WISHINSIDER

www.wishcharter.org Sept 2015 Issue

INSIDE

WISH Charter 6550 West 80th Street(Entrance on Emerson)Los Angeles, CA 90045310.642.WISH (9474)

Shawna DraxtonExecutive Director (Elementary & Middle School), Principal (Elementary School)shawna@wishcharter.org

Chelsey MurphyPrincipal (Middle School)cmurphy@wishcharter.org

Rachel WoodwardAssistant Principalrwoodward@wishcharter.org

Jennie BrookFinancial Managerjennie@wishcharter.org

Kimberlie TraceskiOffice Manager - Middle Schoolktraceski@wishcharter.org

Janine Bielski Facilities Manager - Middle Schooljanine@wishcharter.org

Sara SommerOffice Manager - Elementary Schoolsara@wishcharter.org

Jade RuggieroFacilities Manager Elementary School

On the Cover: Library

Leadership

Community Partnerships

Operations

Welcome From Dr. Draxton ..........pg. 1- 2

Upcoming Events........................pg. 8

Summer Trips..............................pg. 9- 10

New Faculty..................................pg. 3-4

Coach Casey’s Interview..............pg. 5-6

Art Supplies Needed...................pg. 7

Student Life

Kids Corner

Art Update..............................pg. 11

Music Update.........................pg. 12

FIYA Sports Update.................pg. 13

Library Update....................... pg. 14

Book Review..........................pg. 15

Kid Activity.............................pg. 16

Newsletter TeamEDITOR IN CHIEFCHRISTIE KOBATA CREATIVE DIRECTOR ISABEL ALVAREZ CONTENT EDITORSLAURA CUSHINGJULIA ALTER

WRITERSALLISON GROVER-KHOURYANGELA JONESCOURTNEY COLEMANIVEY STEINBERGJAYME YOUNGERKIMBERLIE TRACESKIPAULA TOMIZAWA- MENDOZAPEDER DRAXTON

Leadership

1

Welcome from Dr. DraxtonWelcome WISH community to the 2015-2016 school year! These last five years have proven to be an incredible journey and I am so grateful to begin a sixth year with the WISH community.

This summer was a blast. Thanks to the hard work of many of our families and especially Ms. Kimberlie and Ms. Courtney, our Beach Party USA float won the Spirit Award for the Fourth of July parade. My own family spent Monday nights at the bowling alley and Friday nights at the beach pits. It was great to spend those evening with so many of you. Throughout the summer, I’ve been reminded of the amazing gifts the community has shared with us.

This summer you WISHified two campuses. You amazed us with your generous contributions. Thank you for building benches, scrubbing walls, and painting stencils on the ground. Thank you for moving furniture, organizing and filling refrigerators, and lifting boxes. Thank you for sharing your expertise and showing up and helping to WISHify all of the spaces we have for children to learn.

I’m so thankful for the many individuals who helped prepare us for this new school year. Amy Hallenbrook and Angela Jones revised the WISH Handbooks and prepared new families for the WISH experience. Steve O’loughlin painted and designed our beautiful new sign at the middle school. Kevin McFarland created an amazing new WISH sign by taking the letters from our old sign and mounting them on a beautiful piece of red wood. Dave and Vonda McNeil looked after the WISH topiaries and also replanted, weeded, and watered the planter boxes. Prior to school starting, Vonda also brought 60 succulents to the neighbors on Emerson and the neighbors adjacent to the middle school on 77th. She spoke to as many folks as she could, accompanied by Sean McNeil and Juan Ojeda. Together they reached out on our behalf to once again build strong community ties.

The teachers also spent many of their summer hours of bliss here on the WISH campus. They are energetic, well vacationed, and so excited to launch this school year with each of you. They were thrilled to get their classrooms ready and each of them was bursting with energy as they described their lesson plans and project designs for the kids. Expect passion, rigor, joy, and meaningful and engaging lessons. They are the very best teachers and we are grateful for their service to WISH.

Every year the Schwarz family (grandparents to Jake and Brody Skura) donates to WISH

Leadership

2

before the school year starts. With tears in my eyes, I accepted a generous $10,000 check from Candy Schwarz, and asked if she would like to dedicate the funds to be spent on something in particular. Candy smiled and said, “Just the teachers, make sure they have what they need. Their thank you notes mean the world to me and I appreciate their work. Keep working hard to make sure the children get the materials they need to enjoy learning.” The education that WISH is able to provide is made possible by donations from our families and community and we are thankful for your giving.

