Thursday, November 1, 2018

Family Blogging Month :: 2018

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 of our class blog and our Yollis 365 blog, students selected specific posts tailored to the interest of a particular relative. Selecting a good post for mom and dad, another for grandma.






A dog post is a great one for siblings!




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.




If you don't know How to leave a comment, here is a video tutorial about HOW to leave a comment on our blog.







How do you get comments typed and published?
Here is a video made by my students explaining how:

  







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!

136 comments:

  1. Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,

    My name is Sybil and I am Lily's mother. I currently work at a law firm nearby. I am an attorney. In my free time I love volunteering. I know many of you from volunteering at Variety Show, Girl Scouts, soccer and working at the school.

    I am very impressed that your class is so polite and addresses me as Mrs. Berman when I volunteer. Additionally, you are all learning great values from Mrs. Yollis when you are asked to compliment the volunteers before they exit the class.

    I am very excited that you are having a family blogging month! This is a great way to get families involved in your school activities. I am inviting Lily's relatives out of state to blog as I know the posts from out of the area are exciting. Lily has family in Tuscon, Arizona, and New York, New York, and we are hoping they join the blog.

    What will you be doing with your charts? Will you be doing graphs on Seesaw? I love watching the Seasaw videos and all of the creative uses of photos and household items.

    All the best,
    Sybil (Lily's Mom)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @ Sybil, (Lily's mom)

      Thank you so much for being our first commenter and for all the fabulous contributions you and your family make! Way to go!

      It makes me smile to hear the compliments about our class behavior. It is important to show gratitude for friends, helpers, and volunteers! A lot of times we think positive thoughts, but now we are working on letting people know how much we appreciate them. I'm happy you noticed. :-)

      We have received so many terrific comments from your relatives! I hope others will follow your lead and forward our blog to friends and relatives. We can expand our learning community even more!

      Warmly,
      Mrs. Y♥llis

      Delete
  2. Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,

    Hello! You might know me, as I have come into your class. I am Faith's older brother, Nolan. I was the Family Blogging Month winner when I was in Mrs. Yollis' class! I am in 5th grade now, and having a good time.

    Since Halloween just passed us, I thought of a good question to ask you. What is your favorite candy?

    If I was asked that question, I would say something like,

    "Honestly, I don't know. I like a lot of candies, but I don't like too much!"

    There are so many candies out there. Twix, Hershey's, Snickers, Skittles, M&M's, Kit Kat, etc. I know it's a hard choice. That's why I decided to ask this question! Because it's challenging!

    Also, one more thing. What did you dress up as for Book Character Day/Trick or Treating?

    Have fun blogging!

    Sincerely,
    Nolan D.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @ Nolan,

      Thanks for commenting on our blog!

      In reply to your question about candy, my favorite candy is Milky Way.

      I dressed up as Ginny Weasley for Halloween and as Harry Potter for Book Character Day.

      @ Class,

      I carved a cat sitting with the moon behind it in my pumpkin. What kind of pumpkin did you design?

      Cheers,
      L¡ly

      Delete
    2. Dear Mrs. Yollis and Class,

      I am so excited for Family Blogging Month! I look forward to hearing from and learning about your family members.

      Most of you already know me as Faith's mom. Recently, I had an opportunity to read a book to your class in the library. (It was a fun book about yoga and mindfulness. We did some fun yoga poses together!) I always like seeing what your class is up to, either in person or on the blog and on Seesaw.

      November is such a fun and exciting time to be in Mrs. Yollis' class! What are you most looking forward to in the month of November? I am looking forward to seeing if we can get some comments from relatives in other states or even other countries for Family Blogging Month!

      Sincerely,
      Lisa (Faith's Mom)

      Delete
    3. @Nolan,

      I am impressed that you chose such a thought provoking question, "what is your favorite candy?". There is no right or wrong answer so it is an open ended question and it really is challenging, just as you said it would be.

      Like you, it was difficult for me to come up with just one answer though most of my favorites seemed to involve milk chocolate! If I had to choose ONE favorite candy, I would have to say it is Little John’s toffee. I was first introduced to Little John’s toffee when I received it as a gift from your Grammy and Pop in California. It was love at first bite! Did you know that you can even order Little John’s toffee online from anywhere and they’ll ship it right to your home? Very convenient! Sometimes too convenient!

      I also like that you mentioned you try not to eat too many sweets. You have always been very conscious of that and especially of watching the ingredients in the food you eat, trying to minimize artificial flavors, colors, and sugars. You might be surprised that your being mindful of these things has caused me to be more mindful of them as well. I have learned something very valuable from my grandson!

      What did you dress up as for Halloween this year?

      Love,
      Your Grandma (Nolan and Faith’s Grandma from Wisconsin aka Grandma Barb)

      Delete
    4. @Lisa,

      I applaud your willingness to volunteer in the classroom and the joy you clearly get from interacting with the students. I wish I could have been there to hear you read the book to Mrs. Yollis’ class on yoga and mindfulness. These are lifetime skills that are great for everyone to learn and practice at any age.

      I was curious about which yoga poses you did with the class?

      You also asked what we are most looking forward to in November? For me, it is Thanksgiving dinner with family! I love turkey and all of the traditional Thanksgiving foods. I will be preparing a turkey dinner for my mom, who as you know turned 90 this year! I will be making all of the dishes she made for our family for so many years. Though it will be a small gathering, it will still be a special time to show thanks for another year of having her in our lives.

      What are you looking forward to in November? Do you have a favorite Thanksgiving food?

      Cheers!
      Barb (Your mother-in-law and Faith’s Grandma from Wisconsin aka Grandma Barb)

      Delete
    5. @ Barb,

      Hi! Welcome back to the blog! To answer your question, when I was with the class recently, several of the students shared yoga poses. We did several including cat pose and lotus pose. The book I read to the class that day in the library was called "Peaceful Piggy Meditation." Have you heard of it?

      I know you will have a very nice November in Wisconsin. I am also looking forward to Thanksgiving. I love all the foods of Thanksgiving! When our family went to Plymouth, Massachusetts this summer, we got to eat many such foods at the site where the Puritan Pilgrims and the native Wampanoag tribe first shared foods with one another. It was like having a Thanksgiving meal in July! Faith's dad and I shared turkey, cranberries, squash and more.

      Do you remember two years ago when you and I visited Mrs. Yollis' class together and made something out of pumpkin with the class? I plan to do that next week. Wish you could be here! Will you be baking anything with pumpkin this month?

      Sincerely,
      Your daughter-in-law Lisa


      Delete
    6. @ Grandma Barb,

      In answer to your question "What are you looking forward to in November?" What I am looking forward to Veterans Day because my Grampy was in the United States Army and was a Captain in the Dental Corp. I also have a picture of my mom with my Grampy when they lived in Georgia.

      @ Class
      Do you have family members that are veterans?
      Do you have family from Georgia?

      Cheers,
      L¡ly

      Delete
    7. @Lisa,

      Thank you for so thoroughly answering my questions! I had never heard of the book you read to the class called “Peaceful Piggy Meditation”. I think it is wonderful to introduce young people to both meditation and yoga as they can become life long skills that are good for the mind and the body. I learned yoga about 7 years ago at the company I worked for. A small group of us met after work several times a week with a fellow employee who was a certified yoga instructor. It was wonderful! Now in retirement, I still practice yoga quite often and feel refreshed and relaxed each time.

      I do remember several years ago when we helped Mrs. Yollis’ students make pumpkin muffins. That was so much fun! The students were so enthusiastic and eager to learn how to follow a recipe. We had all of the ingredients lined up along with measuring cups and measuring spoons and of course the recipe. Everyone took a turn measuring or stirring. The students had an opportunity to practice their math skills when they measured out the various ingredients.

      Do you remember the challenge we ran into that the students had to solve using their knowledge of fractions? I think it was that the smallest measuring spoon we had was a 1/4 teaspoon but the recipe called for 1/8 teaspoon of a particular spice. I wonder if any of Mrs.Yollis’ current students can figure out how the class solved that measuring dilemma?

      We took the pumpkin muffins home to be baked and then we brought them back for the students to taste. They were delicious!

      Though I didn't have any plans to make any pumpkin recipes this November, I have to admit the memory of those pumpkin muffins may make me change my mind and do some baking after all.

      Which pumpkin recipe are you making with the class this year?

      Sincerely,
      Barb (Your mother-in-law and Faith’s Grandma from Wisconsin aka Grandma Barb)

      Delete
    8. @Nolan,

      I am Katie and I'm friends with your sister. I am also your neighbor.

      To answer your question, I dressed up as Hermoine Granger from Harry Potter for Halloween and Character Day. I admire Hermoine's intelligence, bravery and quick thinking.

      Have you read Harry Potter?

      From,

      Katie

      Delete
    9. @ Barb,

      We will make the same pumpkin muffin recipe that you and I made last year!

