Hearts' Stories Blog Spot

from one teacher to another...

2011-08-17T13:13:00.001-07:00

Today I came across a great idea for back to school from another teacher's blog. Blogger Sarah Martin, past second grade teacher, created a "Favorite Things" survey for parents to give to their child's teacher at the beginning of the year. Speaking from experience, I know how wonderful an inexpensive, heartfelt surprise can mean to a teacher! This survey can help spark those ideas! Check it out and if you have a child in school I encourage you to use this or something like it to get to know your child's teacher a little more! This being my first year I am not in the classroom teaching, I will make sure to spoil my own child's teachers to let them know how much I appreciate all of their hard work.

To download the document, please visit the Life Sweet Life blog as she is the author of this survey. Her blog is:
center>

You'll Fit Right In!

2011-08-12T03:27:00.000-07:00

As many of you prepare to welcome back a classroom full of smiling faces soon, I wanted to share a great community building activity that we loved to do in my classroom. On the first day of school, each student is greeted with a puzzle piece waiting for them on their desk. After saying hello their new "neighbors", greeting new friends and putting away their supplies they find a puzzle piece on their desk. The puzzle piece has one large letter written on it that doesn't seem to make a lot of sense yet. I ask them to color the puzzle piece in any way that tells others about them. Whether that be using only their favorite colors on it or drawing what foods they loved the most - their imagination is the limit - as long as they are able explain why they colored the puzzle piece the way they did. I ask early finishers to also color the back of the puzzle piece.

Once all of the children have arrived and they have had plenty of time to work, I welcome them to our first Community Circle. I ask them to bring their puzzle piece with them and we begin.

After explaining and modeling our Circle Procedures:

1. Mutual Respect ( Only Speak when you have the Speaking Object -Mr. Frog, Eyes on the person talking)
2. Active Listening
3. The Right to Pass
4. Only Speak when you have the Speaking Object (Mr. Frog)
5. Please sit Criss Cross Applesauce, hands in your lap.

Then, we begin. I tell them that today when they arrived in our classroom they may have been feeling many different ways! Some of them were surely nervous while others were extremely excited. I express to them that each of us is feeling a different way and that our feelings are ok! Then, we set our puzzle pieces in front of us in the circle. We work together to put the puzzle together. Depending on what kind of blank puzzle you purchase, this can be sometimes challenging! So, to make it more manageable before the first day of school:

1. Write out on the blank puzzle "You'll fit right in Second Grade" (I taught second) I tried to make sure each puzzle piece had a letter but sometimes that doesn't work out and it's ok if a puzzle piece doesn't have a letter. They won't notice on their desk because they don't see the puzzle as a whole yet.

2. Then, turn all of the puzzle pieces over and NUMBER them! That way, when you use it on the front day of class you don't have a management disaster when you can't figure out the puzzle! Which would also hurt the message you're trying to send of "Each of us have our own place in this classroom and without one of you we wouldn't be complete! So don't worry, you'll fit right in second grade! Welcome to our classroom family"

I would guide the class and and say, "ok if your puzzle piece has the #2 on it, It's your turn to come and find where your piece belongs." Once I've gone through all of the numbers, if there are extra pieces (say 22 students and 24 puzzle pieces) I will place the final pieces and then say, "Does anyone know what this says?"

That question then becomes our first Community Circle question and we talk about what it means to fit in". I also use this as my first opportunity to tell the class that we will do a very special program in second grade called Hearts' Stories to help us understand about what makes us each so unique but also how our differences help us connect!

I encourage you to use this puzzle activity to fit the needs of your class! Adjust it for your grade level as it could easily be modified to fit any grade.

You can order a bare puzzle through www.barebooks.com. They have many different sizes and kinds to pick from. I find the best one for this activity is the large 25x25 puzzle. It costs $5.00 with free shipping to a school address. Or, if you have several team members who are interested in using the activity as well, you can order multiple puzzles for a discounted price.

Even if you don't do Hearts' Stories with your students, this is a wonderful "Back to School" community builder. At the end of the year, one of our final community circles is to put our puzzle back together again! We talk about how when they go to third grade they may feel the same exact way they felt when they entered second grade! I encourage them to remember that they will find their place and fit in 3rd grade as well! Then, I share how they were a very special piece to our puzzle in second grade! Each child then gets to keep their puzzle piece and take it home as a reminder!!

Look closely at the two class pictures, you will notice it's two different days! The beginning of the year and the end of the year!

Rainy Day Recess is a great time to get out the puzzle and let students who are interested put it together! So, as you can see there are many great ways to use this puzzle!!!

Mr. Rob Edwards, Mrs. Edwards' Special Guest

2011-05-09T07:04:00.000-07:00

Mr. Keifer Boatwright, Victor's Special Guest

2011-05-06T06:25:00.000-07:00

Ms. Becky Moore, David's Special Guest

2011-04-28T07:18:00.000-07:00

Mr. Dan Deluca, Mike's Special Guest

2011-04-14T06:57:00.001-07:00

In need of a new, used car? We know just the person to help you! Mike's grandpa Mr. Dan Deluca will help you find the perfect car! When Mr. Deluca is not busy buying and selling used cars, he loves to spend time with his family. He has 4 grown children of his own and 11 grandchildren! Mr. Deluca and his wife especially enjoy travelling to Italy. They hope to go again very soon. It was a true joy learning all about Mr. Deluca's life.

The Great Kapok Tree Children’s theatre comes to the Academy!

2011-04-12T10:53:00.000-07:00

Children’s theatre comes to the Academy!
Two Nights only!
April 13th & 14th at 7:00 PM

Located at 895 International Drive, Myrtle Beach SC. Ticket Price: $5.00
Call 843-903-8064

The Academy for the Arts. Science, & Technology is at it again! A massive collaborative effort is happening at the school that our community should know about. Academy students have created their own play based on the children’s book The Great Kapok Tree. Literally every major at the school a contributed to the production and at least twelve hundred area primary, elementary, and middle school children will get a chance to see it. The characters in the play, animals that inhabit the tropical rain forest, help to convince man NOT to cut down the great tree, or their home, through dance, movement and dialogue. The evening promises to be colorful and entertaining and one that area children will love to see.
This “Kapok” project started as a small seed that has literally grown into a huge production and a great tree. The Education students introduced the idea of The Great Kapok Tree, written by Lynn Cherry, to the Dance students and they in turn thought what a fantastic way to introduce movement to younger audiences. When the dancers approached the Theatre students about creating the set, things blossomed even more. The theatre students realized the potential to use their own skills in adaptation, design, script writing, costuming, make-up, and stage management, and the growing and learning process became the driving force behind the performance. As word spread through the school, others became involved. The Advanced Art students and Environmental Science students quickly became interested and have made huge contributions. Quite literally, every major and the Connect students have contributed to the creative process in this event.

Photos of students building the great kapok tree and student dancers and actors in costume.(Photo credit- S. Wildt)

The Great Kapok Tree

2011-04-12T09:29:00.000-07:00

On Friday, our class will travel to the AAST to see The Great Kapok Tree and to learn and grow with Ms. Sellers! Today Ms. Sellers and Ms. Madison came to help us get ready for our trip. After Ms.Sellers read the story, The Great Kapok Tree, to us the students made animal masks! They thought about the animals they saw in the story and picked one to "become" on Friday through their mask. Then, the students made
t-shirts to wear Friday! Finally, they reviewed all about the different animals that will come to life as characters in the play! More pictures will be coming soon. Many thanks to Ms. Sellers, Ms. Madison and the AAST. We cannot wait for our trip this Friday!

