January Kid Life 2012 by Denton Media Company

Welcome

January 2012

January 2012 | Vol. 5, No. 5 Publisher: Bill Patterson The contents of this free publication are copyrighted by Denton Publishing Company, 2008, a subsidiary of A.H. Belo Corp. (www.ahbelo.com, NYSE symbol: AHC) with all rights reserved. Reproduction or use, without permission, of editorial or graphic content in any manner is prohibited. Kid Life is published monthly by Denton Publishing Company, 314 E. Hickory St., Denton, TX 76201. E-mail: drc@dentonrc.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Welcome back after the holiday break. Hope you had a wonderful time with family and friends. As we begin this new year, 2012, we’d like to hear more from you - parents, teachers and students alike about what you want to see in Kid Life each month. Feel free to call or send an e-mail. Hope to chat soon!

On the cover:

Sincerely,

Isabel Balabuch, a fifthgrade student at Pecan Creek Elementary, gets a surprise hug from her mom Pilar Balabuch after being awarded the district's first-place trophy for the annual AdoptA-School Fifth-Grade Essay Writing Contest. Mrs. Balabuch is a fourth-grade teacher at Pecan Creek.

Dawn Cobb dcobb@dentonrc.com 940-566-6879 P.O. Box 369 Denton, TX 76201

Library events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Denton ISD Update . . . . . . . . . 4-5 Lunchbox Bites. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Star student . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Top of the List . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Kid Scoop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Dawn Cobb

Shawn Reneau

Editor dcobb@dentonrc.com 940-566-6879

Advertising Manager sreneau@dentonrc.com 940-566-6843

Courtesy photo/ Denton ISD

January library events offered Play and Read with Puppets Play with puppet friends while reading stories about them. This come-and-go program encourages dramatic play and narrative skills formation in a fun, entertaining way. For children ages 2-5 and their caregivers. 01/07/12 North Branch Library 10-11 am Pajama StoryTime Wear your pajamas and bring your favorite stuffed friend to the library. We will read stories, sing songs, and see some of our puppet friends, too. For ages 1-5. 01/11/12 North Branch Library 7 pm Penguin and Polar Bear StoryTime Brrrrr…celebrate the cold weather with a StoryTime all about the animals from the North and South Poles We will read stories, sing songs, and see some of our puppets friends, too. For ages 1-5. 01/14/12 North Branch Library 10 am Science Fair FAQs

Learn what it takes to make a winning science fair project. A retired science professor & former science fair judge will be on hand to answer questions for parents & kids. Age 5 & up. 01/14/12 North Branch Library 3 pm 01/28/12 South Branch Library 3 pm Preschool Play and Read Help your child’s early literacy skills while having fun as a family! This come-and-go program offers children age-appropriate games, activities and crafts that assist in developing pre-reading skills. For children ages 3-5 and their caregivers. 01/21/12 North Branch Library 10-11 am Homeschool Science Club Explore science in these handson science activities for children ages 6 – 10. Supplies are limited, so call 349-8752 to register. 01/25/12 Chemical Reactions Emily Fowler Library 2:30 pm Dino Days: Herbivores

Learn about plant-eating dinosaurs and show off your dino knowledge with an afternoon full of dinosaur info and fun. Join us for dinosaur stories, activities, trivia, and crafts! For children ages 68. Call 349-8752 to register. 01/25/12 North Branch Library 4:30 pm Diary of a Wimpy Kid – Cabin Fever Fiesta Are you a “Wimpy Kid” FANatic? Are you ready to celebrate your love of Greg, Rowley & the newest book, Cabin Fever? We will conquer our cabin fever with a fiesta including games, snacks & activities! Call 940-349-8752 to register. 01/28/12 North Branch Library 2:30 pm It’s a Girl Thing! A book club for girls, with their mom, grandma, or other woman friend to join us for refreshments and book discussion. Best for girls ages 8 - 12. 01/18/12 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

South Branch Library 4 pm Family Book Club Read a book together, then come to the library for a discussion, a snack and some fun! For ages 8-12 and an accompanying adult. 01/25/12 The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex North Branch Library 7 pm Trashy Fashion Show Info Session Calling all teens interested in fashion design & an eco challenge! DPL & UNT are teaming up to put on a fashion show featuring garments made of recycled trash & other used materials. Create, be “green” & join us for an informational session on this upcoming Earth Day event. See examples, hear from recycling experts, UNT fashion students, and get inspired! Call 940-349-8741 for more info. 01/11/12 North Branch Library 7 pm Animanga Watch anime? Read Manga? Draw fan art? Come to the North Branch Library every third

