Author: Amy Hoekstra

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Do you like scavenger hunts?

I have a Valentine’s Day weekend challenge for you! The first blogger to find all the letters of the word “valentine” will win lunch out with me! To participate in this, you simply have to follow these rules:

1. Make a list of the letters:

* V
* A
* L
* E
* N
* T
* I
* N = Megan’s Blog
* E = John’s Blog

2. Go to each of the student blogs and hunt for the letters. (These are found on the Blogpals main site.)

3. When you find a letter, write the student blog name next to each letter. (See the examples I put above next to N and E. These are just examples!)

4. You must post a comment to the school blog.

5. The first person to find all the letters and make a comment, WINS!

AND…the letters do not need to match the letters above.

There are two e’s and two n’s. They must be from different student blogs!

Good Luck…Have Fun…and happy Valentine’s Day!

Mrs. Reagan

Please NOTE: Any of the students in our school can participate! Also, if you are a parent or visitor from another school, you can participate as well. I can’t give you lunch, but we can celebrate your talents on the blog!

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Tarry Hall Skate Night: 2/17/09

I made an error in our calendar posting for the upcoming Tarry Hall Skate Night.  This event is taking place on February 17 not February 9.  The date has been changed on our school calendar to the right.  I apologize for any confusion I caused!

Mrs. Reagan

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Blog Spotlight

This week, I would like to highlight our two reading teacher blogs.  Mrs. Bast and Mrs. Iwema work with studens in grades K-2 by providing more intensive and specialized reading instruction.  In addition, our reading teachers work closely with classroom teachers to make sure that our core reading instruction is focused on best practice.  Both teachers also work closely with our other specialists, Mrs. Sinke, Mrs. Reifschneider and Mrs. Speidel.

Mrs. Bast and Mrs. Iwema have many helpful links on their blogs for readers of ALL ABILITIES.  Their passion is reading–all levels, all genres, and promoting the joys of reading at all ages.

I encourage you to visit their blogs today!  Mrs. Reagan

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Weekly Events, 2/9/09

The week ahead includes a full moon, Valentine’s Day parties and only four school days.  This Friday, teachers will have time to work on their assessment results and begin to compile report cards.  As a result, there is no school for students on Friday, 2/13/08.  Details below.

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Reigning Pillow Polo Champs!

You may have thought that the 2010 Superbowl Game was a great game, but the annual Staff vs 5th Grade Students Pillow Polo Match was RIVETING! What in the world is pillow polo: It is a sport similar to field hockey, but played indoors and with giant Q-tips for sticks. It is one intense, high energy game!

The 5th grade students put forward a good challenge, defensively and offensively. They were, however, out scored by the highly skilled staff. There was a penalty in the first half when Mrs. Kok (Mrs. Becky)  was caught high sticking…so, sorry Grace!

Mrs. Burdis held the goalie position and saved her team by preventing multiple scores by the opposing teams. The staff scored four goals, with the students scoring one goal the entire game. Go Mrs. Bouwens, Mrs. Brouwer, Mrs. VanKoevering, Mrs. Burdis, Mrs. Kok, Mrs. Reagan–thanks for great team work.

Many thanks to all the students, the staff (who will be sore for days) and Mrs. VanKoevering/Mrs. Nienhuis for setting up this event!

*Final Note: This was the 3rd consecutive year the staff has beat the socks off the 5th graders. So, if you are a fourth grader this year, watch out!

To view

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Blog Search Tip

Do you ever visit the blog and struggle with how to find a post or link?  We tag each post with multiple subject words to assist you in this search.  If you know the subject of what you are looking for (sock hop or weekly events, for example), simply type these words into the SEARCH found on the sidebar to the far right.

All of the posts containing those key subject words will appear.  This enables you to more easily locate what you are trying to locate. 

As always, thank you for utilizing our blog.  The goal is quick, efficient, up to date communication–along with reducing paper use!  

Mrs. Reagan

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Blog Spotlight

As you know, at the beginning of each week, I spotlight a blog or two or three for you to check out.  In the past few weeks, I have highlight PE, Art, and Music.  The blogs I am recommending for surf worthiness this week are the four very busy and wonderful first grade classrooms.  All four teachers use every moment to focus on instruction and still manage to build in time for those critical life long learning skills of teamwork, socialization and problem solving.  Enjoy your surfing through these classrooms!

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How well do you know a word?

 

Early this fall, we implemented a common instructional strategy (K-5) for the teaching of vocabulary. When teachers provide direct instruction in the deep understanding of words (vocabulary), students are better prepared to understand the information they hear and read in their studies.  Much of this work was based on the research of Bob Marzano, international curriculum leader in the area of best practice instruction, K-12.

Under the guidance of our speech & language pathologist, Kristina Speidel, we also assessed all students in their understanding of this strategy so that we could make improvements to our instruction.  The data that we collected helped us to identify missing pieces of our instruction, and also helped to move in the direction of small group instruction as a next step.  Beginning this week, small groups of students in each grade will work with teachers to learn additional strategies vocabulary to improve learning in all content areas.  In May, we will re-assess students and create a plan for improving instruction for the 2009-10 school year.

To see a video of the lesson modeled, visit:  VOCABULARY