Scholastic Book Clubs

Hi Fox Run readers!

For those of you who do NOT get Scholastic book club flyers from your child's homeroom teacher, I've set up a way for you to order online.

Why? Because Scholastic has some great bargains on some books your student will love to read. Many books are just $1, and lots of books are less than $5. They make super stocking stuffers or birthday gifts! Shipping to our school is FREE!

Even better...everything you purchase helps our library to buy more books for our students.

If you decide to buy a book as a gift, and you do NOT want me to deliver it to your student and spoil a surprise, just send me an email at cyoung12 at neisd dot net, and let me know. I'll hold the order for you in the library until you can come in and pick it up.

These books are such great deals...I don't want anyone to miss out! If your homeroom teacher is already sending home flyers, please order from him or her to help build up the classroom library.

If not, click on the book clubs graphic above, or go to www.scholastic.com/bookclubs and enter our code, L8WVD.

Happy reading!

Need Math or Science help?

Hi Fox Run friends!

Do you need help explaining something in math or science to your student? I just found a FREE site with videos to explain things like fractions and photosynthesis.

StudyJams was created by Scholastic. The site has songs and videos to explain math and science in ways that are kid-friendly and easy to understand. You don't need a username or password.

This is a great place for homework help, or reviewing what your student learned in school.

Check it out!

Storybook Pumpkin Patch

Many thanks to those of you who helped your student create a storybook pumpkin in October. We had a beautiful storybook pumpkin patch in our library!

We saw so much creativity from your families! Our central office sent someone over to our library to make a video about our awesome projects. You can watch the video by clicking here.

Happy fall, y'all!

Fall Book Fair

Hi Fox Run friends!

Thanks so much for making our fall book fair a success!

We had help from 20 parent volunteers, and that made a BIG difference! Students were able to check out quickly and get back to class, thanks to our wonderful Fox Run moms!

Our school library gets 25% of every item sold. These funds help us pay for author visits, for student prizes, for our subscription to BookFlix, and many more ways to help our students succeed.

Thank you for all you did to support our book fair!

(Our spring book fair will be February 25-March 1, during the next early release days. Hope to see you there!)

Free Ebooks and Audiobooks

Hi Fox Run friends!

Did you know that our Fox Run library has ebooks and audiobooks that you can borrow? YES!

You can check out up to 5 items at a time from our digital library.  FREE! Your 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade student should bring home a bookmark this week with the URL (web address) for our digital library. It's located at http://neisd.lib.overdrive.com.

You will want to help your student with this process, because the digital library includes books for all age levels, including high school. Some of the high school books would not be appropriate for elementary school students to read. By clicking on "Grade Level" on the left side of the screen, you can see all of the books for grades K-5 only. Or you can use the search box (top left) to search for a specific title.

When you check out, you will be asked for your student's ID number. This is a 7-digit number that should be available to you in the Parent Portal, if you don't already know it. You will be asked if you want to keep the item for 7, 14, or 21 days.

Then you can either watch or listen to the book on your computer, or use a USB cord to transfer the downloaded ebook or audiobook to your device, like an mp3 player, iPod, iPhone, Nook, Kindle, or many other devices, listed here on the Device Resource Center.

The blue Help/FAQ button on the left side of the page is a GREAT help! There are videos you can watch to show you how to go through the checkout and download process. It's not hard at all!

I hope you'll try an ebook or audiobook from our library. Stop by the library if I can help you get started!

A great year at Fox Run Library

Hi Fox Run friends!

We've got a great year ahead of us in the Fox Run Library! We have two author visits and two book fairs coming up, plus lots of other learning adventures. Here's a short video showing a few of the events planned for us this year in the library.

Parents, follow this blog by putting your email address in the box on the top right. Then you'll get all the updates, letting you know what's going on with your Fox Run Readers!

Happy reading!

Toon Books with Professor Garfield

Hi Fox Run Readers!

Are you looking for something new and different to do with your computer? Something that's fun and free, but also keeps your brain sharp? Try Toon Books with Professor Garfield!

You can listen to these graphic novels in English, French, Spanish, Russian, or Chinese. Won't that surprise your teacher when you come back to school speaking Chinese?

There's a cool game on this website too. It's called Reading Ring. You are in a wrestling ring. To win, you put Garfield comics in order and answer questions about them.  Click here to try Reading Ring!

I tried them, and I liked them! I hope you do, too!