Wednesday of the month to share your love of all things anime/manga. Snacks provided. This program is best for teens in 6 12th grade. 01/18/12 North Branch Library 6:30 – 8 pm Anime Art Contest Do you enjoy drawing anime or manga characters? Show off your talent & your love of art by entering DPL’s Anime Art Gallery & Contest. Entries will be accepted starting 01/18/2012. All entries must be turned in to your local Denton Public Library branch by 02/08/2012. For guidelines & rules go to www.dentonlibrary.com. Teen Advisory Board Help plan & run library programs. Discuss books, movies and music. Write reviews, make book trailers, earn community service hours for school and more! For teens grades 6 – 12. For more information call 940-349-8752. 01/10/12 North Branch Library 6:30 – 8 pm

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Denton ISD Update Adopt-A-School program to honor contest winners The Denton Independent School District Adopt-A-School program will be hosting separate events to honor winners from the 2011 AAS essay writing and art contest. A Young Artists Night honoring all first-place winners will be Wednesday, Jan. 11, at Meridian Bank Texas, located at 1013 W. University Dr., while a Young Authors Night will be Wednesday, Jan. 18, at Barnes & Noble at Golden Triangle Mall. Both events will recognize the district’s top winners from participating schools’ fourth and fifth grades that submitted an essay or artwork showcasing this year’s topic: “How to survive your first year of school… tips for preschoolers and kindergarteners.” The entries featured some great advice on succeeding in elementary school, making friends, standing in line in the proper position and getting in good with teachers early. Several teachers appreciate the exercise because it helps students better understand the composition of an essay. More than 1,500 fourth- and fifth-grade Denton ISD students take part in the annual contest, making the recognition a high honor for all winning entrants. These students’ essays and artwork will be featured in a book that will be placed in all Denton ISD elementary school libraries. The fourth-grade district essay winners were: First place – Ellie Beck, Wilson Elementary; Second place – Sydney Morris, Ryan Elementary; Third place – Sophia Del Rosario, McNair Elementary; Fourth place – Vincent Van Doren, Pecan Creek Elementary; Fifth place – Jeremy Johns, E.P. Rayzor Elementary; and Sixth place – Madison Holman, Paloma Creek Elementary. The fifth grade district essay winners were: First place – Isabel Balabuch, Pecan Creek Elementary; Second place – Yvani De Leon, Borman Elementary; Third place – Abbey Ekrut, Stephens Elementary, Fourth place – Anna Schmieding, Ryan Elementary; Fifth place – Arianna

Bellolio, Providence Elementary; and Sixth place – Rennee Dusseau, Hawk Elementary The fourth-grade campus essay winners (listed first, second and third place) were: Blanton Elementary – Stacee G o l d s t e i n Borman Elementary – Angelina Gonzalez, Leslie Cruz, Nidia Canales Cross Oaks Elementary – Samantha Villasana, Joyce Garcia, Mary Miller Ginnings Elementary – Juan Martinez, Madison Franklin, Nicholas Hines Hawk Elementary – Gracie Williams, Hailey Schneider, Callie Wilson Hodge Elementary – Trinity Duvall, Damian Villareal, Isabelle Stephens Houston Elementary – Sophia Kim, Amanda Halbert, Whitney Middleton McNair Elementary – Sophia Del Rosario Paloma Creek Elementary – Madison Holman, Caitlyn Tang, Gina Vanni Pecan Creek Elementary – Vincent Van Doren, Colten Mallow, Megan Jester E.P. Rayzor Elementary – Jeremy Johns, Lauren Moore, Mia Van Curen Newton Rayzor Elementary – Mark Denison, Juliette Holcomb, John Rex Haile Rivera Elementary – Emma Dunworth, Nakiyah Darrough, Zaria Ballard Ryan Elementary – Sydney Morris, Alberto Claudio, Katie Dooley Stephens Elementary – Kyle Varma, Nicole Schroeder, Jade Sullivan Wilson Elementary – Ellie Beck, Alejandra Chavez, Rylie Mooney The fifth-grade campus essay winners (listed first, second and third place) were: Borman Elementary – Yvani DeLeon, Monica Salazar, Dariela Reza Ginnings Elementary – Virginia Teague, Lauren Byard, Angie Guerrero

Ellie Beck, a fourthgrade student at Wilson Elementary, shows off her first place trophy for winning the top fourth-grade honor in the Annual A d o p t -A- S c h o o l Fourth-Grade Essay Writing Contest.

