Anne Frank Links

Check out the links below for more information about Anne Frank's life story and the Secret Annex in Amsterdam, the Netherlands...

The Anne Frank Museum is located at the site of the Secret Annex. This site has a biography of Anne as well as pictures of the Frank family's hiding place - Anne Frank Home - Official Website

Photos and descriptions of the Anne Frank house from a visitor's scrapbook pages - Scrapbook

Photo collection of Anne Frank - Anne Frank Photo Album

More Anne Frank photos - Anne Frank Gallery

The Story Miep Gies - The Last Survivor

New York Times Story about the death of Miep Gies.

Bearstone Web Quest

Check out these links for information about the author, as well as some of the places and animals from the novel Bearstone by Will Hobbs...

Official Will Hobbs Webpage

National Geographic Animal Cams - Bears 

Grizzlies at Yellowstone National Park

Grizzly Bear Basics - Canadian Rockies

Grizzly and Wolf Discover Center

Grizzly Bear Population Maps

Colorado Lore, Legend, and Fact

Colorado Rockies, Continental Divide, Rio Grande Pyramid Photos

Southern Ute Homepage

Weminuche Wilderness

Backpack Trip & Photos from the Weminuche Wilderness

Good Convesations with Authors

Where We're From Poetry...

This week's post is based on the poem "Where I'm From" by George Etta Lyon, a poem that has been used as inspiration and model in many teaching/learning settings, with both adults and adolescents. Each student wrote a full-length poem, then chose one stanza to contribute to our community poem. We hope you enjoy reading our work.

We Are Room 23

I am from the sandy, warm beaches of Jamaica,
From Christmas gift strings to be untangled leading us to our big present.
I am from ice cream and Friday night movies,
From playing Monopoly and Clue with a bit of Creationary.

I am from changing diapers,
And rocking chairs,
Singing lullabies and soft cries.
I am from my sister, Emma.

I am from long camping trips,
And competitive games of Monopoly,
That could last for days,
From Magic Tree House books, all 43 of them,
And opening one gift on Christmas Eve.

I am from volcanoes surrounded by frozen waters,
And tribal wars, a modge podge, a muddle of things.
I am from leprecons, and bag pipes, an banjos on the back porch,
And noises from German throats, and Portuguese, a modge podge, a muddle of things.

I am from Polly Pocket weddings,
And Bratz doll fights.
I am from crying while the teacher reads,
Where the Red Fern Grows.

I am from family in outer-space,
And an incredible space launch,
From a family of luck,
And from amazing moments.

I am from lush trees, soothing lakes, and Rocky Mountains,
From salty air, heavy wind,
And waves crashing on the shore of Fort Bragg.
I am from playful dogs called Novarro and Carmen,
Keeping me up at night.
I am from staying up all night watching scary movies with friends.

I am from a nice juicy gar-b-que steak,
And mashed potatoes on a nice day,
And tacos and tamales on Christmas.

I am from “Fiction” and “Nightmare,”
From fingerprints to detailed shadings.
I am from lyric reading to mesmerize,
From loud music on weekends.
I am from Converse and band ‘tees,
From hanging with friends and sleeping out on the trampoline.

I am from soccer practices and games two times a week,
Watching Spongebob Squarepants and Fairly Odd Parents every morning,
Playing Polly Pockets, Barbies, and Bratz with friends,
I am from reading Junie B. Jones and Magic Tree House,
Eating PB&J’s and coming home with scraped up knees.

I am from trampolines and rope swings,
From trees and goats, from snowboarding,
I am from Superman and root beer floats.

I am from the fog romping around with Waffles and the other dogs,
And climbing in the maple tree with her.
I am from snuggling with Waffles on the futon in the small living room.
I am from finding Waffles chewing on my stuffies.

I am from a small town where kids walk all around,
From a place where you can swim as well as sled.
I am from late night scary movie marathons with friends,
From nail polish, makeup, and hair curlers.

I am from a colorful green environment,
From quietness and trees.
I am from a soft squishy couch,
From loud TV and video games.