Prior to school starting, the entire WISH faculty and staff hiked the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook. As the teachers were reflecting on relationships that they’ve had with parents one shared, “I had this one parent, she made me feel so good because she always presumed competence. We accomplished a lot together, but mostly just knowing that she believed in me and what I was trying to do for kids made all the difference! It gave me more energy and motivation and I just wanted to make the learning environment that much better my students.” It was a powerful statement that resonated with many of the teachers. It is a great starting point as we establish our relationships with each other- let’s presume competence, assume our colleagues, our neighbors, our parents and grandparents are well-intended in their words and actions and then let’s continue to build our relationships.

Thank you for being a community that models a culture of service. The hard work and dedication that was evident in preparing for the new year provided a glimpse of why WISH is so successful. You are incredible role models for ALL children. You care about all of the students on this campus. You live the mission and vision of WISH charter every time you show up and I thank you for being here.

I look forward to an amazing 2015-2016 school year here at WISH Charter!

3

Leadership A quick three-question interview with our six new WISH Elementary teachers: Kyle Gleason (KB), Whitney Dahlgren (KC), Jordan Justice (1A), Claire Kewish (2A), Zach “Zed” Palsson (5B), and Elisabeth Hill (5C). A few adjectives or phrases that describe you:Mr. Gleason: creative, energetic, and thoughtful

Ms. Dahlgren: patient, positive, and friendly

Ms. Justice: compassionate, goofy, and athletic

Ms. Kewish: friendly, positive, outgoing and patient!

Mr. Zed: spontaneous, positive, live life to the fullest

Ms. Hill: adventurous, outgoing, and passionate Where did you grow up?Mr. Gleason: I was born in Redding California, but moved to southern California, where both my parents were originally from, when I was five. I grew up in La Crescenta and attended public school in Glendale Unified School District.

Ms. Dahlgren: I moved a lot growing up! Texas, New Jersey, Kentucky, California, and Singapore

Ms. Justice: I was born in Casper, Wyoming.

Ms. Kewish: I was born in Newport Beach but grew up in Dallas from the time I was 4 until I came back to California to attend Pepperdine.

Mr. Zed: Born and raised in Los Angeles.

Ms. Hill: Culver City

Describe one of your favorite personal adventures and/or accomplishments.Mr. Gleason: When my wife, Eowyn, was pregnant with our daughter, Noemi, we went on a two week road trip through the southwest. We brought our dog, Josie, and visited four national parks: Arches, Zion, Saguaro, and White Sands, as well as the Petroglyph National Monument in Albuquerque. We had a blast and hope to one day retrace our route with our daughter.

Ms. Dahlgren: I love to travel! Every Christmas I visit my family in Singapore and we adventure to other countries. This Christmas we are going to the Maldives and Hong Kong!

Ms. Justice: I competed in the triple jump and hurdles while at Stanford for my undergraduate degree.

Ms. Kewish: I love working with kids and I love to travel! One of my favorite adventures is when I worked at an orphanage in Jamaica. I got to spend every day with 80 precious children and teach them English. I loved it so much, I went back three summers in a row!

Mr. Zed: One of the best experiences I have ever had was living abroad in Spain and learning Spanish. Being immersed in a culture changed my perspective on the world for the better!

Ms. Hill: My favorite adventure would be this past summer. I spent a month traveling and teaching in China! It was a wonderful experience, both culturally and professionally, that I was able to share with so many awesome people. I saw so many landmarks and even climbed the Great Wall of China.

4

Leadership MEET OUR SIX

New Teachers

Ms. Elisabeth Hill (5C) Mr. Kyle Gleason (KB) Ms. Whitney Dalgren (KC)

Ms. Jordan Justice (1A) Mr. Zach “Zed” Palsson (5B)

Ms. Claire Kewish (2A)

5

Operations

THE EVOLUTION OF WISH TEAM SPORTS by Ivey Steinberg

Since WISH team sports began in the spring of 2014, Casey Wilson or “Coach Casey” as she is known both on and off the field, has been working day and night for our Owls. Now she is taking that passion and commitment into her new business, Evolution Sports, with the WISH team sports program as a proud part of this new venture.

