The Pet Project

Posted on September 4, 2014 by Lana

The Pet Project-Cute and Cuddly Vicious Verses by Lisa Wheeler (2013)

I enjoyed The Pet Project because I like rhyming verse, I also appreciate the many ways I could use it in a classroom, whether it be through science; looking at inquiry, or in language arts; exploring persuasive writing or poetry. I enjoyed these first-person poems and appreciate that kids will really get the jokes and parents will appreciate the book as it fosters an interest in science. Lisa’s blog is also a great resource for the many books she has written, with many reviews, guides and classroom activities. http://www.lisawheelerbooks.com/home.html

The Boy and The Airplane

Posted on September 3, 2014 by Lana

The Boy and The Airplane by Mark Pett (2013)

It is hard to know where to put our SAS stamp on this wonderful new picture book, as it is so aesthetically lovely; another example of a wordless picture book with limited, subtle coloring. Pett’s story is a mentor text for teachers and parents who want their child to understand the concept of patience and perseverance. http://www.markpett.com/authorstrator/

I enjoyed reading Mark Pett’s blog as he shares the history of how he began to draw his cartoons wordlessly, and how that lead him to writing a wordless picture book. But even more than Mark’s blog, I enjoyed the sophisticated and detailed review given by Laura Hudock, as she writes about an amazing lesson she had with a first grade class, when using The Boy and The Airplane as a read-aloud. Laura was obviously blown away by the post read-aloud discussions of her students and commented “The complexities of student’s visual meaning-making are evident in these responses that range from subversiveness, empathy, and inferences to personal and text-to-text connections” It’s pretty amazing how much learning happens when you start with a great text.

Cardboard Challenge Update

Posted on September 1, 2014 by Lana

Here are some of the things that can be collected in your home. Ignore the weekly challenges, as this was from 2014, but see the photos for ideas. We would love you to hold on to anything small, toilet rolls, tissue boxes, cardboard food packaging, anything cylinder shaped, anything super large, or unusually shaped…we once had a GIANT BOX that had contained a grand piano. True Story!

1. Challenge of the week September 1st-September 5th is toilet rolls. We want students to bring in EMPTY toilet paper rolls; so when you finish using a roll of toilet paper at home, instead of throwing it out, please bring it in to school and drop it off in the classroom basket outside the ES library. The class that has the most toilet paper rolls by Friday, is the winner of this week’s challenge, and each child will win an ice cream.

2. Challenge of the week September 8th-September 12th is toothpaste boxes and granola boxes. We want students to bring in EMPTY granola and toothpaste boxes; so when you finish using these at home, instead of throwing them out, please bring them in to school and drop them off in the classroom basket outside the ES library. The class that has the most of these items by Friday, is the winner of that week’s challenge, and each child will win a free book from the library to keep.

Granola Bar box

Toothpaste box

3. Challenge of the week September 15th-September 19th is cereal boxes and shoe boxes. We want students to bring in EMPTY shoe and cereal boxes; so if you have any of these at home, instead of throwing them out, please bring them in to school and drop them off in the classroom basket outside the ES library. The class that has the most of these items by Friday, is the winner of that week’s challenge, and their class will win a pizza party.

Cereal Boxes

Shoe Boxes

During the week of September 22nd-26th, we are asking you to send in EVERY CARDBOARD ITEM you can get your hands on. Please save as many things as you can over the next four weeks, and bring them in to class during that final week leading to October Break.

Waterloo and Trafalgar

Posted on August 26, 2014 by Lana

Waterloo and Trafalgar by Olivier Tallec (2012)

Olivier Tallec’s cover is so artistically pleasing, I had to open it up and explore further. The book in hues of orange and blue comprises two characters, Waterloo, and Trafalgar and cleverly explores the futility of war; in a way any child can understand, possibly even better than many adults can. It’s also a wordless book, so popular these last two years, and beautifully done. Olivier’s blog is exsquisite http://www.oliviertallec.fr/

The Hole

Posted on August 21, 2014 by Lana

The Hole by Oyvind Torseter (2013)

One of many of the books ordered that has a simplistic, pointed use of very few colors. I can see The Hole being used in Art Class to explore the concept of line, or color and the actual hole all through the book will keep students of all ages captivated. This book is a real page-turner, turning pages in both directions, similar in that respect to the delightful Caldecott Winner of 2013 by Laura Vaccaro Seeger, Green. http://www.enchantedlionbooks.com/node/200

I Know Here

Posted on August 18, 2014 by Lana

I Know Here by Laurel Croza (2010)

Certainly one of my favorites as a writing teacher, this is a beautiful companion book to Patricia Mc Lachlan’s What you know First or Rylant’s When I was Young in the Mountains when studying memoir with older students or as a delightful read-a-loud for any age group. It’s also perfect for dealing with transitions; something our international students are no strangers to. Now I just need to buy From There to Here, which came out in 2014 http://laurelcroza.com/

!

