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!
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?
Who are you inviting to be a part of our online community?Please leave a comment and introduce yourself!
Hi! This is Ryan's mom. I love that your class blogs. I teach high school kids and we do some blogging in my class, too. My class is not as active with blogging as you are, but we are having fun with the few we have done. Maybe I could share your blog with my students and they could respond. What questions would you have for a high school student? I'm sure they'd love to answer your questions!
ReplyDelete@ Ryan's mom,
DeleteWelcome to our online community! I love blogging as well. Not only does it give us authentic reading and writing practice, but we get to know and learn from one another too!
Your high schoolers might be interested in our 365 blog. Here are the directions for submitting a photo and some relevant text. This photo of the day blog is a collaborative photo blog.
Happy blogging!
Warmly,
Mrs. Y♥llis
This is Ryan. I want to respond to my Mom's comment.
DeleteI want to ask her students, what is 400 x 500? I don't know what that is.
From,
Ryan
Hello Mrs. Yollis' Class,
ReplyDeleteI was so excited to receive your invitation to join your November Family Blog. I think this idea is fantastic and should make for a lot of interesting posts. November is a special month in our family, as we take this time to really be thankful for everything that we have. In the past, we have even tried to give 'A Thanks A Day.' We would take cookies to our local fire department, write a special note of thanks and leave it in our mailbox for our postal worker, send personal letters of thanks to family members and the military. My daughter, Kate, even wrote a letter of thanks to the President of the United States.
I encourage you all to write a 'Note of Thanks' this month. Who would you write a special note of thanks to and why?
Again, thank you for including the families in this very special post.
With Many Thanks,
Michelle (Kate's Mom)
@ Michelle (Kate's mom),
DeleteThanks so much for jumping right in! We love to learn from family members. I noticed that you must have forwarded a link to our blog to your family as we have already heard from Kate' grandfather! (See comment below from Elbert) Love it!
Your idea of a "Note of Thanks" is beautiful. I will be using that!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Y♥llis
To: Miss Kate and class,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Elbert and I am Kate's grandfather. I live in Henderson, Nevada. November is a special month for me because my grand kids come from California to visit me. They ride on an airplane and spend time with me around Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July. Have you been on an airplane? If so, where did you go?
Have Fun and Learn,
Elbert
@ Elbert (Kate's grandfather),
DeleteWelcome to our blog! You are our first out-of-state visitor! Does anyone know any facts about the great state of Nevada? State flower? State motto? Famous cities? Population? What are Nevada's borders?
I bet you will have a fabulous visit with your grandkids!
I'm sure you will get some comments from my students soon!
Best,
Mrs. Y♥llis
@ Elbert
DeleteI have been on an air plane many times to Nevada to see the fire works on the forth of July and been near Thanksgiving.I think that if you take a car it will take forever to get there. Don't you think so? A fact is the Grand Canyon is next to Nevada in Arizona .It will take 4 hours and 11 mins to drive from Nevada to the Grand Canyon. I hope we can go there together some day.
Love,
Kate
Dear Elbert,
DeleteI have been on an airplane many different times. I have been to Florida, New York, London, and the Cook Islands, to name a few places. In New York, I visited my grandma and my grandpa. My sister and I played on their Wii. In London, I visited my dad's parents and I just went there and I went all over Europe with them. We went to Amsterdam, Belgium, and France. In Amsterdam, we went to Anne Frank's House. I learned that Anne Frank's family went into hiding because they didn't want the Nazis to find them. In Florida, I went to Disney World. It was so much fun on all the rides. My favorite ride was Space Mountain. When I was little, I went to the Cook Islands, which is near New Zealand. I went and played on a sandy beach. I made sand castles and I kept on getting water from the blue ocean. I loved going in the water and I liked to sit on the bottom of the white sand. The waves used to push me back to the dry sand. Also, I went to a wedding there.
Have you been to any of these places before?
Sincerely,
Keya
Dear Elbert,
DeleteI have been on an airplane before. So far I have been to Korea, Mexico, Vancouver, Seattle, and Chicago. The farthest place I have ever gone to is Korea. We were on the plane for 12 hours! What is the farthest place you have been to in a plane?
Sincerely,
Andrew
Hi Elbert,
DeleteMy name is Hailey and I used to live in Las Vegas. I liked living in Las Vegas.
In Las Vegas I had a cat and dog. It gets very hot in the summertime.
Grandpa and I moved to California this last summer and am new to the school. I like this school better than my old one. I like this this school better because we can eat outside and there is more play bars.
Hailey
@ Keya and Andrew,
DeleteThank you for your comments. It sounds like the both of you are well traveled. I have been many places as well. As a Marine, I fought in the Vietnam War, so that would be the further place from home I have been. Being in the military, you get to travel to a lot of different places and truly see the world. Each year, I try to travel to Germany and Spain.
Elbert (Kate's Grandpa)
@ Elbert,
DeleteThank you for blogging! Thank you for serving in the United States of America. Was it hard getting in to the military and becoming a Marine? Were you scared at all? I think I would be scared .I'm glad you'r home safe now. Veteran's Day was a special day. How did you celebrate?
Your granddaughter,
Kate
Hi class,
ReplyDeleteThis is Abigail's dad Frank. Did you know that the letters to the key used above includes the word "CUBS" when re-arranged? What other words can you form using those letters, either all together or in part?
@ Frank (Abigail's dad),
DeleteWelcome! I do see the word CUBS when I rearranged the letters in the FBM key. Here is another, GUS. Gus is a proper noun and was the name of one of my dogs growing up.
Thanks for the great letter challenge! I wonder what other words we will get.
Warmly,
Mrs. Y♥llis
Dear Frank,
DeleteI rearranged CUBS and I got BUS, but I did not use all the letters. My friend spelled C.B.S as in C.B.S kids.
From,
Will
@ Frank (Dad)
DeleteHi Dad I just read your post. When I was looking at the key I noticed the following words: sad, mad, sag, gas, gum, mud, sum, smug, Sam (a name), bug or bugs, bags or just bag. Also I discovered that gas and sag are each other, backwards!
L♥ve,
Your d♥ughter (Abigail)
I am Abigail's Uncle based in Germany.
Deleteich finde das hier wirklich toll, viel zu lesen und zu lachen.
LG Andrew
@ Abigail,
DeleteYou mentioned that SAG and GAS are the same letters, just in reverse. There is a word for that. It is called a palindrome. Numbers can be palindromes too.
Example: 123454321
Examples: dad, mom, yo banana boy, pop, and race car
Does anyone know any other palindrome words?
Warmly,
Mrs. Y♥llis
Aibohphobia
DeleteIt means to have an irrational fear of palindromes. Now, look at the word closely and what do you notice!?!
And "Hello" to my brother in Germany! He stated that he really likes this blog since there's lots to read and laugh - roughly translated.
Dear Frank,
DeleteI noticed that Aibohphobia is the same spelled backwards,
race car and yo banana boy is like Aibohphobia.
Sincerely,
Will
@Frank
DeleteI noticed that aibohphobia is a palindrome!
From
Lily
@ Frank (dad) and class
DeleteThis is Abigail's brother, Anderson. I find this really funny. Aibohphobia is a palindrome, and the funny thing about this is that if you have it, you are afraid of the word itself.
Bye,
Anderson
@ Mrs. Y♥llis,
DeleteI watched a movie with my friend Stella a few months ago called "ANINA," which is a palindrome! Her middle name and her last name are palindromes too! Her full name is Anina Yatay Salas, and the entire movie was in Spanish. Luckily there were captions for it, so my mom and dad read the whole thing out loud in English to us. I liked the movie because it was set in a city that looked just like a small city I visited in Spain. Anina hates her name because it's a palindrome, but by the end of the movie she finds out why her parents gave her a name that's a palindrome and she changes her mind. Have you seen this movie?
I thought of another palindrome - wow. I really like the palindrome "yo banana boy" because it's long and it's so funny.
Love,
Abigail
@ Abigail,
DeleteANINA was a fun movie and I liked it because it was a bit different than the usual Hollywood animated movies we get to see a lot of. Also, reading the subtitles to the entire movie out loud was, well, let's call it "interesting".
Here's a funny joke, since you mentioned the palindrome "wow". It explains the fear of palindromes (let's assume in this joke that Mrs. Yollis has aibohphobia!):
Mrs. Yollis: Hello new student, what's your name?
Girl: Anina
Mrs. Yollis: AAAAAAAAAAH! (runs and hides behind her desk)
Anina: Wow.
