I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing winter break! As we prepare to return to school tomorrow, here are some upcoming events and details for January.
Battle of the Books
Tomorrow kicks off our 2016 Battle of the Books competition! 3rd grade is the first year that students participate, so for all the families new to BoB, here's a quick look at what you can expect.
Battle of the Books has begun! Third through eighth grade will spend the next six weeks reading and strategizing before going head to head with the other classes in fast paced battles that test comprehension. Today the official list of 26 books will be released. Classes will work together to not only read these books, but master them. Because each student can only answer three questions per battle, it must be a team effort. Which class will come out on top? It's anyone's game at this point. Be sure to ask your student what BOB book they are reading. You are more than welcome to read it with them or even to them! Students should also begin memorizing the titles and authors exactly as they are written on the official lists.
THE OFFICIAL LIST
| Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer by John Grisham |
| James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl |
| Holes by Louis Sachar |
| The Mighty Mars Rovers: The Incredible Adventures of Spirit and Opportunity by Elizabeth Rusch |
| Emma by Jane Austen |
| Stuart Little by E.B.White |
| Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh |
| Muggie Maggie by Beverly Cleary |
| Ecoviews Snakes, Snails, and Environmental Tales by Whit Gibbons and Anne R. Gibbons |
| Freckle Juice by Judy Blume |
| Elephant Run by Roland Smith |
| The Skirt by Gary Soto |
| The Boy on the Wooden Box: How the impossible became possible on Schindler's List by Leon Leyson with Marilyn J. Harran and Elisabeth B. Leyson |
| The HItchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams |
| Love, Ruby Lavender by Deborah Wiles |
| Courage Has No Color- the True Story of the Triple Nickles: America's First Black Paratroopers by Tanya Lee Stone |
| Peace Warriors by Andrea Davis Pinkney |
| The Wildlife Detectives How Forensic Scientists Fight Crimes Against Nature by Donna M. Jackson |
| Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt |
| Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women by Catherine Thimmesh |
| The Walk On by John Feinstein |
| Frindle by Andrew Clements |
| Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons, a Calvin and Hobbes Collection by Bill Watterson |
| Waiting for the Magic, by Patricia MacLachlan |
| How Oliver Olson Changed the World by Claudia Mills |
| Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez by Kathleen Krull |
| The Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop |
| Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson |
| Fish in a Tree by Linda Mullaly Hunt |
FAQ
How are books chosen?
The Battle of the Book list is chosen by a team of teachers and administrators. They review the National Librarian’s Association recommendations, Newberry Medal winners, Caldecott Medal winners, and other notable award winners. From these lists they find books that range from the lowest reading level participating to 3 years above the highest grade participating. From there they ensure that we have fiction and nonfiction, historical fiction, classics, sports fiction, animal fiction, adventure, and a biography. The last consideration is a balance between female and male characters. The idea is to have at least one book in the list that appeals to every child participating.
What if I think a book is over my child’s head or is inappropriate for them?
The beauty of Battle of the Books is that it is a team effort. No one child is expected to read every book. In fact, it’s best if they don’t read every book. Choose 2 or 3 from the list that you are OK with and read those.
Can my child listen to the book/watch the movie/have it read to them etc?
YES! The idea is for children to be exposed to literature and to understand the story. They can have it read to them by an adult or older sibling, listen to it on tape, or read it themselves. They can watch the movie, but be careful; often the movie is not the same as the book. Abridged and "Junior Classic" versions are also a good option for making more difficult texts accessible to younger readers. They may not have as much detail, but should get the characters, places, and main story points.
Are eReaders allowed at school?
Yes. For the duration of BoB, students may bring their electronic readers to school, but must follow the following guidelines:
- A parent note giving permission must accompany the e*reader.
- Students may ONLY access BoB books (no other apps) during school hours.
- Electronic devices will be stored in a special basket behind my desk at all times except during reading-appropriate times. They may not be taken out to recess.
- eReaders will be returned to the student every afternoon to be taken home. No devices will be left at school over night.
- The student will be responsible for their device.
Again, there will be many paper-books available for students to read, and by no means is an e*reader required. It is up to your family to decide if this use of technology is appropriate for your student.
January Curriculum
This week we will have a quick review/wrap-up of the Nervous System before diving into the Eye, Vision, and Light unit. This will be tied in with our next unit, the Ear, Hearing, and Sound in February. Our February 26th field trip will be an on-campus exploration of these topics- including a visit to an optometrists office and a hands-on eyeball dissection! If you are interested in helping, please check out our Volunteer Spot!
Towards the end of the month we will also be starting our next history unit on First Peoples of North America. This unit will continue into the first part of February.
Our January field trip is on Friday, 1-22-15 to see the Oregon Children's Theater production of Geronimo Stilton, Mouse in Space! Villains are threatening New Mouse City, and the only hope is our reluctant hero, Geronimo Stilton! In this “enormouse” adventure, Geronimo is launched into space on a top-secret mission to save the day!
Science Fair is coming!
Friday, January 22nd is the CHPCS Science Fair. 4th-8th grade students participate as individuals, while K-3rd grade conduct class projects. We will be off-campus that day but will be conducting our experiment earlier in the month and it will be displayed at the Fair. For our project, we need several bottles of different strengthed SPF sunscreen. If you have a bottle/tube that can spare a few tablespoons of, please send it in with your student. I will send the bottle back by the next day. (No aerosol/spray please).
We have 2 field trips in February- the first, a "bonus" trip, is on Thursday, February 11th to Tryon Creek State Park. Again, please check out the Volunteer Spot if you'd like to help out!
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