Happy Manatee Memories of December 2010

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Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to our Wonderful Families!

Now that the Christmas rush is over, and you can take a moment to sit back, take a breath and relax, we want to let you know how much we appreciate each and every one of you.  We would like to thank you for volunteering your time to help out in and out of the classroom.  We thank you for supporting your child at home, for taking the time to let your child know how extraordinary they are.  Thank you for being caring and nurturing parents, and building your child's self-esteem to the highest potential.  It is with this confidence that they will grow and flourish into successful little people.  We appreciate your diligent efforts. 

Don't forget to cherish the remaining moments of the holiday season; the simple joys and miracles of life, especially your children.  Each year is a gift to add to the richness of your lives.  Treasure each gift!



          Our gift to you . . . Ordinary Miracle, by Sarah Sky 

Thank you all for the Wonderful Gifts!

We love the new class set of Scholastic Student Dictionaries!  They are replacing an obsolete set of classroom dictionaries, so we are very appreciative of the upgrade.  We are looking forward to using them for fun vocabulary lessons in the New Year.  We also thank you for the generous personal gift cards, all the delicious treats, and homemade treasures! 

In addition, thank you to all who helped out with our Class Holiday party. We appreciate all of you who contributed snacks and came to help with the crafts and clean-up.  The kids had a great time!

We also want to send out a huge thank you for your generous donations to our 4th Annual Adopt a Family from the Forgotten Children Program.  Because of your kind generosity the children from both  families received all the gifts on their wish lists!  

Clever Classroom Quotes

from 2010~

"I think respect is the best gift you can give!  If you give respect, you'll earn it back!"    ~Sami

"We're all a piece of art!" ~ Aria

"I came.  I saw.  I conquired."  "It's like being afraid to do something, like swim in deep water, but you find the courage, and conquer your fears by trying it!" ~ Hope

"Writing can be messy sometimes . . . because you have to change things to make it better."  ~ Max

"If you read lots of books on your just-right level, you will get better and move up to a higher level."   ~Rebecca


 "I made a text-to-text connection!  The word hullabaloo is in Charlotte's Web, and in McDuff's Wild Romp!"    ~ Savannah         

 Manatees Adopt a Family!

Recently we have been reading books and learning about people who are less fortunate all around the world, and in our own country. Again this year, in the spirit of giving, our class will be adopting two families in need from The Forgotten Children's Organization. Our class Giving Tree is now in the classroom decorated with gift tags listing personal information about each child.  If you would like to donate to the families, we invite you to come in and choose a tag from the tree. You can also send a note in with your child, telling whether you would like to donate to a boy or girl. Please wrap your gifts with the gift tag attached, and send them back to school by Wednesday, December 15th. Thank you for your kind generosity.

Change of Plans~

Class Holiday Party
Due to a change in the early dismissal schedule, our class holiday party has been changed to Friday, December 17th, 10:00 - 11:20. 


Purdy's Make-it, Take-it after school event has also been changed to Tuesday, December 14, and Wednesday, December 15th, from 3:30 - 5:30. 

Spelling Bee
The date for the PTA Fundraiser Spelling Bee has been changed to Thursday, December 9th. 

Pennies for Peace
We are extending our penny collection for Pakistan until Wednesday, December 15th.  Students will be counting them out in groups of 100, and adding them all together to determine the total amount collected.  Keep sending in more pennies!  Thanks!

Please leave a message about friendship on our WallWisher.  Thanks for contributing to our November theme of friendship and kindness.

Johnnie's Math has lots of fun math games for kids. Try out Space Addition, Soccer Subtraction, or Wicked Matho!

Boys and Girls . . .
Try this fun Dice Rolling Game!  Try adding two, or even three at a time.  Have a challenging game of Dice Wars with your parents.  Good Luck!

