Wrapping Gifts

After the students were all finished making their gifts for their parents they wrapped the gifts.  It is so fun seeing the excitement of the students as they get their gifts wrapped. 

Check out this video of them getting their gifts ready. 

 

Preparing for Christmas

The students spent time during December to prepare for Christmas.  They enjoyed making carolers for Mrs. Vrooman to hang in the hallway at school.  They also made snowflakes using popsicle sticks.  They created a snowflake with jewels and another with glitter glue.  Another snowflake was made out of pasta glued together.  After the snowflake was glue it was spray painted white.  The final step was adding glitter to the snowflake.  We used all these snowflakes for our bulletin board which is “We Are Like Snowflakes All Different!”  I think this is very true because even though we all did the same project they are all different just like we are all different. 

The week before school was out for break the class spent time working on gifts for their parents.  They made a snowman made our of baby food jars.  We added peppermints, hot cocoa, and marshmallows to the jars when they were all finished.  These turned out really cute and they were fun to see how everyone finished theirs. 
 

 

They also made a gingerbread photo magnet for their parents.  The students thought that adding the picture before taking it home was a neat idea. 

Take a look at the video of the students making their crafts. 

Christmas Parade

Atkinson kicked off the Christmas season by having a light parade.  St. Joseph’s participated by having a Nativity float.  It was a great evening and seemed to get everyone in the spirit of Christmas.  

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing you all a blessed Thanksgiving Holiday!  May you all be able to spend time with your family.  Check out this video of the students making the pumpkin pie for our annual Thanksgiving meal at school.  Also see what they are thankful for.  I am thankful for my family, friends, and my job.  I am thankful to be able to share my faith with my students who bring a smile to face every day.  I am also thankful to my co-workers who are a wonderful support system.  Last, I am thankful for the parents for allowing me the opportunity to teach your children.  

Fire Safety

The beginning of October we attended a Fire Safety program at West Holt.  The students learned that they need to have an escape plan if there was a fire in their house.  They had fun doing the firemen’s dance which is STOP, DROP, and ROLL!  They also enjoyed seeing what is was like to have someone strapped to a backboard.  Miss Liewer was the lucky person that helped the firemen demonstrate this for the students.  They all thought that was pretty neat. 
I asked the students what they learned while attending the program.  This is what they had to say. 
Luke, "Lay by your window."
Catarina, "If there is a fire outside your door, close the door and stuff a blanket or pillow under the door."
Parker, "The firemen's dance is STOP, DROP, and ROLL!"
Malya, "The firemen's dance is STOP, DROP, and ROLL!"
Annie, "If you are in a car accident, wait until firemen can come help you."
Tyler, "Don't hide from the firemen."
Nolan, "Always have an escape plan."
Maci, "Have a smoke alarm in each room."

 

Social Studies - Flow Chart

The students learned about a flow chart last week in class.  A flow chart was helpful to help them understand the size a city, state, country, continent, and finally the Earth.  Check out this video they created. 

More Flat Stanley Adventures!

I received some updates on a Flat Stanley that was made by Catarina.  Flat Stanley was sent to her Aunt Karen. 

Before Flat Stanley was sent off.

 

Omaha Airport at Sunrise.

 Flat Stanley at the port in Portland Maine.

 

 Leaf peep'n in New Hampshire!

 

Lighthouse in Maine overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

At cheers. In the way left window.

Ocean side at kennebunkport.

October Book-It

Congratulations to these students who earned their Pizza-Hut Book-It certificate!  They all read for at least 20 minutes a day for 25 days.  Some of them even read more than that!  Remember to encourage all of your children to read every day.  A new calendar for the month of November was sent home last week.  Remember that the students have to read for 20 minutes a day for at least 25 days.

"Reading aloud with children is known to be the single most important activity for building the knowledge and skills they will eventually require for learning to read." — Marilyn Jager Adams

Poppy's Pumpkin Patch

We had a wonderful day when we visited Poppy's Pumpkin Patch!  There were so many activities for the kids to do.  Check out this video of the day.

 

Last report from Flat Stanley

This is the last day of my tour of France.  The church behind me is VERY large.  Can you see how small the people are at the top of the hill?  That is how big it is.  You can see it from all over Paris because it sits up on top of a big hill.  It was so high up that I took a tram to get to the top. The church is called Sacre Coeur which means Sacred Heart of Jesus.  It is quite new compared to other churches in France.  It only took 75 years to build and was consecrated in 1919. 

After eating pasta and croissants for 10 days,  I was hungry for....guess what?

 

YES.... They have McDonalds in France too but they are very hard to find because McDonalds is a very American idea.

