2018-2019 Books & Activities
(Bank Street Children’s Book Committee)
Studies show that access to books during the summer prevents a drastic loss in reading skills-especially kids in need! - Visit the library and allow your child time to self-select a large number of books and a variety of texts.
- Engage your child in authentic conversation about what they are reading.
- Always keep in mind that children DEVELOP reading stamina from putting in enjoyable reading time as well as increasing their vocabulary and background knowledge.
- Again, as this is so important the when offering your child, a vast choice of reading materials - you must consider texts matter - topics of interest must be appealing.
- Many libraries are offering “book tastings” and a “date with a book”.
- Visit bookstores and libraries drawing attention to carefully curated book displays.
- Encourage your child to decorate their room with their favorite book covers.
- Again, give your child a true voice about what and why they are reading.
- Create a journal that you and your child share of “golden lines’ lifted from books that you and your child are currently reading. (WE LOVE THIS ONE)
- Have your child leave a post-it inside a book that they may be sharing with a friend with some tantalizing highlights.
- Again, when kids select their own books and have a choice in their reading materials this helps develop a love of reading that lasts a lifetime!
To our great delight many books for children were included and to our heartbreak, many of our all-time favorite must reads were not captured in the list. YET, we could not put down the book and were thrilled to learn of books we didn’t know existed, reminded of many that had left our memory bank, and greeted with an aha moment to discover several of our most eccentric favorite read-alouds were included! We plucked out several books from the 1000 list to share with you, in hopes that you may, in turn, want to share with your child.
Research titles wisely before passing on to your child. The books are arranged in the collages for the most part alphabetically by author - books are not arranged by grade level. To be honest, we left out a couple of books fearing controversy as well as several classics you might expect to see due to the fact that they were originally written for adults. (But over time and through adaptations have often become junior high and high school assigned reading.) We would love to discuss this book, our findings/choices and the “related readings” section of the book. Anyone up for a coffee/book talk meeting?
1. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888)
(The Girl Next Door)
2. Fairy Tales, Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875)
(Once Upon a Time, and Again and Again)
3. Tuck Everlasting, Natalie Babbit (1932-2016)
(A Fable of a Girl’s Escape from Forever)
4. Peter and Wendy, J.M. Barrie (1860-1937)
(The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up)
5. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum (1856-1919)
(Adventures with Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion)
6. Harriet the Spy, Louise Fitzhugh (1928-1974)
(Adolescent Espionage)
7. Johnny Tremain, Esther Forbes (1891-1967
(A boy’s-Eye View of Revolutionary Boston)
8. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame (1859-1932)
(From Bedtime Story to Universal Classic)
9. Harold and the Purple Crayon, Crockett Johnson (1906-1975)
(The Intrepid Toddler Who Could)
10. The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster (born 1929)
(Boredom Banished)
11. Goodnight Moon, Margaret Wise Brown (1910-1952)
Pictures by Clement Hurd (1908-1988)
(The Quintessential Bedtime Book)
12. Little Fur Family, Margaret Wise Brown (1910-1952)
Pictures by Garth Williams (1912-1996)
(Homeland Security)
13. The Story of Babar, Jean Brunhoff (1899-1937)
(An Elephant You’ll Never Forget)
14. A Little Princess, Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849-1924)
(Once Upon a Heroine)
15. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849-1924)
(Mistress Mary, Quite Contrary, How Does Your Garden Grow?)
16. Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me, Eric Carle (born 1929)
(A Merry Lunar Voyage for Parents and Toddlers)
17. Alice in Wonderland
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Through The Looking-Glass, Lewis Carroll (1832-1898)
(A Perfect Confection of Whimsy, Wordplay, and Invention)
18. Matilda, Roald Dahl (1916-1990)
(Little Girl, Big Powers)
19. The Secret of the Old Clock, Carolyn Keene
(Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way)
20. The Boxcar Children, Gertrude Chandler Warner (1890-1979)
(Best Friends Forever: The Joy Of Series)
21. Little House in the Big Woods, Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867-1957)
(Best Friends Forever: The Joy Of Series)
22. Betsy-Tacy, Maud Hart Lovelace (1892-1980)
(Best Friends Forever: The Joy Of Series)
23. Talking Like the Rain, X.J. Kennedy (born 1929) & Dorothy M. Kennedy (born 1931)
(Poems to Read Aloud—and Remember)
24. Just So Stories for Little Children, Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)
(How the Leopard Got His Spots—and more)
25. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, E.L. Konigsburg (1930-20130
(Hiding Out in the Metropolitan Museum)
26. A Hole Is to Dig, Ruth Krauss (1901-1993)
Illustrations, Maurice Sendak (1928-2012)
(A Little Dictionary of Delights)
27. A Wrinkle in Time, Madeline L’Engle (1918-2007)
(Across the Universe with Family and Friends)
28. The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis (1898-1963)
(A Fantasy for Children of Every Age)
29. The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, Hugh Lofting (1886-1947
(Cruising the World in Conversation with Animals)
30. The Call of the Wild, Jack London (1876-1916)
“The greatest dog story ever written.”—Carl Sandburg
31. Make Way for Duckings, Robert McCloskey (1914-2003)
(A Picture-Perfect Family Tale)
32. The Rainbabies, Laura Melmed (born 1950)
Illustrations, Jim LaMarche (born 1952)
(A Picture book to Love for Parents and Toddlers)
33. The World of Winnie-The-Pooh
Winnie-The –Pooh – The House At Pooh Corner, A.A. Milne (1882-1956)
Illustrations, Ernest H. Shepard (1879-1976)
(Growing Affection)
34. Little Bear, Else Holmeund Minarik (1920-2012)
Illustrations, Maurice Sendak (1926-2012)
(A Book to Curl Up With)
35. The World of Peter Rabbit, Beatrix Potter (1866-1943)
(The Little Bunny Who Could—and Did)
36. The Golden Compass, Philip Pullman (born 1946)
(Unparalleled Adventures in a Parallel World)
37. Sparkle and Spin, Ann Rand (1918-2012) & Paul Rand (1914-1996)
(A Picture Book That’s Giddy with Words)
38. Swallows and Amazons, Arthur Ransome (1884-1967)
(Adventure Big as All Outdoors)
39. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, J.K. Rowling (born 1965)
(The Boy Who Lived and Conquered the World)
40. The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1900-1944)
(Life Lessons from an Interplanetary Traveler)
41. Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak (1928-2012)
(A Picture Book Without Peer)
42. The Three Golden Keys, Peter Sis (born 1949)
(Magical Prague—and the Magical Childhood)
43. Abel’s Island, William Steig (1907-2003)
(A Small Fable About Big Virtues)
44. Treasure Island, Robert Louise Stevenson (1850-1894)
(“Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle…”)
45. A Child’s Garden of Verses
(The Rhymes and Seasons of Childhood)
Countless editions and illustrators, first edition 1885
46. Gulliver’s Travels, Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)
(Enthralling Adventure, Envenomed Satire, Immortal Invention)
47. Eloise, Kay Thompson (1909-1998)
Illustrated by Hilary Knight (born 1926)
(A Fairy Tale of New York City)
48. Madeline, Ludwig Bemelmans (1898-1962)
(Laughter And Life Lessons, In Color And Rhyme)
49. The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973)
(The Enduring Enchantments of Middle Earth)
[Asses your child’s ability to handle peril and conflict]
50. The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973)
(A World of Narrative Wizardry)
[Asses your child’s ability to handle peril and conflict]
51. The Great Good Thing, Roderick Townley (born 1942)
(What Happens When a Tale Escapes the Page)
52. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain (1835-1910)
(Boys Will Be Boys)
53. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain (1835-1910)
(Tapping the Vernacular)
54. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Jules Verne (1828-1905)
(A Timeless Voyage from a Sci-Fi Pioneer)
55. Charlotte’s Web, E.B. White (1899-1985)
(“Some Pig”)
56. The Once and Future King, T.H. White (1906-1964)
(King Arthur—and Camelot—Come of Age)
57. The Zoom Trilogy, Tim Wynn-Jones (born 1948)
Illustrations by, Eric Beddows (born 1951)
(Picture-Perfect Picture Books)
Word on the street has it that many 4th, 5th, and 6th graders are absolutely charmed by The Mysterious Benedict Society series by Trenton Lee Stewart.
We decided to postpone our planned post of Earth Day book picks after we learned the news of Notre Dame.
For days, our hearts have been pierced as we have felt the shared sorrow of the news of Notre Dame. We could not help but be drawn to so many wonderful children’s books that characterize life in the city of Paris. All of these books whether in words or art have a reference to the massive, magnificent cathedral.
