No TV Week 2019: Spuds in Space!

May 20th to the 26th was "No Time for TV Week" at Ashaway School!  (Although I realize we really should start calling it "Screen-Free Week".  A lot has changed since I started doing this program twenty years ago!) 

The rules were the same as always: students were challenged to pay attention to which activities they were choosing for their free time.  They earned points for non-screen activities, and they earned bonus points for each full day with no screen time at all.  Students who earned at least 100 points get a prize, and those who earned at least 100 points and had no screen time for the entire week get two prizes! 

This year, just for fun, I encouraged the students to exercise their creativity by decorating a potato to look like an alien, or anything else space related! (This extends our Reading Week theme "A Universe of Stories" while also urging students not to be “couch potatoes”!)

Students brought in their creations all week to be displayed in the library, and we all loved admiring their creativity!  We got lots of cool aliens, some rockets, a couple UFOs, an astronaut, and an asterism!!  (Click on the word if you need the definition; I didn't know that one until my student taught it to me!)

Neil Spudstrong!

UFP : Unidentified Flying Potato!

Since "A Universe of Stories" is also going to be the summer reading theme at the public libraries this summer, I asked Miss Heather at the Ashaway Free Library if she'd be interested in co-hosting a potato-decorating workshop.  She enthusiastically agreed, and on the evening of May 21st many children gathered in the library's new community room for "Potato-palooza!"  We had a blast, and I transported (not teleported!) the kids' incredible creations to our school library for everyone to admire.

Big thanks to Miss Heather and Miss Cheryl for co-hosting this fun event with me!

All this week students have been bringing back their papers to show how many points they earned by exercising their minds and bodies, and there are a LOT of them!  I'll be handing out the prizes next week for those who earned at least 100 points, but today I got to announce the 10 winners of the $10 gift certificates to the Savoy bookstore in Westerly!  While the deadline has passed for being included in the drawing, I will continue to accept participation forms from those who earned at least 100 points.  These students will be allowed to select something special from the library "prize basket" next week!
  

Congratulations to our ten lucky gift certificate winners!

Thanks to all the families who participated and supported their children during the week!  I am also grateful for the sponsorship of our wonderful Ashaway School PTO, who provides the funds for the gift certificates and "basket prizes"!  
 

Kids at Ashaway School Pick Their Noses!!

This week I had the pleasure of watching a whole lot of Ashaway School students pick their noses.  Well, some picked a nose.  Others picked a bookmark, a pencil, or one of the other fun "No Time for TV Week" prizes that I have on hand!  (But I think the nose-shaped pencil sharpeners are the best!)

Thanks to the support of the Ashaway School PTO, there are lots of things in my prize basket to motivate the students to take a break from all of their screens.  (You can read more about the program by clicking here.)  As an added incentive, we do a special prize drawing on the day that the participation forms are due.  Ten lucky students also win a $10 certificate to spend on Scholastic books!

Ten students who are looking forward to doing some book shopping!

Thanks again to the 

Ashaway School PTO for their support!

These Kids Had "No Time for TV"!

No Time for TV Week ended on Sunday, May 25th.  All last week students brought back their papers to show how many points they earned by exercising their minds and bodies, and there were a LOT of them!  This year, I saw a 33% increase in participation over last year's number!!  WOW!  In addition, over 50% of the students who participated in the program didn't have any screen time for the entire 7 days!  (By comparison, last year that number was about 25%.)  I'll be handing out the prizes for earning at least 100 points this week, and today I got to announce the winners of the $10 gift certificates for Scholastic Books.

This year's lucky winners have some shopping to do!

While the deadline has passed for being included in the drawing, I will continue to accept participation forms from those who earned at least 100 points.  These students will be allowed to select something special from the library "prize basket" next week!

Thanks all to all the families who participated and supported their children during the week!  I am also grateful for the sponsorship of our wonderful Ashaway School PTO, who provides the funds for the gift certificates and other prizes!  

Nobel Prize Winners!

winner of a Nobel Prize in Botany!

Today was "Dress Like a Scientist Day" in honor of our Reading Week theme, Experiment With a Good Book!  Our students came up with some wonderful costumes, and we were truly impressed by all the effort and creativity on display!  Here are just a few of our "Nobel Prize" winners.  Enjoy!

winner of a Nobel Prize in Excellence for his portrayal of an entomologist!  (Are those real bugs in there??)

