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February 29, 2012 is right around the corner. How will you celebrate it in your classroom? After all, it only happens every four years! Leap Year! It's a fascinating topic for your students. Resources for Leap Day/Leap Year: Leap Day Party: Activities for younger kids like Pin the Crown on the Frog Prince; Musical Lily Pads; Frog Hunt and more. Leap Year Coloring Page Fun Facts About Leap Day - for Kids: contains poems ; Leap Day/Year Age Chart Leap Day Trivia : for Older kids-Trivia about events that occurred on Leap Days. Leap Year eCards: Send an eCard to a friend or loved one on this fun day. Send via email, Facebook or Twitter Why Leap Days are Used? - For adults to use as background knowledge. Leap Year Calculator: Find out how to calculate a leap year or use the calculator. Leap Year/Day Books: A compilation of books about Leap Year/Day. (These are for purchase) I would like to hear how YOU will be celebrating Leap Day/Year!

Halloween is nigh upon us! The weather in the northeast finally feels like autumn! Ghouls, ghosts and witches are suddenly finding their place on front lawns and porches in our neighborhood. My students are abuzz over what costumes they are wearing and which parties they are attending. Here is a perfect time to capitalize on the children's excitement and provide them with some fun and engaging Halloween activities that are educational too! Halloween Math Activities: Spooky Sequences: Skip counting by 2's (by Oswego.org) Spooky Sequences: Find the missing 3-digit number in the sequence. Spooky Sequences: Count backwards by 10! Spooky Sequences : Find the missing SQUARE Number! Ghost Blasters: Find the ghosts with EVEN numbers. Ghost Blasters: Find the ghosts that are MULTIPLES of ten Language Arts Activities: Creepy Crossword : Online Crossword Puzzle (for older children-no word bank) Spooky Night Mad Lib: Fill in the blanks to create a silly story. Halloween Joke Boo...

My father, an Iwo Jima survivor. In honor of this upcoming Memorial Day...some poems: This poem was written by my cousin's 17 year old daughter: this is for the soldiers theresa soya this is for the red the red that beats through the heart and bleeds through the clothes of every american citizen, of every american soldier this is for the white, the black, the yellow, the red, the brown skin of the soldiers who fight not for the respect of a man but for the love of a brother, this is for the blue, the blue and the hope that comes with tomorrow, the hope that tomorrow comes with the sky a little brighter this is for the flag that waves through that sky this is for the stars and this is for the stripes whipping through the wind and ripping but never falling in the fight this is a thank you, this is from the kids who aren't quite sure what to say and pray with shaky words but stable ambition, this is from the kids who know what sacrifice means but haven't quite felt it...

photo © 2005 Silvers Family | more info (via: Wylio ) It's the age old question: Will we have 6 more weeks of winter? The only one that truly is equipped to deal with that is Punxsatawney Phil the Groundhog from Pennsylvania... ! Every February 2nd before sunrise Phil is brought out from his home at Gobblers Knob in Punxsatawney PA, to determine if he 'sees' his shadow. If he sees his shadow there will be six more weeks of winter . No shadow means ...Spring is around the corner. Groundhog Day - February 2nd - holds fascination for many... especially children. Here is some information and activities for those interested in Groundhogs and Groundhog Day! The Official Groundhog Club Site: Here you can find information about the history of Phil, past predictions and fun facts. Hoghaven: Here you can listen to sounds of groundhogs. Kaboose: This page gives craft directions to make a felt portrait of Phil. Primary Games : Interactive games such as a Word S...

"No School - All Schools - Boston" "No School - All Schools - Canton" "No School - All Schools - Walpole" Yippee! That's the one! I remember sitting in front of the television or listening to the radio with my brothers and sisters waiting for the No School - All School announcement! Living in the "W" town our anticipation kept building and building after each letter of the alphabet. Often times there would be several commercial breaks which would produce loud groans of "Oh No" and "Not again!" There is something magical about a Snow Day off from School - UNLESS you are a parent. Today, with so many parents working it's a scramble to find someone to be with the kids. Superintendents often cancel schools early (even before the snow falls) in an effort to help parents make arrangements for the day. That being said - there are many parents that are home with the kids and they may be wondering "what can we do tod...

"The past is never dead. It isn’t even past"...William Faulkner. I agree with Faulkner and, today, I think there are 21 ten year-olds who might be of the same opinion as well. While these fourth graders are still in the elementary stages of cursive writing, they braved the challenge of writing a letter with a quill pen. Simulating their peers of over 250 years ago, students used real feathers, parchment paper, ink and blotting paper to 'pen' a letter of thanks to their parents. They were given instruction in the "art of the beautiful hand" or penmanship of Colonial Times and one hour to complete the assignment. The challenge : writing on paper without lines; manipulating a delicate tool without breaking it; using (washable) ink from a pot The reward: concentrating on a not-so-easy task; putting their learning into practice; a beautiful, endearing letter. The comments: "I like writing with the quills!" "It looks easier than it is!"...