CIS TIMES

Student of the Month - Henry By Ethan

Our Student of the Month is Henry. Henry is seven years old and was born in Portland Maine at Mercy Hospital. His favorite color is green, his favorite book is “Lord of the Rings”. His favorite movie is “Alvin and the Chipmunks- The Wolfman” and his favorite sport is soccer. Henry told me that his favorite thing about school is math class and what he likes about the island is the change of seasons, he likes to experience a bit of each season every year. Henry enjoys swimming in the pool and ocean in the summer and likes to skate and build forts in the winter. Henry reads and plays soccer year-round. Henry is also enjoying the after-school basketball program. Henry was chosen because he worked well with others and was kind to everybody. Henry is also very generous to everybody. Henry also told me he likes to shoot at targets with his bow and arrow at home. Henry is very resourceful, he has made a play gun out of an ax handle and scrap wood with his dad. We are extremely lucky to have him in our school!

Pre-K/K Class Newsby Elias

When I walked into the Pre-K/K room, the kids were playing Go-fish. Shortly after, Caleb decided to work with symmetry. I watched him use a mirror to make identical images of shapes. After Caleb was finished, Zack showed me his shape book. He had drawn many shapes in it and written the names of them too! I revisited Caleb who was screwing in screws at a work station. He let me screw in a couple. I also went to the peace circle and listened to a tape of the book “Where the Wild Things Are”; I wanted to go there because in Stephen’s article he said it was his favorite station. My favorite station in free time is drawing, Zack’s is writing, Riley’s is his B.E.A.R. book (Homework), Cooper’s is pin punching of continents. (This is where you use a large thumbtack and make dots around a drawing of a continent and punch out to make a map of the continents); Caleb’s is puzzle cubes, and last but not least, Rohan’s favorite are the blocks.

This is the class during circle time!

1/2 Class News By: Laura

The 1/2 Class is studying habitats this year. They are learning about what kind of animals live in their habitats. They’re also making animals out of model magic clay. After they molded them, they painted them. They used Modge Podge to make their animals more shiny, like the ones that lives underwater. Some of the animals are squirrels, porcupines, foxes, lobsters and snakes. All of them look real! They all are doing really well in reading this year and they’re reading a lot of Henry and Mudge books. Some of the books they’re reading include Frog and Toad, Frindle, Stone Fox, Freckle Juice and Sarah, Plain and Tall. Everybody has a little bag full of books for them. Mrs.Hoidal picks their books by grade level. KEEP UP THE GOOD READING!

In art class they made awesome “Happy Memory” collages in the multi-purpose room. They did it all in paint and crayons and they’re nice and bright. Around their pieces, they did a colorful pattern of ovals, rectangles and squares and stamped them on little square pieces of paper. On December third, they had a publishing party and they all did a wonderful job. The wrote about what happened in their lives, including some exciting and funny stories.

3-5 Class News /Student CouncilBy: Tiffany and Aaron

We decided to focus on marine wildlife in Casco Bay. One thing we have done is a mini-research project, where each of us picked a sea animal in Casco Bay. These are them:

•Elias- Cunner •Ethan-Sea Anemone•Tiffany- Sculpin•Isabelle- Horseshoe Crab •Braeden- American Lobster•Stephen-Squid•Aaron -Atlantic Cod•Becca- Pollock •Laura- Harbor Seal

We used a special website called www.portaportal.com, which gives you true information about almost anything you want.It is organized by different subject categories such as geography,typing and many more! Everyone is the classroom used this website to find information about our animals that are listed above.

Another fun activity we worked on about Casco Bay was a coastal mural. The mural is a shallow water beach with eel grass and all animals that depend on eel grass for shelter,food,and a nursery for the young ones. The whole class worked together to make this fun project. (See the above photo!)

The Student Council has been very busy lately, as both of us are on it. We can’t tell you everything, but here are some of the subjects we have been talking about:

1. Mentoring 2. Making a donation box that will be at the “Fall into Winter” concert to help the

school buy a animal from the Heifer Fund for a family in need. The family might be in Africa. The closest Heifer station is in Massachusetts. This is how the box will work: There will be a slit in the top and if you want you can help us by putting any loose change in that you have. The school is on a task to buy a animal to make another family happy!