HOW DID YOU END UP AT WISH?I started at WISH as a coach for 5 Star Enrichment and then became the coordinator for the program. Principal Draxton solicited the help of 5 Star to start a team sports program. I was asked if I wanted to take on this endeavor, along with co-coordinator, WISH mom, Ivey Steinberg.

WHAT DRIVES YOUR PASSION FOR TEAM SPORTS?Growing up at the base of Mt. Hood in Oregon, I have a love for the outdoors, being active and staying healthy. Although as a kid, I loved to play dress-up, I didn’t mind getting dirty on the soccer field or getting knocked down as a catcher. I started playing competitive sports at the age of five and was immediately hooked, with volleyball emerging as my passion (even though I was only 5 feet!). As a high school student, while playing volleyball, softball and ski racing, I also enjoyed coaching youth sports. I graduated college with a Kinesiology degree with a teaching/coaching emphasis, hoping to help children lead healthy and active lives, while potentially finding their passion, as I did. I have had the opportunity to work with kids of all ages in varying degrees on and off the field. One thing that always weighed on me, especially when working with at-risk youth as a counselor, is that kids did not have anything that they were passionate about. I believe that all kids need something in their lives that drives them. Whether it’s music, art, theater or whatever, everyone needs something in their day that they look forward to. I love working with kids; I care tremendously about children’s health and trying to fight against childhood obesity, and I have a love for sports. Because I found my passion at a young age, it drives me to provide the opportunity for all kids to participate in and potentially, have something in their day that drives them. WHAT WERE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES WHEN STARTING WISH TEAM SPORTS?The biggest challenge was probably that we had just a couple weeks to put the program together and I had only just started working with 5 Star as well as with WISH. As the ‘new

kid,’ I felt a lot of pressure to make sure the program was a success as viewed by everyone involved, especially the kids. I didn’t want it to be a piece-meal program that was thrown together, but rather a program that the students at WISH enjoyed and something that they wanted to come back to.

HAVE YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO START YOUR OWN BUSINESS?Yes! When I was in high school, as a senior, we had to shadow someone in a profession that we were interested in. I shadowed my friend’s boss, who started her own gift shop. Not that I wanted to own a gift shop, but because I wanted to work for myself. When people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I’d say, ‘an entrepreneur!’ Although I could have gone to college for business, I knew that my passion was in working with kids in health and sports, so without a second thought, I went in that direction. After graduating from college, working as a counselor, I was always starting new programs for the kids I was working with, and the desire to have my own program never ceased. I knew that one day it would all come together. And I’m happy to say it has!

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO FUTURE ENTREPRENEURS?Don’t give up. I’ve attempted a few times to put the pieces together to try and start a business, but things either didn’t feel right, I didn’t have the financial ability, or life happened and I had to put it on the back burner. If you work hard and are good at what you do, the right opportunity will come at the right time. Although it may seem scary, you have to jump on the opportunity and then work your tail off! If you love what you are doing and committed to the work, you won’t mind the looooooong hours! And one thing that I’ve really had to come to terms with, is that it is ok to let people help you. In fact, embrace it! Always say ‘yes’ if someone offers a helping hand. Just because you’re starting your own business, doesn’t mean you have to do it alone all the time.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE MEMORIES FROM WISH TEAM SPORTS?There are so many! Honestly, I’ve shed a few tears over the past four seasons. What comes to mind first are track meets (which is funny since that is a sport I never competed in). Track meets always seem to fall on the hottest days of the year without a cloud in the sky and men running around for a good seven hours on a Saturday making sure all our 40+ kids are where they’re supposed to be. However, it’s all worth it watching these kids run their hearts out! The fact that it is sunny outside is actually a good thing so I have an excuse to be wearing my sunglasses and nobody can see my eyes welling up as I watch these kids compete. My favorite event is probably the 4x100. I love watching them work as a team and push each other to the finish line.

WHAT IS THE ONE THING THAT MOST OF THE WISH COMMUNITY DOESN’T KNOW ABOUT YOU?Along with playing sports, I love adventures and I love to travel. With that being said, one of the best experiences of my life was completing a 3,600 mile bike ride across the country with a goal to help end the cycle of poverty in the United States. Starting with our back tires in the Pacific Ocean in Oregon and ending by jumping in the Atlantic off the Jersey shore, a group of us embarked on this adventure. As a former Lasallian Volunteer, we raised awareness and over $100,000 for the program and once a week during our two month trek, we stopped to do community service while also meeting hundreds of generous people who talked with us, housed us and fed us each night. If nothing else, this experience reminded me that amidst the poverty and tragedy, there are really great people willing to help out a friend, a neighbor and even a stranger.

