GARDENING AND HEALTHY SNACKS

ONE BUTTERFLY, NINE TO GO!! FINGERS CROSSED!!

Do you know the differences between butterflies and moths? Ask your child! In fact this was your child's homework tonight. There should be something about body shape, antennae, resting position and nighttime activity. Your child should be able to show you these differences!

Caterpillars to Butterflies and Egg Sac to Praying Mantis...Here's Hopin'

We received 10 caterpillars that are ready to become pupa and a praying mantis egg sac ready to hatch out 100 or more nymphs. We tried the egg sac a few weeks ago, but it was too early and we could not get them outside soon enough. Hopefully the weather will cooperate this time and we will succeed.

We are seeing similarities in life cycles of insects. Our mealworms have moved through the cycle of pupa to beetles and we hope the cycles will repeat. These are similar to butterfly life cycles and other insects.

SUMMER READING

SUMMER READING AND MORE AT MS. R’S HOUSE

Each Tuesday and Thursday from 10:00AM-12:00Noon join me for time to read books, listen to a Read Aloud book, walk the dogs and have a snack with me!

Six weeks of reading begins Tuesday, 6/11/13 and ends Thursday, 7/25/13. We will skip the week of the Fourth of July.

The cost is $10.00 per week per child.

Individual or small group tutoring in Reading or Math also available.

Mary Ann Rupcich
836-1570

NEW FAMILY READ ALOUD BOOK

Another entertaining as well as poignant book by Christopher Paul Curtis, author of Elijah of Buxton and The Watsons Go To Birmingham. If you would like to join us in reading this book as a family, please send $8.00 to Mrs. Rupcich.

MORE ON UNDERSTANDING WHO IS TELLING THE STORY

This morning we gathered to discuss the series books being read in our class. I called on students around the carpet to tell us if the book they are reading is an "I" book (that is, if a character in the story is telling the story) and if so, which character or if the author is telling the story but not as one of the characters.

This is what we discovered about the books being read in Class 114 right now.

Frankly Frannie: "I" is Frannie
Dragon Breath: Not an “I” book
Jigsaw Jones: “I” is Jigsaw
Bailey School Kids: Not an “I” book
Marvin Redpost: Not an “I” book
Nate The Great : Nate is “I”
Young Cam Jansen: Not an “I” book
Horrible Harry: Doug is “I”
AtoZ: Not an “I” book
Animal Ark Pets: Not an “I” book
Jewel Kingdom: Not an “I” book
Bunnicula: “”I” Is Harold the Dog

A LESSON IN STRATEGIC READING

The other day while talking with Horrible Harry readers, I asked the readers who was telling the story. Uh oh, they did not know that Harry's best friend, Eric, was the "I" in the book!

We have discussed recognizing an "I" story. This is when the author writes as though she IS one of the characters. Many times, the main character is the "I" as in Nate the Great. But Horrible Harry is different.

I distributed copies of Horrible Harry books to all students in the class. It did not have to be a copy of the same title because the entire series works the same way and the author always makes it clear on the first page.
But the reader must be ready for the clues because the author does not just say, "I am Eric, Harry's best friend and I will tell you this story about him." Instead, the author (as Eric) says something like, I have known Harry since kindergarten and I know he does some pretty horrible things sometimes. And then usually a conversation follows. Harry might say, "Eric, what do you think?" And the author will say, I replied, "I think you are wrong, Harry."

From this, the reader must infer that the "I" is Eric! I explained all of this and the students each had to find the conversation that gives away this BIG clue about who is telling the story.

Understanding voice and being able to infer important information correctly becomes more and more important for young readers as they move into more sophisticated text.

The other interesting result of this lesson was that many students who are not quite ready to read Horrible Harry books, want to be ready and see themselves as getting ready to take them on!

