Is it Friday yet?

Things I learned this week (and it's only Thursday):

• Being a perfectionist is not good for my health, at least it seems that way.  Our third annual Mrs. Yager's class, "World Feast" was Tuesday night.  My job, after video taping the kids in front of my makeshift green and blue screens during the week, was to put them all together into one video.  Did it not go as smoothly as I liked last weekend?  Yes.  Did I put in more hours than I'd like to admit?  Yes.  But, in the end was it worth it? Absolutely.  The whole FEAST was amazing.  The food, the costumes, the trifolds displaying their research, the energy in the library. Fourth grade "alumni" returning. What a culmination of a month's worth of work.  BRAVO! Lesson learned (one that I will never learn, really): Do not leave things to the last minute.  This time it really did not take just a minute to do.

 

• Jason Chin likes to exercise his IMAGINATION.  We had a great Skype today with Caldecott and Sibert honor winning illustrator/author of Grand Canyon.  It was optional for 4th graders to join us during their lunch (more than a third of the grade showed up) along with Mrs. Roe's second graders and a few fifth graders.  Boy is he talented and so sweet and calm.  "Nonfiction captures my imagination," he said.  He also shared that when he sketches while he is doing research (i.e., at the Grand Canyon), it is an attention strategy that helps him hold on to his memories.  When you sketch you are spending so much time looking that it will stick in your memory.  Wow.

• I'm not as opposed to reading an ebook as I used to think I was.  Lately I've been falling asleep with my iPad on my lap. Not the best thing since when it falls off the bed at 2:43 am, I am suddenly woken up with the crash.  But, I am a night owl and always go to bed after my husband.  That said, reading an ebook (Thank you Netgalley) allows me to sneak into bed without turning on a light and disturbing him. So far, I've only been the one stirred when the iPad slips down the covers. 
• Sleeping at school is so much fun!  The PTO sponsored a ReadOver/SleepOver Friday night.  Nearly 90 second and third graders came for a Jigsaw Jones event with special guest, James Preller.  Yes, the energy was high for an author visit but the kids still loved it.  Shhh...a couple of them even said it was better than the gym part.  Really?!  Jimmy was a good sport.  Look at him leaping at 9pm!

• Make sure others proofread your work (and I'm not talking about just grammar).  I sent home an invitation to a REBOUND party I'm throwing next month.  I wrote, "Bring a basketball or 1988 treat."  What would you think that meant?  At least one boy has already said, "I'm bringing my basketball!"  Oops! I meant basketball TREAT.  Maybe I need to move the party into the gym.

• I'm super stoked about TXLA18. The workshops. The book creators. The books. The Texas sun. Old friends. New friends. However, what conclusion did I come to this week?  I'm going to need to take off AFTER the conference.  While everyone else will be refreshed and tan, I am going to be 200% professionally refreshed but it will come with a huge serving of exhaustion.  Don't get me wrong--this North North Texan cannot wait to step into Bluebonnet country.
• Melissa Stewart rocks.  There I was at our first grade morning program today that was all about robots and one of the kids shared her book. The second grade teacher turns to me and says, "Oooh, Melissa Stewart!"  That's because last year she taught 4th grade and we did our Sibert Smackdown together.  Then, I share Melissa's newest book about seeds with a third grade teacher and she loves it. "This is a great book to use in our science unit.  Wow! Seeds travel!" she exclaimed. Even her hydroponic Herbie liked the book!

• Your "look" is everything, right? Well, goodbye blue glasses; hello cat eyed clear ones. Now I'm ready to rock and roll!  Speaking of rocking and rolling...We're getting ready to plan for Matthew Cordell's visit and HIS new book ROCK-N-ROLL SOUL by Susan Verde.  That's next week...

Now...maybe I can get a few pages in before my bedroom floor does....

All in a day's work...

From sunrise to sunset and beyond, this was a full day if I ever had one.

World Feast

Mrs. Yager's third graders have been working for weeks in preparation for our World Feast on Tuesday night.  They have researched and taken notes on a country using Culturegrams, Britannica, World Book and print books.  This week I am interviewing them as an 8 year old from that country in the library and in the classroom they are designing displays with information and pictures.  At home they are working with their parents in finding a food to share from their country.  I love this project!

Gala Kickoff

In less than two months, Caldecott medalist Matthew Cordell, will be walking through our Castleton Elementary hallways. What?!  I still can't believe it's happening!  It is very unlike me to do the same project two years in a row but we are.  It's our #PictureAPoem Gala collaboration between fifth grade ELA, art and library.  Today we kicked it off by talking about how illustrators and authors don't usually get together to discuss the book and how our students will be illustrating someone else's poem for our gala in May.  I collected poems without names on them. Tomorrow they will "shop" for a poem that speaks to them written by a student from a different class.  It will be glued into their sketchbook and the rest of the work will be completed in art. Mark your calendars--May 9 will be here before you know it! I can only hope we don't have to worry about the threat of snow then.