November News

Charlotte's Web

Sadly, we have come to the end of our chapter book read-aloud, Charlotte's Web.  We have become enchanted with sweet, innocent Wilbur (the pig), and kind, loving Charlotte (the spider).  The time has come for closure as we retell the story with an ABC Book.  We have recorded important words relevant to the story on an ABC Chart.  Students chose a letter, an important word, and then illustrated and wrote about why it was important to the story.  When these masterpieces are finished, we will post them on the bulletin board outside the classroom.

Pennies for Peace

We are moving on to a new social studies theme for the remainder of November. By learning about other cultures and their needs, we will be focusing on helping others through philanthropy.  We will read the children's book, Listen to the Wind, A Story of Dr. Greg and Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson, a man who brought education to Pakistan by way of his personal philanthropic nature and nonprofit funding.  This is the companion children's book to Three Cups of Tea, the story about the same man lost in the Andes mountains, healed and befriended by the villagers.  Through his mission to promote peace one penny at a time, he has established over 500 schools in Pakistan.  The Manatees will be collecting pennies during the month of November to donate to Pennies for Peace from Tuesday, November 16 to Tuesday, November 30.  Please view the following video for more information.
 

Soup Fest

Wednesday, November 24 from 10:30 - 11:20

In keeping with our social studies theme, we will also be learning about the homeless, less fortunate, and the function of soup kitchens.  We will read several books on this topic in order to gain a greater awareness of the needs of other cultures.  We are having a Soup Fest to further our understanding of the homeless, less fortunate, and soup kitchens.  Please contact Tonya Danosky at danosky@hotmail.com, if you would like to contribute to the event.  

Conferences

We look forward to meeting with you for conferences during the next week. 

Reminder:  If you are a 2nd Grade parent, please bring your child to the conference, as they are performing the Student Led Conferences.  Thank you for taking the time to attend, and discuss your child's academic progress.

November's Character Development Theme ~                       This month we are focused on kindness, friendship, and including others.                                             

Popcorn Fridays

Don't forget that popcorn is available every Friday after lunch for 50 cents.  The sales support the 5th Grade end-of-year trip to Camp Seymour.

Upcoming Events:

Scholastic Book Fair         Monday, Nov. 15 - Tuesday, Nov. 23 (Purdy Library)

Nutrition Night                    Tuesday, November 16 - 6:30

Spell-a-Thon Kick-Off       Tuesday, November 16th

Spell-a-Thon Day              Thursday, December 2nd 

Early Dismissal                 Thursday, Nov. 18 - Wednesday, Nov. 24  (12:00)

No Late Start                      Wednesday, November 24 (Start at 9:00)

Picture Retake Day           Tuesday, November 30

General PTA                      Tuesday, January 11, 7:00

Membership Mtg

Make-it, Take-it                  Wednesday/Thursday, Dec. 15/16, 3:30 - 5:30    

Our Halloween Party!

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Happy Halloween!

 Halloween Party
Happy Halloween! The class Halloween party will be tomorrow, Friday, October 29, from 2:25 - 3:25. Since Halloween does not fall on a school day, Purdy Elementary students are not dressing up in costume this year, and there will be no school masquerade parade. However, we can look forward to costumes and parades next year!  Please join us for our fun Halloween party! Thank you to those of you who have already volunteered to help.

Monday, November 1st is Picture Day. This picture opportunity is for individual photos. Please send in the order envelope with money enclosed if you are interested in purchasing photos. Class pictures will be taken in the spring.

Spider Cider Party

Remember, we are celebrating our spider unit with a Spider Cider party on Friday, November 5th at 2:30.  As we continue to read Charlotte's Web, by E.B. White, the children are learning more about spiders, comparing character traits, making mental images, and discovering lots of new vocabulary words.  They love the story!  Ask your child how many parts a spider's leg has . . . seven!  They share the femur, patella, and tibia with humans! 

Manatee Memoirs Night~

Don't miss it!  Students will be sharing their narrative memoirs on Thursday, November 4th at 6:30 in the Manatee classroom.  The Red Group has been busy adding details to their writing.  The Blue Group has been focusing on creating a mental image for the reader/audience.  Please come and listen to these fantastic memories from the perspectives of children.

