Holiday (pet) Adoption Event

Are you thinking of adding a furry member to your family this holiday season? Almost 10 years ago, I adopted my handsome dog Charlie Brown from the animal shelter in Bonita and he has brought so much joy to my life ever since!

This is a notification from Nixle:
The Chula Vista Animal Care Facility is hosting a "Holiday Adoption Event" beginning Tuesday, December 15 through Saturday, December 19.  During that time, adoption fees will be waived on ALL animals.  Normal adoption fees are $75 for dogs and $65 for cats.  Pets will be fully vaccinatd, spayed or neutered, and even micro-chipped to ensure a quick reunion should your pet get lost.

The ACF is open Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and adoptions are processed until 6 p.m., Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with adoptions processed until 4 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with adoptions processed until 3 p.m.

This holiday season, give the gift of friendship to a loved one or yourself.  Adoption application forms are available at the front desk of the Chula Vista Animal Care Facility, located at 130 Beyer Way.  Or download one at www.chulavistaca.gov/pets.

Everyday Mathematics Online at Home

As you are aware, we have adopted Everyday Mathematics as the core mathematics’ curriculum for our school. A website with online programs to assist your child accompanies this curriculum. These programs can be utilized on any computer that has internet access. The site allows access to a number of math games as well as the Reference Book we use in class. (Your child brought this home at one point to share with you. It's the hardcover book.)

Tomorrow in class, I will be reviewing the site with the children and giving them an opportunity to try it out. I will also be sending a letter home with your child that explains the process of logging on so that you can try it out together. Each child will have their own unique login and password to personalize their experience.

If you have any trouble getting set up or accessing the site, please feel free to contact me and I will do what I can to help out. You can also stop in after school on Tuesday or Thursday and we can go through the steps together on one of our classroom computers.

https://www.everydaymathonline.com/

VTS

Last weekend, I went to a fantastic training at the Museum of Photographic Arts that focused on Visual Literacy. Basically, Visual Literacy is based on the idea that images can be 'read' and that a person can gather meaning from the image. One of the ways we emphasize this in class is with the use of something called VTS - Visual Thinking Strategies. I was trained in this over a period of several years and was excited to get a refresher at the training.

In a VTS lesson we look at an image (piece of artwork usually) and discuss it. I use only three questions when asking the children about it:

1. What's going on in this picture?
2. What do you see that makes you say that?
3. What more can we find?

To value what each child has said, I will repeat their thoughts but not interject my own opinions or thoughts. I don't ever say, "That's right!" or "I agree."  I am simply mirroring what they have said (to be sure that I understood.)

When students have the opportunity to talk about art, something amazing happens. There is no right or wrong answer so kids are free to express their opinions. Their comments often build on what other students have said so it's clear to see that they are engaged in the activity, listening thoughtfully to what their classmates think. The experience teaches them to think critically and to give a reason to back up their opinions and feelings. It's always very interesting to hear what the children have to say - come in and join us if you can! I think you'll be very impressed.

Last week, we looked at this photograph at the top of the post by Dorothea Lange called Migrant Mother. Today, we looked at two pieces of art. The first is a sculpture by Francis J. Yellow called Hanta-po (Get Out of the Way.)

And the second is a color woodblock print referred to as Kitchen Scene by Japanese artist, Kitagawa Utamaro.

Talk them over with your child and see what s/he has to say...

da Vinci Experience

Last week, on Thursday, we traveled to the San Diego Air and Space Museum on a bus. Kekoa thought it took a long time to get there.

We talked to a man who worked there about the planes that were in front of the museum. Guy thought they were so awesome! We had a snack and then went inside. First we went into the da Vinci exhibit and started with a movie about da Vinci. We walked through the exhibit, looking at the machines and touching the ones that had green signs on them. A green sign meant that you could put your hands on the machine and try it out. The machines were models of the drawings he had put in his notebooks. Kamryn thought the inventions were really cool. Rhiannon especially liked the hall of mirrors because you could see your back and most times you don't get to see that! Maya's favorite part of the museum was the hallway that had da Vinci's paintings in it. Erika's favorite part was seeing a model of the wings we talked about in class.

In other parts of the museum, there were planes, helicopters and spacecrafts. We even saw an old fashioned car! There was a special room dedicated to astronauts. There were lots of photos of them and you could learn more about the planets. In the back, there were some fake people inside a helicopter and Sabrina thought they looked real. Chelsea thought that the fountain in the middle of the museum was beautiful.

The museum was interesting to Kaitlyn and Briana thought the trip was fun! Gina thought we all learned a lot about Leonardo da Vinci. We had a great time visiting the museum and hope we'll be able to go there again! Maybe next time we'll get to go on that cool ride. :)

*This entry was written by the kids!*

Reading Rockets - Resources for Parents

Reading Rockets "offers a wealth of reading strategies, lessons, and activities designed to help young children learn how to read and read better. Our reading resources assist parents, teachers, and other educators in working with struggling readers who require additional help in reading fundamentals and comprehension skills development."