Mr. Scott Ledford, Allen Scott's Special Guest

2011-04-07T07:09:00.000-07:00

Mr. Scott Ledford came today to share his story with us. Mr. Ledford is a SC State Trooper. He is a part of a specialized group of officers called "A.C.E" (Aggressive Criminal Enforcement). He shared with us that he has to be extremely flexible because of his position he can be called at any moment to travel anywhere in the state to work. Mr. Ledford told us that growing up he loved to be outdoors and especially loved riding motorcyles! That serves him well in his career because he works as a state trooper on a motorcycle! He brought it to school and showed us the many tools it has on it. He even drove it around our school parking lot so we could see him in action. Mr. Ledford also owns a landscaping company and Ledford Outdoors. As you can see, he is very busy. When he does have free time he is spending it with his family outdoors! Together, they love to hike, camp, and hunt! His family is very important to him. We loved learning all Mr. Ledford today.

Mr. Oltrino Alfons, Vermalane's Special Guest

2011-03-31T06:59:00.000-07:00

After travelling for over 24 hours by an airplane, Mr. Alfons finally arrived in the United States of America from Micronesia! That was almost 10 years ago! Micronesia is made of many islands in the South Pacific! Mr. Alfons, Vermalane's special guest, shared that he misses the beaches, warm water and fishing that he could do in his home land. However, he truly enjoys the many opportunities he has found here in South Carolina. He has worked for many years as a chef at Miyabi's! After many, many hours of practice he learned tricks to perform and special ways to prepare food! When Mr. Alfons is not working he enjoys spending time with his family. Together they like to go to Family Kingdom, go out to eat or just be together! Mr. Alfons also enjoys golfing and going to the gym. Next time I would like to go out to eat, I think we will head to North Myrtle Beach to see Mr. Alfons in action at Miyabi's!

Ms. Heather Boykin. Maddy's Special Guest

2011-03-17T07:27:00.001-07:00

Can you imagine having a job where you could look out your window and see the ocean every day? Ms. Heather Boykin can at her job at the Beach Club Hotel! She works at the front desk helping vacationers and traveller! She shared with us that you have to be helpful, patient, informed about the area and very friendly to do her job well. Ms. Heather is also in school to become a police officer! She is a busy person! When she is not working or in school, Ms. Heather enjoys spending time with Maddy. Together they enjoy going to the zoo and just spending time together! Her hobbies include kickboxing, reading, watching TV and going to the movies. We enjoyed learning all about Ms. Heather today!

Our Amazing Science Research Posters

2011-03-11T11:20:00.000-08:00

Mrs. Rebecca Burstein

2011-03-10T06:20:00.000-08:00

Our class had the pleasure of interviewing Mrs. Rebecca Burstein today. Mrs. Rebecca is very passionate about music which makes working at the House of Blues an amazing job for her! She is a training manager for all employees who work there. In class we took some time to apply this to our own classroom jobs! We talked about how important it is to have someone who knows how to do a job teach it to someone who doesn't know how to do the job yet. We learned today that the House of Blues is also a Folk Art Gallery, Music Hall and restaurant! Besides her work, she enjoys many other things in her life - especially her family! She has three boys, Colin, Gavin and Logan and one girl, Olivia! They love to go to the beach together. We enjoyed our time with Mrs. Rebecca today. She made us so hungry sharing about all of the great food served at the House of Blues! Maybe one day you can visit her there! Thank you for sharing your heart with us today Mrs. Rebecca!

Goodbye Butterflies!!

2011-03-09T07:26:00.000-08:00

Mr. Josh Campbell, Zoe's Special Guest

2011-03-03T06:41:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, March 3rd our class had the oppoortunity to interview Mr. Josh Campbell, Zoe's dad. He shared with us that he grew up in the mountains for Martinsville, Virginia. When he was 1o yeards old, his family invested in a hotel in Myrtle Beach and moved! He told us it was a big change for a little boy who was used to living in the middle of nowhere! Once in Myrtle Beach, he attended St. Andrews Catholic School and Myrtle Beach high school. After high school he decided to pursue his career as a funeral home director by going to college in Atlanta, Georgia. Mr. Campbell told us that he was inspired to become a funeral home director at a young age while attending his grandpa's funeral. He felt like the funeral home did a wonderful job honoring his grandpa through the funeral. Mr. Campbell shows compassion and kindness to all of the families he works with while planning their loved one's funeral. When Mr. Campbell is not working, he enjoys being with his family. One of their favorite activites is going boating! They love to go tubing and fishing together! Today we learned so much about Mr. Campbell's job, his family and many other interesting facts! Thank you for sharing your heart with us today!

Mrs. Kerri Cox-Stiverson, Brianna's Speial Guest

2011-02-24T06:27:00.000-08:00

It’s time to go to the beach! I had better get my sunscreen on the way to the beach today. I think I will stop at the store. Oh, did you know that Mrs. Kerri, Brianna’s mom is the person who supplies the stores with sunscreen? I wonder which one I should get? I think I will pick one that is a high SPF to protect my skin from the sun. Mrs. Kerri told me today that an SPF of 85 will help keep my skin safe but that I need to reapply it every hour and half. When Mrs. Kerri is not working she loves to spend time with Brianna and her husband. I am thankful that I learned how to keep my skin safe today by listening to our special guest Mrs. Kerri.

David, Our New Friend

2011-02-18T06:26:00.000-08:00

Our new friend David loves nature! He collects rocks and enjoys growing plants. David also is very athletic and spends a lot of time outdoors playing football and baseball. In his free time he enjoys playing with his Bakugons and his family. Did you know he has many favorites? Some of his favorite things are vanilla ice cream, the color black, Dr. Seuss books and writing. David has been inspired to grow up to be a plumber. He is a problem solver and likes to figure out how to fix things! David, we are so happy that you are now a part of our class. We learned so many things about you today that we did not already know! Thank you for sharing your heart with us!

Mrs. Tara Davis, Brianna's Special Guest

2011-02-17T06:21:00.001-08:00

It's 6:00 in the morning and she has already laid out clothing for her 3 children to wear, picked up the house and started breakfast for the kids. Mrs. Tara Davis, Brianna's special guest is a stay at home mom. Today we learned how much work that involves! Mrs. Davis shared that there is nothing she rather do than to take care of her family and spend time with them! She told us that she feels very lucky to be able to stay at home with her children. Mrs. Davis described the rest of the day filled with grocery shopping, house cleaning, errands, cooking, laundry and many other tasks that can arise during the day! We were worn out after listening to all of the things Mom's and Dad's do for us that we hadn't thought of before! Therefore, our class would like to say thank you to all of our Mom's and Dad's and caregivers! After our special guest today we realized that it is a very hard job. When Mrs. Davis' timed is not filled with chores, she enjoys scrapbooking. She shared a beautiful scrapbook that she created for Brianna.Today we enjoyed learning all about Mrs. Davis!

Valentine's Day Arts and Craft Project with Mrs. Campbell

2011-02-17T06:11:00.001-08:00

Our class wishes to extend a very special thank you to Mrs. Campbell for coming to our room and teaching us how to make a precious Valentine's card. Thanks to those who also sent in the supplies to make the bags! We had such a wonderful time!

Mr. Bill Boggs, Cap's Special Guest

2011-02-10T06:49:00.000-08:00

Our special guest today came all the way from Virginia to be with us! I wonder if he drove his car here or maybe flew a plane. A plane, you ask? Yes! Today we interviewed Mr. Bill Boggs, Cap's special guest. Not only is he a pilot, he is also a flight instructor with the F.A.A. As a child Mr. Bill's father took him to an air show where he found his inspiration to become a pilot! He told us that as second graders we are already learning the basics to flying; weather, angles, and taking notes. We know there are many other things we would need to learn but it was exciting to hear that we are learning about skills he uses in his job. We also role played how important it is for pilots to communicate with Air Traffic Control and scenarios of situations that could occur during flights. Mr. Bill works with the Civil Air Patrol whose job is to help planes who have lost contact with Air Traffic Control or are experiencing another emergency situations. When Mr. Bill is not working he enjoys spending time with his family. They especially like to visit the beach. Mr. Bill grew up as the youngest of five children in his family in Greenville, South Carolina! Some of his favorite things are the color blue, Italian food and his 3 cats. Mr. Bill fascinated us with is job as a pilot. We were so interested in his special tools that he uses to navigate his planes in the sky. We are so thankful he and his wife made the trip from Virginia to be with our class today as Cap's special guest! Thank you for sharing your story with us!