Pi Day

I love this day, 3.14...probably because it's an excuse to throw a party in the library, a place of many numbers.  And boy did we party.  Between PI cookies, pie, cookies and more, it was quite the dessert feast.  We did watch the Brainpop video on "Pi" and started a 3.14 scavenger hunt.  One thing I learned today:  I want to visit Garden City, Georgia.  They are home to the PI zip code.

Book Exchanges

Sadly, I don't have a library assistant and haven't for many years.  But I more than manage with my three grandmother volunteers.  Until one of them goes on vacation or calls in sick.  That's what happened today.  Fortunately, teachers are flexible and classes came in when I was able to help them. I do love book exchange.  I love when kids find books by people we love.

Note: Both of these books are illustrated by Matt Cordell!

The Wild Robot Escapes

My third grade book WILD ROBOT group is chomping at the bit to begin a part II book group with the sequel.  Arletta and I preordered the book so we are READY!  Of course, I already have three books going on right now and adding a fourth might send me a little over the edge...

ReadOver/SleepOver Prep

Second and third graders were invited to sleep over at school Friday night.  FUN!  I got involved in this PTO event a few years ago and now invite an author or illustrator to be a part of it. No, they don't (and neither do I) have to sleep over.  This year we are doing a Jigsaw Jones mystery themed evening starring our own local author, James Preller.  Dewey Duty and Reading Ambassadors began working on welcome signs for Jimmy this morning.  

Here's Mrs. Charsky checking out a Jigsaw Jones book to read aloud to her class.

NYLA Conference Call

Wait? What?  This was a fun sight to see.  I promise I was listening, just multitasking.  I carried my phone around with me in the library as I picked up to get ready to go and listened in on our Continuing Education Committee meeting call.  Don't worry! It was on mute when the custodian asked me if there was any pie left.

Music in Our Schools

This is a national month celebration, right?  Anyway, our whole community comes out for an evening of performances by students from the elementary school, middle school and high school.  We had second graders singing, middle schoolers rockin' out and high schoolers jammin'.  It really was awesome.  Yes, I had two performers in it but I did say more than once, you'll see me there in 2025 when I don't anymore.  But that's getting just a little ahead of myself...

When the day was happening, I didn't think I would ever get horizontal tonight.  But finally I see the light (or the dark if you want to be literal).  All in all, a great day with so much going on. This isn't even all of it!  Looking forward to see what tomorrow brings...

A Visit with Monica Wellington!

Another great author visit has come and gone.  The preparation is always crazy for these visits, but well worth it!  What amazes me is that the authors are always smiling and thanking me.  I know I exhaust them but it's nice to be humored :-)

Monica Arrives

All the first graders, at a moment's notice, came out to the lobby to welcome and cheer Monica on as she entered school.  We pride ourselves on these arrivals!  Mrs. Kosinski's class even held up her books for all to see!

Signing Books

No rest for the weary.  We put Monica right to work!  She had over 100 books to sign. I don't know if you can tell, but she isn't just signing her name, she is personalizing every book with a name, a salutation and an illustration!  Beautiful!

Lunch Break

I invited some fifth grade Dewey Duty kids to join us for a BYOL (I did provide popcorn) with Monica.  It was nice and intimate and the kids really enjoyed it.  You can learn a lot from anyone and they did!

It was great that Mrs. Pusateri showed up at that moment so we could get a photo op with her, too!
She did a wonderful job organizing the Read Over Sleep Over.
ps-My clock in the back is broken again. Agh!

 Assemblies

First graders and kindergarteners came in for separate short assemblies in our Common Area in the afternoon.  It was great!  Monica shared with us pictures of her cats in her apartment, her writing and illustrating process along with the first book she ever published (when she was in first grade in Switzerland) and first versions of Mr. Cookie Baker.  It was fun to see how she takes a photograph and uses that as a guide for some of her illustrations.

The first thing Monica does before starting a book is sketch it out.

We are looking at the differences between an older version of Mr. Cookie Baker and the published book.

Monica with some of the first graders (and Seymour)

One of the kindergartners brought in his own copy of Crepes by Suzette for Monica to sign.

The view from Monica's apartment in NYC

One of Monica's first drawings she ever did in elementary school

More Mr. Cookie Baker - I was getting hungry looking at all those cookies!

And then the READ OVER SLEEP OVER! 

After a short opening with all the kids, Monica lead four small groups with an activity related to her books.  She shared how she uses artwork as a guide for some of her illustrations.  With that, she spread out postcards of famous pieces of art and students had to find them in her books.  Some were easy but some, like The Three Musicians by Pablo Picasso in Crepes by Suzette was a bit more challenging, but they all found it. And they found many more! AND they were so well versed in the artists, it was so impressive.  Kudos to our art teacher, Mrs. Pazienza!

 Part 2

The second part of the station was to take a postcard and create your own version of that painting. Once again, the kids were awesome.  Here's one group with their masterpieces!

Check out the clock (and this one works!)--Finally, we said our goodbyes.  It was a wonderful day and fun visit!  Stay tuned for a drawing Monica did of me leaping, of course!  I'm hoping to make it my new profile pic soon! Thanks again for coming to Castleton, Monica!