T H I S   W E E K                                                                                                   

Last week, while I was away nursing a nasty cold and sinus infection,  the Library elves came in and mounted the Smartboard and projector!!  The Library looks huge and we no longer have a "no-go zone".  Although three sections were cleared of books to accommodate the Smartboard, only two were needed so we ended up with more shelf space as well.

The Library has been rearranged to take advantage of the increased space. The early primary books are now in a  larger wooden bookcase and the easy chapter books section has expanded.  Students also have more elbow room at their tables.

The next step is to put up signage so that everything is easier to find.

 T H E   C A T   I S   B A C K...                                                                              

The order from ULS has arrived and Mrs. Edgar is prepping the new GARFIELD books for the Library.  These books, along with the new Calvin and Hobbes books, are a welcomed addition to our very popular comic section!  Comics are one of the few items that are limited to one per student. 

More cat books! The new series of Warrior novels will also be on the shelves soon.  These popular books by Erin Hunter follow the adventures of four Clans of wild cats in their forest homes. http://www.warriorcats.com/warriorshell.html 

 C H I N E S E   N E W   Y E A R                         

For the last two weeks, the students have learned about some of the ancient traditions of the Lunar New Year.  We watched video of the amazing Lion Dance and heard the story Sam's Lucky Money.  This year, Year of the Dragon, is considered the luckiest year in the Chinese Zodiac. The dragon is the only mythical creature in the Chinese zodiac. I was born in the Year of the Tiger which means I am suppose to be daring, adventurous, generous and reckless...Find out if your zodiac is more accurate!

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_zodiac

 P A N D A S                                                                                                         

Did you know that giant pandas are carnivores that feed almost exclusively on bamboo?  Pandas are an endangered species that live in the remote Himilayan mountains in China.  We are studying these unique bears for the next two weeks with a focus on the factors that have contributed to their declining population.