Week of April 23

Happy Tuesday! What a treat it was to have a 3 day weekend. We definitely enjoyed it at the McKenzie household. I took Finley to the zoo! We had a blast. I can't wait to hear what the kiddos did on their day off. Did any of you get the amazing opportunity to see The Sound of Music? I did! It was amazing. I am just in awe of the talent that we have here at Shorecrest. I couldn't help but picture many of our kids up there. We are so very blessed to have so many wonderful opportunities for students to grow and shine! Celebrate the Arts week was a HUGE success! We had a blast. Here are some highlights from our week:

• Monday: Blue Grass band
• Wednesday: Art Walk and Story Tellers
• Friday: We met and visited with two very talented woman:
  
• Paula Allen (http://www.pollyzoom.com) - We have been working with Paula this year on an international art project. The kids were absolutely fascinated by her. It was so cute to watch them ooh and ahh over everything she said and did. They asked great questions and show much interest in her technique. See the previously posted letter below:
  

• Second Graders at Shorecrest have worked with Pollyzoom (Artist,
  Paula Allen) to create art for an international art exchange with the
  Boorai Children’s Art Gallery at the University of Melbourne,
  Australia. The focus of the exchange is endangered animals in
  Australia and here in the United States. Second graders created
  drawings with art teacher Sue Rowe, which were then digitally shared
  with Pollyzoom, who then created a giant mother earth and surrounded
  her with the children’s drawings.
  
  The collaborative mural between Pollyzoom, Shorecrest, and Family YMCA
  of the Glens Falls Area after school program at Kensington Road School
  in Glens Falls, NY is being shown at the World Awareness Children’s
  Museum in Glens Falls, NY along with the art from the Australian
  children. After it’s exhibition in New York, the children's art will
  accompany the Australian art back to the University of Melbourne's
  Boorai Gallery for another exhibition. On April 20th, Paula Allen will
  return to Shorecrest to create a replica of the mother earth mural
  that was created in the art exchange for Australia with Shorecrest
  second graders.
  
  You are invited to celebrate the art of the Shorecrest second-graders
  and the international exchange at a reception on Saturday, May 19 from
  11am-3pm at Davidson Fine Art, 1100 1st Avenue N. St. Petersburg, FL
  33705. The public art reception will feature the art the Shorecrest
  second grades created for the Australian exchange. Pollyzoom will also
  be hosting Pollyzoom Live, which is a live art initiative for families
  and children to create unique art together. Hope to see you there! For
  more information on Pollyzoom, please visit www.pollyzoom.com or
  www.facebook.com/pollyzoom.
  
  Paula Allen
  Artist
  www.pollyzoom.com
  Pollyzoomart@gmail.com
  
  

• Kay Snyder - folk musician. Kay introduced the students to some new instruments. She taught them a song and gave them the opportunity to play some of her instruments. The students were very eager to try the instruments and did a wonderful job learning the song. They truly love learning and trying new things!

Tomorrow we are headed to the Museum of Fine Arts downtown. Please make sure that you send them with a BAG lunch if you did not order a lunch from SAGE ahead of time.

BOX TOPS: The challenge has been given for each child to bring in at least 20 boxtops a piece. Let's see if we can do it!

Spelling/Vocab: We will not have spelling or vocabulary this week. We did choose five science words that we will be working on together in class. Here are the words they chose: metamorphosis, chrysalis, caterpillar, butterfly, and exoskeleton. There will not be a test on these words, but we will be using these words a lot throughout the next unit and look forward to learning how to spell them. The kids did a great job with them today.

Speaking of caterpillars, ours are growing!! This is very exciting and soon they will form their chrysalis'. What an exciting time!

Please do not forget to mark your calendars for our Electronic Portfolio Share on May 7th at 2:00. We are close to finishing our African Animal Projects and will give you a date as soon as it is determined! Thanks so much.

Have a great week!