The Caterpillars Finally Arrived!

2011-02-10T06:34:00.000-08:00

Mrs. Nicole Kassen, Dominic's Special Guest

2011-02-03T05:37:00.000-08:00

If I ever need to go to the hospital, I will go to the Grand Strand Regional Medical Center. While I'm there, I hope my nurse will be Mrs. Kassen. Did you know that Mrs. Kassen's job is being a nurse? Most nurses have a uniform that includes white shoes, white pants and a white shirt. Now you know how to identify most nurses at the hospital! Mrs. Kassen has known from a very young age that she wanted to be a nurse. Besides her job, Mrs. Kassen has many hobbies that includes reading, exercising, and walking on the beach! After growing up in the middle of the United States of America in Nebraska, Mrs. Kassen has grown a deep appreciation for living near an ocean! She truly enjoys living so close to the beach now! Mrs. Kassen enjoys a family tradition of eating Sunday dinner together each week with her family. We learned through her interview that Mrs. Kassen has a gift for helping others. Hopefully, she has inspired some of us to be more like her and help others in any way we can! Who knows, maybe one day, someone in our class will become a nurse just like her! Thank you for sharing your heart today Mrs. Kassen!

Ms. Katy Sellers, Our Student Intern

2011-02-01T06:11:00.000-08:00

You may not know this but our student teacher from the Academy of the Arts, Science and Technology is an extremely busy high school student! Not only is she learning how to become a teacher through her internship on Tuesdays and Thursdays, she also works as a nanny and at the clothing store Forever 21! Today's special guest, Miss Katy Sellers is very special to our class. She has helped us grow as writers and thinkers since the beginning of the school year! We learned many things about her today that we never knew before! For example, did you know that Miss Sellers loves to cheerlead and would like to do it in college? She hopes attend the College of Charleston next year. While at Charleston, Miss Sellers will continue her pursuit of becoming a teacher. Our class asked her how she became inspired to teach and she told us it was because of her 1st grade teacher! How wonderful! When Miss Sellers is not working, some of her hobbies are scrapbooking, shopping and going to the pool. We enjoyed learning more about our special student teacher today. Miss Sellers, you are already a wonderful teacher and we wish you all the best when you have your own classroom some day. Thank you for all you do for us! We are so glad that you will be with us through the end of the year!

Mr. Simon Keays, Presley's Special Guest

2011-01-27T06:28:00.000-08:00

On three we are going to shout, "Grow our brains"! This is how our day started with Presley's special guest, her dad, Mr. Simon Keays. As the assistant principal at Socastee Elementary School he teaches the students there that every day they have the opportunity to have fun and grow their brains at school! In his job he is able to visit every classroom at Socastee Elementary school almost everyday! Wow! Many of the children wished they could use one of his special tools - his walkie talkie! He told us his favorite part of his job is helping children to do their best and visiting them in their classrooms. Before Mr. Keays was an assistant principal he taught both in California and right here in Horry County! He also coaches women's softball. When Mr.Keays is not at work he enjoys spending time with his family. In his family are his wife, Mrs.Lisa Keays and three daughters; Presley, Kennedy and Taylor. Some of his favorites include the Steelers football team, Mrs. Lisa's spaghetti, and the song Take Me Out to the Ballgame. It was evident during Mr. Keay's interview that his job is important to him, but that his family is the most precious to him. We enjoyed learning all about you today Mr. Keays. Thank you for helping us understand what it is like to be an assistant principal

Freedom Readers

2011-01-23T05:49:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, January 22, we were invited to come and share our Hearts' Stories curriculum with a local non-profit organization called Freedom Readers. What an opportunity it was to share ways of building community while integrating reading and writing. After proudly displaying what our second graders are doing with the program, I was able to share with the Freedom Readers group how they can make it work in their own "out of school" setting. I am encouraged and excited to see how Hearts' Stories can fit any age or educational model. Our Non-Profit, Hearts' Stories: A Vision for Change, was able to donate $140 in books to use as mentor text within the program, 28 steno pads for note taking, a $60 supply check and two t-shirts for the director of the program! What an incredible blessing it is to see the Non-Profit continue to grow with the original vision and mission of helping others, help others! Freedom Readers, thank you for the invitation on Saturday. We can't wait to hear about your guests and the stories in their hearts! To learn more about Freedom Readers, please visit their website at www.freedomreaders.org.

5th Grade Math Day with Landon's Special Guest Mrs. Terrell

2011-01-20T06:29:00.000-08:00

Mr. Lance Larson, Emily's Special Guest

2011-01-20T06:04:00.000-08:00

Our class wishes to extend a heartfelt thank you to our special guest today. Mr. Lance Larson, we thank you for the sacrifices you make to serve our country in the U.S. Navy. What an incredible honor it must be to have served our country for over 23 years! Mr. Larson now serves in the reserves. He shared with the class that he will be deployed one day before his birthday on April 8th to Kuwait. He will be on a 6 month tour. Besides his job in the Navy, Mr. Larson is a team leader at Target. Through his interview we learned that Mr. Larson enjoys helping people! One of his favorite parts of his job at Target is that he gets to help others! He has earned two "Great Team" awards for his excellence in what he does at Target. In his spare time, Mr. Larson enjoys playing his XBox 360, spending time with Emily, doing puzzles, and fishing. Emily and her Dad enjoy riding bikes together on warm days and playing outside with one another! Mr. Larson, we truly enjoyed your interview today. We have great respect for the way you serve our country and we thank you again for what you do for our freedom!

Mr. Jeff LeCours, Joshua's Special Guest

2011-01-13T06:23:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered who cleans the outside of of high rise buildings, hotels and many other hard to clean places? We know one person who can do it! Today we interviewed Mr. Jeff LeCours, Joshua's dad. He told us all about creating his own business called JL Pressure Washing. We learned all about how he manages a successful, growing, business and also how he enjoys being his own boss. When Mr. LeCours is not working he enjoys spending time with his wife Lisa, daughter, Jessica and his son, Joshua! He also enjoys bowling, watching movies and football. Mr. LeCours is originally from Boston. Our class thanks Mr. LeCours for the very considerate gift of pens and mini flashlights! We will think of you when we use them! It was a joy to learn all about the business of pressure washing and the heart's story of Mr. LeCours today.

Pictures will be posted soon.

Our New Friend Mike

2011-01-06T06:24:00.000-08:00

I would like to introduce you to our newest friend from Ocean Bay Elementary School, his name is Mike! On Monday we were so excited to hear that we would be getting a new student! Mike is orginally from Liberty, New York! He told us that it snowed a lot there and he enjoyed riding his snowmobile. Mike shared with us today many of his interests. He collects key chains from all of the places he has travelled too. Mike also shared a special story about his sister, Tony. Tony had leukemia many years ago. The Make-a-Wish Foundation granted her wish of sending her family to Hawaii! He earned a very special award as a "Super Sibling"! We are o proud of him. Mike has many favories including, blue, football, donuts, pizza, and Sponge Bob Square Pants! We are so happy to have Mike join our class!

