Pacific Pawprints - February 1, 2011

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Dear Pacific Parents and Guardians,

What do you love? Pacific Panthers love to read because they are very logical students. They recognize that reading is the best way to build vocabulary, become better writers and be more successful in school and in life. This year Pacific celebrates our love for reading by devoting an entire month to literacy. Our 3^rd annual R.O.C.K. Read-A-Thon is a great celebration at Pacific and it just happens to coincide with Dr. Seuss’ birthday! The National Education Association annually sponsors Read Across America.

This nationwide Read Across America reading celebration, now in it’s fourteenth year, takes place each year on or near March 2^nd, the birthday of Dr. Seuss. Dr. Seuss has published over 60 children’s books and his delightful rhythm and language and imaginative characters are loved all over the world. I hold wonderful memories of reading the two favorite Dr. Seuss books of my sons, Green Eggs and Ham and Wacky Wednesday, over, and over, and over! Yes, Dr. Seuss has had a huge impact on me personally and professionally.

Dr. Seuss had an interesting life and because we are all lifelong learners, I want to share a few interesting facts about this infamous American writer and cartoonist.

1) Dr. Seuss is a pen name and his real name is Theodor Seuss Geisel.

2) Dr. Seuss’ books are estimated to have sold between 300 and 500 million copies.

3) Dr. Seuss was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. His grandparents lived on Mulberry Street, the title of his first book.

4) Dr. Seuss was asked to write a children’s book that was not “boring” with 250 high frequency words that children would enjoy so they could learn to read. He wrote Cat in the Hat and it has 236 words.

5) Dr. Seuss wrote Green Eggs and Ham because he was challenged to write a book using only 50 words.

6) The main library on the campus of UC San Diego is named in honor of Audrey and Theodore Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss) for their generous contributions made to the library and their devotion to improving literacy. They were long-time residents of La Jolla, near San Diego, California.

I hope that over the next few weeks you will uncover a few Dr. Seuss classics to love. I challenge you to turn off your television and electronics, snuggle up with your Panther, inspire a life-long love of reading and record your minutes on your R.O.C.K. Read-A-Thon calendar. I challenge myself to read down memory lane and enjoy Wacky Wednesday with my teenagers!

Happy Reading!

Debbie Mabry

Thank you to the 92% of Pacific Families for your donation to MBEF! Your contribution will keep class sizes small, vital programs at our schools and our library open!

Every K - 5th grade class has earned a Bonus! 11 classes have reached 100%! Click here to view the class standings.

It's not too late to donate. We still need your help and many classes are only 1 family away from a 100% bonus for the class. Go to MBEF.org to donate or pledge today.

MBEF

Pacific PTA would like to say an enormous thank you to our hard working MBEF site representatives: Dawn Bush, Stephanie Siddons, Whitney Sargent and Jeri Vick. It's a tough job, asking friends, neighbors and peers for donations. But, their dedication and perseverance will directly impact programs at Pacific.

We would also like to thank the staggering 91% of our Panther families that invested in their child's education through MBEF. You recognize that MBEF helps to connect all the dots between the families, teachers, staff and students throughout our District. Thank you for believing in and supporting public education in a new way!

SMART boards

Thank you so much to Ms. Tang for doing a fabulous job with the 'SMART board' presentation for the PTA. We all really appreciate it and learned so much on how it is used. Thanks again.

Staff appreciation day - January 14, 2011

A big thank you to Sheri Kay and Susan Lynch for the very successful and

delicious staff appreciation lunch this month. For the first time ever, it

was catered by California Pizza Kitchen and everybody loved it. Thank you so

much Sheri and Susan:)

Manhattan Beach Historical Society Gives Generous Donation to Pacific School Library

by Sarah C., 4th Grade

It was a chilly winter evening when I set out to the district office to help our wonderful librarian, Mrs. Julie Jones, accept a kind donation of a $600.00 gift certificate, for Follett Library Services. The tan colored district building was about the size of a house with two levels. I was joined by two other Pacific Pawprints staff members, students Bella N. and London F. Members of the Manhattan Beach (MB) Historical Society spoke about the group and why they donate money to the schools. Since school year 2004-05, the MB Historical Society has made an annual donation to our district libraries for a total donation to date of $28,000 to help the school libraries buy more books. Heidi Snively, the Grand View Library Media Specialist, gave the meeting overview and she is also a member of the MB Historical Society. Finally, it was Mrs. Jones and the students of Pacific School’s turn to speak to the group. We expressed our thanks for the donation and presented a huge card to the MB Historical Society. The card was signed by the students of Pacific School. We told the historians that we absolutely love to read and we are forever thankful for their donation to our school's library. We also shared that we were looking forward to new book additions! Representatives from all the MBUSD schools had the chance to thank the MB Historical Society for donating money to each of their libraries. On behalf of all the children of the Manhattan Beach Unified School District, I would like to say a heartfelt thanks to the MB Historical Society for helping kids read and explore the world through books.

