Falling for Autumn

Autumn is here, the skies are grey, and wind is starting to blow harder in our city. Pretty soon we'll start to see the leaves change color and fall from the trees. We kicked off Autumn with the end of Summer's 1st 6 weeks and welcoming Fall with our 2nd 6 week period.

This week, students worked on learning about Fall/Autumn season and did some great works of art by coloring their own Autumn tree.

Click on the photo above to get a view of BrainPopJr's mini clip on Autumn season. Here are some things to look for as the season matures:

• Leaves change color
• Animals start to gather and store food for the winter
• The day is shorter
• Leaves start to fall from the trees
• Certain fruits and vegetables like apples and pumpkins are ready to be picked
• We celebrate holidays such as Halloween, Reformation Day, Thanksgiving among others.

Constitution Day

Did you know that the U.S. Constitution is the oldest constitution in the world to be actively used? September 17, 1787 marks the day that the U.S. Constitution was founded, thanks to the the Father of the Constitution, James Madison.

(Preamble) 

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the 

common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves 

and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.



Read We the Kids illustrations and foreword by David Catrow. Students will read the book and learn about the historical event that took place that essentially changed the face of our country.

Afterwards, they will work on various activities, to matching games, crossword puzzles, as well as Constitution hats.

Here are some word find activities and a Constitution quiz.

Some more crossword puzzles here.

Constitution matching game.

James Madison coloring sheet.

National Hispanic Heritage Month

Tomorrow is 16th of September, known as Mexico's Independence Day, and we are also taking the opportunity to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month. Our community is comprised mainly of Hispanic culture, so students this week are learning about their heritage, culture, customs, traditions, food, and language.

Pre-K students will read Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto and then view BrainPopJr's mini lesson on Mexico's traditions.

After reading our story, we had students make their own pretend tamales with raisins, beef, and red peppers.

Here's an excellent lesson plan for the elementary classroom!

Lift to Literacy!

Five, Four, Three, Two, One ... LIFT OFF!!!

This Monday we began NASA's Lift Off To Literacy Program aimed to promote literacy across the nation. For the next 60 days, schools all of the U.S. will be working on 60 second activities and countdown towards the big day! Some of these activities can be:
         
ù Short story quick write for 60 seconds; students    
         complete their story at the end of the 60 days.
ù Write a Haiku poem. Click here for activity.
ù Jot down a description of NASA's Photo of the Day.
ù Create a poem using Word Mover.

You can find more ideas HERE on their official flyer.
Also, Day by Day Family Literacy website has daily activities that can be done in the classroom, in the library, or even at home. This is an excellent resource. Just click on the date and begin the countdown with countless activities and fun.

Pre-Kinder, Kinder and LifeSkills worked on Pete the Cat: Rocking in my School Shoes story and colored a pair of shoes to practice tying their shoe laces.

Here are some storybook activities on Pinterest!

Welcome Back!

We are so glad to see everyone back in school and ready for a new year. This week we will review Library Rules & changes in the library. Check them out!

Library Rules:

1. Eating and drinking are not permitted in the library. Food and drinks must be left on the front counter or thrown away.
2. Maintain a quiet study atmosphere.
3. Students must present their hall pass at the circulation desk when they enter the library, unless they are part of a scheduled class.
4. Handle materials and equipment carefully.
5. Check out all materials before taking them out of the library.
6. Library computers should be used for educational purposes.

Please note:

• The library is open M-F from 7:45-3:30.
• 1st & 2nd grade students may check out one book at a time.
• 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students may check out two books at a time.
• Books are checked out for a period of one week.
• Students may return books early before school or between 11:30-12:10.
• Reference books, magazines, and tablets are not available for checkout.
• Overdue fines are not charged, but students are not allowed to check out additional books if they have an overdue item.
• Students will be charged the replacement cost of damaged or lost books.

The good news: We have brand new books, magazines, and tables to use in the library! We'll continue to train students in the next few weeks on how to read e-books and e-magazines using the tablets. I look forward to a brand new year with everyone!!