Resource Lab Grade Check/Productivity Forms

Dear Readers,

I just realized that I have not been sharing resources that I’ve created. One resource that I use because it hits so many indicators at once is The Resource Lab Grade Check/Productivity Log. I use these forms  twice weekly for my grade check process that places the onus on the students to know their grades at all times and set goals.

It:

1. makes students take respon-sibility for their grades.
2. puts the onus on the students to take responsibility for showing how productive or unproductive they were during their stations/centers time.
3. It helps the students set S.M.A.R.T. goals.
4. It’s a running record of the students response/explanation of their grades that can be used during parent conferences. {Not sure if this is a problem at your sites, but the students, at one point in time, were saying that teachers were not helping them. This will help show that students are aware of their grades at all times.

Here are the links:

• http://tinyurl.com/ze2ohma (COUNSELING GRADE CHECK)

* NOTE: Although this says, Counseling Grade Check, it can be used as a grade check for Resource Lab or for any class where the students need to check all their grades. I use this one with the Counselor for students who don’t yet know how to write S.M.A.R.T. goals. So, feel free to take Counseling out of the title.

• http://tinyurl.com/zxqkopq (RESOURCE LAB GRADE CHECK/PRODUCTIVITY LOG)

*NOTE: This form can be changed around, added to, deleted to suit your purposes.

You can make a copy for yourself or email me for a copy @ specialedandme@gmail.com. If you use it, let me know how it works for you.

Bye for now!

Pizza Hut’s Book It Program!

Dear Readers,

Here’s the other program I sign my students up for. It’s called Pizza Hut’s Book It Program. Just like the Six Flags program, it’s simple. Create an account, choose a password and sign up. If you’d like to sign up, here’s the link: https://www.bookitprogram.com/.

Six Flags’ Read to Succeed Program

Dear Readers,

Every year, for the past couple of years, I’ve signed my students up for Six Flags’ Read to Succeed program. It’s a win-win program. Your students and you receive a ticket to Six Flags for reading. It’s easy. All you have to do is register for an account and choose and password. After that, you input the hours and at the end of the year, tickets are sent to you to distribute to the students.

If you’d like to register, here’s the link:

https://feedback.sixflags.com/rts/default.aspx

A Center in a Bag!

Dear Readers,

I have a story I just have to tell. It’s about my older sister (even though she tells everyone I’m older), who I’ll call Brown Girl. She is so giving. She is always giving me & the rest of our family gifts.

Even though this gift she gave me today is not even the biggest gift she’s given me, it was really what I needed. You see she gave me 25 books with the accompanying audio tapes. This is significant because I was just reading another teaching blog about the teacher having a listening center. Since I had older students I didn’t think to have a listening center. Add to the fact that my school had no resources. Well, now, thanks to my sister, I have the following titles:

1. This Is The Way We Go to School by Edith Baer
2. Abiyoyo by Pete Seeger
3. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
4. Happy Birthday, Moon by Frank Asch
5. Geraldine’s Big Snow by Holly Keller
6. The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses by Paul Goble
7. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by (Adapted by) Freya Littledale
8. The Vanishing Pumpkin by Tony Johnston
9. My Favorite Time of Year by Susan Pearson
10. Clifford’s Halloween Fun by Norman Bridwell
11. Jamberry by Bruce Degen
12. Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
13. Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag
14. Happy Birthday, Moon by Frank Asch (duplicate)
15. The Brave Little Tailor by (Retold by) Freya Littledale
16. Sally’s Room by M.K. Brown
17. Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato
18. The Seven Chinese Brothers by Margaret Mahy
19. Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? by Nancy While Carlstrom
20. Grandma and the Pirates by Phoebe Gilman
21. Clifford, We Love You by Norman Bridwell
22. It’s Valentine’s Day by Jack Prelutsky
23. Chicken Soup With Rice by Maurice Sendak
24. Curious George Rides a Bike by H.A. Rey
25. The Popcorn Dragon by Jane Thayer

Even though some of these title are for young children, I will use these to make up my listening center. I’m going to plop them into some bags, label them, and create some other sort of activities to go with them. So there you have it- A center in a bag!

