HHCS, thank you for your support in making the Book Outlet Online Book Fair a success! We had excellent results as we earned $$822.63 in funds for our school library! Wow! I’ll be sure to keep you updated with some pictures of the books that I buy with those proceeds! Don’t forget that for the next 6 months, we can STILL earn more funds for our library- Book Outlet will be giving us 5% back in earnings on any book orders placed! So if you want to go back and do another order at some point, you can still do so and help our school- enjoy!
World Autism Awareness and Acceptance Day was on Friday April 2, and we will be celebrating as a school on Tuesday April 6. As teachers we are looking forward to sharing information with the students about what autism is, how to accept people with differences, and how we all have different strengths or challenges in life. Enjoy some of these resources to help reinforce with your children to “see the amazing” that God has put in each person!
April is Poetry Month! I will feature a few resources for poetry for different ages over the next few blog posts. Stay tuned for an upcoming announcement later in April about a school-wide Poetry Challenge!
Monday March 29 is the LAST day of our online book fair with Book Outlet! Our sale ends at midnight Monday– it’s your last chance to earn 20% of sales towards our HHCS Library! However, if you want to do more shopping in the future, the good news is that for the next 6 months we can still earn 5% of sales towards HHCS! What a great deal! Don’t forget thousands of books are priced at up to 90% off! Take advantage of these READ-ICULOUSLY great prices! Shipping is free over $45 or if less then you pay a flat rate of $5. Books are delivered to your door.
1. Visit BookOutlet.ca/WEMX and create an account or log in.
2. Add the books you want to purchase to your cart and checkout between March 15-29.
3. Share the book sale information with your family and friends!
To share the book sale on Facebook with your family and friends, use the link http://bookoutlet.ca/bookfairs/share/WEMX.
There was sad news in the children’s literature community this past week as beloved author Beverley Cleary passed away at age 104. This wonderful author was also a children’s librarian who decided to write books herself. I loved her books when I was growing up. Her well-known books include the Ramona Quimby series, The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Henry Huggins, and so many more.
amightygirl.com
Ramona Quimby’s ordinariness made her so relatable to all of us. And yet, ordinary did not mean boring. We loved the insight into her daily life, each chapter drawing us into her world. Ramona dealt with very realistic problems like her family struggling with money issues, worrying her parents would get a divorce, and problems at school. But for every serious part of the Ramona books, there would be an equal amount of side-splitting descriptions of Ramona’s antics and adventures.
This week we have another interview for HHCS Reads! Mrs. VanDerWal is a grade 2 teacher at our school. Let’s take a peek into her reading life!
Mrs. VanDerWal says:
My favourite thing about reading is relaxing and escaping to another world. My favourite place to read is at the beach in the sun. I love to read historical fiction and mystery books.
Goodreads.com
As a child I loved the Berenstain Bears books. I also love newer books for children such as You are Special, You are Mine by Max Lucado, Robert Munsch books, the Franklin books, The Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, and The Tale of Three Trees.
Goodreads.com
Thanks to Mrs. VanDerWal for this interview! I love historical fiction books too!
We are halfway through our Spring Online Book Fair with Book Outlet! Get your Easter and Mother’s Day shopping done early – it’s easy and you’ll find great deals!
Thousands of books are priced at up to 90% off! Shipping is free over $45 or if less then you pay a flat rate of $5. Books are delivered to your door. 20% of sales during the 2 week book sale will go to supporting the HHCS library!
1. Visit BookOutlet.ca/WEMX and create an account or log in.
2. Add the books you want to purchase to your cart and checkout between March 15-29.
3. Share the book sale information with your family and friends!
To share the book sale on Facebook with your family and friends, use the link http://bookoutlet.ca/bookfairs/share/WEMX.
Last Friday at HHCS we ‘rocked our socks’ for World Down Syndrome Day! Here’s a few ideas for books to help you celebrate and learn about Down Syndrome with your children.
Goodreads.com
goodreads.com
Goodreads.comAmazon.ca
I’m excited to try out a new feature on my library blog- HHCS Reads! This will feature different people from our school community as we take a peek into their reading lives!
This week is an interview with Mrs. Joy Spencer, a grade 6 and music teacher at HHCS!
Mrs. Spencer says:
My favorite things about reading:
A chance for my mind to escape to different times, places, and conversations.
I enjoy feeling that I am listening to the ideas of someone who has taken the time to put those ideas into creative or clarifying words.
It is an opportunity to understand someone else’s thoughts and experiences and to learn from them.