Parent Conferences

Conferences are coming up next month.  Please return the sign--up sheet sent home today as soon as possible.  Thanks!

Veteran's Day Assembly
Our Veteran's Day Assembly will take place on the afternoon of November 10, 2010. We welcome pictures of family member veterans. Please email either Mrs. Perine or Mrs. Angus with digital photos, or have your child bring in a hard copy. Thank you!

Pete the Cat - "I Love My White Shoes"

Pete the Cat "I Love My White Shoes" from wandaangus on Vimeo.





Our students love Pete the Cat - I Love My White Shoes, by Eric Litwin.  You can find this book at Amazon.com, and you can listen and download the song sung by the author here.  This video is one example of many groups that gather on the carpet every morning during free reading time to read and sing the lyrics of what has become our favorite book. 
We received an email from Eric Litwin on Vimeo: Eric Litwin commented on your video "Pete the Cat "I Love My White Shoes"":
"Meow Dudes! I really enjoyed hearing you read and sing. You guys are crazy fun. Pete the Cat asked me to tell you "meow, meow, meow". I am delighted you like my little story. Mr. Eric Litwin (Author of Pete the Cat I Love My White Shoes)"
In honor of Pete's white shoes (which turn red, blue and brown from stepping in berries and mud), we will wear white shoes to school on Wednesday, October 20th.  
Wednesday White Shoe Day! 

The Manatees are learning about spiders! We have leaned that there are over 30,000 different kinds of spiders. We know that they have fangs that inject venom to kill their prey, 8 legs, and two body parts. Spiders are arachnids (eight legged creatures) and they create webs with strong silk from glands in their abdomen. We're reading all kinds of spider books . . . nonfiction and fiction. We have walked outside to observe busy spiders spinning webs and wrapping their prey in silk for a future snack. Next week we will have a spider in an enclosed habitat for students to observe in the classroom. We're hoping to get a glimpe of the every-day activities of our arachnid friend.
We will also be reading aloud the classic book, Charlotte's Web, by E.B White.
Finally, to celebrate our spider friends in the book Miss Spider's Tea Party, by David Kirk, we will have a Spider Cider party on Friday, November 5th at 2:30.

Manatee Memoirs Night~

Don't miss it!  Students will be sharing their narrative memoirs on Thursday, November 4th at 6:30 in the Manatee classroom.  Red group students have been busy working on including details in their writing.  The blue group has been focused on creating a mental image for the reader/audience.  Please come and listen to these fantastic memories from the perspective of children.

Go-Home Book Bags

This Thursday your child will bring home a Go-Home Book Bag.  Labeled ziploc bags will contain 4 "just-right" books for your child to keep at home for a week.  The books are chosen by your child from their appropriate reading level. The purpose of these books is for your child to have just-right books to read at home.  Please keep the books until the following Thursday, listen to your child read them to you several times, and praise them for their efforts.  Thank you!

Fall is in the Air!

Thank you to all our volunteers that have signed up and started working in the classroom this week.  We appreciate your help! 

Fall Festival! 
The Fall Festival is one of our biggest events of the year at Purdy Elementary.  The kids always love it, and have fond memories from years gone by.  This year our Fall Festival is on Friday, October 22nd from 5:00 to 9:00.  Please consider attending this event, and also volunteering one hour of your time to help the Manatee Class with their event game.  Mrs. Perine and Mrs. Angus will be in attendance to support the event.  We still need seven or eight more adults to help out.  Please contact Tonya Danosky if you are willing to help at danosky@hotmail.com.  Thanks for your generosity!

October is Responsibility month at Purdy Elementary.  We are singing, talking and writing about the many ways to be responsibility at school and at home.  Children who are observed acting resonsibly by another student or adult at school are given a Panther Paw, which is then hung in the commons for all to see.   If your child is caught being responsible at home you can send in a note and we will  complete a responsibility paw for your student. 

This month the Manatees wrote about being responsible at home and at school.  Their writing will be on display on the main bulletin board in the hallway as you enter the school.  Please take the time to read these small, but profound statements written by small, but profound children.   

