Mrs. Yollis and her students ♥ to share what they are
learning and experiencing.
In an effort to include more family members in our online community, we are proclaiming:
November is Family Blogging Month!
In an effort to include more family members in our online community, we are proclaiming:
November is Family Blogging Month!
Each student made a list of their family members. After looking through the archive, students selected specific posts tailored to the interest of a particular relative.
We're inviting everyone to comment: moms, dads, brothers, sisters, grandmothers, grandfathers, uncles, aunts, and cousins.
We welcome friends, too!
Students will be inviting their family and friends to participate in a conversation!
Maybe we'll get some 2-point comments!
(We frequently evaluate the comments that our blog has received. In order to earn the 2-points, a comment must be error-free and add something to the post. Many of Mrs. Yollis' third graders have already met the challenge!)
If you don't know what to say, here is a video made by Mrs. Yollis' third graders.
Learn FIVE tips for writing a quality comment!
If you don't know How to leave a comment, here is a video tutorial about HOW to leave a comment on our blog.
Here is the key we will use for Family Blogging Month.
What do you think of our idea?
Please leave a comment and introduce yourself!
Posts
Dear Class,
ReplyDeleteIt is family blogging month, so I would love to kick off a spectacular month of learning how to blog. My name is Bryce from Mrs. Yollis's class. Here is some of my history of when I was a little little boy. I was born on May twenty-fifth 2005. Ali who is also in my class has the same birthday as I do.
When I was three years old, I was at my friends house and I wanted to get to something, but there was a snowman in front of me. I know my manners so I went up to the snowman and I politely said to the snowman "Excuse me." I said it in my thinking-I'm-so-polite voice. Alas, I did not know that it was only a decoration for the party. The adults all laughed out loud. That is how I learned that some things can or can't talk or even live.
When I was four I broke my left funny bone. (If you think it's fun breaking your funny bone, you,'re dead wrong.) I was in a cast for about five weeks. I broke my arm by jumping off a trampoline at my friends house. That is how I learned the hard way not to do things that your friends can do. It is better to do stuff that you know would be safe.
Now I am about eight and a half and am in Mrs. Yollis's class for the second time in a row. She is a really good teacher and is teaching valuable and informative lessons to the class.
Your-blogging-encouraging-pupil,
Bryc♣
Dear Bryce,
DeleteHow lucky you are that you have such a good teacher two years in a row!
I sure do wish we lived closer to each other. You and your family will be missed at our Thanksgiving table.
Each year we go to my cousin’s house for our Thanksgiving feast and I always make the turkey and gravy and Grandpa and I make the applesauce together. Some years we even go upstate and pick the apples off the trees.
After Thanksgiving, Aunt Leslie and Uncle Mike are taking a short vacation and Jenna and Jocelyn will be spending the weekend with us. That should be fun!
Did you know that the first day of Chanukah is on Thanksgiving this year? I read that it happened 125 years ago but it will not happen again for another 77,798 years! So this year we will be celebrating two holidays at once.
I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and Chanukah. We are looking forward to seeing you in April!
Love,
Grandma (from New York)
xo
Dear Grandma,
DeleteYes, I am very happy to have Mrs. Yollis two years in a row. It would very fun to have you and grandpa with us at the Thanksgiving table.
Where do you go to get apples that is upstate? That will be fun having Jenna and Jocelyn at your house for a weekend.
Yes, I was alerted about Chanukah because I overheard everyone making a big deal about how much they have to get ready for. That is amazing that it is 78 hundred thousand years! It will be a lot of fun celebrating. I am looking forward to seeing you in April also.
Sincerely,
Bryce
Hi Bryce,
DeleteIt is so exciting to participate in your class project and also to learn what a blog is and how to use it.
I had a wonderful visit with you in California in October. I was really impressed how well you did on your baseball team. You are a great pitcher.
Nana and I are looking forward to your visit in December to our Florida home. We have many interesting and exciting places to visit with you and Hunter and Jenna and Jocelyn.
We are hoping for sunny days to visit the gulf beaches and swim in the pool.
Love Nana and PopPop
Aloha Mrs. Yollis' class,
DeleteI am Jo of EDM310 at the University of South Alabama and I must say I am loving this family blogging! I have really enjoyed all of your stories and you guys are also great at making videos! It is great to see that because of this great idea your family will now get to see all of your great blogging skills and even participate too! Keep up the great work guys!
P.S. I commend you Mrs. Yollis on this creative idea!
Dear Bryce,
DeleteI am so proud of how much and how well you and your class blog. You are learning very valuable lessons in terms of grammar and communication. Mrs. Yollis is an amazing teacher and you are so fortunate to have been in her class two years in a row. Mrs. Yollis is very savvy when it comes to technology and education.
We did not have personal computers when I was your age. I was 10 years old when we got our first computer. It was called an IBM PC and, in today's world, it would just be a big, giant type writer. We didn't even have the internet then! I got my first email account when I was in Medical School. I think I was 25 years old! We got you your first email account when you were about 5 years old!
It is so wonderful that we are able to keep in touch with our New York relatives over the internet. Even though we won't be able to share a Thanksgiving table with Grandma Harriet and Grandpa Dave or Nana and Pop-pop, we can face time with them!
We definitely didn't have anything like face time when I was younger. Face time was something that we could have only imagined. It was like something from the futuristic cartoon, The Jetsons.
You and your classmates are growing up in a very exciting time! What new inventions do you think kids will be playing with when Hanukkah and Thanksgiving fall on the same day again in 78,000 years? How about when you have kids some day in 20 or 30 years?
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteI am so excited for Family Blogging Month! Last year, our Family Blogging Month post got over 100 comments. If you would like to see that post, here is the link: Family Blogging Month.
If I win this year I will be greatly excited, not only because of the crown but because my family will have left so many great quality comments.
I think that everyone should participate, even if they are not related to anyone in the class. It is just a grand way to explore the internet and make new connections.
If you are participating in the Family Blogging Challenge, what posts do you have in mind to leave a comment on?