Backyard Fun

The backyard is a great place to explore nature. It also provides an opportunity to learn science, reading, writing, math, and art.
First, make a chart and ask your child what they think they know about bugs. Write their responses under the first part of the chart.
Then ask your child what they want to learn about bugs and what would be a good location for learning about bugs.

What I think I know about bugs…	What I want to learn about bugs…	What I learned about bugs…	Questions I still have about bugs…

After you fill out the first two sections of the chart, read from the book selections on Bookflix.
http://bkflix.grolier.com/
The username is foxrun and the password is bookflix.
Under the Animals and Nature section, you will find a cute and informative book entitled,
Bugs!Bugs! Bugs! by Bob Barner.
It is a colorful and musical book that introduces children to grasshoppers, caterpillars, ladybugs, and other backyard insects.
After reading this first book, help  your child list what they learned about bugs in the third section of the chart. You may want to replay the book in order to help in remembering the facts.
Then you can read the non-fiction book that is paired with the first book, A Ladybug Larva Grows Up.
At this point, you can ask your child what else they learned about ladybugs.
There are word matching and ladybug drawing activities provided by Bookflix.
 Fill out the last section of the chart by asking about questions they may still have about bugs.

You can extend the science lesson by going out to the backyard and asking your child where they think they might be able to find insects, with your supervision. Remind them about safety and that animals are living things that must be respected.
Begin by sectioning off any 12X12 section of the backyard that your child chooses. If possible, provide a magnifying glass. With your assistance, your child can observe the area. If insects are found, you can help lift the  insect onto an index card in order to observe its movement, describe its characteristics, and discuss the insect's role in the environment. This is a great opportunity for discussion.

For art, your child can draw the backyard, draw insects that are of particular interest, or draw on any related topic of his/her choice.
Your child can draw a picture in the writing notebook and write about the day in the life of an insect, living things in my backyard, or any topic of choice.
For math, you can model creating a math story such as:
There were 3 ladybugs sitting on the rose bush.
2 more ladybugs landed on the rose bush.
How many ladybugs are on the rose bush now?
Encourage your child to solve the problems using household items, drawing the picture, using numbers and words.
The next step would be to have your child create a math problem on his/her own.
The possibilities for learning fun activities  in your backyard are endless. Have fun!

The Listening Walk

The Listening Walk by Paul Showers
This cool book is about a girl who goes on a listening walk with her father and her dog, Major. It is a silent walk, with no talking.
She listens to the sound of her dog walking, "twick, twick, twick" and her fathers shoes, "dop, dup, dop".
This is a great way to combine reading, writing,  physical exercise, and quality family time.
Read the book.
Take a silent walk with the family.
Return home and discuss the sounds that were heard on the walk.
Write the words.
Creating sound words would help develop reading skills by reinforcing word families.
What sounds did you hear that had these sounds?(-ink, -ing, -ong, -ip, -onk, -ow, -op, -up, -ick, etc.)
Another activity could be to write a description of one of the sounds that was heard on the walk.
For example, if you heard a bird tweeting or chirping, you could create a word bank about birds and then use these words to write a short story or a few sentences. The word bank could include: tree, bird, branch, flying, singing, chirping, tweeting, song.
A variation of this activity could be to take walks that focus on one of the other senses, such as the sense of sight, the sense of smell, or the sense of touch.
What do  you see on this family walk?
How does the rock feel when you touch it?
What are some of the different things you can smell on the walk?
Another variation could be to use the family walk as a math activity.
On one evening walk, you can count the mailboxes on one block. 
Upon returning home, have your child draw symbols for each mailbox.
How many mailboxes are on our block? How do you know?
How many mailboxes are on one side of the block? How many mailboxes are on the other side of our block?
If there are 10 mailboxes on our block, and each house has a mailbox, how many houses do you think are on our block?
Look for something different to count each night.
Enjoy your summer evenings!

Summer Poetry

Summer is a season rich with images. Children can have fun using their five senses to capture the summer activities and emotions in poetry. Read Write Think provides some interactive templates for writing poetry such as acrostic poems, diamontes, and theme poems. The activities are leveld for grades 2-8, however poetry is for all ages. This could be a great family activity.
Bright Ideas

Pete the Cat

We love Pete the Cat! We could read his books over and over!
Here are some videos of Pete the Cat's books and songs...

We first met Pete the Cat in "I Love My White Shoes." In this video, the author tells (and sings) the story for a live audience.



In his next book, Pete put on his shoes and went to school.