I have added a widget (seen at the bottom of this post) to the sidebar on this blog that has some updates from Reading Rockets' website. One thing from the site that I think is helpful for all parents is the Recommended Books for Kids page. It has books listed by theme so you can find just the right title for your young reader.

Catching up...

I just uploaded a bunch of photos from the past couple of weeks, including the ones from our trip to the Pumpkin Patch. We all had such a great time there! We got to see the different stages in the life of a pumpkin - one of our science standards. It was a great opportunity to step out of the classroom and experience the science first hand. Here are the stages, minus the seed stage:

Ask your child to tell you about the stages and to talk to you about the other things we learned about pumpkins. You might just learn something new!

Learning Beyond the Classroom

Next Thursday, we will be heading to the San Diego Air and Space Museum to check out The da Vinci Experience, an exhibit of Leonardo da Vinci's machines. The group that went today really enjoyed it so I am  looking forward to taking the children! It will help the children learn more about da Vinci and why we chose to name our school after him.

Next Friday, we'll be heading over to Mater Dei's theater to see CYT's performance of High School Musical 2. It's a great opportunity for the kids to experience a theater production that features children as the actors. Also, it's just a short walk to the theater so we'll be saving on the cost of a bus.

We've had a lot of events going on in the past month! It seems like everything came up at once. This will not always be the case. In the spring, we are planning to go to the San Diego Zoo. This will be a field trip where we will not be limited in the number of chaperons so if you are unable to join us for next week's events, hopefully you will be able to join us then. I'll let you know as soon as we have a date set up.

Chula Vista Nature Center Event

I wanted to let you know about this special event that's happening on Saturday... :)Ms. G

Bring the family for a fun-filled day in Chula Vista! In honor of National Wildlife Refuge Week, there will be free admission to the Chula Vista Nature Center on Saturday, October 17. Onsite festivities begin at 10 a.m. with free shuttle buses running continuously throughout the day until 4:30. Parking will also be available at the E Street Trolley Station; just tell the staff in the station center to call for a ride to the Nature Center and the bus will come for you there.

Some of the festivities include birding and nature tours, kids activities and crafts, special guest speakers and performers and much more. Visit www.chulavistanaturecenter.org for more information or call (619) 409-5900.

At Least 60 Minutes of Exercise a Day!

So... I'm watching the Charger game and saw a commercial for Play 60, a program sponsored by the NFL that encourages kids to get out and exercise for at least 60 minutes a day. Their website, http://www.nflrush.com/ has all kinds of stuff almost every NFL team. We'll be trying out the games for Antonio Gates and Urlacher during PE tomorrow! :)

Also, they are currently running a contest to have an NFL player come to your school and teach you a 'fun game.' Let's try to win it! Register at: http://www.nflrush.com/contests/taps/

Family Solar Day

I wanted to let you know about this upcoming event...

Family Solar Day

Sunday, September 27
12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Liberty Station – Ingram Plaza
2640 Decatur Road, San Diego (Point Loma) MAP IT
Free – No registration required Bring the whole family to this free Solar Energy Week kick-off event and learn about powering your world with the sun in a casual, relaxed atmosphere at the historic Liberty Station on San Diego Bay. This is an afternoon of fun solar activities for the whole family and an opportunity to mix with hundreds of residential consumers seeking expert advice about solar solutions and technologies.

Some of the activities include interactive, hands-on exhibits, solar experiments, solar cooking demonstrations and a coloring contest for kids. There will be many opportunities to ask the experts questions about how you can join in on the clean energy future.

One of our most popular and well-attended annual events, this will be a day of fun and sun that will empower you with the information you need to make the move to solar power and water heating.

Sad News

Your child should have brought home a letter on blue paper today - it talks about a student who attended Mater Dei that passed away on Monday.

I wanted to let you know that I talked about the student's death with the class. I told them that we don't have a lot of information about what happened - that all we really know is that she became ill and, sadly,  died. There were a lot of different stories floating around about it all today (among adults - not the kids) so I thought it was important to clarify with them that sometimes it takes time to learn what really happened after a person dies and that sometimes rumors are spread when people aren't sure exactly what happened. We talked about H1N1 (because that was a big concern among some parents) and discussed all of the ways we are already working to prevent the spread of germs. I wanted to be sure to calm their worries so that we remember not to overreact when we see someone who is sick.