Your Blogging-loving-friend,
Keira
Dear Keira,
DeleteI am just as excited as you are about the new month, and that means Family Blogging Month. Yes, I am encouraging my ancestors that are still alive to leave some quality comments,and help me win the crown!
Again, you are right about having a lot of pupils leaving comments. The encouragement would be grand to have people that have never seen a comment in their life. After the experience they will be having a blast commenting to people around the globe like people even in Australia, New Zealand, and United Kingdom.
Yes, I will be commenting all month day and night trying to acquire the crown and other prizes. I have already commented a lot.
Sincerely,
Bryce
@Bryce,
DeleteI think it is wonderful that you are encouraging your still alive ancestors to participate in blogging! I really want my Aunt to comment all the way from Europe. I have not had time to talk to her, but I will make sure that I will.
I think that people who have never seen a comment will have a amazing time joining Family Blogging Month, and get hooked on blogging at the same time. The great thing about this is that people won't just blog in November, they can continue blogging regularly.
If you are a first or second grader, this is a great way to build your vocabulary and writing skills. Once you learn how to type, you can become a master blogger.
I think it is great for people to assure themselves that they are going to win, but you never know. For all you know, you could get the lowest score in the class. I think the top three so far are Heather, Keira, and Bryce.
Who do you think are the top three? What is your favorite part about Family Blogging Month?
Warmly,
Keira
Dear Bryce,
DeleteI am one of your ancestors, by virtue of the fact that I came two generations before you. That makes me your grandmother or as others call me your "Gaga!" You also have someone in your family who is three generations before you and that is your 91 year old great grandmother. You are lucky enough to be able to talk to her about where we came from and where her family came from before that.
As you know, we are both from Woonsocket, Rhode Island, a very small town in New England, with a population of less than 40,000 people. Bubbe, your great grandmother, was born in Woonsocket in 1922. Her parents were born in Russia many years before that. They came to the United States to escape the oppression of the Tzar. They wanted to find freedom here and they did.
Your great grandfather, Zayde, as we called him, was born in Woonsocket in 1915 and his parents also came from Russia. He valued his freedom and was proud to be an American. He voted in every election he could and he believed that we should all vote when we were old enough to do so.
He also believed we should help people whenever we could. You already know that he was a Red Sox fan and he got to see the Red Sox win two World Series, the first in 1918 and the second in 2007. He was very happy that he lived to see that second win.
I could go on and on with stories about the family and if I get a chance, I'll post some more. I know I said we came two and three generations before you. What that really means is that we are all together, we have four generations in one room. There's Bubbe, me, Mommy and you. It may sound confusing, but it really isn't. We are all very fortunate to have each other.
Love,
Gaga
Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,
ReplyDeleteI am rushing to comment as many comments as I can, but it is still important to remember that if you wrote twenty comments in one day, you might consider that person as a very good blogger. WRONG! The comment has to be a quality comment to say that it is a good comment. The first comment in this post is Bryce, and I would say that Bryce's comment is a quality comment. There has to be very few errors (NO errors is even better), high vocabulary, and all of the tips that are in the pictures and videos. I would definitely say that Mrs. Yollis is the best blogger compared to the class. Who do you think should be complemented by their quality comments?
Back to Family Blogging Month. I certainly would want to win first place again, but I believe people are going to try to hurry up and comment more than me. Last year, I won with Collin and Bennett. The winner gets to wear a crown! Here is a link to the post:
Family Blogging Month Winners!
The Family Blogging Month idea is a great way to get people join in on the blog and keep on commenting. For example, Rocky doesn't comment a lot, but I bet you that he will comment as much as he can! My profile says that it is Rocky that is commenting. It's because my brother and I share a profile. He has a blog too. He just turned eleven. My brother, Aaron, is a little behind in his posts. If you want to go to the blog anyways, here is a link to it:
Aaron's Awesome Blog
My mom doesn't comment on the blog very often, and nether does my dad. Every time I see them on weekdays, I see my mom at her computer working and I don't see my dad. My mom works at home, while my dad works at his office.
Me, Heather, does lots of commenting! (I am talking in third person). Her favorite hobby is blogging. She has her own blog and just posted a post on her blog. The blog is called Heather's Perfect Post. Heather got rewarded the blog by commenting, and her friend, Keira, is setting up her blog. If you want to see Heather's blog, click on this:
Heather's Perfect Post
This might be a lot of hyperlinks to you, but to be honest, I am getting use to typing hyperlinks! You can learn some HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) on this post:
Learn HTML Code!
What do you like the best about Family Blogging Month?
Have fun blogging and I will beat all of you and receive that crown again! ;D
Sincerely,
Heather
Dear Heather,
DeleteThat comment was wonderful!
I agree that if a person writes 20 comments in a day it does not mean that the person is a excellent writer. The persons comment must be quality. For example, if a person writes a one sentence comment and that sentence is a run-on, that is not a quality comment. I think that Heather's comment was definitely quality.
Anyways, the bottom of your comment you said that you would win again. I think that you may win again, but you may not. You have to work hard and I know that you do. You never know though.
I hope everyone has fun blogging!
Sincerely,
Keira
Dear Rocky,
DeleteI have to say I am very impressed by your blogging ability since this is my first attempt at it! Typing is very difficult when you don't have any thumbs. I feel like I have so much to say but don't know where to begin. In case you haven't guessed, this is Georgie, Clare's doggie. One of the things I would like to share with all of you is that I LOVE to bury things in the backyard. Food, toys, treats - you name it, I will bury it. I like to dig it up later when I am in the mood for it. Sometimes when I dig something up and it's all covered in mud, I like to bring it inside the house to eat it. When I do that it leaves a big trail of dirt behind me - but that makes it taste so much better! Do any of you like to hide things and save them for later?
Look forward to hearing from you,
Georgie
Dear Georgie,
DeleteThank you for that amazing comment!
My name is Mika, and I am one of Keira's dogs.
Yes, I do like to hide things, but not bury them. For example, I once hid a bone because all the other dogs were trying to get it. Mmmmm...... bones. Oh I am so sorry, I just had a minute of off track thinking about bones. I know there is a word for that, but I do not know it.
