2 • ClassCandy ® • APRIL 2015
Danville Reads in association with Danville Mall are excited to partner with local elementary schools. For more information how to become involved contact Katie Keatts @ 434-792-0400x53 or Email: kkeatts@hullstoreygibson.com
News In Education In This Issue:
We’re going to Celebrate our home planet... EARTH! With Earth Day on Wednesday, April 22nd, 2015, the pages W of this issue of ClassCandy will be marked with super cool ways you can show your appreciation of Earth and how to keep it clean and beautiful! You’ll also see some fun stuff about those Big Ol King Cats... LIONS because Cole Brother’s Circus Will Be b In Town This Month, Too!
Reward Your Students & T Teachers By Sending Us Your School News!! Simply Email ClassCandy at info@classcandy.com or follow us on Facebook or Twitter!
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Top 10 Earth Facts!
PLASTIC BOTTLE BIRDFEEDER Introduction to concepts such as building, using tools, and following a plan as well as helping the Earth! Materials Needed: 2-liter plastic bottle Twine or wire 1 set of chopsticks Scissors/knife Duct tape Funnel Birdseed Directions Divide the materials into parts and tools, making sure that only you handle the scissors/ knife with an adult present. Then, wash the bottle to remove all labels. Dry it with a towel. Turn the bottle over. Poke two small holes in the bottom of the bottle (scissors/knife) with a teacher or parent nearby for safety. When done, thread twine or wire through one hole and out the other. Loosely tie the twine or wire together to make a loop for hanging. The bottom of the bottle will become the top of the feeder. Cut or poke two holes on opposite sides of the bottle, three inches from the bottle cap. Make the holes just large enough for a chopstick to fit through. Insert the chopstick; this will serve as a perch for the birds to sit on. Cut or poke one-third-inch holes two inches above the perch. This is where the birds will get the seed. Turn the bottle right-side up. Unscrew the cap and fill half the bottle with birdseed. Replace the cap. Turn the bottle over. Tie the twine or wire around a tree limb or hang outside a window. Watch the birds that come to your feeder. If you make your own Recycled Plastic Bottle Bird Feeder, send ClassCandy a picture of yourself and your finished product to info@classcandy.com. Don’t forget to include your name, school, grade and teacher’s name. This project requires the use of scissors and sharp objects. Please be careful and have a parent or teacher present when attempting project.
• It is the only planet that has an atmosphere containing 21 percent oxygen. • It is the only planet that has liquid water on its surface. • It is the only planet in the solar system that has life. • The Earth is the only inner planet (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars) to have one large satellite, the Moon. Mars has two very tiny moons. Mercury and Venus have none. • The Earth is fragile. Its surface is split into plates (tectonic plates) which float on a rocky mantle – the layer between the surface of the earth, its crust, and its hot liquid core. The inside of the Earth is active and earthquakes, volcanoes and mountain building takes place along the boundaries of the tectonic plates. • As a result of the Earth’s geological activity (the volcanoes and earthquakes) the surface of the Earth has far fewer craters than the surface of planets such as Mars, Venus and Mercury or the surface of the Moon. The craters have sunk down or been worn away by wind and rain over millions of years. • The Earth is the third planet from the Sun and comes between the planet Venus and the planet Mars. •The Earth takes 365¼ days to complete its orbit round the Sun. The Earth’s year is therefore 365 days long but the ¼ days are added up and every fourth year has one extra day, on the 29th of February. This fourth year is called a Leap Year (366 days) and is always a year which can be divided exactly by 4 – 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016. • As the Earth orbits round the Sun it turns on its axis, rotating right round in 24 hours. The side of the Earth that faces the Sun has daytime and the side of the Earth that is turned away from the Sun has night-time. When it is daytime in Britain, it is night-time on the opposite side of the Earth in New Zealand. • The Earth differs from all the other planets because it has such a wide diversity of life and intelligent beings. This has only been possible because of the Earth’s atmosphere which has protected the Earth and allowed life to flourish.
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Looking Back Spelling Bee Winner Caleb Adams, a 7th grader at Westwood Middle School won the Danville City-Wide Spelling Bee at Averett University on Saturday, March 21, 2015. As a result of winning the city-wide spelling bee Caleb Adams will now represent Westwood Middle and the city of Danville in Washington, DC at the Scripp’s National Spelling Bee in May. He is pictured with Christie D Dawson (Principal of Westwood Middle School). ). CON CONGRATULATIONS CALEB & GOOD LUCK IN D.C.!!!
