READ ACROSS AMERICA!

Each year, students and communities all over the United States come together to READ ACROSS AMERICA! Conceived by the National Education Association (NEA), Read Across America Day’s aim is to get entire communities to celebrate a Day of Reading! The event usually coincides with Dr. Seuss’ birthday, which is on March 2^nd. Because of his lasting contributions and popularity as a children's author, Dr. Seuss has become an icon for the event, along with his beloved -- though, I might add -- mischievous character, the Cat in the Hat.

At Bennett, we have chosen to celebrate tomorrow, February 28th. This week in library, students have been reading Dr. Seuss books, researching about his life using our PebbleGo Biographies database, are performing Reader's Theater, and are voting for their favorite Dr. Seuss book. (So far, The Lorax is in the lead!!) Tomorrow, each grade level has chosen a fun way to celebrate, including having a Read-In (a special block of time set aside for reading), and I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of Cat in the Hat hats around the school.

Although tomorrow will have extra emphasis on reading, I like to think that every day is a day of reading. You certainly don't have to wait for a special event to make reading special!

Let the games begin!

The 2014 Winter Olympics have begun! That's right, even though the opening ceremony isn't until tomorrow, some events are already underway because there is just so much to fit in! I can't recall if this has ever happened before. This year, fans will have unprecedented access to information due in large part to the widespread use of social media. While very exciting, it can be a challenging landscape to navigate. Common Sense Media has come out with a timely page on their website devoted to helping parents and kids make smart choices about following the Olympics on social media.

On the site, you will find tips about how to set boundaries for using social media in your household; suggestions on where to find information on past and current Olympic athletes, and helpful 2014 Games information, like official websites, hashtags, and useful apps.

2014 Olympics Guide for Families from Common Sense Media

In addition to watching the sporting events, I always enjoy learning more about athletes and their home countries during the Olympics, too. I hope you will, too!

On the Common Sense Media "About Us" page, it states, "Common Sense Media is dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in a world of media and technology." This website is full of information that both parents and kids can use. In fact, I think it's such a handy website, I've added a link to their site to our sidebar!