PRAYING MANTIS: THE ARRIVAL

This morning when we entered the room, a few of the boys went over to check the egg sac hanging in a butterfly habitat near the window. The picture above is similar to what they saw! Only, the baby mantises were going right through the netting of the habitat and falling to the floor.
We got a plastic bag, put the habitat in it and the kids started their praying mantis hunt. We probably retrieved about 25 runaway babies.
After school, Lydia's mom found a plastic covered tray in the lounge. She made the transfer and the babies are now housed in the tray.
Tomorrow we will worry about how to feed them...probably something live from the pet store. Here is hoping spring weather comes soon. These babies need to go to the garden!!

FACEBOOK: FAMILY READ ALOUD BOOK CLUB

Friend us and begin getting updates about our book club and more about reading and books!

READING QUOTIENT-Important information

Wish you could get an exact number score to let you know how your kiddo is doing at reading? Some reading experts developed a test to do just that. We’re calling it RQ�”kind of what IQ is to intelligence�”and you can take it right now. http://on.fb.me/YCzl89

SPRING IS HERE IN CLASS 114

On March 1, Class 114 planted tomato seeds and pepper seeds in flats and set them in the greenhouse in the cafeteria. With a little luck and a little water and sun, the plants will be ready for the garden by the middle of May!

We planted Big Boy tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers and almost every kid's favorite sweet banana peppers!

If you want to do it yourself at home, follow the steps in this link! Click here! Use same directions for peppers!

SEE PRAYING MANTIS IN ACTION

NEW ADDITION TO CLASS 114: PRAYING MANTIS EGG SAC

On Wednesday, our class was introduced to the life cycle of a praying mantis. We now have an egg sac which in 3 to 8 weeks will produce 75-200 praying mantis nymphs.(Fingers crossed) We hope that it will be closer to 8 weeks so that the gardens will be ready for them. They will help keep the bad bugs away from our plants all summer.

COMING SOON TO CLASS 114!

SUMMER READING LOSS

This is a good graphic showing how summer reading loss can be cumulative and often is NEVER made up!

There is a way to prevent this! Make sure your kids have just right and easy books to read all summer, carve out the time for the habit of reading, be a role model READ, and continue to read aloud as a family!!

GROUNDHOG DAY

Lydia and her mom made these great treats in honor of Groundhog Day! Chocolate pudding and chocolate sandwich cookies were decorated to look like a groundhog checking for Spring!! Everybody loved them!!! Thanks, ladies!

CLASS 114 LEARNS ABOUT MARTIN LUTHER KING

Students read a biographical text about Martin Luther King with their cross-aged partner. They had a list of important questions to focus their reading and then discussed the list. They took this list home to guide their discussion about what they had learned with parents.

We also listened to a recording of the "I Have A Dream" speech and Ms. R. showed us where the various places were on the map during the "Let Freedom Ring" part of the speech.

And then we read a favorite, The Back Of The Bus by Aaron Reynolds, who visited our school a few years ago. It is about the day when Rosa Parks changed everything!

Class 114 has a new read aloud. It is Harry Kitten and Tucker Mouse! If you read The Cricket In Time Square with us at Family Read Aloud Book Club, you will know these characters. They were the cricket's best friends.
This is a prequel and tells how these buddies came together as very young very lonely strays in the big world of Manhattan!

If you were wondering why we were discussing the burroughs of New York City, this is the reason!!!

A WHOLE LOT OF READIN' GOIN' ON

This week the kids have reviewed their reading logs. They added up how
many (chapter) books they have read so far this year. I never before had
kids really keep a list from the beginning of the year of all the books
they have read. These kids are loving it and are very conscientious about
recording the titles as they finish.

Most of the chapter book readers have already read more than 40 books.
That is at least 2 books per week! It is also testament to the practice of making sure kids read
the same books at school and home, carrying them back and forth as parents
sign every night that the child accomplishes this task!

I told them yesterday as they noted their accomplishment to their parents
in their homework note, that they have read as many or more books than any
other second graders in the city!
Hooray!!