In School Field Trip - Magnets

2011-01-06T06:23:00.001-08:00

Cocky's Reading Express

2011-01-06T06:20:00.002-08:00

Santa's Workshop

2010-12-17T04:40:00.000-08:00

Mr. Adam Lesley, Megan's Special Guest

2010-12-16T07:03:00.000-08:00

Do you know how much work goes into keeping us safe and healthy? Mr. Adam Lesley does because it is his job at the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. He told us how his job consists of many different responsibilities from food safety, animal safety, personal health and wellness and many more! Mr. Lesley enjoys many things in his spare time. He told us he has been to more than 50 concerts! He even had a picture with one of the members from his favorite band named, Yes! Some of his favorites include, pizza, the color blue, old T.V. shows and video games. He especially enjoys spending time with his wife Pam and children Scott and Megan. We enjoyed learning about your job Mr. Lesley! You inspired us to take an "in school" field trip to the lunch room to find out more about what our own school is doing to keep us safe! We found out our lunch room scored an A on their DHEC inspection! Way to go FES! We count on you to keep us healthy and safe! Thank you for helping us understand your job and your hobbies, Mr. Lesley.

Mrs. Sandra, Michael's Special Guest

2010-12-09T06:27:00.000-08:00

Buenas Dias! This morning we met the most courageous woman, Mrs. Sandra! Michael invited his mom to come today as his special guest. Mrs. Sandra told us that she is orginally from Mexico. We asked her what her favorite Mexican holiday is and she told us all about November 20th which is Independence Day in Mexico. It also happens to be her son, Michael's birthday!

Mrs. Sandra spoke to us in English and Spanish today. We loved listening to her. Michael helped his mom by translating a few things for the class. Today we learned that Mrs. Sandra's family is very important to her. She loves her two sons Michael and Stuart very much. Together with her family, they enjoy being at home and going to the beach. What courage it took for Mrs. Sandra to come today and be interviewed by our class in her second language!

PJ Day and The Polar Express!

2010-12-03T12:20:00.001-08:00

What an incredible day we had today! Our classroom was filled with the most precious warm fuzzy pajamas, robes and slippers! We even had some special visitors with the children today - their beloved stuffed animals! The class transformed into a cinema as we enjoyed our special time watching The Polar Express Movie and snacking on hot chocolate, candy canes, popcorn and cookies! This afternoon we read the book, The Polar Express so we were able to compare and contrast the book to the movie! It was truly a very special day at school today!

Mr. David Whisnant, Ian's Special Guest

2010-12-02T06:28:00.001-08:00

Do you know someone who has travelled the world? Today Ian's special guest, Mr. David told us all about his government job as an electrician that has taken him all over the world! He enjoys meeting new people and learning about their culture! Another exciting part of travelling all over the world is trying different foods from many places! Three countries that we learned about from Mr. David include Korea, Germany and Asia. He spoke to us in German and told us about his favorite foods from Germany! Today we learned that family is very important to Mr. David. He also enjoys his pets, Scarlet and Peanut! Mr. David, thank you for sharing your heart with us today! We enjoyed your interview!

We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

2010-11-30T17:28:00.001-08:00

Our class hopes that you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Before the break, the children had a family homework assignment. Each child was assigned a "Family Turkey" to create. The only guideline was that each member of their family was strongly encouraged to contribute to their turkey! The children and their families created beautiful masterpieces! Please take a look! We also made a Thanksgiving Friendship soup as a class. We all shared what we are thankful for and celebrated with a delicious soup that we cooked together in class. I hope that your Thanksgiving was a celebration of all you have to be thankful for. My family traveled to Knoxville, TN to spend the holiday with family. While we were there our son Noah got to meet Santa on a special train ride! Please enjoy our pictures!

News 15 Field Trip

2010-11-18T12:16:00.000-08:00

Goodbye, Ms. Brammer!

2010-11-18T10:27:00.001-08:00

Today we said farewell to Ms. Brooke Brammer, our CCU Student Intern! She has been with us for the past several months on Thursday mornings. We have truly enjoyed our time with her! She has helped many of us grow as writer's! Thank you Ms. Brammer for your wonderful work! We will miss you! Good luck with your own class one day! They will be blessed to have you!

Mrs. Hafida, Malak's Special Guest

2010-11-18T10:19:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful interview we had today! Our special guest spoke to us in her 3rd language! Today we interviewed Mrs. Hafida, Malak's mom. Her first language in her native country of Morocco is Arabic. Secondly, Mrs. Hafida speaks French. Finally, she also speaks English! How incredible! We enjoyed learning about the customs, traditions and religion of the people in Morocco. Mrs. Hafida told us a little about one holiday called Ramadan. We enjoyed learning that other places celebrate holidays that we do not traditionally celebrate here in the United States. Mrs. Hafida had someone very special with her during her interview - baby Adam! It was a joy meeting Adam. We could tell that he is very precious to Mrs. Hafida. She told us that her children are very dear to her. Her daughter Malak's name means angel in Arabic. Her son's name "Walid" means hero. We learned so much about Mrs. Hafida today! Thank you for helping us travel to a new country through your stories today!

"Artifacts"

2010-11-18T10:08:00.000-08:00

In Social Studies we have been learning about our own family history! We have been learning about our ancestors, our customs and holidays around the world! Last week I encouraged the children to go home and ask if their parents if they had any family "artifacts" that they could share with the class. We saw some incredible pieces of history last week! Please enjoy the pictures of the things some of the children brought in to share!

Mrs. Jan Terrell, Landon's Special Guest

2010-11-11T06:11:00.001-08:00

Please enjoy two students' stories as they will tell you all they learned about Mrs. Jan Terrall. These stories were written by Megan and Landon.

Ms. Roberta Koppel

2010-10-28T12:59:00.000-07:00

Today a very kind, caring and loving person came to our classroom. Her name is Ms. Roberta Koppel. She was invited by Olivia to be our special guest for the day. Ms. Roberta is Olivia's next door neighbor but is more like a "substitute" Grandmother to Olivia since her grandparents live out of state. Together Olivia and Ms. Roberta like to plant flowers and be outside together. Ms. Roberta has a knack for animals and nature. Her 3 cats, 1 dog and 2 birds keep her great company as do the hummingbirds that come to visit her Hibiscus plants outside her patio. After working as a bookkeeper, Ms. Roberta is now retired. She enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, sewing and gardening. We enjoyed getting to know Ms. Roberta today!

Halloween Fun!

2010-10-28T12:50:00.000-07:00

A huge thank you to all who sent in supplies for our Halloween/Fall Celebration today! We truly appreciate your generosity. A special thank you to Mrs. Parks, Mrs. Ledford, Mrs. Davis, Mrs. Baker, and Mrs. Tucker for giving of your time and talent to assist us during our party! We had a wonderful time. The children made "Witches Hands" popcorn hands, spider cupcakes, ghost lollipops and played Pumpkin Bingo. It was a blast! Thank you to everyone who helped make our party such a big success! Enjoy the pictures!

Bubbles in the Wind and Pumpkin Math

2010-10-21T06:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we experimented with wind direction by blowing bubbles in the wind! We saw how wind blows around corners, trees and our playground by blowing a bubble and watching it turn a corner! Then, in the afternoon we explored our pumpkins! We measured the circumference, the weight and counted the seeds inside! We also found out that pumpkins float! We had a wonderful time! Please enjoy our pictures!

Mrs. Julie Roy

2010-10-21T06:17:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, October 21st we met a very special person to Reagan, we met her mom! Mrs. Julie Roy came today to tell us about her job as the Executive Producer at WBTW-TV News Channel 13. She told us all about how her job includes many responsibilities from scheduling, reading scripts, writing stories, researching and interviewing! While at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York, Mrs. Roy studied Broadcast News as a Communications Major. She has worked at many different news stations over her career and recently moved to Myrtle Beach to work for Channel 13. Mrs. Roy has been married for 15 years to Mr. Alan Roy. Together they have two children, Reagan and Rachel. In her spare time, Mrs. Roy enjoys going to the beach and being with her family. We enjoyed getting to know all about Mrs. Julie Roy today! Thank you for sharing your heart with us!

