The Boy on the Porch by Sharon Creech
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When Jacob is left on John and Marta's porch with nothing more than a note pinned to him, the childless couple isn't sure what to do. Jacob can't speak so he can't help solve what's going on. An excellent story about a couple that takes care of a boy not knowing what the next day might bring.

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An Exciting Prize!

What a wonderful way to start a week! At our morning assembly before school, a rep from School Specialty was present. I remembered seeing him at the MACE conference a few weeks ago, but I just assumed he was meeting with our principal. Instead, he was there to award me with a Tech Tub, a cool storage and charging solution for iPads! I've been considering getting a few iPads for the library but haven't looked too seriously into it because the syncing and charging aspects can be time-consuming or expensive. Now, with this amazing prize, I will certainly be looking at adding a little more technology to our school! Thank you School Specialty for this great Monday morning surprise!

Haiku Deck

I'm learning so much at MACE this year!  I found a fun app/website that I want to try out with the research my 5th & 6th graders are doing.  It's called Haiku Deck and it's a great easy way to share information!


Created with Haiku Deck, the free presentation app

Barbara Park

An example of a quick and easy iMovie project about children's author Barbara Park. 

The Boy on the Porch

Sharon Creech's book about an abandoned boy taken in by a small town farm couple is a wonderful story.  This is a story I think should be shared with kids and adults of all ages to think about the impact foster families have on lives.

Joining Edmodo

Watch the following video to see how to join Edmodo

Chinese New Year

Calendars are an invention of people. Time passes from day to day with the cycle of the sun rising and setting. Centuries ago people tried to measure time. They created the calendar as a measurement tool to keep track of how fast time was moving. However, just like there is more than one kind of pencil, or one kind of television, or gaming system, there is also more than one kind of calendar.

The Chinese New Year begins this year on January 31st. Just like our New Year is always on January 1st, the Chinese New Year is always on the first day of their calendar. One of the most interesting things about the Chinese calendar is that they identify each year with an animal. In simple terms, it’s like a mascot for the year.

This year will be the Year of the Horse. The Chinese say that people who are born during a Year of the Horse are cheerful and fun, talented and independent. A wonderful combination of traits!

The Chinese people celebrate their culture in a 15-day celebration of the New Year. They celebrate with fireworks, parades, special rituals and foods.

To celebrate Chinese New Year, skip the fortune cookies, which are really an American invention, and try out a tangram puzzle. Tangrams are ancient Chinese puzzles. If you’re in the mood for something with a more artistic flair, download and color this Year of the Horse page.

Resources:

Horse Tangram printable:  http://www.tangram-channel.com/tangram-horse-print-23/

Horse coloring page: http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/year-of-the-horse

YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QC05N4lt_tA



Image Credits:
dominuquechappard. Tangram Men. 13 Oct 2013. Openclipart.org. Web. 22 Jan 2014.
Salvor. Horse. 02 Jan 2013. Openclipart.org. Web. 22 Jan 2014.
Yves_Guillou. Tangrams. 03 Jan 2008. Openclipart.org. Web. 22 Jan 2014.