording the number in standard form, expanded form, and showing it in tens and ones blocks.  

Spelling city (Step & Ganus home rooms)

Spelling City app is ready for the children to start using to help them with their spelling words.  When the children open their app they will click on the button at the bottom that says "more lists" and then they will type in "Step" as the teacher, which will then pull up our weekly spelling lists.  From that menu they will be able to select to play some of the games using their words or they can practice taking a spelling test.  Please let me know if you have any questions or problems with it!

Today in math Mrs. Hall and Mrs. Ganus  started a Place Value project with Mrs. Berumen.  Look at the following website to see the project.  http://can-ganus.wikispaces.com/Place+Value+Under+100. 

To the parents of Step and Ganus' Homeroom

We are starting homework this week.  Homework will be found in the Evernote app on your child's ipad.  To see the homework you will need to be in the "notebooks" section.  And then select "Homework 2014".  You will always select the one with that week's Monday's date.  All of the assignments for the week are listed in the note.  Unless the assignment tells you where to turn it into then it is on the honor system.  All assignments need to be completed by Friday.

This week, on Thursday, September 18th, from 6:00 am- midnight, all community members are being asked to participate in North Texas Giving Day and to designate their contributions to our GCISD Education Foundation. North Texas Giving Day, is an annual, one-day, online fundraising event for North Texas nonprofits. In 2013, this event raised $25.2 million for 1,351 local nonprofits, and set a new national record for giving days in the U.S. This year more than 1,600 nonprofits are registered to participate on September 18 at NorthTexasGivingDay.org. Learn more: by sharing this link on behalf of GC Education Foundation.

Working on engineering working wind vanes.  We are studying weather and weather tools in science this week.  They all had working wind vanes.  

Reading Homework

Starting today in your child's binder you will find a reading log.  It looks like this.......

The children are to start reading for 20 minutes each night and record their reading on this form. (Please do not remove this form from the binder) They will receive a reading grade each week on it.  Please refer to the grading scale at the bottom of the reading log for how they will be graded.  If you have any questions please feel free to ask Mrs. Step or Mrs. Wohlferd.

Today was our final build in our spider web engineering challenge.  We learned many things from this challenge. Some of the things were engineering related but many were about team work.  

Spelling test (Step & Ganus' class)

Just a reminder that your child will be having their 1st spelling test tomorrow over the spelling rule "blends".  You will find a spelling resource page in your child's binder in the resources section.

Blogs!

Today Mrs. Step and Mrs. Ganus' class blogged for the first time!  Please take the time to bookmark this website http://kidblog.org/MrsStep,  where you can go and read your child's posts throughout the year and make comments on them!  

Today in science we used our observation skills to guess what an old fashioned object was. Then they made presentations about how engineers have improved the object today.

On September 12th (GHS game) and Sept. 19th (CHHS game), the theme for the games will be FEEDER NIGHTS. Any Cannon scholar that is wearing a Cannon school shirt, will be invited to come onto the field during the 3rd quarter, in order to be recognized. Only students who are wearing a school shirt will be permitted on the field

Curriculum night

Reminder:

2nd grade Curriculum Night is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 2nd from 5:30-6:30pm.  Child care will be available.  We look forward to seeing you there!