Parachutes, Pushing Air and Balloon Rockets, Oh My!

2010-10-14T16:29:00.000-07:00

We are having so much fun learning about air! We have learned about air resistance, air pressure and moving air through our last few experiments. Please enjoy our pictures from our last few experiements!

Mrs. Susan Tucker, Sammy's Special Guest 10-14-10

2010-10-14T06:20:00.000-07:00

The story of Mrs. Susan Tucker begins in Long Island New York on September 4th, 1973 - her birthday! Although Mrs. Tucker was born in New York she grew up in Florida and lived there until she left for college. Mrs. Tucker was a hard worker and an amazing student growing up. Her hard work paid off and she earned a full scholarship to attend Newberry College in South Carolina. While in college she learned to be an accountant. After working as an accountant for 14 years, Mrs. Tucker decided she wanted to help teach others how to become accountants! She now works as a Professor at Coastal Carolina University. In her free time, Mrs. Tucker's hobbies include cooking (she is famous for her cakes and cupcakes!), reading and going to the beach with her family. Both of her boys, Sammy and Edward are very important and special to her. She enjoys watching both of them play football! We truly enjoyed learning about your life today Mrs. Tucker! Thank you for helping us realize that every place we spend money there is someone (hopefully like you) doing the accounting!

Paula Player Photography

2010-10-09T03:04:00.000-07:00

Six years ago, my first grade students at North Myrtle Beach Primary School had the opportunity to interview Ms. Paula Viafara a local bank teller. She spoke of her career, her soon to be husband, her family and her home in Columbia, South America. Since her interview many things have changed in Paula's life! She is now known as Mrs. Paula Player as she married her best friend David! Over time she pursued her true passion of photography and has created her own amazing company to support her talent! She has also since become an American Citizen. What a journey she has had in the past 6 years! After being a special guest in the classroom, Paula found that she wanted to remain active with Hearts' Stories and give back to her community. Paula has dedicated countless hours and pictures from interviews and end of the year Hearts' Stories celebrations! The program is forever grateful for her amazing talent as it captures the spirit of the program! Paula came to visit our classroom on Monday, September 27th, which happened to be Reagan's interview day. I hope you enjoy some of the images captured on that day! Many heartfelt thanks to Paula! For more information about Paula's company or for those seeking personal pictures, you can find her at www.paulaplayerblog.com. Enjoy!

Mr. Michael Parks, Duncan's Special Guest

2010-10-07T06:25:00.000-07:00

A beautiful sunrise surrounded by blue ocean as far as the eye can see is what greets Captain Michael Parks as his day begins on the Miss Hayley ship. His crew is looking for oil in the sea floor. Recently, Mr. Parks just returned from an assignment off of the coast of Nicaragua. In his down time on the ship when he is not working he enjoys watching movies. He told us that he is able to see dolphins, whales and even sharks occasionally out at sea! The Miss Hayley is 200 feet long and 65 feet tall. It usually cruises around 10 Nautical Miles per hour (or 15 miles per hour). Mr. Parks job has taken him all around the world! His passport is almost full from visiting so many countries! He is fluent in German and Spanish. The children enjoyed listening to him count for us in German. When Mr. Parks is back home he truly enjoys being with his family. They love to go out to eat, play outside and be together! Duncan loves to play Lego's with his dad. Mr. Parks told us that education is so important and he uses what he learned in school every day! It was a true pleasure hearing the story of Mr. Park's heart today!

Air and Water Experiment

2010-10-02T03:32:00.000-07:00

In our experiment today the class was introduced to a vial, foam ball, and a tub of water. The children where told to first explore with the vial and water with their purpose being to find out what happens to air when it is under water. Then, they introduced the foam ball to their experiment to see if they could float the foam ball on the water and put the vial over it. Finally, the students were challenged to put a dry paper towel at the very bottom of their vial. Then, turn it upside and push it straight into the water to see if the paper towel would stay dry! Please ask your child to tell you what happened! Also, listen to Michael explain on the blog how he made a connection to this experiment from a time when he was swimming! Enjoy the pictures! We sure had fun!

Vermalane

2010-09-29T06:41:00.000-07:00

Do you know where Micronesia is? We do because our special guest today told us where it is! Vermalane's family moved to the United States from Micronesia several years ago. She also shared with us some words in her native language! It sounded beautiful. Vermalane is blessed to have a large family. Her family includes her Mommy, Daddy, 4 sisters and one brother! We can tell that Vermalane is a great big sister because she is so kind and caring towards others. Vermanale has many favorites including: purple, green, her toothbrush holder, America's Funniest Videos, Junie B. Jones books and Chinese food. When Vermalane grows up she would like to be a Zookeeper. One person Vermalane looks up to is her dad! She said she looks up to him because he is a great baseball player. We enjoyed learning all about Vermalane today!

Students have started to really grow in their notetaking skils! Look at the way Brianna has organized her steno pad into sections of "favorites" and "food"! What a great way to oganize your thoughts Brianna! Megan has learned to cross off her steno pad notes as she uses them in her story! Wonderful job Megan!

Air is all around us!

2010-09-28T12:36:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from our first experiment with air! Today we learned that air is all around us. We experimented with a plastic bag, straw, foam ball, cotton ball, feather, and balloon. I hope your child came home from school today and shared what they learned! Tomorrow we will begin to understand how air creates weather through our reading and reflections on our experiment.

Sammy

2010-09-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

Today we met someone who would like to grow up to be a professional football player! Do you know who it is? He plays on the Little League football team named the Gamecocks! It is Sammy! Sammy would like to play either quarterback or running back when he grows up. Sammy told us that his family is his Mommy, Daddy, and brother Edward. He also has three dogs Sadie, Nala and Atos. Some of Sam's favorite's include: his Wii, pizza, blue, writing, math, and playing football! Sam told us that he really looks up to his Dad and would like to be like him one day. We enjoyed learning all about Sammy today!

Reagan

2010-09-27T06:59:00.001-07:00

Today we interviewed a very special guest named Reagan! Reagan is orginally from Ohio. She moved to Myrtle Beach over the summer. She shared with us how it can be difficult to move away from friends but how exciting it is to make new friends here.She keeps in touch with her friends in Ohio by writing them! They have formed a "Flat Stanley" kind of Pen Pal club. Reagan has a bunny that her grandma gave to her called "Lamby". This is one of her most cherished toys! In addition to her Lamb, Reagan loves playing her nintendo Wii! Reagan's family enjoys trips to the beach. Recently she found a sand dollar in the sand at the beach! Reagan told us that she lives with her Mommy, Daddy, sister Rachel and two cats, Whiskers and Nikky. When Reagan grows up, she would like to be a teacher! I know she will make a wonderful teacher! We truly enjoyed learning all about you today Reagan!

Annual T-Shirt Sale

2010-09-25T04:41:00.000-07:00

Dear Parents,

As you know, your child is participating in a very special program this year called Hearts’ Stories. Starting very soon, members from the community, parents, grandparents and relatives will be invited by students to come into our classroom to be interviewed. These classroom interviews will be held once a week and we call these days “Hearts Stories” days. We will wear special t-shirts to show our classroom community and pride in what we are doing! These t-shirts can be worn to school each week on the “Hearts’ Stories” day. Then, all of the children participating in this program at this school will wear their t-shirt to our big end of the year Hearts’ Stories Family and Community Celebration. In addition, it is always a joy to see past students in 3rd, 4th and even 5th grade in Hearts’ Stories shirts from when they were in second grade!