My favorite books as a child:
Books about animals that included colorful photographs
Anything by C.S.Lewis (Chronicles of Narnia) or J.R.R. Tolkien
I also enjoyed the authors George MacDonald and Madeleine L’Engle
“Robin Hood”
madeleinelengle.com
Current favorite authors of fiction: (I read both fiction and non-fiction. Within the fiction category I enjoy adventure, classics, mystery, historical fiction, science fiction, fantasy, espionage, and most other genres)
Karen Hancock
Joel Rosenberg
C.S.Lewis
Davis Bunn
Will Thomas
A few recent books for various children’s ages that I particularly like:
“A Tale of two Beasts” by Fiona Roberton
“The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” by William Joyce
“Iggy Peck Architect” series by Andrea Beaty
“The Orphan King” series by Sigmund Brouwer
“The Arrival” by Shaun Tan
Amazon.ca
Here are 3 pictures of my favorite place to read. That is – in my treepod, in my backyard. One is a great picture of the treepod hanging in the backyard, the second has me in it (though it is difficult to see, so I circled myself), and the third shows the view from the inside of the treepod.
Thank you so much to Mrs. Spencer for being the first person interviewed for HHCS Reads! I love your reading choices and your reading tree pod!
I’m excited that our online school book fair with Book Outlet is ON NOW!
Do you love books?
Do you love saving money?
Do you love HHCS?
If you answered yes to any of these questions then be sure to follow these steps:
1. Visit BookOutlet.ca/WEMX and create an account or log in.
2. Add the books you want to purchase to your cart and checkout between March 15-29.
3. Share the book sale information with your family and friends!
Thousands of books are priced at up to 90% off! Shipping is free over $45 or if less then you pay a flat rate of $5. Books are delivered to your door. 20% of sales during the 2 week book sale will go to supporting the HHCS library!
Don’t forget to share this with anyone who might be interested! Let’s get as many people as we can to help support HHCS!
This week I am featuring a few books about creating a culture of reading in the family home.
https://www.trelease-on-reading.com/
This classic book features chapters on subjects like the do’s and don’ts of read aloud, the good news and the bad about digital learning, getting dads more involved in reading with their children, and many more.
“It’s stressful to be a parent. It’s stressful to be a person. But I’ve found that even in the most difficult moments, on the most challenging days, I can usually reach for a book and feel lifted up, returned to myself. On days when I’ve felt as though I have nothing left to give to my kids, I’ve been able to sit next to them and open a book. We start reading, and the world looks different.”
https://www.meghancoxgurdon.com/
Quotes:
“The act of reading together secures people to one another, creating order and connection, as if we were quilt squares tacked together with threads made of stories.”
“There is an opportunity with children to show them art and illustration that will furnish their minds with beauty and mystery, symmetry and wonder. The simplest mechanism for this is the selection of picture books that we share with them.”
“Reading every day with children can’t guarantee perfect outcomes for any family—not in grades, not in happiness, not in relationships. But it is as close to a miracle product as we can buy, and it doesn’t cost a nickel.”
And now for my favourite, The Read-Aloud Family, by Sarah Mackenzie.
Quotes:
“A book can’t change the world on its own. But a book can change readers. And readers? They can change the world.”
“When read-aloud time doesn’t look like we originally hoped, we begin to doubt that it’s giving us any of those wonderful benefits we discussed in part 1. But here’s the thing: it still works. Even when it’s noisy, messy, and more chaotic than you’d like it to be, it works. Even when kids are grumbling, complaining, and don’t seem to be listening, it works.”
Sarah Mackenzie is also the creator of The Read-Aloud Revival website and podcast. She is an amazing advocate for family reading!
Discover your reading superpower with the Book Outlet Spring Online book sale coming up soon! We are excited to announce that we have partnered with Book Outlet to host a 2 week online book fair fundraiser. Book Outlet is an online retailer that offers thousands of new books for up to 90% off!
Book Fair Details:
Event dates: March 15-29, 2021
Rewards: 20% of all Book Outlet purchases made during the online book fair will go back to our school in cash rewards.
Mark your calendar!
A few weeks ago I posted some research sites for kids– here is the rest of my list- hope it helps!
March is Women’s History Month! I shared this story book with some of the primary students. I just love Brad Meltzer’s Ordinary People Change the World series!
I shared Shark Lady, by Canadian author Jess Keating, with multiple grade levels. Here’s the book trailer!
HHCS had a great day on Friday as we celebrated I Read Canadian Day- our reward day for reaching our reading goals for the Accelerated Reader program for Term 2. We dressed up in Canadian colours or as famous Canadians or characters from books written by Canadian authors. We read Canadian books and played Canadian games and quizzes and learned trivia facts about our country. We watched interviews with Canadian authors and illustrators. And we spent time outside in our Canadian winter- eating snacks and reading books by the bonfire, and playing out in the snow! What a great day!