In his latest book, Pete the cat has a shirt with four groovy buttons.



We know that once you meet Pete the Cat, you'll be singing his song, too. You can find his books at our Fox Run Library and book fairs, and at the Semmes library.

Brain break video: Verb Rap

Hi Fox Run Readers!
I know that sometimes your brain needs a break. You want to keep learning, but you want to be having fun, too, right? I've found some brain break videos to add to our blog.
Third, fourth, and fifth graders, this one's for you. When you watch it, you can't help singing (or rapping) along! Verb!

Summer Calendar

A Summer Journal is one way to help your child express thoughts and creativity.

Let your child choose and decorate his/her own journal.
Some children prefer paper that is lined, while others prefer unlined paper.
Your child might really respond to keeping a journal if you keep your own journal.

You can start by suggesting topics, such as a word for the day. For example, the word might be "happy". Your child would write the word, then draw a picture of something or someone who makes them feel happy. They can write a sentence about their drawing.
Let your child take photos of people, places, or things that are of interest. Encourage them to discuss why they took the photo and why it is special. They can write a sentence about the photo.

Encourage your child to write on a topic of their choice. If they need help, you can use the Summer Calendar which provides different topics. Use these topics as a starting point.

Have fun!

The students have been studying different types of media. They have been identifying the purpose, the audience, and the techniques used in media. Students decided to create their own community message ads with helpful tips for the summer.
Suggested Summer Activity:
View a few commercials with your child.
Discuss the purpose of this media: entertain, inform, persuade (It can sometimes be a combination but there is one main purpose.)
Who was the targeted audience for this ad?
Was this ad successful? Why? What movement or sound did it use?
Your child can then draw a picture of the main interest points of the ad.

What is a Fox Run First Grader?

Today first grade students in Mrs. Cunningham's class talked about what it means to be a first grader at Fox Run. They thought about their answers, then we recorded their thoughts in this movie.



Second grade, here they come!

Choosing a Library Book

Several of our first graders visited the library, and we talked about how we choose a library book. We made a video to share with you!

Watch this with your Fox Run Reader. Talk about how you can look for books at the Semmes library (the library with a playground) or at school. When your student choose a book, talk about the connections they see to themselves, to their world, or to other books they've read.

Happy reading!

Summer Reading

Hi Fox Run Readers!
I'm creating a summer reading page on this blog, just for YOU! I know you want to keep reading all summer to stay sharp and be ready to learn next year.
So...check out the summer reading page for book suggestions and a list of places that will give you fabulous prizes for something that's already so much fun--READING!
Look on the right hand side of this blog for the link that says "Summer Reading." And, since I won't see you at the Fox Run Library this summer, I'll look for you when I go to the Semmes Library!

Free Books Online

Hi Fox Run Readers!
Here's a website with almost 200 children's picture books that you can read online for FREE!

We Give Books

Even better,  when you sign up and read books on this website, they make a donation to a charity that helps MORE kids read!

They've got lots of great books to choose from! 

Bookmark this website, and read a free ebook together when you're stuck in the waiting room, or need a new bedtime story.

Happy reading!

Gotta Keep Reading!

Have you seen this video from Ocoee Middle School in Florida? The students did a great job of showing their enthusiasm for books and reading!



It's fun to watch!

Spring Cleaning?

Hi Fox Run Families!
Are any of you cleaning out your students' bookshelves at home?
Did you know that donations of children's paperback books are welcome at Fox Run? YES!
We have an "honor books" section of our library especially for donated paperbacks. These books are taken and returned by students on the honor system, not checked out on the computer.
If you have paperbacks at home that your students have outgrown, we'd love to share them with other students at our Fox Run Library!

Book List for Geeks

Wondering what to read? Here is a great book list from Geek Dad at Wired magazine.  (We're talking about geeks like Bill Gates and Michael Dell here.) A team of technology writers got together and decided which books they would recommend to parents raising Generation 2.0.

67 Books Every Geek Should Read to Their Kid Before Age 10

Leading geeks agree that to develop your brain AND have a great time with your family, parents and kids should read together!

Most of the great titles on this list are available at our Fox Run Library. You'll see picture books and chapter books, too. Look over the list with your family, and choose one that you can read together. Come on in to the Fox Run Library, check it out, and take it home to share.

I can't guarantee that it will make you a geek, but I can absolutely guarantee that reading with your family will make you smarter!

(I really like the books they put on the list. I think this may be my "what to read next" list!)

Happy reading!
Ms. Young