This week we wrap up Pennekamp's literacy month! Over the past several weeks our school has (among other things) completed reading logs, pocketed poems, listened to picture books read by members of our local Rotary Club, celebrated Dr. Seuss's birthday, written screenplays, and most of all, enjoyed reading. This coming Friday is our reading celebration party, with a DJ! My focus this week in the library is books having to do with the creation of stories: Max's Words, by Kate Banks, for first grade; Little Red Writing, by Joan Holub, for second grade; and Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude, by Kevin O'Malley, for third grade.
I am using a couple of videos this week. Dear parents, if you should like to use these at home, please note that advertisements, sidebar images, and the like that accompany online videos are beyond my control, so proceed with caution. The TK students will be seeing "This Too Shall Pass," by OK GO, which demonstrates many of the "simple machines" (wheel, lever, pulley, inclined plane, etc.) they have been studying. Kindergarten is seeing a short video about Luis Soriano, a librarian in Colombia who brings books to children using burros for transportation. His story is the subject of our readaloud this week: Wating for the Biblioburro, by Monica Brown. CNN included Mr. Soriano in its video series on heroes.
Grades 4 and 5 continue with their novels. I was hoping to finish before April break but I don't think we're going to make it! By the end of April we will, for sure.
This is the first year Pennekamp has participated in the contest for the Cook Prize, which is specifically on science, technology, engineering, and math books. The winner among our third-grade students is… The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos, by Deborah Heiligman. All votes are due by April 20 to Bank Street School, the sponsoring organization, so I assume we'll find out the big winner sometime around the beginning of May. May 1 is also when we find out the statewide winner of the California Young Reader Medal--a contest in which all district elementary schools (including Pennekamp) routinely participate.
Next Monday is the next meeting of the book club for grade five. We will discuss A Tale Dark and Grimm, by Adam Gidwitz. I have added a "tab" to this website with book club information. There you can see how our book club members rate the books we read!
This week includes one of my favorite Pennekamp traditions, the Richstone Feast. This dinner event is Thursday night, March 27, and there are two seatings: 5:15 and 6:45. The form for purchasing tickets is available in the school office. The Richstone Family Center assists families dealing with domestic abuse. Pennekamp's fifth-graders put on the annual Richstone Feast to raise money for this very worthy organization. If you cannot attend, please consider donating a prize for the raffle (again, the school office can receive those). A big shout-out to Mr. Warner, for leading this event year after year, and particularly to the fifth-grade students for so ably and responsibly working to help families in need.
I am using a couple of videos this week. Dear parents, if you should like to use these at home, please note that advertisements, sidebar images, and the like that accompany online videos are beyond my control, so proceed with caution. The TK students will be seeing "This Too Shall Pass," by OK GO, which demonstrates many of the "simple machines" (wheel, lever, pulley, inclined plane, etc.) they have been studying. Kindergarten is seeing a short video about Luis Soriano, a librarian in Colombia who brings books to children using burros for transportation. His story is the subject of our readaloud this week: Wating for the Biblioburro, by Monica Brown. CNN included Mr. Soriano in its video series on heroes.
Grades 4 and 5 continue with their novels. I was hoping to finish before April break but I don't think we're going to make it! By the end of April we will, for sure.
This is the first year Pennekamp has participated in the contest for the Cook Prize, which is specifically on science, technology, engineering, and math books. The winner among our third-grade students is… The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos, by Deborah Heiligman. All votes are due by April 20 to Bank Street School, the sponsoring organization, so I assume we'll find out the big winner sometime around the beginning of May. May 1 is also when we find out the statewide winner of the California Young Reader Medal--a contest in which all district elementary schools (including Pennekamp) routinely participate.
Next Monday is the next meeting of the book club for grade five. We will discuss A Tale Dark and Grimm, by Adam Gidwitz. I have added a "tab" to this website with book club information. There you can see how our book club members rate the books we read!
This week includes one of my favorite Pennekamp traditions, the Richstone Feast. This dinner event is Thursday night, March 27, and there are two seatings: 5:15 and 6:45. The form for purchasing tickets is available in the school office. The Richstone Family Center assists families dealing with domestic abuse. Pennekamp's fifth-graders put on the annual Richstone Feast to raise money for this very worthy organization. If you cannot attend, please consider donating a prize for the raffle (again, the school office can receive those). A big shout-out to Mr. Warner, for leading this event year after year, and particularly to the fifth-grade students for so ably and responsibly working to help families in need.
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