Multicultural Day 2011!

Multicultural Day 2011 on PhotoPeach
Second Grade Multicultural Day!
On Thursday, we will traveled the world to see, how other cultures celebrate the holidays differently.
We made Kwanzaa mats called mkeka and played the game of Dreidle. We actually went caroling (parranda) down the first grade hallway and to the dining room for the staff. Parranda is a long standing Christmas tradition in Puerto Rico!
A huge Thank you to Mrs. Snead, Coach Bailey and Mrs. Tamburrino, who taught us all about Kwanzaa, Feliz Navidad, and Hanukkah.

On Friday we came to school with our pajamas on and enjoyed the movie The Polar Express and an awesome visit and story from Auntie Claus. It was an incredible way to end 2011!

Miss Correia and Mrs. Lankford thank you so much for all our Christmas goodies! We appreciate your thoughtfulness!

Happy Holidays to you and your family! See you on Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Our Holiday Play

Our students did an Incredible job with their performance
“Once on a Housetop” We are very proud of them! Congratulations! We hope you enjoyed the show!

Our Family History 2011

Our Class History 2011 on PhotoPeach
In Social Studies the study of America’s Past has given us a unique opportunity to investigate where we come from. All the projects presented by the students were great! We learned about family seals, the history of names and heard awesome poems and legends. One of our students from India shared kum kum jewels to wear on our foreheads. What an incredible experience for us all to hear some interesting facts about our classmates. Well done boys and girls! Enjoy the slideshow!

Readers to Leaders

Readers to Leaders on PhotoPeach
Our principal Mrs. Phillips rewarded students for reaching their reading goal for the Million Word Campaign on Tuesday. She was duct taped to the wall for two hours while she read. Students thoroughly enjoyed the sight! Please encourage your child to keep reading to meet our next goal! Mrs. Phillips you are our Superhero!

To check out additional pictures, copy and paste the link below.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30720725@N08/sets/72157628094201714

Bean Biologists Part Two

Bean Biologists Part Two on PhotoPeach

We have enjoyed every minute of learning about The Life Cycle of a Bean Plant.
Each student was given a Ziploc bag and a seed to place by the window. Over the past couple of weeks we have observed how a seed has grown into a plant. We also planted seeds in soil and place one by the window and one in the closet.
Our discussion covered several topics. What do seeds need to grow? What roots are for? Why are plants important? We discussed what we noticed was happening and why we thought it was happening.

Each student drank with a straw to show how important roots are. The straw represented the root system and the drink represented the water. The students began on the floor in a ball as seeds and drank the water to grow tall like plants. It was a fun experiment!

As you can see from our slideshow some seeds grew faster than others.
Overall it has been an incredible experience seeing a seed grow into a plant.
Ask your Bean Biologist what they learned.

Literary Pumpkins 2011

Literary Pumpkins at Chets Creek on PhotoPeach
Fall is in the air! Our week at Chets Creek was very special. If you did not get to see our Literary Pumpkins in the lobby you missed out on some incredible creativity! Every class or team chose a book to represent with their literary pumpkin. The pumpkins were awesome!

Our classrooms chose the book Heroes of the Vegetable Patch. This adorable story included two mischievous, but well-meaning children, magical carrots, and a quest to save an old lady's vegetable garden while she's away.

Enjoy the slideshow with our pumpkin along with all the others. Our week ended with our Fall Carnival. Thank you to all the families and students who came out to support our school at the Fall Carnival. All of the volunteers were wonderful and our booths ran like clockwork! We appreciate all your support and help!

Bean Biologists at Work in 2nd Grade!

Bean Biologists at Work in 2nd Grade! on PhotoPeach


Bean Biologists at Work in 2nd Grade

For the past few weeks we have been investigating The Life Cycle of a Bean Plant. Our first investigation was observing several different types of beans and seeds. The students were allowed to use hand lens to observe what they thought were the same or what they noticed was different about all the seeds. Our next investigation was soaking the beans overnight and exploring the inside of the bean. So far we have learned that the life cycle of a seed begins when it sprouts or germinates. We also learned that the bean has a seed coat on the outside which protects the tiny plant that’s inside of the seed. Stay tuned there is a lot more learning to do! Enjoy the slideshow!

The Super Market!

You may have heard about our class store where students can use their behavior bucks on Wednesdays after our comprehension test. Students can rent items such as legos, markers, computer time, a reading chair, etc. Students can also buy items such as teacher's assistant, craft items, pencils, silly bands, food items, etc. Each morning, students earn two behavior bucks for having their planner signed and their nightly reading logged. They can also earn behavior bucks in various ways. In second grade, we are creating self-directed learners and being prepared is one way to get us there! Thank you to everyone who has donated items for our store!!! Students are thoroughly enjoying the store (it is our secret that they are learning valuable life skills as well)!

