HOMETOWN HAPPENINGS
REAL NEWS... REAL FACTS ABOUT LISBON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
SUPERB SPECIALIST: MRS. BENNETT
By Gus, Henry, and Will
This issue’s featured teacher is Mrs. Bennett, our school’s technology teacher. Before coming to Lisbon this year, Mrs. Bennett taught 2nd and 3rd grade at St. John’s Lane Elementary and technology at St. John’s Lane, Clarksville and Triadelphia Ridge Elementary.
Mrs. Bennett knew she wanted to be a teacher when she was in elementary school and would play school with her friends and dolls/stuffed animals. To become a teacher, Mrs. Bennett went to Towson University and then she went to Loyola University to get her Master’s Degree in Instructional Technology.
Mrs. Bennett says that what she likes most about teaching is “getting to work with students every day, and how every day is completely different… it keeps life interesting.” Mrs. Bennett enjoyed teaching reading when she was a classroom teacher. As a technology teacher, she loves teaching about digital citizenship and how to behave appropriately on the internet.
She hopes that students can learn that technology isn’t just for fun because it is an important skill that they will need as an adult.
In her spare time, Mrs. Bennett spends a lot of time at her kids’ sporting events (dance, cheer and baseball). She also loves running and exercise. When she has time, she likes to work on craft projects. Some of Mrs. Bennett's favorites are listed below:
Favorite color: It’s a tie between pink and teal.
Favorite movies: Beauty and the Beast. Little Mermaid, and Field of Dreams
Favorite books: I loved Beverly Cleary books growing up and Babysitters Club. As an adult, I like to read books about nutrition and health or other books that help me learn new things. I also love to read children’s books to my kids. A favorite series for us was Llama Llama and we also loved the Pout Pout Fish series.
Favorite foods: Sushi and Chips and Salsa
Favorite sports teams: The Redskins and The Nationals
Do you have anything in common with Mrs. Bennett? Lisbon Elementary School is lucky to have Mrs. Bennett on staff as a technology teacher.
Instructional Seminar - Lego Landmarks
By Kerri, Mckenna, and Reagan
An Instructional Seminar is part of the Gifted and Talented Program at Lisbon Elementary School. Students who want to participate in an Instructional Seminar with Mrs. O’Connor or Mr. Nath, G/T Resource Teachers, simply sign up to participate by filling our a form found in their pod area and having a parent sign it. Instructional Seminars usually take place once a week during recess for anywhere from a few weeks to the entire year.
Each quarter, a different Instructional Seminar will be featured. This issue’s featured Instructional Seminar is “Lego Landmarks.”
Lego Landmarks is for third grade students who are interested in geography, architecture, and building with Legos. Students learn about landmarks and their locations around the world. Then, students select a landmark and conduct research to learn more about it. Finally, students take a 2D drawing of their landmark and create a 3D structure using Legos.
THE FABULOUS FALL FEST
By Kylie, Mckenna, and Reagan
Oh my gosh, the Fall Festival was so much fun! Oh you didn’t go, oh …, well there was a cake walk, and it was so fun and cool! A cake walk is when you walk inside of a circle to music. When the music stops, you sit down on a bale of hay with a number on it. A number is picked. If your number is called, you win a cake as a prize! There were also games in the gym, and if you won a game you received tickets. After you were done playing games, you could go to the music room where there was a prize table that you could pick a prize from. Certain prizes cost a different amount of tickets. Oh, and of course, the amazing face painting stations were set up in the cafeteria! But if you don’t like your face painted, you could also have your arm painted. We LOVED that option! YAY!!!! Oh, and how about the delicious food from the food-trucks! Oo~ and the GIANT rock-climbing wall that was set up on the black top. That was FANTASTIC even though many of us were too chicken to climb it. Altogether, we LOVED the Fall Festival. If you weren’t able to be there this year, you definitely want to plan on coming next year!
THE ENERGIZE GUYS
By Henry and Will
Earlier in the year we had a special visit from the Energize Guys! The Energize Guys taught us how to use energy efficiently and how to save the environment! To show us how, they put on a little skit with characters like Nicky Neutron (an orbiting atomic particle with no electric charge) and U.R. Fired. These superheroes even gave us the chance to get an Energy Savers Toolbox to use at home for free! Also, students were given a chance to win $1,500 and teachers $2500 if their class had the most forms returned! Me: “Wait, I’m getting rewarded for saving the environment?” Yup, so order your Energy Savers Toolbox today!
HALLOWEEN SPOOK-TACULAR
By Adrianna and Maryn
Trick-or-treat blast from the past! During the week of Halloween, classes got to have a spook-tacular glow in the dark party during music. Our outfits glowed. Did yours? On Halloween Day, each class had a party that was so much fun! We had a parade in our hallways followed by our own little parties in our classroom. We showed off our Halloween costumes and ate delicious snacks. Even though it rained and we had to move the parade indoors, nothing could stop Lisbon from having a great Halloween celebration. Lisbon Lions, that Halloween party was out of this world.
GEOGRAPHY BEE
By Gus and Kerri
On November 20th, twenty selected fourth and fifth graders took part in the Lisbon Elementary School Geography Bee. Two examples of questions they could have been asked are:
"Which state borders Lake Erie? Nevada or Pennsylvania" or "Three excavated ships from the ninth century are displayed is the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo in which European country?" After 14 questions in the first part of the Bee, eight students moved on to the second part. Then two students moved on to the third and final part. Congratulations to Brennan Moody from fifth grade who won the Bee and Gus McMillen who was the runner-up. Brennan will continue to study and then take a test to find out if he will advance to the State Geography Bee. Congratulations to all of the contestants who worked hard to learn more about geography.