      Faith just mentioned your love of cookie baking in her blog comment to Logan's Grandma Barb! You know that my favorite cookies that you make are the walnut ones. Which ones are your favorites to make? Will you be doing any baking for Thanksgiving or the December holidays?

      Sincerely,
      Lisa

      Delete
    10. @Lisa,

      Sorry for the late reply to your question of Nov. 7 about which cookies are my favorites to bake and if I will be doing any baking for the holidays. November really got away from me!

      I like baking Christmas cookies while listening to Christmas music. That is my own personal tradition and it really gets me in the Christmas spirit!

      I especially like making Pecan Tea Cookies which some call Mexican Wedding Cakes. There are no eggs in the recipe but they are light and delicious especially after being rolled in powder sugar. They are also extremely easy and fast to make!

      This Christmas I plan on making Pecan Tea Cookies, Cherry Nut Cups, and cutout cookies. I have two recipes for cutout cookies. One is from a friend of mine. I call them Thin and Crispy Cutout Cookies because they are both thin and crispy and only have sugars applied before baking for decoration.

      The second cutout cookie recipe is one I got from my Grandma. It makes a bit softer sugar cookie that rises just a little. It is decorated with powder sugar frosting and colored sprinkles.

      I'm not sure if I'll bake both kinds of cutout cookies this year or not. Maybe I should have your family vote on which cookies they would like and especially which cutout cookie recipe they like best.

      Making Christmas cookies while listening to Christmas music is a tradition I have done ever since my son/your husband was born.

      Does anyone have any Christmas traditions they do every year or perhaps a favorite Christmas cookie or Christmas food?

      Happy Baking!
      Barb (Faith's Grandma Barb from Wisconsin and your mother-in-law)

      Delete
  3. Dear Mrs Yollis and Class

    I am excited for Family Blogging Month. I hearing what everyone is doing.

    I am Lily's aunt and live in New York. My husband and I moved to New York 5 years ago from San Francisco. Have you guys heard of Tory Burch?(I bet most of your mom's have :) ). I work for Tory Burch leading their digital projects.

    Last month I went to Eastern Europe for work to meet with our development teams. The trip included Belarus, Lviv (have you heard of Belarus or Lviv?. We also went to Saint Petersburg and Moscow. I spent a lot of time in our offices working but when I was able to be a tourist I really enjoyed Lviv. It was very old European feeling and I loved the old cobble stone streets. Moscow was spectacular standing in the middle of the Red Square.

    What are you doing during the month of November? Are you excited for Thanksgiving? Do you and your families do big family gatherings or small quiet gatherings?

    I am really excited to hear from you. And give my favorite niece Lily a BIG hug from me :).

    Enjoy your weekend,
    Stacey (Lily's aunt)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @ Stacey

      In answer to "What are you doing during the month of November?" During November I go to Hebrew School, play soccer, learn in school, do activities in Girl Scouts, and create with art.

      In reply to "Do you and your families do big family gatherings or small quiet gatherings?" My family has a small quiet dinner gathering.

      @ Class

      What is your favorite event that happens over Thanksgiving?

      Cheers,
      L¡ly

      Delete
    2. @Lily,

      My favorite event that happens over Thanksgiving is our family dinner with my cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents. We take turns hosting dinner at our house and our cousin's house. This year we are going to my cousin's house.

      Another tradition during Thanksgiving week is my annual trip with my grandparents. This year they are taking my brother and I to Las Vegas. We are staying at the Paris hotel, eating at buffets, seeing two shows and going up the fake Eiffel Tower.

      Have you ever been to Las Vegas? If so, what did you enjoy most?

      From,
      Katie

      Delete
    3. @ Katie,

      I went to Vegas and stayed at The Bellagio Hotel.

      We went to the M&M store, saw the Titanic exhibit and went to the Coca Cola tasting of the world flavors.

      My favorite was the games at Circus Circus because Lucas won a stuffed dog for me.

      Cheers,
      L¡ly

      Delete
    4. @Lily

      I also went to the M&M store my grandpa got me and my brother a M&M dispenser,but now it is hard to eat them with my expander. If my cousin found out about it he would go ballistic.Did you get anything at the M&M store?
      @Class
      Do you like M&M's?

      From,
      Katie

      Delete
    5. @ Katie,

      We bought coconut M&Ms at the store. I love M&Ms.

      @ Class,

      My favorite candy is Milky Ways.

      What is your favorite candy?

      Cheers,
      Lily

      Delete
  4. Grammy and Grampy ZangerNovember 2, 2018 at 4:08 PM

    Happy November to all of the students in Mrs. Yollis
    class. I love November it gets a bit cooler, and we have a family holiday to look forward to. Why are family holidays important? Life is about memories, and we are want to spend time with our loved ones. WE enjoy a great thanksgiving dinner and then we can remember it.
    Our Tucson family will be visiting with us.
    I hope you all have a great turkey day. Grammy and Grampy Zanger ( Lily's grandparents)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @ Grammy and Grampy,

      Holidays are important because you spend time with family and friends. And also find quality moments along the way. ♥

      I am very excited to celebrate Thanksgiving and Veterans Day.

      @ Class,

      Over the holiday break we are going to Tucson, Arizona to see my cousins and uncle and aunt.

      Are you going to see any relatives over the holidays?

      Are you visiting somewhere?

      Cheers,
      L¡ly

      Delete
    2. @ Lily

      I am going to visit my cousins Jack and Luke over thanksgiving but I am not visiting any family over winter break.
      To answer your second question, I am going to Las Vegas over Thanksgiving. I am going on a cruise ship over winter break. The ship is going to the Caribbean.

      What are your plans for winter break?

      From,
      Katie

      Delete
    3. @ Katie

      Over Winter Break I am going to Tucson, Arizona to see my cousins, uncle and aunt. When I am there I will explore Old Town Tucson, Top Golf and maybe the local zoo too.

      Over Thanksgiving my uncle, aunt and cousins are coming to Calabasas. We are eating turkey, mash potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing, apple pie, homemade whip cream and other delicious dishes.

      @ Class

      Are you celebrating Thanksgiving with cousins, [great]uncles, [great]aunts and/or [great]grandparents?

      What are you eating for Thanksgiving?

      Cheers,
      L¡ly

      Delete
  5. @ Mrs. Yollis and class,

    I am in 8th grade and I play club soccer on Barcelona California like my sister Lily. When I was in third grade this was my favorite month of the year because I got a lot of my family to post many interesting comments. Who is going to the most family post and who is going to have a family member post from the farthest away? Also what positions do people play that play soccer? I cannot wait to post more for Lily this month! Good luck!

    Cheers,
    Lucas (One of Lily's Brothers)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @ Lucas,

      Thanks for blogging!

      I love that we both play club soccer at Barcelona. I play midfielder like you do. Sometimes I play forward as well.

      So far the farthest away post is from our cousins in London, England.

      What is your favorite memory or activity from 3rd grade?

      @ Class and our blogging friends.

      What is or was your favorite activity in 3rd grade? My favorite is blogging!

      Cheers,
      L¡ly

      Delete
    2. @Lily

      Great question. There is so much I love about third grade. Like you, I enjoy blogging. I also like making videos on Seesaw, reading on Freckle and learning multiplication. Mrs. Yollis makes it all so interesting.

      From,

      Katie

      Delete
    3. @Lily,

      My favorite thing when I was in third grade was the designated reading time everyday in class, which lead to my love of reading. I started the year reading Stink books and ended reading the first Harry Potter book. Before I was struggling to make it through magic treehouse books, but later I became a proficient reader. My favorite series was the Red Pyramid series another book series written by the same author who wrote Percy Jackson.

      @ Class

      Has anyone read the Percy Jackson series or any or books by Rick Riordan?

      Cheers,
      Lucas

      Delete
    4. @ Lu©as,

      I read a series written by Rick Riordan called the Percy Jackson series. And I recently finished Harry Potter.

      What is your favorite series now that you are in 8th grade?

      @ Class,

      What book are you reading now?

      Cheers,
      L¡ly

      Delete
    5. @Lily

      I Have read the first, second, and the first 8 chapters of the third Percy Jackson book I finished Harry Potter last year but I really want to read them again.Now I am reading Hoot.
      @Class
      Has anyboby read Hoot?

      From,
      Katie

      Delete
    6. @ Katie,
      I loved Hoot! Did you read Chomp? Chomp was also great. Now I am reading Fantastic Beasts the Crimes of Grindelwald.

      @ Class

      What are you reading now?

      Cheers,
      Lily

      Delete
    7. @ Lily,

      I am reading the Young Elites trilogy now. I am on the third book. The book is called Midnight Star .

      I am excited for winter break. We are going to Tuscon, Arizona.

      @ Class,

      Are you exited for break? Is anyone going on a trip?

      Cheers,
      Lu©as

      Delete
  6. Hello Mrs Yollis and class (in particular Lily)

    When we found out all the way from London England, that your class was having a family blogging month, we thought it was a great chance to say hello from the other side of the world.