I've had a wonderful time and know you will be sending me to more exciting places.  I will see you back in the mail soon!

Sincerely yours,

FLAT STANLEY

Flat Stanley goes to Museums

Hello again, Miss Liewer and fellow students. 

I wanted to share my day at two very important museums with you.  In the first picture, I am at a grand old train station that has been turned into a museum.  It is called The Orsay Museum.  Many very important old buildings in Paris hold very important, very old works of art.  The buildings are amazing all by themselves, as you can see.  The Louvre was the second museum I went to see today.  It is a very important museum.  IT has a painting in it called the Mona Lisa.  The rest of the pictures are of me trying to get close to that work of art.  As you can see people come from all over the world to see this painting by Leonardo Davinci.  I got pretty close so you can see it too.

Tomorrow I am going to one more very important church that I can't wait to tell you about.  MY trip to France is coming to an end very soon.

Your friend,

Flat Stanley

Flat Stanley goes to a Palace

Bonjour, again fellow students.  Today I rode a train to Versailles, France and visited the grand palace where several kings and Queen Marie Antoinette lived.  In the first picture I am over the top of how the main palace looks from above.  The whole town of Atkinson would fit on the grounds of it several times because it is so big!  The little circle just in front is the golden gates that surround the palace.  Can you find me on those gates in the last picture?  The kings private church is just one of the buildings at the front of the palace.  It is the building touching the main gate on the right.  I am at that church in the second picture.  One of the king's bronze statues was a funny monkey riding on a flying camel.  A FLYING CAMEL?!!!  He let me take a ride with him.  What fun!  Nobody gets to sit on Marie Antionette's sofa.......but I did.  Shhhh.......don't tell the guards!

I have three more days left on my trip an having so much fun!  Thanks again, Annie Corkle, for sending me to London and France!

Sincerely yours,

Flat Stanley

Flat Stanley visits famous Churches

Hello again, Miss Liewer and fellow students!  In the first picture am looking at a Church called Notre Dame.  This is a magnificent building that celebrates it's 850th birthday this year, but it took over 200 years before that to build it.  It can hold as many as 10,000 people.  If you have seen the Disney movie "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" it is the building that inspired that story.  However, the real hunchbacks are the Peasants that built the church a thousand years ago .  They got hunched backs from carrying all the stone to build the church on their backs from the stone quarries to the building sight as they did not have big machines to do it for them.

 

 

In the second picture, I have traveled to London, England.  I traveled in a train that went 200 miles an hour and went under the English Channel which is a big body of water between France and England.  IT was a very exciting trip!  The second picture is the biggest church in England.  It will hold 8,000 people and many of the British royal family get married there or have their children baptized there.  The name of this church is Saint Paul's Church.  Saint Paul Is the Patron Saint of London.

 

More from London later.  I'm having a great time.  Wish you all were here with me.

Tally Ho!

Flat Stanley Enjoys Paris!

PASS ME THE BALL GUYS!  In France, the country calls the game of soccer Football.  I got to see a great game of it in a park today.

Bonjour Miss Liewer and fellow students!  I am here at the Eiffel Tower, a very famous landmark in France.  It was built for the world's fair over 100 years ago.  The French people thought it was a horrible sight at that time.  Everyone moved away from it if they could so that they would not have to look at it!  Millions of people from all over the world come to see it every year and now the French people are very proud of it.  Families bring their children on nice days to play in one of the many parks that surround it.  At night it is lit up so that it can be seen for miles.

FLAT STANLEY HEADED TO PARIS!

Flat Stanley sent an email to update us on his trip.

Hello St Joseph students!  It is I, Flat Stanley on my way to Paris, France with Annie's Grandma, Trish.  Here we are at the Airport in Lincoln, Nebraska getting ready to board our plane.  Extra excitement... In the next picture I  was made honorary co-pilot of our airplane!  Here I am with my fellow pilots.  We are on our way to the Minneapolis, MN International aIrport, which is much bigger than the airport  in Lincoln.  When we get there, we will board a very large plane and fly all night long to Paris.  We are flying all the way over the Atlantic Ocean.  I will check in again with more exciting adventures to share with you all!
Yours Truly,
Flat Stanley

Upcoming Events

Here are some important events that are coming up in the next week or two. 

Field Trip
We leave at 8:00 on Friday October 4^th.  If your child sits in a booster seat they need to bring it that day.  Remember to pack a sack lunch.  The weather is supposed to be cooler that day and maybe rainy, so please bring warm coats, hats, and gloves.  Also bring an extra pair of socks and shoes so we don’t track mud into the vehicles.  No phones, iPods, or toys are allowed.  If the drivers have a DVD player they want to use they may use them and show a kid movie.    We plan to be back to school by 3:30.    