Photo courtesy of the Denton school district

Hawk Elementary – Rennee Dusseau, Tori Loomis, Calista Hemarga Hodge Elementary – Luke Sciba, Sean Ordrosky, Evangeline McDonald McNair Elementary – Darby S c o g i n s Nelson Elementary – Zoe Hensley Pecan Creek Elementary – Isabel Balabuch, Joy Ochoa, Mia Brownell Providence Elementary – Arianna Bellolio, Sean Triece, Madison Brown Newton Rayzor Elementary – Xochitl Vasquez, Sophia Turner Rivera Elementary – Samantha Sanchez, Bobbie Hamby, Jennifer Aleman Ryan Elementary – Anna Schmieding, Haley Florence, Celeste Muniz Savannah Elementary –Payton W a s h b u r n Stephens Elementary – Abbey Ekrut, Brookelyn Cullum, Savannah Coffman

Wilson Elementary – Victoria Bustos The fourth grade district art winners were: First place – Adela Splawn, Ginnings Elementary; Second place – Macy King, Ryan Elementary; Third place – Samantha Villasana, Cross Oaks Elementary. The fifth grade district art winners were: First place – Isaiah West, Ginnings Elementary; Second place – Gabriel Lee, E.P. Rayzor Elementary; Third place – Evangeline McDonald, Hodge Elementary. The fourth-grade campus art winners (listed first, second and third place) were: Cross Oaks Elementary – Samantha Villasana Ginnings Elementary – Adela Splawn, Symone Woods, Matthew Caster Hodge Elementray – Dylan Bivins, Isabelle Stephens, Mathilda Hopkins E.P. Rayzor – Logan Hickman,

Connor White, Marcos Duran Rivera Elementary – Kevin Guima, Sharmaine Duncan, Jazmine Pinales Ryan Elementary – Macy King, Julian Fernandez, Emma Sawko Stephens Elementary – Noah Cook The fifth-grade campus art winners (listed first, second and third place) were: Borman Elementary – Marissa Lindsey Cross Oaks Elementary – Samantha Herger Ginnings Elementary – Isaiah West, Lauren Byard, Virginia Teague Hodge Elementary – Evangeline McDonald, Lizbeth Herrera, Keaton Webber E.P. Rayzor – Gabriel Lee, Lindsey Large, Lindsey Duffin Rivera Elementary – Edward Silva, Moncerrat Puga, Celina Tellez Stephens Elementary – Brenna Sieracki

Notas sobre su zona escolar Programa Adopt-A-School otorga premios El programa Adopt-A-School (AAS) del Distrito Escolar de Denton organizará diferente eventos para celebrar los logros de los ganadores del la concurso de escritura y arte del 2011. Los ganadores del primer lugar disfrutaran de Una Noche con Artistas Jóvenes (A Young Artist Night) el miércoles, 11 de enero en el banco Meredian localizado en el 1013 W. University Drive. La Noche de Autores Jóvenes se celebrará el miércoles 18 de enero en el Barnes & Noble del centro comercial Golden Triangle. Los dos eventos reconocerán los ganadores del cuarto y quinto grado del distrito, aquellos que presentaron este año un ensayo o su arte para el concurso titulado, “Como sobrevivir el primer año de escuela…consejos para preescolares y alumnos del jardín de infantes.” Los proyectos ofrecieron buenos consejos, así como tener éxito en la escuela de enseñanza primaria, como hacer amistades, como hacer la línea de cola apropiadamente y como llevarse bien con los maestros. Varios maestros apreciaron los ejercicios porque ayudaron a los alumnos a entender la composición de un ensayo. “El concurso del programa Adopt-A-School es una de las maneras que los alumnos demuestran su liderazgo y finalmente los ayuda a ser propietarios de sus ideas y de su escritura,” dijo Elisha Bomar, una maestra de la Primaria Cross Oaks. Todos los ganadores fueron reconocidos por voluntarios del programa AAS con un trofeo sorpresa en su plantel de estudio. Más de 1,500 alumnos del cuarto y quinto grado del distrito escolar participan en el concurso, un honor para los ganadores. Los ensayos y las obras de artes de los alumnos formaran parte de un libro que estará disponible dentro de las bibliotecas del distrito escolar de Denton. Los ganadores del distrito por sus ensayos fueron: Primer lugar – Ellie Beck, Primaria Wilson; Segundo lugar – Sydney Morris,

