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, 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 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 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 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.

• 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 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 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 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 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.