Self-Manager Badges will be introduced this week.  These badges are a way of acknowledging students that are consistently responsible, make good choices, follow the Golden Rule, and exhibit self control.  Self-Managers do not receive behavior warnings or checks.  They also return their homework on time every week.  Manatees with Self-Manager badges have the priveledge of walking to lunch independently, using the restroom without asking,  being chosen for responsible tasks, or excused first for special activities.  Students that lose badges from behavior checks or detentions have the opportunity to regain their badge after a two week period.  Lost badges will not be replaced.  Ask your child about Self-Manager badges!

Happy Halloween!  The class Halloween party will be on Friday, October 29, from 2:25 - 3:25.  Since Halloween does not fall on a school day, Purdy Elementary students are not dressing up in costume this year, and there will be no school masquerade parade.  However, we can look forward to costumes and parades next year!
Please join us for our fun Halloween party!  If you would like to volunteer to help out, please call Tonya Danosky at 853-1867, or email at danosky@hotmail.com.   Thanks for your support!

Dance Mat Typing is a new interactive key board program from the BBC.   It's entertaining, simple to use and it's free! The narrator has a hilarious English dialect. The kids love it so much they ask to stay in at recess to practice!  Notice the new icon on the right side bar of the blog for easy access.  Enjoy!
Also . . . please note the new RAZ Kids icon and the Xtra Math logo on the side bar.  Your children are familiar with these images, and will be able to independently work from the blog if you choose to place it on your desk top for simple retrieval.  Enjoy!

Daily 5!

It won’t be long until you hear your child talking about “The Daily Five.” The purpose of this blog is to fill you in on what The Daily Five is all about, so you don’t have to nod your head while wondering what in the world your child is referring to.

 The Daily Five is a way of structuring the reading block so every student is independently engaged in meaningful literacy tasks. These research based tasks are ones that will have the biggest impact on student reading and writing achievement, as well as help foster children who love to read and write.

Students receive explicit whole group instruction and then are given independent practice time to read and write independently while teachers provide focused, intense instruction to individuals and small groups of students.

When it is up and running smoothly, students will be engaged in the Daily Five, which is comprised of:

• Read to Self

• Work on Writing

• Read with a Partner

• Listen to Reading

• Word Work 

There are very  specific behavior expectations that go with each Daily 5 component. We have been spending our first weeks working intensely on building our reading and writing stamina, learning the   behaviors of the Daily 5 and fostering our classroom community.

Last week students worked their "Read to Self" and "Read with a Partner" stamina up to 25 minutes!  This week we introduced "Work on Writing", and "Listen to Reading."  Next week we will begin "Word Work." The students are very excited and proud of their new skills.

We have also been spending time learning about your child’s strengths and greatest needs as a reader in order to best plan for each student’s instruction.  Students will be spending most of their time actually reading "Just Right Books", which research supports as the number one way to improve reading. We anticipate the motivation and enjoyment of reading will skyrocket when this gift of choosing their own books is accompanied by extended practice and specific reading instruction for each individual child.

~1st and 2nd Grade Literacy Night~

If you are interested in learning more about the Daily 5 and the strategies your child is learning about at school, join us for Literacy Night in the commons on Thursday, October 7th from 6:00 to 7:30.  We will have strategies and tools for you to take home to help your child with reading.  Child care will be available.

The Golden Rule

Today we read The Golden Rule, by Ilene Cooper. This is a very important book to the Manatee students, as the golden rule is one of our classroom rules. "Treat others as you would want to be treated." We talk about it every day, and learn to think about others in our deeds and actions.

In addition to listening to the book, students also decided on their class rules today. They verbalized five rules they all agreed would be the basis of expectations for the remainder of the school year:

Class Rules

Follow the Golden Rule

Keep your hands and body to yourself.

Raise your hand to talk. Be a good listener.

Solve problems by talking to each other.

Always do your best.

Open House

Open House is Tuesday, September 21st from 6:30 to 7:30.  This is a great opportunity for your child to give you a tour of the classroom and show off what has transpired over the last few weeks.  We hope to see you there!