Primaria Ryan; Tercer lugar – Sophia Del Rosario, Primaria McNair; Cuarto lugar – Vincent Van Doren, Primaria Pecan Creek; Quinto lugar – Jeremy Johns, Primaria E.P. Rayzor; and Sexto lugar – Madison Holman, Primaria Paloma Creek. Los ganadores del distrito por sus ensayos fueron: Primer lugar – Isabel Balabuch, Primaria Pecan Creek; Segundo lugar – Yvani De Leon, Primaria Borman; Tercer lugar – Abbey Ekrut, Primaria Stephens, Cuarto lugar – Anna Schmieding, Primaria Ryan; Quinto lugar – Arianna Bellolio, Primaria Providence; and Sexto lugar – Rennee Dusseau, Primaria Hawk. Los ganadores del cuarto grado están clasificados por primer, segundo y tercer lugar fueron: Primaria Blanton – Stacee G o l d s t e i n Primaria Borman – Angelina Gonzalez, Leslie Cruz, Nidia Canales Primaria Cross Oaks – Samantha Villasana, Joyce Garcia, Mary Miller Primaria Ginnings – Juan Martinez, Madison Franklin, Nicholas Hines Primaria Hawk – Gracie Williams, Hailey Schneider, Callie Wilson Primaria Hodge – Trinity Duvall, Damian Villareal, Isabelle Stephens Primaria Houston – Sophia Kim, Amanda Halbert, Whitney Middleton Primaria McNair – Sophia Del Rosario Primaria Paloma Creek – Madison Holman, Caitlyn Tang, Gina Vanni Primaria Pecan Creek – Vincent Van Doren, Colten Mallow, Megan Jester Primaria E.P. Rayzor – Jeremy Johns, Lauren Moore, Mia Van Curen Primaria Newton Rayzor – Mark Denison, Juliette Holcomb, John Rex Haile Primaria Rivera – Emma Dunworth, Nakiyah Darrough, Zaria Ballard

Ellie Beck, alumna del cuarto grado de la Primaria Wilson demuestra su trofeo.

Photo courtesy of the Denton school district

Primaria Ryan – Sydney Morris, Alberto Claudio, Katie Dooley Primaria Stephens – Kyle Varma, Nicole Schroeder, Jade Sullivan Primaria Wilson – Ellie Beck, Alejandra Chavez, Rylie Mooney Los ganadores del quinto grado están clasificados por primer, segundo y tercer lugar fueron: Primaria Borman – Yvani DeLeon, Monica Salazar, Dariela Reza Primaria Ginnings – Virginia Teague, Lauren Byard, Angie Guerrero Primaria Hawk – Rennee Dusseau, Tori Loomis, Calista Hemarga Primaria Hodge – Luke Sciba, Sean Ordrosky, Evangeline McDonald Primaria McNair – Darby S c o g i n s Primaria Nelson – Zoe Hensley Primaria Pecan Creek – Isabel Balabuch, Joy Ochoa, Mia Brownell Primaria Providence – Arianna Bellolio, Sean Triece, Madison Brown Primaria Newton Rayzor – Xochitl Vasquez, Sophia Turner

Primaria Rivera – Samantha Sanchez, Bobbie Hamby, Jennifer Aleman Primaria Ryan – Anna Schmieding, Haley Florence, Celeste Muniz Primaria Savannah – Payton W a s h b u r n Primaria Stephens – Abbey Ekrut, Brookelyn Cullum, Savannah Coffman Primaria Wilson – Victoria Bustos Los ganadores del distrito por sus obras de arte fueron: Primer lugar – Adela Splawn, Primaria Ginnings; Segundo lugar – Macy King, Primaria Ryan; Tercer lugar – Samantha Villasana, Primaria Cross Oaks. Los ganadores del distrito por sus obras de arte fueron: Primer lugar – Isaiah West, Primaria Ginnings; Segundo lugar – Gabriel Lee, Primaria E.P. Rayzor; Tercer lugar – Evangeline McDonald, Primaria Hodge. Los ganadores del cuarto grado están clasificados por primer, segundo y tercer lugar fueron: Primaria Cross Oaks – Samantha Villasana Primaria Ginnings – Adela