Mrs. Yollis: AAAAAAAAAAH! (runs away and hides in the office)
@ Frank (Dad)
DeleteHi dad,I really liked your joke because it was so hysterical. It was so funny I told it to my little brother. Actually at first he did not really get it, so I explained the joke to him. Then he laughed so hard that he almost fell out of his chair. Finally, I hope that a lot of people blogging come across this magnificent post (Especially the joke. That's my favorite part!).
Love,
Abigail
My grandson, Aaron, first called me “Rema” when he was in kindergarten. The nickname “stuck,” and is now my favorite designation. I invite everyone to use it. His big sister calls me “Dune,” (and I’ll tell you why if you want to know), and perhaps his baby brother will invent his own name for me someday. Our family enjoys creating special names for people they care about. Do some of you do that, too? If so, I would enjoy learning what they are. I live in Maryland, whose nickname, by the way, is “The Free State.” California’s is “The Golden State.” Thank you for letting me take part in your blog, especially because writing is what I do for my work. Although it has been 65 years since I was in third grade, I remember my teacher, Miss Prager, who told her students “the best way to learn to write is to read stories and write something every single day.” That was good advice, and I took it!
ReplyDelete@ Rema (Aaron's grandmother),
DeleteWelcome to our blog! We love to hear and learn from all family members. When my niece was little, she tried to call me Auntie Linda. However, it was too much of a mouthful. She started calling me Auntie Da and it stuck too. My three nieces and one nephew are all grown up, but still call me Auntie Da. I love it.
Your are our second out-of-state commenter. We just heard from Kate's grandfather who lives in Nevada.
Does anyone know any fun facts about Maryland? State flower? State tree? Motto? Famous cities and their population?
I echo what Miss Prager said. The more you read and write, the better reader and writer you become. Books help us learn new words to use in our writing.
Happy blogging!
Mrs. Y♥llis
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
DeleteI also have an unusual name for a grandma. It is Omi. The reason I chose, after much consideration, was because it was similar to my own grandma's name, which was Oma. That means grandma in German, because she was from Germany. I didn't want my name to be exactly like hers, so I changed it a little bit to make it Omi. Now all my four grandkids call me Omi and the fifth one, who was just born three months ago, will too.
Best,
Ronny (Jock's grandma)
Dear Rema,
DeleteI had no idea that you would be commenting on the blog. What a marvelous surprise! I can't wait to see you this weekend.
Daddy and I are flying out on Thursday for Family Weekend at St. John's College in Annapolis. I'm so excited to sleep over at my sister Ellie's dorm. I'm also excited that I'll be able to see you. When I'm at your house, I hope I'll be able to jump in all the fallen leaves.
Why does Ellie call you Dune?
Your grandson,
Aaron
Dear Aaron,
DeleteThe leaves and your room are ready and waiting. So travel happily! Your teacher, Mrs. Yollis asked for facts about Maryland, and your post mentions Annapolis, which is Maryland's state capitol. Maybe you can take a picture of the domed capitol building and post it. The architecture ins Maryland's capitol is very different from that in California's capitol, Sacramento. The way buildings look tells us a lot about history, and Annapolis buildings are known as Georgian Colonial, named for England's King George at the time of the American Revolution. Did you know that the Annapolis capitol is the only "state house" ever to serve as America's capitol too. (Very briefly.)
You asked why Ellie calls me Dune and here is the answer: when she was just learning to talk, she overheard people calling me by my first name, "Joann," and when she tried to say the name, it came out "Dune." So your Dad and everyone began to refer to me as "Dune," and 20 years later, that is still Ellie's name for me.
Have a wonderful day in school. I think you are lucky to have Mrs. Yollis for a teacher!
Best to all,
Rema
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteI like that you made November "Family Blogging Month." I think it is a great idea to get to know important people from our classmates' lives. I hope that a lot of relatives comment on this blog and learn things about our class. I also hope that my relatives get to experience this blog and see how great it is. Maybe they will make connections with other family members. Do your family members blog this month too?
Your Student,
Maddie
@ Maddie,
DeleteYou are our first student to leave a comment during Family Blogging Month. Congratulations!
I love Family Blogging Month (FBM) because it helps us build an online learning community and then we can learn from each other. We already have comments from Kate's mom and grandfather, Abigail's dad, and Aaron's grandmother. The grandparents live out-of-state, so we will be learning about Nevada and Maryland through them.
You asked if any of my family members blog. I will ask them! I bet Buck would love to get involved!
Your proud teacher,
Mrs. Y♥llis
@ Mrs. Yollis,
DeleteMrs. Yollis,
Just like my daughter I love that you have a Family Blogging Month. It is great to hear from all the different family members behind all your great students. Maddie also has 3 cousins that live in Henderson, Nevada...all in high school. Maybe she can get them to write in your blog. We will be seeing them later this month during Thanksgiving.
Best,
Jeremy
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteI think this is a fun and a good way to get to learn about other people's relatives. I am going to try to tell my whole family and close friends about it so they can send a blog post. I also want to see if my dad's cousin's wife can send a post all the way from South Korea. It's possible that she can be the farthest one away if she sends a blog post. I hope that I can reach all my family members so they could tell about themselves and we could learn about all my relatives. I am really excited! Who thinks their relative or friend is farther than my relative from South Korea?
Love, Karissa
Dear Karissa and Mrs.Yollis' class,
DeleteWhat a great idea to have the family involved in this online community learning. It is always fascinating to learn about others and the different family values and customs.
Something about me that most of you don't know is that I use to be a teacher like Mrs. Yollis as well. I actually taught only Kindergarten for over a decade in the westside. I took a long family leave of absence when I had all of my beautiful daughters so I can be involved in their school to volunteer. This year, there is a student in Mrs. Yollis' class whose older brother use to be my Kindergarten student many years ago! Can you guess who that is?
Love,
Gloria (Karissa's mom)
Dear Mrs. Yoo,
DeleteIt's me, Lucas. Can you believe how quickly twelve years have flown by? I'm a senior now. Thank you for starting my education on the right foot. What a coincidence my brother and your daughter are in the same class. It is a small world.
Sincerely,
Lucas
Dear Mrs.Yollis class,
ReplyDeleteI'm Robert and November is my favorite month because I love thanksgiving, eating, and spending time with my family like grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, etc. Another favorite part of thanksgiving is watching football and playing a turkey bowl game with my family in the front yard. My least favorite holiday is Halloween because I don't like to eat candy or trick or treat.
Thanks ,
Robert
@Mrs.Yollis,
ReplyDeleteI really like November, and blogging! I have written at least four comments. November is a great time to blog because it is sometimes windy and cold, perfect for blogging because it's all cozy inside. Also, I love November because there is Veteran's Day, and the most definitely awesome day of all time, Thanksgiving!
My cousins live in: Ohio, North Carolina, Nevada, and Greece.
What's your favorite thing to do in November? Mine is celebrating the most definitely awesome day of all time, Thanksgiving.
Sincerely,
Kostaki
Hi Kostaki,
DeleteYou are a very expressive writer. That means I can tell exactly how you feel about your topic by the words and especially the adjectives you use like "definitely awesome". I can feel your enthusiasm!
This November my most favorite thing to do is flying to California to visit my grandchildren and bake Christmas cookies with them.
So what is it about Thanksgiving that makes it "the most definitely awesome day of all time" for you? I can't wait to read your answer.
Sincerely,
Barb (Troy's Grandma from Wisconsin) aka Grandma Barb
Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,
ReplyDeleteI loved the idea of Family Blogging Month and how it inspires other people to leave comments for others. I know how it is because I was in Mrs.Yollis' class last year!
My name is Asha and I am in 4th grade. I am Keya's older sister. I am 9 years old and loved Mrs.Yollis when I was in her class. She the best teacher ever!
I am inviting myself to join Family Blogging Month because my sister is in Mrs.Yollis' class and also it helps me to learn how to write and rewrite to make a comment better.
At the end of this month you all are going to become professional bloggers, I just know it!
Mrs.Yollis's former student,
Asha (Keya's sister)
Hi Kostaki's class!
ReplyDeleteThis is Kostaki's Aunt Lizzie. Kostaki calls me "Thia Lizzy", because "Thia" means Aunt in Greek. Are there any other languages that you speak at home other then English with your families?
I live in New York City, where Kostaki's favorite baseball team is.
