Effigy Mounds and Outdoor Day Memories

Two favorite activities in the fall find us outside enjoying the sunshine!
This year the 6th graders had many opportunities to share the sunshine with others.
Outdoor Day was celebrated right in our back/side yard. Prairie plant identification, Introduction to archery, BB gun safety, Haiku poetry writing, and Environmental games brought the students and adults together under a windy blue sky.
Hiking at Effigy Mounds is always an adventure. This year the students could see and hear many birds and chipmunks as they walked along the trails and mounds in this spectacular park.

"The Aristobrats" OMGasp!

Lylas (Love ya like a sister) are four 8th grade girls on the top of the populadder! Being the most popular in the 8th grade class at Wallingford Academy is all the Lalas had worked for in the last few years. They were there- their Facebook pages full of friend requests, their hair do and fashions soon to be copied by all- they had made it to the top!
But what goes up, must come down! After being assigned to the school web cast production, even a hairy nipfit can't save their populartunity. (glad there are definitions in the back of the book )

The Aristobrats, by Jennifer Solow, is a fun read that goes deeper than designer clothes and made-up words. Parts made me LOL and experience life as a teenager in today's techo world. We are reminded that situations in school and at home aren't always solved by shopping and getting a makeover-sometimes friends need to see what really matters and go where their heart takes them.
You will find yourself cheering for the Lylas and see that it really is all about the attitude!

Mrs. P's Magic Library travels to OMS

Mrs. P used a bit of her magic and landed in our classroom to share secrets about her magic library and her love of stories. Students asked questions and received answers that surprised, enlightened, and even made many laugh.
"What is your favorite color?"
"Hot pink with a black head band, red, purple, and well, every color in the rainbow plus black and white."
"What is your favorite book?"
"Right now, Jack & the Beanstalk" then the list continued to change from fantasy to poetry to To Kill a Mockingbird in a blink of an eye. Magic and reading are amazing things indeed!
"What do you think makes a good story?"
"A great story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. It has adventure and suspense."
Mrs. P shared how important reading and writing are to her and how her magic library helps her share this with children and adults 24/7.
We learned about Mrs. P's library and how it has a "katrillion" rooms and that the leaves on the trees change colors about every two minutes. She even has elves, knows someone related to the Tooth Fairy and has given a dog to Santa Clause. This is a library I will have to visit during my next vacation!

Students are writing stories that they can enter in Mrs. P's 2nd annual writing contest.
For more information go to www.MrsP.com and experience the magic library for yourself!
A big thank you to Mrs. P and her elves-the visit was magical!

MrsP.com 2nd Annual Writing Contest

Start writing TODAY! Mrs. P. will be in our classroom September 14th (via Skype) sharing stories and laughs.