Splawn, Symone Woods, Matthew Caster Primaria Hodge – Dylan Bivins, Isabelle Stephens, Mathilda Hopkins Primaria E.P. Rayzor – Logan Hickman, Connor White, Marcos Duran Primaria Rivera – Kevin Guima, Sharmaine Duncan, Jazmine Pinales Primaria Ryan – Macy King, Julian Fernandez, Emma Sawko Primaria Stephens – Noah Cook Los ganadores del quinto grado están clasificados por primer, segundo y tercer lugar fueron: Primaria Borman – Marissa Lindsey Primaria Cross Oaks – Samantha Herger Primaria Ginnings – Isaiah West, Lauren Byard, Virginia Teague Primaria Hodge Elementary – Evangeline McDonald, Lizbeth Herrera, Keaton Webber Primaria E.P. Rayzor – Gabriel Lee, Lindsey Large, Lindsey Duffin Primaria Rivera – Edward Silva, Moncerrat Puga, Celina Tellez Primaria Stephens – Brenna Sieracki

January 2012

Kid Clubhouse

Artistic Endeavors

Students in Sara Kuter’s art class learned about and used a variety of techniques during the fall semester including fourth grader (clockwise from upper left) Margarita Roussos, who patterned her work after Wassily Kandinsky’s abstract works; second grader Kaili Morris, who tried her hand at Claude Monet’s style with her Japanese bridge; third grader Luis Rangel, who designed a happy skull for Dia De Los Muertos; and third grader Jim Dine, who used pastels and construction paper to design his “hearts” work.

January 2012 Monday

Sunday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Teacher Staff Development

Beginning of Fourth Six Weeks

French educator Louis Braille born (1809)

Golden Gate Bridge construction begins (1933)

George Washington marries Martha Dandridge (1759)

Musician Elvis Presley born (1935)

Daguerre proclaims invention of daguerreotype (1839)

Radar signals bouncing off Moon detected for first time (1946)

Writer Jack London born (1876)

Industrialist Henry Ford patents plastic automobile construction (1942)

U.S. banned sale of presliced bread during WWII (1943)

Writer Edgar Allan Poe born (1809)

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin born (1930)

The Concorde begins regular service (1976)

Writer Virginia Wolfe born (1882)

India achieves independence (1950)

Vietnam War ends (1973)

Space shuttle Challenger explodes (1986)

Martin Luther King Holiday

Zoologist Dian Fossey born (1932)

29 First machine for rolling ice cream cones patented (1924)

Birth flower: Carnation Visit www.dentonisd.org for more information on Denton Independent School District events and holidays. Moon phases taken from www.sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/phase/phase2001cst.html. Learn more about the historical events and information on this calendar by visiting the Encyclopedia Britannica at www.britannica.com.

Lunchbox Bites

Head of the Class

January 2012

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Lori Cook is 2011 McNair Teacher of the Year Lori Cook has been a teacher for 15 years, with a third of her career taking place in Denton ISD. Mrs. Cook began her career as a kindergarten teacher in Irving ISD in 1996 and has also taught in Athens ISD as a kindergarten and first-grade teacher, and Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD as a fourth grade teacher. She joined the staff at McNair Elementary as a kindergarten teacher in 2007. Mrs. Cook is the campus

kindergarten team leader, has served as a mentor to student

teachers from various area colleges and universities and is a twotime winner of McNair’s employee of the month award. She is a graduate of East Texas State University, now known as Texas A&M University-Commerce, where she received her bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies. Her teaching philosophy: “Every child has the potential to be successful, it’s a teacher’s job to help them reach that potential by believing in them and supporting them.”

Head of the Class Amelia Schmidt is 2011 Nelson Elementary Teacher of the Year Amelia Schmidt has worked with students of various ages for more than 11 years, with the last four coming in Denton ISD. Mrs. Schmidt began her career as a substitute teacher for Little Elm ISD in 1993. She eventually became an adjunct professor for North Central Texas College in 2000 before moving to the high school level as a math, social studies and English resource teacher in Aubrey ISD. In 2007, Mrs. Schmidt joined the staff at Nelson Elementary and became an inclusion teacher for younger students.

She is a member of the Association of Texas Professional Educators, serves as a judge in UIL Speech and Debate competi-

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tions, is a mentor to professionals seeking alternative certification in teaching, is the district’s campus special education representative, serves as the school’s Yearbook Committee Chair and has twice earned the district’s top volunteer award. Mrs. Schmidt is a graduate of Texas Woman’s University where she received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in sociology. Her teaching philosophy: “Inclusion practices require teachers to wear more hats and jump over more hurdles, but it also offers more rewards and in the end all students benefit.”

