Coming soon to Arno…
Dec. 4
BC IEP
Dec. 5
Stanley Elf 10:30
Super Cougar Lunch 11:00 Media Center
Dec. 6
No events
Dec. 7
Staff Christmas Lunch per schedule
PTA Meeting 6:30
Dec. 8
Report Cards Go home
Dec. 11
Ad Council 9:00
ICC 4:00
Board Meeting for Barb and Sandy’s Grant Recognition
Dec. 12
No events
Dec. 13
PBIS Meeting 7:45
Dec. 14
Saftey Committee 9:30
Detroit Pistons Assembly Grades 2-5 1:15
4th/5th grade concert 6:30
Dec. 15
Half-Day dismissl 11;40/ Teacher PD at High School
Arno Christmas Lunch
It’s that jolly time of year again for the Arno Ball Room to shine for our staff Christmas lunch. Our lunch is scheduled for Dec. 7 starting at 11:00 (you will have an hour lunch) 3rd grade, you start around 5 minutes later. I will get out the revised lunch schedule. It will be an international christmas smorgasbord with chicken, beef stroganoff, potatoes au gratin, veggies, salad, Stella’s own Spanikopita, German chocolate cake, carrot cake, and brownies. Please let us know if you cannot make it. The schedule is below, I know it runs into some prep issues- come when you want or what ever worked for you the last time.
Special Lunch Schedule
Christmas Story Time
I would like to once again come around to all of your rooms to give you a holiday 30 minute break, and read Christmas stories to your kids. Please stop by or send me an email when you would like me to come in.
From the PTA
Fundraiser Reminder…
Get Registered to help our PTA
Kindergarten Turkey Time
Our K students enjoyed a special time just before Thanksgiving and created a huge turkey for our hallway!
Dr. Hall visits 4th grade for some reading time
Flip you Lid for AP Benches Info here
Flip Your Lids For Allen Park Benches-159uhf2
Christmas Tech sites…
NORAD — K-5
Overview
Published by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), this eagerly anticipated annual collection of holiday games started as a mistake in 1955:
On Dec. 24, 1955, a call was made to the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Operations Center in Colorado Springs, CO. However, this call was not from the president or a general. It was from a girl in Colorado Springs who was following the directions in an advertisement printed in the local paper – she wanted to know the whereabouts of Santa Claus.
The ad said “Hey, Kiddies! Call me direct and be sure and dial the correct number.” However, the number was printed incorrectly in the advertisement and rang into the CONAD operations center.
On duty that night was Colonel Harry Shoup. He received numerous calls that night and rather than hanging up, he had his operators find the location of Santa Claus and reported it to every child who phoned in.
Thus began a tradition carried on by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) when it was formed in 1958.
The website opens with lively traditional holiday music and several options (like an introductory video and a Santa tracker that is not active until Dec. 24).
It includes a link to Santa’s Village, a collection of 24 G-rated, non-violent, K-5 games–critical thinking required. From December 1 – 24, one game a day is added like a virtual Advent Calendar. Students must know which day it is and find the corresponding number to select an open game.
To the accompaniment of toe-tapping holiday music, students play holiday versions of popular kids’ games such as Tic-tac-toe, Zippy Elf Word Sleuths, the Game Room, Ornament Collection, sledding, Christmas Putt and Play, and Snowball Warrior. The favorite of my students is Light the Christmas Tree. Students must rotate the black elbows until all are connected and the tree explodes with brightly lit bulbs.
Success requires logical thinking and if-then analysis. I have seen few adults complete it, but lots of 1st and 2nd graders. In fact, they race to see who can do it the fastest (and they are quick). It took one boy 90 seconds. I asked him how he did it. His answer: “My dad told me to look backwards for the answers and that’s what I did.” Wow. It was another instance of me learning from my students.
On Christmas Eve, this site tracks Santa’s progress as he delivers gifts across the planet. I share this with parents so they’ll know when to get their kids in bed, allowing Santa to arrive in private.
Pros
No advertising. It’s intuitive with a minimal learning curve.
I like that the games are numbered, not named. This makes it more user-friendly for the target age group.
Cons
Students can only access one new game a day. This is only a negative for youngsters who are used to clicking and having everything at their fingertips.
Insider Tips
The Santa’s Village link was a tad difficult to find on the start page. The video is well done, but presented through YouTube. I remind students to go nowhere other than the selected NORAD video. That’s fine — I need these opportunities to teach digital citizenship.
Educational Applications
All games are educational with problem-solving opportunities.