6

7

Operations

Ms. Courtney is still in need of the following supplies. Please consider donating the following or donating a gift card from Target, Michaels, The Dollar Tree, or 99c only stores.

Art SuppliesAluminum foilPapers and Styrofoam platesClass set of wooden rulers12 compasses12 protractorsPink erasers

14 sharpeners with lidsMarkersLots of glue sticksBaby wipesPaper towels2 bins sidewalk chalk (the $.99 cent has it for $1.99)

PencilsKleenex boxesBlack sharpiesTag boardMulticolored construction paper

Upcoming Events: October

Tony P. FundraiserWISH get 25% back!

Portrait Days

4 - 8 6 - 7 8

Vision and Hearing testing

9

Coffee with the Principal

and WCA Mtg at 9 am on

Elem. Campus

12-16

Parent Teacher

Conferences. Dismissal at 1pm for all

13-14

Fundraiser at Scooter’s

Jungle

14

Middle School

Portrait Day

16

Coffee with the Middle School

Principal at 8:30 am on at Middle School

21

Community Education

Night

30

Elementary School

Storybook Parade at 9 am

30

Middle School

Costume Ball at 11 am

8

Community Partnerships

9

From the Busse Family (Samantha: 6th and Maxwell: 4C) We took a 2-week road trip, hitting National Parks on the way up to Oregon. We tent camped in Yosemite and Lassen National Parks. We stayed overnight in Portland, hitting the local fish hatchery and Multnomah Falls. We drove to Mt. Hood and the kids had so much fun playing on the Alpine Slide. We stayed in Redmond, OR and went to Smith Rocks. We stopped at Crater Lake National Park on the way home. The best part? We still like each other after two weeks in the van together! I miss that little family bubble we lived in.

From the Kobata Family (Joshua: 4A, Daniella & Isabella 2A) Our family went on our first road trip to Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, and San Francisco. On our way to San Francisco, we stopped at the Jelly Belly Factory. It was a ton of fun to see how jelly beans are made and of course to sample lots of flavors!

From the Smurda Family (Paisley: TK)This summer we traveled to Punta Mita, Mexico. We had a total blast and each day was a new adventure. This day we took a boat out to an island in the middle of the ocean. We jumped off the side of the boat and swam through a dark cave to a beautiful little beach with clear water and the softest sand you’ve ever felt!

Community Partnerships

10

From the Skura Family (Jake: 5B and Brody: 1B) Our family went to Kauai and Colorado. In Kauai, we went body surfing, hiked the Napali Coast, saw a luau and ate shave ice. In Colorado, we spent time with family, hiked in the Rocky Mountains and saw deer, foxes and mountain goats. Visiting two different states was fun!

From the Collins Famly (Saffron 3A)The picture is of Saffy and her mom just on the bridge in front of Big Ben in London. We took a week long family trip, Saffy with mom and Dad, to visit Dad’s family over in England in July!

From the Vitale Family (Lukas 4A and Emma 4B) Memorable end-of-summer event: Both kids played for the NFL Flag LA summer league and their team won the Super Bowl! Even better for us, both kids scored touchdowns in the wining game and, in his first ever attempt, their Dad helped coach the team! It was truly a family win and a day that we will never forget.

From the Younger Family (Tallulah: 2C and Bodhi: KA) Tallulah and Bodhi took their first backpacking trip this summer. Four days in the Trinity Alps. They carried their own packs, slept under the stars, swam in fresh mountain lakes, climbed peaks, learned to pump water, and even hiked through a thunderstorm. And of course, ate s’mores.

From the Mendoza Family (Madison: 3A and Kaydyn: KA) Madison played in the Hollywood Dodgers basketball tournament in Las Vegas with her team the Venice Panthers. Kaydyn danced all summer long at Marina del Rey Middle School’s Summer Dance Conservatory.

9

Student LifeArt Updateby Courtney Coleman

The Art Department is launching a “Master Artist” program at WISH this year. This semester the focus will be on Paul Cezanne. In September, the students learned a bit about Cezanne’s history as a French painter and how he studied along with other noteworthy artists of his era. Well-known Impressionist artists who worked before his time also influenced Cezanne. Despite not knowing fame during his life, Cezanne ended up being hailed as one of the greats because of his various portraits, landscapes, and still life paintings. Each grade level interpreted Cezanne’s artwork in different ways.