Anyways, about the hiding treasures. I do not hide that many things, because I am the sleepy type. But when no one is looking, I run to the computer and start typing. It is very fun actually. How do you get to the computer and type?
Woof,
Mika {Keira}
Dear Mika,
DeleteNice to hear from you Mika! Regarding the computer, I am a big fan of Apple. I tried eating the name, but everyone tells me "no". I like to pretend I have an ipaw for my music. How many dogs does Keira have?
Bow wow,
Georgie (Jack, Clare's brother)
@Georgie,
DeleteThank you for your reply!
I think it would be wonderful if dogs could eat the name Apple. I also am a big fan of Apple, but sadly I do not have an Apple computer. I have a LG computer.
Keira has four dogs in total. My husband is Cooper, the only male. I have two daughters that live with me, Pokie and Rory. The older sister is Pokie.
I did not just have two daughters, I had five litters of puppies. I am very proud of all my puppies if you ask me. I am very sorry to say that I lost one of my pups because that pup was not strong enough to survive.
Have you ever been disappointed? If so, what were you disappointed about?
Woof,
Mika {Keira}
Dear Mika and Georgie,
DeleteI hope you are having a wonderful conversation!
My name is Cooper, Mika's husband. I enjoy blogging just like all of you.
I think that Family Blogging Month is a great way for dogs to share stories with other dogs. My favorite stories are about the times I got skunked. Here is one of those stories:
One evening, I was walking around in Keira's backyard when I noticed something was rustling in the bushes. I decided to run up the hill and investigate. When I reached my destination, I got SPRAYED by a SKUNK! It did not really make any difference to me, so I continued on with my evening. When it was time to go inside, Keira noticed my smell right away. Suddenly, I found myself in a bathtub full of soapy water. I tried to escape, but I was stuck. Even though Keira scrubbed and scrubbed, the stench would not come out. That night, I had to sleep in a crate in the backyard. I was very lonely, but night did not last long. Before I knew it, I was back in the dreadful bathtub.
Did you like my story? Has anything ever happened to you when you were exploring?
Woof woof,
Cooper [Keira]
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteI like your idea that promotes writing. Heather has been benefited so much from blogging and commenting. Her writing skill improved a lot throughout last year. The most important thing is that she likes writing!
Warmly,
Echo (Heather's mom)
@ Echo, (Heather's mom),
DeleteThanks for your assessment of blogging. I agree 100%! The more students practice quality writing, the better writers they become. We are all learning together!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Y♥llis
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteYesterday I had my birthday party. A number of my friends came to my birthday party. We had a bounce house and we jumped and played basketball in the bounce house. The bounce house came with a basketball hoop. I got a Minecraft birthday creeper cake. They made an extra cake for me because the original cake had some small cracks. We also had white Gatorade and orange Fanta. A Minecraft entertainer came to my party and did five activities: Pass the TNT, zombies and villagers, toggle wolf,
mining for diamonds, and balloon sword fights.
I had a wonderful 9th birthday party with my friends and family.
Sincerely,
Darius
Dear Mrs. Yollis and Class,
ReplyDeleteTalk about an exciting way to start November! I've participated in Family blogging month several times, and boy can I say it is a blast.
Mrs. Yollis is a genius, as you all know, and this explains why! She invented this superior idea of Family Blogging Month. I hope my parents, siblings, cousins, grandma's, grandpa's, aunts, and uncles will leave fabulous comments on this grand blog.
What hopes do you have for your family in Family Blogging Month?
Do you want to win the stellar Family Blogging month?
Good Luck,
Pe♣er
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteI am Darius' father and I like the idea of family blogging. As Darius mentioned in his post he had his 9th birthday party this past weekend with some of his school friends. It was great to meet his school friends for the first time. They played very nicely together and did amazingly well for a group of boys!
As you know we are new to the area and Darius is new to the school. So far its been a great experience for our family and for Darius. We look forward to the remainder of the school year and I look forward to more blogging.
Sincerely,
Aleks (Darius' Dad)
Dear Aleks,
DeleteWelcome to the community! I know it is hard entering a new community and I am so glad that Darius has started to make a strong group of friends in Mrs. Yollis' class.
Sincerely,
Jen (Allison's Mom)
Dear Aleks,
DeleteI am Evan's uncle, Amir. Evan is Darius' good friend and he had a great time at his birthday party. We are very happy to welcome you and your family to the community!
By the way, Mrs. Yollis, I think the idea of this family blog is terrific. Evan and I are having a blast.
Sincerely,
Uncle Amir (Evan's uncle)
Dear Mrs.Yollis
ReplyDeleteI want to tell you about my Halloween. I went to my friend's house and had lots of fun, and I got to go on his zip-line. We went trick-or-treating and got a lot of candy!
In the end we had a laser show!
Your pupil,
Nicholas
Dear Nick,
DeleteWhat a fantastic comment! I love that you included your grand Halloween adventure! What a day it sounds like you had. I especially enjoyed that zip line. That sounds like a superior time!
What was the zip line connected to? About how long was the zip line?
I love to trick-or-treat. It is a stellar time to be with friends, family, and I always getting a bucket load of candy:)
How many pieces did you receive on Halloween night?
Your friend,
♣Peter♣
Dear Nicholas,
DeleteI had a great time on Halloween, too! I loved walking around the darkened neighborhoods and seeing the spooky decorations people had put up.
Your dad,
Pete
Dear Peter
DeleteThe zip line was connected to two trees, and you had climb a ladder to reach it. The zip line was about ten yards long.
I got about seventy pieces of candy.
Peter, do you have a favorite candy?
Your friend,
N♔cholas
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteToday was the first work/school day with the new time change, so it was a little challenging getting going this morning, but the human body has an amazing way of adjusting to this change based on the internal circadian clocks we all have within our bodies! I'm not always very excited when the time change occurs every fall, because it means by the time I get home from work every day it's already dark and there's very little time to spend outside with my family. I'll be counting down until March 9, 2014, when we get to set the clocks forward an hour, and I can actually enjoy the daylight, even if I get home late from work.
