Reading: Mrs. Bast

Interactive Reading Site

dbast — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:48:51 +0000

The Speakaboo website is worth bookmarking. Stories are read and performed by celebrities with illustrations and music. The intriguing feature that is still to come is their Record Your Own stories or songs. We can foresee guest readers who are parents, grandparents, aunts or uncles of your students, recording favorite stories for them to listen to in class or at home. And it is free!

http://www.speakaboos.com/recordYourOwn

What happened to Mrs. Bast?

dbast — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 02:16:51 +0000

I have heard that two heads are better than one. Maybe it’s true… I will be able to listen to two kids read at a time or even drink and eat at the same time! I’ve been hunting for the perfect helper, and here is the answer right in front of my nose. Or is it next to my nose? Happy November Scavenger Hunt!

Level Your Books at HOME!

dbast — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:24:09 +0000

I have loaded a great leveling tool to our blog that will help you level your books at home…and find books that at the just right level for your reader.

Go to the page link above, Book Leveling Help, to use this new tool.

School Funding Alert!

dbast — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:28:08 +0000

Time is Running Out

Please read the following post from Nicholas Ceglarek, Superintendent for Hudsonville Public Schools. Reductions could directly impact the Reading Support program next year at our school.

Time is running out to stop the reduction of an additional $127 per student from our foundation allowance.

The State Aid Bill passed by the Legislature last month cut $165 from the foundation allowance and with the proposed additional $127 per-student reduction, schools across Michigan will experience a devastating cut of $292 per student in funding for the 2009-10 school year.

We have approximately ten days to communicate with our leaders in Lansing that these cuts to education are unacceptable. For our parents and concerned citizens we have provided talking points and a presentation outlining the impact of the cuts to our HPS website.

If you have not contacted your legislator, PLEASE CLICK HERE to access the alert and send an email to your lawmakers telling them to take action and avert a proration.
If you have already sent an email or want to take further steps to push for action, please consider urging your board to pass a resolution in support of funding for education. CLICK HERE to view a sample resolution that you can use a template.

In addition, we are asking individuals to join us on November 10 in Lansing to communicate directly with our elected officials. Many public schools supporters are planning on this time and date to strengthen our message.

The proposed schedule includes:

10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon – Meet at Capitol steps to hear the Governor and others speak
12:00 noon – 2:00 p.m. – Meet with your state legislators and let them know your expectations regarding their responsibility to fix the structural deficit in the School Aid Fund

State legislators for HPS are:

Rep. Dave Agema
P.O. Box 30014
Lansing, MI 48909
(p)1-800-968-2320
daveagema@house.mi.gov

Rep. Joseph Haveman
P.O. Box 30014
Lansing, MI 48909
(p)1-866-908-4347
JosephHaveman@house.mi.gov

Sen. Wayne Kuipers
P.O. Box 30036
Lansing, MI 48909
(p)(517) 373-6920
SenWKuipers@senate.michigan.gov

In conclusion, if you are planning on attending please email rvandenb@hpseagles.net by Friday, November 6. Thank you for your all you do for Hudsonville Public Schools.

Your voice is crucial if we are to reduce the cuts to K-12 education!

Nicholas Ceglarek, Superintendent for Hudsonville Public Schools

Parent/Teacher Conferences

dbast — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 01:13:26 +0000

I will be joining classroom teachers to discuss reading with parents of my support students. We will be reviewing your child’s reading strengths and goals, as well as showing progress since September. Looking forward to seeing you this week!

School Funding

dbast — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:50:18 +0000

Time is running out. Our Governor and legislative leaders in Lansing are proposing devastating cuts to public education. In addition to the $165 per pupil cut to all public schools, the State Budget Director has notified school leaders another $127 per pupil cut is coming in less than 30 days. The only way this will not happen is if our Governor and legislators can agree to a funding solution addressing the revenue shortfall. To find out how to help prevent this funding crisis, please listen to my message and visit the links here: FUNDING CRISIS

To find out more about the history of school funding, FIVE DAYS TO FIX SCHOOL FUNDING, GR PRESS

Nicholas Ceglarek, Superintendent

Flu Update

dbast — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:39:59 +0000

I hope this letter finds you all healthy. I am writing to give you an update on the H1N1 influenza and to inform you of how we will proceed with flu outbreaks within the district. We are working very closely with the Ottawa County Health Department (OCHD) to monitor the health and safety of our students. If you suspect your child has the flu, please see your health care provider.

Symptoms of H1N1 influenza include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. If your child is sick with these symptoms, please keep them home from school for at least 24 hours after their fever is gone. (The fever should be gone without the use of a fever reducing medicine.) This will help prevent the spread of this illness to others.

This school year, the school closure protocol from the Centers for Disease Control and the Health Department is different from last year. Schools will not be closed due to a single confirmed case of H1N1. We know that we already have illness likely caused by the H1N1 virus throughout Ottawa County, therefore the decision to close a school will be based on the number and severity of illnesses. We continue to monitor the attendance at each building carefully. If a building’s attendance drops below 75 percent, we may consider closing the school but will make this decision in consultation with the Health Department.

The OCHD anticipates widespread illness attributed to the H1N1 virus, some of which will be confirmed but much more will be undiagnosed with symptoms. Neither the Health Department nor the District will be able to send a letter home each time we receive notification of a confirmed case. We will update you as needed, putting the safety and well-being of your children first. We are hoping that the H1N1 influenza does not spread as expected, but we all need to follow the guidelines from the Health Department to keep our community safe. These guidelines include:

get a seasonal flu vaccination and the H1N1 vaccine for your child when it becomes available
advise children to cover their nose and mouth with a tissue when they cough or sneeze
wash hands often
have children avoid touching their eyes, nose, or mouth
keep your child home when sick with flu like symptoms

Sincerely,
Mr. Nicholas Ceglarek, Superintendent

Mrs. Bast, the Reading Teacher, likes to…

dbast — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:51:20 +0000

READ! Reading really is my favorite thing to do. I am so lucky to have a job as a reading teacher where I can surround myself with readers all day! I like to read all kinds of things… I read newspapers, recipe books, picture books, mysteries, fantasy, and long, long, books. This summer I read some great kids’ books that my son, Will, recommended. He is going into 6th grade and loves reading about as much as I do. The Lightning Thief series by Rick Riordan was fantastic, sort of like Harry Potter and ancient mythology combined. Another great pick from Will was Eliza Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary Schmidt, one of my favorite authors. In the summer, I love to read outside on my patio. When it’s cold, I like to wrap myself up in my warmest blanket and read on the couch. Happy October Scavenger Hunt!

Great Advice!

dbast — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 01:15:18 +0000

What are the three best ways parents can support teachers when it comes to reading at home and in schools? PBS in their Thursday Threes feature has some terrific advice. Check out this link!

http://tinyurl.com/nklsor

Mrs. Bast goes to Canada. Eh?

dbast — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:44:28 +0000

In July, I went to Canada with my family. My parents live there on a beautiful lake. While we were there, we boated, fished, swam, and ate lots of ice cream. My highlight this summer was learning how to kayak in our new boat. We relaxed and had fun with extended family and the cousins played endless games of kick-the-can. It was a wonderful summer trip to remember and we look forward to going again next year!

Happy hunting!