By the way, if you know of any activities I can use to make this center more interesting, feel free to drop me a comment!

Thanks!!!

First Books Book Giveaway!

Dear Readers,

***Here is the information for free books. The shipping fee is only $0.45 /book to ship anywhere in the U.S.***

Give the gift of books – Apply for our last book distribution of the year!

A book is the gift that keeps on giving, and First Book is doing everything we can to make sure our programs can give the gift of reading to their kids this holiday season.  So, the First Book National Book Bank is having one last book distribution this calendar year, so you can get brand new books for free that your kids will love, just in time for winter break. With activity books, Christmas stories, and tons of awesome YA titles, we’ve got something for everyone!

Distribution names:

Season’s Readings: Books for Ages 0-9

Season’s Readings: Books for Ages 10-18

Cost of books:  Free!
Shipping & handling fee: $0.45 / book to be shipped anywhere in the US.
When will I get my books?: Books will arrive by mid December

As always, we encourage you to apply for as many distributions as you want, and spread the word to any programs that serve children in need – we have plenty of books to go around!

Happy reading!

First Book

Pictures of the Books!

Dear Readers,

Here is a picture of the books my school was granted by the Molina Foundation.

I Won!!!

Dear Readers,
I am so excited. I wrote a book grant back in August for my school and was recently notified that my school won to the tune of 489 books. This is such great news. Especially since the school librarian won a book grant earlier in the year for which we are having an assembly in November.
It was my wish to give the books to the parents during the ceremony. Now that wish has become a reality. I’ll speak with my Principal and see if I can pick them up sometime this week.
I am really excited about this. I’ll keep you updated. Bye for now!

Pizza Hut Reading Certificates Are Here!!!

Dear Parents,

The Pizza Hut Reading Certificates are here. Your child will be receiving them on a bi-weekly basis.

Thank you

I didn’t want to take this post down, but I mistakenly posted this on my personal blog thinking it was my classroom blog. What I will do is post the information is you’re a public or private school teacher or homeschooler and would like to sign up to receive them. Here is the link to sign up:

http://www.bookitprogram.com/

Once you’re there, click on Enroll Now, then click on your school type, search for your school by city and state or zip code, and follow the directions from there.

Enjoy!

Book Sale @ The Paul Roberson Community Center!

Just got this from the LABBX blog:
Books, Books, and More Books for You
Book Fair / Book Sale
Saturday, August 28, 2010 from 10 am to 4 pm
Paul Robeson Community Center:

6569 S. Vermont Ave.,

LA, CA 90044

Info: (310) 569-0657
Admission: FREE

The Robeson Center is having its first ever sale of some of the vast numbers of books that do not fit into the collection. These books have been accumulated over the last 20 years from the lifetime collections of other book lovers, but they must go to make room for classroom and meeting space. If you love books, you won’t want to miss this opportunity.:
biography *philosophy * fiction * classics *kids books * history * cook books and more- they are all here looking for a new home.

Now, while we certainly don’t mind the idea of making money off of them, we’re most interested in freeing up the space they’re taking, as well as having our community reading them. Therefore, you can expect to go home with all the books you want without worrying about any kind of dent in your budget think five cents, twenty five cents, fifty cents or a dollar per book.

Info: (310) 569-0657

—
Jan Goodman
(310) 458-7213 or (310) 729-2394

LOS ANGELES BLACK BOOK EXPO 2010!

***ATTENTION***

The Los Angeles Black Book Expo has moved from the Expo Center near USC. It will now be held @ the Sheraton Gateway Hotel near L.A.X.

WHAT: The Los Angeles Black Book Expo

WHEN: Saturday, August 21, 2010

WHERE: L.A.X. Sheraton

TIME: 12:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m.

Taken directly from the LABBX website: The Los Angeles Black Book Expo (LABBX) will be held August 21, 2010 at the Sheraton Gateway LAX Hotel. We will host a full day of activity featuring authors, storytellers, spoken word and poetry performances, musicians, exhibitors, children’s book authors, emerging writers, publishers, booksellers, panel discussions, editors, book reviewers, and others.