What do you think of the time change?
Sincerely,
Berta (Alec's mom)
Dear Jemma's class,
ReplyDeleteI'm Joshua, Jemma's brother! I'm 4 years old and this is my first time blogging! I know alot about computers but I've never heard of blogging! I'm excited to participate in Family Blogging Month and learn about blogging!
My sister Jemma and I like to do many things together. We play handball, swim, kick a soccer ball, watch television and my favorite time is when Jemma reads me stories before I go to sleep.
If you have a sibling or two, what is your favorite activity you like to participate in with them? I cant wait to hear what you all have to say.
Sincerely,
Jemma's brother Joshua
Dear Joshua,
DeleteWe are Isabella and Alyssa, Keira's cousins! We are three years old and are twins, not the kind that look alike.
We do lots of things together too! For example, we swim, play with our mini jeep, visit Keira's house, beautify ourselves in our vanity, do arts and crafts, and the best part is when Keira reads us a story or two before we go to bed.
We also like to collect treasures together. One day, we went out to the side of our house and started picking up a variety of rocks, putting them in our buckets, and looking for more. Some of Isabella's were pink and others green. Some of Alyssa's were shiny and some were sparkly.
Do you collect anything? If so, what do you collect?
Happy Blogging,
Isabella and Alyssa
One day during soccer practice for Alec's sister, we found a green praying mantis on the side of a tree. We brought the mantis home and put her in a cage. Here is a link to what a praying mantis looks like.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.angelfire.com/empire/zooempire/mantis.html
We feed the mantis 5 crickets a week. She quickly catches the crickets and eats them. This weekend we were looking at the mantis when Alec noticed a small white cocoon at the corner of the cage. The mantis had created a cocoon to lay its eggs. The cocoon where the mantis places her eggs is called a ootheca. We can't wait until the eggs start hatching.
Have you ever seen an ootheca?
Sincerely,
Norman K. (Alec's dad)
@ Norman K. (Alec's dad),
DeleteThe praying mantis is certainly a spectacular insect. We found one near the MPR at school one day.
What has happened with the ootheca?
Sincerely,
Mrs. Y♥llis
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteBuck is so cute! I have a pet dog too. My dog's name is Sunny.
Sunny is the same color as Buck but Sunny is a Shepherd mix.
Do you have any other pets?
Class, do you have pets? If so what kind?
Sincerely,
♦Caroline♦ (Nicholas' sister)
Dear Caroline
DeleteI am Sunny and I am 11 years old. I am a pet dog. I like to eat delicious food like hamburger, turkey slices, and pork chops. Unfortunately, I also have to eat my dry food (I do not like it as much!
Woof woof my hamburger is done!
Need to sleep now!
Woof
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteAs fore, I was in your class last year and we did have a Family Blogging Month back then as well. It was fantastic and I couldn't wait to do it next year. It is here right now and I am going to try to achieve not only a prize, but also become a better writer. That is why I love this global family and friends project.
I would want to invite everyone in my family and as many friends as I can! I think I may
get at least four family members to join....but you never know, maybe your 1-4 year old
brothers or sisters may leave a comment. Who knows? Maybe your pet goldfish is leaving a
comment from Mermaid Marsh on her kelp computer, or your dog just unpacked from his
dangerous but exciting journey to Beagle Bones, Boneston!
How many pets or siblings can you get to write?
Sincerely,
Aashi
Dear Mrs. Yollis and Class,
ReplyDeleteThank you for inviting me to help out with the art class last Friday. I was so impressed with the way you all gave Aashi your full attention and even joined in to learn the dance. It was great to see the support that was given and interest in a new culture and customs. I loved trying the mango yogurt drink and had fun dancing too. You all made such beautiful candle holders, I loved the detail. Do any of you have a dance or custom that is a tradition in your family?
Best,
Emily's mom.
Dear Mom,
DeleteI agree that everybody was paying attention to Aashi's dance. I also loved that she made up her own dance. What did you like about her dance?
Do you think that Aashi is a talented dancer?
Your daughter,
E♥ilyn
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Carol and I am Keira's almost grandma.
I feel that Family Blogging Month is an excellent way for people to connect with others. Even though I am not a excellent writer, I enjoy reading the children's wonderful comments.
Keira has excelled so much in her writing and reading skills since she started blogging. She encourages me to sit at the computer with her so that she can teach me the skills I need to become a blogger.
I hope everyone has a fantastic time blogging!
Warmly,
Carol
@ Carol,
DeleteSo nice to have you visiting out blog again! We all love having family members and friends join our online learning community!
I am so impressed with the progress Keira has made through blogging. Of course, the more a person practices quality writing, the better writer they become. Keira is proof of that!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Y♥llis
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteI have been enjoying family blogging month and I hope to win! I really wish that there was more than one winner. Regardless, I will try my best and even if I don't win I hope to improve my skills as a writer. I wonder what the winner of family blogging month will receive?
Your student,
Darius
Dear Darius,
DeleteThat is one of the best comments I've seen out of you, and I one hundred percent agree. The winners will receive a free kids meal at Marmalade Cafe, and whoever wins first place will receive the crown for a day. When you said, "I will try my best and even if I don't win I hope to improve my writing skills," I think you may have a chance to win.
Sincerely,
Bryce
Hi Bryce,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Papa (Bryce’s papa and papa to any of his friends who need a papa).
I was the lucky one who picked up Bryce from his friend’s house after he broke his not so funny funny bone. He is so right that it wasn’t funny at all.
Fortunately Bryce learned from that experience and now sticks to sports he can master. Baseball, basketball, swimming, hand ball, and beating me up playing hockey are a few that come to mind. He has lots of fun and has become quite good at all of them…especially beating me up.
We are very proud of Bryce’s academic accomplishments as well. He really enjoys school and his teacher and classmates. It is exciting to check his homework and try to understand the new math teaching concepts.
Keep up the good work Bryce.
Love you (is it ok to say that?)