This being Holy Week we know that many of you feel the symbolism of the recent tragedy on this Catholic house of prayer and are in deep sorrow as so many people from all walks of life are feeling. It seemed like the cathedral had been there forever, and would forever remain the same and always be a symbol of the transcendent human spirit.
We’ve put a collection together of our favorite books that depict life in Paris. Now when one looks at the lovely drawings of Ludwig Bemelmans's Madeline paintings of Paris - they are even more special of how he managed to capture Notre Dame in such a charming and forever light. His artwork remains definitive for readers who have yet to see the city for themselves and an affirming memory for those who have been lucky enough to visit.
We hope that you find some comfort in this collection of books - we are a people of hope.
Please email us family photos of when you may have visited Notre Dame in the past. Lift Off would like to make a collage of St. Edward families visiting the cathedral and place them on the Lift Off page with this post. Send to [email protected]
“Oh! All that I have ever loved!”
Quasimodo, The Hunchback of Note Dame by Victor Hugo
A great opportunity to actively participate with your child in a chance to vote for their favorite book listed in their grade level category. The only national book awards voted on only by kids and teens!
Posted April 10th, 2019
Here are the finalists for two of the 4 categories.
- Day At The Beach, Written and illustrated by Tom Booth
- Grow Up, David!, Written and illustrated by David Shannon
- I Say Ooh You Say Aah, Written and illustrated by John Kane
- Julián Is a Mermaid, Written and illustrated by Jessica Love
- There's a Dragon in Your Book, By Tom Fletcher; Illustrated by Greg Abbott
- Back to the Future: The Classic Illustrated Storybook, By Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale; Illustrated by Kim Smith
- Down by the River, By Andrew Weiner; Illustrated by April Chu
- The Mushroom Fan Club, Written and illustrated by Elise Gravel
- Safari Pug, By Laura James; Illustrated by Églantine Ceulemans
- School People, By Lee Bennett Hopkins; Illustrated by Ellen Shi
For the full list of books nominated for all grade levels and details on voting please go to https://everychildareader.net/vote/
Contact the Academy of American Poets for lots of happenings and projects, including Poem-A-Day, where new poetry is emailed daily to those who http://www.poets.org
Posted April 3rd, 2019
Today’s collage showcases some poetry musts haves for our young learners. From today’s curated list we feature the work of one of the twenty-first-century’s best new poets for children—Joyce Sidman. In this Post we highlight Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night which received a Caldecott Honor and a Newberry Honor. Sidman uses poem—and thoughtful facts—to present creatures who come out at night while others sleep. Her poems display the power of well-chosen word and the artistry of a true poet. Owls, snails, moths, bats, and porcupettes emerge. “I am a baby porcupette. /My paws are small; my nose is wet. /But I can deal with any threat;/ I raise my quills/and pirouette.”
(A variety to appeal to all grade levels.)
Posted March 27th, 2019
Out of this World: The Surreal Art of Leonora Carrington
by Michelle Markel; illustrations by Amanda Hall
Profiles the remarkable British artist who shunned society’s expectations, joined a Surrealist group of painters, and showed through her art the inner imagination and aspiration of women.
Fearless Mary: Mary Fields, American Stagecoach Driver
by Tami Charles; illustrated by Claire Almon
Fascinating tale of one of the unsung African American women who helped settle the American West. A former slave, Mary became the first African American stagecoach driver beating out all the cowboys that applied for the job.
Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein
by Linda Bailey; illustrations by Julia Sarda
This haunting and thought-provoking picture book tells how Mary Shelley uses experience, imagination, and the scientific advances of her day to craft the most enduring horror story ever— Frankenstein. Get ready to be transported back to the 19th century.
Adventurous Women
by Penny Coleman
Eight stories about women who made a difference—one intriguing story is of Alice Hamilton, who beat all of odds of graduating medical school for a girl of her time. After graduating she forgo a career in medicine and ended up being a poison specialist! Her work was instrumental in the passing of legislation designed to protect workers from lead poisoning.
Hedy Lamarr’s Double Life:Hollywood Legend and Brilliant Inventor
by Laurie Wallmark; illustrated by Katy Wu
Hedy was known as America’s newest sweetheart when she began acting for MGM studios. What most don’t know is that she was an inventor at heart and she built a secure torpedo guidance system as WWll was raging. Her invention “frequency hopping” is now used in all kinds of cell phone/wireless technology and helps keep calls and internet messages secure.
