It's Almost Time!

Just when you thought school was out for the summer...



That's right, it's almost time for SPEF Summer School!!! In just a few days, I'll be opening Room 8 to a world of fun and adventure.

At Hogwarts, preparations are being made for the Sorting Ceremony in the Great Hall. Be sure to look for Platform 9 3/4 and watch out for Muggles. First years, wizarding attire is required for entrance, caps will be provided at the door, robes are optional. Guests are permitted by invitation only, though photos (non-moving) will be made available.

In Book Cooks, we are whipping up some great recipes for both breakfast and afternoon snacks. We have chosen yummy dishes from well-known books, from which we will be reading. Be sure to bring an apron, chef's jacket, or old shirt as we may get carried away on our culinary adventure!

Check back weekly (or even daily) for updates on all the happenings in Room 8. I will be adding photos to the flickr gallery as soon as they are available. Questions? You can message me through this blog. My email will be made available to students and parents beginning Thursday. Otherwise, please address all inquiries to SPEF or Marengo School. I will make every effort to answer your questions in a timely manner.

Thanks for supporting South Pasadena schools!

Summer School Announcement

I am very pleased to announce that I will again be teaching Summer School for SPEF! This year, classes will return to Marengo. I am really looking forward to teaching the following courses:



Hogwarts School of Wizardry (Period 3) $135

All aboard the Hogwarts Express, leaving from Platform 9 3/4! Join Harry Potter for his first year at Hogwarts. We will read and discuss Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (please bring your own U.S. copy). All sorts of fun activities are in store, maybe even Quidditch!




Book Cooks Breakfast (Period 1 or 2) $140 Spaces still available in Period 1
Book Cooks Afternoon Snack (Period 4 or 5) $140 Spaces still available in Period 5

Read excerpts from great books and recreate the fantastic recipes inside! Sample recipes from The Little House series, Narnia, Roald Dahl's books, and more! Bring an apron and your appetite!

Register for classes HERE: http://www.spef4kids.com/summerschool.htm or go to the SPEF office on El Centro.

Science Camp!

The 5th Graders are off at Science Camp this week! They have worked hard to raise funds for this amazing and worthwhile trip.

Find out more about Science Camp at the official website:

http://www.washington.sgusd.k12.ca.us/class_profile_view.aspx?id=87de2eb3-04b4-4ae0-8ee6-f3baf5f7716b

Cupcakes!

The Room 16 Reading Group recently read a story called "The Giant's Birthday Cake." To celebrate, we baked and decorate these white chocolate raisin spice cupcakes! Yes, the 2nd graders actually prepared the cupcake batter themselves!

A Monster Mash!

The annual Halloween Costume Parade was held on Wednesday, October 31. Students and staff alike dressed up in their finest disguises for the occasion. I even spied a few festively dressed parents! Prizes were awarded at every grade level for the Great Pumpkin letter writing contest as well as for the costumes.

Around the World

Have you ever wanted to see the world? I always have! I was 15 when I started traveling without my parents! One of the things I try to find on my trips is postcards. Back in the days of film cameras, I always worried that my photos would turn out awful, so I bought postcards of the places I visited just in case. I have hundreds of postcards, many from faraway friends.

During the school year, I get to see the world from my mailbox. I recently signed up at postcrossing.com. You can request up to 5 addresses at a time. Once you send them out, your name gets added to the list to receive cards. Postcards are inexpensive (usually 25 cents to one dollar each), and postage is still a good price at 90 cents. You can learn a great deal about foreign countries and geography through this type of hobby. It's kind of like a more grown-up version of Flat Stanley!

The one pictured above is an example of a postcard I received this week from Japan. You can see more pictures of my cards here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/13931133@N04/sets/72157602106474713/

At the Car Wash!!

On Saturday, I headed over to the car wash fundraiser for the 5th Grade Science Camp. The 5th Grade teachers, parents, and students worked hard to clean the grime off numerous cars! I hear that my car was especially dirty. :) At $5 per car, not only did we get to support a worthy cause, we also got a great deal!