Hi Kostaki! I'm so glad that your Mom asked me to participate in your school blog! What a cool teacher you must have!! I'm really looking forward to learning about all the cool things you're doing in your class, even from all the way back here on the east coast. I know you will be a fast learner.
Love,
Kostaki's Thia Lizzie & Theo Ryan
(Kostaki tell the class what "Theo" means in Greek :) xo
@Thia Lizzie,
DeleteHello, I did not know that you would post a comment! I do like the Yankees, yes I do, but I also like the Red Sox their rival (pretty ironic, right?), The Dodgers, Royals, Giants and Indians. Is your favorite baseball team the Yankees?
To answer your question, my dad sometimes speaks Greek to me.
Sincerely,
Kostaki
Hello Cyber Class,
ReplyDeleteThis is Kate's grandmother Doreene. I hope everyone is having an awesome day today! I am so happy your teacher Mrs. Yollis has made the month of November family blogging month, its so exciting to be able to visit with you in your classroom through the web. I love learning about all of you and your classroom through your blogs. November is my favorite month because Thanksgiving is during this month. Did you know the first Thanksgiving was held in the Autumn of 1621, when the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Native Americans celebrated the colony's first successful harvest at the Plymouth Plantation. I love cooking Thanksgiving dinner with my grand daughters Kate, Brooke and Emily. I really enjoy volunteering at your school in the library and seeing all of you. Oh, I wanted you all to know that I have a Beagle named Phiftie, and she is 9 years old, does anyone know how old that is in dog years? I can't wait to read all of your family blogs.
I hope everyone has a fantastic day today!
Doreene
(Kates's Grandmother)
@ Doreene,
DeleteI did not know that the first Thanksgiving was in 1621. Thanksgiving is also my favorite cerebration too. Do you know how many people were at the celebration?
Love ,
Kate
Hi Kate,
DeleteI am so excited that you enjoy the Thanksgiving celebration as much as I do. The first feast lasted over three days, there were 90 Wampanoag Native Americans and 53 Pilgrims at the celebration feast. They served Wild Turkey, Duck, Geese, Fruits and Vegetables, Berries, Pumpkin and Squash.
I hope you and your classmates have an awesome day today.
Grandma Doreene
@ Doreene ,
DeleteIf you were there would you try all of food they served at the feast? If I was at the feast, I would help make the food and I would try the Wild turkey, fruit, and berries. Do you know what they had to drink at the feast? I wonder if they had a school in the colony?
Love,
Kate
Hi Kate and classmates,
DeleteI hope you and all your classmates are having an awesome day today! If I was living during that time period I most likely would try everything that was being served. It was a very different time in history, there were no stores, cars, restaurants, choices were very limited and so was food. You are very lucky to live during this time in history, during a period where the struggle for most is not hunger or shelter, or the need to build a nation. That being said, after doing some research according to the Smithsonian, its stated that the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag most likely drank water at the feast. As for the other question regarding school, the New World Encyclopedia states that actual schools in the colony were rare and the first true school was not founded until 40 years after the colony.
What are you and your classmates studying this month in your class? Are you doing anything special this month?
I hope you have a fantastic day today!
Love Grandma Doreene
@ Doreene ,
DeleteThank you for blogging. We are doing more things on our acentors. I think we well do some fun worksheets on the topic. I hope we eat some fun food from the times like a roll. I know we will study Pilgrims and probably the Native Americans also. We will read stories about turkeys. I think well have have a fun time.
from ,
Kate
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteThis is Bailey’s dad here. When she came home today and told me that it is family blog month I got excited. I have yet to post anything on the classroom blog and you have given me a great excuse to start. I think it is a wonderful idea. November is our favorite time of year. The turning of leaves’ color, the chill in the air, and family getting together to enjoy great food. Especially the cooler weather! I’m a mailman and anytime it is nice and cool outside it’s a great day. What are some of your favorite things about this time of year?
Your student,
Bailey’s dad
@Mrs.Yollis,
ReplyDeleteHi Mrs. Yollis' class! I'm Ana's older sister, Caiti. I still go to this school, and I'm in 5th grade. My teacher is Ms. Stevenson. I like to play soccer. I'm also very good at art. My favorite color is green. For Halloween, my friend and I were characters from the Disney movie,"Lilo and Stitch." My favorite subject is writing because I always have good ideas of what to write about. I also love, and I mean love, wolves! Wolves have been my favorite animal since I was a little baby, plus, I sort of acted like one without knowing it.
I can't wait for the holiday season! It's a time to stay inside all cozy, watch movies, drink hot chocolate, sit by the fireplace, and open gifts from friends and family members. I love the cold weather! You can do a lot of stuff as well as outside, like play soccer, hike, and maybe even go for a bike ride. Soon, when fall ends, it'll get even colder! Who knows, maybe it'll be raining day after day! That's even more hot chocolate! Are you guys excited for the Holiday Season?
Anyway, it was nice blogging on your blog for Family Blogging Month, and I can't wait to do it again. You are very lucky to have Mrs. Yollis as your teacher.
Sincerely,
Ana's Older Sister,
Caiti
@Caiti,
DeleteAna is really lucky to have a sister like you that writes comments on her blog. I agree that it is nice to have hot chocolate and be warm cozy inside. In the holiday season, I like to decorate my house with lights. Do you sometimes decorate your house for the holiday season?
Your interested friend,
Heloise
Dear Caiti,
DeleteYour comment is amazing! I am extremely excited for the holiday because I get to sit by the fire place and toast marshmallows. I also like to decorate my house using a beautiful Christmas tree, putting up stockings, and lastly, decorating the tree with lights. I love the winter holidays.
Your next door neighbor,
Abby
Dear Caiti,
DeleteMy older brother Jordan is in your class. I love when it is cold in the holiday season. We decorate my house on holidays with a Christmas tree and stockings. During the winter we like to go to Lake Tahoe to ski and play in the snow. Last winter, when we were in Lake Tahoe, the power went out because it was windy so we had to use candles and light the fireplace. It was exciting and scary.!
Have you ever seen snow fall?
Sincerely,
Andrew
Guten Morgen.
ReplyDeleteHello Kate, it is Isolde.
As Kate can tell you, I live in Germany in a city called Hamm. It is an old city, founded in the year 1226. Another old city, not too far from Hamm, I like to visit is Bremen. Bremen is even older than Hamm. It was founded in the 8th Century. You might have heard of Bremen if you have read the story: the Town Musicians of Bremen. There is a statue in that town of the Bremen Town Musicians. I gave Kate a mini statue which she can share with the class. Has anyone in the class been to Germany? Has anyone read the story the Bremen Town Musicians? Right now, it is almost 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday Morning, and you all should be snug in your beds on Monday night. Germany is 9 hours ahead of you.
Sleep Well,
Isolde
@ Isolde
DeleteI have never been to Germany before but I would like to go someday. My friend who used to go to our school moved to Germany over the summer. He lives in Munich. Can anyone find out how far it is from Hamm to Munich?
From,
Kate
Hi Kate,
DeleteIf you look on Google you will see a Map and it will say the hours and minutes and the mileage. It is 6 hours and 15 minutes and 614.1 km.
Haily
Dear Mrs. Yollis and the 3rd Grade Class--
ReplyDeleteI am so excited to contribute to the classroom blog project because I am a college writing teacher. I think about strong topic sentences, clear details and transitional phrases almost every day. I know that working on these aspects of writing while you are young and just starting out in writing will help you not only in your educational endeavors but also in your life. At my college we teach students that they should "write to learn." This phrase means that writing can help you understand complicated ideas. You learn while you write.
One difficult thing that I have encountered as a writing teacher is people often expect me to make no grammar or spelling mistakes. I hope I remember to proofread. I tell my students to proofread and revise all the time.
So excited to see how the blog unfolds this month.
Best Regards,
Vanessa (Lily's Mom)
Dear Vanessa,
DeleteTeaching college writing sounds fun! Is it?
Proof reading and revising are a great part of writing. You might know because you teach it!
One thing that I love about writing is that some stories include imagination. I love thinking about the fantasy ideas and making them better in my mind.
What is your favorite part of writing? Why did you become
a teacher?
Asha
Hi everyone!
ReplyDeleteI'm someone who Kostaki calls "Nouna Jocelyn" because I am the nouna (godmother) of his little sister Chloe. In the Greek tradition, a godparent is very important to the whole family and is considered a true relative, so I feel very honored to have that title. It is interesting to see what traditions are used in different families. Do you all have certain Thanksgiving traditions in your families?
Best wishes from St. Louis,
Jocelyn (Kostaki's relative)
Hello Everyone!