I am from camping at Pismo Beach,
From racing the dunes for hours,
From digging a hole the rest of the day,
And fighting for blankets through the night.

I am from crystal clear water and bright orange trees,
And from deer and quail with young ones at their heels,
From the small town with the "Corner Creatures."

I am from plenty of Ponderosa trees and a windy road.
From a twisty creek that only runs in the spring.
I am from a forest of trees, blue-green water and a sandy beach,
From a dog who will never walk calmly.

I am from candles, plants, grass, weeds, and blackberries,
Home-grown vegetables, and too-hot-to-eat, burn-your-mouth peppers.
I am from green bean casserole and macaroni and cheese,
From wild, silly pets, loving relatives, and little children surrounding me.

I am from first grade poems,
With a star on the door,
From cameras ready for the show,
“Encore, encore!”

I am from camping, camping, and camping some more,
Dirty faces, marshmallows, and freezing cold water,
From windy afternoons, baths in a creek, and nosy little bears,
Cozy fires, booneywacking, and birthdays in camp.

I am from eggs Benedict at Hotbrew’s.
I am from Fortuna.
I am from rats and scooters in the house,
And from rainy days.

I am from Polly Pockets and stuffed animals galore,
And too many tea parties I can’t even count.
I am from nights of Where’s My Teddy?, Messes of Dresses, Horton Hears a Who,
And Happy Birthday to You.

We Are Room 23

Week Two...

Back to School Night was a HUGE success...
lots and lots of parents in attendance... filling the library!

Beautiful poems on the wall...
Amazing SNTs read aloud...
Aesthetically pleasing personal crests in the making...
Highly organized binders and deadlines being met...
Memoirs being contemplated and analyzed...
Lexicons being expanded...
Mile after mile being run, with less and less discomfort...
Buddy class activities planned for tomorrow...

I am having fun! Are you?

I am very impressed by both
the quantity and the quality of
the effort and the products that I am seeing.

Wow! That was F A S T !!

The first week went by with a WHOOOOSH!

I can't believe it came and went so quickly. 

Everyone, THANKS for making it so

TERRIFIC!

There was lots of ENTHUSIASM

and ENERGY!

Friday night's dance was the perfect way to

CELEBRATE the start of a new school year!

Thanks to Mrs. O'Keefe for planning and 

organizing the whole event!

Rest up, everyone, and 

I'll see you on Monday!

Day Four...

     Behavior Rotations kicked off the day... a good reminder of what the expectations are for good behavior and good choices... especially for our SCHOOL LEADERS... the 7th and 8th graders...

     SNTs (Show-Not-Tells) in Language Arts were fun! Lots of great descriptions... signs of great imaginations... I can't wait to see what everyone writes tonight!

     Remember, Friday is our FIRST BULLDOG BLAST of the year! Eighth graders are the organizers and leaders of the morning event. Let's get the year started with a BLAST tomorrow! The new movement song is fun... I bet the little kids will LOVE it!

     Homework - Block ONE:

• Writing - SNT of your backyard
• Writing - Continue with your NAME research
• Reading - Read 20 minutes - your first AR book is due Friday, 9/3
• Word Study - Folder assignments and final test on Friday (remember your signatures!)

     Homework - Block TWO:

• Writing - SNT of your backyard
  
• Writing - Continue with your NAME research
• Reading - Read 20 minutes - your first AR book is due Friday, 9/3
• Word Study - Folder assignments and final test on Friday (remember your signatures!)

     Homework - Homeroom:

• ME BAG
• WEAR BLUE AND WHITE!

Day THREE!

     Boy, was it HOT today! 

Good thing we run so early in the morning, isn't it? 

We ran FOUR laps in the short 20 minutes we had today...

that's great!

     The ME BAGS that were presented today were really fun... Ben's rat and mouse were a real surprise. I thought everyone's choices were very interesting. We sure have a lot of fun-loving, athletic, scholarly members of our community. I can hardly wait to see the rest of the bags Thursday and Friday.