If you play Light the Christmas Tree, have students who successfully connect all the lights print a screen shot (you may have to teach them how to do this), sign it, and hang it in the classroom gallery.
My students are always disappointed that they can’t play this game out of season. In September, I appoint one student to remind me on December 1 that the site is open.
Conclusion
Even though I faze students out of this by 3rd grade, they continue to play it on their own. NORAD does a great job of keeping the Christmas joy and wonder alive for children.
Design: 5/5
Functionality: 5/5
Fun Factor: 5/5
Availability: 3/5 (web-based only)
Overall: 5/5
Penguin Show — K-5
Overview
This site is as close to sluicing down an icy mountainside on your stomach, arms tucked for aerodynamics, wind whistling past your ears — with a penguin as guide — as you can get. Program the penguin and he does the rest, all to the sound of festive music that’s so much like the “Hakuna Matata” from “The Lion King” that it must have been written by the same artist.
Here’s how it works: You type a message into the website for your penguin to write onto the slope and push send. A penguin appears atop a cold snow-covered peak, limned against the pristine winter sky. He analyzes his task, picks the best route downhill, throws himself onto his stomach, and is off.
He swerves and jukes his way down the mountain’s face, ice crystals crunching beneath his belly, wind howling through his feathers, as he scores your message into the ice-and-snow-laden surface.
This always works and is easily shared by posting a link to a blog or wiki. There is no embed function, but there are ways to work around that.
Pros
I am always eager to find fun and unique ways to intrigue students about technology. This qualifies. I usually line up four or five holiday websites and give students 15-20 minutes the last few days of class (before the holiday break) to play. Penguin Show, because of the personal touch and its addicting music, is always a favorite.
Cons
The learning curve is surprisingly tricky for such a quick tool. The developers don’t explain the process well, which leaves several spots where users can stumble. Still, when it works, it makes up for difficulties.
It’s only available on the web. Since the site hasn’t changed since I started using it five years ago, I don’t believe there are any plans to expand the penguin’s reach this year.
Insider tips
To play, 1) enter your message (i.e., Happy holidays!) and 2) click Watch Again.
If you have problems getting the “show” to appear in your browser, switch browsers. For me, Firefox is problematic, but Chrome always works.
Educational Applications
This site is perfect for the holidays when you want to slow things down a bit, as well as during annual assessments when students need an injection of humor. I have several like this (check out Dancing Ponies, a Biplane Tour of America, and how to clean your monitor). I use these as reminders that tech and creativity go hand-in-hand.
Use this during a first grade penguin unit. Discuss whether a real penguin could do what this animation does.
Use as a creative approach to spelling practice, along with other word study sites like GeoGreeting and Spelling City.
Conclusion
Keep Penguin Show on hand throughout the year to reinforce spelling. It always motivates students to practice vocabulary.
Design: 5/5
Functionality: 5/5
Fun Factor: 5/5
Availability: 3/5 (Web)
Overall: 4/5
Reindeer Orchestra — K-3
Overview
This is a fun musical program that teaches mouse and keyboard skills to newly-minted techies. Pick one of three songs (“Deck the Halls,” “Jingle Bells,” or “We Wish you a Merry Christmas”) or compose your own music. Once you have made your selection, a number appears over one of the reindeer. Squeeze his nose or type the number on the keyboard and hear the note, and then repeat the process with each number as it appears over a new reindeer. Played in this numbered order, you hear the selected song.
The music is a cappella, with the single voice a musical instrument (it sounds like a tuba or a bassoon).
Colors are bright, the snow constantly falls, and the reindeer anthropomorphically approve of your musical efforts.
Pros
This is a holiday site that appeals to a wide range of ages. I’ve played it with kindergarten and 8th graders and all are transfixed. I appreciate that there are no ads, just the game. Because the selections include three popular songs, most students will go through all of them before moving on to another activity.
Cons
It’s difficult to keep up the traditional pace of these songs with mouse clicks. The music comes out fairly disjointed even for me. Still, that doesn’t seem to bother my students.
It’s only available on the web — no iPad or smartphone versions yet.
Insider tips
When the program says to squeeze the reindeer nose, that’s exactly what it means. Don’t get close — say, poke them in the eye or pat their stomach or hover. Nothing happens. Encourage students to use the number pad rather than a mouse click to squeeze the reindeer’s nose. This keeps the musical pace closer to the real song.
Educational Applications
This game is a festive and authentic way to practice mouse skills and number recognition for kindergarten and 1st grade during the holiday season. It’s also a great connection between music and tech.
Use this as one of several websites students play as the holiday break approaches. If you have a school concert, consider adding this musical keyboard to the agenda.