Look for a letter and order form that explains t-shirt sizes and prices coming home in your child's FROGS folder this week. T-shirt orders will be due on October 8th, 2010. If you are currently unable to purchase a shirt for your child but would like for them to have one, please indicate that on the order form. If you are able to make a $10 donation for a child who may not be able to purchase a shirt, please indicate that on the order form. The sale of the t-shirts helps to purchase supplies needed for the program and also shows our amazing community being built through the Hearts’ Stories program!

Most sincerely,
Mrs. Edwards

PS. Hearts' Stories was incorporated into a State of South Carolina Non-Profit Organization three years ago to support teachers and their students in this wonderful program!

Accepting Cash and Checks made out to "Hearts' Stories"

($10) Youth Sizes Small -Large
($10) Adult Sizes Small- X-Large
($13) *Adult Plus Sizes XX-Large-XXX-Large

Olivia

2010-09-24T06:54:00.000-07:00

Today we met someone who is originally from Pennsylvania! Do you know who that is? It is Olivia! Olivia was born in Pennsylvania on January 30th, 2003. This past summer she returned to Pennsylvania to visit her relatives. Together, they visited the Pittsburgh Zoo. Olivia got to stand next to a huge elephant and have her picture taken! She said that was very neat and even a little scary. Her Aunt made her a very special memory book of her trip to Pittsburgh. Speaking of books, Olivia is an author and illustrator! She made a book called The Little Dew Mouse to explain why dew is on the ground! It is an incredible story! Some of Olivia's favorites include: pink, purple, chicken nuggets, math, the beach, and the Disney Channel. Olivia told us that her family is very special to her. She lives with her Mommy, Daddy, big brother Matthew, little brother Ben and her sister, Annalis. We enjoyed Olivia's interview today.

Landon

2010-09-23T06:48:00.000-07:00

Do you know who loves Jimmy Johnson? Landon! Landon enjoys watching Nascar and likes to cheer for the number 48 car! He also has a passion for hunting and showed the class a picture of his first doe. Landon told us that he lives with his Step dad, Mom, and little brother Jackson. We could tell he dearly loves his little brother by the way he smiled when he talked about Jackson. Some of Landon's favorites include, steak, Magic Treehouse books, playing his xbox and wii, as well as the color blue! He showed us a very special shark tooth necklace that his dad gave to him. We learned so much about Landon today! We hope you did too!

Duncan

2010-09-22T07:16:00.000-07:00

Do you know who would like to maybe build ships in the military one day?! We do! Duncan! Duncan is a very talented artist who likes to draw and build things! Over the summer, Duncan visited the Battleship North Carolina. His visit there inspired him to build a model of the battleship out of Le gos! Duncan shared his creation with the class today. He also showed us a small fighter jet called "Green Thunder" and said that he enjoyed visiting the Aircraft Carrier, the U.S.S Yorktown in Charleston. Duncan is extremely interested in our history and the battles that we have fought! Some of Duncan's other interests include: Lego's, his stuffed animal squirrel, the color yellow, spaghetti, Tom and Jerry and his family. He was born on March 29th in Massachusetts. He lives with his Mommy, Daddy and brother Tanner. Duncan's Daddy is able to travel to many places around the world with his job on the "Miss Hayley" boat. Duncan is very proud of his Daddy and can't wait to see him again soon. I hope you enjoyed learning all about Duncan today!

Malak

2010-09-21T06:44:00.000-07:00

Do you know that someone in our class was born in Morocco? Her name is Malak! We learned so much about her today. She told us that she loves to write in her diary. In her diary she writes and draws about things that are important to her. Malak told us that she lives with her Daddy, Mommy, brother Walid and baby brother Adam. Some of her favorites include: Barbies, singing, writing, drawing, cats, Disney Channel and Mac and Cheese! Malak would like to be a doctor and a singer when she grows up! We truly enjoyed learning all about Malak today!

Michael

2010-09-20T07:02:00.000-07:00

Hola! Today we met Michael! Michael told us that he was born in Mexico. He is very talented and can speak two languages! Michael taught us how to count to ten in Spanish! Michael lives with his mother and his little brother Allen. He loves his family very much. They took a special trip to Disney World together. While in Disney, Michael went to a Sea World show and a petting zoo! Michael also loves the color red, McDonalds and mac and cheese! Michael hopes to be a police man when he grows up because he likes helping others! We enjoyed our special guest today!

Ian

2010-09-17T09:45:00.000-07:00

Today we met someone who has the nickname Little Bear! Do you know why? Today we met Ian and his ancestors are Native Americans. He told us that he has the name "Little Bear" as an Indian nickname. Ian enjoys wearing his special Native American necklace. He told the class that he lives with his Mom, dog, Peanut, and cat, Scarlet. Ian enjoys playing outside with his mom and the way she helps him with his homework. Ian loves to build with his Lego's. In his spare time he enjoys reading. He received a medal for his reading this summer! Some of Ian's favorites include: pizza, the color red, recess, learning, playing guitar and collecting dragons! We enjoyed meeting you today, Little Bear! Thank you for sharing your heart with us!

Megan

2010-09-16T07:05:00.001-07:00

Do you know who we interviewed today? Megan! Megan is working towards her yellow belt in Karate! She showed us how to tie a knot on her belt! She has earned several stripes for her hard work! We look forward to hearing when you get your yellow belt Megan! Megan told us that she would like to be a teacher at Forestbrook Middle School just like her mom! Speaking of Megan's mommy, she told us that her mommy is a twin! That means Megan's Aunt and her Mom look just alike! But, Megan said she can tell them apart! Good thing, Megan! Megan enjoys being with her family. Her family includes her Mom, Dad and brother Scott. She likes to play with Tinker Toys, her Teddy bear, and on her Wii! We enjoyed all the wonderful things we learned about Megan today!

Allen Scott Ledford

2010-09-15T06:54:00.001-07:00

Oh my goodness, we are amazed! Allen Scott made it sound like there were ducks in our classroom. Allen Scott has an amazing talent. He can do all kinds of duck calls. He told us that it takes a lot of practice and he spends a lot of time after school working on them! He showed us 4 different calls. Then, he shared with us several duck tags and a special medal he won while hunting. Allen Scott is very knowledgeable about the tools a hunter needs! He explained to us how much his family has worked with him to be responsible with his hunting gear. He also talked about the importance of knowing the hunting laws to keep people safe! Allen Scott said he might want to work for the Department of Natural Resources as a Deputy when he is older. Allen Scott loves his family very much. He is the oldest of three children. His younger brother, Colton is learning how to become a hunter as well. His younger sister is named Chloe. When he is not hunting, Allen Scott enjoys going to the waterpark, playing outside, fishing and watching the Atlanta Braves play baseball! We enjoyed getting to know Allen Scott today!

Joshua

2010-09-14T06:20:00.000-07:00

Do you know who was born on April 18th, 2003? Our special guest, Joshua! Joshua enjoys playing Legos, his Wii, and with his Backugons. Joshua's favorites also include, the color red, eating chicken, watching football (the Panther's and the Patriot's) and watching Sponge Bob! Joshua said he would like to take over his father's buisness when he is a grown up. He told us his company is called J.L's Pressure Washing. I know who I'll call next time my house needs cleaned! Joshua loves to read! Today I told you all about your special guest, Joshua!

Emily

2010-09-13T08:01:00.000-07:00

Today we interviewed someone who would like to be a biologist when they grow up! Do you know who that is? It is Emily! Emily loves animals and hopes to study them as a biologist when she is older. She said if she is not a biologist then she would like to be a singer! Emily has many favorites including: the color red, her pets, Taylor Swift, bowling, movies, horses and creamy chicken and rice! Emily was born on November 19th. She enjoys spending time with her family. Do you want to meet Emily now? I'm sure you do!

