Japan: Before and After

Understanding What Happened in Japan

Scholastic News Slideshow

Flat Stanley Challenge!

Computer Lab Challenge!
Students, your task is to get to know Flat Stanley by using two internet resources. Click on each of the links below. Explore the website and record any interesting information or observations you would like to share with the class. Have fun getting to know our flat fellow!

 Use this link to find different videos featuring Flat Stanley.
http://flatterworld.com/multimedia/multimedia.htm

Use this link to find several pictures featuring Flat Stanley.

http://flatterworld.com/picture_gallery.html

Parents, Check these out!

Please check it out and pass it on!

Here is an interesting article on reading and the importance of choice!

Give Kids Their Reading Choice | Scholastic.com


Here is an interesting article on what to look for in books for your children!
Choose Books for Your Child: Scholastic.com



Here is an article with some wonderful ideas for summer reading!
6 Ways to Improve Reading Comprehension: Scholastic.com

Congratulations Heather!

Heather Rises to the Challenge!

Heather was presented with WSBT22's I Love to Read Challenge Rising to the Challenge Award! Heather has shown a remarkable amount of growth throughout this school year. She is a hardworking student who continuously tries. On the last day of the challenge, Heather arrived at school carrying a separate bag full of books. She explained to Miss Boocher, “They are for today. Don’t you remember today is the last day? I am going to read them all.” 

 Heather was presented with the I Love to Read Challenge Rising to the Challenge Award at an award ceremony on Thursday afternoon.

Although Miss Boocher was already surprised and presented with her award the Friday before, she was recognized at the ceremony as well.

You can find more pictures from the ceremony at WSBT.com!

.: Pop, Pop, Pop :.

WSBT's I Love to Read Challenge

Shortly after distributing our assessment over measurement, Miss Boocher was happily surprised on Friday morning by members of WSBT22 and Teachers Credit Union. The classroom was flooded with numerous guests set on shocking Miss Boocher and presenting her with the I Love to Read Challenge Creative Teacher Award! Miss Boocher was thoroughly shocked, honored and humbled.  

 

Thank you WSBT22 and Teachers Credit Union for giving our students the I Love to Read Challenge! The I Love to Read Challenge reminds children, parents and teachers the significant impact reading has on a child's development, as well as the multiple avenues reading can open up. We are blessed to live in a community which fosters the joy of reading in such young, developing minds.

  

 I feel truly honored to be selected for this award. Teaching is not only my chosen profession, but my heartfelt passion. Although I am quite confident I will have a wonderful time in Disney World, nothing could trump the amazing feeling I get as I watch my students explore, discover and learn in their world. Children are quite literately our future. With great confidence, I can say the future looks amazingly bright in my classroom!

Scholastic Book Clubs!

Attention Parents!

You are now able to place orders for Scholastic Book Clubs directly online. 

Check out the website below!

Scholastic Book Clubs: Miss Boocher's Class

Leave a Message After the Beep!

Can you guess who we are from 

our answering machine messages?

We are currently learning how to use voice in our writing. We created answering machine messages for secret characters. Take a look and try to guess who we are! 

(I'm sorry the videos are sideways. I'm still learning how to use my camcorder.) 

The answers are at the bottom of the page.

 

1. Superman

2. Leprechaun

3. Cam Jansen

4. Spongebob

5. Snow White

6. Shrek

7. Peter Pan

8. Willy Wonka

9. White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland

10. Vampire

11. Scientist from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

It's a Bird, It's a Plane....

It's Superhero Teachers!

Our St. John's teachers surprised the students following our annual Talent Show. Each teacher revealed their superhero name and competed against other teachers in a series of "minute-to-win-it" style games. 

 Mrs. Z  Super Zzzzzz was our winner!

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

We were lucky to have everyone participate,

As Grades Pre-K through 4 gathered to celebrate.

Wednesday, March 2^nd was the date.

Our birthday celebration breakfast started at 8!

At our breakfast, you could find…

Green Eggs and Ham that blew your mind!

We slurped down the Yink’s Pink Ink Drink,

and found how to Dr. Seuss everything did link.

 Don't worry! There are more pictures to be uploaded.

Who sent the Leprechaun?

Much to our surprise, we arrived at school today to find a huge, purple box on our floor.

Where did it come from? Who sent it? What is inside?

Luckily, there was a letter attached. It read...

