Empowering the Future

First day back is always a fun, exciting time at the Creek.  Each grade level meets over the summer and prepares a skit according to our theme.  No 3-hour boring meetings for us on the first day back!  This year,  we walked into the Dining Room with each place set with superhero paraphernalia.  As usual, the skits were funny and irreverent.  My favorite was a Gov. Rick Scott look alike as a villain because of all of his educational budget cuts - I'm not talking politics right now - just saying...  I am pleased to say that my spirited Kindergarten Team won the skit challenge with their Kinder Superheroes Saving the Day and each kinder teacher will enjoy a $50 gift card at Target!  Woo Hoo!  After enjoying the skits, our Principal presented her own little superhero, her two-week old baby, to thunderous applause!  Now that's a way to bring a tear to your eye - seeing this newest addition to our Chets Creek family all dressed like a little superhero - in a tutu!

The Principal then introduced our hero of the day Lester Laminack who spent the rest of the day with us, making us laugh and inspiring us with so many thoughtful reflections of our current practice.  You know a speaker has made a difference when you actually see change in your building.  His messages validated much of what we are doing but some of his thoughts also hit home at many levels. 

I know for the kindergarten class next to me that they were moving furniture out away from the walls to get more of their work at eye level for kids - one of Lester's many, many suggestions.  As for me I bought into the idea that we should use our 5th graders as reading heroes to our kindergartners.  I e-mailed the 5th grade language arts teachers to ask if they would have their 5th graders draw a picture of their favorite book from kindergarten.  They loved the idea and so I plan to feature photos of different 5th graders holding up the picture of their favorite book on the bulletin board outside my classroom. 

Lester also talked about letting your students know about your life as a reader and so I decided to put outside my door, "Mrs. Timmons is reading..." and to write what I am reading as the year progresses.  This is something we used to do but have gotten away from this past year.  I am hoping teachers and students will see it and ask me about what I am reading.  I want to have conversations with students and adults about the words that make a difference in my life.

It is so exciting to come back to school and be inspired -to have your thinking lifted, especially before you begin making decisions that will influence your entire year.  Thank you Lester for a remarkable, thought-provoking start!

Douglas Wood, Children's Author

One the best traditions at Chets Creek is the Author Visit each spring. I don't know where our Media Specialist KK Cherney finds the funds and the authors, but she always manages to bring the faculty and children a most awesome adventure. How fortunate are the children at Chets Creek to be able to meet an author/ illustrator each year? Douglas Wood is an author with 40 books and also a songwriter. The day started with the faculty meeting for the Principal's Book-of-the-Month. I would think it would be a little intimidating for a principal to read a book in front of the author, but Susan Phillips is a master at reading aloud. I'm sure Douglas Wood enjoyed every moment of hearing someone else read his book! She chose the beautiful The Secret of Saying Thanks. The lyrical text and imagery are a perfect blend for appreciating our beautiful world. This is a book the children will love hearing.

Douglas Wood then entertained each grade level. He told first graders the story of The Rabbit and the Moon which is Native American (Cree) folklore. It will be such a great addition to our Kindergarten Native American collection of books. It's one thing to hear a teacher read a book, but it's something very special to hear an author tell his own story. I once heard Bill Martin, Jr. tell The Ghost-Eye Tree and I will never forget the impression that it made- much like the impression Douglas Wood left on me on Friday! Being a song writer he then taught the children two different songs and answered so many of their questions.

He also told us that he had ADHD and that it was hard for him to think of just one thing at a time. As a result he had ten new books in his mind all the time! He talked about how difficult it was for him to learn to read. Finally a second grade teacher helped him to understand that the squiggles and blots on the page really held a message. He said he didn't learn to read immediately - it took some time - but that teacher made the difference. He wrote that story in Miss Little's Gift.

Douglas Wood's first book was Old Turtle. The books has sold a million copies and won many awards. Douglas Wood told the students that they too, are authors and encouraged them to dream big. He left us with the message that it's good to have dreams, to never give up and to not be afraid to ask for help. What an inspiration!

Princess Pigtoria and the Pea

Henry Cole and Pamela Duncan Edwards have visited Chets Creek several times - and for good reason. Henry is an illustrator and Pamela is an author and they write children's books. Not only do they write wonderfully playful books, but they are absolutely entertaining to children and adults alike. They spend an exhausting day entertaining each grade level of children. Children never for get their days with real authors and illustrators!

