MyTrib - The Sun - February 3-9, 2021 by trib.com

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WEEKLY FAMILY MAGAZINE

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

THE SUN INSTALL THE

INSIDE! • 100 BOOKS TO READ ALL ABOUT THE LETTER V, ACTIVITIES ON PAGES 2-3 • KID SCOOP. READ MORE ON PAGES 4-5

Letter of the Week

Check out our FREE interactive literacy app! Kids games, puzzles & much more!

START HERE!

Download the app from the Google Play or Apple Store by searching “We Read - Free Games for Kids.”

Provide the first letter of your first name.

Select your student’s grade in school.

100 Books to read together THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR BY ERIC CARL

Pick up a copy at the Natrona County Public Library!

| WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3-9, 2021

Select the school your student attends.

FINISH! You’re ready to start playing and earning medals! Questions? E-mail weread@trib.com or call (307) 266-0521

We Read is a partnership between the Casper Star-Tribune, the Natrona County School District and the Natrona County Public Library, supported by local businesses and foundations. Its aim is to promote and support literacy as a community-wide value and reading as an important, multi-age, mentoring activity. The overall goal mirrors NCSD’s #1 goal — to have students K-3 reading at or above grade level by the end of the third grade. “My Trib” is published weekly by the Casper Star-Tribune as part of the We Read program.

1, 2, JUST FOR YOU! VERY VALENTINE V The letter V is very excited for Valentine’s Day but needs help drawing a heart. Grab a pencil or crayon. Practice drawing the letter V by making one diagonal line down then another diagonal line back up. The top of the heart looks like a 3 that is sleeping face down on top of the V. When you finish tracing the hearts, decorate them. Be creative and add faces or color. Maybe one looks a bit like a mouse. Very good, friend!

3, 4, ASK FOR MORE!

Drawing and coloring are important jobs for children. They are building muscles and fine motor skills that will be used when they learn to write. Plus it is fun and helps reduce stress. Take time to sit down with your kiddos and have family coloring time.

ACTION RHYME: V IS FOR VACUUM (Sung to the tune of “I’m a Little Teapot,” rhyme from TheMeasuredMom.com) (Pretend to vacuum as you sing) I’m a little vacuum, Hear me vroom, Over the floor and All across the room. When I get all revved up, See me work, Cleaning up the carpet And sucking up the dirt.

VROOM!

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reate some healthy Valentine cards by filling in the missing vowels. Then cut out each message, paste it on some construction paper and give to a good friend!

TO:

FROM:

Are you an eagle-eyed reader? Read the article below and correct the ten errors you find. The first one is done for you.

Do you feel with your heart? Is you making pictures of hearts and fiving little heart-shaped candies to your friends for valentine’s Day?

Standards Link: Reading Comprehension: Follow simple written directions.

When you make a promise

TO: How do you love your heart? Well, first of all you need to understand that your heart is a muscle. And, like all of your muscles, it works best when you exercise, rest, drink water and eat healthy food.

you really, really meant, do

FROM:

you cross your heart? do you listen to songs about feelings and emotions?

Circle the healthy food item that should come next in each row.

This time of year, we hear about and saw hearts Which two hearts are exactly the same?

everywhere. Long ago, people thought our feelings came from our hearts, maybe because strong feelings can make our hearts beated faster. now we know feelings come

Ad Transformer Cut out 4 | Wednesday, February 3-9, the 2021 10 cards at right.

(Paste them onto construction paper to make them sturdier if you wish.) A watch with a

Look for newspaper ads that encourage kids to eat or drink things that

from the brane, not the hart. Standards Link: Reading Comprehension: Understand the meaning of words from context clues.

Complete the grid by using all the

now we know feelings come

Ad Transformer Look for newspaper ads that encourage kids to eat or drink things that are unhealthy. Rewrite the ad so that it is advertising something good for your health.

Cut out the 10 cards at right. (Paste them onto construction paper to make them sturdier if you wish.) A watch with a second hand will be needed as well. Give the stack of activity cards to the person who is “It.” When “It” tags someone, that person selects a card and performs the named activity for the amount of time stated. After the person completes the activity, he or she becomes “It.”

Standards Link: Language Arts: Identify compound words.

VALENTINE HEART MUSCLE EXERCISE HEALTHY TEACHER CARDS PLACE SECONDS STACK FITNESS GOOD REST CARE

S N E E I S R C E E

E I R T C M P A X R

N T A E U N L T E E

This week’s word:

I E C D H T C D C C

The noun health means being without sickness or pain.