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Principal profile

Meet Blanton principal Kyle Whileyman Nickname: Wildman My School: Blanton Elementary My School’s mascot: Knights Where you were born: Houston, Texas My favorite food is: Tex-Mex Food My favorite color is: Maroon My favorite subject(s) in school were: Mathematics, Lunch, and Recess !!! My favorite teacher was: Mrs. Farr, my 5th grade mathematics teacher My most memorable moment as a child was: My younger sister being born. Do you have any pets? No, my two children keep my wife and I plenty busy.

My hobbies are: Spending time with family and friends; playing sports with friends and family (softball, volleyball, basketball, etc…) The best movie I’ve ever seen is:

Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi My favorite thing about my school is: our staff focuses on the positives and we make things exciting.

Borman Elementary hosts literacy night Flashing an inquisitive smile below his funny-looking mustache, Timothy Bernal wasted little time locating an answer before moving on to his next clue. At the end of fact-finding mission, he would have all the answers he needed to collect his prize – a book. Timothy recently joined more than 150 other students and their families at Borman Elementary’s annual literacy night last month. The event, which serves as an innovative measure to help promote reading for the entire family, has become a popular staple of the Borman academic calendar. “We’re lucky here in that we have a lot of avid readers and kids that enjoy looking for books,” said Elaine Downey, Borman’s library media specialist. Librarians across Denton ISD attempt to deliver this same result through school literacy nights. The functions have

evolved from simple reading times to full-blown events with activities for everyone in the family. The themes and activities vary, but the end result is always the same – get children reading more and hook the family in the process, so reading become a regular action around the house. “It’s a way to get the family to come in and do things together. We feel if families support kids and encourage them to read, they’ll do better in school,” said Mrs. Downey. A study by Cornell University promotes Mrs. Downey’s claims, showing that students who read regularly often are better writers, have better vocabularies, have longer attention spans and acquire second languages more easily. Through the support of the Newton Rayzor Foundation and the Robson Ranch Kiwanis Club, Borman Elementary was able to host one of its best literacy nights ever.

STAR STUDENT REUBEN OMULO WARAMBO Nickname: Papu Community/school activities: Orchestra and Library Club School/grade: Woodrow Wilson Elementary, 5th Grade Birth place: Nairobi, Kenya My hobbies are: Building Legos, making sonic videos and playing musical instruments. My favorite school subject is: Math Two people I’d most like to meet are: J.K Rowling and Michael Bay What’s in my CD/iPod player right now: I do not have a CD player or iPod. When I finish school I plan to: Fundraise to help children in Africa with Sickle Cell Disease so that they may be able to get a bone marrow transplant. The best book I ever read was: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix The last movie I saw: The Smurfs The best movie I’ve ever seen is: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 I wish I knew how to: Milk a cow

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I’m so sick of: People being cruel to animals My worst habit is: Putting too much sugar in tea My favorite restaurant is: The Carnivore Restaurant in Nairobi, Kenya My hero is: Dr. Carson The best summer I ever had was: When I went to Egypt If I had $100 I would: Spend it on pencils for poor children My goal for this year is to: Get all A’s in school

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January 2012

Reviews

TOP OF THE

January 2012

{BOOKS}

LIST

Is Everyone Ready for Fun? by Jan Thomas, 2011 Unpaged, ages 3-5 Chicken has some unexpected and exuberant cow visitors who have exciting plans for jumping, dancing, and wiggling on his teeny-tiny couch, and Chicken is none too happy about it. That is until the fun concludes with a quiet, cozy and delicious nap for all! I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen, 2011 Unpaged, ages 6-8 The bear’s hat is gone, and he wants it back. Patiently and politely, he asks the animals he comes across, one by one, whether they have seen it. Each animal says no, some more elaborately than others. But just as the bear begins to despond, a deer comes by and asks a simple question that sparks the bear’s memory and renews his search with a vengeance. 11 Experiments That Failed by Jenny Offill, 2011 Unpaged, ages 6-8 A hyper-curious young girl tries a series of wacky experiments, such as seeing if a piece of bologna will fly like a frisbee and determining whether seedlings will grow if watered with expensive perfume, and then must suffer the consequences of experiments gone awry. - Here are the top picks from Dana Tucker, Youth Services Librarian at the North Branch Library

