Art with Mrs. Bonano!

This is a screenshot from Mrs. Bonano's
foms.art Instagram art page.
Follow her! You don't want to miss out!

Need Stress Relief?

Join our Four Oaks Middle art teacher, Miriam Bonano, in her instagram art lessons each day. You don't have to be in her art class to watch her videos and learn about different art techniques.  In this instagram she is also sharing student artwork. Follow her at foms.art - you will be glad you did!

Get Outside!

My dog Sally helping me in the garden.

It's a beautiful day! If you are on a device busily doing school work, that is great! BUT, don't forget to go outside and get some sunshine! 

Today I am working on a variety of things to share with you. There are so many free resources available now for students since we are all at home! 

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Here is one I want you to try out today! 

Junior Library Guild has a wealth of resources that are available to you now. While they have electronic books and audio books, they are also offering access to free webinars. Please give this a try, and let me know if you need any help with it. My students can email my school account or reach me through google classroom. 

Junior Library Guild is offering a variety of fun resources!

Check out this Weekly Webcast from JLG as well. 

Aiden Tyler, Quaran-teen - A Weekly Webcast “Serial” with Author Rex Ogle

Every Tuesday at 2 p.m. ET, starting March 24, 2020

Aiden Tyler is your typical middle school student. Rides the bus. Likes comic books. Tolerates his sister. But, his life is about to be turned upside down by the Coronavirus. Yes, you heard that correctly. Aiden Tyler, Quaran-teen is a new and original middle-grade serial written and read in real time by author Rex Ogle (Free Lunch). That means as YOU experience things, Aiden will be experiencing them too. Join us every Tuesday, as Rex shares Aiden's story that's full of laughs, facts, hearts, and farts. Scroll down for links to upcoming and previous episodes!

Target audience is grades 4-8 but all are welcome! Click Here! 

You can even catch up on the story if you missed it! 

Online Reading - The Free Options!

Look on the bright side -
if we were at school today
you might have to look at this!

Looking on the bright side . . .  

Many companies that normally charge a subscription are offering free materials and resources to students because school is closed. This is a great opportunity to try out products without having to sign up. I am posting resources as I find them in this PADLET, but here are just a few you might want to try today.

Do you Like Listening to Books Better Than Reading Them?

Audible Stories  has posted a collection of stories to use as long as schools are closed. Stories can be streamed from your desktop, laptop, phone, or tablet. There are 40 books for Tweens and 66 books for teens (young adults). Several titles have already caught my eye. Try it out and let me know what you think! (This is a version of AUDIBLE that is free - Audible still charges, but Audible Stories is free!)

How About a Magazine?

Scholastic Learn From Home is a free online version of the Scholastic magazines we have used at school in the print form. It has a section specifically for grades 6-9, and TODAY they are sponsoring a book fest where you can participate with Lauren Tarshis, the author of the I SURVIVED Series.

Try one TODAY!

A Typical Day in ATYPICAL Time

So today's blog is about how our lives have changed during this quarantine time. TYPICALLY my Wednesdays are SO BUSY! In my family, everyone goes to work or school. I usually have a meeting after school that can run long. Then, we go to church from around 6 to 8 - we eat with our church family and stay for our various classes. And on a typical day, I might worry about catching a cold or not having enough time to get everything done or what to pack for lunch, etc.

TODAY, my husband continues to go to work, but he is working with less people because everyone can't work during this time. I left my children at home to do school work at home. I went to school (which is actually unusual during this time) to prepare devices for student check-out. BUT, instead of checking out books and teaching lessons and planning with teachers, I worked with one other person all day quickly and quietly preparing for tomorrow's curbside pick-up. And tonight, I will be participating in church from my chromebook.

I miss my typical days - but I am experiencing joy in this atypical situation. I hope that you can also find joy in the unusual circumstances during this quarantine.
Can you name one thing you are grateful for today?
Can you remember a moment today that you laughed?
Was there a moment today that you were thankful for an accomplishment or job well done?

While it's not a typical time in our lives, we can certainly look for bright spots in these atypical circumstances!

A sunflower is one of my favorite flowers because it is always reaching toward the sun. 

"Image" by Morgan R. Turner is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Write Your Own Story!

A scary morning picture of my journal and me!

Good Morning! 

I hope you are doing well this morning. One of the activities I am encouraging you to start from home is to keep a journal. Yesterday we learned that school is cancelled through May 15. WOW! You might take this time to describe your reaction to that news - how did it make you feel? How did the people in your house respond? Are your feelings changing about it each day? 

Many books, both fiction and nonfiction, are written as journal or diary entries. I just finished (for the 2nd time) a Battle of the Books title I really enjoy that is written from the perspective of a fourteen-year-old girl in 1911. She runs away from her rural home to city life after her father forbids her from continuing her education and burns her most precious possessions, her 3 books. The historical fiction book is The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz. It is available through which can be accessed through the Student Access at https://www.pljcs.org/sa-6-8 or through the E-Books at http://www.ncwiseowl.org/eBooks.htm.  Check out my google classroom for password information for online reading links. I plan to update that this morning as well.

You can also check out my newest video today in google classroom. It is about my journal writing experience during this time and other information I am adding into google classroom.

Have a great day! 

Join My Google Classroom!

So our classrooms and media center have changed locations! 

We have an incredible opportunity to begin learning in a new environment! I miss seeing all of you, but I look forward to sharing a variety of ways to learn outside of the classroom. Each day I plan to share something new for you to explore. I especially look forward to making videos to share with you ways I am learning about new things at home. Each day, check my new Google Classroom and this blog for different opportunities. I would love for you to share with me any ways you are exploring or participating in the topics we cover. 

Please comment below with suggestions for topics you would like to explore. 

Here are some possible topics:

Gardening, Composting, and Vermicomposting (composting with earth worms)
Digital Citizenship (Being safe and responsible online)
EBooks and Digital Reading Sources
Trash to Treasure (Upcycling everyday materials into something new)
Animal Studies (I know we are going to look at a beaver dam)


AND MANY MORE!

Join me daily for new activities and topics to explore!

If you are interested joining my google classroom, check your ELA teacher's google classroom. I have posted a video with the classroom code on each stream.