One of the things the Tigers learned about rainbows this semester was that there is a dark band of light between  rainbows called Alexander's dark band.  The light below the bottom rainbow is lighter.  We also learned that the order of the colors is reversed in a double rainbow.   We got to see that after school recently.   

Our 2nd graders went on a mysterious outing to bring home something very special.

8 Chicks!  They are very skittish around people and so we are experimenting with holding them every morning and singing to them.  

Other work we have been engaged in includes composing songs about the structure of the American government branches and the electoral process, writing essays about migration, putting final touches on our play for EXPO, learning to spell those sneaky ough words, and adding 4 digit numbers to 4 digit numbers.  We finished a read aloud, Where are you Going Baby Lincoln, by Kate DiCamillo.  One of the things I like best about it was that Baby Lincoln could hear the stars singing.  I thought about that last night watching the super moon.  I am very grateful for my beautiful class.  I wish teachers everywhere could be able to relax and enjoy the time they spend with their students.   It is good!

Halloween is over and November is here.  We spent a lot of time this week and last week preparing to host a Halloween party for the school.  First it was the alien invasion and then making spiders for the web that we installed in the theater.  Yesterday we made apple bites, a brains and eyeball sensory bowl, a carved pumpkin swimming in gooey green guts and a small graveyard.  Our party was lots of fun to plan and prepare for.  Tigers love to dance!

Also part of our Halloween this year was Harry Potter Halloween on Friday.  Here are a few highlights from this historic event.

We have been discussing the upcoming election, the process of running and campaigning, and the role the upcoming president has in selecting one or more Supreme Court nominees.  Since we have been studying letter writing for several weeks, the students wrote letters to me nominating a student of their choice for president of our student body, giving a reason for their nomination.  We have proposed to make this more than just an assignment by submitting the idea to the school HIVE this week.

We continue to work on EXPO projects about goats and scarcity.  Poems for two voices are being written about the role of wolves in ecosystems.  Do you know what a trophic cascade is, or extirpation?  One of our reading groups does now.  Come to EXPO to find out more!  Here are some pictures from our word work and cursive practice.  

Our math groups have been working with Roman Numerals as well as using several strategies for adding numbers.