     Homework - Block ONE:

• Writing - Finish up the FINAL draft of your BIOPOEM
• Writing - Start your NAME research
• Reading - Complete the Multiple Intelligences Checklist
• Reading - Read 20 minutes - your first AR book is due Friday, 9/3
• Word Study - Folder assignments and final test on Friday (remember signatures)
• Word Study - Read "Linguistics" hand out and make TWO lists in Writing Spiral Notebook

     Homework - Block TWO:

• Writing - Finish up the FINAL draft of your BIOPOEM
• Writing - Start your NAME research
• Reading - Complete the Multiple Intelligences Checklist
• Reading - Read 20 minutes - your first AR book is due Friday, 9/3
• Word Study - Practice spelling and vocabulary #6 - 10,  quiz on #6 - 10 Thursday
• Word Study - Folder assignments and final test on Friday (remember signatures)

     Homework - Homeroom:

• ME BAG
• Office papers

Another Successful Day...

     Wow! Day TWO equaled day ONE! Both days were filled to the brim with positive energy!

     The BIOPOEMS were "knock your socks off" awesome in Lang Arts today. I can hardly wait to read the "new and improved" versions that come back tomorrow! Make sure they are typed and edited by Thursday, so we can do the fun ART project on top of them on Friday!

     Running... hmmm... it's HARD! But, you know, I think it was better today than yesterday... at least for me, it was! I ran four-and-a-half laps on Monday. Today I ran five laps. I'm shooting for five-and-a-half tomorrow! How about you??? I'm thinking we should write this all down... so we can look back at the end of the year and remember just how much stronger we all got! What do you think?

     Homework - Block ONE:

• Word Study - You have several assignments, all due in your FOLDER on Friday... and a TEST on Friday (practice missed spelling words, practice missed vocabulary words, 3 pages of exercises, a practice test with SIGNATURE)
• Writing - Biopoem draft TWO due Wednesday... Final typed and edited draft due Thrusday
• Reading - Independent Reading Book #1 is due by Friday 09/03 (next week)

     Homework - Block TWO:

• Word Study - You have a practice QUIZ on the first FIVE words Wednesday and the second FIVE words on Thursday... the final TEST ione ALL the words is on Friday
• Writing - Biopoem draft TWO due Wednesday... Final typed and edited draft due Thrusday
• Reading - Independent Reading Book #1 is due by Friday 09/03 (next week)

      Homework - HOMEROOM:

• Remember all those office papers... only two of you still need to turn them in
• ME BAG is due Thursday... but we will have some time Wednesday to present a few, so if yours is ready... bring it Wednesday!

SEE YA LATER ALLIGATOR! (I mean BULLDOG!)

Whoo-Hoo!

     Day #1... a wonderful SUCCESS!   Everyone was there... and smiling!

     WELCOME to all the students who are new to Colfax Elementary School!

     It is terrific to be able to say that nearly every student came with all necessary supplies. Lots of "Free AR Book" certificates were earned... What a great way to start the year!

     Homework:   

• All those office papers need to be signed tonight and returned (emergency card, parents' rights form, student handbook form, and walking field trip permission form).
• Biopoem draft is due in Lang Arts
• Get your planner signed
• Remember to email me!!! 
• For Homeroom on Thursday... prepare your Me Bag... to introduce yourself...

Tomorrow!

See you all in the morning... bright and early!

 

Three More Days...

     Class lists were posted this afternoon. It was fun watching kids and families arrive to check out the lists. Some even came down to the classrooms to say HI. It seems like everyone is excited to get back to school to see friends and get started with the new year!

     There are several new arrivals to Colfax and some students who have returned after being gone for a while... How fun is that!

     We teachers have spent all week getting classrooms ready and class plans ready. We will be there over the weekend putting the finishing touches on it all.

     See you all on Monday!

One Week and Counting...

Can you believe it?? 

School starts next Monday... one week from today!

I'm excited! Are you?

.

I think it's interesting...

Every year, 

I sooooo look forward to the start of summer break.                                         

Then, a few weeks later, 

I find myself looking sooooo forward to the start of school!

