Summer Fun!

Hello Everyone!
Welcome to our class blog! It is here that you will find information regarding our class activities and curriculum updates. I try to post pictures and videos whenever possible. I tried this for the first time with my fourth graders last year and it was well received by the families and children. Be advised that I will only include photos of your child, if you sign the media permission slip when we return in the fall. Feel free to check the archives (on the right side) and you can see what typical posts look like from last year's class. Families are also able to post comments after viewing the blog. I also like to include websites (also on the right) that are relative to our studies at school. Currently, I have some fun websites that can be used to practice math facts.


I hope this post finds you enjoying your summer to the fullest. I have had a wonderful summer so far. I have spent time traveling and with family- a perfect summer for me! I have also had time to sleep in late and read many great books! I have seen many families at the Northborough Free Library- a nice place to cool off and visit. Here are some photos of my recent adventures...



First, my family took a cruise to celebrate my parents' wedding anniversary. It was amazing! It was warm, the beaches were gorgeous and there was lots to do and see. I even tried sushi for the first time...and snails too! Surprisingly, both were quite tasty!

We left New York Harbor and waved to the Statue of Liberty!

Heading down to Puerto Rico, the water was so beautiful!

This is a view from a fort in Puerto Rico. It was quite a climb, but the view was worth it!

The sky grew very dark in Puerto Rico and I liked the shot of these palm trees.

Here is our ship in Tortola, BVI.

This is called Virgin Gorda. Mr. Gorham and I snorkeled here and saw many unusual fish.

In Samana (Dominican Republic), we explored caves!

Emma (my daughter) and I have hit many local beaches this summer. Here she is at Memorial Beach in Marlborough. She is a real fish!

I also went to Ms. Douglass's wedding. She is now Mrs. Spiliakos. She looked beautiful!

We took a quick trip to Tower Hill Botanical Gardens. It was beautiful, but very hot! We will try again in the fall when it will be cooler.

So we still have another month for more adventures! I cannot wait to see more things and of course, take more pictures! I promise to update you again in a few weeks. Be sure to check back before school starts. I will post the specialist schedule next time...so you will know when to wear sneakers for Mr. Sieurin!

Here is the supply list for grade 2. As I mentioned in the letter, I added a pack of "AA" batteries, for all the digital photography/blog posting for our class.

Student Supplies:

• a box of crayons
• a set of markers
• a pack of colored pencils
• 2-highlighters
• sharpened #2 pencils
• 2-glue sticks
• a folder with 2 pockets
• a book for DEAR (silent reading)
• a hard plastic pencil case
• a hand held pencil sharpener (non-electric)
• a pair of blunt tip scissors
• a bottle of hand soap/hand sanitizer
• a box of tissues for the classroom
• clorox wipes
• a pack of "AA" batteries

That's all for now. Please vote (at the top) so I know if anyone is checking this out and leave a comment if you'd like. You need to set up an account to leave comments. It is free and takes no time at all.

Stay cool!

-Mrs. Gorham

The Last Hurrah...

Hi Everyone!
I hope you all had a nice time with your families this weekend. I can't believe that our time together is coming to an end. We had a great turnout on Friday at our Hall of Presidents & First Ladies. Thank you for helping out with the great costumes! Many of you found some excellent treasures at the local consignment shops and at the Salvation Army. Thanks also for coming back to help out with tie-dying in the afternoon! I could not have done it without you! Here's a few pictures from our recent adventures...

Our Egg Drop Containers were a huge success! Room 5 students obviously know a great deal about technology & design. Check out our photos:

If a tree falls in the woods, can you hear it? Well, I did! It fell across Whitney Street during a brief wind storm Tuesday night and then was rolled across my driveway. Luckily, no one was hurt!

Despite the sizzling temperatures, our field trip to Broadmoor Wildlife Sactuary was a huge hit. We learned many interesting facts and I think many of us plan to return...perhaps in the fall!

Presidents & First Ladies was a wonderful event for Room 5. We shared our research with our families, friends, and fellow Zeh community members. Our class was knowledgeable and respectful too! I am so proud of their hard work! ( Not all couples are pictured as I had some trouble uploading these for some reason.)

John & Abigail Adams

James & Dolley Madison

George & Martha Washington

Laura Bush

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Theodore & Edith Roosevelt

John & Jackie Kennedy

Abraham & Mary Todd Lincoln

Frances & Grover Cleveland

Louisa & John Quincy Adams

After all our hard work in the morning, we kicked back with some extra playground time and did a little tie-dying. Thanks for all the donated supplies and volunteers!

Only 2.5 days left until summer break...and my 4th graders become 5th grade students! At work and at play, we have had a great year! We made our goal of earning 200 compliments this year...we earned 239 to date. I am looking forward a wonderful couple of days with my class and a fantastic end to our year!

-JoAnne Gorham

Updates!

Hi Everyone,

I hope everyone has enjoyed the fabulous spring days that we have been experiencing. I love seeing the trees in bloom, even if my allergies do not!

Life is pretty fast and furious both in and out of school for all of us right now. Hopefully, this post can fill you in, just in-case you've been caught up in soccer-scouts-recital-graduation-1st communion-mania!

Here's the update from Room 5:

Chorus Concert: Our concert was fantastic on Tuesday evening. The students were well-prepared by Mrs. Stonebraker and put on a wonderful show as you can see by our videos.

Science: We wrapped up our unit on animal adaptations with a test this week. We have spent many weeks exploring the various vertebrate groups and their unique adaptations. Our last unit this year will focus on plants and their adaptations. Model plant project is due on Wednesday, May 14th!

Social Studies: Our travels across the country have led us to the Southwest Region. We are exploring the Hopi Native American tribe. We will be having a test on this region SOON! Our last stop will be the The West (including Alaska and Hawaii).

Mathematics: We have been "Mathathletes" in Room 5. We are in training and keeping our skills sharp! We have reviewed double-digit mulitplication as well as short/long division. We have practiced tree diagrams (organized lists). We are having a test on data & graphing tomorrow. Look for a study guide for a test on measurement sometime next week. Our next unit will be on probability.

Pictures from our data field trip to Church Street. We keep track of traffic on Church Street on a beautiful Friday morning. We also discovered that Northborough is a friendly place to live...many cars honked and waved as we sat and collected data. Special thanks to Mrs. Ransden for accompanying us on our walk!

After we had the data, we made beautiful bar graphs!

Research Writing/Computer Lab: Room 5 is all abuzz with our research on U.S. Presidents & First Ladies. Both Mrs. Remillard and Mr. Gervais have been assisting us with our research in library and in computer lab.

Yoga Lesson: Our class had a special visit from Yogi Al for Kaitlin's birthday on Wednesday, May 7th. We all got to stretch out and de-stress on the stage in the cafeteria. Special thanks to Yogi Al for visiting and for Kaitlin's family for arranging this fun activity for our class!

Reminders:

1. Thursday 5/15 and Friday 5/16 will be our Mathematics MCAS sessions. Once again you may supply your child with a "reasonable" amount of hard candy or chewing gum. Lollipops, jolly ranchers, and smarties are all good choices. Please remember that we are nut-free in room 5! Additionally, you may wish provide your child with a bottle of water and an extra-healthy snack for those days. We have practiced dilligently and we are so ready for this!
2. I will be sending home a final book order this week. This is a good opportunity to purchase some new summer reading at very low prices. Please take a look and order if you find some interesting titles.
3. There will be no spelling or weekly geo this week!

Have a great week everyone!

-Mrs. Gorham