Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Last School Day of 2009-2010

  • Many teachers got organized and their students helped out.
  • Awards were handed out at Hillcrest in the morning.
  • Students enjoyed organized outdoor activities in the sun!
  • When students came to Ellen's room, they were required to read a book.
  • Students picked out a book to take home for the summer. They were encouraged to read to their little brothers and sisters.
  • It was hard to say good-bye to our friends and we look forward to seeing each other in the fall.
  • Good luck, new fifth-graders!

Monday, June 14, 2010

Monday, Second-Last day of the school year in Ellen's Room

  • Edward was very happy with his homework prize--a saber toothed tiger.
  • The second graders walked to the swimming pool and swam for an hour.
  • During ELL time we sang songs we remembered from throughout the year, even a Halloween song.
  • First, second and third graders played a word puzzle game to see who could find matches for pictures and words the fastest.
  • Some of the students began a new book about artists and color. They received little books to keep and read about color around us, even in the garden.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Friday in Ellen's Room


  • A United States Coast Guard helicopter landed on the Hillcrest playground.
  • Before it landed, a Coast Guard member let himself down from the hovering helicopter as students watched and cheered.
  • The helicopter made a lot of wind as it landed. Some of the students nearly blew away!
  • Reggie's teacher held onto his shirt.
  • During ELL time, students retold the stories they read this week by using the large picture cards.
  • Other ELL students added comments at the end of each classmate's talk. They are learning to be a good audience.
  • Students finished reading The Life-Size Zoo. The teacher brought toy animals to play with as the class read and studied the book.
  • We learned that a red panda is not really a panda. It looks more like a fox, and is related to the same family as the raccoon.
  • We also learned that a rhinoceros uses mud as a kind of sunblock.
  • North Bend High School graduation is tonight. Hillcrest congratulates them.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Thursday in Ellen's Room

  • ELL students had a sub again today, but should have Mrs. Stebbins back by tomorrow.
  • Alex, Gaby, Cody and Edward all have astonishing homework return records! Full star charts! Hooray for you!
  • The second graders went bowling today. Cosmic, black-light bowling brings out the rock star in everyone.
  • Hillcrest runners recieved Marathon awards. They ran miles and miles. Cody and Crystal were among them. They will also dine on pizza tomorrow. Congratulations on your medals, athletes!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Wednesday in Ellen's Room

  • Mrs. Stebbins was an emergency substitute for Mrs. Slack's field trip today. The second graders traveled to the Umpqua Discovery Center in Reedsport. Since most of the students are familiar with Mrs. Stebbins, it seemed a good idea to have her go rather than a regular sub.
  • Mrs. Stebbins had fun!
  • Cody, Elvia and Maria have been there, too!
  • Tomorrow there will be regular ELL classes.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010


  • Many second graders visited the library, the fire station, and bowling alley; and rode on an old fire truck all in one day!

  • In Mrs. Stebbins' collection of picture books, the class found a battered old book with an picture of a fire truck like the one second graders rode. Copyright is MCML (1950). I think the real fire engine is much older than that.

  • Students chose a favorite from an animal toy collection. Then they practiced using complete sentences and adding extra information to tell the class about it.

  • The children compared aardvarks and anteaters.

  • Question of the day: "What do anteaters eat?"

  • Magic word: bowling!

  • Students are learning a song called Peanut Butter and Jam.

  • The kindergarten, second and third graders all used the word "zig-zag" in reading today. Some of the students showed how to walk in a zig-zag way.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Monday in Ellen's Room

    • Gaby wanted to write something on the Stebbinzoo blog. Here it is:
    • Today we are reading Symbols of America.-Gaby
    • The first, second and third graders played a word matching puzzle. Competition ran high! Tomorrow I will time them!
    • As we continue to read Life-Size Zoo, some toy animals appeared on the bookcase.
    • Several children learned some words which are known as "academic words," or words that are used in a school or study setting. These words were "stethescope," "predator'" and "snout." "Stethescope" can be a challenge when a person has no front teeth.
    • ELL second and third graders are joining the second grade "Camp Learned-a-Lot" for campfire singing this week.
    • Most of the students practiced standing before their peers to retell a story using picture cards. They are brave souls!
    • Glow-in-the-Dark Bowling is really fun!

    Friday, June 4, 2010

    Friday in Ellen's Room


    • sunshine That is the magic word for today. A little bit of sun is shining through, bringing with it optimism for the weekend.

