Shelfari -------------------------->

I discovered Shelfari the other day when reading a friend's blog.  I like to see what my friends are reading, I get some of my best book ideas that way!  So, I thought I would share with you some of my favorites in both children's and adult literature.  Some I have read, some I am currently reading, and some I would like to read.  I have an ever-expanding list of books on my wish-list at Amazon.com.  I also have a list in my purse.  I also have a list next to my bed.  And of course I keep a list at school.  I see the kids come back from the media center or the book fair with books that look interesting.  I try to keep up on children's literature too.  So many books and SO little time! 

Please share!  What are your favorites?  Any genre is good.  I need more for my lists!

Global Children's Challenge

I just got an exciting email congratulating my class for being selected to be part of the Global Children's Challenge this year!

From their website:
The Global Children's Challenge™ engages children at a classroom level to record their activity level, keep healthy and take part in a virtual walk around the world learning about health, nutrition, exercise and the places they visit over the 50 days of the event. The 2011 challenge begins Thursday 15th September and finishes Thursday 3rd November.

The 'virtual' journey around the world has a factual discovery focus, allowing kids to learn about other countries, towns, cities, and the day-to-day lives of similar aged children from different cultures all around the world. As a learning experience, the course locations include information and facts on geography, history, social science, human society, cultural difference, the environment as well as lots of the 'popular culture' that upper primary/elementary students love.

Exciting, right?
The students will each receive a pedometer and we will submit class averages!  My daughter's class did this last year, so I hurried and applied because her teacher said it isn't easy to get in to!

Please check out the GCC website, and even "like" them on Facebook, and get excited like me!  I am not 100% sure of what we are getting into, but we will make it awesome no matter what!

http://www.gccjunior.org/

http://www.facebook.com/GlobalChildrensChallenge?sk=wall#!/GlobalChildrensChallenge?sk=wall

Summer Reading List

 Summer Reading Ideas

Ace the Very Important Pig by Dick King-Smith   
All About Sam by Lois Lowry    
Allie Finkel’s Rules For Girls by Meg Cabot
Amber Brown Wants Extra Credit by Paula Danziger   
Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary      
Boy’s Start the War by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor   
Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors by Jenny Nimmo
Encyclopedia Brown (any title) by Donald Sobol   
Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes
Hank Zipzer: My Dog’s a Scaredy Cat by Henry Winkler
Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary  
Hey, New Kid by Betsy Duffey   
Homer Price by Robert McCloskey   
Hot and Cold Summer by Johanna Hurwitz   
Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke
In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Betty Bao Lord   
Judy Moody: Around the World in 8 ½ Days by Megan McDonald  
Lily's Crossing by Patricia Reilly Giff   
Lion to Guard Us by Clyde Robert Bulla    
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder   
Lost and Found by Andrew Clements
Matilda by Roald Dahl   
Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry   
Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate Di Camillo
Nim’s Island by Wendy Orr  
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren   
Poppy by Avi  
Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis
Room One by Andrew Clements
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
Wanted ... Mud Blossom by Betsy Byars   
Welcome to Camden Falls by Ann M. Martin

* Almost any book by these authors would be appropriate.

Time to go to the library!!!!
  

Fourth Grade Ramblings

School doesn't start for almost 2 months, but here I sit on an extremely lazy Saturday afternoon thinking about the 2011-2012 school year.  My first year in 4th grade.  Well, I guess technically my second time.  But the first time was a long time ago and I was only 9.  My 4th grade teacher was Mr. Blumer, and it wasn't just his first year teaching 4th grade, it was his first year teaching!  I loved 4th grade.  Mr. Blumer was full of first year teaching enthusiasm.  I won't be full of first year teaching enthusiasm, but I will be full of first year of teaching fourth grade enthusiasm!

When Mr. Doerer first told me he was moving me to fourth grade I was not happy.  I have been very happy and content down in room C-5 for the past 5 years.  I know the curriculum, my room was set exactly how I like it, I had a BRAND NEW smartboard, (don't worry, my new classroom has one too!) and I had an awesome third grade team that I could always count on.  But I'll admit, the more time goes on, I am really warming to the idea of fourth grade.  I will have a lot of the same kids in my class.  I already know their strengths and weaknesses so it won't take me 3 months to figure them out.  They already know each other, so they don't have to spend a lot of time trying to make new friends.  That leaves LOTS of time for learning new things and  I will be learning right along with the kids this year.  I will be on the lookout for lots of new ways to keep the kids engaged this year.  Please feel free to introduce me to anything you think I could use in the class!

Looking forward to a great school year!  See you in August!