The volunteer schedule and weekly homework will begin the first week of October. Thanks for your patience.

We are creating a class directory to be distributed soon. If you do not want your phone number or email in the directory, please let us know. ...

Photos will be posted on our website and blog thoughout the year (without names). If you do not want photos of your child posted, please let us know as soon as possible.

Daily Schedule and Specialist Schedule

Happy Labor Day!

Thank you to those of you that have turned in the Student Imformation and Parent Volunteer Sign-Up forms.  We appreciate your prompt attention to these valuable forms that help us get organized at the beginning of the year.

The first three days of school have been very successful! 

We have been reading books about acceptance and following your heart.   After reading Howard B. Wigglebottom Listens to His Heart,
by Howard Binkow and Susan F. Cornelison, students wrote about what was close to their hearts.  It's been fun getting to know each other
as we played a "Find Someone" attribute game, and a "Scavenger Hunt" to locate items in the classroom.

Another way we get to know each other is The Question of the Day.  Students answer a different question every morning by choosing options listed on the board.  A great way to find out about your child's day at school is to ask about the Question of the Day, what it was, and how your child answered it . . . this will get them chatting about their day! 

Our daily schedule and specialist schedule are in place, and ready to begin on Tuesday, September 6th.

Specialist Schedule                    We will send a hard copy of this schedule
                                                       home on Thursday.

Monday - Art/Music                     Our library day is Tuesday 2:30 - 3:15. 

Tuesday - Music/P.E.                    

Wednesday -P.E.

Thursday - Science                      Red = Red Group (1st Grade) Mrs. Perine

Friday - Art/Music                         Blue = Blue Group (2nd Grade) Mrs. Angus

              Science/Art

Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns.  PerineA@psd401.net or 530-4642
AngusW@psd401.net or 530-4643

Welcome Back to School!

We welcome you and your family to the 2010-2011 school year! It's going to be a fun adventure, filled with learning, friends, and great memories.

Please take the time to read our Welcome Letter, found on the our website.  Go to our Multiage Manatee Website.  Bookmark us for easy access!  Click on documents to find the Welcome Letter.  A hard copy of this welcome letter will also be sent home on Thursday in your child's Go-Home folder for your convenience.  You will also find a volunteer form attached at the end of the letter. 

In addition, look for a peach-colored information form to complete for your child's teacher.  This information is very valuable to us for contact information, understanding your child''s nature, and is always held in confidence.  Thank you in advance for completing these forms.

This week's clalssroom schedule varies day by day, with the exception of specialist.  Students will be going to P.E. at 12:40 each day this week.  Look for the permanent schedule to be posted in the next week.   

Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns.    
Mrs. Perine and Mrs. Angus

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Summer Web Sites

Happy July!
Quick Summer Tips for Parents~

Hope you are enjoying the summer and creating lots of fun family memories. 
Here are some great learning activites for your child to try over the summer months.

If you're looking for a good book to read, check out Book Adventure!

ReadWriteThink.org - offers activities and projects, games and tools, tips and how-to's for grades K-12

Reading Rockets - 2010 summer book lists, games, and other resources

Scholastic Summer Challenge - Encourage kids to sign up and log their minutes reading this summer.
Online community for kids, engaging activities
63,000 kids signed up and logged 35 million minutes read last year!


Remember, you can also go to our manatee website, and check out our numerous helpful links.

Some additional ideas to keep your child reading over the summer months:
1.  Schedule weekly trips to the public library to pick out books they want to read.
2.  Have your child select some library books they would like you to read aloud.
3.  Encourage your child to read in bed - some parents even allow their children to stay up later if they are reading in bed!
4.  Purchase an inexpensive camera and notebook.  Have your child create a picture journal of summer experiences.

Enjoy the next 8 weeks!

A Series of Fortunate Events!

The time for the Manatee Class BBQ on Friday, June 18th has been changed to 4:30.