Brave Ballerina: The Story of JanetCollins
by Michelle Meadows; illustrated by Ebony Glenn
Janet Collins was the first African American prima ballerina with the Metropolitan Opera House. A story of a brave girl that was told she could not enroll in ballet school because of the color of her skin. She was talented, and she knew it so she didn’t give up, becoming a trailblazer.
Posted March 20th, 2019- Your Name (first and last)
- Your grade level
- Your favorite Eric Carle book
- Explain why the book is your favorite
Neat handwriting only. Younger learners may dictate answers to parents or teachers.
As Lift Off To Literacy continues to promote this year’s school theme: Building a Culture of Literacy we are proud to provide our learners with two very fun “bookish” events.
- Nothing Stopped Sophie by Cheryl Bardoe
- If Polar Bears Disappeared by Lily Williams
- Counting on Katherine by Helaine Becker
- Fossil-by-Fossil Comparing Dinosaur Bones by Sara Levine
The Lift Off Book Fairy has left a fun surprise announcing a special drawing on the bulletin board near Makerspace. As The Very Hungry Caterpillar recently turned 50, it seemed like a good opportunity to celebrate this cherished classic. In Eric Carle’s own words: “It’s a book of hope, a little insignificant caterpillar can grow up into a beautiful butterfly and fly into the world, with its talent – appealing to children as they can see themselves doing the same one day.”
Newberry Honor, The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani is set in 1947, India and (is newly independent of British rule) has been separated into two countries: Pakistan and India. Twelve-year-old Nisha embarks on a harrowing journey. After losing her mother as a baby, she can't imagine losing her homeland. Although the journey is long and difficult, she does not give up or lose hope.
Newberry Honor, The Book of Boy by Catherine Murdock and illustrated by Ian Schoenherr is a historical fiction novel that recounts the journey of the eponymous Boy, who accompanies the pilgrim Secundus as they gather relics associated with Saint Peter. Lots and lots of animals in this book-check out the YouTube video of the author describing how she came up with all of her animal ideas, so fascinating!
As libraries make our hearts flutter – we wanted to share with you some of our favorite books about libraries. Across the world, school and public libraries are known for creating enchanted worlds, safe havens and overall loving memories of some of our favorite reads. We hope you enjoy this collection and make a literary connection.
Below are some of our current favorite books that honor Black History Month from a book that showcases nine of the most influential African American jazz giants to the endearing story of Ruby Bridges.
- This Jazz Man by Karen Ehhardt, illustrated by R.G. Roth
- Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter
- The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles
For our Valentine’s Day mix-up, we are featuring a very special book showcasing the strong bond between a daughter and a mother, as well as a shout out to animals and how they share their love with their own little ones, and lastly, the very cheeky This is Not a Valentine!
- Dear Girl, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal & Paris Rosenthall
- The Littlest Things Give the Loveliest Hugs by Mark Sperring, illustrated by Maddie Frost
- This is NOT a Valentine by Carter Higgins, illustrated by Lucy Cummins
- Hello Lighthouse, illustrated and written by Sophie Blackall - Yeah! -This book was featured last year in our Lift Off Posts – our St. Edward learners are ahead of the curve! (Blackall also illustrated Finding Winnie.)
2019 Caldecott Honor Books:
- Alma and How She Got her Name, illustrated and written by Juana Martinez-Neal
- A Big Mooncake for Little Star, illustrated and written by Grace Lin
- The Rough Patch, illustrated and written by Brian Lies
- Thank You Omu!illustrated and written by Oge Mora
Congratulations: Bridget A., Ryan P., Roman B., and Josue C.
THANKS TO OUR WONDERFUL VOLUNTEERS AND FABULOUS LEARNERS!
Posted January 16th, 2019
An exciting day filled with interesting characters such as Nancy Drew, Mary Poppins, Christopher Robin, Albert Einstein, Ebenezer Scrooge, Jake Mason from Heroes of Olympus, Harry Potter, Captain Nemo, Hermione Granger, Cookie Monster, Captain Underpants, Mad Hatter, Pippi Longstocking, and the list goes on… Stay tuned next week for another exciting collage.A SPECIAL THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF LIFT OFF TO LITERACY’S HEART
We love you, your enthusiasm, and participation! Nothing is more special than hearing about your favorite books. We especially love visiting you during our monthly classroom literacy meetings. What a great 5th Year Anniversary – we will never forget our favorite characters battling the blustery winds. KEEP ON READING!
