Do you have writer’s block? Having a hard time coming up with an idea for your “Choose Your Own Adventure” story? Click on the website below to help guide you in the process.
All posts by lspady
Writing Contests for Kids
Do the “write” thing…enter a writing contest today!
Do you love to write? Are you interested in winning money, travel, publication, and lots of other amazing prizes! On the website below, you can find writing contests for kids, including essay contests, poetry contests, short story contests, and so much more! If you enter a contest, let us know! Even if you don’t win the contest, we’ll post your work on our blog!
http://www.freecontestsforkids.com/writing-contests-for-kids.html

Exploring “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost
Read the poem below. Think about the meaning, then listen to several others read the poem. Notice the differences in the way it is read. Take notes on your observations.
The Road Not Taken
by Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Click on these links to listen to others read the poem:
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-road-not-taken/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie2Mspukx14
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUaQgRiJukA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spXtePd4Whk
After watching the videos, think about the meaning of the poem. What do you think Robert Frost was trying to say to the audience? What themes do you hear running through the poem? Record yourself reading the poem on your iPad using the Voice Recorder app. After you have read the poem, summarize what you think he meant. You may want to write yourself a script to read with your response to the poem.
More Tic Tac Toe Menus
Additional Tic Tac Toe menus and other resources have been added to our wiki! Feel free to download any grade level. Share a Tic Tac Toe menu that you created and we’ll enter you in a drawing for a gift card!
Click here for the Tic Tac Toe menus
PKI STEM Seminar
Thank you for your interest in the STEM seminar.
On Friday, September 5, fourteen students visited the Peter Kiewit Institute for a UNO/UNL College Visit Day. In order to qualify for this seminar, students completed an online STEM-related activity. Over 60 students completed the activity which tells us there was a high interest in this area. We are looking into providing another opportunity in the future.
View Tweets from the seminar at: https://twitter.com/WCSEY66
Talented and Gifted Academy of Omaha
The Talented and Gifted Academy of Omaha offers advanced classes for talented and gifted students in 4th-8th grades outside of the regular school day. Classes run for four consecutive weeks on Tuesday through Thursday evenings. Click on the following links to find out more information!
Click Here for an Informational Flyer
Click Here for Information about an Open House on August 22 and 27th
Click Here for September Classes
Westside Community Schools does not sponsor or endorse the organization or activity described in these flyers. The sharing of this information is provided as a community service.
Gifted Parenting Support Blog
Gifted Parenting Support Blog: http://giftedparentingsupport.blogspot.com
Coder Dojo
CoderDojos are a global movement of open source coding sessions led by volunteer mentors from education and industry. Kids learn how to creatively code at their own pace in a fun, relaxed environment. CoderDojos are FREE to attend, and the only rule is “be cool!“
Registration isn’t open yet, but check the site below soon! http://aimforbrilliance.org/coderdojo/
Welcome to the 2014-2015 school year!
Hello! I hope you all had a wonderful summer! It sure flew by!
Our daily schedule looks different this year – you should have received an e-mail from me regarding days your student has EY.
Our focus this quarter is on exploration through reading and writing. We will be looking at different kinds of “Choose your Own Adventure” stories and students will have the opportunity to write their own. There are so many places students can take this! I’m excited to see what they come up with.
During Enrichment/Intervention time, I plan to expose the students to all of the different online and other opportunities that are also available to them. Check the EY website often to see all of the different options!
It will be an exciting quarter!
Mrs. Sindt
Zacarro Math
The Zacarro units are perfect math anchors for the Envision Math topics. Each Zacarro unit has teaching pages that will instruct the skill. There are also leveled practice problems. You can assign the levels that fit the child and/or the student can always choose
to do a harder level if he/she would like. You can use the Zacarro Math units in the following ways:
- Students can work on them when they are done with the classroom assignment
- They could be used as a station in guided math
- They could serve as lessons for the highest group when working with the teacher
There should be one Zacarro binder in grades 4, 5, and 6 at each elementary school. If you are unable to locate the binder, please contact your EY coordinator.
4th Grade Envision Math topic alignment to Zacarro units
5th Grade Envision Math topic alignment to Zacarro units
6th Grade Envision Math topic alignment to Zacarro units