We also talked about how how the student's classmates, friends and family may be feeling and about how we have felt when someone we cared about passed away. The kids shared what things help them to feel better when they are feeling sad and we decided that it would be nice to make cards for the students, expressing our sadness about what happened and trying to give them a reason to smile. Together, we came up with some appropriate sentiments to include and the kids began their cards in class. Some children brought theirs home to finish, while others finished in class. You may wish to talk to your child about our discussion and check in on how s/he is feeling about it.

I want to reassure you that, as a school that believes health is very important, we talk a lot about the importance of hand washing before we eat (snack and lunch) and after using the restroom. I have hand sanitizer available (any time they need it) and we are careful to wipe down the tables before we eat our snack in the classroom. I also remind them to cough into their elbow or their shirt and to dispose of tissues after using them.

Operation KidPrint

Hopefully, you will never be in a situation where you'll need your child's fingerprints but it's always good to be prepared. On that note, I wanted to share this upcoming event with you...

Operation KidPrint
at Bonitafest 2009

September 26, 2009
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Lot B behind the Wells Fargo on Bonita Road
4252 Bonita Road, Bonita, CA

Obtaining a copy of your child's fingerprints is a tool to protect your child if the unthinkable happens. Operation KidPrint provides a confidential way of documenting vital identification information for your records. Join Assemblymember Marty Block and the CHP at Bonitafest to help protect your children.

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

Today in class we read the book, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett. It’s a book that teachers love to read because it can lead to some pretty creative writing. In the book version, a man tells his grandchildren a bedtime story about a town called Chewandswallow where they have no grocery stores because food falls from the sky in place of rain, snow and various storm systems.

A movie (with the same name) opened today. I haven’t seen it, of course, so I can’t tell you if it’s any good or not but you can tell from the trailer and write ups about the movie that it’s quite different from the book. If you go see the movie with your child, consider having a conversation about what’s different and why they are so different.

After reading the book today, I showed the kids the website for the movie. It’s pretty fun and is very interactive. One thing that I emphasized with them is that Sony Pictures Animation has partnered with Feeding America to provide meals for Americans in need. While playing the game Food Catcher, every time you ‘catch’ a golden apple, one meal will be donated. It’s an easy way to help others and helped get us thinking about how lucky we are to have food to eat every day. After playing the game, they can print out a certificate that they can also color. Check it out!

Nixle

In case you aren’t familiar with it, I wanted to share a great community resource, Nixle. As stated on their website, “it immediately connects you to trusted, important, time-sensitive information via text message, e-mail, and web. Get neighborhood-level public safety and health alerts and other relevant community information.”

You can have notifications sent to an email address or directly to your phone and you can choose locations where you live and work. I really appreciate getting notices like this one:

Volunteer for Chula Vista's Community Emergency Response Team(CERT). Starts Oct 1st 5:30-9:30 PM. Call 619.476-2378
Public Announcement:The City of Chula Vista in partnership with Southwestern College invites the general public to participate in Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Basic certification requires a twenty-four hour commitment. The classes are intended to prepare everyone to be ready in case of a disaster and be a survivor not a victim. Classes are free of charge. Please refer to attachment for details. Please call (619) 476-CERT for additional information. Or Register at (619) 409-5482 at CV Fire. Members are 15-1/2 years of age to seniors. This is a 24 hour training, starts Oct 1st, ends Oct 24th.
Contact Information: Tom Leonard 
Fire Department 
 619-409-5482 
 tleonard@ci.chula-vista.ca.us

To check it out and/or sign up with Nixle, click on this link. http://local.nixle.com/
:)Ms. G

Presidential Address

There is a lot of controversy swirling around President Obama’s address today. I wanted to let you know what we talked about after watching it in class this morning.

When it was over, I asked the children to tell me about what they remembered from the speech. Two big messages came across: if you see someone being bullied, you should stick up for them and don’t ever give up. The children had lots to say about how important it is to work hard and keep trying, even if you fail sometimes. We also talked about his comment that “if you quit on school - you’re not just quitting on yourself, you’re quitting on your country.” [This is an idea that relates directly to an important component of our charter - how the choices you make affect you, the people around you, in your community, etc.] Additionally, we talked about how school can help you discover things you are really interested in or really good at.

After our discussion, I asked them to do some writing. We made a promise to work hard in school so that we could achieve our goals - for most of the children, the goals focused on what they want to become when they grow up. I asked them to finish the writing and include a drawing for homework tonight so your child can show it to you if you are interested in seeing what they wrote.

Here is a link to the address in case you missed it:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/A-Message-of-Hope-and-Responsibility-for-Americas-Students/

Welcome to Second Grade at LdV!

After two weeks of school, we are beginning to settle in and get used to our new school site. It has been an exciting transition and we are enjoying life at Mater Dei. Our class has reached capacity with 20 students. We have been spending time getting to know each other and starting in on the 2nd grade curriculum.