ReplyDeleteThis is Takashi (Abby's Dad) and I'm super excited about Family Blogging Month. We've had the pleasure of having our oldest daughter, Samantha, in Mrs Yollis' class. Blogging is a great way to communicate and connect with different parts of the class. I'm excited to see where the comments come from and the various experiences.
November is also a great time of the year. Our weather cools down, but we can still enjoy the outdoors. Also, I love Thanksgiving dinner. I can eat anything I want with out any guilt. What is your favorite thanksgiving indulgence? Abby and I love the honey baked ham.
Best wishes,
Takashi
@ Takashi /Dad
DeleteThanks for commenting to the class! I also think Family Blogging Month is a good way to learn about people around the world. I do like to enjoy the turkey that you and mom cook. At Thanksgiving, I also look forward to seeing our cousins and making candy turkeys with them. This is what we make the turkeys out of: Oreos(body), candy corn(feathers and beak),Whoppers (head), Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (stomach), and sprinkles(eyes). I can’t wait for the awesome holiday, Thanksgiving.
I love you,
Abby
@Abby,
DeleteDuring Thanksgiving, I also make candy turkeys.
They are made of pretzels (legs), fruit sticks (feathers), York peppermint patties (body), candy corn (nose), and chocolate chips (eyes).
Don't you think turkeys made out of candy taste great? I do.
Sincerely,
Kostaki
Dear Mrs. Yollis's class,
ReplyDeleteI love this family blog and have enjoyed reading all of the previous posts so far. Sawyer has family in Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota and New York, and we look forward to having them join your class conversation.
It's raining and chilly on this fall afternoon, which is reminding me of fall in the Midwest. This is Sawyer's first November here in California, and we are working as a family on establishing some new holiday traditions. Today, we booked an RV to go exploring the beautiful outdoors over Thanksgiving break. We could use some advice. Where are some of your favorite places to visit in California? What are your favorite things to do in California around the holidays?
Sincerely,
Sara (Sawyer's mom)
Dear Sawyer's Mom,
DeleteI like to go to Lake Tahoe every year. Lake Tahoe is between California and Nevada. My favorite things to do on holidays in California are resting and having fun. My favorite holiday is Christmas. What is your favorite holiday?
Love,
Andrew
Hello Sara,
DeleteThis is Andrew's mom, Ann. How exciting that you will travel in an RV during Thanksgiving break! My oldest son has been asking us to rent one for over a year now. We are thinking of getting one to go see the Grand Canyon soon. The next time I see you and Sawyer, I would love to hear about your trip and the RV you rented.
We love road trips and have gone to San Diego many times. We also love going to different parts of northern California and just went to my college reunion up north this past weekend.
Have a safe and fun trip!
Sincerely,
Ann
Dear Andrew,
DeleteI like your idea about Lake Tahoe. We are planning to take the RV to Shark Tooth Hill. Do you know where that is? It is where they find the megalodon teeth. We are also thinking about going to Death Valley National Park. I'm wondering a lot about it. I hope we take an umbrella along in the RV in case it gets too hot.
Have you ever been on an RV trip?
Sincerely,
Sawyer
Dear Sawyer,
DeleteI think your plan about going to Shark Tooth Hill sounds very cool! I have never been on an RV trip before, but my older brother wants to go on an RV trip. My mom camped in an RV at Yosemite when she was our age. She said it was a lot of fun sleeping in it.
Have you ever gone camping?
Your friend,
Andrew
Dear Andrew
DeleteWe are going to Sequoia National Park. There is a difference between a sequoia and a redwood. We may also go to Death Valley. I personally hope we pack an umbrella because I hate the heat. Do you have any Thanksgiving plans?
Your friend,
Sawyer
Dear Sawyer,
DeleteMy Thanksgiving plans are going to my uncle's house. His birthday is on or near Thanksgiving every year. This year, it is the day after Thanksgiving. We will eat traditional Thanksgiving food like turkey and stuffing and also Korean food. My dad, mom, my brothers and I are the ones who are bringing the dessert. Some of the desserts we are bringing are apple pie, pumpkin muffins, and chocolate chip cookies. My favorite desserts are my mom's chocolate chip cookies and pumpkin muffins. They are so yummy!
What is your favorite Thanksgiving dessert?
Sincerely,
Andrew
Dear Andrew,
DeleteMy favorite Thanksgiving dessert is called orange fluff. It is mostly an orange jello, but it would probably be good with fruit in it. It is one of my aunt's recipes. My sister is really good at making it. I love normal bread we usually have on Thanksgiving.
Your Friend,
Sawyer
Dear Sawyer,
DeleteWhat else is inside of orange fluff besides orange jello? I would guess marshmallows.
Do you know any facts about pilgrims? If you do, could you tell me some?
On another note, were you nervous when you went to the office and said the fact of the day? I am going to try to announce the fact of the day tomorrow.
Sincerely,
Andrew
Dear Mrs.Yollis and class,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Mikayla and I am Karissa's older sister. My favorite color is turquoise. I am in 5th grade and my teacher is Mrs. Napier. I like to do art and I love drawing dolphins. Dolphins are my favorite animals. My favorite sport is soccer. It is exciting to play against different people especially Karissa because she makes it very challenging to kick the ball into the goal.
My favorite Disney movie is "Inside Out" because all the character emotions have different personalities that expresses Riley (the girl character in the movie). I have to say Sadness is my favorite character emotion because she was able to bring Riley's parents together to comfort her.
I'm excited to be a part of this blogging experience because I never did this when I was in third grade.
Thank you,
Mikayla (Karissa's older sister)
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteThis is Jordan, Andrew's older brother. I think the way you and your class blog is a very fun way to interact with each other. When I heard that this month was family blogging month, I was very excited to write a comment. I thought I should probably talk about my favorite thing – gold. Gold is a precious metal that symbolizes wealth. It is a very weak metal; a stone could make it flat. Have you ever seen someone bite a coin? That is because gold is so weak that it bends on your teeth, so the person who bit the coin will know that the coin he got is a real coin. What is your favorite precious metal and what are some of its properties?
Sincerely,
Jordan
Dear Mrs Yollis and Class,
ReplyDeleteThis is shweta (Rayhan's mom). We have been following your class blog since Rayhan started 3rd grade and I must say this
is an awesome the most amazing way to know all of the wonderful kids in this class and their families all while learning
(I call it fun learning).
Blogging is a great way for everyone to express one's thoughts and discuss a variety of subjects. Not only does it improve
a child's writing and narrative skills but it also brings out their creative little minds and the way they think and percieve things around them.
Family Blogging month is an awesome idea !! So many of Rayhan's family members are waiting to leave a comment for his
wonderful teacher and a great class. Rayhan and we all love to read the blogs every night.
Have a wonderful thanks giving month everyone !!
Happy Blogging,
Shweta (Rayhan's Mom)
Dear Mrs.Yollis and class,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Solia. I am Karissa's younger sister and at age 6. My first grade teacher is Mrs. Shipow. My favorite color is blue. My favorite activitiy at home is swimming with my family. PDR which stands for plan do review is my favorite school subject. I hope I will get Mrs.Yollis as my 3rd grade teacher.
By the way, my sister Karissa helped type this up while I dictated.
Love,
Solia with help from her older sister Karissa
@Solia
DeleteThat was a splendid comment from a first grader. My favorite colors are blue and lavender. I also like swimming, playing Marco Polo, and doing flips in the pool. You are so lucky to have Mrs. Shipow as your first grade teacher! If you get Mrs. Yollis as your teacher you will get to blog on photos from the 365. What do you like to do during Christmas break? I like to snuggle with my family, open presents by the flaming hot fire, and toast marshmallows. I can't wait for the holiday break!
You are also so lucky to have an amazing sister like Karissa!
Sincerely,
Abby
Dear Mrs.Yollis's class,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Suhana and I am Rayhan's older sister. I am in 5th grade and I also attend this school. Rayhan so far is enjoying the blogging and is always telling me about it. When I was in 3rd grade, I absolutely loved it and learned many wonderful things. My friend Aashi, who was in Mrs.Yolis's class two years ago told me that Mrs.Yollis is a fantastic teacher and Rayhan is telling me the same.
I hope you have a interesting and fun year.
Happy blogging,
Suhana
Chere Heloise/ Dear Heloise,
ReplyDeleteWhat an exciting project this family blog is! This is a so creative way to teach you to write, to think, and to communicate on the internet.
