Kevin Delaney Playing with Gas.

Science is so cool!

Scales & Tails Field Trip

Last Friday we were fortunate enough to have Shane and Tyson from Scales & Tails come and show us some of their reptiles and birds. It was so much fun! Many of your classmates were able to volunteer and hold the animals while they talked about them. Some of my favorites were ,Zoro, the Coo Coo Burra, Green Winged Macaw, and Nanners, the Albino Burmese Python.

Feel free to share any videos or photos you took in the comments below or emailed them to me so I can share with the rest of the class :)

Say hello to, Zoro!

Where Do I Start?

Ok, you sit down at your desk and you have to write a paper for school. Usually your mind is running a mile a minute with so many ideas on what to write about, but once you pick up your pencil to write something your mind goes...BLANK...Then the question comes to mind, "Where do I even start?"

Well, I'm here to help! There are tons of ways to brainstorm when it comes to writing. Here are a few helpful ideas.

1. Write from a photograph

When I was in middle school my teacher would post a picture of the ocean, forrest, a speedway or pretty much anything and tell us to observe the picture for a few minutes and just take it all in. After a few minutes he would have us go back to our seats and write down everything we saw in the picture. Then we would take that picture and write a story about it. 

2. Start with a phrase.

Any phrase will do when it come to starting a story. I learned this method when I was in college and had a blast! A lot of the times my professor would have a picture to go along with the phrase, but you don't always need one. Here are some examples of phrases we used.

In the dark of the night...

I looked out the window and saw smoke under the house and...

It's the most wonderful time...

3. Find story prompt generators! 

I found this awesome story starter by scholastic. It comes up with the goofiest prompts and would be really fun to help kids get used to writing. Click on the picture to get to the site!

What have you found successful? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments!

Let's Get Movin'!

Our PE challenge started this month! If student's spend at least 15 hours a month (roughly 30 minutes a day) they will be entered in to win a monthly prize! We have some really cool prizes and gift cards from Sports Authority, Dick's Sporting Goods, Hang Time trampoline gym, etc.

Mrs. Houlin found these fun little videos for your student to watch and do!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpdkqVIsNPY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYWycl8vR5c&list=PL7C7A407F160F3C68&spfreload=1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DLPSU3PTNA&index=8&list=PLK54Ld-IFOBK4OsSB_qzi42mVogwNYMPR

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hn61z3FlMQ&list=PLK54Ld-IFOBK4OsSB_qzi42mVogwNYMPR&index=13

eSchool Kick-Off Picnic!

Hello!

This past week we had our beginning-of-the-year kick-off picnic! (say that 5x's fast!)

I had such a fun time seeing everyone and getting to meet so many of you! It's so nice to put a face to the names that I see on emails and on blackboard during Class Connect meetings. I hope you all had  fun time coming to the park and meeting parents and students who you will see during the school year when we have field trips. It was fun to see kids play tug-of-war and create games with the parachute.

Thank you for choosing eSchool and for wanting to be a part of our wonderful program. Here's to a fun and new school year!

5 Minute Energizers

During your student's school day they may seem to be dragging their feet when they need to switch to a new subject. At those times between course work it's always a good idea to do a transition activity to have a "brain break." These energizers will also be useful when your student simply needs to refocus during a particularly long day or difficult lesson.

Here are some ideas:

(click photo to view)

1. Physical Activity Energizers

2. Online Timed Brain Clips

3. 20 Brain Break Clips

Have any other ideas? Leave a comment below!

Hi, I'm Mrs. Brand

Hello!

We're only days away from the first day of school and I can't wait to get it started! If you're reading this then that means you've received my welcome email and are already getting prepped for school to begin. Woohoo!

I thought I would use this first post of the school year to introduce myself a little more so you can see that I'm actually a real person and not a voice or face on a computer screen.

Here we go!

My name is Jennifer Brand and I'm originally from South Florida. I grew up swimming with my three brothers and playing fetch with my cat, Tigger. I earned my 2nd degree black belt in the martial art style of Tang Soo Do when I was 14 years old, and I was my high school's flag football captain my senior year. Another fun fact: I was my school's mascot!

I attended BYU-Idaho in Rexburg, Idaho, and graduated with my degree in Elementary Education in July of 2013. During my undergrad years I was fortunate enough to be able to go to Israel for a summer study abroad. I attended the BYU-Jerusalem facility on the Mount of Olives and lived minutes from the Old City. During my summer I not only had a rigorous course load, but I also traveled through the state of Israel, Turkey and Jordan.

When I returned from Israel I met up with an old friend, Jared, who ended up becoming my husband in April of 2012. He's pretty great.

He currently finished his summer internship in Virginia and is entering his Senior year at BYU. He will graduate with his Bachelors Degree in Economics this coming April. 

We have a rambunctious baby boy named, Seth. He is 8 months old, currently has two teeth, loves to crawl and climb over everything, and loves to eat! 

Now, enough about me! If you have any questions about school please look through the tabs above. The F.A.Q.'s tab will be extremely helpful. If there is an answer to a question that you cannot find then send me a quick email or give me a call. 

Have a wonderful day!