ADVENTURES WITH ADRIANNA
There are so many kind things that kids did in their classrooms and around the school on Kindness Counts Day. I walked around and saw so many acts of kindness. In kindergarten, Timmy and AJ in Ms.Reynolds’ class, were nicely sharing the markers while in art. In first grade, Vivianny and Gabriel in Mrs. Martin’s math class helped teach each other a math game. They were also agreeing on their work. This is just a sample of the ways that students at Lisbon are kind to one another on Kindness Counts Day and every day of the school year.
HENRY'S HISTORY: VETERAN'S DAY
Veterans’ Day on November 11th marks the end of World War I and the armistice between the allies (Russia, America, Belgium, U.K, France, and Montenegro) and the central alliance (Germany - all other power had been forced to forfeit). At 11:00 all over Europe and Africa, the guns stopped. President Woodrow Wilson declared November 11th Armistice Day to “remember the end of the Great War.” This took action when it became a national holiday in 1926. Then after the Korean war in 1954, president Dwight. D. Eisenhower changed the official name to “Veterans’ Day.” Then in 1968, it was moved to the fourth Monday in October only to be moved back by President Gerald Ford in 1975.
KYLIE'S QUOTE OF THE QUARTER
The quote of the month is “Nobody is perfect, that’s why pencils have erasers.’’ so said Wolfgang Riebe. Take a minute to reflect. What do you think this quote means and why is it important?... Now that you think you know what it means, here is a possible answer. It means that nobody is perfect and everybody makes mistakes. Actually, making mistakes is part of learning. When we make mistakes, the neurons in our brain make connections and we learn. It's okay not to be perfect and making mistakes is normal.
MCKENNA KEEPING YOU CURRENT
My most current event of this quarter is American Education Week. I'm not sure what activities the other grades did, but as a fifth grader I do know that fifth grade did a Wax Museum. Each fifth grader had to choose a teacher-approved person, do research on that person, fill out an organizer about that person, write a speech from that person's point of view, and write a three-paragraph essay on that person. So you think we were done after all of that? No, no, no! The speech and paragraph were just rough drafts. We had to revise and edit them before making our final copies. Then we made a cover and stapled our work together. BOOM! Now we were finished. Well, almost. Did I mention that we had to put together a costume to wear also? Then for morning work on the day of the wax museum, we made ourselves a button. We wrote the name of our person on a coaster-sized circle made out of construction paper. Finally, for the half-an-hour performance, every fifth grader stood still like a wax figure until a parent or special guest stopped by and pressed our button. Then, we came alive and gave our speech. When we were finished, we became still as a wax figure again. And I promise you this - your parents will record you on their phone! Now, if you want to know who I was for the wax museum, here are three clues. 1.) I played for a major league baseball team, 2.) My jersey number was 42, and 3.) I was the first African-American to play professional baseball. I think that it is safe to say that every fifth grader had a lot of fun and was proud of the effort they put into this activity. Okay, well that's all I have for you today! Thank you so much for tuning in, but now I gotta tune out.
KERRI'S COMMUNITY COVERAGE: SCHOOL BANKING
Did you know that our school has a school banking program organized by Sandy Spring Bank? When you sign up, you have the chance every Finance Friday to deposit money you earn or money you are given into your very own savings account. Saving your money can be so much fun. Every time you make a deposit, you get a pencil, a sticker, and a ticket to enter a monthly drawing for a special prize. Our bank tellers are actually students from Mrs. O'Connor's 4th and 5th grade math classes. Bank tellers love banking since they love to help other kids. Banking is a great opportunity to safely save your money for something you may want in the future. You can join the school banking program at any time. Sign up today!
REAGAN'S READING IS RAD
I am Reagan, and I believe that reading is so much fun that all students should be encouraged to read more at home and at school. This issue features, The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak. It is a picture book (without pictures) that will make you laugh! This book is available in the LES media center. Go check it out today!
WHAT'S IN, MARYN?
Hi guys and welcome to the first edition of “What’s In, Maryn?” Through September to November "Vsco girls" are VERY popular.To be a Vsco girl, you need a Hydro Flask, scrunchies, oversized t-shirts, shell necklaces, Vans and friendship bracelets. Instead of trying to be a Vsco girl though, we should all try to be ourselves in our own special way.
THE LOCAL LAUGH
By Adrianna and Kylie
K: Knock, knock. {Who’s there?} Banana. [Banana who?] Knock, knock. [Who’s there?] Banana. {Banana who?] Knock, knock. [Who’s there?] Orange. {Orange who?] Orange you glad I didn’t say banana again!
1st: Knock, knock. {Who’s there?} Cargo. [Cargo who?] Car go beep beep!
2nd: Knock, knock. {Who’s there?} Kenya. {Kenya who?} Kenya keep the noise down, I’m trying to do my homework!
3rd: Will you remember me in a day? (Yes.) Will you remember me in a week? (Yes.) Will you remember me in a month? (Yes.) Will you remember me in 5 years? (Yes.) Knock, knock. [Who’s there?] See, you forgot me already!
4th: Would you like to hear a construction joke? [Yes.] Sorry, I’m still working on it.
5th: Knock, knock. {Who’s there?} Quacker. {Quaker who?] Quack another joke and I’m leaving!
HOMETOWN HAPPENINGS STAFF
Hometown Happenings is an Instructional Seminar under the supervision of Mrs. O'Connor, G/T Resource Teacher. The following fifth grade students are reporters for the Hometown Happenings newspaper:
- Henry Banach
- Maryn Brinker
- Mckenna Compton
- Reagan Fisher
- Kerri Leach
- Gus McMillen
- Kylie Perucca
- Will Roman
- Adrianna Soumah