    We were very lucky to have Lily visit us recently in London with her parents and brothers, and miss them all very much, including Casper and Theodore (Lily's London dogs).

    I am sorry to tell you that we don't personally know the Queen of England, and that it doesn't rain ALL THE TIME here, but we do however LOVE a cup of tea in the afternoons with scones and sandwiches.

    Have any of you been to London, and what was your favourite activity you did?

    Love to all from
    Philip, Gillian, Jeremy, Casper and Theodore xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @Jeremy,

      Faith’s mom, Lisa, had just mentioned in her blog post that she hoped there would be comments from other states and countries and then your comment from London popped onto the blog! Your comment debunking some of the myths people may have about Londoners, that you are all on a first name basis with the Queen and it rains all of the time, were very funny. However, your other comment about enjoying tea with scones and sandwiches in the afternoon is the one that really caught my attention and brought back some great memories.

      Though I have never been lucky enough to visit London yet, I was able to take a business trip to Ireland and thoroughly enjoyed drinking tea with every meal. I often had fresh scones with fresh jam and clotted cream for breakfast and they served this amazing brown, grainy bread at most meals. My business was conducted in Cork, which I was told was the Culinary Capital of Ireland. I will always remember the Irish hospitality, delicious Irish breakfast tea, and those amazing scones and bread. Immediately after that trip, I added England, Scotland and Wales on my list of places I would like to visit someday.

      Have you always lived in London? Are there other cities or countries you have visited or have on your list to visit?

      Cheers!
      Barb (Faith’s Grandma from Wisconsin aka Grandma Barb)

      Delete
    2. @ Jeremy, Philip, Gillian, Casper and Theo,

      In reply to your question, my favorite activity that I did was when I went on the Harry Potter City Tour. But the best part in London was meeting my cousins for the first time and staying with all of you. The Mad Hatter Tea party my Mom, Gillian and I went to was a major highlight. I miss the English biscuits and Cadbury candy.

      What are your favorite American foods and candy?

      Thanks again for commenting on my blog!

      @ Class,

      Do you have any relatives that live in England/Europe?

      Cheers,
      L¡ly

      Delete
    3. @ Lily,

      Hi! It is so cool to see a comment from your relatives in London, England. A cup of tea and some scones sounds delicious right now!

      To answer your question to the class about if we have any relatives in England: Yes, Faith and I do! In fact, my mom (Faith's Grandma Carole, not Grandma Barb) was born in London. She moved here when she was a baby. I still have cousins in London.

      My first trip to London was when I was in high school. Faith hasn't been to Europe yet.

      My mom still drinks tea every day. I think her love of tea with milk is just part of her DNA! She taught me to drink English tea with milk the same way. I love it.

      Lily, did you bring back any souvenirs from London?

      Sincerely,
      Lisa (Faith's Mom)

      Delete
    4. @ Lisa,

      That is cool that you and Faith have relatives there too!

      We purchased several souvenirs like tea from The Mad Hatter's Tea Party, a Gryffindor headband, a golden snitch keychain from Platform 9 3/4, a London key chain and a small bag from Kensington Palace.

      My mom and I love tea with milk and scones. We bake scones for all special occasions and we make whip cream. I love strawberries with the scones too.

      Did you have the biscuits and candy in London? Some of my favorites are not sold in the United States.

      @ Class,

      Does anyone else like tea and scones?

      Cheers,
      Lily

      Delete
    5. @Lily

      How exciting that you had Gillian and Phillip from England join the family blogging. I remember when you and your family went to visit them over the summer. What was your favorite part of the visit - besides being with @Gillian and Phillip.

      Uncle Charlie and I visied them and uncle Charlie's favorite part of the visit was eating Chinese food with them :). hahah

      I would love to meet the Queen of Engalnd...but I am not sure that will ever happen.

      @ Class,

      How many of you have visited England and what was your favorite thing to do or see?

      Hope you are all well,

      Regards,
      Stacey

      Delete
    6. @Lily

      I love tea and scones. I prefer scones over tea though. What does your mom enjoy more?

      Regards,
      Stacey

      Delete
    7. @ Auntie Stacey,

      That is a tough choice! I love both scones and tea especially together!

      My Mom probably likes tea more because she drinks it everyday.

      My favorite part of our London trip besides seeing family was Kensington Palace and the Princess Diana tour. It was very interesting to see all of her work with kids and charities.

      I also loved the Harry Potter sites especially Platform 9 3/4 Station.

      @ Class,

      Does anyone like tea and/or scones?

      Cheers,
      L¡ly

      Delete
  7. Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,

    Hello, it's Nolan again. You might remember me as one of the brothers of Faith.

    Anyway, this time around, I wanted to ask everyone what their favorite place(s) to visit are. My favorite places to visit are Wisconsin and Hawaii.

    I'll start with Wisconsin. As Mrs. Yollis knows, my grandma lives there, and my dad is from there. I have been there more than 10 times, and I am 11 years old. It has great weather, much cooler than here in California. But it's not just the weather that makes it a favorite of mine, but the low population, which to leads to not a lot of traffic, and not a lot of long lines. Also, it's that our relatives on my dad's side live there, too, and that we can get together with them and have some fun.

    Onto Hawaii. My family went there last August, and it was incredible. The resort was amazing. The pools, beach, views, everything. Although it rained one night, the weather was pretty warm, which made it a good reason to go in the water. One night, we went to a luau. We had cool drinks, good food, and watched Hawaiian dancers preform. I took a picture with a guy lighting torches. He had a long stick that had a flame on the end so he could reach the torches, because they were tall.

    Now it's your turn. Tell me what your favorite places to visit are.

    Happy blogging!

    Sincerely,
    Nolan D.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Nolan, we've met on a few occasions. You have been swimming at my house around the corner from yours with your family. I would love to answer your question.

      There are so many places I love to visit. It just depends on what I'm looking to do. My favorite cities are Paris, New York and Amsterdam. I love the energy and beauty of all three. If I want to relax, I love cruising in the Caribbean. Much like Hawaii, the places we stop all have white-sand beaches and crystal clear turquoise waters. Finally, my favorite place to see natural beauty is in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. You can find cascading waterfalls, cool glaciers, roaming animals, and dense alpine forests.

      I would love to hear from other people. Where are you favorite places to travel?

      Delete
    2. @ Nolan,

      My favorite places to visit are Cape Town, South Africa, London, England, Athens, Greece and of course Los Angeles, California.

      Two of my favorite beaches are Pismo Beach and La Costa Beach in Malibu.

      @ Nolan and Class,

      What are your favorite beaches?

      Cheers,
      L¡ly

      Delete
    3. @Lily,

      I love beaches too. Every Tuesday during the summer, I go to Zuma Beach with a large group of kids from our school. Anyone can come and every week is a different group. We always meet in between lifeguard stations 6 and 7. It's a summer tradition that I love, especially when you come.

      Other than Zuma, I also like Venice Beach. There are tons of shops and a playground.

      Have you ever been to Venice Beach?

      From,

      Katie

      Delete
  8. Dear Mrs. Yollis and Class,

    We are here to say Hello to Lily and her classmates. We are Lily's two cousins, Bruno and Maxwell and Lily's Aunt Nadia and Uncle Brett.

    We are saying Hello from sunny Tucson, Arizona. Home to the University of Arizona and the world famous Pima Air and Space Museum.

    Unlike the rest of the nation most of Arizona, including us, does not observe daylight savings time. So while you gained an extra hour of daylight our time does not change.

    Tucson, a desert city, is also home to some interesting fauna and flora. We have the beautiful Saguaro Cacti which is the tallest cactus in the United States. The Gila Monster makes its home here too. It is the only venomous lizard in the United States.


    Good luck to all getting your 2-points comments.
    Bruno, Maxwell, Aunt Nadia and Uncle Brett

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @ Bruno, Maxwell, Nadia, and Brett,

      Thank you for visiting the class blog! I am Faith's mom, and Lily knows me as her 2nd Girl Scout Leader (the other leader is Lily's mom)!

      You are writing from one of my favorite cities. I have more aunts, uncles and cousins in the Tucson area than I can count! I grew up visiting the region a lot. I always loved when we'd arrive in Arizona and the landscape would change to those cool Saquaro cacti! Many of my cousins are currently firefighters in the Tucson area.

      One of my favorite places to go in Tucson (besides my relatives' homes) is the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. Have you been there? When I was younger, I loved the gemstone exhibits best.

      Have you ever been to Saguaro National Park? You can become Junior Park Rangers there!

      I look forward to hearing more from Tucson, Arizona!

      Best,
      Lisa


      Delete
    2. Lily, Hana, Josh and AbbyNovember 6, 2018 at 2:04 PM

      @ Nadia

      Josh, liked going to Arizona, and his favorite thing that he did was see the city capital. He went to the desert.


      Hana, went to the Sonora Desert and saw the cacti and the Gila Monster it was very creepy for her.