I should explain to your class maybe who I am. I am Heloise's aunt, but I am much more, I am the godmother of Heloise, always so proud of her!
I live in a country which is 13:30 in advance on your time. When you wake up in the morning, i am going to sleep, and when you go to sleep, I wake up and this is one day in advance compare to you in L.A.
I live in a country which is the second most populated country in the world with over 1 000 000 000 people ( over a billion people).
I live in a country where best knowns animals are the elephant and the tiger. Where the national bird is the peacock. The national fruit is the mango. The cow is sacred. The most famous man is Gandhi.
I live in India!
I live in a city called Mumbai, a very crazy city, with people everywhere, with so much noise and activity day time, but also night time.
Next week we are going to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights, this is the most important festival of the Hinduism religion... There will be music everywhere, every body will wear their best clothes, with so many colors, kids will have so much fun with firecrackers, and all the families will celebrate together with a lot of incredible food.
I believe you celebrate Diwali too in your school. Do you?
But you are maybe more concentrate at the moment on Thanksgiving festivities at the end of the month.
By the way, I live in India, but I am French like Heloise, and when we speak together, we speak French!
So, let me finish my comment this way :
"Heloise, tu as beaucoup de chance, tu sembles avoir une classe tres dynamique et une maitresse extraordinaire. Je te souhaite de continuer a etre curieuse et motivee. "
If you do not understand French, just ask Heloise, she will be able to translate right away.
I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving.
Gaelle
@ Gaelle,
DeleteWhat a marvelous suprise! I didn't know you would post a blog comment this early and this long.The blog comment you posted taught me a lot.I didn't know Diwali was the most important holiday in India.
With your help in blogging, I have more chances to have the most comments.You're comment was more than a 2 point comment ( you are suppose to write a 2 point blog comment).
Thank you for participating,
Hel♥ise
Good morning, everyone!
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited to see that you have started Family Blogging Month with a bang! When I read the many comments, I was impressed by how many family members have already gotten involved. It is also very interesting to see that there are family members commenting from other countries and states!
While teaching third grade, blogging was definitely a favorite activity for my class and me. It was such a great way to share what we were doing and work on reading and writing skills. I'm very happy that I can continue blogging with all of you!
Although I am retired, I keep very busy! Some activities that I am really enjoying are gardening, photography, and singing. I'm in a singing group with other retired people at Pierce College, and we're working hard to prepare our holiday program. However, I'm most focused right now on wedding preparations for my daughter, Kari, who will be married in less than three weeks!
I'm looking forward to seeing you all a little later today!
Your blogging buddy,
Mrs. Ranney
Dear Mrs. Yollis and Class,
ReplyDeleteThis is Andrew's mom, Ann. It is so much fun to learn about all of you and your families! What a wonderful idea to have a family blogging month!
Andrew wanted me to share some fun facts about me: I love monkeys, I grew up in the valley but my favorite city is Boston, I type really fast (98 wpm the last I checked!), I am a chemical engineer, and my favorite color is green. Now here are some fun facts about Andrew. He likes math, loves to learn about animals and gems, is an orange belt in Tae Kwon Do, and seems shy but is actually full of mischief. :)
The things we have in common are: we are both middle children, our names start with "A", and we both love chocolate!
What are some fun facts about you and your parent/child that your friends might not know?
I am looking forward to learning more about everyone!
Sincerely,
Ann
Hi my friends Ann and Andrew,
DeleteSome things Karissa and I have in common are:
1. We are both born the Year of the Pig.
2. Our middle names have the same first Korean syllable.
3. We are the only girls in the family that like cantelope. Yum!
What animal year were you born in?
Love,
Gloria and Karissa
Dear Mrs. Yollis
ReplyDeleteI think November family blogging month is a great idea. You get to know about peoples families. You also get to know about people from Different states and countries.
Your student,
Bailey
Dear Mrs. Yollis
DeleteWhen the bird landed on Mrs. Ranney's head I thought it was funny. A bird never landed on my head before. I am surprised a bird would land on your head. I thought it was cool.
Your student,
Hailey
Dear Hailey,
DeleteI agree that a bird landing on Mrs. Ranney's head is funny. A bird has never landed on my head before, however we've had several birds trapped in our house before. One time, a baby bird somehow got into our living room and flew around the room and we couldn't catch it.
Finally, my mom was able to chase it back outside before our dog Tiger got to it.
Your friend,
Jock
Dear Mrs. Yollis and Class,
ReplyDeleteI am Andrew's dad. He told me about the blog, and I was so excited about this opportunity to participate:) This is a fantastic idea to get everyone involved.
November is an exciting month. The air is turning crisp, and I can already feel the anticipation for the end of the year and Christmas. I am so glad to be here in Southern California at this time of the year as opposed to Chicago, which is where I grew up. It often snows there in November, and the wind starts to bite. Although a little chilly over the last couple of days, you can still wear shorts here.
As a family, we did a fall activity tonight. We carved a pumpkin. We intend to eat the seeds. However, we should have really done it before Halloween because we carved a ghost into it. Boo!
Happy blogging!
Jae
Dear Mrs.Yollis
ReplyDeleteI am Andrew's little brother Daniel. I am five years old. My favorite color is red My favorite fruit is water melon. I like pigs and tigers. Do you like pigs and tigers?
Dear class,
ReplyDeleteIn the fall, I like to rake the leaves and jump in them afterwards. I also love wearing long sleeves and a scarf. I love drinking rich hot chocolate with a lot of tiny little marshmallows. I also love staying inside where it's cozy and warm. Do you like fall and why?
Love,
Abigail
Hi Daniel,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Heidi, I am Hailey's mom. My favorite color is green. My favorite fruit are grapes. I like pigs and tigers also. We have a lot of pets, dogs, a cat, a rabbit, parrots, a tortoise, and chameleons. Do you want to have a pig some day? Or do you want to be a veterinarian?
Heidi
Hi Hailey's Mom,
DeleteWow, you have a lot of pets! Do you keep them all together? Do they play together?
Yes, I would like to have a baby pig and a baby bunny, too. They are so cute and I love them so much.
Love,
Daniel
Dear Mrs.Yollis and her class,
ReplyDeleteAhn-young ha seh yo! This means Hello in Korean.
My name is Joe, Karissa's grandfather. I was born in South Korea and came to America in the seventies. I'm still working on my English so my grand-daughter is helping me comment on this blog. I like to teach Mathematics to my grandchildren because I can't help in English. I like to teach them about History as well. I use to teach Science to Middle school students in South Korea for five years. I miss Korea but I like living in America so I can be close to my grandkids.
From,
Joe (Karissa's grandfather)
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteHave you ever been to Texas? If you have been to Texas did you go to a zoo? I have been to Texas before. Texas is the biggest state.
Your student Hailey
Hi Hailey,
DeleteI noticed your blog post about Texas. Interesting topic!
Yes, I have been to Texas several times, mostly on business but I managed to squeeze in a little sightseeing.
I was in San Antonio and enjoyed seeing the Alamo. At first, I had trouble finding it because it is quite small and was dwarfed by all of the other modern buildings in the downtown area.
Have you ever been to San Antonio?
Did you visit a zoo when you were in Texas? What city was it in? What was your favorite exhibit?
Sincerely,
Barb (Troy's Grandma from Wisconsin) aka Grandma Barb
Dear Mrs. Yollis and her Class,
ReplyDeleteI love Family Blogging Month! It gives us all the opportunity to get to know each other better and share interesting facts about ourselves and our families.
Did you know that Ana's oldest sister, Ellie, had Mrs. Yollis as her teacher when she was in third grade? Now Ellie goes to A.C. Stelle and is in 7th grade. Ellie always says that the things she learned in Mrs. Yollis' class helped to prepare her for the challenges of middle school. Her favorite part of third grade was having her own blog and communicating with people from all over the world. What are some of your favorite things that you have learned in Mrs Yollis' class so far?
Sincerely,
Jamie
Dear Mrs. Yollis and her class,
ReplyDeleteHi! It's your former student, Ellie. I have changed over the past few years since third grade. I am now an independent and responsible girl. My favorite animals are elephants and cheetahs. I still play soccer and I play every position for my club team. I am 5' 3" and have very long legs still. For a visual on how long my legs are, my waist is up to Ana's shoulder. I am almost 13 and I am in 7th grade at the middle school. I enjoy sleeping and eating. My favorite shows are Cutthroat Kitchen, Cupcake Wars, and many more. My favorite colors are all pastel colors. I also really enjoy the foods spinach, pizza, Chinese food, Thai food, Pho, broccoli, and more. My favorite subjects are math and science. I also enjoy many sports. Including, rock-climbing, hiking, skiing, snowboarding, and so much more. Last summer I climbed Mt. Whitney, the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States. Have any of you gone on a hike before? Or climbed a mountain? Have any of you backpacked before? If so where?