This is a fortunate change of events because now we can enjoy dinner in the cabana, along with a spectacular sunset, and evening campfire under tiki torches. Bring the smores and Jiffy Pop! The beach will be our playground!!

We are sorry for the inconvenience this schedule change may cause, but this later time allows additional parents to attend, and the opportunity for a more exciting celebration. 

Look for a hard copy (green paper) of directions and a map tomorrow (Wednesday) in your child's Go-Home envelope.

If you are available to arrive early to help set up, please call or email Wanda.

Field Day - Thank you to all the parents that volunteered today for Field Day! We appreciate your time and dedication. 

Countdown . . . 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1!

Here it is - the final week of school!  Just a few reminders and details to keep you informed:

Tuesday is Field Day and the children will be outside for most of the day.  They will all have Manatee t-shirts for the event.  You can send an extra change of clothes and shoes in case they decide to participate in the water games.  We also recommend sun screen if your child burns easily, since the weather forecast is for sun. Yahoo! 

There will be barbequed hamburgers and watermelon for lunch.  The lunch will be charged to student's lunch account.  If you are going to be here for lunch and would like to purchase a hamburger, please let us know.  You can send in $3.00, or bring it along with you.  If your child does not like hamburgers, please send in a sack lunch.  We will be eating lunch in the classroom.

Thursday is our End-of-Year Party, from 1:30 - 3:30.  We will be honoring each child in a special way, and there will be a slide show.  Please come if you are able.  It's a fun way to end the year.


Check out the manatees singing "Try", a song about perseverence, on the video below. 
The students love this song, and they wanted to sing it for you!

Perseverence Song from wandaangus on Vimeo.

Last 14 Days of School!

This year has really flown by!  Bittersweet feelings fill the remaining days of the year.  We're glad it's summer, but we will miss spending the days with our smart, smiling children! 

Thank you to Hayley Nichols for bringing the BugSafari to our classroom on Tuesday.  It was an awesome event . . . and a big hit with our class!  What a fun way to celebrate the end of our insect unit!  We appreciate your generosity.

Just a reminder  How-To Powerpoint Night is on Thursday, June 3rd at 6:30.  The students have been working hard on their presentations and are eager to share their work with you!

On Friday, June 4th we will be having Papa John's pizza for lunch in the classroom (our treat), along with root beer floats.  You do not need to send lunch with your child unless they do not want pizza.

   Field Day is on Tuesday, June 15th. 

 Our End of the Year Celebration is on Thursday, June 17th from 1:30 to 3:30.    There will be a slide show and something special to honor each student.  Please join us if you can!

The last day of school is Friday, June 18th.  School is out at 12:00.  We will have a Class BBQ at the beach on Olman Point from 12:30 - 5:30.  See the previous blog for more information and directions.  A flyer with directions will also be sent home in the last Wednesday Go-Home envelope.  Hope you can make it!

Take-Home Book Bags - Please send in any classroom books that you have at home.  We appreciate your help in getting our books returned before the end of the school year.  Thank you!

How-To Power Point Night 

On Thursday, June 3rd, at 6:30, our students will be presenting How-to Powerpoint presentations.  This event culminates our procedural nonfiction unit, where students have learned about nonfiction text features author's purpose.  Students have been carefully documenting and modeling step-by-step directions on how to do some of their favorite things.  These How-to directions are being typed into power point slides, which will be demonstrated by your child.  This is the last Manatee evening event for the year.  Hope you can attend!

The Manatees are invited to Seattle's BugSafari!

On Saturday, June 5th, we have arranged for a private tour
from 10:30 to 12:00.
*There are still plenty of spaces available. 
Don't miss this great opportunity to see over 50 different species of
exotic bugs from all over the world.
The tour accommodates 23 students. We will accept the first 23 responses to this announcement. The cost for students and adults is $6.50.
Please submit cash or check to Mrs. Angus as soon as possible.
Mrs. Perine and Mrs. Angus will be traveling to BugSafari by way of the Bremerton ferry to Seattle.
We will arrive at the Bremerton ferry terminal at 8:30 a.m. The ferry departs at 8:45.
We may walk on the ferry if weather permits.  It is a 6-block walk to BugSafari from the ferry.
The ferry fare is $14.85 for vehicle and driver, add $6.90 for each passenger (youth $5.55).
Refer to the last blog for directions and parking.