F L R Y O H E E I A

E A S D N O C E S E

Exercise and eating right will keep you in good health.

C V H E A R G T E T

Try to use the word health in a sentence today when talking with your friends and family members.

T N C S S T A S R H

Standards Link: Letter sequencing. Recognize identical words. Skim and scan reading. Recall spelling patterns.

HEALTH

Valentine Surprise

Cut out five or more words from the headlines in today’s newspaper. Use these to write a Valentine message to your teacher! ANSWER: “I love you with all of my art.”

Complete the grid by using all the letters in the word LOVE in each vertical and horizontal row. Each letter should only be used once in each row. Some spaces have been filled in for you.

S E E X E T R K C H

Valentines from the Headlines

Standards Link: Writing Applications: Write in a variety of genres and forms.

Standards Link: Reading Comprehension: Understand the meaning of words from context clues.

Standards Link: Health: Students understand essential concepts about nutrition and diet; know healthy eating practices.

Standards Link: Physical Education: Use a variety of basic and advanced movement forms.

Draw a line from each piece of broken heart below to its other half. What compound words did you create?

from the brane, not the hart.

Make up a story about a Valentine’s Day surprise. Who was surprised? What was the surprise? Use five or more adjectives in your story.

Wednesday, February 3-9, 2021 | 5

IK NDERGARTEN BOOK OF THE MO Dear families, Informational texts are a great way to learn interesting facts. This month’s book is all about the Sun. Your child will learn what the sun is made of and how far it is from earth as well as other interesting information about the sun. Informational picture books are a great way to learn about the world around you. Pick up some other informational texts at the library. Remember to read 20 minutes a day to build reading skills for your child as well as encourage them to enjoy reading.

Happy reading!

About the author

Patricia grew up in little Iowa town with a big family and imagination. Patricia has authored 17 children’s books in fiction and nonfiction genres. Her books have won numerous awards. Today, after a break from publishing, Patricia is happily writing books again. Most days find her tapping away at her laptop on the patio in the lovely garden tended by her husband Bill Reich. A sequel to MAX THE BAD-TALKING PARROT is in the works, along with another picture book photographed by Jack Demuth. Patricia’s imagination still seeks new vistas and she is completing her first full-length novel for young readers. Stay tuned.

| WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3-9, 2021

ONTH Dear students, Have you wondered about the sun? What is it made of? How far is it from earth? The Sun Our Amazing Star is full of interesting information about the sun. Use the sun outline to record some of the great information that you learned by reading this book. Then color your sun.

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Natrona County School District Standard

With prompting and support, identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.

A Dog

Named Mary Visits Yellowstone National Park

By Gayle M. Irwin | Photos by Gayle M. and Gregory P. Irwin

CHAPTER 7

fter several hours of driving east to west through Yellowstone National Park, Mary’s family stops the car. Her people step out and stretch. The man opens the car door to let Mary and her dog friend, Cody, out to stretch as well. Mary and Cody have shared the backseat during trips with their humans many times. Riding in the car is much more enjoyable with a companion with whom to share the back seat. Mary and her friends like to stop driving and enjoy the sights and smells of the woods. Dogs are allowed in picnic areas and campgrounds in Yellowstone but not on hiking trails. Dogs should always be on a leash. These rules are for their safety as well as the safety of the wild animals that live in the park. There are many places in the park at which to enjoy a picnic. Mary’s family likes being near water because of the different types of ducks often seen and heard. Therefore, they often stop either to stretch their legs or enjoy a picnic lunch along some of Yellowstone’s rivers. One of the largest bears the same name as the park: The Yellowstone River. This

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Next week Find out what is causing the noises Mary and Cody hear.

