During our short week before Thanksgiving we continued to read holiday stories. Kinders and 1st graders heard Clifford's Thanksgiving Visit by Norman Bridwell and I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson. We also sang about the things we are thankful for and each child had the opportunity to share their own thoughts. I was so proud of everyone for their thoughtful answers!
2nd graders heard 'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey. Mr. Pilkey is the author responsible for the Captain Underpants series so this was a rather silly look at Thanksgiving. Ask your child what the kids in the story did to rescue the turkeys.
3rd-5th graders heard Thank you, Sarah by Laurie Halse Anderson. This is the story of Sarah Hale, a remarkable women who is credited with saving Thanksgiving (among other things). Ask your child what Sarah accomplished and how long it took her to do it.
When we came back from break we moved right into our new holiday season. Kinders and 1st graders heard Merry Christmas, Curious George by Margret and H.A. Rey. Children who displayed great library behavior got to share their reading time with my Curious George stuffed animal.
2nd-5th graders heard A Wish for Wings that Work by Berkeley Breathed. This was a story about how easy it is to forget the gifts we have when we spend too much time focusing on what we don't have. Ask your child who Opus was, what he wished for and what he learned.
Have a great weekend!
Friday, December 4, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving
The week of November 9th, we had some great discussions about what freedom means and who we have to thank for the freedoms we sometimes take for granted. It was interesting to hear what the students at Walker thought it meant to be "free". We had some thoughtful discussions and, in some classes, skipped our story because the discussions were too good to stop. The others heard the story All Those Secrets of the World by Jane Yolen.
The younger grades heard Timothy and the Strong Pajamas by Viviane Schwarz. Ask your child what happened when Timothy's mother fixed his pajamas. It was a great story about the value of helping others. Other classes heard The Chicken of the Family by Mary Amato. This is a story about a little girl who is teased by her older sisters but ends up getting the best of them. Ask your child how Henrietta turned the tables on her sisters.
Last week we focused on Thanksgiving. The 3rd-5th graders heard Sarah Morton's Day by Kate Waters. It was fun to give the kids a glimpse of what life was like for Pilgrim children. It made the chores they are responsible for seem pretty easy by comparison!
1st and 2nd grade heard We Gather Together Now Please Get Lost by Diane DeGroat. This was a funny story about making the best of a bad situation and following directions. Ask your child what happened when Gilbert failed to do those things.
Kinders heard This is the Turkey by Abby Levine, A Turkey for Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting, and One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims by B.G. Hennessy. We also sang a song about our favorite Thanksgiving food. They did a great job participating and following library rules while still having a good time! Next week is a short week and we'll continue our Thanksgiving theme...
The younger grades heard Timothy and the Strong Pajamas by Viviane Schwarz. Ask your child what happened when Timothy's mother fixed his pajamas. It was a great story about the value of helping others. Other classes heard The Chicken of the Family by Mary Amato. This is a story about a little girl who is teased by her older sisters but ends up getting the best of them. Ask your child how Henrietta turned the tables on her sisters.
Last week we focused on Thanksgiving. The 3rd-5th graders heard Sarah Morton's Day by Kate Waters. It was fun to give the kids a glimpse of what life was like for Pilgrim children. It made the chores they are responsible for seem pretty easy by comparison!
1st and 2nd grade heard We Gather Together Now Please Get Lost by Diane DeGroat. This was a funny story about making the best of a bad situation and following directions. Ask your child what happened when Gilbert failed to do those things.
Kinders heard This is the Turkey by Abby Levine, A Turkey for Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting, and One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims by B.G. Hennessy. We also sang a song about our favorite Thanksgiving food. They did a great job participating and following library rules while still having a good time! Next week is a short week and we'll continue our Thanksgiving theme...
Sunday, November 8, 2009
The last two weeks in the library...
The week before Halloween I read a variety of stories to different classes depending on grade level and being respectful of those who do not participate in Halloween festivities. Depending on their class the children heard either One Halloween Night by Mark Teague, The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams, Minnie and Moo and the Haunted Sweater by Denys Cazet or Scared Silly by James Howe. They were all great stories and it was fun watching the kids figure out what was happening in each story before we got to the end.
Each Kinder class heard a second story which we had a lot of fun with. The book was a new one I'd purchased at the book fair called There was an Old Monster by Rebecca, Adrian and Ed Emberley. The book came with a CD that turned the story into a song and so after reading the book once, we turned on the CD, stood up and sang and danced along. We've got some real talent in our Kindergarten classes at Walker! It was a great opportunity to let the kids make a little noise in the library and burn off a little energy before lunch.
Last week, in celebration of election week, some of the classes heard Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio. This was one of our AYRA nominated books and was a good introduction to the electoral system for some of the upper grades. It was also interesting to hear what the kids thought about the idea of a woman becoming president some day.
Other classes heard President Pennybaker by Kate Feiffer. This was a fun story that got the kids thinking about what it would be like to be President and whether they'd like the job or not.
Looking forward to the next few weeks of holidays and activities!
Each Kinder class heard a second story which we had a lot of fun with. The book was a new one I'd purchased at the book fair called There was an Old Monster by Rebecca, Adrian and Ed Emberley. The book came with a CD that turned the story into a song and so after reading the book once, we turned on the CD, stood up and sang and danced along. We've got some real talent in our Kindergarten classes at Walker! It was a great opportunity to let the kids make a little noise in the library and burn off a little energy before lunch.
Last week, in celebration of election week, some of the classes heard Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio. This was one of our AYRA nominated books and was a good introduction to the electoral system for some of the upper grades. It was also interesting to hear what the kids thought about the idea of a woman becoming president some day.
