Get Your Paper!

Mrs. Shogan is a motivating teacher that is always doing something innovative.  Her class regularly shows their knowledge by publishing writing using technology.  A few weeks back, students published a piece of writing to resemble a newspaper clipping from the website www.fodey.com.  In the pictures, you can see students formatting their work, collaborating, and with the finished product.

Talented {and Gifted} Technology

Mrs. Jezisek's 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students are always incorporating technology into their learning in the Talented and Gifted (TAG) classroom.  These 4th grade students completed an assignment on Literary Genres.  Each student was required to create a Power Point presentation, complete with graphics and slide animation, and present it to the class.  As you can see, classmates took notes as the students presented. 

3rd and 5th grade students recently completed an independent study project.  All students were required to create a commercial and a couple chose to do a video commercial.  The student wrote a script and selected pictures to insert into the commercial.  Mrs. Jezisek helped run the software program which runs the script on a teleprompter and records the student.  Below, you'll see Amy, a 5th grade TAG student, and Luke, a 3rd grade TAG student.

Amy practicing her commercial in front of the green screen.      Adobe Visual Communications software.

 

        Luke recording his commercial in front of the V Screen.           Mrs. Jezisek helping record.  

Commercials!

Clever Kindergarteners

Now that Kindergarteners can log into the computers, they can use programs to display their knowledge!  Mrs. Smith's class chose the application Kidspiration to show their prior knowledge of the five senses.  In Science, students have been learning to use their five senses as an observation tool to identify properties of objects.  Then, they bring that knowledge to the computer lab and select pictures of objects that fit within each of the five senses.  Great job, Mrs. Smith's class!

Ki-O-T News

With nine weeks of school under our belts, our morning Broadcast is a well-oiled machine! With a green screen and a software program called Visual Communications, viewers see background and camera changes.  These talented 5th graders work hard every morning on the Ki-O-T News team to present pledges to the flags, the day's announcements, lunch menu, birthdays, and weather.  We also host special teachers and administrators to share character education in the Words of Wisdom.  Also, special students drop by to present a book review or a special piece of art they have made.  Forest Creek Elementary tunes in each morning to watch and get their day started in a good way!

Students run through the script on a teleprompter before going live.

Two students must work behind the scenes to make sure everything is perfect!

Here, you can see four co-anchors leading the Broadcast and 2nd graders on the floor waiting for their turn to say the Pledge of Allegiance.  A student on the left showcases his art.  Our Assistant Principal, Mr. Wakefield shares words of wisdom with the students.

A big thanks to our TAG teachers Deanna Jesizek and Julie Washburn and our Instructional Technology Specialist Anne Walkup for their daily help.  Jennifer Manning, on the district level, has given countless hours of expert help to ensure that our broadcast system is working.

Dancing Machines

We have three wonderful coaches at Forest Creek Elementary that help our students acquire skills in body control, movement, health and wellness, physical activity, and social development.  This foundation allows students to enjoy physical wellness that will span a lifetime.  Coach Walker, Coach Baack, and Coach Godfrey create a fun and safe atmosphere where students can laugh, play, and DANCE!  Check out this video of Kinder, First Grade, and Second Grade students performing dances they learned in PE.

Thanks for all you do, Coaches!

Coach Walker, Coach Godfrey, Coach Baack

2nd Grade Stars

These kiddos must have learned a lot in 1st grade because they're already using reading and writing resources on the computer to aid their learning!

Mrs. Kreczmer's 2nd grade class, the Kangaroos, started coming to the lab early in the year.  They used Book Flix to read fiction and nonfiction books on kangaroos.  Then, students completed a Venn diagram, while in the computer lab, to compare the information in the two books.  The students successfully logged in, navigated to the book site from our school library page, and acquired information using text.  Way to go Kangaroos!

Mrs. Kelso's Critters are another 2nd grade class that does an excellent job demonstrating appropriate behavior and computer use while in the lab.  They used a word processing program to express ideas, practiced writing spelling words, and learned how to insert clip art to enhance their piece.  Students independently formatted font style, size, and color and then saved their work.

LOOK, ITS AN ELEPHANT!

In this year's Newbery Award Winner, "The One and Only Ivan", Katherine Applegate tells the story of Iavn.

"Ivan is an easygoing gorilla.  Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain.  He rarely misses his life in the jungle.  In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.
Instead, Ivan things about TV shows he's seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog.  But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and and a well-placed line.
Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home - and his own art - through new eyes.  When Ruby arrived, change comes with her, and it's up to Ivan to make it a change for the better." - amazon.com

Mrs. Bartholomew's class was so moved by the characters that they began researching about zoos and finding out more about the animals in the book.  In their research, they stumbled upon a website for The Elephant Sanctuary, which is a 2,700 acre refuge for African and Asian elephants.

They have enjoyed going to the website and finding the elephants as they roam around the property and, next week, they will have the chance to talk with folks at the Sanctuary via a webcam to learn even more about the different types of elephants and how the Sanctuary helps theses majestic creatures.

WHERE ARE WE FROM?

Our 3rd graders asked their parents that question and received answers such as Italy, Ukraine, Ireland, Germany, and China.  You see, they are doing research on their family's history.

In the computer lab, Mrs. Peterson's class used one of our Library Resources, CultureGrams, to find information about the places their family is from.  They gathered information on everything from the government to language to history to food and much more.

Students will use this information to create a project then bring in food that represents their culture for their end of the year parties. What fun!

NEW LIBRARY WEBSITE!

Forest Creek Elementary Library has a new web page!

You can access it through the Forest Creek Elementary site or simply to go www.forestcreeklibrary.com .

In addition to linking to the library catalog and research resources electronic books and databases, 

our librarian, Mrs. Smith, has made pages of handy links to sites that offer story time

 read-aloud and other sites that promote literacy in fun ways.  

In a week or so, there will be a page dedicated to local summer reading programs.

There are also quite a few photos of our little coyotes enjoying the library and its books and programs.

Browse the pictures to see why children smile so big when they are coming to the library!

"Home"

"What's Going On?"

"More"

RESEARCH, RESEARCH EVERYWHERE!

It looks like what students learn in 2nd Grade is useful when they get to 4th Grade as well!

Mrs. Kelso's 2nd grade class has gathered information about their chosen topic 

and are using it to create a PowerPoint.

Down the hall in Mrs. Kirby's 4th grade class, students have a similar task.

This is great practice for 3rd grade and 5th grade!

Mrs. Kelso - 2nd Grade

Mrs. Kelso - 2nd Grade

Mrs. Kelso - 2nd Grade

Mrs. Kirby - 4th Grade

Mrs. Kirby - 4th Grade

Mrs. Kirby - 4th Grade

THAT'S LIFE!

For the past few weeks, we've had the opportunity to learn about the development of chicks 

and anxiously await the hatching of our own Forest Creek chickies.

This week, it finally happened and we were lucky enough to catch a hatching chickie on video.  

After hatching, this little guy joined his siblings...he's on the left. 

They will be here for a short time longer then will be returned to the farm to live out their lives.

THIS WEEK AT THE CREEK

In walking around this week, I noticed technology being used in many different ways.

Third Grade used Switch Zoo to create some silly animal combinations. 

  First grade used PebbleGo to research animals.

Our FCC class listened to a book. 

Fourth grade used Tagxedo to illustrate their growth this year in a shooting star...

to type up items for a newsletter project...

 and used Think Through Math to prepare for next week's STAAR test.

Fifth Grade used the document camera to share out information to the whole class.

WOW!