Papa
@ Papa,
DeleteThank you for being papa to any and all of Bryce's friends and classmates! It is much appreciated, especially by those of us whose parents (grandparents to our children) live afar!
Bryce is very lucky to have such a great, involved papa who is also such a big part of his everyday life and community.
Chloe's Saba (Hebrew for grandpa) lives far away, though you remind us of him. He too is a very warm, kind, dedicated, funny and caring grandpa.
We really appreciate all that you do to offer your kindness and support to all of Bryce's friends. Thank you for your support at Chloe's Art Expo, her Halloween party and, your papa ways every time we see you at pick up. Chloe's little brother especially likes having you around to call "papa."
It takes a village to raise a child and, you are a great part of our village, our village Papa!
This week, Chloe's Saba will be visiting us. I hope you get a chance to meet him in person or, at least in blogging. We will show him the ropes when he gets here and hopefully he will be blogging in no time!
Thank you again for your generous extension of your "papa"hood to all,
Liat (Chloe's mom)
Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,
ReplyDeleteI am Evan's grandfather or, as they say in Hebrew, his "Saba." Evan is a wonderful kid, and he's been blossoming in your class. Thank you for your efforts and for hosting this blog. We have lived here for over 20 years and, believe it or not, my youngest child attended the same school as Evan a long time ago!
Sincerely, Evan's Saba
@ Evan's Saba,
DeleteThanks so much for taking the time to connect with our class! Evan is having a great year and is becoming an excellent blogger!
Yes, our school has been around for a while. Believe it or not, this is my twenty-seventh year!
Warmly,
Mrs. Y♥llis
Dear Evan's Saba,
DeleteI would like to know some words in Hebrew.
Did you know we have someone in our class that speaks Hebrew. Her name is Mia. Evan has the best teacher ever, Mrs. Yollis.
Evan's friend,
Chance
Dear Chance,
DeleteI would be more than happy to provide you with some words in Hebrew. Here are some good one's to start with:
(a) "Eema"- Mother
(b) "Abba"- Father
(c) "shalom"- This one is interesting. It can mean three things, depending on the context in which you say it. It means either "hello," "goodbye" or "peace."
(d) "Ma?" means "what?"; "Mee?" means "who"; "Eifo?" means "Where?"
Those are good words to start with. Perhaps Mia or her family can add some other useful words in Hebrew.
Sincerely,
Evan's Saba
I am Liat, Mia's mom.
ReplyDeleteWe really like the idea of family blogging as we get the opportunity to participate and write with our kids. Even Mia's sister - Yahlee, would like to participate and write something about Mia and she is only 5 years old!
Writing skills are very important, specifically these days when most of communication is done by posting, twitting and texting. Actually, we write more than we talk as technology develops and our kids should be ready for a new communication era.
Thank you for being such a "High Tech" teacher, its a great privilege for our kids.
Sincerely,
Liat
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteI have been thinking about technology and how it shapes our world. From computers all the way to nifty toys. For example cellular phones. They are so amazing I don't know if we should be calling them phones. Smart phones are basically small computers! I remember when I was Mia's age and how I kept in touch with my Grandparents who lived in Israel It was a big event to dial a foreign country from the United states. Today Mia talks to her Grandparents on the way to school from home! We even make Skype video calls so that they can see one another. The point being that I encourage Mia to use technology whenever possible as it affords us to communicate, work and live efficiently. I very much appreciate the fact that you encourage the use of technology in your class.
Sincerely,
Bentzion
@ Bentzion,
DeleteTechnology certainly has changed the world! I remember traveling to Europe in the early 1990s, and it was a big deal to call home. I had to involve an overseas operator, he/she would make the call for me, and then I could connect with my family. Not only did it take a lot of time, it was expensive too!
We are living at an amazing time!
Warmly,
Mrs. Y♥llis
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Danya and I live in Mobile, AL. I am in Dr. Strange's class at the University of South Alabama. Dr. Strange told us about how much he enjoyed visiting with all of you. He even has the pictures and a new blog post to prove it.
I watched the video of your students explaining the proper techniques of writing a quality post and think that they did a fantastic job. It astounds me when I think of 3rd graders doing the same work that I am doing in college. I think it is a wonderful thing to get students involved in the world of blogging. I have just begun and am finding that it is fun and informative. I have learned so much through the posts that I have written, the comments that I have received, and the posts that I have read from others. I love how blogging enables you to communicate with people from all over the world. It tears down the walls of the regular classroom in order to make way for a sort of global classroom.
For your students, what are some of the things they have learned through blogging? What other 21st Century skills are incorporated into your classroom?
Thank you,
Danya C.
Dear Danya C.,
DeleteThank you for the wonderful comment!
I am so happy that you enjoy blogging just like all of Mrs. Yollis' class does.
Some of the things I have learned through blogging are:
1. Never reveal your YAPPY (If you don't know what a YAPPY is here is a post about it: Your YAPPY)
2. Always proofread your comment!
3. Always leave QUALITY comments on the blog!
4. Never use too many exclamation points. Here is an example that you should never type: I love Halloween!!!
5. If the person you are commenting back to made a few typing errors, do not point them out.
There are many more, but these are the ones I chose.
One 21st Century skill incorporated into Mrs. Yollis' classroom is the use of IPads. When we do Rotations, we sometimes use IPads. One time we used an app called Poplet to make graphic organizers / word webs of a story we were reading in class. If you want to see what a Poplet is, here is a link: Poplet
If you are wondering what Rotations are, I will explain what they are. Rotations are when we are given activities to complete on the computer, in our work book, on the IPads, assignments with Mrs. Yollis, and Alpha Smarting.
Are you familiar with the app Poplet? Do you have any more blogging tips?
Warmly,
Keira {From Mrs. Yollis' class}
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Beverly and I am Allison's aunt. I live in Colorado and I am fortunate to live right next door to my parents. Allison is very special to me as I had the chance to bond with her at a very early age. I held Allison when she was just two weeks old! Allison was born in December and her parents decided to take her to go meet Santa Claus. When she had her picture taken, she was so small that it looked like Santa was holding a football!
