Phoebe Schoolwork - April and May

Phoebe's last two months of school passed by quickly.  She had a lot of fun and looked forward to her school days.  She especially likes getting to play with her friends at recess time.

She also likes doing projects.  Below are two of her art projects... a caterpillar and a butterfly.

Me:  What were some of your favorite things about Pre-K?
Phoebe:  Playing, Show and Tell, and "bring a toy day"

Me: Who were some of your favorite friends at school this year?
Phoebe:  Hannah, Lydia, Lyric, Emma, Remmington, and Dominic

Me:  What kinds of art projects do you like to do the most?

Phoebe:  I liked to paint and glue.

Each month Phoebe had "homework".  She was sent home with a cardstock picture... rainbow, mitten, kite, pumpkin, butterfly, stocking, hearts, etc.  Each student was supposed to decorate and cut out the picture at home and then return it to school.  Her teacher then hung them all on the bulletin board together so that they could each see all of the different ways and things that each person used to make their project stand out.

For Mother's Day Phoebe's teachers helped her make this hand print flower and pot for me. (below)  It was so cute!

Me: You got to meet your classmates and teachers at the zoo last week.  What friends did you walk around with?  What animal did you like looking at the most?

Phoebe: Emma and Christian.  Monkeys, frogs, fish, alligators, and turtles.

(pictured below - Phoebe and her teachers at the zoo)

One day last week Phoebe brought home this crown she made.  "I've finished Pre-K....On my way to K."

Me:  What do you think will be new and exciting about Kindergarten in the Fall?
Phoebe:  Math, bringing juicebags in my lunch, and having new teachers.

Sarah Schoolwork - April and May

Sarah had a fantastic last two months of school!  She did so well academically in second grade.  She impressed us over and over with her homework, behavior, and grades.  Her teachers had many positive things to say about her at each parent teacher conference and on her report cards.  YAY SARAH!

Me: You did very well in spelling this year.  How did you practice and learn the words for the tests each week?

Sarah: They gave us each a paper and we could study the words at home.  At school we worked with a partner doing different word activities.  We helped each other get them right.

Me:  What were some of your most favorite things about 2nd grade?
Sarah:  Recess, reading, and math.

Me: Was there anything that you didn't like about 2nd grade?

Sarah:  Homework.  Oh, and the color charts.  If you have to move down a color that is bad.  I sometimes got to move up a color, but I never had to move my color down.  If you move down to yellow that is "think about it".  And then if you move down again, you are on orange, and that is "teacher's choice" (no recess, no specials, no Friday free-time)  And, if you move down again, that's on red, and that is "parent contact" and you go to the principal's office.  Moving up a color is good.  I never had to move down but I was scared about it when other people moved down and I thought that I would move down too.

Me:  What were the hardest things that you learned in math this year?
Sarah:  Fractions, median, mode, range, and perimeter

Sarah made the totem pole below when she learned about the Plains Indians.

Sarah made the two charts below during reading to help reinforce person, place, and things, and beginning, middle, end.

Me: Tell me about the A.R. contest that you had in your class in May.  What did you have to do?

Sarah:  We had to read a lot and take tests and get good scores.  It was a contest to see which boy and girl could have the most points at the end of the week.  I had 12.6 A.R. points the first week.  I won!  For winning I got to wear the A.R. Queen crown the next week, and be the line leader the whole next week, and pick a prize.  I picked a pen that was really big...like a foot long.  

Me:  For Mother's Day you made me a lot of nice cards, gifts, and pictures.  What did you like making me the most?
Sarah:  Everything.  I liked making the big blue one with my picture on it the most.  It took the most time.

The picture below on the blue paper is one of my favorite things that Sarah made for me for Mother's Day.  A super cute picture of my cutie, surrounded by lots of the reasons that Sarah loves me!

Me:  You got to go to the A.R. store one last time for the year.  You got to go a total of four times.  How many points did you have saved up to spend for this final time?  What did you buy?

Sarah:  I had 100 points.  I bought a Barbie Unicorn and a Barbie with a stroller that came with two dogs.  They each cost 50 points.

Me:  What do you think you will learn in 3rd grade next fall?  Is there anything you will be excited or nervous about?
Sarah:  I hope Hannah will be in my class.  I will be nervous about taking hard math and reading tests for the state.  2nd grade did not have to take those, but 3 graders do.  It will be my first year to take those.