I recently attended the Nebraska Association for the Gifted (NAG) spring conference and attended many beneficial sessions. One in particular provided a wealth of reading suggestions for students and the presenters gave me permission to share the lists. Enjoy!
sun image taken from http://pdclipart.org
Not quite, but it’s never to early to start planning ahead! There are many great learning opportunities available for kids during the summer. There are a couple options listed below, but if you know of others, please leave a comment with the details.
Engineering Learning Center: http://www.timeforstem.com/
The Studios at TAG Academy: http://www.tagacademyomaha.
Strategic Air and Space Museum: http://www.sasmuseum.com/camps/
2015 Young Writers Camp: http://www.unl.edu/newp/2015-young-writers-camp
Blocks and Bricks Learning Adventures: http://www.tutorinomaha.com/about-us/summer-camp-2015/
Map taken from http://www.mapofus.org/nebraska/
I absolutely love road trips which is why I got so excited when “12 Nebraska towns you’ve probably never heard of” was recently published in The Lincoln Journal Star. I immediately thought to myself…
Your Challenge (if you choose to accept it): Research the Nebraska towns listed in the article. Here are some sample questions to guide your research…
Present your information in a format of your choice. Be creative! When you’re finished, submit your product to the EY Coordinator at your building.
Below are the 12 Nebraska towns listed in the article. If you think there’s another Nebraska town that should be on the list, leave a comment and tell us why.
The 2015 Battle of the Books celebration is only a week away and we are getting geared up for an exciting day! Here’s the schedule:
Friday, March 13 @ Westside Community Conference Center
9:30-10:00: Students will arrive and set up their projects (up to 2 per student). There will be BOTB questions looping on the screen for students to answer. During this time, students will have an opportunity to earn tickets for the prize drawings.
10:00-10:25: Presentation by Playwright Ellen Struve
10:30-11:00: Skype call with Kathryn Fitzmaurice-author of BOTB book A Diamond in the Desert
11:00-11:10: Another chance to earn prize tickets by answering BOTB questions
11:15-11:45: Skype call with Valerie Hobbs-author of BOTB book Sheep
11:45-12:10: Lunch with another opportunity to earn prize tickets
12:10-12:30: Group BOTB competition using Kahoot!
12:30-12:50: Skype call with W.H. Beck-author of BOTB book Malcolm at Midnight
12:55-1:30: Individual BOTB competition
1:30-1:45: Westside Community member and retired administrator Marla Fries will do a presentation on her Free Little Library
1:45-2:05: Ellen Scott from the Bookworm will do a presentation on our Westside neighborhood family-owned bookstore. She will also be promoting a reading challenge!
2:05-2:20: Awards
2:25: Load buses and head back to school
Bus 1: pick up Hillside at 8:50, Westbrook at 9:00, Swanson at 9:10 and Sunset at 9:20
Bus 2: pick up WMS at 8:50 (any Algebra or Pre-Algebra students), Loveland at 9:00, and Westgate at 9:10, and Paddock at 9:20
Bus 3: pick up Oakdale at 9:00, Rockbrook at 9:10, and Prairie Lane at 9:20.
bus graphic taken from http://www.pdclipart.org
Here is the link to Pigs will be Pigs by Amy Axelrod. Tally the coins and dollars the pigs found while going through their house and then find the total.
http://www.teachertube.com/video/interactive-read-aloud-video-pigs-will-be-p-274915
Talented and Gifted Academy of Omaha (TAG Academy) is an original start-up company offering services to area talented youth. The Academy was created to provide challenging enrichment opportunities for kids in areas such as robotics, computer technology (3D printing, coding, video game making, graphics, and more), higher order thinking, creativity, problem solving, performance arts, and studio/visual arts that do not currently exist in the metro area as an extracurricular option for motivated learners.
You can read more about TAG Academy and the courses they offer on their web page. Also, check our their March flyer by Clicking Here.
Westside Community Schools does not sponsor or endorse the company described here. The sharing of this information is provided as a community service.
Coding Bliss is a monthly coding workshop for girls. The goal is to make coding fun and accessible to young women in the community.
The event is held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month from 5-8 pm.
Check out more details at
https://www.meetup.com/Coding-Bliss/?_cookie-check=JuUu1AxDvk-WCS2X
Agenda:
Another great video tutorial has been posted by our friends at Hopscotch. This video will show you the basics of creating pixel art. Once you’re finished with the tutorial, you’ll be well on your way to creating more images like the ones below.
When you’ve created your own pixel art, take a picture and share it with the EY Coordinator at your building and we’ll post it on our Student Showcase Wiki.
Happy Pixelating!
Check out what the following Westside students created.
As a mother of 4 active boys, I often struggle to find balance with family time, church, homework, sports, and the day-to-day things that just pop-up. I recently took my boys to Kearney to stay in a hotel where they could swim and go down water slides. This was their incentive (OK…maybe it was a bribe) for reading their books and finishing the projects for Battle of the Books.
What I realized in the months leading up to this was that I have 4 boys with very different attitudes and preferences when it comes to reading. We downloaded a couple of the books to my iPad which my 3rd grader seemed to enjoy. My 1st grader is in-between picture books and chapter books and isn’t quite independent yet. My 5th grader prefers non-fiction books about cars and sports, and my littlest one just wants someone to read to him.
This list of 50 Books Kids Should Read Before They’re 12 came in my email the other day from Common Sense Media and I thought it would be a great list to share with parents who may or may not know of some age-appropriate titles for their kids. Check it out and leave a comment below. What are some “must reads” for kids in your opinion? Do you have any advice for motivating kids to read?
Remember that your Battle of the Books Keynotes are due this Thursday, February 19th. You can find directions on how to submit your Keynotes here. You will receive a confirmation email letting you know that your Keynote was received. Once all Keynotes have been submitted and reviewed, you will receive more information about the Battle of the Books event on March 13th.