Lane Ensminger Wins O. T. Bonner’s 4rd Annual Spelling Bee “Academics in Action” again provided the educational tone for the evening of Monday, December 15, 2014, at 6:00 pm in Bonner Middle School’s Commons, at Bonner’s 4rd Annual Spelling Bee. Ten contestants representing 6th, 7th, and 8th grade teams competed for the honor of the school’s top speller. Principal Daphne Wall graciously greeted the assembly and introduced the Judges: School Board Member, Steven Gould; Director of Student Services, Andy Thacker; Bonner Librarian, Laura Sadler; and Coordinator of Student Services, Robin Owens. Ms. Lisa Totten, Bonner Assistant Principal, served as Pronouncer; and Mr. Raymond Smith, Bonner Assistant Principal assumed the Master of Ceremonies responsibility and introduced the spellers after reading an overview of rules and guidelines to the audience. As the students competed, cautiously spelling each word letterby-letter, the spectators’ suspense quietly escalated until the deafening silence burst into an explosion of applause as 6th grade AG Paints’ representative, Lane Ensminger, from Helen Burchell’s English class, won the Spelling Bee. The 2nd place winner was 6th grade student, Giavana Mullins, from Channon Loubriel’s English class, representing the Blazers’ team. During the last ten minutes of the Bee, Lane and Giavana spelled head-to-head, first one then the other, until Lane finally captured the winner’s title in this well-matched spelling battle. The 1st place winner, Lane Ensminger, received a $50.00 gift card from Walmart, as well as, the honor of being the school’s top speller; the 2nd place winner, Giavana Mullins, received a $25.00 Walmart gift card. Both Lane and Giavana will advance to the City-wide Spelling Bee competition representing O. T. Bonner Middle School at 3:00 pm on Saturday, March 21, 2015, at Averett University’s Blount Chapel. As we celebrate Lane and Giavana’s academic success, we would be amiss not to acknowledge that twenty-four additional students demonstrated their academic excellence in spelling by qualifying as competing contestants and alternates from among the remaining students in their grade levels. Our congratulations are extended to all of our Bonner students who demonstrated their spelling excellence throughout “Academics in Action.”
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APRIL 2015 • ClassCandy ® • 5
7th gr graders at Westwood Middle School studying intently ntly at the Virginia Virg Museum of Natural History in Martinsville, through hrough distance learning.
Congratulations are in order for two of Mrs. Robertson’s 8th grade Computer Applications students, Tabatha Watkins and Carmen Lugo, for being nominated and selected for the Building Leaders for Advancing Science and Technology (BLAST) program at Virginia Tech this summer! This is an exciting, on-campus summer experience designed to increase student interest and curiosity in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). BLAST provides a residential reside opportunity to current 8th and 9th th grade students. Way to go students!
N E R D S
Suspenders, mismatched or oddly colored knee socks; pants that go all the way up, but don’t reach all the way down, Bonner Middle School’s hallways were filled with NERDS during their Spirit Week 2015! How did your school celebrate Spirit Week? Send your pics in to info@classcandy.com
6 • ClassCandy ® • APRIL 2015 With Earth Day around the corner, how do you plan on helping the Earth stay clean and beautiful? The little girl in this picture is recycling her cans from canned soups, vegetables, etc... What are some creative ways we can reuse our cans? Do you have any ideas? If so, send them along to ClassCandy and include a picture of you reusing your cans in a crafty way! Or send us some fun pics of you and your family recycling and helping keep the Earth clean! Don’t forget to include your name, school, grade and teacher’s name, too!
Katie Scearce, Stony Mill 1st grader in Mrs. Benson’s class, shows off both of our publications, cations, C ClassC ClassCandy and Piedmont Shopper... as well as her super cool mustache!
Miss Jackie Burnette, second grader at Southside Elementary School in Mrs. Turpin’s class, makes drinking Hi-C super sophisticated.
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Read any good books lately? Do you have a favorite book? If so, let us know! Email your news to info@classcandy.com! Don’t forget to include your name, school, grade and teacher’s name, too!
The only thing Mason Clark, 1st grader at Stony Mill Elementary School in Mrs. Benson’s class is missing is a top hat and a walking stick to go along with his mustache!
Mr. Nicholas Burnette, kindergartend student in Mrs. Connor’s class at Southside Elementary, looks very dapper wearing his mustache.
8 • ClassCandy ® • APRIL 2015 Things are getting Wacky at Westover!
Second Grade AR Readers Peyton Hicks, 1st grader in Mrs. Hill’s class at Westover Christian Academy, shows off his silly mustache grin for this issue of ClassCandy!
Dr. Seuss Inspired Activities Kept Students at Westover Christian Academy Busy And Inspired!
Gold K3 and K4 both celebrated Dr. Seuss by reading One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish and doing activities using fish! K4 graphed, counted, & made fish crafts.