Your former student,
Ellie
Dear Heloise,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your blogging teacher initiative !
As you know, I write this blog comment from Palaiseau, a suburb area south-east of Paris, where I leave with my wife and children. Our family pets are 2 nice hens in our litlle garden, and we also have two donkeys based in a country side (Normandy).
Since I graduated while internet begun, I didn't have a clue of what a blog was when I was your age... And I am not even now completly sure of how it should properly work : that blog and lesson are made for me ;-)
What could I share with you (and the blog's followers) from where I live ?
I think especially to these 2 dates/events of importance:
1) November 11th : in France mostly (like other countries in Europe), we celebrate the end of the 1st world war that lasted more than 4 years (1914-1918). Terrible page of modern history with millions of direct (and indirect) victims: this commemoration is supposed to help younger generations to think twice before enter into conflict. Never war again ! News seems telling us that commemorating is not enough...
2) the 21st Conference of Parties, also named "CoP 21" or "Paris 2015" (from November 30th to December 11th): this international conference is an intent (by a number of countries in the world) to reduce human-induced climate change, particularly through reduction of carbon emission. Personally, I hope that conference will not only lead to strong political decision but also help awareness among populations. All of us are concerned by global warming and threats on natural ressources! World is our common home and all humans, we share a common destiny.
Those 2 dates/events recall us to take a better care of the world, both nature and inhabitants: a nice endeavor !
Well, I could keep on for a while on those matters but that seems already a good basis for future exchanges and discussions ;-)
Enjoy your day and have fun !
Kind regards from France
Quentin
Dear Quentin,
DeleteThank you for leaving such a wonderful and interesting blog comment !
I didn't know that the 1st world war lasted 4 years.
I wish I could teach you something about the 1st world war, but I can't you know too much!
Your child,
Hel♥ise
Good Morning Mrs. Yollis and her class,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Krystle and I am Kate's cousin. I moved from California a year ago and now I live in Oregon. I have a small doxidor (Dachshund/Labrador mix) named Sammy who loves going on hikes and trips with me! November is one of my favorite months of the year. The leaves change to pretty orange, red, and pink colors. Recently I saw Hotel Translyvania 2 and liked it better than the first movie. The baby vampire was very cute.
In September I took a vacation to Italy, Monaco, and France. I ate a lot of pasta, pizza and sweets. My favorite place was Cinque Terre. The people are very friendly, the water is bright turquoise, and you hike to all 5 cities.
I cannot wait for the holidays. I get to see all of my family and eat great food! Since I live in Oregon, I am driving down with Sammy. This will be the first time my puppy meets a lot of my family. I will make a couple of stops at In-N-Out on my way home. Did you know they opened up their first Oregon location in September?
Happy Friday,
Krystle
(Kate's Cousin)
@ Krystle,
DeleteThank you for blogging. I did not know that they had an In-N-out in Oregon. Do you know why they call it In-N out? Do you like Thanksgiving or Halloween better? I like Thanksgiving because we all get together and have a BIG feast. Do you like to take Sammy for walks in Fall? Do you like Oregon? What does Sammy like to eat, not In-N out , right?
From,
Kate
We finally have In-n-Out in Texas. There is one in Tyler and one in San Antonio.
DeleteDear children & Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteMy son Jock loves to explore; he's a real adventurer & his dad Louis enjoys going on exciting journeys, too. I am filming a commercial in the countryside in Texas at a real castle! This building is very old, has a drawbridge, moat, castle keep & a tall tower that stretches high into the sky. From the top you can see for miles all around. And many animals live here as well. Hounds, chickens, pigs, goats & all kinds of fish swim in the moat & frogs ribbit to each other on the big lily pads that float across the water. In our spot, we work witha famous actor named Chuck Norris who knows martial arts & filmed with the great Kung Fu master Bruce Lee long ago. We also film a great chef. They both talk about how they came to learn their trade over the years & share their amazing stories.
We work with lots of equipment like motion picture cameras, lights, big trucks & many more interesting things.
A powerful storm swept across the land for days & we all had to stay inside away from the howling winds & driving rains. When the weather cleared and the sun finally came out, we all were very relieved & thankfully dry!
We hope you kids are all learning & listening in class so one day you, too may go to faraway places to do what you enjoy with your friends.
Best Regards,
Louis ( Jock's dad )
@louis
DeleteWow, that is an impressive castle, and it is located in Texas! It is very similar to castles Lily's grandfather and I visited during our trip to England and France this summer. Those castles were built more than 500 years ago. Although castles are large and very impressive looking, many were cold and dreary inside. They had few windows, and the only heat they had to heat those vast rooms was from a fireplace. Each room had a fireplace. Sometimes they would use huge tapestries on the walls to be a buffer from the cold stone walls and the room. These tapestries usually showed king and queens, warriors, and sometimes religious scenes. The castles were usually far away from everything, with moats and huge stone walls, to keep their enemies away. I am sure there are some castles in the United States, but they are generally copies of castles in Europe. The United States is a much younger country and we did not have kings and queens and lords, and dukes, etc. who were the people in Europe who built castles.
The reason for those teeth like structures at the top of the castle in Jock's dad's picture, is that if a castle was being attacked, a soldier would stand behind each "tooth", move to the space between to shoot at his enemy, and then go back behind the tooth", so that he was not visible to his enemies. However, sometimes the enemy had very tall ladders that they would lean against the castle, and the soldiers would climb up. Then the soldier's in the castle were no longer protected.
Best,
Lea
Lily's grandma
Dear Mrs Yollis 's class,
ReplyDeleteDear Heloise,
Congratulations for your blog. What a good idea!
I am Heloise's grandma and I am so happy to have such a nice and clever granddaughter.
Please excuse my spelling mistakes because , as you can guess I am French and I used to learn English a very long time ago.
We live in Versailles, 20 kilometers from Paris. Have you heard about this beautiful town? It is the place where The Kings of France used to live from 1682 until the French Revolution. There is a wonderful palace .You can visit it and take a walk in the gorgeous gardens, and admire the fountains show. Versailles is one of the most visited monument in France. We are really lucky to live there.
We are also very lucky because very soon we'll fly to LA, to meet our family and celebrate Thanksgiving with them. So exciting!
I can maybe tell you "see you soon!"
Sincerely,
Claire
Dear Bonne Maman / Grandma,
ReplyDeleteThank you fot leaving such a beautiful comment on my class's blog! I don't see any errors, that surprise me!
I agree that it was a good idea to make a blog. I also like the blog because it helps us to get to know others.
Don't you think so?
I have been to Versailles a lot of times, and indeed it is beautiful place!
Your child,
Hel♥ise
Dear Mrs.Yollis,
ReplyDeleteI am glad for November to be family blogging month. I love blogging on the computer and learning about other people's relatives. One thing that I love about blogging is that we get to tell what we are going to do.
Love,
Karissa
Dear Aaron,
ReplyDeleteYou and I are currently relaxing in what might be the best pillow fort ever made. Ever.
I am so happy to have you here with me in Annapolis.
For those of you who don't know who I am, which I am sure is most of you, allow me to formerly introduce myself. My name is Ellie and I am Aaron (and Levi's) big sister. I am 20 years old and a Junior at St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland. I am studying the Ancient Classics as well as the History of Mathematics and Science.
I really do love it here on the East Coast, but I miss California a lot.
Now Aaron, I know you have spent a lot of time in Maryland visiting Rema (Dune) and Pal, but we do things a little differently in Annapolis.
Annapolis is great city to visit. There are a lot of places to shop and eat, but Annapolis is also full of history! Did you know that Francis Scott Key, who wrote the "Star Spangled Banner," went to the College I currently attend back when it was still the King Williams School?
Today you came with me to my French class as well as my Calculus class. You read quietly in the corner and everyone commented on how well-behaved and sweet you are. I am completely honored to call you my brother, and I had such a great time showing you off today :)
We had SO much fun hanging out on campus, going to dinner with our family, and playing NHL on the Xbox downstairs in the basement. I even let you stay up a little late and eat Frosted Flakes just like a real college student.
