@NPES LearningCommons
Books! Gadgets! Fun!
MARCH
March is here! We had a Fantastic February and we are looking forward to a Super Spring! In February, 5th graders participated in a Harlem Renaissance Cafe; all students voted for their favorite Book Award nominee; we hosted Digital Learning Day; and Kindergarten students celebrated the 100th day of school by reading 100 books in 100 minutes! We also enjoyed guest readers for World Read Aloud Day and last week, we kicked off March activities by participating in Read Across America Week/Dr. Seuss' birthday with guest readers - thank you to Mrs. Weeks for all of her help lining up readers! We are going to celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday all month long with Seuss themed activities in our MakerSpace and a special Oobleck lesson with 3rd grade. Next month, we are looking forward to our author/illustrator visit, School Library Month, and more!
Please let us know what we can help you with!
THANK YOU!
Mrs. Byrd Fort, Mrs. Sheely, Mrs. Gobbi, and Ms. Burkett
Matthew Cordell
Parents! Teachers! Students! Make a READING Resolution for the NEW YEAR!
NEXT PRIZE DRAWING IS MARCH 22!
The New Providence Elementary School Learning Commons Team would like to encourage you and your family to make a READING RESOLUTION this year! Did you know that reading aloud together, as a family, is beneficial for ALL members of your family? Many of our younger students hear a bedtime story each night before bed, but the older our students get, the less they hear these bedtime stories. No matter how old your child is, make a resolution to read aloud together before bed EVERY night!
To help you with your resolution, we are excited to announce the 2016 Roary’s Reading Resolution Challenge! We would like to challenge you and your family to read aloud together for 101 Nights. Our challenge will run January 11 - May 13.
We know that making and keeping a resolution is not easy. So, to help keep you motivated, there will be monthly drawings for a small family prize! Each month, we will ask that you send pictures to us of your family reading aloud together. We will share these pictures via social media using the hashtag #RoaryReads2016. Pictures will also be shared on a display in the Learning Commons. You can email pictures to npes@lexington1.net (use RoaryReads2016 as the subject).
March 22 - Prize drawing from pictures we receive of NPES family selfies (must include a good book, of course!)
April 26 - Prize drawing from pictures we receive of NPES families reading outside!
May 17 - Prize drawing from all of the Summer Reading Resolution Pledges we receive!
You can read aloud in the car, at bedtime, waiting at the doctor’s office or anytime that YOU create! It does not have to be 101 consecutive days/nights, but what an AWESOME goal! There will not be a log or anything to fill out! Just a pledge to say you are up for the challenge! Please let us know if you have any questions!
South Carolina Book Award Program
Makerspace Moments
Makerspace Moments are Tuesdays and Thursdays - 7:30am - 8am. Each classroom teacher has 3 passes. Please let us know if you have any questions!
Pi Day!
Here are some resources you may want to use in your classroom to celebrate!
- Official Pi Day website: http://www.piday.org/
- Great blog post from Engage Their Minds with lots of ideas and resources: http://engagetheirminds.com/2015/03/02/pi-day/
- Awesome Pi Day activities you can do in your classroom (from the Exploratorium Museum in California): http://www.exploratorium.edu/pi/pi_activities/index.html
- Tons of great ideas from Education World: http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson335.shtml
2nd - 5th grade iPad UPDATE!
Good news (we hope!)...you can now keep grade level iPads in your classroom. We have delivered the grade level iPads to the Grade Level Chairs and (as a grade level), you decide how to distribute the iPads (4 or 5 per classroom; maybe keep as a classroom set to be housed in the Grade Level Chair's classroom; etc.). Please remember we are always happy to help you! We are trying to get more chargers from the District Office...in the meantime, you are welcome to use the charging station available in our Makerspace (Brenda Burkett's office). We will collect all iPads at the end of the school year.
Some helpful tips/suggestions:
*Develop a "check out" system when students are using the iPads so that you know which student is using a particular iPad.
*If you need a class set of iPads, consider borrowing among each other.
*Please download apps from the App Catalog - if an app you want is not in the App Catalog, please let us know and we will add it. Directions on how to download an app from the App Catalog are below.
*Consider downloading apps that students can use for "content creation" such as Buncee, Doodle Buddy, PicKids, Tellagami, 30Hands, Puppet Edu, Write About This, etc. The iPad can be used for much more than "skill & drill"! If you need help, let us know!
*If a screen gets cracked, please put in a work order immediately. Cracked screens can cut your fingers!
Directions for downloading an app using the App Catalog
FYI - The App Catalog is NOT the same as the App Store.
You may install any apps in the App Catalog. The password is the same for all iPads...if you do not know what it is, please ask us!
If you need an app that is not in the App Catalog, you can submit it to us in the Learning Commons to add to the App Catalog via AirWatch OR you can download it yourself through the App Store. The password is the same.
The advantage of using AirWatch and the App Catalog is that we can “push” the same apps to all the iPads in the school for possible downloading. Teachers or students would not have to actually do a search of the App Store to find the needed app each time on every iPad.
If you need help, please let us know!
Lion Cub Storytime
March 18
April 29
Please share these dates in your classroom newsletter!
Save the Date!
April 5 - Author Visit - Matthew Cordell
April 21 - Meet at Main with Porkchop Productions (Lexington County Public Library)
May 6 - Lunch Hero Day!
May 23 - May 27 - BOOK FAIR
Also watch for details about the Blowfish Reading Program and MORE!
Learning Commons Team Schedule
Mrs. Byrd Fort is at NPES 7am - 11:30am every day.
Mrs. Sheely is at NPES 11am - 3pm every day.
Mrs. Gobbi is at NPES 7:30am - 3pm every day (lunch at 12pm).
Ms. Burkett is at NPES 7:30am - 3pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, every other Friday.
About Us
Email: vfort@lexington1.net
Website: https://sites.google.com/site/newprovidencelearningcommons/
Location: 1118 Old Cherokee Road, Lexington, SC, United States
Phone: 803.821.3314
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NPESLibraryMediaCenterLearningCommons
Twitter: @mrsbyrdfort