WaCkY wEdNeSdAy! K4 celebrated another day of Dr. Seuss by reading Wacky Wednesday and dressing up in WaCkY outfits!
Silver
Bronze
I DO! I DO like green eggs and ham! I DO like them Sam-I-am! K2, K3, and K4 enjoyed reading the book Green Eggs and Ham and making some of our very own! We counted the eggs, made them green, and tasted them! Yummy!
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Second graders at Carlisle enjoyed a visit to Colonial Williamsburg, where they were abled to try on the latest fashions as well as attend a Colonial Dance at the Capitol.
Students, Teachers and Parents also participated in Jump Rope For Heart! Hula Hoops, Jump Ropes, The Long Jump and other forms of physical activity were used while everyone had fun being healthy.
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April 2015 Get Fit With Dave Column special to ClassCandy by Dave Gluhareff Get Healthy and Give to Others!
Move Your Car Loan to Piedmont CU, And We’ll Reduce the Interest on Your Car Loan Up to 2 ½ points!
This promotion is only for automobile loans that you have at another lender. Existing Piedmont CU loans are not eligible. The lowest any rate can go is 2.9%. You must have at least 6 months of good credit history on your existing loan.
(434)-797-1954 www.piedmontcu.org
Newspapers are a recyclable product. Can you think of a new way you can reuse a newspaper? Send us your ideas along with a pic to info@piedmontshopper.com Don’t forget to tell us your name, school, grade and teacher’s name.
Hey guys and gals Spring is finally here and Southside Virginia is more beautiful than ever! We live in a beautiful part of the world with mild seasons neither extremely hot nor extremely cold. Living in such a beautiful area and being able to enjoy the 4 seasons is really awesome! Spring is a perfect time to get outdoors and get even more active than ever. The Winter tends to make us sort of hibernate and stay indoors more than normal so now that our days are longer, flowers are blooming, and temperatures are getting warmer we have the perfect environment to get outdoors. Most of us still added layers of clothing or bundled up during the Winter season and still got outdoors but when it became cold and windy for a bit we all, including myself and my boys, tended to run back indoors more than usual. We were able to find plenty of games, sports, and activities to do outside this past Winter but it was limited, so now that the weather is gorgeous we have been outdoors like crazy! I want you students and your families reading this to have 2 Goals for the Spring to do together: 1) Get Healthy! Hopefully most of you and your families who read my monthly fitness column here in Class Candy have been trying to get healthy or maintain staying healthy anyways. If you are new to this column or have not made the decision yet to get healthy, then please do so now. Get together with other family members and friends and start an exercise program or get outside and play more being active. Make sure to eat 3 healthy meals and 3 healthy little snacks throughout each day consisting of healthy fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, complex carbohydrates and water. (My Free Nutrition Plan in detail is available at www.TrainWithDave.com click on Nutrition). Another thing you should be doing is making sure to get plenty of rest at night aiming for at least 8 hours of sleep and possibly a nap during the day. When we stay active, eat healthy, and get plenty of rest our bodies appreciate it so much and we become stronger and healthier individuals. The stronger and healthier we are the more we can do to help others. 2) Give to Others! As a Christian I have been taught by my parents since I was young to always serve others. I am supposed to serve others like Jesus did and always help people. After I lost 100 pounds as a teenager I became healthier and stronger to be able to help more people. My self confidence got better when I lost my weight and made me more confident. The healthier we become the more confident we become and this makes us better able to help others because we feel even better about ourselves. I teach my sons Dylan (9) and Matthew (5) to do the same just like I was raised. I teach them to open doors for people, volunteer for community work, help with our Church outreach work, be kind and say hello to people, ask people how their day is going, be there for your friends and family who are sick, run errands for someone who cannot for themselves, and most importantly I teach my sons to Pray for others. To me Prayer is the most important thing we can give to another person. Giving puts others first …not us. Being a giver is not being selfish and going to the front of the line for food. Being a giver is letting others in front of you and being patient. I was raised to be a giver and help others plus pray for others so it’s what I want my boys to be. Make this Spring the perfect time to give yourself a healthier body so you can feel stronger and be able to help others! The stronger our health and wellness the better our quality of lives are so we can have more energy, strength, be more positive, stronger immune systems, and feel more confident in ourselves. The better we feel about ourselves the more we can give to others around us! If we take care of our health (stay active, eat healthy, and get plenty of rest) we can serve others better!