They began their day with our Book-of-the-Month which was introduced to the faculty by our Principal, Susan Phillips, and just happened to be one of Cole and Edward's newest books, an alliteration Princess Pigtoria and the Pea which is based on the traditional fairytale The Princess and the Pea. If you visit the Book-of-the-Month wiki you will find an 8-minute video of Pamela reading the book while Henry draws, along with Susan's write-up of the book for the faculty and the vocabulary strategies that she introduced. Each book-of-the month is accompanied by the introduction of a strategy that the teachers can use in their classrooms. Susan introduces the strategy and then has the teachers "experience" the strategy for themselves. This morning each grade level took one of the strategies and turned it into a performance to teach to the other grade levels. We saw other alliterations, proverbs, slang, acronyms, anagrams, palindromes (words spelled the same forward and backwards such as mom, radar) hink pinks (angry father=mad dad), tongue twisters, riddles, and new to me - Tom Swifties, eponyms, portmanteaus, and toponyms!! I hope Henry and Pamela enjoyed our playfulness and fun! We certainly enjoyed having them as we introduced this newest book-of-the-month but also as they entertained our children. You are teaching our children to love books and to love to read! Thanks Pamela and Henry. You are the BEST!

A future Creeker
with another beloved Edwards and Cole book

Woolbur: Book-of-the-Month April 2009

Today was one of those days that reminded me of why I LOVE being a teacher at the Creek! The morning started as I entered the Media Center with each grade level table decorated with a yarn filled sheep-shaped container and a specially selected April Book-of-the-Month. Our Principal, Susan Phillips, has a special appreciation for funny farm animals and Woolbur was no exception! Susan was a kindergarten teacher so she can read a story- I mean, she can REALLY read a story! - and she had the teachers rolling in the floor all through the story as she read about the little sheep who had a mind of his own - always thinking outside of the box. Finally when his parents laid down the law and insisted that he do what the other sheep do, he became the leader! I so connected with this story, because it is the story of our class this year. We have so many quirky little personalities - so many students who think and act differently, but who have such incredible potential to make a difference in this world. the key is to make sure they have a chance to lead the way! I also connected with it as a school. At Chets Creek we are often doing things differently and there are always people that are scratching their heads and telling us to just join or follow the crowd. I think a long time ago we decided that if we were going to be forced to do as the crowd does, then we were at least going to be in the lead! Woolbur would be in good company at Chets Creek!

After Susan's rousing storytelling, Melanie Holtsman, our instructional technologist, used the book to teach us to use glogster. She will have a "sandbox" set up (a place to play) every morning next week. In other words, she will have computers set up so we can play with glogster until we feel comfortable enough for a project of our own. More about that later, after I 've had time to learn this fun new application!

As Melanie and Susan pulled the morning to a close, Susan introduced us to Leslie Helakoski, the author of Woolbur! Can you imagine reading a book while the author of the book is sitting there watching? That's exactly what Susan and Melanie did. Leslie Helakowski, the author was visiting our school today. We already felt like we knew Leslie because we had enjoyed another of her books, Big Chickens, earlier in the year. Big Chickens was illustrated by one of our favorite illustrators, Henry Cole, who has also visited Chets Creek several times before.

After spending time with the teachers, Leslie entertained each grade level of children. The first graders thoroughly enjoyed hearing about her training as an artist and then hearing about her taking her first story and art work to a publisher in NYC and having them want her story but reject her art work! It was nice for the children to hear that rejection can actually make you try harder. I am sure they learned a lesson about her persistence as a writer and illustrator. She also entertained the group with her farmyard version of "Going on a Bear Hunt." Later Leslie signed books for all the children who bought them and engaged in delightful conversation, answering their questions and smiling at their comments.

One of the things about activities at Chets Creek is that there is always a "village" of people working behind the scenes to make things happen. Susan is the master designer and today Melanie was our professional developer, but behind every great event at Chets Creek, our Media Specialist, KK Cherney is at the center. It was KK who chose the author and made the arrangements. It was KK that made sure the author's books had been ordered and that children and teachers alike were familiar with her work. It was KK and her little elves that made sure there was a welcoming sign when the author entered the building. It was KK that made sure that the author had a basket of kid-made welcoming cards, letters and pictures. It was KK that made sure the Media Center was decorated for the morning events. It was KK who played hostess all day. Of course, KK has a group of Media elves to help her, but without her enthusiasm, her love and dedication to the children of Chets Creek and her ability to always say "yes," our days just wouldn't have the same joy and fun! Thank you to the host of people who worked so hard to make a truly memorable day for the children and teachers at Chets Creek!

Author Visit: Carolyn Crimi

Carolyn Crimi

Once again this year, our students were entertained by a published author! Carolyn Crimi visited for the day presenting to each grade level. She was as entertaining as her books. In fact her book, Get Busy Beaver! was the May Book of the Month, read to the faculty by Principal Susan Phillips earlier in the week. The students sat spellbound as Ms. Crimi (rhymes with "shimmy") told stories and answered questions. Each year our Media Specialist, KK Cherney, finds a published author or illustrator to visit our campus. Book sales are done ahead of time so that students can have their books autographed on the day of the visit. Having "real" authors visit helps the children realize that authors are writers just like they are. It helps them understand where published authors get their ideas, and I think it gives them a vision that they, too, can become authors and publish books! This is an amazing gift!