The weather has been beautiful this weekend, and I think it's because you came to visit. The last time you were here visiting me, I remember there being so many leaves on the ground for you to jump around in, and today was exactly like that.
Tomorrow we are going to meet Daddy for coffee in town, and maybe walk around the city for awhile. There are a lot of places I want to show you and I know its going to be a great time.
I love you to the moon and back.
You are 100% the coolest kid on campus right now.
I will always remember this weekend.
Your sister,
Ellie
Hi Ellie, Aaron, Mrs. Yollis, and class,
DeleteFirst of all, I miss Aaron and Ellie so much times infinity!
Annapolis is one of my favorite cities. The vivid fall colors always remind me of a Van Gough painting. I also love the cool, crisp air and the the sound of the leaves crunching with every single step.
Annapolis is also my favorite place for seafood. They have an abundance of shellfish and our tradition is to always order a bunch of oysters. Did you know the first Thanksgiving was celebrated with lots of shellfish? It certainly makes sense because that's what the pilgrims could easily gather from the waters.
Does your family have any special Thanksgiving traditions?
Aaron's mom,
Jenny
Dear Ellie,
DeleteI was wondering what you were writing about when I was writing on your chalkboard. Now I know and I really appreciate your comment.
I noticed that you posted it at 7:30 pm California time. No wonder I was feeling so energetic at 10:30 in Annapolis. I was surprised to discover that Annapolis time was 3 hours later than California time.
I can't wait to see you again and I miss you already even though it's only been a day since seeing you.
L♥ve,
Aar♥n
Good morning to Mrs. Yollis' 3rd Grade Class,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Lala and Jock is my nephew and godson. (My actual name is Laura but that is not as easy to pronounce so Jock invented the nickname for me which I love!)
I currently live in London, England, and I would love to take advantage of this blog to share with you all some interesting facts about the city I live in. For example, do you know there is a very famous clock in London? It is over 300 feet tall, and over 150 years old. It has four faces and has a very loud bell that gongs every hour and can be heard from far away. The clock is situated close to a very windy river that runs through London that is called the Thames.
Do any of you know the name of the clock? If you get stumped, perhaps Jock can share the name with you, as he saw it when he visited me in London last year over New Years!
I hope this is interesting and I look forward to sharing more information with you about London and the other places that I will be traveling to during the month of November.
As they say in England, Cheers.
Lala
Hi Lala,
DeleteI'm so happy that you shared this information with my 3rd grade class! For anyway who is wondering what the name of the famous clock in London is, it is called Big Ben. I saw it last year when I went to London to visit my Aunt. I remember it is a huge tower next to a really big castle. Lala, do you remember the name of the castle that is next to Big Ben?
I miss you so much and can't wait to see you at Thanksgiving.
Love,
Jock
Jock,
DeleteThank you for your reply and you have a very good memory. In fact, few people know that the name Big Ben refers specifically to the bell that chimes so famously and the clocktower is called the Elizabeth Tower.
You are also correct in remembering that there is a big building by Big Ben that looks like a castle. It is called the Palace of Westminster, and is commonly referred to as the Houses of Parliament as that is where the governing bodies of the United Kingdom, the House of Commons and the House of Lords, meets.
Here are some interesting facts about the building. There has been a building in this location for almost 900 years, though the original burned down. Construction on this castle-like building began in 1840 and it took over 30 years to complete. There are 1,100 rooms.
We will definitely visit this area again when you visit me after Christmas. Can you recall the name of the giant round ferris-wheel that is across the river, where we went up to get a view of the entire city of London?
Looking forward to your response,
Lala
Hey, Lala,
DeleteThe big ferris wheel we went is called the London Eye. Scarlett & I liked it very much. Especially the amazing view of the great city and river Thames. We went on a fun cruise with you on a dark and rainy night. We miss you and Andy very much! love , Scarlett & Jock
Hi Mrs. Yollis' class,
ReplyDeleteThis is Henry, Karissa's Dad and it's very nice to meet you via this blog. Karissa enthusiastically told me (multiple times) about contributing to the classroom blog and just had a chance to make this entry. I have to admit, your blog is quite impressive and I'm amazed at how you keep up with all the bloggers. I think this is a wonderful way of getting all the students to express their thoughts and develop their writing skills. Karissa is quite lucky to be part of a class that has this opportunity to explore and learn in the blogosphere.
Something interesting fact about our family; both Karissa's older and young sisters are in the same school but this year will be the last year this will occur as Karissa's older sister will be going to middle school next year. But there was another member Karissa's extended family that was in Mrs. Yollis' class several years ago. Can you guess who that was?
Best Wishes,
Henry (Karissa's Dad)
My name is Ming, and I am Abigail's uncle. I am a member of the US armed forces and I am writing from the country of Qatar, in the Persian Gulf. It is great to read about everyone's adventures for the upcoming holidays - everyone here loves to hear about news from home!
ReplyDeleteDear Jiou Jiou (Uncle),
DeleteFirst, I want to tell my classmates that Jiou Jiou means uncle in Chinese. Thank you posting something from so far away. I really miss you. My mom misses you even more than I do. My brother just shouted, "I really miss you and you are my uncle so you really have to come back!" My little sister keeps saying over and over again, "I want Jiou Jiou to make cupcakes with me! When is he going to make cupcakes with me?" I hope you are good and stay safe. I hope to see you soon.
Your niece,
Abig♥il
Hello Everyone:
ReplyDeleteThis is Karissa's uncle. Her aunt and I are vacationing in Hawaii. Right now, we are on the Big Island of Hawaii and head to Oahu tomorrow. So far, we got to see the Volcano National Park, and got to see the smoldering crater at the caldera last night, which was awesome. Tonight, we plan to go to the Mauna Kea observatory and see the stars (assuming the clouds stay away). Has anyone else been to the Big Island of Hawaii?
We'll return home to Southern California on Saturday, which will make me a little sad. Karissa's aunt is taking a few days off after that, to recover from our vacation, but I have to go to work on Monday.
Next week will be a busy week, unfortunately, as I have depositions on Monday and Tuesday, and I start a Trial on Thursday. Can anyone guess my occupation?
Dear Mrs. Yollis's Class and Abigail,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Michelle, and I am Abigail's relative from North Carolina! Currently, I am a sophomore in college at Princeton University in New Jersey. I am studying medicine, Spanish, and global health policy, and I hope to one day be a pediatrician which is just a fancy way of saying a doctor for children. What do you want to be when you grow up? It is totally fine if you don’t know yet because I have changed my mind over a thousand times already!
I don’t have to tell you twice that school is hard, but trust me when I say that school is so important. I used to remember when I used to groan about having to go to school. However, when I stopped thinking of school as a chore, but rather as a time where I could see my friends and learn so many cool things, I started getting better grades! What is so great about school for me isn’t just that I learn from my amazing teachers, just like you do from Mrs. Yollis, but I learn from my friends! You may not know it yet, but all of you are extremely talented in different ways, and you all have different experiences which make learning from each other so fun and exciting! Even if you have to work hard now, always look towards the future because one day you will be that CEO leading a big company or a cool doctor saving thousands of lives!
College is challenging, but it is also the best decision I have made in my entire life. You get to meet so many amazing people that you will be friends with for a lifetime, and college gives you so many opportunities to do what you want to do, not what people tell you to do. You get to learn what you want, and be who you want to be. I hope that one day you will all apply to college because each one of you has something special to offer, and don’t t ever forget that!
Have a great year,
Michelle
@ Michelle
DeleteI am your cousin Abigail in California. When I was at your house, a long time ago, your mom gave me a Velvet Art booklet. I still have it! You are so lucky to be at Princeton. I hope you achieve your goal and become a doctor when you grow up. There are a lot of doctors in our family. I don't think I'm going to be a doctor when I grow up because I don't like touching human wounds and organs. My brother doesn't either. Did you want to be a doctor when you were little? I haven't decided what I want to be when I grow up yet.
Maybe one day I will come visit you. Are there a lot of fun things to do there? If so, I'm looking forward to college!
Your cousin,
Abigail
Hello everyone!
ReplyDeleteMy name is Alice and I am Karissa's aunt. Thank you so much for giving us an opportunity to contribute to this blog! What a wonderful idea!
Karissa is a very special person to me because she tells me that she wants to grow up to be an optometrist like me. An optometrist is a kind of eye doctor to help people see better with glasses or contact lenses. How many people do you know wear glasses or contacts? The most rewarding part of my job is when I change people's perspective on how they see things and when I help save people's vision from eye diseases, like glaucoma or cataracts.