Posted on August 14, 2014 by Lana

! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal & Tom Lichtenheld (2013)

This book is such a fun way to share punctuation with children. Exclamation mark is confused, deflated and flummoxed because he is not like everyone else. It’s a great day for him when he meets another special punctuation mark…can you guess who? http://www.whoisamy.com/

The Invisible Boy

Posted on August 13, 2014 by Lana

The Invisible Boy by Trudy Barton (2013)

Complete with questions for discussion, a recommended reading list for adults and a recommended reading list for kids, this is one of several new books that will be used by counselors and classroom teachers this year. Cleverly illustrated by Patrice Barton who uses the lack of color to depict the isolation of the main character, this story shares the heartbreaking journey of a student we all know, the invisible boy. http://www.randomhouse.ca/books/212027/the-invisible-boy-by-trudy-ludwig-illustrated-by-patrice-barton

Library Guidelines

Posted on August 11, 2014 by Lana

WELCOME teachers, students and parents to our amazing Elementary Library…

This really is one of the best libraries you may ever enter… in the world. We have a huge collection for you, of over 30,000 titles, and our ES Library in Pudong is the smallest of the four libraries at Shanghai American School, which by the way, contains THE largest English book collection in ALL of China. So you will never have to say you can’t find something to read while you are a student at SAS.

Our technology resources are growing all the time; we currently have 60 kindles, 60 ipod nano’s and 11 ipads all loaded with books, (some kindles have over 150 books on them) so there is no shortage of new reading material available. If there is a book you want to read, and we don’t have it in our Pudong Elementary library, check destiny to see if we have it somewhere else, like Middle School, or Puxi Campus. If you can’t find it there, let me know and I’ll order it for next year, as well as buying on kindle, audio or ibooks if it is available.

Teachers, please come with your class for their scheduled library check-out time. Please line your students up outside the front door of the library. Joji, Stella or I will always greet them there, and we’ll lead them in to the workspace we’ll be using that day.

Students, please return your library books AS you finish them; do not wait until your library day to return books. Please return your books to your classroom library basket, OR to the plastic tub that will be in the main hallway as you enter school in the morning, by the back library door. We are NOT allowing you into the library before school at all. You are allowed 14 days for each book checked out, and one library cycle for technology, however, if you finish early, please return your item.

Teachers, please allocate a student/group of students in your class to return the library book basket at the START of each school day after most/all of your students have arrived, and had a chance to return their finished books to the library basket. Please make this part of your new morning routine, as it will help us exponentially in our library check out period.

Students, this year we are making a real effort to use shelf markers in the library. You must pick up a shelf marker as soon as my mini-lesson is over, you must keep it in your hand as you walk through the library, using it to mark the place where you choose books from the shelf. You are not allowed to check out your books unless you have your shelf marker in your hand to return to Ms Stella and Ms Joji.

VOICES OFF IN THE LOFT

Students, when you go upstairs to the reading loft, you need your shoes, and your voices OFF up there… remember it is for the students who just HAVE to read RIGHT NOW, and FINISH their AMAZING book… or they won’t be able to stand it!

Guidelines for Check Out

EVERY student in Elementary must check out at least ONE non-fiction book each check out period.

Pre K-1st Grade you are to check out up to 5 books at a time. We’d like you to always check out ONE non-fiction book (at least). You are also allowed to check out one magazine or one DVD too, as well as fiction books in the Primary Library.

Grade 2-Grade 5 students, you guys can have UNLIMITED check-out privileges; so use your common sense and make sure you don’t check out more books than you can read.

Grade 2-Grade 5 students, like I said, your check out is unlimited, within that, you can check out a maximum of:

1 Graphic Novel

2 DVD’s

3 Books in a Series

Lunch Recess Time Library Visits

Monday and Wednesday-Grades 2 and 4 are allowed to check out in the library during their lunch recess time. If the day is too hot/wet/polluted you are welcome to stay and read. If the day is fine, we’ll send you out to play once you’ve checked out your books.

Tuesday and Thursday-Grades 3 and 5 are allowed to check out in the library during their lunch recess time. If the day is too hot/wet/polluted you are welcome to stay and read. If the day is fine, we’ll send you out to play once you’ve checked out your books.

Books to Eat 2013

I can’t wait to greet you all in the library, with over 1,000 new books, bringing our collection to over 30,000 items, there really is something in our library for everyone!

the barefoot librarian

Kimbra Power

Author Archives: Lana