2nd Grade Math Night

Dust off your “thinking caps!”
School is now in session for parents.
Please join us for a night of problem solving on Tuesday October 4, 2011 from 6-7 pm in Mrs. Lankford’s classroom #204. We will be going over Math strategies that we will be teaching your children this year. Participating will allow you to better help your child at home. Math Investigations is a fun, fast paced curriculum packed with new and challenging strategies. We hope to see you on Tuesday!

Rocks, Soil and Earthworms in Science!

For the past couple of weeks In Science we have been studying and observing rocks, soil and earthworms. Our students have learned that the Earth is made up of rocks which come in many shapes and sizes. The basis of soil is made up of small pieces of rock and dead plant and animal parts. We ended the unit observing earthworms. Earthworms are important to our environment. Earthworms live in the ground mixing up the different layers of soil.
Thank you to everyone that sent in rocks for us to observe. We appreciate all your support!
Enjoy the slideshow!

Incredible Things Happening at Open House

Open House 2011
We appreciate everyone who attended our Open House.
We hope you enjoyed yourself and got a glimpse at how your child spends their day at Chets Creek with
Miss. Correia, Mrs. Lankford & Miss. Lewis. Enjoy some snapshots from Open House and our Science Standards Based Bulletin Board.

Thank you to the families that have provided us with items from our “Wish List!”
We appreciate your support.

Our Incredible Second Week!

Our second week together has been incredible! We have set rituals and routines and have moved into our workshops. Check out some of the pictures from our Math and Readers Workshop. Students received their binders today they are a great reference for homework when working with your child. Students will bring their binders home each night and must bring them back to school each day. Have your child show you their binder this weekend! Have a great long weekend- See you Tuesday!

Welcome Back!

It was such a pleasure to meet so many of you at Orientation on Friday! We are looking forward to getting to know your child very well in the coming months. We will be communicating often in these first few days and weeks, as there is so much new business to take care of.

School begins at 9:00 AM. Please have your child here by 8:55 but not earlier than 8:30 AM. Please be sure your child is on time.

To learn more about your child’s academic strengths, we will be giving a diagnostic test in Reading and Math this week. Your child is aware that this test is not for a grade, but is used as a tool for prescribing an academic plan for mastering 2nd grade skills. Please be sure your child gets plenty of rest and eats a good breakfast, for we will be testing through Friday.

Lunch is $1.60/day. You may pay in advance by check or cash every Monday or Tuesday or via www.mylunchmoney.com. Any questions or concerns may be directed to Mrs. Collins in the dining room at 992-6397.
Our lunch is from
11:30-12:00 PM. Lankford homeroom
11:35-12:05 PM Correia/Lewis homeroom

Please send requested supplies in as soon as possible. We have requested that you do not put your child’s name on the individual supplies.

Please return all completed forms as soon as possible.

If your child’s mode of transportation changes at any time, we must have instructions from you in writing. Please help us adhere to this important safety policy.

Please join the PTA.

Thank You: Thank you all for being so involved in your child’s educational experience! Remember, reading with your child each day will reap great rewards. Also, thank you for responding so generously to our “Wish Lists”! You are super!

It's That Time Again

Welcome Back!
We are getting ready for another successful school year. Mrs. Lankford will be partners with Miss. Correia and Miss Lewis. We are looking forward to Empowering Every Child for The Future. Mrs. Lankford will be teaching Math, Science and Social Studies. Miss Correia will be teaching Reading and Writing while Miss Lewis will be teaching all subjects. We hope to see you at Orientation on Friday, August 19th at 8:00 am in our classrooms. The first day of school is August 22nd.
See you soon!

Last Day of School! Summer is Here!

Thank you for an Awesome year! Continue to read everynight for 20 minutes, practice your Math facts and don't forget all your Reading and Math strategies!

Parents, thank you for all our end of the year goodies! We appreciate all your support this year!

Check out this site to help you stay prepared for 3rd grade.
http://cce2.wikispaces.com/Summer+Activities

Have a blessed Summer!
Love,
Mrs. Lankford & Mrs. Morgan

Our Study of the Human Body

Important Dates/2nd Grade Field Day!

Our 2nd grade Field Day will be on Monday,
June 6th from 9:30 – 11:30!
If you would like to send in water bottles, treats, etc. for that day, please write us a note in your child’s planner and we will let you know what we are in need of. Thank you!