.

Remember to bring all your first day supplies!

(There are extra supply lists on the counter in the school office 

if you need one.)

.

Those of you who remembered to email me back in June,

so I'd have your email now...

I have something for you as a "thank you"!

Big Plans...

     Thanks to Mrs. O'Keefe 

there are already several field trips planned :

• Ropes (8th)
• Hiking (7th)
• Nature Preserve (7th)
• IMAX (7th and 8th)

     AND 

a dance with a real DJ 

on Friday of the first week of school!

This is promising to be a GRRRRREAT year already!

Classroom Madness...

     Moved desks around... finally settled on an arrangement... but there aren't enough... gotta get four more desks! (Where did they go over summer? How did they get out of the room?)

     Making L O N G to-do list:

• Bulletin Boards
• Computers
• Classroom Library
• Posters
• Supplies
• Textbooks

     So much to do!

     Nice to be back!

     See you soon!

Two Weeks and Counting...

"We keep moving

forward.

Opening new doors, and doing new things,

because we're curious and

CURIOSITY

leads us down

new paths."

~ Walt Disney

See you in class in two weeks!

It's in the Mail...

     Yesterday, the three 7th and 8th grade classroom teachers gathered at school to prepare

WELCOME BACK LETTERS 

for all 7th and 8th grade students. 

It felt like the OFFICIAL KICK OFF of the fast approaching school year. 

The letter explains about the daily schedule and all about ACADEMIC ACADEMY. 

The letter includes a copy of the SCHOOL SUPPLIES LIST, too.

     Reminder:   Be sure to have all the following things with you on DAY !

• All the school supplies on the list
• Independent reading book
• Running shoes
• Seven dollars to purchase a student planner (unless you prepaid in June)

Remember there's a prize if you do!

Summer Vacation...

     There are still nearly three weeks of summer vacation to enjoy 

before school starts on the 23rd.

I do hope that everyone is enjoying the summer
as much as I am!

Where have you traveled?

What sights have you seen?

What have you done?

Who have you visited?

Seen any good movies?

Read any good books?

Have you BBQed?

Gone to the lake? the beach? the mountains?

Be ready with your stories!

WATCH YOUR MAIL!

Coming soon... 

The 7th and 8th Grade School Supply List

and WELCOME back letter

to your mailbox!

Planning for the First Day...

I met with Jodi O'Keefe and MaryAnn Hinrichs at school today. After sharing hugs and summer stories, we spread our stuff out on a couple of the big tables in the library and got to work.

     We put together class lists for all the classes: language arts, algebra, social studies, science, academic academy, and PE. I get to teach most of the 8th grade and some of the 7th grade language arts classes this year; Mrs. Hinrichs is teaching most of the 7th grade language arts and all the social studies. Mrs. O'Keefe will teach all the math and science. And we'll all start the day out with our Academic Academy classes. We decided it would be fun to mix 7th and 8th graders together for PE and AA this year.

     We also laid out the daily schedule for 7th and 8th grades. We are going to continue the daily running this year's 8th graders started last year... and we teachers are going to run with the students. (Me, I'm going to start out walking and work my way up. Boy, do I have to get into shape! And, yes, I AM looking forward to it!). It's such a great way to start the day feeling energized and wide awake!

     All students will have FOUR different teachers. All students will spend at least a period with Mrs. O'Keefe, Mrs. Hinrichs, Ms Griffin, and Mr. Covich. Everybody will have a double period of language arts and single periods of each of the other subjects.

     We are putting together a letter that will go out to students and parents later this week... a WELCOME BACK letter... with a copy of the supply list and other important first day information... so be on the lookout for it to be in your mailbox before the week is over!

     See you soon!

Anticipation...

     Three weeks and counting, 

and I'm starting to get excited about school starting up. 

Are you?

     The first day of school is Monday, August 23, 2010.

I will be in my classroom, getting ready, several days before then.

So, if you are around and want to stop by and see the classroom and say,

"Hello!"

Be sure to do just that!