Snow! Snow! Snow!

Did you get out in the snow to make a snowman? have a snowball fight? make snowangels? Our snow wasn't the best for packing, but filling a bucket with slushy snow allowed us to make a snowman like you would a sandcastle. He did turn out a bit square-looking from the street, but he will be there in the yard long after the rest of the snow melts. Amber and her friends made a snowman mound that looked like he'd had a hard night. It sure was beautiful, but...COLD! We drank lots of hot chocolate. What did you do?

Stone Soup

We had bowls of fun today making our stone soup and performing readers' theaters for the story, too. Who would have guessed that magic could come from a soup made with stones? Well, as I hope you have learned this week, the magic comes from sharing with others and trying new things. Which version of Stone Soup was your favorite?

Animals, Animals Everywhere

Can you think of an animal that is covered with fur, walks on 4 legs, and eats eucalyptus leaves? Of course you can because we have been studying animals for 3 weeks now. The students have really enjoyed discussing and exploring animals. They have learned about scientist classifying them by their unique characteristics: coverings, movement, habitat, appendages, enemies, and eating habits. Next week before our test, we will get to share our animal clue flipbooks, feel some actual coverings, and explore our favorite animals more indepth. I am looking forward to it. Can you guess what animal I like?

Special Guest Reader

Did you enjoy the stories my dad, Principal Portis, read? They are 2 of my favorite stories. I love stories about the joy of reading and about the blessings of being different. Every time you turn the page of a story book, it is an adventure just waiting to happen. Books will take you to far away lands, long ago times, or to meet amazing characters. What adventures have books taken you on lately?

Reading Month Tradition Continued

What do you think of the Black Lagoon stories by Mike Thaler? We have heard the stories from the class, the teacher, the art teacher, the music teacher, the new kid, and today, the custodian. Still to come, we have the nurse, the secretary, the cafeteria lady, the librarian, substitute teacher, the bully, and the principal. It's it great that these people in our school will take time out of their day to read these stories to us? I think it makes our Reading Month tradition very special. Remember to thank them. Now go sit down with a nice, cozy blanket and a good book! Enjoy!

Winter Stories to Warm Readers

I have truly enjoyed reading the winter stories written in the last week. Your snowball fights, snowangels, and snowmen took me back to my childhood. Sitting by the cozy fire with a snuggly blanket and frothy cup of hot cocoa made me yearn for a good book. Thanks for making me feel like I was there as I read your stories. Keep it up with your next stories. Remember the excitement for your readers is in the details you share. Make our mouths water, our hearts pitter-patter, and our ears hear the songs that you hear. What will your next story be about?

Reading Month

I am thrilled that Sheriff Stolle kicked off "Reading Month" for us this year. It was nice of him to make us his first official duty as the new Virginia Beach Sheriff. Did you like the story about the wolf learning to read? It is one of my favorites. Sherman Crunch was a pretty cool story, too.

Exciting Times

Welcome to 2010! I hope you have all had a great winter break. I have enjoyed spending time with my family and friends, eating delicious treats, and reading a book about being "gorgeously green". I was tickled to find that my daughter, Heather, wrapped my presents in brown paper bags with paper ribbons. One of the things she gave me was a basket made with rolled up newspaper. I will bring it to school to show you, but this is a picture of it. It is the neatest thing...and an example of creatively reusing resources. So what have you been up to during the break?