Warmest Regards,
Mrs. Pringle
Lastly a special thank you to the incredible volunteers that helped on the day of this special event. We could not have done it without you!
Scott Pringle & Annette DeCicco – Amazing popping!
Julie Sindoni, Jamie Sutton, Liz Walton, Whitney Tioleco, Courtney Olenik, Kiley Potter, Maria Tobar, Megan Flores, Michelle Everett, Cate Gutowski, Alana Varela, Heidi Nicoll, Amy Triscari, Christy Pogorelac, Vanessa Villarreal, Jessica Loebbecke, Ani Freeman, Kim Greene, Tricia Collins, Vennee Tysler, Katie Loungarikis, Carl Eberling, and Katie Angel.
An extra special thank you to the loving grandparents Mike and Sally Walton that came all the way from Kentucky to help with this special event!
TYKES-5th Grade
WE HOPE TO SEE LOTS OF CREATIVE SURPRISES!
For Volunteering: Please CLICK HERE to sign up.
Please contact Mrs. Pringle: [email protected] with any questions.
Monday, January 14th
We will celebrate Day 60 by hosting our annual Paper Bag Book Reports event and Favorite Book Character Dress Up Day. AllTykes -5th learners are encouraged to bring a Paper Bag Book Report and dress as a favorite book character on January 14th. All book reports will be filled with popcorn at recess. Paper bags will be sent home the first week of January so that learners can start planning their reports. Plan your costumes now –we are excited to see your creativity!
Looking for a special Christmas book to uplift your spirit? Consider this little unknown treasure: Jingle the Christmas Clown by Tomie dePaola. The magic of Christmas prevails as Jingle and the baby animals give an unforgettable performance. This story shines with the spirit of giving.The Lift Off To Literacy Committee has been very busy this week conducting literacy meetings. We so loved meeting with the kindergartners and sharing some great holiday literature.
We loved seeing all of the favorite books chosen by our learners and we especially loved hearing their explanations of why they choose their particular books. Our “Must Read” list just now got a whole lot longer! Thank you to all the teachers and learners for participating in such a special day.
Tuesday, November 27th
Dear Parents,
Over the upcoming break - we would love for you to partner with your child in conducting a book discussion to learn about your child’s most favorite book. You may be surprised to find out it’s a favorite book that you read to them as a toddler or a new chapter book that they recently learned about from a friend or teacher. It would be very special if you too, could share with your child a favorite memory concerning one of your own childhood favorite reads. After all, it is YOU that has been raising your child to be a lifelong reader and lover of the story and its world of words. Your child’s favorite book choice will paint a picture of your current or soon to be the voracious reader that you are so lovingly raising.
Always Building a Culture of Literacy!
November 27th is Bring Your Favorite Book to School Day! We can’t wait to see if you will bring an old favorite or introduce us to something completely new and exciting. We plan to take pictures of our wonderful teachers and staff members holding their favorite book and create a special bulletin board. Learners get your books ready! Feel free to bring in a favorite picture book as well as a favorite chapter book. We want to know and see what books you love!
The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree by Stan & Jan Berenstain – Three brave little bears explore the inside of a mysterious old tree and go into, up, through, over, down and out…This book provides just the right amount of predictable text filled with perfect sight words for a learner that is becoming an independent reader. Great opportunity to read with expression.
Vampire Baby by Kelly Bennett - When Tootie gets her first teeth, it’s clear to her older brother that she’s no ordinary baby. But how to convince Mom and Dad? It happens overnight: Little sister Tootie goes from a cuddly, ga-ga-goo-goo, I-want-my baby …vampire baby. All of the learners with younger brothers and sisters will find this book hilariously relatable and entertaining.
Remember to Read More Boooooooks!
The Force was present in numbers
- 750 STAR WARS Bookmarks passed out!