      Abby, Went to Arizona and journeyed to the Grand Canyon collected rocks.


      Cheers,
      Lily, Hana, Josh and Abby

      Delete
    3. Lily, Hana, Josh and Abby,

      Thanks for the reply.

      We have cacti all around our house including the extra tall saguaros. Gila monsters have been spotted in our neighborhood. They are a bit harder to find than cacti. It is kind of hard for a cactus to hide.

      The Grand Canyon is an amazing hole in the ground. While we have been there it is quite far from our house.


      We would love to hear more about your Arizona adventures.


      Bruno, Max, Nadia and Brett

      Delete
    4. Hi Bruno, Max, Nadia and Brett,

      My name is Faith and I am Lily's classmate and friend. We are also in Girl Scouts together.

      You asked about Arizona adventures. I have had so, so many. Some things I have done in Arizona are the Pink Jeep ride in Sedona, seeing the Grand Canyon, going on a horseback ride with my dad on my 7th birthday, and going to a western show on my birthday. They called my name and gave me a cowboy hat. We have also gone to some spring training baseball games.

      Have you ever seen a roadrunner in Arizona? I have.

      From,
      Faith

      Delete
    5. @ Bruno, Max, Uncle Brett and Auntie Nadia,

      My favorite Arizona adventure was when we went to mini golf. Our last visit was too short. I am looking forward to coming back in December and exploring old town Tucson.

      What is one of your favorite California adventures?

      Happy Birthday Uncle Brett!

      @ Class,

      What is your favorite California adventure?

      Cheers,
      L¡ly

      Delete
    6. Lisa,

      How cool is it that you cousins are firefighters here. I hope we won't need their help. Maybe they got to visit you recently and help out there. I am happy the fires by you are mostly under control.

      We have only lived in Tucson for about a year. We have not been to the Saguaro National Park or the Desert Museum yet. Max is three and Bruno one so we will wait a couple of years before they become Junior Park Rangers.

      We have driven near both on our way to Old Tucson. Old Tucson is an old west town where you can see stunt shows and ride a train around the desert. Max and Bruno both love it there.


      Thanks,

      Bruno, Maxwell, Nadia and Brett

      Delete
    7. Faith,

      It sounds like you had some fun times in Arizona. It is such a fun state. Maybe one day with some luck Max or Bruno will get a cowboy hat at a western shown like you did.

      We have seen roadrunners near our house. We also saw one rattlesnake, a couple of bobcats and many coyotes. One bobcat even got over our fence and was in our yard! The desert is full of life.


      Bruno, Max, Brett and Nadia

      Delete
    8. Lily,

      Thanks for the birthday wishes.

      Mini golf was fun. Max had a great time. We can't wait for your visit in December. The more time you spend here the more you will like it for there is so many fun things to do.

      Max's favorite place in California is the Skirball Museum. Mine is the LA Zoo and Nadia's is the Aquarium of the Pacific. Bruno doesn't have a favorite yet but I am sure he will love Underwood Farms.


      Enjoy your first day back to school in awhile.


      Bruno, Maxwell, Brett, and Nadia

      Delete
    9. @ Uncle Brett, Auntie Nadia, Max and Bruno,

      I am looking forward to seeing you in December.

      Did you know that a fire station from Tucson Golder Ranch Fire Station 370 sent two groups to California to help with the fires near me?

      My Girls Scout troop made thank you notes and we are sending them with a gift card.

      Cheers,
      Lily

      Delete
  9. Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,

    I was so happy to see that its Family Blogging month already! This activity was one of my favorites when I was a student in Mrs. Yollis's class. It was really exciting having my entire family involved with my classroom experiences.

    It was also so nice to meet all of you in person when I visited your classroom last month.

    Now a little bit about myself. My name is Miriam, and I am Mrs. Yollis's former former student. When I was in Mrs. Yollis's class, she introduced me to blogging like she did to all of you, and I had my own blog called Miriam's Magical Moments where I wrote about my daily activities. Now, I am a college student and have a different blog called Writer's World. Some of my hobbies include swimming, writing poetry, and reading mystery novels. I also like spending time with my brother, sisters, and my dog Romeo. What are some of your hobbies?

    I wish all of you good luck on this challenge, and I hope your family and friends leave a lot of comments!

    Best,
    Miriam

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hello class,

    I am Lily's grampy. I am very lucky to sometimes pick her up from school. Once her friend said who is that and I said I am her brother. I think I am funny. What is a funny person called?

    We live nearby and we have 2 dogs. One is a sister to Lily's dog and the other dog we just adopted from Doberman rescue in Filmore. We love dogs. Dobermans are very smart. Do you know they are used by search and rescue teams when there is a disaster in the world. Do you know what other types of dogs are used to help in unfortunate situations?

    Good luck class on your family blogging month. Your teacher goes above and beyond with the time she spends teaching you about blogging along with your studies. If you see me picking up Lily please remind me I am her Grampy not her brother.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @ Grampy,

      Welcome to our class blog. I figured you would write about dogs.

      Dogs that are used to help in emergencies are labrador retriever, golden retriever, bloodhound, border collie and a malinois dog.

      I am excited that you are coming on Friday to our Veterans Day assembly.

      Love always,
      L¡ly

      Delete
    2. I am looking forward to visiting your school on Veteran's Day. It is a special day as Grampy and other people who have served our country, the United States of America, are honored and recognized. Our country has this very special day where we honor people who served in the military. Do you know there are many branches of the military where one can serve. Can you and your classmates google other branches of the service.
      I was in the United States Army.

      Delete
  11. Caroline (Katie's Mom)November 5, 2018 at 1:53 PM

    Hello Mrs. Yollis' 3rd grade class,

    Although I have participated on the blog previously, this is the first opportunity I have to formally introduce myself. My name is Caroline, and I'm Katie's mom. Let me tell you a bit more about myself.

    First, and probably most interesting, is that I grew up right here in the same town we all live in. I graduated from the same middle school and high school that most of you will attend in a few years. My husband, Katie's dad, also went to those those same schools and we met when we were only thirteen. We think this is a pretty cool story.

    I also have a son named Adam, who graduated from your school last year and is now in 6th grade. We have two adorable cats, Mango and Coconut. My mom (Katie's grandma), dad (Katie's grandpa) and sister (Katie's aunt) also lives in our neighborhood, just blocks away. My nephew (Katie's cousin) even goes to school with you and my niece (Katie's cousin) will be there next year.

    I work as a Marketing Executive in a really large company with 22,000 people across 33 states. I'm constantly talking on the phone and e-mailing people all across the United States. In fact, blogging with a wide variety of people like this isn't too different from what I do at work everyday.

    In addition to working, I have four hobbies. First, I love pilates. It's a form of exercise done on a machine called a reformer. Next, I love watching basketball. I'm a huge Lakers fan. Finally, I love to travel. I'm always planning our family's fun adventures. Finally, I love to read. I know you all tabulate how many words you read each month. It would be nearly impossible to figure out my lifetime word count. That's how much I love to read.

    That's a little bit about me. Can you share some of your hobbies and interests?

    From,

    Caroline (Katie's mom)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @ Caroline,

      Hello! Some of my favorite hobbies and interests are horseback riding, gymnastics, acrobatics, yoga, baking, hiking, watching baseball, and watching dancing shows.

      Oh my goodness, that's amazing that your company has 22,000 people. This made me want to see how many people work for my dad's company and guess what? The answer is 100,000! My dad just went to Columbia and Brazil for work.

      What is your favorite book or kind of books?

      From,
      Faith

      Delete
    2. @ Faith

      I have many favorite kinds of books, including fantasy, action, mystery and historical fiction. What is your favorite type of book? Also my favorite book series is Harry Potter.

      @ Class,

      My favorite hobbies are soccer, art, music, dancing, golf, swimming, reading, skiing and baking.

      What are your favorite sports?

      Cheers,
      L¡ly

      Delete
    3. @Faith,

      Wow! Your dad's company has 100,000 people. That is about five times the size of my company.

      You asked about the types of books I like to read. My favorites are historical fiction. These are books based on real life events but tell a fictional story within them. I like them because I can learn lots of history while enjoying a great, fictional story at the same time.

      What type of books do you like to read?

      From,

      Caroline

      Delete
    4. @ Faith

      I have a lot of favorite book series but like Lily my favorite series is Harry Potter. I like it because it has a lot of action and excitement.

      @ Lily

      My favorite sport is volleyball. I like it because it doesn't make me sweaty. I used to play soccer but i did not like that very much.
      What kind of art do you like to do?

      From ,
      Katie

      Delete
    5. @ Katie,

      I like all kinds of art. My favorite art is probably tie dye. Do you like to tie dye?

      Cheers,
      L¡ly

      Delete
    6. @Faith
      My favorite type of book is fantasy.
      Like Katie and Lily, my favorite series is Harry Potter.