The MB Historical Society is a non-profit group housed in the "The Little Red House" in Polliwog Park. This historic cottage museum is normally open from 12 noon to 3:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The main purpose of the group is to educate citizens on the history of Manhattan Beach. You can visit and view photographs, artifacts, and displays about our wonderful city. You should stop by next time you visit Polliwog Park and say thank you in person for the library donation.

http://www.manhattanbeachhistorical.org/

Interview with Mrs. Julie Jones, Pacific’s Wonderful Librarian

by Claire D., Olivia T., and Molly G., 4th Grade

On a sunny afternoon after we finished a tasty lunch, we had the exciting opportunity to interview our school librarian, Mrs. Jones.

Claire: what is your favorite book of all time?

Mrs. Jones: I knew you were going to ask that! My favorites change all the time! My favorite is "Because of Winn Dixie".

Olivia: What was your favorite book from elementary school?

Mrs. Jones: I’d have to say it’s the same answer. My favorite book in elementary school was “Because of Winn Dixie” and it still is today.

Molly: What is your favorite thing about being a librarian?

Mrs. Jones: Getting to read especially picture books because that's an excuse for an adult to read a picture book.

Claire: If you could write a book what would it be called and why?

Mrs. Jones: "How Do Elephants Sneeze" - a fun facts book about animals and people.

Olivia: What other subjects did you study in college?

Mrs. Jones: Believe it or not, I studied math.

Molly: What is your favorite activity to do with your family?

Mrs. Jones: We all love going to the movie theaters and my favorite movie is “You've Got Mail.”

Claire: Where did you grow up?

Mrs. Jones: I grew up mostly in Ohio and a little bit in Indiana.

Olivia: What is your favorite food?

Mrs. Jones: I don’t have one favorite food, although my family and I love breakfast. Every Saturday morning, we go out for breakfast. It’s a tradition.

Molly: When you were younger, did you want to be a librarian?

Mrs. Jones: No, but I loved to read!

Claire: Is it hard to keep track of where all the books are?

Mrs. Jones: No, because we use the Dewey Decimal System.

Olivia: Over the weekend, what do you normally do?

Mrs. Jones: My family and I go out to see movies and I also go to their sports and activities. I go where they go.

Molly: What do you like to do for fun?

Mrs. Jones: My hobbies are quilting, playing with my dog, and of course reading.

Claire: How do you decide which books to get?

Mrs. Jones: I definitely read reviews and share ideas with other librarians.

Molly: Who is your favorite author and why?

Mrs. Jones: J.K. Rowling because she's very creative.

Claire: How do you feel about all the new eReaders coming along?

Mrs. Jones: There's nothing better to me than picking up a book and turning the pages. So, no...I don't own one.

Claire: What is your favorite picture book?

Mrs. Jones: “How Rocket Learned to Read" - I love the pictures.

We were so glad that we could be a part of this wonderful and enjoyable interview!

Getting to know Mrs. Christina Lee, Pacific’s Computer Specialist

by Lyndsey G., Brendan R. and Adam K., 5th Grade

On a recent Monday afternoon, we went to the computer lab to interview Mrs. Lee. These are some of the questions and answers.

Lyndsey: What is the first computer you used/bought?

Mrs. Lee: Atari.

Brendan: How did you become a computer teacher?

Mrs. Lee: I majored in biochemistry and minored in psychology. I used to own a computer company and then fell into teaching.

Adam: How old were you when you moved to America?

Mrs. Lee: I was twelve years old when I moved to America from South Korea.

Lyndsey: What is your favorite software program and why?

Mrs. Lee: Web 2.0 application because it has more tools and it is free - you can access it anywhere.

Brendan: What do you do for fun when you are not at school?

Mrs. Lee: I horseback ride, ride on boats with friends and help in figure skating with friends and family.

Adam: What subject did you excel in when you were young, and what inspired you to become a computer lab teacher?

Mrs. Lee: I was very good at math so computer skills came naturally.

Lyndsey: What was your first job? Did it have anything to do with

computers?

Mrs. Lee: No, my first job was a manager at an aluminum engineering company.

Brendan: What did you do during the day off? (MLK)

Mrs. Lee: I was home tending to my sick child. She’s better now!

Adam: What are some of your favorite things about being a computer lab teacher, and what are some difficulties?

Mrs. Lee: I love being an elementary computer lab teacher specialist because I teach the students and the students teach me as well.

Lyndsey: Do you have all of your friends and family members ask you to fix their computers?

Mrs. Lee: Yes, they call 24/7. Sometimes I have to shut off my phone.

Brendan: What kind of computer do you have at home?

Mrs. Lee: I have a MAC and PC.

Adam: What is your most or one of your most favorite memories as a computer lab teacher?

Mrs. Lee: To see excitement in a 2^nd grader once he figured out something, and even though keyboarding is boring, the students learn a lot.

Lyndsey: How many computers do you own?

Mrs. Lee: I have six computers at my house.

Brendan: What's your favorite color?

Mrs. Lee: Blue

Adam: If you could meet one person in the world, past or present, who would it be and why?