FAMILY READ ALOUD BOOK CLUB NEWS

NEXT MEETING: WEDNESDAY 1/30/13
6:30PM in the CAFETERIA

We will discuss YOUNG FREDLE by Cynthia Voight

NEXT BOOK: CHARLOTTE’S WEB By E.B. White
Available that night for $8.00!
The Mighty Miss Malone is not available in paperback until 3/12/13, so while we wait ...

WHY READ ALOUD TO ELEMENTARY STUDENTS

Here is a good summary of the importance of reading aloud to kids who can already read. There are also tips for making it fun and worthwhile!

COMING DECEMBER 13, 2012

Our New Family Read Aloud Book
Click Here!

FAMILY READ ALOUD BOOK CLUB

NEXT MEETING: Thursday, 12/13/12 at 6:30PM

Cost of ABOUT AVERAGE: $10.00

This is a short book (120 pages) and an easy read!

THANKS TO MR. SCHOEDEL'S CLASS

Camaria Madison and Dontariana Boyd delivered a gift from their class to our class today. They voted on who should get their Shrek book and we won!

It is already a favorite among many!

BOOK TALK BETWEEN GIRLS ACROSS LEVELS!

Fiona is reading the second in a series of dog and cat books I found at the Book Fair recently! Today she convinced Trinity, now in Upper Primary, to give it a try!

So, now there are two girls reading books in a series about really cute dogs and cats!!

DON'T FORGET ABOUT CHILDREN'S MAGAZINES AS GIFTS!

There is something exciting about getting something in the mail each month and children's magazines are educational, too!!

ONE LONELY PEAR FROM OUR ORCHARD

Today we shared the one pear we got from our pear trees this season. It was sweet and juicy and everyone wanted more! Maybe next year!!

HELLO HARVEST MOON

Our class read this beautiful picture book on Friday.
We talked about how nature is changing at this time of the year and what beauty there is in those changes.

We then began creating our own pictures of nature in fall when it is lit by a harvest moon!

MONARCH BUTTERFLIES

This is a fantastic NOVA presentation which describes the journey of Monarch Butterflies. It is a story that seems almost too fantastic to believe!!
While watching a group of these travelers enjoying my Fall Clematis, I was reminded of this great video.

SNACKS THIS WEEK (11/26-11/30/12)

Bananas
Grapes and cheese
Cinnamon Toast cereal
Wheat Thins and peanut butter
Crackers and cheese

GARDENING TODAY

There are so many benefits to the gardens. I saw a bug yesterday that I had never seen before. This time of year when I miss my old kids, they pop up in the garden and we work and talk together. Yesterday a group that included old timers who love to be in the garden and some of my new students and other kids I don't even know except in the garden pulled out old bean plants from 2 plots. Today we planted 6 mounds of cucumbers (an experiment this time of year) and a plot of radishes and spinach! Of course there was some eating of banana peppers and cherry tomatoes going on too!!! So besides math and science there are also just plain old "life lessons" to carry with forever!!!

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES IN CLASS 114

This year, I am trying to be proactive in asking for support and assistance.
Please look through the list of ways to help our class be successful and sign up for one! You will be helping us, becoming an involved member of the Ball Charter Family and having a good time too!!

PLEASE CONTACT MARY ANN RUPCICH TO VOLUNTEER!!

1. Listen to beginning readers read their books one morning a week.
(About 45 minutes) 5 volunteers

2. Give struggling math students help in practicing math skills one afternoon per week.
(About 45 minutes) 5 volunteers

3. Be responsible for filling Wednesday Folders on Wednesday afternoons each week.
(About 45 minutes) 1 volunteer

4. Prepare, organize, submit and distribute Book orders every month or so.
Most of this work could be done at home.
(An hour or so once per month.) 1 volunteer

5. Occasional support in creating classroom materials.
Example: Making Science Journals for students.

6. Pulling out and organizing Math Home Links for daily distribution.
(30-45 minutes every month or so.)