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Health

Bounce back from holidays in three easy steps 11 Having two weeks off for winter break gives teachers and students a nice break right in the middle of the school year. But getting back in groove once school starts can be tough after several days of late bedtimes and a variety of fun activities with friends and family. Don’t worry, the teachers and principals struggle with this, too. To help everyone get back in a solid routine, here are three simple steps to help make the transition back to school an easy one for everyone on camps: Get some sleep: “Early to bed, early to rise makes you healthy, wealthy and wise.” What? Well, basically, your brain needs to

recharge every night, much like a cell phone or a video game console. In order to cope well with a demanding school day you’ve got to recharge your own “battery” in your head. The only way your brain can recharge is by sleeping. A student’s brains need about 9-10 hours of sleep every night. By going to bed early, around 8:30 p.m. at least, you should get enough sleep. Eat breakfast: Most eat dinner every night around 6:30 or 7 p.m. so, by morning, your stomach has been empty for 12 or more hours. That’s a long time! When you wake up your brain knows one thing for sure - it’s hungry, even though you may not think you are.

Breakfast is the most important meal of your day because it gives you the nutrients you need to get going right from the start. A good breakfast is necessary for your brain to work properly too. Breakfast doesn’t have to be fancy or heavy, but it does need to be healthy. Try skipping cookies or sweets for a bowl of oatmeal or wholegrain cereal. Kids can even prepare their own healthy breakfast by themselves. One example is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a big glass of milk. And if you’re short on time, grab some fruit and a granola bar. You will be amazed how much eas-

Good study tips for parents offered When thinking about our children’s study skills there are a couple of areas that we adults can approach our students with to set up good study habits. Often our students will say or show us, “This is too hard!” We can praise our children for “working hard on that challenging math problem”, “Atta-Girl/atta-boy for starting your reading assignment!” Remember it isn’t only the end product – the completion of the assignment that we should be praising, but also the process – praise that your kiddos are working on their homework/project! Also, have the child take ownership and pride in THEIR hard work. Along with expressing our pride, we should be reminding the students that they should be proud of themselves.

Help the children plan out how they study. Words you can’t understand? Have a dictionary handy. What was that date of that historical event? Let’s go to the library! Create a quiet space at home that will be consistently used for homework/studying time and in that space: pencils, pens, paper, dictionary and other materials that your child will need regularly. Your

teachers/schools will work with you on having resources your child needs! Talk to your son’s/daughter’s teacher regularly! Make sure toys, computers, television, etc. are not around to distract your daughter or son! - Francis Chen, MA, Licensed Specialist in School Psychology at the Denton ISD

Low-Cost Counseling for Adults • Adolescents • Couples • Families Play Therapy for Children

the next one. By giving yourself enough time to do each morning task, and completing each one in an organized manner, you won’t feel rushed or frustrated. Having a good day at school may sound like an easy thing to do, but if you don’t prepare in the right ways, you may find your days are anything but good! Follow these three simple steps everyday and you will give your brain a huge boost, give your body the energy it needs to complete a fun school day and get you back on a winning routine and finish the school year strong. - Jonita Widmer, Director of Health Services for Denton ISD

Make school attendance a top priority. Schedule appointments to avoid missing classes if possible.

Denton Boys Baseball Are you ready for some baseball?

1400 W. Highland Street Stovall Hall Room 128 Denton, Texas

Online registration begins January 1st & ends February 5th Onsite registration at Denton Athletics Saturday, January 14th, 10:00am–2:00pm Saturday, January 21st, 10:00am–2:00pm

940-565-2970 http://www.coe.unt.edu/chdc

For more information, visit our website www.dbbi.org Or contact our office at 940-383-7669/info@dbbi.org

The CHDC is an educational facility where low-cost, confidential counseling services are offered by master’s and doctoral level student counselors under the supervision of College of Education, Counseling Program Faculty. L2

ier those morning quizzes are when you eat healthy before school! Start routine early: Have a set routine every morning and give yourself enough time to execute it. Not having to deal with making decisions, like what shirt to wear with your favorite jeans, or searching for your school work because you don’t remember where you put it will make your day get off to a great start. Set your clothes and shoes out before going to bed. Check your homework and make sure your backpack is ready for another day as soon as you finish it. Most importantly, finish each part of your routine before moving on to

January 2012

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