This second grader won a Nobel Prize for Creativity.  She's dressed as a "fashionologist"!

winner of a Nobel Prize for Geology!

winner of a Nobel Prize for Chemistry!  (Yes, that's a "lab rat" peeking out of her pocket!)

winner of a Nobel Prize for Phlebotomy!

winner of a Nobel Prize for Robotic Science!

Right after taking the picture above, this student said, "The results are in...this is definitely the best class!"  :)

winner of a Nobel Prize for Wildlife Biology!

winners of a Nobel Prize for Research!

This last group really went "above and beyond"!  All four of these fourth graders spent some time learning about something new as part of their costumes and were able to tell me about their topics.  Great job, girls!!!

Dress Like a Scientist!

What image comes to mind when you read the word SCIENTIST?  

Do you picture someone in a white lab coat holding a glass beaker? 

There are all kinds of scientists who don't work in a laboratory.  For example:

• An astronomer studies stars, planets and galaxies.
• A botanist specializes in plants.
• An entomologist studies insects.
• A herpetologist studies reptiles and amphibians. 
• An ichthyologist studies fish. 
• A vulcanologist studies volcanoes. 
• An ornithologist studies birds. 
• An archeologist studies ancient civilizations. 
• A geologist specializes in the history of Earth.
• A geographer studies Earth's surface.
• A zoologist studies animals.
• A marine biologist studies ocean plants and animals.
• A meteorologist studies weather and climate.
• A microbiologist studies microscopic plants and animals.
• A paleontologist specializes in fossils.
• A seismologist studies earthquakes.
• A speleologist studies caves.

The above list is based on one found at factmonster.com

  

These students found titles that interested them in the enormous "We're Mad About Science!" book display in the library.

During library class this week we’ll be exploring all sorts of books about scientists and what they study.  This coming Monday is the beginning of Reading Week and the theme is "Experiment With a Good Book".  I want to make sure they're ready for Tuesday, which is Dress Like a Scientist Day! 

After viewing all of the students' costumes, Mrs. Bartkiewicz and I will be awarding selected students with prize certificates.  For example The Nobel Prize for Research (for going above and beyond to research a particular scientist or type of scientist and wearing a costume that demonstrates that knowledge) and The Nobel Prize for Creativity (for creating a costume that is especially unique and interesting)!

Here are some links for you to explore to get some more ideas:

Scientists From A-Z lists a different kind of scientist for each letter of the alphabet along with a link to another website for further exploration!

Learn about inventors and scientists at Kids.gov

"Famous Scientist Facts" at Science Kids

Just for fun, try out some of the "Science Games" at PBS KIDS

Yes, students may also dress as a fictional scientist!

A Celebration of Imagination!

PHEW!  Another wonderfully successful book fair week has come to an end.  A HUGE thank you to all the parents who worked so tirelessly to make these wonderful events come alive!!  I saw students' eyes light up when they found the perfect book, friends happily sharing with each other what they discovered, and loads of people enjoying the free ice cream and activities at the Ice Cream Social last night.  (I'll be going through pictures this weekend, so another blog entry all about these festivities will follow!)

Just a few of the students whose writing is displayed on our bulletin board.  You can read some of the contest entries below.  Great work, everyone!

Also exciting was the announcement yesterday morning of the "Reading Oasis" winner!  To promote the book fair and the joys of reading, I challenged our students to describe their own reading oasis.  If you could read anywhere, where would it be?  (Read all about the contest by clicking here.)  Students from all grades participated, and I'm happy to share some of their imaginative creations with you!

*Contest Winner!*  

My Reading Oasis by Halina, grade 4

      My Reading Oasis is in my woods on a floating chair that gently flies down a pretty trail.  You can hear the birds singing, crickets chirping and the wind blowing.  In the spring, you can see flowers blooming and plants sprouting.  You can smell the fresh air.  The trees and leaves shade you from the sun.  You go on in the chair for a while then you gently stop.  In the chair, you go up in a big sunny open spot with a little shade.  You are up as high as the top of the trees.  You can feel the wind blowing and feel the warmth of the sun.  You can still hear the birds singing, crickets chirping and the wind blowing.  You can see the ground underneath you and all the animals with their young ones.  It is a great spot to read.
    When you're ready to move on after reading you will push a button on the arm rest of the chair and the chair will start moving.  The chair will start heading straight toward a tree house at the top of the trees, next to a few bird nests.  The tree house has a few windows and three rooms.  A button on the wall of the tree house removes the roof so that you have sunlight and natural noises.  The first room has four chairs, a table and three book shelves.  In the second room there is a hammock.  The third room is a snack room with a refrigerator, a soda fountain, an ice cream machine and bins of candy on shelves.