      @class
      Do you like Harry Potter?
      What was your favorite book?

      Delete
  12. Hello Mrs. Yollis and Class,

    I'm Logan's Grandma Barbara. Faith's Grandma Barb seems like she is an expert blogger. This Grandma Barb has never blogged before! Your blogging month has allowed me to try something new as I am not tech savvy.

    My three children went to your school and Logan's mom even had Mrs. Yollis in the third grade 31 years ago! She was my daughter's favorite teacher ever. All of you are very lucky that she is your teacher!

    I am a retired full-time middle school English and journalism teacher. I then subbed elementary school for fourteen years until my first grandchild was born. I have six grandchildren who are all unique and special. They all live nearby, so Logan is fortunate to be able to see his cousins often.

    I love doing activities with all of my grandkids.
    Every time a new Star Wars movie debuts we see it together. All of the cousins love to write, produce and film their own movies. We like to go for dim sum together, go to Ventura Harbor, and, of course, they all love to sleep over!

    We enjoy spending time together! What activities do yo like to do with your family? I would love to hear your responses.

    From,
    Logan's Grandma Barb

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Logan's Grandma Barb,

      It is so cool that Logan and I both have grandmas named Barbara.

      My grandma loves baking cookies with me. Do you like baking cookies with Logan? If you do what shapes do you use?

      That is so amazing that you used to be an English and journalism teacher. Wow, six grandchildren! That's so many. My Grandma Barb has three grandchildren who are me and my two brothers, Nolan and Troy.

      Hope to see more blog comments from you.

      Sincerely,
      Faith

      Delete
    2. @ Grandma Barb,

      I also love watching Star Wars movies. We also have a family tradition and we go to the newly released Star Wars movies together with my Grampy.

      Did you know the next Star Wars movie is supposed to be released in December of 2019? I can not believe we have to wait that long.

      I love to bake with my mom and cook with my dad. My favorite baking recipe is scones and cooking is fresh pasta.

      @ Class and Grandma Barb,

      What is your favorite thing to bake?

      What do you like to cook?

      Cheers,
      L¡ly

      Delete
  13. Hello 3rd Grade Class,
    I am Katie's grandpa. Some of the kids in 3rd grade call me Grandpa Alan. But, if you just want to call me "Alan" that is fine with me. Katie comes over to my house every Wednesday to have fun with me. I also take her to a tennis lesson.

    We have been to many movies together at The Commons and have been on several cruises together. We seem to always have fun together.

    But, I get tired of watching "Loud House" on tv. Do any other 3rd graders watch Loud House?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @grandpaalan,

      Thank you for doing a blog post. I love my Wednesdays with you. My favorite part right now is that we are doing a Harry Potter movie marathon. I can't believe you were scared of mandrakes.

      Guess what? Loud House is on TV right now. I have to go.

      What do you like to watch on TV?

      From,
      Katie

      Delete
    2. Hi Katie,
      It is Grandpa Alan. My favorite things to watch on TV are the Lakers, the Dodgers, and U.C.L.A. football. I do not watch Loud House or Harry Potter unless I am with you.

      But, the big question is whether other girls in 3rd grade who have long hair like you do NOT wear a pony tail while playing tennis?

      Delete
    3. Jane (Katies Grandma)November 29, 2018 at 4:52 PM

      Hi Katie,
      I love watching Dancing With the Stars. The music is great, the dancing is fabulous and the costumes are the best. My other favorite show is Mom, it's on tonight. Last night I watched the Christmas show and the lighting of the tree at Rockefeller Center in NYC. At Christmas time I watch the Hallmark Christmas shows. Do watch the Christmas shows in December?

      From,

      Grandma Jane

      Delete
  14. Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,

    I'm Lila's dad, and I'm new to the world of blogging. I've always liked to write though, so this looks like a lot of fun to me!

    I wrote a poem about Barnaby Bones today, but my wife tells me no one will find it! Do you think you can find it? I hope so. I don't want Barnaby to be lonely!

    Can you believe that when I was in 3rd grade, we didn't have computers to work on. We wrote everything with pencils. We wrote so much that most of us got a bump on our finger where the pencil would rest. I still have that bump to this day!

    I'm glad you guys have computers. They make things much easier! Well, I look forward to reading more blogs about your class, and writing more as well.

    Have a great day!

    Lila's Dad,

    Doron

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Husband, Mrs. Yollis, Class, and Families,

      I finally found Sir Barnaby Bones! Has anyone else found him yet?

      If not, search for a collection of words, which may help you connect the dots. I was quite impressed with the creative stories told by many. Not just about Barnaby, but his friends Beverly, Arnold, and Panda too. It was worth the search!

      Families, I'll be interested to hear who else finds Barnaby and friends. If so, was it with our without my clues? Reply if you have a chance.

      Warmly,
      Tamar (also known as wife, and Lila’s mom ♥)

      Delete
    2. @Doron (Dad) @ Tamar (Mom)

      I know where Barnaby lives...in our classroom! On the blog, he lives in the month of September.

      Mom, I think you forgot Wilbur the pig too. If I remember correctly, Wilbur loves tacos and surfing. You should check him out.

      Love,
      Lila

      Delete
  15. Hello to Mrs. Yollis Class,

    I hope it's OK that I write for Kaia's Great Grandmother, Mimi Morres. Mimi was born in Belgium in 1926. She grew up speaking French and loved Belgium chocolates!

    Mimi waited tables when she was 16 years old in a small cafe in Belgium. That's when she met Jerry (Kaia's great Grandfather!). He was an American soldier. At the time, Mimi actually wanted little to do with him. She thought he was too rowdy and wild!

    However, he fell in love with her and kept coming to the cafe to see her. After he went back to the United States, he sent a letter asking her to marry him! Her mother gave her $100 and only 1 suitcase (that's all she was allowed). She boarded the boat and started the long journey to Ellis Island in New York.

    Jerry was waiting for her. She only spoke French, and was very nervous!! On their wedding day, she locked herself in the hotel room and would not come out! He knocked on the door and offered her flowers and even chocolate... she still said, "NO!" and would not open the door.

    Jerry decided to get her silk stockings! (Silk stockings were very hard to come by in those days, and she always wanted a pair!) He ran down the street, got her those silk stockings, and knocked on her door again, this time, she opened it!!

    Needless to say, they were married and lived (as they say)... happily ever after! Sadly, Jerry passed away a few years before Mimi did.

    Do any of you 3rd graders speak French?

    ReplyDelete
  16. Dear Mrs. Yollis and Class,

    Hi, my name is Suzy and I am Katie’s Aunt. I am thrilled to get to be a part of your Family Blogging Month! I am super impressed that you know how to blog! This is actually my first time ever doing it. Therefore, I may need some help posting and learning how to check if anyone replied to me.

    Some of you may know who I am already as I have a son named Colt in first grade at the school. Two years ago when Katie was in first grade, Colt used to see her class when he was coming down for recess from Journeys and would yell her name and say hi to her friends. You may also see him this year in Running Cubs as he is now in first grade and tries to keep up with his older cousin, Katie. Do any of you know Colt?

    Last school year, I was also lucky and able to teach an art and history lesson in Mr. Ross’s class when Katie was his student. I taught an Abraham Lincoln art lesson. Were any of you in that class?

    I am looking forward to hearing back from you and getting to experience blogging! Is it the first time for any of your family members too?

    Enjoy November Blogging Month!


    Sincerely,

    Suzy (Katie’s Aunt)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Dear Mrs. Yollis and Class,

    My wife Xixi and I are Lila's aunt and uncle from Pittsburgh. We are delighted to take part in your blog for the first time. This everning after work we spent two hours raking the leaves of a small maple tree - who would think that a small tree could produce so many leaves. After raking leaves Xixi and I were shaking with hunger. Xixi is an excellent cook. Tonight she made cauliflower with szechuan peppers and eggplant with chili peppers. We hope that you visit sometime and are always invited for a spicy dinner.

    Sincerely,
    Xixi and Oren (Lila's aunt and uncle)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Adam (Katie's Brother)November 7, 2018 at 7:09 PM

    Dear Katie's class,

    Tonight I ad the idea to do a science experiment at home just like we do in science class in middle school. I researched experiments online and found one called Milk Fireworks. The ingredients and materials called for were milk, food coloring, dish soap and q-tips.

    We began by pouring milk onto a white, flat plate. We then dropped a few drops of food coloring into the center of the milk. Then we dipped the q-tip in dish soap and stuck it in the middle of the food coloring.

    The result was beautiful. Color spiraled on its own like fireworks, creating rings of red beauty. Next, we added orange food coloring and black. This resulted in a dark black that looked much like a Dementor from Harry Potter.

    We wiped the plate clean and decided to change a variable. Instead of regular milk, we tried almond milk and got the same results. Fireworks. Next, we tried sparkling water to see if the liquid on the plate impacted the outcome. It did. No fireworks.

