Mrs. Walters, a third grade parent in our building, has been leading a Girl Scout Troop for the past two years. She would like to continue this project and welcome more girls into the troop. In order to do so, she would need a co-leader to join her.
If you are interested in being a co-leader, please contact Mrs. Jennifer Walters at: jenwalter76@hotmail.com
She will be happy to answer any questions about time commitments and responsibilities.
After midnight tonight, the annual Perseid meteor shower will put on a show…right in your backyard!Astronomers say up “to 100 meteors per hour are expected to streak across the sky during the shower’s peak. The Perseid shower occurs every summer when the Earth’s orbit crosses the path of debris thrown off by Comet Swift-Tuttle.” Meteor showers are dust grains left over from a comet that strike the upper atmosphere. (Associated Press)
If you do stay up and would like to describe your experience or share photos, send me a comment on the blog and I will post your experience for all our readers!
Make sure to mark your calendars for our kick off to the 2009-10 school year. The all school open house will be held on September 2 from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm.
This is an opportunity for parents and children to meet tour the building, meet teachers and collect important information about the new year.
Come at anytime between 6:30 and 7:30 pm. There is no set agenda. It is an informal time to meet, greet and get acclimated before school begins on September 8 at 8:50 am (first bell rings at 8:45 am).
*NOTE: PK AND K Open Houses will be held on September 1.
First day of school for PK/K: Check this link.
We are looking forward to meeting our new families and welcoming back familiar faces. If you would like to get a start on supply shopping, viisit the teacher’s blogs for guidance on specific needs per grade.
If you have been following the international news, you are aware that a typhoon slammed into Taiwan this past weekend. Our sister school, Raey Guang Elementary is located in Pingtung Taiwan, and I have been trying to determine if they are near any of the destruction.
Today, I ran across a CNN International web article referencing a rescue helicopter crash in Pingtung County. The heavy rains (39 inches) have created dangerous mudslides.
I have emailed the staff to inquire about their safety, however, I am fully aware that schools are likely closed and that everyone is focusing on the health and well-being of family and friends.
Please keep the people in Taiwan in your thoughts as they struggle to overcome this weather disaster — and in many cases deal with the loss of loved ones.
In April of 2009, Mrs. DeWeerd invited our school to enter an international art exhibition in China. Our sister school Raey Guang is in Pingtung, Taiwan, and she felt this would be a natural connection for our students.
Mrs. Brouwer, our art teacher, selected five works of student art and submitted them to the 40th Annual World School Children’s Art Exhibition. This exhibition is held each August at the National Taiwan Arts Education Center in Taipei, Republic of China, and features children’s artwork from all over the world.
TWO of our student pieces were selected for display in the exhibition – Aubrey’s “Happy Robot” and Shari’s “Winter Pine”.
Selection for the Taiwan exhibition is a great honor and our Georgetown artists deserve congratulations for their hard work! Their pieces were selected from over 30,000 submissions (yes, thirty thousand!) from 53 countries. Aubrey and Shari will be given a “Certificate of Merit” sent to me from the Republic of China for their participation in the Exhibition. Congratulations, Georgetown Artists!
We received a beautiful catalog that contains color images of the World School pieces that were awarded Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals in the competition. It will be on display in the art room….stop in for a look at the award winning artwork created by children living in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Bolivia, Brunei….and 47 other countries!
Both pieces of art will now be added to our permanent collection so that they can be appreciated and honored for years to come.
Many thanks to Mrs. DeWeerd for encouraging us to submit work, to Mrs. Brouwer for taking the time to safety pack and ship this work to China, and to our artists (Shari & Aubrey) for creating the work that showcased our wonderful school and country!
As we prepare our children (and ourselves) for changes in learning, some classrooms are far ahead of us. Their textbooks have been replaced by digital versions — or dropped completely and replaced by free course ware, educational games, videos and projects on the Web.
The New York Times recently featured an article on this topic. While many of us agree that this will be a ways off in Hudsonville, it is also important to realize that we are gradually integrating more and more technology into daily learning experiences, K-12.
The bottom line, our children have the opportunity to access information through many different types of technology devices throughout their day. To help all of us understand the types of access and manners in which teens utilize technology, view this video created by a digital native on TeacherTube. My own daughter and son could easily be the featured teens in this video.
We are the digital “immigrants” and as a result we must work hard to learn as much as we can so that we can model and guide our digital natives in the best use of learning in a digital world. Throughout the year, I will use the blog to post interesting and helpful links about this topic.
The school year has not even started and already, I have had two families contact me about their desire to organize service projects! Georgetown is truly an incredible community of caring people.
This Sunday, I would like to tell you about one project organized by Ashley Tiesman, a 5th grader this coming school year. You may recall that Ashley brought the school community together last year for PINK WEEK to raise money for Susan G. Komen Foundation.
The Foundation was so very impressed by her work as a then fourth grade student, that they made an exception to the age limit rule and are allowing her to Chair a Team for this year’s Race for the Cure! Ashley has established the team and it is called the Georgetown PINK PANTHERS.
We, Ashley and myself, would love to have as many Georgetown students, staff, family and friends join us in the race/walk for a cure on September 26, 2009. There are three ways to participate:
Thank you for your support!
Mrs. Reagan
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According to a Nielson survey, 16 million kids age two to 11 use computers. That represents nearly 10 percent of all online users. Many parents and teachers often wonder if computer use hinders or improves learning skills. The answer depends on parent involvement and other factors. To learn more, visit Connect with Kids Preschool Computer Use
Technology is changing the ways we communicate, work and learn at a rapid pace. Our children more excited about these changes — and excited to take risks to learn each new piece of technology placed before them. As parents and teacher scramble to keep up with the advances, school librarians must, too! Watch this New York Times video to understand how librarians are on the front line of keeping up with our digital world. 21st Century Librarian
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To view the guide to our blogs, simply click on this form: Guide to Blog Brochure Guide to Blog
And, do not hesitate to ask us questions about how to find your way through the blogs. We are happy to help at anytime!
Mrs. Reagan