Mrs. Lee: I would like to meet my 4^th grade teacher from South Korea who I only had for 3 months, but made a huge impact on my life.

We received some very interesting answers that we would have never thought or suspected! Thank you, Mrs. Lee!

I Love Nutella Toast

by Ben T., kindergarten, Mrs. Ahrens/Mrs. Jordan

Take 1 piece of bread

and toast it.

Put Nutella on it.

Put the toast on a plate

and then eat it.

Yummy!!

Movie review of Tangled

by Jessica K., Kindergarten, Ms. Rech

It's about a princess named Rapunzel. Her hair glows when she sings. She lives in a tower with a witch who is pretending to be her mother. A man named Flynn Rider comes and Rapunzel hits his head with a pan. He falls asleep and Rapunzel locks the man in a closet. That's a funny part. At the end, there are flying lanterns. The man dies and then Rapunzel's hair turns all brown. Then, actually, he's not dead. Rapunzel finds her mother and father, the queen and the king. All ages could go see it. The boys would like the mean witch. The girls would like Rapunzel.

THE MOUSE AND THE MOTORCYCLE by Beverly Cleary

by Madison E., Kindergarten, Mrs. Ahrens/Mrs. Jordan

A boy was staying at a hotel and had a toy motorcycle and a mouse borrowed it. He rided it and he liked it. He rode it into the trash and the motorcycle got a bent handle. When he makes a sound it moves. When he does it fast, it goes fast, and slow it goes slow. The boy found him and said every night you can go out in the hall and ride it, but every morning it needs to come back. Then people told the hotel there were mice and they tried to catch them with traps and crackers, but the mice knew it was a trick. The little boy had a fever so the mouse found an aspirin downstairs. The boy let him borrow a toy ambulance and he goed up the elevator and went to the boy and made him all better so the boy let the mouse keep the motorcycle.

MRS PIGGLE-WIGGLE by Betty Macdonald

by Madison E., Kindergarten, Mrs. Ahrens/Mrs. Jordan

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle has an upside down house where everything near her is upside down. She is a rather funny woman and she likes the house because she likes funny things. Little kids come and play at her house so much because she is so much fun and of course she would be. Parents call her for advice of what will make the children take baths. She made a little girl dirty so she could realize when she looked in the mirror “Oh my, my, I’m dirty I have to take a shower or bath” The mom was happy. A lot of moms called to get a fix – the bath one, won’t pick up toys cure… I loved it so much super duper that I might want to buy a million books!

Mrs. Cameron

By Mia S., 1st Grade, Mrs. Cameron

I love Mrs. Cameron. She lets me bring my science book to school and teaches me about fun things like the sun. I love when she plays the “Monster Mash” and turns the lights on and off. I liked when she gave us hot cocoa with marshmallows on snow day. She is so nice.

The 2011 Pacific Talent Show!

by Anna M., 4th Grade

A few days ago, I spoke with Mrs. Elisa Johnson, one of the moms who helps with the talent show. The talent show is a fun-filled event where Pacific shows their talent! One question I asked was whether she had the idea for this event. “No, I didn’t, but I’ve been helping for six years,” Mrs. Johnson said.

The next question was if there were any memorable acts. One she remembered was the fifth grade boys that danced ballet in tutus. “The opening act is always great,” she said. The kindergarten, first, and second grade girls who come up for a solo and belt out something that you didn’t expect are always memorable.

We talked about the theme for this year’s show and how many acts there are going to be. I found out that the theme is “That’s Entertainment”, which is named after a musical that took clips from other musicals. Around sixty-seven acts are going to be performed this year on Friday, February 11, 2011 at 5:30pm.

The price for this year’s tickets is $5 each and even Mrs. Johnson thinks the price to be completely worth it. Mrs. Johnson told me that it will be the BEST talent show yet and that there is a HUGE surprise! I can’t wait to see you at the 2011 talent show.

http://pacificschool.com/content/talent-show-tickets

Valentine’s Day Fun Facts

by Lauren D., 4th Grade

Here is the most enjoyable and unbelievable collection of Valentine's Day fun facts. Share these fun facts with your friends to amaze them this Valentine's Day.

1. The origin of Valentine’s Day dates back to the times of the Roman Empire during the reign of Claudius II. Claudius was under the impression that single men turned out to be better soldiers because marriage hinders a man's progress. It was during those days when the emperor got to know that Saint Valentine was secretly helping young men and women to get married so he awarded Saint Valentine with a death sentence. While in jail he gave his heart to the daughter of jailor and he wrote her a love note and ended it by writing “From Your Valentine”.

2. In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling.

3. Did you know in Wales the trend is to give love spoons on the Valentine’s Day with splendid carvings on them?

4. The Italian city of Verona, where Shakespeare's lovers Romeo and Juliet lived, receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet every Valentine's Day!

5. Do you believe that parents receive 1 out of every 5 valentines?

Valentine’s Day is a time to notice the ones who you love and to cherish them. For others it is a time to celebrate friendship and to be happy. Valentine’s Day is here! Who is your valentine going to be?

PawPoll