    This was a fun lab experiment that was easy to do at home. My sister, Katie, is going to email a picture of the fireworks to your teacher so she can share it in class.

    Has anyone else experimented with science at home?

    From,

    Adam (Katie's brother)

    ReplyDelete
  19. @Suzy
    This is Lila. I know Colt! My brother Dov is in Colt's grade and they are friends. Actually, this week Dov wrote a comment for the blog (with my dad's help). It was also my dad's first time leaving a comment too. I think a few other family members of mine will also be blogging for the first time soon.

    Happy blogging,
    Lila

    ReplyDelete
  20. Xixi and Oren, We do not miss raking leaves.
    The fall is a pretty time of the year in the northeast. Please have Xixi share her great recipes for all of us to enjoy.
    All the best, Lily's Grammy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @Lily's Grammy

      Great idea about recipe sharing. Xixi's recipe does sound delicious. Hopefully Xixi will share it for all of us to enjoy.

      When you mentioned recipe, it got me thinking that Thanksgiving is almost here. Do you have a favorite or unique Thanksgiving recipe that you like to make?

      What about others on this blog? What are your favorite Thanksgiving dishes or recipes?

      Warmly,
      Tamar (Lila's mom)

      Delete
  21. Dear Class and Katie,
    Four of Katie's great-great grandparents were born in the United State during the 1800's. I think there will be very few kids in the class that can say this. Their parents were born in Russia and Prussia. Prussia does not exist anymore, but it would be located in what is now Poland. Can you find Russia and Poland on a map?
    Grandpa Alan

    ReplyDelete
  22. Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,

    My name is Dov Lion, and I’m Lila’s little brother. I’m 7 years old now, and I’m in 1st grade at Chaparral.

    Recently, I started racing Hot Wheels. I watch a YouTube channel that races Hot Wheels, and I learn how to set up cool tracks. Lila and I like to pick teams of cars and race them. She thinks she’s fast, but I know I’m the fastest!

    I like to make videos of my tracks and races, but I need a GoPro to really do it right. That’s a present I’d like.

    How about you? Do any of you race Hot Wheels too?

    Lila’s Brother,

    Dov

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @Dov
      What are your top 3 best cars? Is there a special type of track that makes the cars go faster? Do you know how many cars you have?

      I know that I only have a small amount of cars. You probably have more than triple the amount that I do!

      @class
      What do games do you play with your siblings?

      Sincerely,
      Lila

      Delete
    2. @Lila

      Me and my brother play a lot of games together but our 2 favorites are volleyball and a game that we invented ourselves, we have a platform with 4 wheels and we stick a boogie board on it one of us lay on it and the other one pulls it.
      What is your favorite board game?

      From,
      Katie

      Delete
  23. Hi! My name is Penny Brill. My husband, Gianni, and Lila’s grandmother are first cousins. I am a flight attendant for United Airlines. I am so lucky to have a fun, exciting job that takes me all over the world. This month I am flying trips to Sydney Australia! My entire family loves to travel. My daughter, Ingrid is actually living in Tanzania in East Africa! My son, Garrett just moved to New York City with his fiancé. My husband, Gianni is a yacht captain that works in the Caribbean, Europe, and anywhere his owners like to go! Thanks for letting me share a little about my family with your class. Do any of you like to travel? Where have you visited?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @ Penny

      I have never been to Sydney, Australia. I do like to travel though!

      Last year I went to London, England and to Copenhagen, Denmark. It was fun! Have you ever been to London or Denmark?

      Thanks for joining our classroom blog and sharing a little bit about our family.

      Hope to see you soon.

      Love,
      Lila












































































      Delete
    2. @ Lila,

      I have been to Denmark and London too. Did you go to the amusement park in Copenhagen called Tivoli? That was a highlight for me! What did you do in London?

      @ Class,

      Where was your favorite place to travel?

      My favorites were Cape Town, South Africa, London, England and Athens, Greece.

      Cheers,
      L¡ly

      Delete
  24. Dear Mrs. Yollis and students,

    My name is Cameron Milstein and I am one of Lila's uncles. I am really glad that I get to write to you all and share my thoughts with you. I think its really great that you have the opportunity to learn and read about people from all over the world. Reading and writing is extremely important so I hope that you use this opportunity to develop your reading and writing skills.

    Now let me tell you about myself. For work, I am an Operations Manager for a company called ABRITE, we do therapy for children who have autism. Today was a long day because I was making sure all of our employees and clients were safe from the fires that are happening in Thousand Oaks and Ventura. I hope that everyone is safe and their homes are not threatened by the intense flames.

    When I am not working, I really enjoy to travel! Traveling in my opinion, is the best thing you can do with your money, besides investing it of course! I have been to six continents and I only need to go to Antartica to say that I have visited them all. My favorite country is Japan because of the food and the Japanese people are incredibly kind and welcoming.

    I also have a passion for sports and I really enjoy playing sports with my niece Lila. She gets better at catching and throwing every time I see her and she always impresses me with her athleticism.

    What are some of the things you enjoy to do?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @Cameron
      Some of the things that I enjoy are making slime, playing and watching sports.

      I like to travel too! My favorite trip that I went on was to London, England and Copenhagen, Denmark.

      @class
      Where was your favorite place that you traveled to?

      Sincerely,
      Lila

      Delete
    2. Dov (Lila's brother)December 19, 2018 at 6:54 PM

      @Cameron
      I enjoy playing with Hot wheels!
      Hot wheels are fun too race down tracks.
      You can even create your own track!

      @class
      Do you enjoy playing with Hot wheels to?

      Sincerely,
      Dov (Lila's brother)

      Delete
  25. Dear Mrs. Yollis and Class,

    Greetings from North Carolina. My name is Buzzy and I am Kaia's grandmother. I have just seen your class blog and I am so interested in what you are learning and doing. I have never even seen a blog and I'm having to get help to comment on it from Kaia's mom. Since this is my first time, I am a little nervous. When I was your age, we didn't even have computers.

    Back then, color televisions had not been invented, either, so we could only watch shows in black and white. When we wanted to change the channel, we had to walk over to the TV and turn a knob. There was no such thing as remote controls.

    When I was your age, I liked to roller-skate, play the piano, swim, go to school, and read. My third grade teacher was my all-time favorite teacher. She encouraged me to love reading and it is the the way I enjoy spending my free time.

    We live in the beautiful mountains of western North Carolina. The area where we are we are has lots of apple orchards, waterfalls, and hiking trails. In the Fall, the trees turn red, yellow, and orange; many people drive here from other states to see them. This Fall, we have had large black bears nearby, even in our neighborhood. It has been exciting but a bit scary; some of them weigh almost five hundred pounds!

    It has made me wonder... are there any wild or unusual animals in your area too? What kinds of animals do you see?

    I wish you good luck with your family blogging month.

    Sincerely,
    Buzzy

    ReplyDelete
  26. Dear Lila,
    Xixi and I wish you Happy Birthday!!!

    It is freezing in Pittsburgh. We are wondering what you did for your birthday in Los Angeles.

    Thinking about you!

    Xixi and Oren

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Xixi and Oren,

      Thank you for the birthday wishes.

      I'm having a good time today although we are staying in doors due to the massive fires in our community. I am about to play a new basketball game on Xbox and later I'm going to eat lots of cake and ice cream.

      I hope you both are having a great day too.

      Thanks for thinking about me and writing on my classroom blog again. By the way, did you see that Lily's Grammy requested Xixi's recipe?

      Talk to you soon,
      Lila

      Delete
  27. Dear Mrs. Yollis and Class,
    Hello everyone! Happy Birthday Lili! My name is Luke and I am Logan’s cousin. I am 13 years old and love spending time with him. I find it so cool that you all are very good with technology at such a young age.

    I also love playing soccer with Logan. I play with Logan all the time and have so much fun teaching him how to play. I play every day and enjoy it so much. Do any of you play soccer? If so, what positions? If soccer is not your sport, what sport do you play?

    As you may have seen earlier in the blog from Logan’s Grandma Barb, I also love going to the movies with Logan. We love Star Wars so much that we have matching wookie onesies that we wear when we go to the movies.

    Speaking of movies, have any of you see Logan act? He is very good and funny. We make movies together all the time. I think that when he is older he will be the next Tom Cruise. If any of you are going to make a movie and do not know who to ask, Logan is your man. Do any of you make movies?

    Logan and I also play video games together all the time. We have so much playing Lego Star Wars and Battle Front. He does not even need the directions to be good.

    Thank you so much for reading this! Have a nice day!

    Sincerely
    Luke

    ReplyDelete
  28. Hello Lila and Class!

    I am Lila's uncle Daniel. I wanted to wish Lila a very happy birthday!

    I will tell you a little about myself. I work at a hospital doing interventional radiology. That means that I can help people by doing surgery with the help of X-rays, ultrasounds, and even CAT scans! I really love what I do, and the fact that I can help patients that are very scared and sick, to feel much better and be happy again.