- 123 Yoda Stick Puppet entries received
- 42 Bith Band Puppet entries received
On behalf of the Lift Off to Literacy Committee - A heartfelt Thank You to our wonderful characters and helpers:
MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU…
| Greg Giraldin | Clint Olsem | Anastacio Cabral |
| James Palda | Ryan Pearson | Jaimie Gonzalez |
| Gary Darnell | Felecia Kaiser | Jenna Evers |
| David Saito | Kyle O’Kelly | Jonathan Taft |
| Kevin Gonzalez | Mercer Pringle | Scott Pringle |
| Michelle Ahumada | Deanna Simone | Byanca Kaiser |
| Charlie Pringle | Lydia Carlson | Lucia Palacios |
| Jason Walsh | Devon Cutchins | Katie Angel |
| Michelle Mieja | Jill Okelly | Anna Fazzalaro |
https://dk-us.polldaddy.com/s/dk-october-sweepstakes-1
A special thank you to all Princess Leia bun participants!
Mrs. Heal’s class won the contest with a whopping twelve sets of Princess Leia buns!
ALL GRADE LEVELS INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FUN!
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far, away…. It was determined that READING was your only hope. On Monday, we will celebrate our 5thAnniversary STAR WARS READS DAY! We will be joining millions of Star Wars fans around the world as we partake on this special day that merges the love of reading with the ever popular Star Wars phenomenon.
Please join in on the fun by wearing your best STAR WARS t-shirt, bringing your favorite STAR WARS books to share, and sport your best Princess Leia buns. (We are hoping all of our girl learners will knock it out of the galaxy by helping us win the world record of the most Princess Leia buns under one roof!)
YODA STICK PUPPETS AND BITH BAND SPOON PUPPETS ARE DUE MONDAY
ENTRIES HAVE A CHANCE TO WIN A VERY SPECIAL STAR WARS BOOK
Puppets may be any size or shape. Creativity appreciated! You may enter as many puppets as you wish into the contest, but remember to do your best –make Yoda proud!
Visit https://www.stedschool.org/apps/pages/lift-off-to-literacy for templates and inspiration. A Yoda flyer is coming home this week for all Tykes-5th grades. All Yodas must be turned in on the morning of October 15th at the Yoda Table upon entering the school.
Parent Volunteer Request - We are in need of parents help to supervise the Star Wars tables on October 15th.
"Do or do not, there is no try."
STAR WARS Reads Day Returns October 15th
10/3/2018
St. Edward learners will join millions of Star Wars fans around the world this October as we celebrate all things Star Wars. Calling our youngest Padawans to the wisest Jedi Masters as the Lift Off to Literacy team will celebrate Day 25 by hosting Star Wars READS DAY on October 15th. There will be fun ways for everyone to explore a galaxy far, far, away…
We will offer exciting classroom raffles for Star Wars books next week as well as host several Star Wars focused literacy meetings in the classrooms during the month of October. All learners are encouraged to bring in lots of Star Wars books for sharing, Read-Alouds, and DEAR time on October 15th. Whatever your teacher may imagine…
Look for some new and exciting Star Wars book recommendations that we will be sharing in our upcoming posts. What could be as powerful as the force? The power of reading of course!
- Create a YODA STICK PUPPET for a chance to win the Star Wars Visual Encyclopedia. (This is a separate and special raffle only for Yoda makers.) Yodas may be any size or shape. Creativity is appreciated! We are expecting our Yodas to be out of this universe! We can’t wait to see your "out of the galaxy" creativity.
- CREATE A BITH BAND SPOON PUPPET for a chance to win the fabulous Ultimate Star Wars book Encyclopedia of Starfighters and Other Vehicles. (This is a separate raffle for Bith Band Puppet Makers.)
Visit the Lift Off page to view the Yoda & Bith Band flyer and samples.
https://1.cdn.edl.io/aA1Pnx3H6LPi3d43fBBrzEsWfwei4FWvycrYCi3406oz1wcv.pdf
See the new Star Wars Reads Day 2018 Activity Kit
https://starwarsblog.starwars.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/SWR_ACTIVITY_KIT18.pdf
Yoda and Bith Band Puppets must be turned in on the morning of October 15th at the Yoda Table upon entering school. Look for the Yoda table in the courtyards.
Star Wars T-shirts with uniform bottoms are encouraged on October 15th.
Keep the reading momentum going by introducing Star Wars to your children via printed books, graphic, novels, and digital stories.
CALLING ALL PARENTS
that own adult sized Star Wars costumes.