End of Year Class Party

Our End-of-Year class party will be on Thursday, June 17th from 1:30 to 3:30 in the classroom.  There will be a slide show presentation and a special surprise to honor each student.  It's a wonderful way to end the school year.  Please join us if you can!

Manatee Class BBQ - Yippee!

The last day of school is on Friday, June 18th.  Our school day ends at

12:00, but the day will just be starting  . . . as we celebrate the last day of school with a class barbeque at Olman Point beach.  The fun will begin at 12:30. 
The location is on Case Inlet, with a 1/4 mile long sandspit, and view of the Olympic Mountains.  It's a fun place to make memories.  Bring the whole family!  

Directions begin at Purdy Elementary School, so make adjustments for your needs. When you turn onto 189th Ave, continue down the hill until you see the beach, then drive through the gate and park.

We will be grilling hot dogs and hamburgers. We need two or three volunteers to help with cooking. Please bring a potluck dish.  You should also bring water shoes for your children, as the beach is rocky and at low tide there are barnacles. If the weather is nice, they may need bathing suits or shorts. Bring a change of dry clothes for them to change into after their chilly salt-water experience. You may also want to bring beach chairs, a blanket, towels, buckets for collecting treasures, and sunscreen. Oh, and don’t forget the camera!

Check out the Borders Summer Deal! Kids read ten books, and get a free book!

Happy May!

Thank you, Thank you,
Thank you . . .
for the thoughtful gifts during Teacher Appreciation Week!

We love our works of art from the students, and the beautiful bouquets of flowers are stunning!  We appreciate all the delicious lunches and snacks being served every day.  You're the best!

The Manatees are invited to Seattle's BugSafari!

On Saturday, June 5th, we have arranged for a private tour from 10:30 to 12:00. 
The facility houses over 50 different species of exotic bugs from all over the world. 

The tour accommodates 23 students.  We will accept the first 23 responses to this announcement.  The cost for students and adults is $6.50.  Please submit cash or check to Mrs. Angus as soon as possible. 

Mrs. Perine and Mrs. Angus will be traveling to BugSafari by way of the Bremerton ferry to Seattle.
We will arrive at the Bremerton ferry terminal at 8:30 a.m.  The ferry departs at 8:45. 
The ferry fare is $14.85 for vehicle and driver, add $6.90 for each passenger (youth $5.55). 

Directions to BugSafari
Directions to Bremerton Ferry Terminal

The facility is located across from the Seattle Aquarium.  Metered parking is available across from the aquarium, and there are also parking garages. 

"How-To" Expository Writing Unit

During the month of May we are focusing our writing on nonfiction.  Students will be writing
individual 5-10 Step "How-To" procedural power point presentations.  This is a precursor to the procedural expository writing skills that are required in the upper grade levels. 

This year we are asking for students to demonstrate their "how-to" knowledge, and special skills in the classroom as we photograph each step.  This will enable their photos to be inserted into their step-by-step power point slides. 

Please help your child decide on a "How-To" topic that can be demonstrated and photographed at school.  Below are some examples:


* How to be a Self-Manager
* How to plant a seed
* How to be responsible at school
* How to be a good friend
* How to knit
* How to braid your hair
* How to tie your shoe
* How to count money

If your child needs props for his/her "How-To" please send them in within the next week.  Thanks!

Upcoming Events

May 7     Kid's Night Out
May 25   McTake Over - Relay for Life
May 31   Memorial Day - No School
June 8     Science Fair/Spaghetti Feed
June 15   Field Day
June 18   Last Day of School - Half Day

Blog Madness!