In the SpotlightBy Isabelle

I interviewed Althea and asked a few questions about her job and what she does with her time off. Althea does lots of things at our school. She answers the phones, keeps track of things, maintains our school’s website and does whatever else is needed. Three other things she does are keeping track of the school planning calendar, typing the student information sheets and typing notes that need to go home to families. She chose her job because she wanted to be near her son Henry. She uses her computer and the phone a lot to do her work. On her days off, she spends time with her family. We need Althea at our school for lots of reasons. One reason is because the teachers have to teach and it really helps to have her here to answer phone calls and type up important documents. She is very important!

Comics, Puzzles and Activitiesby Braeden and Becca

Maggie, Jazzy and Jake

Christmas Riddles1. What Christmas carol is a favorite of parents?

2. Why does Santa have three gardens?

3. What do snowmen eat for breakfast?

4. What does a cat on the beach have in common with Christmas?

5. What do you get when you cross a snowman and a vampire?

6. Where does a snowman keep his money?

7. How do sheep in Mexico say Merry Christmas?

8. What do you get if Santa goes down the chimney when a fire is lit?

9. Why was Santa’s little helper depressed?

10. What do you call people who are scared of Santa?

11. Why is Santa so good at karate?

12. What did the snowman order at the restaurant?

13. What type of bug hates Christmas?

Across1. Deck the Halls with boughs of _______2. Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open _______3. These make it possible to have snowball fights ______4. These make Santa’s sleigh fly __________5. Reindeer have to have______ to make the sleigh fly6. Reindeer have these on their harness

Down1. You use this to make wreaths. _________2. Frosty the ________3. You use these to skate on ice. _______4. She loves Santa. _____5. He is the one who fills your stocking. _______6. Who helps San

KITCHEN AND GARDEN By

Stephen

In the last two newspapers, I covered Pre-K and 3-5 News, but in this issue I’m reporting on the school garden and kitchen. Our garden provides a lot of fresh vegetables and watermelons that Laura can use when she cooks our lunch. Also, Laura makes us nice nutritious snacks. Recently, she ordered grapefruit and it was a big success.

I went to observe a Pre-K gardening class one day, when pre-K students were planting garlic. Bob, who helps us in the garden, told the students to put the garlic deep into the holes he had prepared before their arrival. The students then covered the garlic with dirt and returned to their classroom. Just as I was about to go back to class, Paige was walking by with two children from the daycare and Bob let them harvest two beets each and deliver them to Laura in the kitchen.

Our cook Laura is preparing some good food for our Thanksgiving lunch with the residents from the Island Commons. RECIPE OF THE MONTH

Laura makes these muffins for snack time and serves them with different kinds of fresh fruit like apples and grapefruit. Everyone loves them!

Pear Bread

-1/2 cup unsalted butter or 1/2 teaspoon saltmargarine, softened 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg-1 cup sugar 1/4 cup buttermilk-2 eggs 1 cup peeled, cored, and -1 teaspoon vanilla extract coarsely chopped pear-2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup chopped pecans-1 teaspoon baking powder (optional)-1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Cream butter; gradually add sugar, beating well at medium speed of an electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

Combine flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and nutmeg in a medium bowl; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Gently fold in chopped pear and if desired, pecans.

Spoon batter into well-greased tiny muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan, and let cool on a wire rack.

Answer Key

Christmas Riddles1. Silent Night! 2. So he can Ho, Ho, Ho!3. Frosted Flakes!4. Sandy Claws!5. Frost Bite!6. Snow Bank!7. Fleece Navidad!8. Crisp Cringle!9. He had low elf esteem!10. Claustrophobic!11. He has a black belt!12. An ice burger with chili sauce!13. A Humbug!

Crossword PuzzleAcross 1. balsam2. snowman3. ice skates4. Mrs. Claus5. Santa Claus6. elf1. holly 2. sleigh3. snowflakes4. reindeer5. magic6. bells

CIS Times Staff

Pre-K/K Class News - Elias1/2 Class News - Laura

3-5 Class News/Student Council - Tiffany and AaronStudent of the Month - EthanIn the Spotlight - IsabelleKitchen and Garden News - StephenComics, Puzzles and Activities - Braeden and Becca