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COLE BROTHERS CIRCUS TO THE MAX COLE BROS. CIRCUS TO THE MAX Selected as the showcase Circus of the Worldwide Circus Summit 2015, a global gathering of circus celebrities and aficionados taking place in the U.S. this summer, Cole Bros. Circus TO THE MAX offers an exciting and highly entertaining mix of acts and attractions that appeal to every age group and culture at the Danville Plaza Monday, April 20th and Tuesday, April 21st with showtimes daily at 4:30 P.M. and 7:30 P.M. Amazing animals featured in the 2015 performance include Nerger’s Splendid Tigers, the Fassio Family’s Clever Canines, and majestic, Asian Elephants. Also headlining TO THE MAX: The Aguilar Family’s High Wire, Lana & Co.’s magical touch with Quick Change and Grand Scale Illusions, and Aerial Ballet at the heights of the hippodrome with Cloud Swing and Chiffon artists performing in poised and polished perfection. The amusing pugilists of Cole’s Clown Alley take a few jabs at pop culture with their hilarious Game of Throwns. Daredevil turns include revolutionary motorcycle action in ThunderDrome, and The Human Cannonball, bursting from the barrel of The World’s Largest Cannon at 5g velocity. In addition to providing outstanding, family entertainment, Cole Bros. Circus TO THE MAX remains amazingly affordable, with free tickets for children under 13 available at www.GoToTheCircus.com, and adult general admission priced at $16 for tickets purchased in advance or $21 at the gate. General admission may be upgraded to Reserved Seats for $4 or VIP seat for $7. Don’t miss Col Brothers Circus as they “take it to the Max� at the Danville Plaza Monday, April 20th and Tuesday, April Ap 21st.
NEWSPAPERS MAKE FOR AN IDEAL EDUCATIONAL TOOL
Many of today’s classrooms are filled with all types of emerging technologies, which educators use to enhance their students’ educational experiences. However, the humble newspaper has long been a staple in the classroom and at home and remains one of the best tools for learning. Newspapers can be used to further children’s academic abilities in a variety of ways.
Improve reading fluency Fluency, comprehension and inference of text are lessons that begin as soon as a child begins learning how to read. Children need access to a variety of reading materials so they can expand their knowledge and vocabulary base, and it’s never too early to introduce youngsters to the newspaper as not only a source of local and national information, but also as a reading tool. Parents can go through the newspaper with their children and select articles that may be of interest. A section devoted to local events or a particular theme, such as sports or fitness, may be good starting points. Children can have fun matching headlines with photos and following the sequence of the stories that continue on another page. They’re also bound to be exposed to a number of new words and phrases as they read newspaper articles, which helps improve their vocabulary. Strengthen writing skills Newspaper articles are written differently than books. Exposing children to a journalistic style of writing can help them with their own writing assignments. Teachers often stress that narratives and other writing assignments should follow a certain format so students learn to express themselves clearly. Students are urged to validate statements with proof and to have a logical flow to their work. By reading articles in newspapers, students can gain an understanding of how to introduce a subject, expand on facts and summarize a point. Students who tend to be more pragmatic writers may connect with the journalistic style of writing more so than students who excel at creative prose. Children can practice reporting on different events in and around their communities, emulating the style of writing presented in newspapers. They also can learn the differences between editorial and opinion pieces. Make current events accessible Newspapers are an inexpensive connection to culture and information from around the world. Through newspaper articles, students can better understand political, financial and entertainment issues spanning the globe. Staying abreast of the latest news from around the world can help students become more well-rounded and learned. Students who may have read about events in a history book can compare those accounts to current information on what is happening in the world today. Develop an Eye for Photography Stunning, award-winning photographs are published in newspapers nearly every day. A picture is worth a thousand words, and newspaper photography helps readers interpret stories and bring the words to life through imagery. Access to newspaper photography can open up an entirely new world for children. It also may inspire their own creative works.
Come experience a great adventure, right here at your credit union! During the entire month of April, we’ll be celebrating National Credit Union Youth Month by guiding our young members through the jungle of personal ¿nance and helping them get Wild About Saving! Be sure to have your mom or dad bring you by our Lowes Drive Branch on April 18 between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. to get in on the biggest action of our Youth Month events. Local radio stations will be here, and we’ll have the Ariel Trapeze Academy, jungle themed activities, food and prizes for everyone! It’s all free for URW Community Federal members, so be sure to ask your mom and dad if you can come!
Students may be inundated with technological resources both at school and home. But perhaps no classroom resource can match the array of benefits provided by newspapers.
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APRIL 2015 • ClassCandy ® • 12
Celebrate Education! Send Us Your School News! ClassCandy, in partnership with the Piedmont Shopper is the only NIE publication that is delievered directly to schools for each individual student in grades PreK - 8th throughtout Pittsylvania County and Danville City. Our mission is to help inspire young minds to want to learn while helping parents and teachers make education fun and exciting. For more info or to get involved with ClassCandy, please email us at info@classcandy.com or call Jill S. McDaniel at 434.822.1800.