Presley

2010-09-10T12:01:00.000-07:00

Today we interviewed Presley! Do you know that Presley would like to be a professional baseball player when she grows up? She has been playing now for 3 years and showed us a medal she got for her great effort! Presley also enjoys being with her family. She is the oldest of three girls! Some of Presleys favorite's include: blue, ladybugs, playing outside and mac and cheese! We were able to hear all about Animal Kingdom today thanks to Presley! She told us how amazing it is and brought in a few things that she got while she was there. Presley even told us that you could feed the giraffe's from your balcony! How cool! We enjoyed our special guest today!

Dominic

2010-09-09T10:40:00.000-07:00

Today we met the most wonderful guest! Today we met Dominic! Dominic loves his family very much. He told us that his family includes his mommy, daddy, and two big brothers. He has many pets in his family as well! He has a special lovebird named Squeakers and a dog named Zoey. He also has fish! Dominic loves to play with balls, legos and be outside! We truly enjoyed learning all about Dominic today! What a wonderful interview!

Brianna D.

2010-09-08T06:14:00.000-07:00

Can you believe that we met someone who wants to be a singer when she grows up?! Today we met Brianna D! She loves to sing! Brianna also enjoys watching T.V., especially the program called iCarly! Brianna's family includes her Mommy, Daddy and two brothers! Her brothers are older than her and their names are Zachery and Caleb. Brianna enjoys spending time with her family. She shared pictures with the class of two special trips she took with them. She has been to the N.C. Aquarium and to Chucky Cheese recently with her family! Some of Brianna's favorites include: Barbies, playing outside, black and pink, and macaroni and cheese! Brianna has one cat named "Sam I am"! How cute! Today we enjoyed interviewing Brianna!

Cap

2010-09-07T06:47:00.000-07:00

Do you know who we met today? We met Cap! Cap told us something that is very special about himself - he is an only child! He loves his family very much. He has one pet, his turtle, named Ferb. He showed us several things that he loves and enjoys! The first thing he showed us is a picture of him driving a boat! He went to visit his Uncle Bill and Aunt Jill this summer and it was their boat he was driving! How fun! He also showed us a NCAA baseball that he got while at a Coastal Carolina baseball game. Some of Cap's favorites include: Legos, Star Wars, pizza, Magic Treehouse books, and the color red. Cap would like to make movies when he grows up because it has been such a long time since the last Star Wars movie was made that he would like to make a new one! Cap also enjoys watching wrestling. He went to wrestling camp and recieved a medal for his great work! We learned so much about Cap today! Thank you for sharing your heart with us today, Cap!

Brianna C.

2010-09-03T06:55:00.000-07:00

Did you know that we met a very special person today? Today our class interviewed Brianna C. She is a very artistic person! She loves to draw and write. Brianna shared that she enjoys cheerleading, playing outside and watching TV. Her favorite TV show is Sponge Bob Square Pants. Brianna has many favorites which include: the color pink, chicken nuggets, horses and Polly Pocket toys. Today she told us about some very special people in her life. Her Papa is very important to her. He makes tropheys and made her one that says "Papa's Little Princess". I think Brianna is pretty special to her Papa!! Brianna also enjoys spending time with her mommy and Shane. Brianna said she would like to be a vet or a preacher when she grows up. We enjoyed getting to know Brianna C. today!

Zoe Campbell

2010-09-02T06:45:00.000-07:00

Today we met a very special friend. Her name is Zoe! Zoe has a very kind heart and is a friend to all. Today we learned all about Zoe. She loves animals and thinks she may enjoy becoming a vet when she grows up. For now, she takes care of her cat, dog and one puppy. Zoe enjoys playing with her pets, being with her friends and tap dancing! She brought her tap shoes to school to show us! Zoe told us that she lives with her mommy, daddy, sister Bella and her grandma! We are enjoying learning all about each others families. Today we truly enjoyed learning all about Zoe.

Colin

2010-09-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Today we met a very special person. His name is Colin! Colin told us that he has a big family! He is one of six children in his family. Colin is very responsible and told us that he has to take care of his pets. He has 3 hamsters and 4 turtles to help take care of at his house. Colin loves to play. He enjoys Bakugans, Mighty Beans, baseball and football. His favorite foods are chicken nuggets and hamburgers. Colin told us that he would like to be a writer or an artist when he grows up! We enjoyed learning all about Colin today!

Maddy

2010-08-31T06:40:00.000-07:00

Today we learned all about Maddy! Did you know that she is an author and illustrator? Maddy loves to write and draw. She also enjoys playing with her Barbies and Littlest Pet Shop toys. But, more than writing, drawing and her toys, Maddy loves her family. Maddy told us that she lives with her mommy and grandma who love her very much. She said she especially enjoys spending time with them. Maddy likes to play games like Jenga, Uno, and Yaztee! We had so much fun learning all about Maddy today.

Victor

2010-08-30T06:41:00.001-07:00

Today we met Victor! He told all us about himself and his family. He said the most important thing to him was his mom and dad! He loves Star Wars, Carowinds and playing lacrosse. Victor told us something so special today...he was born in Russia. It was wonderful getting to know all about Victor today!

The First Week of School

2010-08-27T18:28:00.000-07:00

What an exciting week we had together! This week was the first week of school in Horry County Schools, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We had an amazing time getting to know one another. This week we did many activities to build our classroom community. One of our activities was "Name Bingo" which we had so much fun playing! We hope you enjoy our pictures from that game. We also learned about Hearts' Stories and taking notes this week. As well as we met a real author... Mr. Jonathan Miller!He came and read one of his books to us and talked to us about being an author and illustrator. For more information about Mr. Miller please visit, http://www.sammydogbooks.com/. Mr. Miller was wonderful and gave us some great ideas on how to grow as writers in second grade. Here are a few pictures of his time with us. I can't wait for the weeks ahead!

First Day of School!

2010-08-24T12:45:00.001-07:00

Welcome back! What a wonderful first day of school we had! We spent the day learning all about each other and how we live, work and play in second grade! Here are a few pictures from one of our community building activities where we learned that "You'll fit right in 2nd Grade!".

2010-08-18T18:55:00.000-07:00

Welcome Back!

2010-08-18T17:42:00.000-07:00

Dear New Students and Parents,

I am thrilled to meet you tomorrow, August 19th from 6-7:00 at our Open House! Please bring a photo that I may display in the classroom this year! You may also bring your school supplies so you don't have to carry them to school on the first day!

I look forward to seeing you tomorrow night!

Love,
Mrs. Edwards

Field Day

2010-06-02T17:41:00.000-07:00

Mr. Paul Carlson, Our Last Guest of the Year

2010-06-02T17:36:00.001-07:00

Our last special guest interview of the year was Mr. Paul Carlson. Mr. Carlson is a technology teacher at FES. He is an amazing problem solver and can solve just about any computer problem! However, he shared with us that he has had many jobs before becoming a teacher! Mr. Carlson is married and has one son. He enjoys spending time with hs wife and their two dogs. We had so much fun learning about Mr. Carlson!

Thompson Farms Field Trip

2010-05-12T12:16:00.000-07:00

The second graders at FES took a grade level trip to the Thompson Farm today! We learned about animals on the farm, went on a hay ride, picked (and ate) strawberries and got to play in an amazing playground!! It was a wonderful field trip!

Myrtle Beach State Park

2010-05-08T07:17:00.000-07:00

Our class has been touched by Mr. Bob Mitchell's huge heart and gift of photography! These are pictures he took of our trip to the Myrtle Beach State Park. We concluded our study of sea turtles this week and I was truly so proud of the children being able to answer all of the hard questions the Park Ranger asked them! It was a fun day at the park!

Congrats to Michelle Richardson HCS T.O.Y!!