Other people and their pets sprinkle around the picnic site. Mary’s strong hearing picks up the murmurings of humans, the steady flow of the nearby river, and the soft quacks of ducks as they float by. Her nose captures the scents of Mary, a black and white springer spaniel, enjoys exploring the woods. various types of human food, from sandwiches to chips, and she licks her lips. large body of water flows more than 670 She notices Cody doing the same. Their miles from its source high in the mountains near the park, traveling north to humans must have witnessed the dogs’ the Missouri River in central Montana. responses to the nearby food; Mary and Parts of the river flow smooth and slow, Cody receive more treats, and the two and other sections are wild with rapids. dogs wag their tails. Mary’s family enjoys picnicking near the Suddenly, Mary’s ears and nose go on quiet water. It’s fun to share nature’s sights alert. She hears the flapping of wings and and smells with friends and family. the squawking of birds. Cody notices, After a short walk through the picnic too, for he stops chewing his treat. The area, Mary and her friends relax in the two dogs scan the area with their eyes. shade of a tall pine tree. Mary and Cody They raise their muzzles and sniff the air. sniff around to learn if any other animals More squawking and flapping captures have been there recently. Their people their humans’ attention. What is making give them treats and a bowl of water all that noise? before sitting at a wooden picnic table to enjoy their own snacks. To be continued

Wednesday, February 3-9, 2021 | 9

Jeremiah’s Joy The story of a rescue dog By Gayle M. Irwin | Photos by Gayle M. and Gregory P. Irwin

“A dog will teach you unconditional love. If you can have that in your life, things won’t be too bad.” — Robert Wagner, American actor

CHAPTER 2

month after he and his canine friends moved to the new location, people took the little dogs to the veterinarian. Stormy was nervous as he sat on the cold, metal table. He yelped with surprise as a needle pinched his leg. He soon felt sleepy and closed his eyes. The soft hands of a caregiver helped him lie down. Stormy awoke a few hours later. His mouth hurt, and he whimpered. He flinched as a needle nipped his neck. He would come to know later that this happened to loved pets every year, bringing them medicine to keep them healthy. His new human friends took the little dog back to the big indoor space with the attached yard. Soon, Stormy felt stronger … and hungrier. Weeks turned into months. Stormy visited the veterinarian often. Although his mouth healed, a small growth appeared on the bridge of his

He fought wearing the collar. They replaced it with a purple harness that hugged his tummy. He liked that better and began looking forward to the daily walks. Several months later, a woman and man visited Stormy. They took him to the play yard, a big, grassy area where he and his Shih Tzu friends often ran and wrestled. The woman cuddled Stormy to her shoulder. The little dog squirmed – this was something he had not experienced often. However, her arms were warm and her whispered words soothing. She held him for a few moments, and he stayed still. After the woman set him on the ground, Stormy explored the yard. A larger dog, who had come with the two people, joined him. Stormy and the strange dog circled and nose. After surgery, Stormy didn’t sniffed the fenced area. The Shih Tzu feel well for many weeks. His caregiv- glanced at the larger dog a few times. ers provided plenty of food, water, She was calm, unlike some of the and medicine. They took him on smaller canines with whom Stormy short walks with a collar and leash. lived.

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He and the other dog, whom the people called ‘Mary,’ spent several minutes exploring the play yard. He noticed she had the same fur color as his. He also noticed she never growled or barked at him. She seemed to enjoy his company, and he began enjoying hers. Perhaps she would be a nice, new friend. The man walked toward the two

dogs. Stormy saw Mary’s stubby black tail wiggle in excitement. The man ruffled the larger dog’s ears and then squatted down to Stormy’s level. His hands were gentle as he patted the Shih Tzu’s head and scratched under his chin. Stormy’s long, wavy tail wagged a few times. He wondered if this man would be his new caregiver.

Stormy glanced at Mary, who sat nearby. He then watched the woman who had him earlier walk toward the little group. He turned his head to Mary again. She seemed relaxed. He decided he wanted to be like her. He wanted to trust people just like Mary did. To be continued

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Feb. 3-9, 2021 FEBRUARY 8THNATIONAL IOWA DAY Natrona County Public Library Hours:

Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. • Friday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. • Sunday, 1 p.m.-5p.m. There is ﬆill no in-person programming at this time, but patrons can follow us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ natronalibrary) or Inﬆagram (https://www. inﬆagram.com/natronalibrary). Children’s Take and Make crafts are available each Tuesday. The Library is now oﬀering a service called tutor.com. It provides free online tutoring for all ages, from young children all the way up to adult learners. It’s a free online service (all you need is a library card to access it through the library’s website natronacountylibrary.org). For more content like this, visit: https://bit.ly/390PHXA

EXTRA CONTENT FROM WYO GAME & FISH DEPT. – WGFD.WYO.GOV/WILDLIFE-IN-WYOMING/WILDLIFE

My Trib is supported by:

NATRONA COUNTY

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Zimmerman Family Foundation