Other classes heard President Pennybaker by Kate Feiffer. This was a fun story that got the kids thinking about what it would be like to be President and whether they'd like the job or not.
Looking forward to the next few weeks of holidays and activities!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Welcome Back!
I hope everyone had a fun and relaxing fall break! It was nice to have some time off but I hope everyone is back and ready to have a great 2nd quarter. I know I am!
Last week in the library we read another of our AYRA nominees, "Shivers in the Fridge" by Fran Manushkin. The Shivers are a family that live in a refrigerator and the kids had a good time trying to figure out just who they were and what was happening to them during the story. The ending was a surprise to every class but it was fun hearing the kids' imaginative guesses before I revealed the end. Ask your child who the Shivers were!
Mr. Miller's class was kind enough to contribute their class book called "The Important Book" to our Student Published Library. I read their book aloud to them last week and I was really impressed with their illustrations and how they were able to say so much in just a few lines of text. Great job to Mr. Miller's class and thanks for sharing your work! Check out their book in the library or on Mr. Miller's class page.
Last week in the library we read another of our AYRA nominees, "Shivers in the Fridge" by Fran Manushkin. The Shivers are a family that live in a refrigerator and the kids had a good time trying to figure out just who they were and what was happening to them during the story. The ending was a surprise to every class but it was fun hearing the kids' imaginative guesses before I revealed the end. Ask your child who the Shivers were!
Mr. Miller's class was kind enough to contribute their class book called "The Important Book" to our Student Published Library. I read their book aloud to them last week and I was really impressed with their illustrations and how they were able to say so much in just a few lines of text. Great job to Mr. Miller's class and thanks for sharing your work! Check out their book in the library or on Mr. Miller's class page.
Raffle
To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, 3rd - 5th graders had the opportunity to win some small prizes. Children who turned in the names of two Hispanic people that had contributed something to the country or the world gained an entry into a raffle. One winner was drawn from each grade and the winners got to choose from the library treasure chest. Congratulations to Jordan Vella (5th), Ani Rodriguez (4th), and Kimberlee Hernandez (3rd) for being chosen for their grade!
A big thanks to all the children who participated. The people they submitted were posted on our Hispanic Heritage Bulletin board and it was nice to see the kids contributing to their own learning and sharing their knowledge with their fellow students. Great job everyone!
A big thanks to all the children who participated. The people they submitted were posted on our Hispanic Heritage Bulletin board and it was nice to see the kids contributing to their own learning and sharing their knowledge with their fellow students. Great job everyone!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Book Fair
Last week in the library was all about the book fair. All the classes had an opportunity to walk through the fair during their library time before they checked out books. It was fun to see so many of the kids come back with their parents and make some great book selections. I was glad I had the opportunity to meet so many parents and I had some great conversations about books.
I wanted to extend my thanks to those families who purchased books and donated them to the library. Due to budget constraints, the proceeds from the book fair will be our only new books in the library this year so those donations are vital. If you're interested in making your own contribution, watch Notes Home for future donation opportunities!
I owe a big thanks to the PTO and all the wonderful parent volunteers who were crucial in making this book fair a success. I enjoyed getting to know everyone and having company in the library for a change! A special thanks to Jen Scofield, Jen Landis and Clifford the Big Red Dog for going above and beyond in all their efforts.
Have a fun and safe fall break and read lots of great books!
I wanted to extend my thanks to those families who purchased books and donated them to the library. Due to budget constraints, the proceeds from the book fair will be our only new books in the library this year so those donations are vital. If you're interested in making your own contribution, watch Notes Home for future donation opportunities!
I owe a big thanks to the PTO and all the wonderful parent volunteers who were crucial in making this book fair a success. I enjoyed getting to know everyone and having company in the library for a change! A special thanks to Jen Scofield, Jen Landis and Clifford the Big Red Dog for going above and beyond in all their efforts.
Have a fun and safe fall break and read lots of great books!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Banned Book Week
Last week we celebrated Banned Book Week and used the opportunity to talk to the kids about their responsibilities as free people who read freely. We discussed the efforts of a few to ban books such as Harry Potter, Captain Underpants, James and the Giant Peach, Charlotte's Web and many more. We discussed how most of these efforts are made out of a genuine concern for the welfare of children but that their parents are the only ones who can decide what books are appropriate for them. I had planned to read the 3rd - 5th graders "The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss because it is a book that has been challenged by the lumber industry but the children were such active participants in our discussion that we never got to the book. Hopefully, they all left the library with an appreciation for their access to great books and a respect for the responsibilities they have to be critical readers.
K-2 classes heard "Sylvester and the Magic Pebble" by William Steig. This is a book that has been challenged before but I didn't talk much about Banned Book Week with this younger group. I only mentioned how fortunate we were to have such great books to read. The children did a great job making predictions about the story and then sharing how they would've changed the story if they had been Sylvester. Ask your child to tell you what they would've wished for if they were facing Sylvester's problem.
A special thank you to Amy Martinez for loaning me her Sylvester Reading Buddy. The kids were surprised and delighted by his special trick and it added some fun to our story. Thanks, Amy!
Next week is Book Fair...See you then!
K-2 classes heard "Sylvester and the Magic Pebble" by William Steig. This is a book that has been challenged before but I didn't talk much about Banned Book Week with this younger group. I only mentioned how fortunate we were to have such great books to read. The children did a great job making predictions about the story and then sharing how they would've changed the story if they had been Sylvester. Ask your child to tell you what they would've wished for if they were facing Sylvester's problem.
A special thank you to Amy Martinez for loaning me her Sylvester Reading Buddy. The kids were surprised and delighted by his special trick and it added some fun to our story. Thanks, Amy!
Next week is Book Fair...See you then!
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