Welcome Back!!

Summer seems to have came and went pretty quickly this year. The nice, cooler weather was a nice change to the hot, humid weather, but it put a damper on some of my pool days with my kids. We started this year talking about summer camp and things we didm this summer. 

You may have noticed books and visuals coming home regarding this theme. These materials are part of the Unique Curriculum that we will be using throughout the school year. The curriculum follows grade level standards as well as the Ohio Academic Content Standards-Extended. (Clinking on the links will get you additional information about these materials.) We will also be doing a daily journal (binder) that will be sent home each day where the students will 'tell' about their day. Look for this to start in the next week or so. It will be picture bases so that the students can help 'tell' about his/her day. 

I have posted the newsletter for September on the Newsletter tab as well as sent home a hard copy. Be sure to check it out as it has important dates, themes for the month, and my contact information.

If you have not done so already, please return the photo/video permission form and the donors choose permission form. I would like to use the next couple weekends to start posting pictures of our classroom activities so I need those forms back ASAP.

Look for pictures of our first couple weeks soon!!
Have a great week!

Melanie

Petting Zoo

Our theme this month has been animals. We have read about baby animals and mommy animals. Our latest book was called At the Petting Zoo (from Unique Learning Systems). We followed Jack as he got to pet several animals and their baby animals at the petting zoo. Each student was asked what animal they would like see at a petting zoo. We created the following class presentation/book using an iPad app called  Haiku Deck!

Enjoy!



Created with Haiku Deck, the free presentation app

McDonald's, here we come!!

Stop by and support Evendale Elementary

April 9th from 5:00-7:00pm

20% of the proceeds gets donated back to the school!!

* I'll be the photographer and social media correspondent!!

And our good fortune continues...

If you read the previous post, you would be aware that we were luck to win a $500 Staples gift card to purchase needed supplies for the classroom. In addition, we also were the luck recipients of several iPad cases.

Now I am writing to let you know that one of our Donors Choose projects has been funded!! Thanks to some great people over at the Caring Classrooms community, our iPad mini project was features on their page. The amazing members of the community donated what they could (usually $1-2), but when 50+ people band together, great things can happen! And it did for us. In a week or so, our classroom will welcome an iPad mini with protective case. I can't wait to see the students reactions!!

If you would still like to support our classroom, we have one project left that is getting close to closing without completion. We are looking to gain several protective iPad cases so that the students can utilize the school let of iPads. Currently, the 'smart cover' cases do not offer enough support or protections for our students due to their motor challenges. 

Here is the link if you would like to support the other project. If each visitor would donate a $1-2, this project would be funded within a couple weeks!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

And the winner is...

our classroom!!!

  

I am happy to report that our classroom won The Classroom Project contest which was sponsored by USC Rossier Online. Not only did we win, but we won the 'grand prize' which was a $500 gift certificate to Staples. I was so excited to make our first purchase of binders, dividers, and a color printer. These items will be used to support a new curriculum that we are piloting for the rest of this year. (I will be writing a separate post about the curriculum soon.)


In the same week, I was fortunate to receive another gift for the classroom. Thanks to Big Grips iPad cases, several original iPads throughout the district are now a little more protected. Big Grips donated 8 cases and frames for the original iPads that are being used within several of the special education classrooms throughout the district. Thank you Big Grips for supporting education ~ wonderful students and school everywhere!!

Thank you USC Rossier Online and Big Grips for making a difference in our classroom!!