NO SCHOOL Thursday October 3^rd, teachers will be at a conference. 

Watkins Incentives 2013
Please bring your Watkins books to school on the following dates if you meet the goal:

October 4^th                         $150.00 in sales                                 pop and candy bar
October 11^th                       $300.00 in sales                                 6” Subway sandwich
October 15^th                       $500.00 in sales                                 Murphy Theatre movie tickets

Watkins sales end on October 15^th.  Please have your packet back to school on or before this date.  Thanks for all your help on this fundraiser!

Auction Baskets:
Please have your item for the auction baskets to school by Wednesday, October 9^th.  Here are the basket themes:
K-1: Team Jack
2-3: Cozy Winter Day
4-5: Huskers
6-8: Movie Night
Teachers: Fun with Grandparents
Preschool: Camouflage/Fishing

Terra Nova Testing

Grades 3-8

October 7^th-11^th

Please have your children well rested this week. 

FLAT STANLEY MAKES IT TO LINCOLN!

I received an email today with an update from Flat Stanley.  Here is what he had to say:

Hello, Annie!

 

I made it to Lincoln and Grandma Trish's house.  That envelope that I arrived in sure was hard!  I hope Grandma's suitcase is softer to ride in all the way to Paris, France.  Mollie asked if I would send a picture of Grandma's new roommate, Kylee so here I am with my first official duty...helping her with her fashion school homework.  Isn't she stylish....and cute? 

I'll talk to you soon... As soon as I get to Paris!

Yours truly,

Flat Stanley

Watkins Fundraiser

Watkins fundraiser packets will be sent home today.  Please encourage or help your child/ren to sell to friends, neighbors, and family.  The money will be used in the general fund for school.  Orders with all the money are due back by Tuesday, October 15th.  There will be incentives along the way for students to receive.  Happy selling! 

TEAM JACK

Reminder:
We would like to support Team Jack on Thursday as they are celebrating National Pediatric Brain Cancer Awareness Day.  Please have you child/ren wear their Team Jack t-shirts.  If they don't have a shirt a Husker shirt would be fine too. Thanks in advance for supporting Team Jack this week as they continue their valiant effort to cure this terrible disease.

Flat Stanley Send Off!

We sent off our first Flat Stanley last week.  He traveled to Texas with Tyler’s grandma.  Our latest report is that Grandma should be home soon so we will be watching the mail for Flat Stanley. 

 

Our second Flat Stanley is traveling to Lincoln, NE today.  He will be traveling with Annie’s grandma overseas.  We will have an update later on his travels. 

A reminder, if you have not given me an address to mail Flat Stanley to please get that to me.  I plan to try to spread out sending them over the school.  I have one place that a student can send theirs to if you cannot come up with someone. 

Happy Birthday!

We celebrated a birthday last week in our room.  Thank you for sharing your birthday treats! 

Grapefruit

Last week in reading the 2^nd graders read the story Poppleton and the Grapefruit, we learned that Poppleton did not enjoy eating grapefruit and it made his lips turn outside in.  He wanted to eat grapefruit because he heard on TV that he would live longer if he ate them.  His friend Hudson came to visit and asked why he didn’t have any lips!  Poppleton says he wants to live longer and if he ate grapefruit he would live longer.  Hudson then left and brought back his Uncle Bill who was very old.  Uncle Bill says that if Poppleton wants to live a long time he needs friends!  So, Poppleton threw out his grapefruit and left his house to go find some friends. 

Most of the students had never tried a grapefruit so I brought some to school so they could have a taste.  This is what the students had to say about trying the grapefruit.    

Tyler said, “I loved it!  I will eat it again.”

“I liked it.  It was sweet,” said Nolan.

Annie said, “I thought it was ok but, I will not eat it again.”

“It was ok.  I will eat it again,” said Malya. 

“I love it!” said Luke.

Catarina said, “It was ok.  I will probably eat it again.”  

Maci said, “It was a little bit sour, but delicious.  I will eat it again.”

“I didn’t like it at first, but I took another bite and liked it!” said Parker. 

 

 

Happy Birthday!

We celebrated our first birthday the end of August.  His real birthday was a week before school started, but we were still able to celebrate the first few weeks of school. Thank you for bring your rice krispie treats!  They were great!   

Picture Day

Reminder that school pictures are tomorrow Wednesday, September 11th.  If you haven't returned the order packet for pictures please send it with your child.