National Turn Your TV Off Week is coming up next week - April 19 - 23.  The Manatee class will be participating in our annual challenge to keep our TV turned off all week.  The class be singing this song, Gotta Keep Reading in the classroom every day. A coupon book will be coming home in the Wednesday Go-Home Envelope.  Thre is a coupon for each day of the week, along with a packet of information.  Every day your child does not watch TV, please send in the corresponding coupon, signed by you, to school.  We will create a graph to observe our progress over the week.  Our class will be competing with other classes for an ice cream party.  We are also challenging the Manatees to bring in 175 coupons.  Good Luck!

                            Family Journals

Students will using their composition notebooks as Family Journals for the rest of the school year.  The purpose of the journal is for students to practice letter-writing skills by corresponding with a family member.  Your child will write the first letter to a family member, bring it home, and that family member will write to respond.  This Friday, April 16th will be the first day of letter-writing.  Your child will bring their Family Journal home on Friday. You will have the weekend to reply to their letter.  They will bring it back to school on Monday, and write an answer back.  You will have three days to write in response.  (Directions and examples will be attached to the inside of the notebook). 
This will be the regular cyclic schedule:  Family Journals on Mondays and Fridays, writing to prompts on Wednesday mornings, and math reviews on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  This will be our second year of using Family Journals.  The students love the authentic audience.  Happy Writing!

Happy April, Happy Spring!

There is a lot of excitement and new learning this month in the Manatee Classroom. 
Students are busy writing poetry, learning about insects, and practicing cooperation, which is our current character development theme. 

We are in need of more healthy snacks to feed our hungry manatees.

The students are eating up a storm!  Thank you for your kind donations.

Our yearly Poetry Celebration will be on Thursday, April 29th at 6:30.  Our theme is
Keep A Poem in Your Pocket, in honor of the celebrated day.  Students will share creative poems they have written, and recite the poem, Keep A Poem in Your Pocket,
by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers with their classmates.  Please join us for this fun literacy event!
In addition, students will share their Private Eye Poetry/Art exhibit.  By using 5X jewelers loupes, they are "zooming in" on objects like shells, coins, insects, flowers, etc. to gain a different perspective.  Students then draw the "new" view of their object, and finally write a metaphoric poem to describe their drawing.  This activity was taken from the Puget Sound Writing Project. 

Insects! Our classroom has blossomed into an entemologist laboratory.  Our students are observing ladybugs, crickets, milkweed bugs, and mealworms.  Some mealworms have reached the final stage of the metamorphosis cycle of adult.  This is what they look like at that stage, when they evolve into Darkling Beetles.  Our most recent arrivals have been caterpillars (larva).  Students will watch them morph into chrysalis (pupa), and then adult Painted Lady butterflies during the next few weeks.  We will have a butterfly release event to free the adults. 

We also have a new class pet.  In addition to Goldie, our goldfish, we now have a very interesting axolotl water salamander.  The students have named him "Speedy!"

Field Trip
Now that our students are becoming such experts on insects, we plan to broaden their horizons with new experiences and a larger variety of "bugs."  We will be going on a field trip to the Seattle BugSafari sometime in May.  We will keep you posted on the date and price. 

Upcoming Events

Jump Rope for Heart - Thursday, April 15th 

Thank you!

"Happily Ever After"

Thank you to all the parents who organized and contributed food to the Cinderellabration event this week.  Your generosity made the night a big success.  Also, from the students to the parents:  "Thank you for coming . . . your attendance meant a lot!"

Extra Socks, Please!

We need LOTS OF SOCKS for our upcoming Sock Puppet Party!  When The Manatee Party Chain reaches the floor (very soon), the students will celebrate by making sock puppets.  Please send in any stray socks you can spare. Zany, colorful, crazy striped or polk-a-dot patterns make the most creative puppets!  Thanks for your donations! 

BUGGY ABOUT INSECTS

Our science unit on insects will begin next week.  The students will have the opportunity for hands-on learning with live specimins.  They will care for and observe the body parts, behaviors, and life cycles of mealworms, milkweed bugs, crickets and butterflies. We're looking forward to lots of fun and learning as we explore the world of insects!