Monday, January 28, 2013
Sunday, January 27, 2013
We Had A Snowy Great Time In The Library.....Thank You For The Inspiration Ezra Jack Keats
Every January we learn about, read, and share the Caldecott, Newbery, and other award winning books within our library, classrooms, and homes. Since the ALA book awards are announced during the ALA Midwinter Conference in January this is the perfect time to lift up these books at Van Meter too.
In fact, tomorrow morning the ALA Youth Media Awards will be announced in Seattle at this years conference. We cannot wait to watch from the Van Meter Library.....You can watch here too.
This year while looking for connections to Caldecott Medal books within our library collection and those found within BookFlix, the kindergarten and first graders loved reading and learning more about The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. This beautiful book won the Caldecott Medal in 1964.
This was one of my most favorite books when I was little. I think my Mom must have read it to my sister Heather, brother Ryan, and I at least a million times. :)
On the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation website, there are all kinds of activities and resources to use with The Snowy Day.
Penguin Publishing even declared January "Snowy Day Month" and featured great activities all month long on this site and theirs as well.
Our little ones loved playing The Snowy Day game too where one can help Peter slide down a mountain of snow.
In addition to watching The Snowy Day on BookFlix, we watched the read-aloud of it on the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation site too. I put links on our Elementary Library Symbaloo so it was easy for the students to access these fun resources.
After we spent time learning about Ezra Jack Keats and reading The Snowy Day all different ways, the kindergarteners and first graders decided to create their very own snowy book.
But we put a little twist on ours. We wrote and illustrated two The Snowy Night books using Little Bird Tales.
The kindergarteners finished up their The Snowy Night Little Bird Tale book last week and the first graders will this week. If you click on the box or link above, it will take you to their book and you can read and share it. These little authors and illustrators did such a fantastic job.
Enjoy their wonderful books and a few pictures we shared from the fun we had creating them too.
Friday, January 25, 2013
A Little FUN Coming To Van Meter On February 1.....Bubble Gum Day, Author Ruth Spiro, and PBIS Celebration!
We have been getting a little excited about a very special day coming up here at Van Meter.
On February 1st, we will celebrate Bubble Gum Day again!
Our dear friend and author Ruth Spiro started Bubble Gum Day in 2006.
During this special day, students may purchase gum to chew for 5o cents. The money raised then goes to a charity of the schools choice.
At Van Meter, we are donating the money earned to LitWorld's World Read Aloud Day, which will be celebrated on March 6, 2013.
And as a very very special treat for all of us, Ruth who is also the author of Lester Fizz, Bubble-Gum Artisit, is going to Skype into Van Meter and read to our students. We just love Skyping with Ruth and her little dog too.
To make it even better.....Tarena Toy, first grade teacher, and my sister Heather Fox, who is the teacher associate in Tarena's room, are going to be Skyping in with Ruth and Van Meter from their classroom at Amana Elementary in the Clear Creek Amana School District. My nephew Carson is also in the classroom. It is going to be so much fun!
This is the flyer that we sent home with all of the students this week.
And I almost forgot to tell you....
We are also having our "School Wide PBIS Celebration" on this day too. It will be fun to be in our pajamas when we Skype Ruth. :)
The picture of our second graders is just one writing example that can be done on Bubble Gum Day. The students write direction to blowing a bubble. When their directions are done they then see how easy it is blow a bubble.
It is going to be a great week....Lets have fun, think of what we are raising money for, and how lucky we are to have books, nice places to read, and the ability to read as well.
We hope you celebrate Bubble Gum Day with your students, teachers, and school community too! :)
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