2010-05-08T07:04:00.000-07:00

I would like to thank everyone for your support this year! It is a humbling honor to represent FES and the district as a Teacher of the Year. I would like to extend a huge congratulations to Mrs. Michelle Richardson from Anyor Elementary. She will represent our district extremely well as the Horry County Schools Teacher of the Year. Congratulations Michelle!

To watch the video of the top 5 Teachers of the Year for Horry County Schools please visit:

Thank you to Mr. Bob Mitchell for the very nice T.O.Y pictures.

FES Hearts' Stories Family and Community Celebration

2010-05-07T18:15:00.000-07:00

NMBP Hearts' Stories Family and Community Night

2010-05-01T04:07:00.000-07:00

This past Thursday I had the pleasure of visiting North Myrtle Beach Primary School to attend Mrs. Ashley DiSabato's and Mrs. Jennifer Thompson's Child Development Hearts' Stories Program. How precious it is to see four year old's singing the important message of "It's Start's in the Heart!" I thoroughly enjoyed their video of their year together. I can tell they are already learning how important it is to get to know others and already developing great listening, writing and reading skills through the program! Ashley and Jennifer, you should be proud of your hard work! Thank you for the invitation and for all you are doing for your children!

Amazing Interns from the Academy

2010-04-29T07:43:00.001-07:00

Ms. Savannah Johnson

2010-04-29T06:27:00.000-07:00

Ms. Christine Ambrose

2010-04-22T12:20:00.001-07:00

The Story of Ms.Ashlee Hardy

2010-04-22T12:08:00.000-07:00

Mr. Harry Dill, Extreme Makeover Home Edition Builder

2010-04-19T13:48:00.001-07:00

Today I'd like to share the story of Mr. Harry Dill with you through the eyes of second grade student Cheyenne McGowan.

"Guess what, Guess what? I met Mr. Harry Dill from Extreme Home Makeover Edition! He was from Sweet Home Alabama, wow! He moved to South Carolina when he was 2 yeards old. He likes to help people. He built a church and a house at the same time. He has 3 children and 1 grandchild, wow! He has one girl. Her name is Caroline and he has two boys named Justin and Kirby. His favorte color is blue. Mine is too, wow! He likes to help people. He makes dreams come true. Mr. Harry Dill's first Makeover was in 2007 and his second one was in 2009. Finally, his third one was in 2010.Mr. Harry believes he can do anything no matter what people say. Today I told you all about our special guest interview."

Mr. Thom Penn, Hannah's Special Guest

2010-04-09T04:01:00.001-07:00

Christian, Husband, Father, Actor and Director are the words used by Mr. Thom Penn to describe himself. Mr. Penn is a an extremely funny professional actor and entertained us as we interviewed him on April 8th, 2010. Hannah Beam invited him to be her special guest. She told our class that "he is like family to me" and they are very close family friends through their church. Mr. Thom has studied theater for many years! He holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree in it! He and his wife started their own theater company locally! They are both very talented and committed actors/directors! We found out some really unique facts about Mr. Thom during his interview. His family heritage is Irish and British(which he can mimic both accents very convincingly!)His ancestors include William Penn!! Speaking of William Penn, Mr. Thom's family has a very special tradition with a beautiful ring that holds their family crest. When a Penn man turns 21, he is given this special ring with the family crest and called a "Penn Men". When he is married we will take his ring from his right hand and move it to his left to become his wedding ring! We truly enjoyed learning about this very special guest, Mr. Thom Penn!

Mrs. Jeri Jones

2010-04-06T04:06:00.000-07:00

On March 25th, our class met a world traveler! Her name is Mrs. Jeri Jones, Dayton's grandma! Mrs. Jeri and her husband have travelled all around the world with Mr. Jones' job. He builds U.S. Embassies. Mrs. Jones currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina but her husband is currently working abroad in Saudi Arabia. Mrs. Jeri lived there for several years as well. She brought in traditional clothing from Saudi Arabia and talked to us about the customs of the people she met there. We were fascinated! Mrs. Jeri has many hobbies that include reading, baking and quilting! She even made a beautiful nine patch quilt for our class! Each of us signed the quilt and it is now hanging by our rocking chair! We are so thankful for the opportunity to travel around the world with Mrs. Jeri through the stories of her travels! Please come back and visit us again!

Mr. Jim Clement, Daniel's Special Guest

2010-03-22T03:57:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, March 18th we met a local hero! We met Daniel's special guest, Mr. Jim Clement. He is a Firefighter! Mr. Clement uses courage to do his job. He works 24 hour shifts from 7 am to 7am the next day. He keeps a very special picture of his family in his fire hat. Mr. Clement has done many jobs besides his current job. He served in the army for several years and was also a chef! His first job however was working in his family's hardware store. That is how he came to know his wife! She worked across the street from the hardware store! Mr. Clement loves to spend time with his family. They like to go to the beach, play on the swings and simply just be together! We are so glad we were able to get to know Mr. Clement!

Mrs. Kate Cord, Johnny's Special Guest

2010-03-11T06:31:00.000-08:00

Each of us has a special gift or talent. Do you know what Mrs. Kate Cord's is? We do! She is a beautiful pianist! Mrs. Cord was invited by her son, Johnny to come and be interviewed by our class today. She shared with us that she has worked for 20 years as a medical transcriptionist. Her vocabulary of scientific words is incredible! She knows all about the human body and what the medical terms are called. After Mrs. Cord told us about her job in the community she shared with us all about her family. Her children Johnny and Christina are very special to her. Johnny is named after Mrs. Cord's husband, Mr. John Cord. We enjoyed learning all about Mrs. Cord today. She left us with a very important message...always be yourself and chase your dreams! She ended her interview with a wonderful sense of humor by saying, "That's all she wrote!".

2010-03-05T15:10:00.000-08:00

Mrs. Tina Cook, Jasmine's Special Guest

2010-03-04T06:36:00.001-08:00

On March 4th, 2010 a very friendly, humorous, special guest came to meet us! Jasmine invited her Grandma, Mrs. Tina Cook to come and speak to us about her job working on bridges! Have you ever met someone who works 64 feet up in the air? Mrs. Tina Cook has! She has worked on a bridge from underneath it in the Intracoastal Waterway!How do they do that you ask? Well, she was working on a man lift which was on top of a floating barge! If that doesn't impress you, this will! Mrs. Tina Cook was only 1 of 3 women on the crew. She worked with over 20 men on this job! She had to use the lifeskill of courage on this job! It was very challenging her for to do to all of these new tasks but when times got tough she would tell herself, "I can do this!". What a great lesson to us all! Next time we drive over a bridge I am sure we will all think of Mrs. Tina Cook!

Ms. Jennifer Garcia

2010-02-26T01:51:00.000-08:00

Hola! Today we were in awe as we listened to the beautiful voice of Ms. Jennifer Garcia speaking to us in Spanish. Ms. Jennifer, Vanessa's Special Guest, moved to the USA from Columbia with her family when she was 6 years old. She learned English by being immersed in it at school! We reflected on how courageous she had to be at such a young age to move to a new country! She helped us realize that not only is the language different when you move to a new country! She had to adapt to new clothes, new food, new cultural norms and a new educational system! Ms. Jennifer is now an 11th grader. She is passionate about running track, participating in the Mock Trial team and spending time with her family! She has a beloved pet parrot named "Poncho". Ms. Jennifer wants to remember her culture and language from her home country. She and her family speak Spanish at home so they don't lose their native language. Ms. Jennifer shared the Colombian flag to the class and explained the symbolism of the colors of the flag to us. She was truly a special guest!

From our Friends at Coastal..

2010-02-22T16:56:00.000-08:00

Check us out on Coastal's website:

http://www.goccusports.com/sports/w-volley/spec-rel/022210aaa.html

Inquiry and Reseach of Life Cycles

2010-02-19T16:43:00.000-08:00