    • As we near the end of the school year, children are field tripping, finishing projects and helping their teachers organize their classrooms.

    • Third graders went to the South Slough Sanctuary yesterday. Alex had to finish a project in her room today.

    • Children are looking forward to Glow-in-the-Dark bowling, swimming at the North Bend Pool, and having the Coast Guard helicopter land on the playground.

    • Second graders will be going to the Discovery Center in Reedsport soon.

    • In ELL we sang Wabash Cannonball and played with the little train one last time. Most of the children call the first part of the train "engine" now, not "leader."

    • All the children enjoy looking at a book called Life-Size-Zoo. some of them try to pet the animals and feel that fuzzy fur on the paper pages. They are captivated with the sidebar details about each animal's peculiar habits, especially pooping. (sigh...)

    • Students pass the book around, choose their favorite animal and say three sentences about it. They are getting more confident and creative the more they do this.
    • After reading that the big lump on the top of the gorilla's head was called a "crest," Cody pointed out that some birds have crests, too. Good remembering, Cody!

    Thursday, June 3, 2010

    Thursday in Ellen's Room

    • In order to help students learn words to the song, I sang the chorus of Wabash Cannonball over and over again. One of the boys informed me that the song was too long.
    • Gaby had a good time on her field trip yesterday. Her report, however, included more complaints about not getting to sit by her friends on the bus than enthusiasm about what she learned. The sharks were cool, though.
    • Everyone sang a "Song of Opposites" using a big picture book from Mrs. Nelson. It is a way to learn opposites and rhyming words.
    • Students named the different cars of a train, playing a game in which they were to say a true sentence about a train car. Then they scooted the train along the table trying not to split the cars apart. Then we sang Wabash Cannonball. (the short version)
    • Crystal brought her Sponge Bob toy car. It had magnets on the front and the back of it, so it could be added to our train. Thanks, Crystal!
    • The kindergartners are reading a book called Jeb is Quick!. Many of the children can read the words all by themselves. They can be very proud of themselves.
    • Once again, the Coast Guard has rescheduled their Hillcrest landing because of weather.
    • Did anyone notice that it is raining?

    Wednesday, June 2, 2010

    Wednesday in Ellen's Room

    • Gaby went to the Newport Aquarium with her class. They are returning as I write this, sounding tired and excited. I heard a parent describe the day. "It was fun. Everything about it was fun!" I hope Gaby will have some exciting things to report tomorrow.
    • Whenever the kindergartners and I walk down the hall, we pretend they are a train and the last person in line gets to be the caboose. As we played with a toy train today, I quizzed them about trains. When I showed them the engine, they said it was a "leader."
    • We will practice two new words: "locomotive" and "engine."
    • Our song for the week is a traditional American folksong, Wabash Cannonball. Some people say it was originally sung by hobos dreaming about a perfect train ride.
    • Some first and second graders are studying about veterinarians.
    • The magic word for today is planet.

    Tuesday, June 1, 2010

    Tuesday in Ellen's Room


    • Edward went on a field trip to the beach. He held a sunburst sea star. Its little suction feet made him shout, "It's eating me!"

    • Gaby is reading about some symbols of the United States: flag, national anthem, Mount Rushmore and the Statue of Liberty.

    • The second and third graders listened to Alexander's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. They said it was "a little bit funny."

    • Kindergarten children sang about opposites and compared their little fingers to the size of a tiger's big teeth.
    • Some of the children are still studying space.

    Friday, May 28, 2010

    Friday in Ellen's Room


    • Smokey Bear and his friends visited Hillcrest today. They talked about staying safe when camping or starting a fire outdoors.

    • Kindergarten through second grades attended this assembly. Each of them received a bag of fire safety reminders.

    • Children practiced googling "stebbinzoo" in order to find this website.

    • Students used the "retell" cards today. During the week groups read and study a story. At the end of the week, the teacher puts books away and students use large picture cards to remember and retell what they learned. This is good vocabulary practice.

    • As students talk about their cards, they practice speaking as if giving a speech. Listeners practice being a good audience.

    • I was impressed with how many details speakers and listeners remembered!

    • Magic words: Smokey Bear.

