December Newsletter

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December


In this issue:


Oklahoma Writing Project Contest

OWP

Writing Contest Open to Elementary Students and Teachers

Deadline for the 2019 Oklahoma Writing Project "Write To Win" contest for students and teachers is January 22, 2019. Oklahoma teachers of all grade levels and subject areas are encouraged to enter their students’ writing in the annual competition. Teachers may enter their own writing also.

Genres include descriptive paragraph, personal narrative, essay, short story, poetry, flash fiction, sentence, and writing across the curriculum. There is not an entry fee.

The contest, sponsored by the Oklahoma Writing Project of the University of Oklahoma, normally draws over 300 entries from approximately 60 teachers.  “We would like to spread the word across the state to involve more schools, more teachers, and more students,” said Janis Cramer, writing contest coordinator.

More details available on the official flyer


Resource links!

9 Tips for Teaching Kindness

Fostering a culture of kindness enhances the connections made peer-to-peer and student to teacher. Carving out time to intentionally promote kindness cultivates empathy and understanding between individuals, leading to deeper relationships. 

http://www.pbs.org/education/blog/9-tips-for-teaching-kindness-in-the-classroom

PBS & OETA Bring the World to Your Classroom

OETA and PBS have curated FREE, standards-aligned videos, inter-actives, lesson plans, and more for teachers like you.

https://oeta.pbslearningmedia.org 

Fred Rogers Productions

Fred Rogers Productions inspires a lifetime of learning by creating quality children’s media that models an enthusiasm for learning and earns the trust of parents and caregivers.

https://www.fredrogers.org/media

Making Peace in Kindergarten: Social and Emotional Growth for All Learners (NAEYC article)

In, Life in Classrooms, Philip Jackson wrote,

"Three important facts a child must learn to deal with in a classroom involve crowds, praise, and power. First, the student has to learn to live amongst a crowd. Many of the classroom activities will involve being in a group or in the presence of a group. A student’s quality of life can depend greatly on how well he works amongst a crowd."

The link below is a great article on the importance of teaching peace in classrooms.

https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/sep2016/making-peace-kindergarten


Holiday Book Buying Guide 2018

It’s the time of year when families often ask us for a list of best new books for children. Here is a printable resource from Reading Rockets with age group books for birth to 12.

The link below will let you browse through the 2018 holiday buying guides online or download and print the PDF as desired. 

The list includes science and nature books, funny stories, family stories, picture book biographies, poetry, fantasy, historical fiction, graphic novels – plus the new chapter books from Kate DiCamillo, Meg Medina, Sharon Creech, and other favorite authors. 

Happy Holidays!