MAY MEMORIESHAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:
May 1 - Mother Jones (Mary Harris Jones)
An American labor leader
May 6 - Robert E. Peary
Arctic explorer who led the first expedition to
try to reach the North Pole in 1909
May 7 - Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky
Composer
May 12 - Yogi Berra (Lawrence Peter Berra)
Baseball catcher; in Hall of Fame
May 14 - George Lucas
Filmmaker; creator of Star Wars
May 27 - Wild Bill Hickok
American frontiersman
Amelia Bloomer
Women's rights advocate who created
bloomers as an alternative to the restrictive
clothing of women during her time
Rachel Carson
Scientist and conservationist who raised concern about the effect of chemicals on the
environment
May 29 - John F. Kennedy
35th President of the U.S.
Students in Grade 2 finished their last library lesson by telling me a story. They were given out numbers and shown a book without words entitled Museum Trip by Barbara Lehman. When I called out their number they looked at the pictures and told the story out loud. Everyone enjoyed this story about a boy who imagined himself inside some of the exhibits when he went on a field trip to a museum. They really were surprised when they saw the last page, too!
First grade students read aloud the story entitled Bear Feels Sick by Karma Wilson and then did a reader's theater of the the book. It is a story told in rhyme about forest animals who go to Bear's cave when he is too sick to play. They make him soup and keep him company and readers will enjoy the circle story ending.
In Grade 3 students worked in groups of two or three to answer research questions from the book entitled Sharks by Beverly McMilland and John A. Musick. They used information from the title page, copyright page, table of contents, index, glossary and the text itself to complete the assignment. This exercise reinforced their research skills, reading for comprehension, and working productively with partners. After this experience, I feel confident they are ready for fourth grade.
Alpha students listened to two stories today entitled A Day With No Crayons by Elizabeth Rusch (Oregon Book Awards winner) and Not a Box by Antoinette Portis (Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book). The first story was about a little girl who discovers all sorts of artistic possibilities when she has to go a day without crayons. The second story was dedicated to children everywhere sitting in cardboard boxes. Both were very imaginative and delighted the audience.
Kindergarten students learned the concept of bucket filling which is an effective metaphor for encouraging kind and considerate behavior and for teaching the benefits of positive relation-ships. The story entitled Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud is a guide to daily happiness for kids and adults, too. Children need to be loved, but in addition they must also be taught how to love others. Children who learn how to express kindness and love lead happier lives. When you love and care about others and show that love with what you say and do, you feel good and you fill your own bucket too.
Have a restful, enjoyable summer....and please keep reading!!!!
