WE ARE CRAZY FOR SEUSS! 

 

 

 

 

 ~Ms. Waddell 

 

 

 Happy Valentine's Day!

~Ms. Waddell 

Our second graders are busy learning about biographies in the media center!  We have a large biography section where students can check out books about their favorite historic figures, athletes and even celebrities!  During our lesson we read the biography Snowflake Bentley and discussed what we learned.  Students identified the different parts of a biography including:

 

 

All week we have been participating in the "Hour of Code."  The hour of code is an initiative that supports and promotes computer science in schools.  School typically don't require classes on writing code; however once our students hit the job market, coding will most likely be a basic skill that potential job candidates should know. 

 

Grades 2nd - 5th visited the website code.org in the media center and played coding games with the characters of Frozen and Angry Birds.  The games are engaging and force students to solve different puzzles by using 'blockly' - a program that teaches the basics of coding.  The best part is that students can go home and play and learn on code.org for hours if they are interested.  Check it out yourself:  code.org

 

    

 

Happy coding!

~Ms. Waddell

 

It's winter in Georgia which means freezing nights and afternoons in the sixties.  Do we keep the heat on or off?  Do I really need to take off my winter coat while driving home from work and then realize I'm still hot and need to turn the AC on?  Even though our winter weather is fickle here in the South, we try to keep it somewhat festive and snowy in the media center by creating fun book displays.  Come and check out our winter and holiday book display before Winter Break!

 

 

 

 

 

 Stay warm! (or cool if it's 70 degrees in December)

~Ms. Waddell 

 

 

December 1 - 5 is "Inclusion Week" in APS schools.  This is a week to help emphasize including everyone in your school, even those that are different.  Every school has been asked to incorporate lessons, wear Navy on a certain day and simply raise awareness about being kind to everyone.  

 

When I heard about this initiative, so many great books came to mind.  Two of my most favorite books that I've read in my years as being a media specialist are the books Wonder by RJ Palacio and Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson.  Both books are about choosing to be kind when not everyone else is following suit.  It's so important to discuss 'choosing kind', especially in elementary school.  These books are both tough and sad, but important enough in their message that every student should read them.  

 

     

 

 

This week, I've invited classes to come to the media center to listen to the picture book, Each Kindness.  We discuss the book and what we can learn from it.  We go over what it means to be a caring and open-minded person and how we can actively choose to be kind to someone.  This book talks about the 'ripple effect' and how when we are kind, it can effect the entire world.  In order to expand upon this idea, I asked my students to write and illustrate a small piece on how they can "change the world" by being kind - either something they want to do or something they have already done.  I've seen some amazing ideas and acts of kindness.  Our bees are so kind hearted, it's extremely heart warming to see their ideas.  

 

We are also signing the "Choose Kind" pledge!  You can sign here, too:

 

http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/choose-kind/pledge.php 

 

Happy pledging!

 

~Ms. Waddell 

 

 

November is Picture Book Month!

 

 

 

 

 

We are celebrating picture book month in the library!  All grades are being exposed to many picture books - even 5th graders!  Make sure to pick up your favorite picture book at your public library, our library or a local bookstore.  Here are some of my favorites:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

International Dot Day was created to celebrate art, reading, creativity, confidence and learning!  It's all centered around this wonderful book by Peter H. Reynolds:

 

 

 

The book teaches us that we won't achieve anything, unless we try.  And once we try, we can create beautiful things!

 

Mrs. Gholston's 2nd grade students were the first to celebrate!  We began by reading the book.  After a quick discussion, the students created their own dot:

 

 

 

Each dot was so unique!

 

           

 

The students then used our new cart of iPad minis to make their dots 3D!  We used an app called 'colAR mix'.

 

It takes a drawing (using coloring sheets printed out from the app's website) and makes it come to life.  The students' reactions were priceless as they watched their dots pop up, start moving and make patterns.  Check it out:

 

   

 

The students even did a "gallery walk" and looked at their classmate's artwork in 3D using their iPad minis. 

 

     

 

 

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New Artwork Up at the Main Campus 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                 

      

 

 

 

 

 

I want to especially thank our awesome book fair chairs, Leslie Causey and Jennifer Rosenfeld, who did an amazing job heading up the book fair and raising money for the media center.  It's our main fund raiser to buy books and materials and we could not do this without the support of our PTA.  THANK YOU.