The last time I saw Allison was this summer. I flew out to California and both Ally and her sister flew back on the plane with me. It was the first time Allison flew on a plane without her parents! While she and her sister were here in Colorado they went swimming, played at the park, saw many movies, and even went to Tiny Town, a little town with dollhouse sized houses and buildings. It was such a fun summer!
What types of things did everyone else do this summer?
Thank You Mrs. Yollis for teaching my niece the art of blogging!
Sincerely,
Beverly MacDonald
Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,
ReplyDeleteWhile I regret that I am neither a direct friend nor family member of you all, I have been assigned this blog post from Dr. Strange. I heard you recently met each other last week. I think this is a really neat idea and a great way to incorporate the community into the classroom. By simply scrolling through all these comments, it is evident that everyone wants to be involved in the learning process of their students.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful idea!
Laura, EDM 310 student, University of South Alabama
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteI had the day off on Monday in honor of Veteran's Day. Since my son Andrew, my nephew Alec, and niece Ava also had the day off from school, we decided to spend it together. We had a great time together, we did lots of fun things, including visiting the Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum in Hollywood. We saw a wax replica on the world's tallest man, Robert Waldaw. He measured 8 feet 11 inches. He was so tall that his father had to modify the family car in order for Robert to be able to get in. We saw lots of other amazing things there too. We even saw a Cyclops sheep, and a two headed calf. WOW!
Have you ever been to the Ripley's museum? If so, what did you think about it?
Cheers,
Marie (@lec's aunt)
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteToday was an especially hot day considering we're in November! It actually reminded me of how much I wish I could be in Hawaii! We took a family vacation there last summer and we enjoyed it very much. We're actually going back in April 2014, during spring break. We love going to Hawaii because of all the great outdoor and water activities. It truly is paradise on earth! We're all counting down to April.
Have you ever been to Hawaii?
Aloha,
Berta (@lec's mom)
Dear Berta and Class,
DeleteNo more hot weather... Today it is cloudy and drizzly, at least in Marina del Rey. I wonder how the weather at the school is right now? Sometimes it is different than in the Marina, although it is only a few miles away. The Marina weather has a strong influence from the Pacific Ocean, which means it is usually cooler and has more clouds (marine layer).
Berta, Hawaii sounds great, which island are you going to?
-Ewa (Nicholas' mom)
Dear Ewa and class,
DeleteToday's weather is definitely not like Hawaii, it's cloudy and very cold! You're right about the marine layer, there's always a lot of that when we go stay at Marie's house in Hermosa Beach, but it usually burns off by mid day when the sun shines through!
We're going to Kauai in April, we've never been there, but I hear it's very lush and tropical, different than Honolulu or even Maui. We're looking forward to exploring the island and seeing new things. Maybe we'll have a great adventure when we go hiking on a trail, who knows anything is possible!
Here's counting down to Hawaii!
Berta
(@lec's mom)
Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Elie. I am 6 years old and I like to do things with my sister, Chloe. I go to Willy Wonka practice with her and I go to music with her. I am so happy to blog with her.
How old do I need to be to have Mrs. Yollis be my teacher?
How many years is that going to be?
I can't wait to have her maybe!
Sincerely,
Elie
Dear Elie,
DeleteI enjoy reading your comment!
I love music and going to music class. As you know, I play piano, and at this time I'm learning Fur Elise by Beethoven and Turing Tables by Adele. I also know that your learning to play the piano, guitar, and drums. Your learning 7 Nation Army by the White Stripes on guitar and drums. On piano your learning exercises and reading music.
Willy Wonka, one of my favorite plays of all time, is fun too! As you know, I'm a newscaster, a kid in the candy store, and an Oompa Loompa. You are a kid in the candy store and an Oompa Loompa.
I think that you will be in Mrs. Yollis' class.
Do you want a blog?
Sincerely,
Chloe (your sister) :-)
Dear Mrs. Yollis' class,
ReplyDeleteWow! All of you students in Mrs. Yollis' class are incredibly lucky! You are doing things that many other students may never experience. Jemma has a sister in 6th grade that never blogged in 3rd grade. In fact she was only first exposed to blogging in 5th grade. One of her closest friends, Gracie is in the video about leaving a quality comment as Mrs. Yollis was her teacher 3 years ago! Jemma's sister, Alexa would hear from her friends in Mrs. Yollis' classroom about all the cool stuff they were doing and learning. She would tell Jemma about it and so as you imagine Jemma was ecstatic to discover Mrs. Yollis would be her teacher!
Family blogging month is such a great idea. I am excited to be part of it! Mrs. Yollis certainly is creative in making the classroom an exciting place to learn and grow! Remember every day how fortunate you are to be in your room!
Sincerely,
Dionne (Jemma's mom)
Dear Mrs. Yollis' Class,
ReplyDeleteHi I'm Alexa, Jemma's older sister and I am 12 years old. It seems like Jemma and your class are having so much fun blogging! Jemma has been telling me about all the creative stuff you have been doing. When I was in fifth grade I was also lucky enough to be able to blog. I know from experience that it is a lot of fun to be able to talk to your friends online.
Now let me tell you a little about me! I play volleyball and just about a week ago my team and I went to a USC women's volleyball game. Actually one of the girls on my team used to be a blogger in Mrs. Yollis' class. The game was really fun and it was really cool to watch the extremely tall players move so fast and aggressively. I learned a lot about what it is like to be an all star volleyball player.
During the summer I go to a sleep away camp for about a month. I always have a fabulous time making new friends and seeing old friends. I know a month seems like a really long time but it goes by incredibly quickly. I look forward to it all year!
The last thing I wanted to share is that I really enjoy school. I think school is an amazing place to see your friends and learn new things. I think you are all extremely lucky to have a teacher like Mrs. Yollis to make learning fun. Jemma has been coming home everyday for the last few weeks singing the rounding up and down song! I think it is really clever and catchy. It is so catchy that my four year old brother also sings it!
I hope you all have a great year with Mrs. Yollis and your classmates and learn a lot of new and exciting things.