My Reading Oasis by Nathan C., grade 4

My reading oasis would be

at the top of a tree

That would be the perfect place for me.

I would hear birds chirping

and hear bugs buzzing.

I would feel wind blowing,

and feel the feeling of that one comfortable branch.

I would smell tree sap

and smell pollen and nectar

dropping from flower to flower.

That would be my reading oasis.

My Reading Oasis by Sadie, grade K

My Reading Oasis by Erikah, grade 3

     My reading oasis is under the sea so it would be quiet and I would be a mermaid.  Also, I love fish so I would be a smart, happy and fun mermaid.  In addition, I would read many interesting fish books.  Next, I hope I'm not shark bait!  Furthermore, under the sea would be calm, peaceful and relaxing.  Lastly, under the sea would be my reading oasis!
     And my reading oasis would be a beautiful place.  Then I could do read-alouds with the little fishies.  I wonder what I will eat down in the ocean.  That is my reading oasis.

My Reading Oasis by Zoe, grade 1

     My reading oasis is Unicorn World.  Unicorn World has lots of rainbows, flowers and of course unicorns, lots of unicorns.  My favorite part of Unicorn World is that it never rains and is always sunny.  The sun shines so much that unicorn world sparkles.
     There are also lots of grand castles where happiness is all around and Unicorn World is very colorful, too.
     This is why I chose Unicorn World as my reading oasis.  

My Reading Oasis by Ella, grade 2

My reading oasis is in an undersea castle.  It would be made out of books.  I would read every day morning to night.  I turn into a mermaid every time I walk into my castle.  My castle is rainbow and there are rainbow whirlpools that spit out books.  I use the ink from my octopus for my writing pens.  My reading glasses are made out of sea glass.  All my fish friends can talk.  They live in my castle.  I would smell the fresh sea and hear the waves crashing.  Come visit me in my oasis!

My Reading Oasis by Rosalie, grade 1

Where's YOUR Reading Oasis?

Just use your imagination and 

share your idea, and YOU 

could be the Ashaway School 

"Float Pharaoh"!

The theme of the upcoming Scholastic Book Fair is “Reading Oasis”.  To promote the book fair and the joys of reading, we are challenging our students to describe their own reading oasis.  If you could read anywhere, where would it be?

All Ashaway School students are invited to write about their own “Reading Oasis”.  It could be a real place or completely fictional.  Be as descriptive as possible.  How would you feel when you’re there?  What would you see?  What might you hear?  What would you smell?  Use sensory details like these to help others imagine the place you’re describing!  Students could also explain why reading is important to them...why would you want to escape to your reading oasis?

One student will be selected from all who contributed to be the “Float Pharaoh” during the upcoming Westerly Columbus Day parade.  Volunteers are hard at work creating this year’s Ashaway School float, which will feature an Ancient Egyptian theme.   

A special seat (throne!) will be reserved for the winner of the “Reading Oasis” contest! 

Entries can be hand-written or typed.  (Younger students can dictate their stories to an older helper!) Illustrations are welcome but not necessary.   Please make sure the student’s name and class are included!

All entries must given to Mrs. Mann by 

Monday, September 30th 

(the first day of the book fair).   

As many as possible will be put on display the evening of our Scholastic Book Fair & Ice Cream Social on October 3rd (5:30-7:30)!  

We hope to see you there! 

Internet Safety Poster Contest!

 JUNE IS INTERNET 

SAFETY MONTH!

Poster created by Natalie B.

Recently in library class, my fourth grade students have been participating in a unit on Internet safety.  The students learned some really important safety guidelines, including:

• NEVER share your personal information online, such as your real name, address, phone number, the school you attend, or anything else that might identify you without asking an adult first!
• NEVER agree to meet someone in person that you "met" online!  You can never know for sure who someone on the Internet really is.
• NEVER respond to a bully!  If someone is mean to you online, tell an adult.  And of course, don't ever be a bully!  Always treat others the way you'd want to be treated.
• TELL AN ADULT if you see anything online that makes you worried, sad, uncomfortable or scared!

Poster created by Cameron B.

As part of this study I collaborated with our art teacher, Mrs. DiFranco, to have the students create a poster that would encourage other children to be safe while using the Internet. The students came up with some very clever ideas for sharing their messages! 