Dial-A-Librarian or Dial-A-Story

I love the Public Library System. They have so many services available. They have definitely stepped up their game & stepped into the 21st century. They have this great feature called Dial-A-Librarian or Dial-A-Story. Your child is able to call up the number and hear a story over the phone.

I called the libraries and you do not have to live in their area. The only thing you have to worry about is your long distance bill as some of the numbers are not local. Here are a list of numbers of the librarians that participate in the Dial-A-Librarian program:

City of Santa Clara- (408) 241-1611.  (http://library.santaclaraca.gov/index.aspx?page=1600)

Toronto Public Library- (416) 395-5400 (http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/spe_ser_dialastory.jsp)

Salina Public Library- (785) 823-3333 (http://www.salpublib.org)

Marin Public Library- (415) 499-6051   (http://www.marinlibrary.org/kids/dial-a-story/index.php)

I found another huge Dial-a-Story list (Thanks to Phone Phun), complete with pictures: (http://dialastory.highachievement.org). I called a couple of the numbers. The list is not current, but other stories are still available.

I have used the Dial-A-Librarian service. It was when Purplicious first came out & I wanted to know if the book was any good before I bought it. Sure enough, I was read the whole story and decided to buy it. So, check out this service. It’s nice!

HERE’S TO 2010!

Scholastic Warehouse Book Sale!

*** Sorry, I just read on the website that it’s only open to school & District employees. Hopefully you know a teacher you can go with. ***

It’s going on now with thousands of books marked down 50% and other books up to 80% off cover prices.

What: Scholastic’s Warehouse Book Sale

When: Tuesday, May 25, 2010- June 19, 2010 (Closed for inventory Sunday, May 30- Friday, June 19, 2010)

Where: Various locations. Anaheim is the closest location to me @ 2890 E. Whitestar, Anaheim, CA 92806 (On the corner of Whitestar & LaPalma. From the 91 Freeway, take the Kraemer Blvd. exit & go North. Turn left on E. Whitestar. The building will be on your right.)

Go to www.scholastic.com/bookfairs/warehouse to register for your FAST-CART PASS and coupons for $10 or $25 off.

I’ve never been to the big warehouse sale in Anaheim, but I’ve heard about it. The prices are already cheap @ the outlet in West L.A. So, if they’re better than that, I’m all in.

More Goodies @ Barnes & Noble bookstore

Here’s something I came upon that my husband will love this since he owns the Kindle e-reader. While browsing for free summer reading programs I happened upon this informative article. It seems as if Barnes & Noble are bringing their A-game. As well as having the physical book market cornered, they are now seeking to corner the electronic or e-book market. They are offering a free book per week for five weeks once you have the code. The catch, you have to go into a Barnes & Noble bookstore. That’s fine with me since I go there at least twice a month anyway. There’s only four more weeks left. The program started May 18, 2010 and runs through June  ,2010.

There was more information in the article. If you’d like to read it, here’s the link: Summer Reading, Electronic and Free by Roy Furchgott

Free Coloring Pages

I am receiving so much free stuff. I just received my weekly Hedgie’s Treasure Trove from Jan Brett’s website. There are 100 pages offered of:

• The Umbrella
• Honey, Honey, Lion
• On Noah’s Ark
• Hedgie Blasts Off
• The Easter Egg
• The Mitten
• Gingerbread Friends
• The Three Snow Bears

Early Learning With Families @ The LAPL

The LAPL has a great reading program. It’s called Early Learning with Families or ELF for short.

Here’s the information directly from the website: ELF

Because so much learning happens in the first five years of life, every Los Angeles Public Library location offers programs, books, CDs and DVDs especially for preschoolers and their families.

In addition, our 10 Early Learning with Families (ELF) branches offer enhanced services and programs for families with very young children.

This is what you’ll find at ELF branches:

• Storytimes for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers
• Parent workshops and information
• Cozy areas where parents and very young children can read, play quietly and learn together

The ELF@LAPL branches are:

Book Club Information

I’m so excited about my Book Club. Every year, I always make up a packet. This year I’m making my packets up from a combination of sources. Here they are:

• LAPL summer reading program bag & folder,
• Borders reading club flyer for free book [pdf],
• Barnes & Noble reading club (Click on the first button- Download Passport),
• various activities from the internet.