Sincerely,
Alexa, Jemma's sister
Howdy Mrs. Yollis' Class,
ReplyDeleteFamily blogging month - what an exciting concept! I am thrilled to be a part of the event. Thank you for inviting me, Keira!
The #1 reason I love blogging is it's ability to inspire creativity. We are able to express ourselves through words, photographs and videos. Blogging encourages us to reflect on our thoughts and ideas - especially when people from all walks of life are able to comment and participate in an online community. It unites us in a way that would not have been possible before the internet existed.
Reading everyone's comments (especially the kids') brings a smile to my face. Wow! It is like taking a journey through their imagination.
How do you feel when you read the kids' comments? Does it spark your imagination to turn their words into reality?
Warmly,
Eva (Keira's Stepmom)
Dear Eva,
DeleteThank you for the amazing comment!
I agree with you that blogging connects us in a way that could have never been possible before the internet existed. I also think of blogging as a digital conversation. Instead of talking with people, we can connect with other people that do not live near us.
I am overjoyed that my family is learning to blog with me. I hope that even after Family Blogging Month is over, my family will still blog with others.
Do you think of Family Blogging Month as a digital conversation? If so, what is your favorite part of the conversation?
Kindly,
Keira
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteI think this is a wonderful idea! I am Chloe's cousin, and I love being a part of her classroom blog! It's a great way to stay connected with my cousin and her class.
I am in 6th grade, and I am so impressed with your classroom blog. This idea is totally new to me. I never participated in one.
I'd like to mention this idea to my teacher and Student Council to see if we can bring blogging to our school community.
I wonder if you would be willing to help us start one.
Thank you,
Abby (Chloe's cousin)
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Leyla and my brother Darius is in your class. I am in kindergarten and this is my first time blogging. My brother takes care of me and protects me. I like to do what he does. We paint on canvas together and I like that. I saw you with my mom when we dropped off pumpkin muffins for my brother's birthday. My mom is typing this for me.
From,
Leyla
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteFamily Blogging Month is a blast. I wish every three months there is a Family Blogging Month! Sadly there isn't. Anyway, I hope there is another Family Blogging Month because I treasure blogging.
I've always wondered how much trouble you went through to make this blog and how? Can you please tell me?
From,
Darius
@ Darius,
DeleteI glad you are enjoying Family Blogging Month! I think is a great way for people to learn together.
You asked about making a blog. At first, it was very difficult because I was new to blogging and had a lot to learn. I assembled the blog slowly. I have been blogging since 2008, so the work has been done over several years.
How are your typing skills coming along? What level are you on?
Your blog-loving teacher,
Mrs. Y♥llis
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteDo you know that thanksgiving is almost here? I love Thanksgiving because I get to eat some of my most favorite foods like ham, rice, fish, and for dessert blueberry pie, with powered powdered sugar on top. My sister's favorite foods are
turkey,rice, cranberry sauce, waffles, and apple pie, yum-yum.
Every year for Thanksgiving, we go to my aunt Marie's house in Hermosa Beach. We always have a great time at her house!
Where are you going for Thanksgiving?
Cheers,
@lec
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteWe have decided that over the thanksgiving week, as it co-insides with the Hanukkah holiday, our family will travel to San Diego for a little R&R (rest and recreation). San Diego has lots of sights to see and parks to visit. We especially love the world famous San Diego Zoo and historical Balboa Park.
Have you ever been to any of the aforementioned places? If so, what were your experiences?
Ciao,
Bentzion
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Philip and my granddaughter is Allison. I live in Littleton, Colorado, with Grandma and Blackjack, a 24 pound tuxedo Maine Coon cat.
About half a block away is the Platte River; it contains different types of wildlife such as coyotes, foxes, raccoons, deer and red-tailed hawks. We love living in Colorado, with over 150 miles of hiking and bike trails and an amazing view of the Rocky Mountains!
While it hasn't started snowing in Littleton yet, the mountains have been getting lots of snow! Have you ever seen the Rocky Mountains? Thank you all for reading my comment!
Dear Grandpa,
DeleteThank you for telling us about what is happening in Colorado. My mom told me that it started to snow today in Colorado, how much snow did you get? It hasn't snowed here but it has been raining for the past two days so you will probably get more snow.
I love you,
Allison
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteFamily blogging month was our favorite part of the year and we are really glad you are giving your students the opportunity of having family members read about what your class is learning. Both Sarah and I were really grateful to have many of our family members comment, which results in us earning our own blogs.
Your former students,
Miriam and Sarah
P.S. Happy Thanksgiving! We miss seeing you.
Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,
ReplyDeleteI am counting the days until our Thanksgiving family feast. Every year we go to family friends I have known since I was born. My parents have also known them almost their entire lives. There are three generations of our family who attend including my grandparents.
The hostesses husband who is one of the only Americans there makes a phenomenal, gigantic turkey. There are a multitude of dishes to choose from. My favorite is the delicious stuffing!
I am friends with the host and hostesses children! My mom went to elementary school with their mom in South Africa. They live in the city.
I would love to hear how the rest of you celebrate Thanksgiving.
Your feast loving friend,
Jemma
Dear Nicholas’s class,
ReplyDeleteDear Mrs Yollis,
I’m Barbara, aunt of Nicholas, and mother of cousins of Nicholas: Kuba and Zosia. Kuba is 6 years old, and just started his education in primary school, and Zosia is 3 years old and attends kindergarten. We live in Warsaw, which is a capital of Poland, a country in central-eastern Europe.
Our mothertongue is polish, but kids have also English classes, to be able to communicate with Nicholas. And Nicholas knows some words in polish, so they can play together. Maybe he will tell you one day some polish words. Will you, Nicki?
Now is quite cold in Warsaw, around 5 degrees of centigrade, and we’are expecting snow in forthcoming days. Kids (and adults too) loves when it snows – our city looks pretty then, and we can have a lot of fun with making a snowman, skating or sledging.