I actually did some of my optometry training with some veterans in San Diego and so they hold a special place in my heart. I hope that on Veteran's Day, everyone was able to take a moment to remember our armed forces and thank them for fighting for our country.
Have a wonderful year!
Sincerely,
Alice
Hello Everyone,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Shauna, I am Jock’s mom and I’d like to take this opportunity to tell the class what I’m working on these days as some of you campers out there might find it interesting.
I produce a television series for the Discovery Network called Men Women Wild, about three couples who have been dropped in three of the most challenging environments on earth; the high desert of Morocco, the thick jungles of Mexico and the artic circle in Norway where the sun never sets. They will have to live off the land for three weeks, hunt and forge for food, find clean water, make shelter and hike their way back to civilization in the most intense survival journey of their lives. For those of you who like camping and the outdoors, there are many fun survival tips I’ve learned while making this show. For example, did you know that to purify water you find in a creek, lake or river, you need to boil it for ten minutes, which will kill of all the bacteria to make it safe to drink. Many of the survivalists live off snake meat found in the wild. Did you know, that you CAN eat a poisonous snake, as long as you don’t eat the poison sacks located in the throat glands. It might sound gross, but when you’re starving snake meat can be life saving and they say it tastes like chicken! The best way to tell the difference between venomous snakes versus non-venomous snakes is by the shape of their heads. If the snake has a round head it’s not venomous but if it has a triangle shaped head it’s probably venomous so be careful!
Do any of you have any great camping or outdoor stories you’d like to share?
Best regards,
Shauna
Hi Mom,
DeleteI have a good camping story I'd like to share. Once time I was camping with my dad and we saw a huge tunnel and we went inside the tunnel and it was very dark and spooky. We saw several spiders and walked to the other side of the tunnel and came out and there was a big beautiful forrest.
I liked this camping trip very much.
Best,
Jock
Hey Kate it's your Jordyn from Texas . I hope you like your school. My school over here is awesome ... I LOVE IT!!! Especially the breakfast and lunch. I'm in 5th grade and we go to recess, and guess what.... we get to read while walking, either going to lunch, from recess or even going to the library. I am in Spelling Bee, and in student council. I just wanted to leave you a note.
ReplyDeleteHello to Jock and Your Fellow 3rd Graders,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Paul and I am Jock's granddad. Jock calls me Nonno and he calls his grandmother Nonna, as those are the Italian words for grandparents. I was born in the United States, but my parents were from Italy, so I would like to share a little bit about that country with you.
Italy is a country in Europe that has a very particular shape. On a map, the country looks distinctly like a boot, and its toe is pointed at an island called Sicily. The country has a varied landscape ranging from beautiful mountains in the north to sunny coastline in the south.
Many aspects of Italian culture are prevalent in the United States, most notably, the cuisine. For example, did you know that pizza originated Italy? Also, there is a type of ice cream that comes in lots of different flavors that is from Italy. Do you know the name? If not, ask Jock, as his favorite flavor is chocolate!
Keep up all the great work you are doing in your reading, writing and arithmetic studies.
Regards,
Paul
Hi Nonno,
DeleteThanks for writing this blog to my class! I sure know the name of the Italian ice cream you're talking about since it's my favorite, it's called gelato! If any of you have never tried gelato before it's delicious. It tastes like ice cream but a little softer and richer in flavor. My favorite flavor is chocolate, and my sisters favorite is strawberry.
I would love to visit Italy sometime and live on nothing but gelato!
Hi there Jock and all your Classmates.
ReplyDeleteMy name is Andy and I'm Jock's uncle. I live in London, England, which is the country where I was born. I am an officer in the Royal Air Force, which is like the United States Air Force, and I have worked with lots of American servicemen and women all over the world. Do you know the name of any planes or helicopters?
Jock, really looking forward to seeing you and your sister, Scarlett in London during the Christmas holidays.
Have fun doing your blog; it's a great idea and I hope you're all learning lots from it.
All the best,
Andy
Mrs. Yollis' Classroom Blog: November is Family Blogging Month
ReplyDeleteHello Mrs. Yollis and class,
Hello!
My name is Kristine and I am Abigail's aunt. I am a concert pianist currently living in Taipei, Taiwan. I teach at local conservatories and at after school program of Taipei American School. Have anyone visited Taiwan? It is located in the other side of the Pacific. Taipei is a very lively city. It is the economical, political, and cultural capital of Taiwan. It has been voted as the best food destination in the world. It is also homes to some of the architectural landmarks, such as Taipei 101 (currently the 3rd tallest building in the world). So, please come and experience the hospitality and definitely taste the food!
Hello Kristine Ah Ye (Aunt),
DeleteI am very lucky you posted to our class blog! Thank you so much for blogging. I have never been to Taiwan or even China, but I really want to go! The things you describe above like delicious food and architectural landmarks, especially the 3rd tallest building in the world, make me really want to go. Even before you mentioned all these things, I already wanted to go. A lot of my family is in Taiwan. You probably already know that since you are one. I am hoping to see you again in at least two years in Taiwan and China. I will probably see you earlier here in California.
I've been wanting to restart piano lessons but my mom hasn't had the chance to get me the right piano teacher yet. I have played piano before for several years. I wish you could be my piano teacher. My teacher says that if you play piano, you are a better typist. Are you good at typing?
Your niece,
Abigail
Hello Mrs. Yolli’s Class,
ReplyDeleteThis is Amy and I am Karissa’s aunty from Seoul, South Korea. First of all, thank you for inviting me to your November family blog. It is a fantastic idea that all the family members from everywhere can join your class’s activity and see what’s going on there!
I first met Karissa and their family when my husband, so called Uncle Inkee, and I visited LA last May. We were lucky enough to stay at Karissa’s beautiful house and spent some quality time with them. We actually went to see your school function – New York New York (forgot the exact name…). Amazed at the quality of the show, well done guys!
To briefly introduce about myself, I am a business consultant at one of the accounting firm(PwC). For whom may not know much about what "business consultant" does, we do numbers and try to solve our client's business problem or concerns. It does require you to work long hours, yet rewarding sometimes :)
I still flick through the photos with Mikayla, Karissa, and Solia and we miss them a lot. Thanks to technology we facetime each other from time to time. It’s not easy to set the convenient time for each other due to the time difference though.
To talk about the stuff to share, did you know that 3 months-old baby can even distinguish their mother-tongue and foreign lanaguage? Since I am pregnant now, these things are what I'm interested in most these days.
It’s getting cold here. I miss Cali weather! Take care everyone, and happy blogging!
All the best,
Amy and Inkee
Dear Mrs Yollis,
ReplyDeleteI want to tell you what kinds of different pets I have. I have four dogs, one cat, three chameleons, eleven parrots, one fish, one tortoise, and one bunny.
The chameleons eat super worms and crickets. The chameleons stick out their tongues to catch there food. They are really colorful.
I like to hold the parrots but they can bite Merlin, is a Goffin cockatoo, Cleo, a black headed Caique, and Queenie, an African Gray, can all do different tricks.
I love all my pets,
Hailey
Dear Mrs. Yollis and Students,
ReplyDeleteThis is Jock's grandmother, Mella Dea (pronounced 'melody'. like a song), or Nonna to the kids. I am so pleased to see you focusing on reading and writing skills. Jock knows from all the books in our home that my favorite thing on earth is reading. Do you know why I love books so much? I love to read because reading lets you travel anywhere in the world, real or imaginary, and any place in time, forward, back or in the present. And you can do all this in the comfort of your favorite chair, lying in bed, sitting on an airplane, or relaxing in the shade under a tree on a sunny day.
I hope you all are enjoying some good books, and Jock, I look forward to learning what you are reading when you come visit Nonno and me for Thanksgiving.
Much love,
Nonna
Dear Mrs. Yollis and students,
ReplyDeleteThis is Keya's dad. I have enjoyed reading the comments by you and the other parents. I thought I would get at least one comment in before the end of the month.
There are lots of interesting comments from family living around the US and abroad. I have always enjoyed traveling abroad. It reminds me of how people around the World have different perspectives on life and what they find important. I grew up outside the US - in Africa and Europe - before coming to the US to attend university. I have also traveled extensively around the World - every continent but Antarctica.
Some of the comments in this blog remind me of my life and travels, and I feel happy and nostalgic. I urge everyone to travel far and wide to discover and learn about people, customs and places that are different than our own. It is quite an education!
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday.
Regard,
Parag (Keya's Dad)