    Lila and I have so much in common! We both love Karate. I am a black belt in Karate after 13 years of training and practice. Lila is going to be an awesome martial artist one day too! She is already so good at all her forms and techniques, I am so impressed.

    We also both love Harry Potter. She has just recently started reading the books and says they are really fun. When I was growing up, I hated to read books, until one day I found Harry Potter and everyone was saying it was so good. So I decided to give it a try, and I brought it home from the library and started to read. I loved that book so much that I couldn't put it down, and I ended up reading the whole thing in a single night! Ever since then, I absolutely love to read.

    I hope that all of Lila's classmates could have a fun story that they will love and realize the joy of reading too.

    I wonder, what are all of your favorite books?

    Thanks everyone,

    Daniel

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @ Daniel,

      My favorite book series is Harry Potter. My favorite Harry Potter book was The Goblet of Fire or The Deathly Hallows.

      I found your career interesting and I wanted to ask are you a doctor? Is your hospital in California?

      @ Lila,

      Happy belated birthday! I hope you had a good time and celebrated!

      What was your favorite gift?

      Cheers,
      L¡ly

      Delete
    2. @Lily
      Thank you for the birthday wishes. My favorite present so far was my new ukulele.

      I take ukulele lessons and have been using my teachers ukulele. Now I can use my own!

      @class
      Do any of you play ukulele?
      How long have you been playing?

      Happy blogging,
      Lila

      Delete
    3. @Lila

      I'm so excited to see your class blog! Lila told me about this blog during Thanksgiving.

      My name is Abby. I am Daniel's girlfriend and I have known Lila since she was 4 years old! Lila is a lot of fun to hang out with. She came over to hang out and swim at our house recently, but was sad she didn't get to play on the water slide. When it gets warm again she'll have the chance. Maybe we can take a picture of her and she can post it on your class 365 blog!

      @class,
      We had a great Thanksgiving day - and meal with our family. What did you guys do for Thanksgiving?

      Delete
    4. @Daniel,

      I also love Harry Potter. My favorite book in the series is Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I like it because of the Triwizard Tournament. I also liked the Land of Stories series.

      Have you ever heard of The Land of Stories?

      From,

      Katie

      Delete
  29. @Daniel
    My favorite book series is Harry Potter too!
    My favorite book in the series is The chamber of Secret. The reason why it is my favorite is because there was an unexpected twist in the end.
    I did not finish the series yet, but I plan to watch the movies after reading all of the books.

    Are there any other book series that you really enjoyed reading when you were in third grade?

    Looking forward to any recommendations.

    Warmly,
    Lila

    ReplyDelete
  30. Dear Mrs. Yollis' 3rd Grade Class,

    My name is Sarah Rosenblum and I am Logan's aunt. Do you know where I was 25 years ago today? I was sitting at a Thanksgiving dinner telling my whole family how thankful I was to have Mrs. Yollis as MY 5th grade teacher! ( She was Ms. Pfau back then)

    I was so excited when Logan called me to tell me that Mrs. Yollis was going to be his teacher this school year. I started reflecting on all my memories from my 5th grade year with her.

    Even back then when computers were just emerging, Mrs. Yollis had us using technology with the two computers she had in class. Whenever there was free time, we would sign up to use her computers, especially to practice the program Mavis Beacon teaches typing. I even remember one time when I was struggling to figure something out on the computer, one of my classmates came right over to help me. He moved me out of the way and began typing on my computer... within a few seconds Mrs. Yollis was right there, and do you know what she said??? She said:

    "Give a Man a Fish, and You Feed Him for a Day. Teach a Man To Fish, and You Feed Him for a Lifetime."

    That student then backed away and began TEACHING me how to fix it instead of doing it for me! Ever since that day, I have remembered that quote, and now, can you guess what I do? I'm a teacher too! I've been teaching now for 13 years, all because of.... you guessed it... Mrs. Yollis and her inspirational messages! Let's not forget to mention she is a great teacher too!

    I've really enjoyed reading your blog posts for this month, and am interested in starting something like this in my own classroom. As experienced bloggers, what are some suggestions you have for me to start this? I've seen some great links here posted by your teacher, but I'd love to hear from all of you too.

    Looking forward to reading some of your great idea, and thank you for inviting me to be a part of your blog during family month!

    Best,
    Sarah Rosenblum

    ReplyDelete
  31. @ Lily and Class,

    Hi,
    This is Aidan, Lily's oldest brother. I am in 11th grade in high school and I was in Mrs. Ranney's class eight years ago. I am very excited to see that my younger sister loves blogging as I used to love to blog when I was in class.
    What do you guys like to do?
    Sincerely,
    Aidan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @ Aidan,

      At school I like blogging, juggling, typing, reading and art. Outside of school I love soccer, baking, cooking, playing with my dogs, skiing and swimming.

      @ Class,
      What sports do you like?

      @ Aidan,

      What are your favorite sports?

      What your favorite teams?

      Cheers,
      L¡ly

      Delete
    2. Dear Lily and Class,

      I love reading all of the comments from near and far!

      My favorite sport as an adult is golf. When I was younger I loved soccer and I played in middle school and high school. When I was your age I ice skated.

      I enjoying soccer both in person and on television. I sometimes watch football and baseball.

      My favorite teams are Manchester United (soccer) and the New York Yankees (I grew up in Connecticut.).

      @Class and fellow bloggers,

      What sports do you watch live or on television?

      All the best,
      Sybil (Lily's Mom)

      Delete
    3. @Sybil

      I love sports and watch a lot of sports live on TV with my family. Our favorite sports to watch together are football and basketball, but we also enjoy watching other sports like soccer, baseball, and hockey.

      My dad is from Pittsburgh, so we are big Steelers fans, but since I was born in Los Angeles and we recently got a new home team, we are also big Rams fans.

      For basketball, we cheer on the Lakers, Clippers, and Golden State. This season, we are excited to see LeBron James play for the Lakers.

      @Class,

      What are your favorite sports teams?

      Warmly,
      Lila

      Delete
    4. @ Lila,

      Watching sports with the family is one of my favorite weekend activities!

      We traveled to Pennsylvania with Lily and the boys a few summers ago and we visited Philadelphia. Have you been to Pennsylvania? What was your favorite city?

      @ Class,

      Has anyone been to the east coast?

      All the best,
      Sybil (Lily's Mom)

      Delete
    5. @ Class,

      Growing up in Pittsburgh was great. People say it's too cold there, but, on a whole the weather is actually pretty nice. We get all of the seasons as they should be. Winter is cold and snowy. Spring is warm and rainy and flowers bloom and blossom. Summer is hot. And Fall is really great! The weather is fair and the leaves on the trees turn orange and red. It's beautiful!
      Pittsburgh also has some great food. In particular, because there's a big Italian-American population there, the city has some of the best pizza in the world! There's a street in Squirrel Hill, the neighborhood I grew up in, called Murray Avenue. And on that street are three amazing pizzerias. Napoli's, Aiello's, and Mineo's. Each is amazing, but my favorite is Mineo's. All of their ingredients are imported from Italy, and their pizza is made with a thick layer of the tastiest mozzarella cheese you've ever tasted. It's a slice of heaven, and people come from all over the city to get it. In fact, people order it from all over the country because they can't find anything like it anywhere else!
      Well, I could go on and on, but I don't want to make you all too hungry!

      Until next time!

      All the Best,

      Doron (Lila's Dad)

      Delete
    6. @Class,

      Reading Doron's post about Mineo's pizza reminds me of a time when the Steelers were in the superbowl. Doron's brother and wife (Lila's uncle and aunt) were having a party at their house in Los Angeles. They ordered Mineo's pizza and had it delivered to the party. All the way from Pittsburgh. It was packed with dry ice so that it would be fresh. All they did was put it in the oven and it tasted like a fresh slice of Pittsburgh! Okay, it didn't really taste like Pittsburgh, but it was delicious.

      @Class, where is your favorite pizza from?

      Take care,
      Tamar (Lila's mom)

      Delete
    7. @Aidan
      In answer to your question, what do you like to do in school, I like to read, recess, juggling, math and P.E.

      Outside of school I like to play sports and make and play with slime.


      @class
      Do you like to play with slime?
      Do you like to make slime?

      Sincerely,
      Lila

      Delete
    8. @ Lily,

      My favorite teams are the New York Yankees, The LA Lakers, The Jaguars, Manchester United and Real Madrid.

      I love to play golf and I play on my high school team. I alos love soccer.

      @ Class,
      Do you have siblings at other schools? We have a brother in middle school.

      Sincerely,
      Aidan

      Delete
    9. @ Lila,

      I like playing on the golf team. My favorite subject is AP United States History and AP Statistics (a math class).

      @ Class,

      What is your favorite subject, math, english, science or history?

      Sincerely,
      Aidan

      Delete
    10. Sarah (Lila's grandma)December 19, 2018 at 6:12 PM

      @Tamar
      I am Lila's grandma, Sarah.
      My favorite pizza is from Lovebug pizza.

