Summer Reading: Places to Read and Things to See!

                                  Summer Reading

How to avoid the dreaded Summer Reading Slide...(when reading skills go down a bit but really they could go up)!

1) Here is a great chart we made describing places to read this summer!

 2) Raz-Kids and Book-Flix (remember to use your library barcode which is on a sticker on the inside of your child’s agenda) will work all summer and have been purchased by the board for your child's usage. In the fall, your child's account will be moved to their new classroom account by their teacher. You don't have to do anything but log on! Here are the links:

Book Flix

Raz-Kids

3)Try ‘Storyline on-line’ http://www.storylineonline.net/ – this is a great link that has famous people reading well known stories. Check out James Earl Jones reading ‘To be a Drum’. I really enjoyed his introduction where he talks about his dyslexia and stuttering as a child.

4) Make reading part of your summer fun! Reading can include technical reading for learning a new skill..."How to Knit" "How to draw 'Fairies" or "How to play hockey" or "How to navigate Minecraft". Reading for a purpose is a particular trait for boys but there are some great manuals and 'How to' reading books for girls too.

5) Model reading for your child. Read the newspaper or read on-line blogs! Discuss what you have read!

6) Travel, read, write, journal! Create experiences for your child that makes them want to read and write. It doesn't have to cost a lot of money. 

    Have you ever been to the Cheltenham badlands in Caledon?

 (If you do go here, I would highly recommend visiting the 'Spirit Tree Cidery and bakery for lunch and trying the squash, feta pizza or pear cider) I have no affiliation to this business but I do like good food :) The Cidery is very close to the 'Badlands' Here is a link for Spirit Tree http://www.spirittreecider.com/

              Have you ever been to Webster's or Tiffany Falls?

                   How about kayaking to Princess Point?

           What about visiting the Donkey Sanctuary in Guelph?

A very good friend of mine runs a blog entitled 'Dundas Valley and Beyond'  http://dundasoutdoors.blogspot.ca/ which will allow you to see and hear about great local destinations. Read this blog with your child and pick an outdoor, low cost adventure!

7) Have you looked at Ms Fink’s list of ‘Hot Summer Reads’? I’m always adding new books. Here is where you can find this list:

http://chatt.hdsb.ca/~finkd/?OpenItemURL=S0E8D6D27

8) Don’t forget about Henry B Wigglebottom https://wedolisten.org/media/ – they update this site with new books so check in once in a while to find new e-book selections. Coming soon… Henry B Wigglebottom, ‘Learns we can all get along’.

9) Need more ideas? Try Mr. Cann’s  Library links and go to ‘Find a Book’ http://chatt.hdsb.ca/~cannm/Library%20Links#FIND A BOOK

How about visiting a local public library! Our friends at the Burlington Public Library visited Florence Meares P.S. today to discuss their great summer reading program.

10) Have a favourite author and want to learn more…

Check out Mr. Cann’s author links http://chatt.hdsb.ca/~cannm/Library%20Links#AUTHOR

Here are some extra sites that our class might be interested in:

https://www.roalddahl.com/

http://www.lauraingallswilderhome.com/

   Have a Happy Summer and make sure to ‘Read and Relax’!

Father's Day fun!

Father's Day Art
Hope every Dad enjoyed their 'Groovy' card and gift. Have to admit that tie-dyed socks was an idea that I had been thinking about for a while but wasn't sure if it would work. The key is to find socks with a high percentage of natural fibre (Cotton, not acrylic). Then lay the socks side by side when you are putting the dye on to create a similar effect on both socks. I know they look a little 'colourful' but they are fun. When one student said to me, "what if my Dad won't wear it because they are too crazy" I simply answered with 'hey, my Dad ate everything I used to make in my easybake oven and that was cooked by a light bulb". Sock wearing is easy compared to having to eat some of my doughy disasters made back in the day :)
Here they are being made in the classroom. Socks have been tied with elastic and now the dye is being added by squirt bottle.

                                          Here are a pretty wild pair drying!

Here are all of them after I washed them one evening and let them dry outside naturally. The heat of our weather helps the dye become more permanent. (however, I suggest you wash them separately to start, just in case)

Lots of smiles on the faces of the children as they set off home with their cards and gifts.

I will be making a final post about how to avoid the dreaded 'Summer Reading Slide'. It will be full of fun websites with links, ideas for local summer trips and suggested 'hot reads' for the summer. Stay tuned for more! 

Art Gallery of Burlington, Butterflies and being busy!

Class Trip
The Burlington Art Centre (BAC) is now called the Art Gallery of Burlington (AGB) and is located on Lakeshore Road. Our class enjoyed a wonderful trip there this Wednesday. We started out with half of us going to the weaving area and doing a course there. The other half of our group went to the pottery room to make clay owls. My group started out in the weaving room. We were greeted by a whole table full of pre-cut wool and were asked to choose three colours. 

Then we went to the looms and thread our needles.

 It took us a little bit to get the hang of it but after a while most students were able to leave with a woven bracelet or headband. In between sessions our group went on a tour of the gallery exhibit. They had a lovely garden with fish and tropical plants with sculptures of the four elements (earth, wind, fire and water). Then we went to see another outdoor exhibit entitled 'The Watchers'. These were life size sculptures hiding around the garden in various poses and with a variety of expressions on their faces. Have to admit this was a little creepy but it really did get the students talking about art and how they felt viewing it. (The sculpture artist was Magdeline Dykstra) (Wayne Cardinelli was the artist who did all the amazing pottery teapots, many of which were on display for the children)

Then my group was off to the pottery room where we learned how to make hollow 3D owls. We had to follow many directions to create textured wings and ears. I was so engrossed in the pottery and looking at the exhibits in the hallway, I forgot to take pictures. I will be picking up the owls once they are fired in the kiln. I'll add pictures later :) Trust me, they are all very cute and every one of them is different depending on the little hands that made it.

Looking for summer activities? The AGB has many summer art courses for children. Looking through the booklet, there are clay, drawing comics, photography and even clay-mation art classes running all summer for children. Sounds fun to me! 

Butterflies
This week was exciting as we got to release most of our butterflies. We still have many still in the chrysalis and one slow caterpillar! I counted well over 65 chrysalis this year...which is an all time success record for us. Here they are in the container, feeling the warm breeze and flying around in there.

We read a book entitled 'Melody's Mystery' which talks about how Monarch butterflies are the only butterflies who instinctively know to migrate. We learned that Monarchs that live west of the Rocky Mountains migrate to California and those that live east of the Rocky Mountains migrate to Ciudad, Mexico! I guess Monarchs don't do mountains! 


Update: Make sure to check the homework section for updates
             We are working on a super secret Father's day gift - hopefully no one blabbed :)