March 1, 2011

Dear Second Grade Monsters,

         

          Greetings from Ireland! My name is Patrick, and I am a leprechaun. I traveled a great long ways to bring you this special reading challenge. I have hidden special prizes  inside this beautiful green box. However, you must complete a task before you can open it. As a class, you must read One Million Seconds! When you reach this goal, I will gladly hand over the golden key and you can unlock your prize! Good luck, and happy reading!

                                                                     Your lucky friend,

                                                                            Patrick

Let the March for One Million Seconds begin!

775 Books!

We Love to Read Book Drive Update!

Total Number of Books Donated:

703 books!

Total number of donated books was last updated on Saturday, February 26th.

Thank You Doesn't Cover It!

I would like to thank all of our Celebrity Readers who took time out of their busy schedules to come into our classroom and share in our We Love to Read Challenge. Words can't quite explain the impact ten to twenty minutes of reading has on my amazing second graders.

I have been personally impressed with all of the Notre Dame and Saint Mary's athletes that came into our classroom. Our second graders truly look to them as role models, and the athletes do not take this role lightly.

It means worlds to the students to see important figures, such as these athletes, other St. John's teachers, and our students' parents and grandparents, come into the classroom and share the importance and joy of reading with the second graders. I could not have predicted the effect the last month would have had on my class. 

It is now overwhelmingly exciting to walk into my classroom. Come in and see it for youself! When I look around the room throughout the school day, I can find any of the following occuring: smiling students sitting silently in a chair engulfed in a book, students, tummy on the carpet and feet in the air, circled around the cd player listening to a book on tape together, one student happily suggesting a recently read book to another student, and an excited student running to tell me what just happened in the book they are currently reading.

Thank you for helping my second graders open their eyes to the various adventures books can provide them.

Our Last Week of Celebrity Readers

On Tuesday, we welcomed Mrs. Z as our Celebrity Reader. 

She brought a wonderful story to share, as well as a truly interesting hat for our school-wide Hat Day.

Thank you, Mrs. Z!

Following Mrs. Z's wonderful reading, we happily welcomed several players from the Notre Dame Baseball Team and their student manager. The Second Graders were very excited to hear all about their recent trip to Flordia, why they enjoy playing baseball at Notre Dame and what they each love about reading. 

Thank you, Notre Dame Baseball, for spending your morning with our wonderful group of Second Graders and their crazy hats. 

Students were greeted on Wednesday morning by more members of the Notre Dame Baseball Team. The players spent quite a bit of time with the class, carefully answering every question the students had. They read several new books to the group. 

Again, we thank the Notre Dame Baseball Team for spending their morning with us. After the players left, I had a student explain to me how hard it was going to be when they would have to decide between playing soccer or baseball for Notre Dame.

Mrs. Treber popped into our room Thursday afternoon to share her children's favorite bedtime story with the class. She even brought us our own "boo-boo jar", which she made herself. 

Thank you, Mrs. Treber! We are looking forward to spending next year with you.  

Mrs. Benak, Ashley's mom, joined us on Thursday morning as our Celebrity Reader. She brought "Cinderhazel", a silly twist of the story Cinderella. The students enjoyed this creative version of a fairy tale. 

Thank you, Mrs. Benak.

We were lucky to have another Celebrity Reader on Thursday morning, Mrs. Bogol. She brought one of her favorite books from when she was a child to read with the students. We now have a new chapter book for our daily read alouds. 

Thank you, Mrs. Bogol!

Sadly, Friday was our last day of Celebrity Readers for our We Love to Read Challenge!

Luckily, we had a remarkable group of ladies planned for Friday afternoon. We welcomed the Saint Mary's Quidditch Team as our Celebrity Readers. Quidditch is the wonderfully creative sport played in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter book series.

Members from two different teams showed up in their uniforms (capes!), with their equipment (brooms!) and ready to read a chapter from J.K. Rowling's book, "The Tales of Beedle and Bard". One player even read and explained the Italian version of the book to her small group. Her reading was a cultural experience for the students! 

After they read with small groups of students, the ladies showed a short slide show of pictures from various different quidditch matches played this past Fall.

Then, we went outside and...learned how to play quidditch! Our Eighth Graders couldn't resist joining us for this learning opportunity.

I apologize that I do not have pictures to post at this time. Please check back to see pictures from the Saint Mary's Quidditch Team's visit!