PJ and Stuffed Animal Day

Yes, we know how to rock the PJs!

It takes a little attitude...

and some furry friends.

Seed Planting Day!

Today was exciting because we got to plant our seed!

Mrs. Dekoker helped us plant our seeds.

The boys planted wheat seeds.

Here is the difference in the two seeds.

We are using this fertilizer for added nutrients since the plants are not able to gather the nutrients they need from their roots from the soil.We are using vermiculite for our soil.

The girls planted grass seeds.

Book Fair - Fiesta Style

We are so lucky to have a book fair TWICE a year! 

Mrs. King and our volunteers sure did a fabulous job decorating and working long hours for our benefit! 

That's our faithful leader, Mrs. King, in the poncho! Thank you for all of your hard work and efforts! 

I got some great books from this Book Fair. I hope you did, too! 

How to Become a "Wild" Reader by Donalyn Miller

1. Dedicate time to reading

Wild readers spend substantial time reading in spite of their hectic lives. They capitalize on the moments in their days when they are bored or waiting, and rack up significant reading time by stealing it.

Tip: Encourage students to carry a book with them everywhere so that they have something to read when they finish assignments, wait for the bus, or ride to soccer practice.

2. Successfully self-select

Wild readers are confident when selecting books to read, and they have the experience and skills to successfully choose books that meet their interests, needs, and reading abilities.

Tip: Collect four or five books at a student’s reading level that match her interests and invite her to select from these. Have students reflect on their book selections. Create forms with questions that include the following:

◗ How did you find out about the books that you like to read?
◗ When you see a book, how do you decide whether you want to read it?
◗ Do you ever abandon a book? Why or why not?

3. Share books with others

Wild readers enjoy talking about books almost as much as reading them. Reading communities provide a group of other readers who support us. As literacy expert Stephen Krashen reminds us, “Children read more when they see other people reading.”

Tip: Foster reading relationships by seating students with common reading interests at the same table. They can suggest titles to one another for additional reading and participate in book ­discussions.

4. Have reading plans

You can spot wild readers from a mile away. They’re usually the first to get their hands on the new Rick Riordan or Suzanne Collins and they can’t wait to fill out the latest book order form at school. Wild readers always plan to read beyond their current book. They anticipate new books by favorite authors or the next installment in a beloved series. Reading is habitual for them, not a casual, once-in-awhile pursuit.

Tip: Promote series, which become a reading plan for students who struggle to maintain reading momentum and motivation. Students who read series develop confidence and increased comprehension with each subsequent book because they build background knowledge as they go.

5. Validate and expand

Yes, children need to read widely and experience a range of texts as part of their literacy education. But wild readers express strong ­preferences in the books they like—gravitating toward specific genres, writing styles, topics, and authors. Validate their choices while pushing the envelope.

Tip: Encourage students to try new books by reading across all genres. Show students connections between texts of different genres like Laurie Halse Anderson’s Fever 1793 and Jim Murphy’s An American Plague, or The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan and D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths.

More about Donalyn Miller: Known as “The Book Whisperer,” Miller is the coauthor of Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer’s Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits. She teaches language arts and social studies at Peterson Elementary in Fort Worth, Texas.

10 Free Learning Websites for Kids

These sites are a good resources for home use. They do have a lot of advertisements on them and they can be confusing to navigate away from the advertisement, on the actual site, itself, so I would recommend an adult assisting the first time the child visits these sites to help the child understand what links are site content and what links are advertisement. A lot of the advertisement is blinking and hard to resist. The advertisements are kid friendly, but can move the child off the intended site. There is a lot of good learning opportunities here. Enjoy!

Main Street, USA: Seahawk City

In social studies, the students learned about the benefits and challenges of creating a main street, business community, with Mrs. Schlecht, the teacher who taught for me in my extended absence.

Thanks goes to Mrs. Schlecht and Mr. Domingo for helping create this display with the students. 

January Navigator Award Winners

 

Congratulations to our January Award Winners:

Be Responsible

Show Respect

Act Safely

Valentine's Day Names

Girls	Boys
Raeshelle	Yasin
Lexis	Isaiah
Leilah	Josh
Nancy	Elijah
Isabella	Yusuf
Olivia	Victor
Loi	Ryan
Jaelynn	Jayden
Mariana	Elmer
Abigail	Samir
Trinity
Mylee

December Navigator Award Winners

Congratulations to our Navigators for the month:

Act Safely

Be Responsible

Show Respect

Holiday Decorated Trees Final Results