Miss. Nelson is Missing!

I was crazy about the book Miss Nelson is Missing! when I was in lower elementary school. I was crazy for it as a librarian reading to that age group as well. Now, as a parent to a rambunctuous toddler and preschooler, I am wishing for a Ms. Viola Swamp to come in and restore order every now and then.

If you are unfamiliar with the story, it is quite clever and a general crowd pleaser. A group of rowdy students constantly take advantage of their teacher's good nature. So their sweet and patient Miss. Nelson concocts a plan -one day she goes missing and is replaced with a very different type of substitute-Viola Swamp. Ms. Swamp is strict, heavy on the homework, and never allows story hour. Oh, how the children miss Miss. Nelson- and when she finally does return- they are only on their very best behavior... of course, then Ms. Swamp is nowhere to be found....

It seems that most kids love the idea of school children trying to get rid of a crabby substitute and the fact that, at story's end, it appears our beloved Miss. Nelson and the surly Ms. Swamp are one in the same!

This picture book is interesting in that it inspires all sorts of conversations- about respect, identity, fear, but mostly it is just darn funny and fun.


Images courtesy of google
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Read for the record

Image courtesy of everypicture.com
Keep in mind that tomorrow is Jumpstart's Read for the record and all over the globe people will be celebrating the joy of reading to a child. This year's book is The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Jumpstart, an organization that brings community volunteers together with preschool children for year long, individualized tutoring and mentoring, is looking to break their previous reading record. Here is some information if you wish to cheer them on...


"Will you read me a story?" This simple question is an invitation to share the joy of reading with a child in your life. At Jumpstart, we know that reading aloud with preschool children lays the groundwork for strong literacy skills and future success in school and in life.
In 2006, we created Jumpstart’s Read for the Record, an international campaign to bring preschool children together with valued grownups in their lives to read the same book, on the same day, in communities all over the world. In 2008, we broke our own world record as nearly 700,000 readers shared the classic children’s tale, Corduroy. On one historic day, one amazing book was read aloud in classrooms, libraries and homes from Japan, Germany and Brazil to cities and rural communities across America. Hushed with wonder and tickled with giggles, children around the world simultaneously experienced the joy of reading.
Pledge to read today with Jumpstart’s Read for the Record and help us to make sure that our fourth annual Campaign on October 8, 2009 reaches more children than ever before! - readfortherecord.org
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PS 22

You've probably seen this New York City chorus from Staten Island's PS 22 already (they've been everywhere from NPR to Perez Hilton), but I just thought that today would be a good day to share their beautiful singing and sweetly expressive faces.






Their website: tp://ps22chorus.blogspot.comSource URL: https://jimhensons.blogspot.com/search/label/school
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Libraries and Art

Image of P.S. 47 library courtesy of The New York Times

I have never met a library I did not love, even the musty, overcrowded ones and the too cold, too quiet varieties, but my true favorites have real character and very often that comes from their art. I do not mean simply what hangs on the wall, although that certainly is part of it, I mean how everything is laid out to welcome, inspire, support...and much more.
My friend forwarded me a slideshow from The New York Times that included the new library in P.S. 47, complete with an art installation by illustrator Maira Kalman. The image shown above, and this one from a detail of Kalman's work, really demonstrate how art and design bring personality to these towers and rows of books.
Image courtesy of The New York Times

As I clicked through the slideshow and read about this library and the others featured, I learned about the Robin Hood Foundation L!brary Initiative. I became intrigued by the collaboration of the Robin Hood Foundation and New York City's Board of Education to revitalize and maintain the school libraries in many of the impoverished communities of the city.
Individuals saw the need to re-invent the forgotten libraries- these spiritless rooms were certainly not the vibrant centers of learning the schools and students needed - so the initiative was born. Nine years and sixty-two schools later, the program continues to marry libraries and art and their union brings happiness to countless children.
The following are just some examples of the new spaces.

Image of P.S. 96 courtesy of The New York Times
Image of P.S. 192 courtesy of Architectural Record




Images of P.s. 36 and P.S. 186 courtesy of Pentagram
There are two great articles about the initiative at Architectural Record and Pentagram. They introduce you to some of the people whose designs and art have breathed new life into the school libraries.
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School days memories

The Christmas before my oldest son started kindergarten, my sister gave me this adorable keepsake book from Chronicle Books. Now son is in 2nd grade and the book is already stuffed full (maybe I need to be more choosy about our keepsakes).

School Days offers space to record facts about each of your child's school years--friends, favorite subjects, teachers--and 13 accordion pockets to fill with report cards, awards, drawings, and writing assignments (my favorite). The book's sweet retro illustrations are just decorative icing on the very useful cake.

My middle child starts kindergarten this year, and I ordered another copy because I love this book so. What's better, I ordered during Chronicle Books' annual Friends and Family sale, so it was 35% off and shipped for free--same deal for any in-stock Chronicle item until August 5.

Maybe I should have ordered several copies. I can't imagine that one copy is really going to hold 13 years worth of the stuff I have to save, unless my enthusiasm wanes a bit as the years go by. Maybe 9th grade writing isn't as charming as 1st grade writing. Here's hoping.Source URL: https://jimhensons.blogspot.com/search/label/school
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