Contact Mrs. Pringle at [email protected]
National Comic Book Day
9/26/2018
Yesterday was National Comic Book Day and it only seemed fitting to share this information during our fourth grade literacy meetings this week as so many of our learners love comic books and graphic novels.
We learned some background information on the towering children’s literary figure: Crockett Johnson and his wife Ruth Krauss. (Harold’s Purple Crayon, The Carrot Seed, and A Hole is to Dig)
During our literacy meetings we learned that the great Maurice Sendak (Where the Wild Things Are) was actually a protégé of the dynamic couple.
We know that we have many parents at our school that have a true love for children’s book - so we have a book recommendation for you: Crockett Johnson and Ruth Krauss by Philip Nel. This book provides a portrait of marriage and a creative partnership as well as insight into how classics were created in the fifties and their powerful influence on contemporary authors and illustrators.
Classroom Literacy Meetings
Lift Off To Literacy is excited to be conducting our annual literacy meetings with our learners. Last week we met with third grade learners and discussed the wonderful American author Barbara Cooney and introduced the learners to the endearing book: Miss Rumphius.Next week we’ve got some wonderful literature to share with our kindergartners and fourth grade learners. We also have some signed Barney Saltzberg books to give away – very exciting! October will bring many surprises as we continue our program under the umbrella of Building a Culture of Literacy.
CALLING ALL PARENTS WITH STAR WARS COSTUMES –LIFT OFF NEEDS YOU!!
Event Description
Thank You to Our Volunteers
Our learners enjoyed a great day yesterday with author and illustrator Barney Saltzberg! He inspired and motivated us on so many levels. He spoke of kindness, school experiences, life as an author and illustrator, editing and the magic of storyboarding. We loved all of the "back stories" for his book creations and the list goes on… Barney was a most gracious guest and we are so grateful for his friendship with our school. A special thank you to our Tykes - 5th grade learners who so warmly welcomed Barney Saltzberg. Lift Off has over 60 signed Barney books to raffle off in the next 60 days - keep your fingers crossed!
A big thank you to our school’s maintenance team for always helping us with our set-up needs as well as Mr. Wesley for technical and MTV broadcasts help. Lastly, it takes many hands to make "life work" - the Lift Off Committee cannot thank the parent volunteers enough (parents that are not officially on our committee) - but who we refer to as "Friends of Lift Off" for their gracious help! No matter how small or how large your contribution, without all of your help - events like these would not be possible. Thank you for a great kickoff!
SEE OUR THANK YOU TO OUR VOLUNTEERS BELOW
Many Hands Make Lift Off To Literacy Work…
The Lift Off Committee (Katie Angel, Jill O’Kelly, and Tracey Pringle) would like to acknowledge all of the parents and school staff that contribute to the Lift Off To Literacy events. No matter how small or large your efforts are – all of your contributions make a significant impact on our success. From the bottom of our hearts – THANK YOU!
Building a Culture of Literacy…
| Kathy Cutchins | Michelle Meija | Josellie Severino |
| Annette DiCicco | Natalie Murray | Deanna Simone |
| Karen Finnegan | Heid Nicoll | Shari Sparks |
| Ani Freeman | Lucia Palacios | Anjie Viscount |
| Casi Kwon | Susy Pantoja | Catherine Wadman |
| Rosalinda Huerta Lopez | Charlie Pringle | Welcome Center Staff |
| Grandparents of Jack Palacios | Mercer Pringle | School Maintenance Crew |
| Kimberly Kenney | Scott Pringle | Mr. Wesley – IT |
| Lis Mazzu | Michele Proctor | Palace Bakery (Laguna Hills) |
It’s inevitable that someone will be left off this list – we dearly apologize if any helper’s name was omitted – if so, a sheer accident.
We are excited to continue our reading incentive program this year and have some special surprises in store – be on the lookout for wheels and wings!
On the day of our kickoff event, Barney is willing to sign and personalize books. For your convenience, here is a link to one of our favorites, Arlo Needs Glasses.For those of you new to the school, The Lift Off To Literacy program is a Tykes-5th grade reading incentive program that began five years ago. The year of conception being themed "Lift Off To Literacy" which focused on building a love of reading and establishing positive reading habits –thus our ongoing 60-60 Read-Aloud Challenge (as it takes 60 days to create a habit.)
Lastly, Lift Off To Literacy always kicks off on or near International Literacy Day as we acknowledge and shine a spotlight on global literacy needs.