TK/Kinder/1st: These students created texture collage still life paintings. First, each student painted different fruit shapes using items such as toothbrushes, Q-tips, straws and bath poofs. Then, each student artist cut the shapes and arranged them into a fruit bowl still life.

2nd and 3rd graders practiced breaking down shapes of fruit to draw them realistically. Each student created their own artwork based on what they could see through paper collage (2nd grade) and watercolor crayon resist (3rd grade).

In 4th and 5th grade, the students learned how to use color to create value and assist the illusion of changing 2D images into 3D forms. 4th graders worked with oil pastels while 5th graders used colored pencil to create fruit still life.

Middle School Fine Arts students learned color theory while simultaneously studying the history and art of Cezanne. Students focused on tints and shades along with how to create a monochromatic color scheme. The middle-schoolers created a landscape, as Cezanne would have, using monochromatic tints and shades.

11

10

Music Update by Peder Draxton Welcome back to another fun-filled year with WISH Music!!! We’re so happy to be back in the WISH Music room and we are ready to both learn about AND play music! WISH Kindergarten students are currently learning about and practicing rhythms by playing a variety of instruments such as shakers and rhythm sticks. Students are also developing their voices through sing-a-longs and melody activities. WISH First Graders have been learning music vocabulary as well as playing and composing their own unique rhythms. These students have also been working on understanding the different moods and emotions music can convey. WISH Second Graders have been introduced to beginning recorder and are happily learning simple note finger positions and proper use of the instrument. Students are also practicing ear pitch recognition between high and low tones. WISH Third Graders have been learning how different cultures around the world use music. We’ve been listening to, as well as creating, Native American tribal rhythms. In the coming weeks we’ll be focusing on how the importance of music in American culture has changed and evolved through time. WISH Fourth Graders have been learning about the different rhythms created by cultures all around the world, as well as developing their own rhythms with emphasis on mood and emotion. The students are also exploring how to convey their feelings through music. WISH Fifth Graders are beginning to familiarize themselves with the soprano ukulele and have been practicing their first chords in preparation for their first song.

12

9

Student LifeWISH TEAM SPORTS IS BACK IN ACTION!by Ivey Steinberg

Co-ed flag football, girls’ volleyball, cross country and cheer returned for a second season and are already generating a lot of talk at both WISH Elementary and WISH Middle School. Here are just a few of the comments from the teams’ biggest fans, the WISH parents:

“I felt like I was witnessing NFL training camp. Stations and coaches everywhere! It was a sight to behold.”

“It was fun to watch while I was watering my garden. All the kids were engaged.”

“I love our coaches and families! This year will be great!”

Coach Orlando Bishop, who took our D1 Owls to the flag football championship last fall, returns to lead the team, joined by fellow coaches Kenneth “Coach K” Bell, Bayano Kamani and Simo Tagoai. Girls’ volleyball welcomed back coaches Sandra Prieto and Merrilee Kaszacs, and added another seasoned volleyball veteran, Monique Hogan. WISH Middle School PE Coach Steve Bochicchio leads the pack of cross country runners this year, and one of WISH’s best cheerleaders both on and off campus, Amanda Swanlund, takes over the WISH cheer program.

“We learned a lot last season, coaches and players,” said Coach Orlando. “All the time, we said, ‘Next year…’ Well, I’m excited because ‘next year’ is here!”

A few of the coaches and players attended the pre-season Team Sports Clinic the week prior to the start of this school year. Their dedication and commitment is inspiring, and above that, it’s clear that the athletes are focused on helping their teammates reach their full potential. Let’s show all of our WISH team sports athletes how proud we are as a community by cheering them on at their flag football and volleyball games and cross country meets! (Game and meet schedules can be found on the WISH websites and in the weekly WISH Blast and WISH Flash.) It’s such a great opportunity to spend some time with other WISH families and watch the athletes hone their skills at their daily practices.

