COE Cheetahs Win 3rd Place in Battle of the Bluebonnets!

The COE Battle of the Bluebonnets team took home 3rd place yesterday after a heated competition!  Our team of 5 reading rock stars, led by their coach Mrs. Collings, actually tied for first place with three other schools- several tie breaker questions were needed to settle the competition. In the end we brought home 3rd place medals- our highest finish yet!
Our team practiced well and worked together as a team- and it paid off.  If you see Mrs. Collings or one of these students, be sure to congratulate them on their accomplishment!

Kinder Kids Dig Into Research

Kindergarten students have been honing their research skills using nonfiction texts and Pebble Go! (one of our library databases . Students inquired into what makes their animal unique and able to survive in it's environment then wrote and illustrated a book to share their findings.

3rd Grade Investigates Communities

3rd grade students recently wrapped up their Sharing the Planet unit.  Their central idea was "Human and geographic factors shape communities."  Lots of different learning activities helped build student understanding of this idea.  

Students worked in groups to research various landforms on PebbleGo (one of our library research resources).  

Then,  they created a visual representation that included the important facts and information from their research and presented it to their class.

Students worked in groups and used Kidspiration (mind mapping software) to create Venn diagrams where they compared different types of communities such as rural, urban, and suburban.

Students interviewed a family member about the community they currently live in or where they grew up in order to learn about how that community developed.  Students created a timeline and presented it to the class.

Keith Abbott, a parent and local minister, shared photos and spoke to all of 3rd grade about how the hurricane in Haiti affected the community.

4th Grade Writing Camp with Phil Bildner

Author Phil Bildner recently stopped by for a visit with our 4th grade students.  Mr. Bildner led a writing camp to help students understand the writing process from start to finish. He discussed how to create ideas, edit the work and the importance of using powerful language when writing.  He also shared some of the galley pages from his next book and told inspiring stories to help our 4th graders kick off the year with an excitement for writing!

Kindergarten Investigates: Cheetahs

Kindergarten students have been sharpening their research skills!  The past two weeks, Mrs. Morehead's class has been working together to create a research project.  The children voted on a topic (Cheetahs), did all of the research (some in books, some using on-line resources), took notes of their research, compiled information in small groups, and then independently created a 3D display of their part and recorded their voice using Easi-speak microphones.  This is the movie that they made. What a great way for kinder students to share their knowledge with others!

Skyping with the Author of Origami Yoda

Miss Dees, our librarian, organized an exciting lesson for 5th grade!  Students held a Skype conference with the author of The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, Tom Angleberger!  Mr. Angleberger's book is on the Bluebonnet Book List this year, so the meeting was super exciting since so many students have read it!  Mr. Angleberger shared how he came up with his ideas, how he wrote the book, what projects he's working on right now, and even some of his favorite books.  Students had the chance to ask questions and they even made an origami Yoda of their own!  Students reported how awesome it was to Skype with the author of such  a popular book, and teachers reported that students immediately wanted to go to the library and read some of Mr. Angleberger's favorites.  It looks like a successful lesson!    

One World, One Day

K-2 students have been in the library reading the book One World, One Day by Barbara Kerley and doing a lesson on the Smart Board.  It's one of the Armadillo Books- a list developed by RRISD librarians.  In the book, students see a day in the life of children all around the world.  We are alike, but not the same.   Students are becoming more open-minded when they see how other children live. The lesson on the Smart-Board helped build knowledge of where some of the countries in book are. Students used a virtual map and pushpin to find the countries and reflect on how we are all connected!

Bow Wow Readers

The Bow Wow Readers Program is back in session!  Tini, the beloved beagle from the Austin Dog Alliance has returned for another year with Chandler Oaks.  Students are invited to come to the library and read aloud to Tini. It's a relaxing and enjoyable way to practice reading fluency skills.  Students love it- and it looks like Tini does too!