      @class
      Do like Lovebug pizza?

      Sincerely,
      Sarah (Lila's grandma)

      Delete
    11. @Aidan
      My favorite subject is science and math. I like science because when you experiment and put things together you can make an explosion that looks cool.


      I do not play on a golf team but have played golf before.

      @class
      Do you play golf?
      What sports do you play?

      Sincerely,
      Lila

      Delete
  32. Dear Lily and Class,

    I love family blogging month. I am Lily's dad and this is the third family blogging month we have participated in - my sons Aidan and Lucas also were bloggers!

    I am originally from South African and moved to California in 1980 - when I was 10 years old. I love soccer, rugby (Lily thinks it is a crazy South African sport!), baseball, surfing and spending time with my family.

    I am a lawyer. I specialize in real estate and commercial law. Primarily, I help in the sale or purchase of buildings, but sometimes I also help my clients, who either own or are purchasing real estate, in arguments which some times occur.

    Who is ready for December? What are your favorite things about December?

    Respectfully yours, Craig. Happy blogging!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @Craig,

      I hope you had a good Thanksgiving. I'm definitely ready for December. My favorite part about December is Hanukkah and Christmas. I love getting presents and seeing all of my family.

      I also look forward to December because we go on a family vacation. That's always a memorable time.

      Are you going anywhere this December?

      From,

      Katie

      Delete
    2. @Katie
      I like staying home in December because I get to take care of other people's houses - and their cats and dogs. While you are somewhere far away, I will be home taking care of your cats.

      Are you happy being back in school after being off for two weeks?

      From,

      Grandpa Alan

      Delete
    3. @ Dad,

      I am ready for December and all of the holidays, like Hanukkah and New Years Eve. I am also looking forward to going to Arizona in December.

      @ Mrs. Yollis, Class, fellow bloggers and Dad,

      Where are you going over the holidays?

      What is your favorite holiday tradition?

      Cheers,
      Lily

      Delete
    4. @ Katie,

      We are going for a quick trip to Tucson, Arizona to visit Lily's uncle and aunt (Brett and Nadia) and their two sons (Maxwell and Bruno). We will be back in time for New Years Eve!

      Delete
  33. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @Katie
      I have not seen all of the Harry Potter movies yet so I can't say which one is my favorite. I have seen the first 4, plus the first Fantastic Beasts. Once I see all the movies, I will let you know which one is the best.

      I get scared in parts of the movies. Do other people get scared too?

      Grandpa Alan

      Delete
    2. @ Katie,

      Like you my favorite book series is also Harry Potter. My favorite book from Harry Potter the Goblet of Fire.

      Recently, my mom, brother and I went to the movies to watch Fantastic Beasts and Were to Find them the Crimes of Grindelwald!

      If you haven't watched Fantastic Beasts and Were to Find them the Crimes of Grindelwald I highly recommend to see it. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ This is my rating. Can you tell me yours?



      Has anybody seen Fantastic Beasts and Were to Find them or Fantastic Beasts and Were to Find them the Crimes of Grindelwald?

      Cheers,
      L¡ly

      Delete
    3. @Lily

      I have been to see Crimes Of Grindelwald 2 times once with my hole family and one with just my mom.I was with you when you bought Crimes Of Grindelwald so I know you have it, I totally agree with your rating I love the movie.
      @Class
      Does anybody else know what Crimes Of Grindelwald?

      From,
      Katie

      Delete
    4. @lily,

      Yes, I have seen Fantastic Beasts, twice actually. I found it a little confusing the first time so I went a second time and it all became much more clear. My favorite character is Queenie, however, it is sad when she sides with Grindelwald. Oops, spoiler alert for anyone who hasn't seen it yet.

      What was your favorite fantastic beast in the film?

      From,

      Caroline

      Delete
  34. Hi to Lily, Mrs. Yollis and all the class members.
    My name is Dianne and I am Lily's grandmother.
    I am really pleased I waited this long to post my blog as I have had the opportunity to read all the really interesting blogs that have been posted.
    You are really a very dedicated and most interesting class of bloggers. Keep up the "blogging"
    I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving and I am sure you are all looking forward to the end of the semester and the Christmas vacation.
    Thanks for making this such an interesting and enjoyable task.
    My best - Dianne

    ReplyDelete
  35. @ Mrs. Yollis and class,

    Happy Hanukkah!

    My favorite game during Hanukkah to play is called dreidels. My brothers, Lu©as and A¡dan and I love this tradition. We use dreidels and bet with gelt or jelly beans. The object of this game is to win the most items.

    I also love the food during Hanukkah like latkes. Latkes are a potato pancake that is fried or baked. Donuts are also very popular and delicious. Another favorite of mine is gelt, a chocolate candy wrapped in gold and silver paper. The gelt resembles old coins.
    Fun fact about gelt is that in Israel they don't have gelt and they use real coins.

    @ Class,

    Who likes the dreidel game?

    If you celebrate Hanukkah: How did you celebrate the first night?

    Cheers,
    L¡ly

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @ Lily,

      Hanukkah is one of my favorite holidays!

      I love the food, especially the donuts, latkes and the gelt.

      I also love watching you and your brothers light the menorahs and play dreidel. I like to play dreidel too. I especially like that our family plays with jellybeans.

      All the best,
      Sybil (Lily's Mom)

      Delete
    2. @Lily

      My family plays dreidel. We played with M and M's this week. I beat my brother.

      On the first night of Hanukkah, my mom gave me a Harry Potter handbag after we lit the menorah. I got gifts all the rest of the nights too. I am waiting for my present that is coming tonight, the last night.

      @Class
      Does anybody selebrate Hanukkah?

      From,
      Katie

      Delete
  36. @Lily

    I like the dreidel game! I played it tonight with my family at my great grandmother's house where we celebrated the first night of Hanukkah.

    My great grandmother is almost 92 years old. Can you believe that she has celebrated Hanukkah for the last 91 years? It's pretty incredible to hear her stories about celebrating Hanukkah when she was a young girl in Romania. Things were so different at that time.

    The one thing that is similar is that my great grandmother lit candles on a menorah like we did tonight. I really like lighting the Hanukkah candles. I also really love the tradition of eating latkes and jelly donuts! My uncle made them from scratch. They were delicious!!!

    @ Class,

    Does anyone else like latkes and jelly donuts?

    Happy first night of Hanukkah to those that celebrate!

    Warmly,
    Lila

    We had dinner with latkes and we also had jelly donuts.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @ Lila,

      I l♥ve latkes and jelly donuts!

      First off latkes are delicious!

      Fun Fact! Do you know that hash browns have almost the same ingredients as latkes? Do you like hash browns?

      @ Class,

      What is your favorite type of donuts? My favorite is glazed.

      What is your favorite type of dessert? I love dessert especially ice cream and cake.

      Cheers,
      Lily

      Delete
  37. @Mrs.Yollis and class,

    I am Dov,Lila's little brother.
    This is my 2nd blog comment.
    You may have seen my last comment on the blog about Hot Wheels.

    Lila is excited about bringing home her Acer. I cant wait until I am in 3rd grade so I can also have an Acer!

    @Class, are you excited about taking your Acers home as well?

    Happy learning,
    Dov

    ReplyDelete
  38. @ Lila,

    Happy to hear you are enjoying many sports on TV! Do you play any sports?

    Pittsburgh is a great city! Lily has been to Pennsylvania as we traveled to Philadelphia a few summers ago. Have you been back east?

    @ Class,

    Has anyone traveled to the east coast?

    All the best,
    Sybil (Lily's Mom)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @Sybil

      To answer your question I have been to New York City I went to The Empire State Building, The One World Trade Senter, The Statue Of Liberty, Central Park, and i went to a basketball game at Madison Square Garden.
      @Class
      Have anybody been to New York?
      If so have you been to The Empire State Building?

      From,
      Katie

      Delete
    2. @ Katie,

      That sounds like a fun trip! Did you go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art? That is one of my favorite museums.

      I love New York. Since I grew up in Connecticut we visited New York often. I have also been to The Empire State Building.

      @ Class,

      What is your favorite city you have traveled to?

      All the best,
      Sybil

      Delete
  39. Dear, Mrs.Yollis and class
    My favorite animal is a dog.
    I love dogs! They are so soft. They are so fun to play with.

    Do you like dogs?
    What is your favorite type of dog?
    What is your favorite animal?

    Sincerely,
    Lila

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Lila,

      You asked about favorite animals.
      To answer your question, my favorite animal is a dog.
      This February I'm getting a dog ("I'm so excited!").
      The breed I'm getting is English Mastiff.
      The reason I like English Mastiffs is because they don't let burglars in your house (they are guard dogs). Another reason why I like English Mastiffs is because they are family friendly, don't shed, and don't need lots of exercise. They are also easy to train because they are smart.

      Your classmate Sasha.

      Delete

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