I selected four posters from each class to submit to the “2013 Gear Up For Safety Art Contest” which is being sponsored by the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency.  Winning posters will be used to promote School Safety Week (October 20-26^th, 2013).  Finalists will each receive a $100 savings bond, and one lucky grand prize winner will also receive an Apple iPad!  Finalists will be notified by mail in September.

Congratulations to our twelve finalists!

If you'd like more information about Internet safety, 

please visit http://www.ikeepsafe.org/parents/. 

"No Time for TV" Week - Winners Announced!

No Time for TV Week ended on Sunday, May 19th.  All this week students have been bringing back their papers to show how many points they earned by exercising their minds and bodies, and there are a LOT of them!  I'll be handing out the prizes next week for those who earned at least 100 points, but today I got to announce the 15 winners of the $10 gift certificates to the Other Tiger bookstore in Westerly.  Half of them didn't have any screen time for the entire seven days, and all of them earned at least 100 points.  I wish I had been able to get a video of when I announced the names of the winners.  Not only did they have huge smiles, but I saw so many excited classmates who also lit up in support of their friends!

This year's gift certificate winners!

While the deadline has passed for being included in the drawing, I will continue to accept participation forms from those who earned at least 100 points.  These students will be allowed to select something special from the library "prize basket" next week!

Thanks all to all the families who participated and supported their children during the week!  I am also grateful for the sponsorship of our wonderful Ashaway School PTO, who provides the funds for the gift certificates and other prizes! 

Character Contest Revisted!

Thanks to everyone who participated in this week's Character Contest!  As you may have read in last week's blog post, I challenged Ashaway School families to identify a title and author that matches each character name listed below.  (These are also the names of all the computers in the library!) 

Ramona *  Hooper Humperdink  * Amelia

Minerva Louise  * Mudge  *  Frog  * Moira  * Elmer

Wilbur  * Fudge  * Harold

 I received seven entries with a correct match for all 11 names...nice job!!  All of these students will be allowed to pick an item from the prize basket next week:

Eden Kelley

Drew Poirier

Hayleigh Conklin

Haiden and Hudson McKay

Skylar and Morgan Rucker

Nathan Clark

Zoe Coscia   

More than one person noted that some of the character names appear in more than one book with different authors.  For example, when I named "Wilbur" I was thinking of the pig in Charlotte's Web, but since then Mo Willems published Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed with a main character named Wilbur.  I accepted either answer, but gold star to the Kelleys for providing both!  :)

Everyone thinks of Amelia Bedelia, but as you'll see in the picture above there are several Amelias that have a home in our library.  The one on the right, written by Marissa Moss, was where I got the name for the computer.  The one on the left, from the Amelia Rules series by Jimmy Gownley, was published after the computers were named.  I'm a big fan of both series! 

Below you will see just some of the possible matching titles.  Thanks again to everyone who participated in the contest!

 

Meeting New Friends in the Library (plus a CHARACTER CONTEST!)

Just a few of our new Minerva Louise fans!

I've recently started a brand-new unit with my kindergarten classes that I'm calling "Friends and Favorites".  I've selected some of my favorite picture books that have multiple stories with the same characters.  After enjoying the first book in the series, the students can select another from a display in the library to sign out.  (Hopefully they're introducing these characters to some new friends at home!)

On their way out of the library, some of the students noticed some familiar names were stuck to our computers.  Yes, all of the computers "wear" tags with the names of characters from books that live in this library.  Telling someone that the program they need can be found on "Mudge" is much easier than saying "the computer in the back row, second from the windows"! 

The new friends we've met so far!  Do you recognize a favorite?

I will list below the names of all the computers in the library.  Can you guess what books they're from?  Send me an email at kmman@chariho.net with a matching list of authors & titles before the end of school next Friday, May 10th.  Please put "Character contest" in the subject line.  Don't forget to tell me your name and the names of your Ashaway School student(s)!  I will declare a winner in my next blog post! 

Ramona

Hooper Humperdink

Amelia

Minerva Louise

Mudge

Frog

Moira

Elmer

Wilbur

Fudge

Harold

Need some help?  Did you know you can access our online catalog on the web?  It's true!  Just go to http://opac.chariho.k12.ri.us/ and click on "Ashaway School".  Students in grades 3 and 4 have been trained how to use the library OPAC (online catalog), so this activity would be great practice for them! Don't be surprised if you find more than one title for each character; one title [with author's name] is all you need for each name in the list above.