If you’re interested in assisting with coaching any of the WISH team sports, please contact WISH Team Sports Coordinator, Casey Wilson at coachcaseyw@gmail.com, 310-650-7618, or via the website, w w w . e v o l u t i o n s p o r t s . o r g

13

10

Library Updateby Allison Grover Khoury The library committee and parent librarians are busy preparing to open the WISH library for the 2015-16 school year. The librarians look forward to welcoming students back to another great year of reading and learning about books. Thanks to the generosity of the WISH community, the library added nearly 1,000 books to its shelves this summer. The new books were purchased with the funds from last year’s Scholastic book fairs and a WISH café. The new additions include many new series books as well as graphic novels, both fiction and non-fiction. Additionally, the non-fiction dinosaur, science, music, history, reference, geography, and sports genres have new books, improving the depth of those areas of the library. In order to make room for the new acquisitions, the library expanded by adding another row of bookshelves, which delightfully resulted in a larger reading space. Thanks to the generosity of the office and Ms. Marie, a rug now covers that new large reading space. The popular floor cushions, lovingly sewn by some WISH grandparents in the early days of WISH, are making a comeback allowing the students a more comfortable reading space on the new rug. Due to the growth of the school and the demands on the library, WISH parent and Library Committee Co-chair, Amy Sieman, has been hired to be the Library Assistant. Amy will be in the library all day Mondays and Wednesdays, the two days WISH uses the shared library space. In addition to supporting the volunteer parent librarians and ensuring the smooth functioning of the library, Amy will add and repair books.

Last year, hundreds of books were donated to the library by WISH families. Most of those titles were also added to the library this spring and summer. The rest were given to teachers. The Library Committee is grateful for the generosity of so many families and always appreciates donations. To connect with the committee and to arrange a drop off of books, please email library@wishcharter.org. Parents who would like to be involved with the library can email the Library Committee at the above address or stop by the library on Mondays or Wednesdays to visit with the Library Committee Co-Chairs for more information.

14

Kids Corner

15

The Day the Crayons Came HomeDrew Daywalt and illustrator Oliver Jeffers have delivered a hilarious and satisfying sequel to The Day the Crayons Quit. Duncan is back to coloring one afternoon when a stack of postcards arrives in the mail. The crayons now absent from his crayon box are writing with updates, pleas for help, tales of adventures and mishaps. Many readers may have wanted to know where Brown Crayon was at the end of the last book, but whatever happened to Pea Green, Neon Red, Maroon and the rest of the gang? In this follow up book, we get to find out and the reveal is a lot of fun. (Grades K-3)

Grandma in Blue with Red HatWritten by Scott Menchin with pictures by Harry Bliss. A young boy narrates his journey as he learns about art and takes an art class at the museum. Readers get to learn about art through the narrator’s eyes; enjoying his art and following his efforts to create an art exhibit of his very own. This is a lovely story…a tribute to art and to special grandmas everywhere. The narrative is complimented by beautiful illustrations. (Grades 1-3) Rain Reign by Ann M. MartinEleven-year-old Rose LOVES homophones (words that sound the same but are spelled differently) and knows so much about them that she has written special rules for homophone use! The safety of the patterns of homophones bring Rose comfort as she navigates a complicated world intensified by her behavior challenges due to being on the Autism Spectrum. Rose is a great storyteller, drawing the reader intimately into her life. Veteran and Newbury Honor author, Ann M. Martin, utilizes her talent of fine storytelling to share this touching tale of a thoughtful girl, a dog, a hurricane and life. (Grades 4-6) The Crossover by Kwame AlexanderWinner of the 2015 Newbery Medal and a Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book Award, this extraordinary book deserves every accolade. Written in verse, The Crossover is a brilliantly written story of thirteen-year-old twin brothers, Josh and JB (basketball phenoms), and their coming of age. Even if you don’t know anything about basketball or are intimidated by verse (rather than prose), this book is “smoooooooothly” written. Full of emotion, complex characters and riveting basketball narrative this is one tough book to put down. Even better read aloud! (Grades 5 and up)

Book Reviewby Allison Grover - Khoury

16

The Insider is in need of more writers! As our school grows,

so does the news! If you would like to be part of our team

next school year, please email our Editor-in-Chief Christie

Kobata at christiekobata@hotmail.com Very flexible and a

great way to contribute to our school from the comfort of

your own home.

TK-Second Grade Teacher Search

MRBMRGLEASONMRSDOUCETTEMRSMURPHY

MSDALGRENMSJUSTICEMSKEWISHMSLOHITH

MSMULLINGSMSSUMMERSMSVINCENTMS CATY