    Thursday, May 27, 2010

    In Ellen's Room

    • New magnetic letters appeared in Ellen's Room this morning.
    • Each child who stepped in the door wanted to make his or her own name with the letters.
    • Mrs. Stebbins needs to find more magnetized letters!
    • We have two fish named Prince and Azul. Azul is blue and Prince is purple. Sometimes the students feed them, taking care not to bump the table because that scares the fish. Fish won't eat if they are scared.
    • The kindergartners are reading about a vet. The cat in the story has a hurt leg. A girl named Pat helps the cat. She takes him to the vet.
    • Reggie read the whole story about the space visitors. As he read aloud, Edward and Maria put the space visitor pictures in the right order.
    • Cody says that he loves the stuff that we learn in class.
    • Elvia says that the songs Ms. Stebbins taught us are great.
    • The magic word today is sing!

    Wednesday, May 26, 2010

    In Ellen's Room


    • As we study about native Americans, the kindergartners look at books in class, point out and name forest animals, and talk over what the animals in the picture are doing. The older students actually listen to, read and discuss the text.

    • Today the book was Brother Eagle, Sister Sky, by Susan Jeffers.

    • Many of the words in this book were spoken to the United States government by Chief Seattle, a famous native American leader near the end of the Indian Wars.

    • Chief Seattle was a brave and noble leader.

    • One of his most poetic lines was "You must keep...a place where one can go to taste the wind that is sweetened by the meadow flowers."

    • I asked, "Did you ever go outside and open your mouth and taste the wind?" Alex said she did once. "But it tasted kind of weird. And then a bug flew into my mouth and got in my throat."

    • The first through third graders are reading about space.

    • One space story is imaginary, about space people who visit a family.

    • Another space story tells about a planetarium people can visit.

    • There is a planetarium at OMSI, in Portland, which is very kid-friendly. They have a good website, too: http://www.omsi.edu/kids

    • The magic word for today is Chief.

    Tuesday, May 25, 2010


    • At Hillcrest, students enrolled as English language learners are often referred to as "ELLs." It is a quick and easy "nickname," not an official name. I am so proud of them!

    • This week all students at school are being "Dibbled." That word is a shortened form af a type of test we use to help us learn more about a students reading skills. The actual name of the test is "Dynamic Indicaters of Basic Early Literacy Skills" (D.I.B.E.L.S)," or "Dibels" for short.

    • In this test, each child performs quick reading tasks one-on-one with a teacher. This gives teachers a better idea of how to best serve the needs of individual students.

    • Most ELL students learned how to find this blog today. I have a magic word. If a student opens this blog and knows the magic word of the day, he or she will get a Hillbill.

    • The magic word for today is Read.

    • English Language Learners are asked to check in at Ellen's Room (our ELL room) in the morning to get their homework checked by Mrs. Ocana or Mrs. Stebbins. If homework is finished, they earn a star on their homework charts. If they get five stars, they get a treat. If they earn a block full of stars (thirty), they may choose a special prize.

    • Even if homework is not completed, students are urged to stop by Ellen's Room. They will at least get a dot on their charts, which counts as part of a star, a warm greeting, a chance to chat with their friends, and a maybe a little pep-talk from the teachers. It's a happy time of day.
    • Remember the magic word! Its only good for Wednesday!

    Monday, May 24, 2010

    • Gaby visited the middle school today!
    • Everybody is learning to sing Kumbayah, a traditional song. Students add their own words to the song and act them out if they can. The favorite line so far seems to be "Someone's running, Lord, kumbayah..."
    • Each grade level has learned about how to grow a seed this year. Kids should be able to tell their families how to plant and raise a bean, a tree, or a pumpkin.
    • Classes are learning about different native Americans. Each tribe has some shared customs and living patterns. However, tribes can be quite different from each other. For example, some live in longhouses, others live in wigwams, tipis or pueblos.
    • The kindergarten children had many new things to show off today. We took time to admire everybody's new things. Azul had a new Tinkerbell lunchbox, Lupita showed off her sparkly pink top, both Angels not only have similar names, they have the exact same kind of shoes, too!

    Sunday, May 23, 2010

    In Ellen's Room, May 23, 2010

    Last year, Mrs. Stebbins taught reading and second grade. This year she is teaching Reading, and English as a Second language and is am enjoying the change.

    I have one big problem, however, and that is the number of students I must keep shooing off my "rollie chair." Only people who have graduated from college may sit in it. It seems like whenever I want to sit down, someone who is still in elementary school is sitting in it. This is annoying. I have promised the ELL students that when I get a personal invitation to each of their college graduations, I will give them a rollie chair as a graduation gift. AND NOT UNTIL THEN! SO STAY OFF OF MY CHAIR! ( I hope I get to spend my retirement traveling to graduations and buying rollie chairs for former ELL students.)