Day 170: Thinking Ahead

It's about that time.  Time to start thinking ahead as to what is happening these last (gasp!) 9-1/2 days and beyond.

During the week before the last day of school, I like to wrap up all of my units and everything so I can get my grading done.  My district sends home report cards with the students on the last day of school.  My principal also likes to check them over a few days early, so I plan to have mine done.  I'll be giving a final unit test in reading, an end-of-the-year math test, and an AIMS Web probe (to help determine math levels for next year). 

In between, there will be an assembly about the local library's summer reading program and a "hero fair" put on by the fourth-grade classes.  (The fourth grade studies the life of someone who made an impact on America and/or the world.  My daughter studied Ruby Bridges for hers a few years ago.  They create PowerPoint presentations and presentation boards, then they dress as their person and act as a living statue to tell about their lives.  It's pretty neat to see who they study and how they bring it all together.)

In class, we will be starting the creation of an ABC book on what we've learned this year in second grade.  I like to use the story The Things I Learned in Second Grade as a starter; it gets the students thinking about what they did this year.  I break the children into groups and assign them a set of letters.  They have to talk with their group and create a list of things we covered during the course of the year.  They can use anything from stories we've read, favorite characters, authors, concepts, math skills, science experiments/vocabulary, social studies ideas, international days, and field trips.  I tried this project for the first time last year and was amazed at how much the students remembered!

After the lists are written, I go through and choose three items for each letter of the alphabet.  (X can be a little tricky, but you can make it work!)  Then I type them into the computer to create a book.  I also find pictures that correlate with one thing from the three listed and insert it with the letter.  After that, I copy them and bind them.  They are given out on the last day of school as keepsakes. 

During the last week of school, I have the students clean out desks, I hand back old projects, we clean up the room and double-check puzzles and games, and sort through the class library.  I also have the students write a letter to incoming second graders, telling them about the year they are going to have.  We do an additional letter to perspective third-grade teachers, telling a bit about themselves.  I hang on to both sets of letters and give them out at the beginning of the school year.  Between all of those things, we have a class party, a board game day, and a grade-level talent show. 

What about you all?  What kinds of things do YOU do to end the school year?  Leave them in a comment and I'll post them for sharing.  I know you have some great ideas!