As November ends, we’are all expecting Santa Claus to come – in polish tradition he is leaving presents twice – on 6th of December under the pillows, and then on 24th of December, under the Christmas three. As you can imagine, Kuba and Zosia (Nicholas’s cousins) are looking forward for this.
We are sending to all of you our warmest regards
Barbara
Dear Barbara,
ReplyDeleteWhat type of presents do Kuba and Zosia get?
You guys are lucky to get so much presents!
sincerely,
♥ Carol♥ne ♥
Dear Mrs. Yollis' class,
ReplyDeleteI am so happy to be a part of family blogging month again. It is really fun to read the posts from family and friends all around the United States and other countries as well.
I can't believe that Thanksgiving is just a few days away. Thanksgiving is a great holiday to spend with family. While school and many other businesses are closed on that special day, some businesses must stay open. Can you think of some places that can't close? I will tell you one place that can't close, it is the place I work, the hospital. I work in the emergency department as a nurse. Have any of you had to go to the emergency department? I hope not.
The emergency department is there for people who get hurt or injured. Some injuries are accidents, but some can be prevented. What are some things you do each day to help make sure you don't get injured?
I hope everyone has a happy and healthy Thanksgiving and I hope I never have to see you at the place where I work.
Sincerely,
Evan (Bryce's Dad)
Dear Mrs.Yollis,
ReplyDeleteOn picture day I wore a Hungarian vest. You will love my vest.What are you going to wear? Here is a link to my vest on the 365.
http://yollis365project.blogspot.com/2013/10/265-embroidered-vest.html
warmly,
K☀itty (Nicholas)
Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,
ReplyDeleteI am Jemma's grandfather and am originally from South Africa. I grew up in Cape Town which is a beautiful city which looks like an amphitheater with a flat top mountain in the background and the Atlantic Ocean in the foreground.It has the best beaches in the world and during the summer the city is packed with holiday makers.
Cape Town was first settled by the Dutch in 1652, later the British and is today a melting pot of people of different backgrounds and colors. It was one of the venues of the 2010 World Soccer Cup. It is worth visiting.
Thank you for inviting me to participate in family blogging month!
Sincerely,
Mervyn (Jemma's grandfather)
Dear Ali Al Al,
ReplyDeleteWhat is a BLOG? Is it related to a FROG? Can I BLOG sitting on a LOG in a BOG sipping GROG? Can I BLOG in the FOG sipping EGGNOG?? This is my very first BLOG!!
I saw the pictures of you and your sissy at Zuma Beach, and how I wish I was there too! I also saw a spectacular picture of you, sissy, and mommy at Disneyland, and how I wish I was there too! The next time I go I hope I can get on the Peter Pan ride because he is one of my favorites!
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I started a list of 28 things I am thankful for. Why do you suppose I picked the number 28??? To tell you the truth it really wasn't hard at all to come up with 28 things! You my DEAR Ali Al Al are on that list.
I hope you have an amazing Thanksgiving.
I LOVE you, Grammy M (Allison's Grandma)
Dear Grammy,
DeleteA blog is not related to a frog, you could blog sitting on a log but probably not in a bog or while drinking grog. A blog is a way to have a conversation back and forth with a group of people, like a quicker version of letters sent back and forth. You did a great job blogging - maybe now we can blog back and forth.
We missed having you at the beach and Disneyland last week and look forward to seeing you and Pop in January. I also have things Iam thankful for - and you are on my list!
Love, your granddaughter,
Allison
Dear Allie,
ReplyDeleteThe first thing that I would like to say to you is that I am very grateful that you are my granddaughter! Every time that I get to be with you, you light up my life. Thank you for being the sweet girl that you are.
Now I want to tell you a little bit about what is going on here at Grammy and Pops' house. It's snowing!!!! We have about 6" of snow on the ground and it is still coming down now. When the snow stops Pop has to sweep the snow off of our outside decks. After the decks are cleaned, then I have to plow our driveway with our old Ford truck that has a snow plow on it. We have to do that so that we can get out of the driveway to go where ever we need to go. Maybe someday you could sit in the plow truck with Pop and we could plow the driveway together.
I should also tell you that it is also very cold. The temperature outside is not going to get above freezing (32 degrees)today. Brrrrr. Well, I better get started on all of this work. I love you very much! Please tell Charlotte that I love her very much also. Take really good care of yourself until I see you again.
Love, Your Pop (Allie's Grandpa)
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteToday, December 2nd, is Allison's birthday. Allison shares a birthday with America author Ann Patchett, the actress Lucy Liu, singer Nelly Furtado, and Mr. Yollis! What a great day to be born!
I am so happy that Allison gets to celebrate her big day with you and her classmates.
Welcome back from Thanksgiving break,
Jen (Allison's mom)
Dear Mrs Yollis and Class,
ReplyDeleteToday, Dec 6th, is St Nicholas' day. In Poland people celebrate Saints feast days and send good wishes to people carrying that Saint's name. So, today I want to say "Happy Namesday Nicholas!"
What is nice about namesdays is that they are marked on a calendar, so you have a good reminder when you can wish someone a happy day. Often times you also give a little gift: some flowers or chocolates :)
St Nicholas day is also special in another way--people in many countries celebrate St Nick by giving little presents to kids. In Holland, for example, kids get presents and also "chocolate letters"-- a bar of chocolate with their initial embossed on it. However, the children need to put their shoes in front of the chimney to receive the gifts.
Do you know of other countries that celebrate St. Nicholas day or namesdays?
-Ewa (Nicholas's mom)
Dear Ms. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteToday my sister and I went for a day trip to camp JCA Shalom. I had visited Camp JCA Shalom in the past and I have always enjoyed their campus.
I was grouped with my two best friends. Are rotations where: zip lining, arts and crafts, hiking, and archery . The day went so well that I hope my mom signs me up.
Cheers,
Mia
@ Mia,
DeleteIt sounds like a fun camp! I took archery classes one time. It was hard to pull the bow so that you'd get enough power, yet still be able to aim and hit the target! How did you do?
What did you make for arts and crafts?
Your proud former teacher,
Mrs. Y♥llis