Canadian author displayCanadian hockey player complete with a classic ‘black eye’!Representing Canadian books and authors!Yum!We are Canadian!!Lots of red and white!!Mrs. K is ready for the day!!
I love this introductory poem for I Read Canadian Day by Canadian poet laureate of the City of Mississauga, Wali Shah.
My favourite part-
“For our kids to keep succeeding
We need libraries and books
We need to keep our students reading.”
Share the classic “The Hockey Sweater” with your children!
Check out the amazing work to illustrate these Anne of Green Gables board books!
Fun Canadian facts from CBC Kids!
In upcoming school library news, we have a Spring Online book sale coming up soon! We are excited to announce that we have partnered with Book Outlet to host a 2 week online book fair fundraiser. Book Outlet is an online retailer that offers thousands of new books for up to 90% off!
Book Fair Details:
Event dates: March 15-29, 2021
Rewards: 20% of all Book Outlet purchases made during the online book fair will go back to our school in cash rewards.
Is your family ready for I READ CANADIAN DAY? We will be celebrating this as our AR Term 2 Celebration on Friday Feb. 26! This will involve:
outdoor events- bonfires, snacks, and snow sculpture competitions
indoor events – reading books about Canada or by Canadian authors, Canadian trivia and virtual field trips
and THEMED DRESS for the day! You and your children can start planning what they will wear that day to fit the Canadian theme. They can wear red and white Canadian colours, or dress as a famous Canadian, dress as a Canadian author, etc. I can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with!
This week’s author focus is on Canadian author/illustrator Elise Gravel. I just love her hilarious books and her amazing artwork!
The entire month of February is Library Lover’s Month! The Children’s Library Lady has an amazing list of library quotes. Here are a couple of my favourites!
childrenslibrarylady.com
Here are some great lists from The Children’s Library Lady and Read Brightly – books about libraries and reading!
Hello everyone, I hope you enjoyed your Family Day weekend! I wanted to let you know about an upcoming event for the whole school- I READ CANADIAN DAY. We will be celebrating this as our AR Term 2 Celebration on Friday Feb. 26. This will involve:
outdoor events- bonfires, snacks, and snow sculpture competitions
indoor events – reading books about Canada or by Canadian authors, Canadian trivia and virtual field trips
and THEMED DRESS for the day! You and your children can start planning what they will wear that day to fit the Canadian theme. They can wear red and white Canadian colours, or dress as a famous Canadian, dress as a Canadian author, etc. I can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with!
On that note, I want to feature a Canadian author today- Jon Klassen.
I have been putting together a master list of research websites for students that I think are the most helpful or of the best quality. There are many out there but these are the best that I have found so far. I will feature the rest of my list next week. Feel free to bookmark this post or these sites for when your child has a school project or assignment to work on , or if they just want to use these sites for fun!
https://school.eb.com/ – This is the Britannica database – our school has a subscription. Email me (see ‘contact Mrs. B’ at top of page) for the username and password.
Hello HHCS! It’s so exciting to finally be back in the building for school this week! A reminder that the due date for AR reading is coming up quickly on Fri. Feb. 19. I encourage all students to try their best to meet their reading goals for the term!
I am offering the Scholastic book club program for anyone who is interested. This way the students can buy reasonably priced books for their home libraries, and their purchases can earn free book rewards for our library at school! Please have a look at this letter of introduction to learn how the program will work this year: (click here) Scholastic Book Club
Next, you can click on these links to look at the digi-flyers for what is currently available. When you have chosen what your child would like to buy, follow the instructions on the parent letter (link above). Feel free to pass the code along to any friends or family who want to order through Scholastic as well. Be sure to enter my class code when checking out- here it is:
To add to the resources from last week’s post for younger children for Black History Month, here is a fantastic list from Rebekah Gienapp, The Barefoot Mommy. Check out the rest of her site as well as she has amazing articles.
Hi HHCS! It’s February and that means it’s Black History Month! With the junior/intermediate classes I teach I have been/will be doing a lesson about Canadian Viola Desmond- have a look! With my primary classes I’ll be featuring the book “Mae Among the Stars” about astronaut Mae Jemison! Be sure to tune in the morning of Friday Feb. 12 as well for our school Black History Month virtual assembly, hosted by grade 6B! And don’t forget to join me this week on the school-wide Zoom link on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 3:20! One of the books I will be reading is “A Voice Named Aretha”.
Amazing resources as always from Read Brightly and A Mighty Girl!