5/26 Flag Raising-Flag Retirement Ceremony 9:05am
5/26 Last Day for Gifted Classes
5/27-5/30 Memorial Day Holiday-NO SCHOOL
5/31 SAC Board Meeting 6:30pm
6/6 2nd Grade Field Day 9:30-11:30 am
6/6 4th 9 Weeks Awards Ceremony 2:15 pm
6/6 Chick-fil-a Spirit Night 6pm-8pm
6/8 PTA Night at Adventure Landing 5:30pm-8:30pm
6/10 Last Day of School for Students!!! Dismissal at 12:00 pm

2nd Grade Sunshine Math Brawl!

2nd Grade Sunshine Math Brawl

CONGRATULATIONS to our very own Emma and Tomas for representing our class in this year’s 2nd Grade Sunshine Math Brawl!
You guys ROCK!We also want to thank each student who participated in our Sunshine Math program! You all worked so hard! Keep up the critical thinking!

Thank You For Your Support

A huge thank you to our parents! Our basket looked great and the proceeds will benefit the Arts at Chets Creek.We appreciate all your support.

Our Principal Kissed a Pig!

We met our reading goal Oink! Oink!
So our class enjoyed lunch outside with Mrs. Phillips.
The students waited for the big moment…..
During lunch Mrs. Phillips puckered up with red lipstick
and kissed the pig named Jasmine!
The students went HOG WILD!!!
Enjoy the slideshow!

FCAT Week!

Mrs. Zollinger, Ms. Patterson, Ms. Symons and several 5th grade classes were thrilled with our treats throughout the week! Thank you for sending in treats to make this event successful!
FCAT will continue through Thursday April 21st.

Spirit Week at CCE!

Celebrating Mrs. Morgan’s birthday and Spirit Week was Awesome!
We all enjoyed showing our Chets Creek Spirit!
Check out some funny pictures from the week.

Our Day at The Jacksonville Zoo

We had perfect weather and enjoyed a super day at the Zoo!

A Special Visitor!

A Special Visitor
On Tuesday we had a very special visitor come by our classroom.
Mrs. Phillips stopped by to read a book titled Leprechaun’s Gold by Pamela Duncan Edwards. The children were totally engaged while Mrs. Phillips read and it was such a special time for us all.
On Wednesday, we released our butterflies into their natural habitat. We joined forces with Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Meissner’s Kindergarten class. Our 2nd graders did a wonderful presentation of the life cycle before we released the butterflies. Way to go boys and girls!

Classroom Critters

The students did a great job with their critters! Enjoy the slideshow!

The Caterpillars Have Arrived!

In Science this week, our study of the Painted Lady butterfly is in full swing. The caterpillar’s skin splits one last time. After the split, a hard shell forms. The shell is the Chrysalis. A big change is taking place inside the chrysalis and soon we will see a beautiful butterfly. Ask your child about what’s happening with our butterflies.

Enjoy the snapshots of the students in their Book Clubs. Happy Reading!

How many times have your child visited the following websites?

Math Number Worlds:
http://sranumberworlds.com/

Compass Odyssey:
https://odyssey.duvalschools.org/childu/index.html?SSL=1

Please try to visit these websites weekly to sharpen your skills in reading and math. Passwords and login information is in your child's planner.

Have fun while learning!

Our Wonderful Week!

Did you know that today was the 111th day of school? Wow 69 more days!

Our week started with our Poetry Café. The students did a wonderful job sharing their poems. We enjoyed delicious donuts and punch…..Yummy!
A special thank you to Mrs. Boyd and Mrs. McKinney for setting up our treats.

On Wednesday, 5th graders visited our classroom to show us baby chicks that had hatched earlier in their Science class. We actually got to watch them hatch via CCE News Network.

Because we met our Reading Challenge for the second nine weeks, we ended our week with Barnyard Book Bingo with Mrs. Philips.

Overall it was a fun-filled week! Enjoy your long weekend! See you on Tuesday!

Measuring in the Land of Inch

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In Math the students have used inches, feet, yards, centimeters, and meters to measure length. The students practiced measuring lengths greater than 12 inches by creating a map of the Land of Inch. Measuring in the Land of Inch was great! Enjoy the pictures of our maps of the Land of Inch.

Happy 100th Day of School!

Today's Weather Is.....

For the next few weeks our class will be Meteorologists. Meteorologists are scientists who study, observe, and record information about the weather. We will then use that information to forecast the weather. We created a graph that shows our favorite weather. Most of us like the hot weather the best. Ask your child about what we are doing in Science.