I also printed:

• Ben 10 bookmarks
• Marvel comics bookmark
• Princess bookmarks
• Tinkerbell bookmarks 1, 2, & 3
• Coloring pages
• Mysterious Benedict Society activities which include learning Morse code, puzzles, & discussion guide (Bookmark #2 is actually the study guide, while bookmark #3 is the bookmark with the first book on one side and morse code on the opposite side)

Since I have a laminator and I like for my bookmarks to be thick, I cut the bookmarks and laminate them back to back. I place them opposite each other so, no matter what, my bookmark is never upside down. I know that it may not bother other people, but it bothers me, so I do what I need to do.

L.A. Times Festival Of Books ’10!

Yep, it’s that time of year again for the L.A. Times Festival of Books ’10.
Event: L.A. Times Festival of Books ’10
When: The fifteenth annual edition of the Festival of Books will be held on Saturday, April 24 and Sunday, April 25, 2010
Where: U.C.L.A.

Wow, I cannot believe it’s been a whole year already. It seems like just a couple months ago that I went with Phillip & Phillise. I’m not sure if I’ll make it this year. I already made plans to go to the zoo with my mother & sisters. We’ll see how things go. I’ll play it by ear. If I have enough time, I’ll go.

Here’s a little information on the Festival:
The Festival of Books began in 1996 with a simple goal: Bring together the people who create books and the people who love to read them. The Festival was an immediate success and has become Southern California’s major literary event. Last year over 130,000 people attended the Festival, which featured almost one hundred ticketed author events, childrens’ storytelling, poetry readings, book signings and nearly 500 exhibitor booths.
According to Examiner.com, the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books is the largest and most prestigious literary event in the U.S. Held annually, the festival promises entertaining and educational activities for children and adults who love books.
There will be 400 authors in attendance. Here’s the list.
One of my favorite new authors, Pseudonymous Bosch, will be there.

Ben & Jerry’s Free Cone Day ~ March 23

Ben & Jerry is offering a free sample of ANY of their ice cream stores. Co-founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield first scooped up free ice cream all day back in 1979 as a way to thank the community for supporting them in their first year. Now it’s an annual tradition at many of their scoop shops around the world. It’s your chance to try any of their flavors for free!

Lakeshore 15% Off Coupon!

Present this coupon at time of purchase.

©Lakeshore	coupon code: 1631
Offer valid 11/14/09 – 11/15/09. Valid on in-store purchases only. Limit one coupon per customer. Offer excludes sales tax & shipping charges. Valid on in-stock items only. No ship-to or special orders. Not to be used toward the purchase of gift cards or in conjunction with any other offers, prior purchases, or sale items. Limit one item per coupon per transaction. No cash value. Must present coupon at time of purchase.

McDonald’s Trick or Treat Coupons

The cost= $1.50 for a packet of 12 coupons.

What you get?= 3 bags of Apple Dippers, Small Apple Juice or Milk jug, small cone, or Hamburger.

Who it’s for= 12 and under. My McDonald’s a stickler for this. They’re actually kinda’ anal about it.

It’s a limit of one coupon per customer per visit.

I love these coupons. They’re sold year-round and are good for 2-3 months @ a time. I began purchasing them when David was in Kindergarten (Gee, has it been that long?). I’d pick him up from school, take him to McDonald’s & let him have his pick. He loved it. This was at a time when I was low on funds, but he didn’t know because he still got his treat @ the end of the day. Isn’t that what it’s all about?

**P.S.- Mine don’t look like this. They look slightly different.**

Free Ice Cream @ Coldstone Creamery (9/24/09)

Thursday, September 24th  5-8pm

FREE 3 oz. Make-A-Wish^® Creation™ with a Donation

Donate and receive a 3 oz. sample of Jack’s Creation served out of a ready-to-love pan in a Like It™ Cup. Valid only during published date and time. While supplies last. No substitutions. Limit one per customer. An estimated 85 percent of all donations in September will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation^®. For more information about the Make-A-Wish Foundation, visit wish.org. ©2009 Cold Stone Creamery, Inc. All rights reserved.