Hello students, parents, and friends, WE ARE BACK!!!!  I am so excited about beginning to BLOG the work that we do in Open Doors!  Please give us feedback because we love knowing that we have an audience for the work that we do.  Enjoy this site and let your family members know how to find us online. 

November and December /Great Months to End our School Year!

November and December were filled with great lessons and excitement in Open Doors. The Open Doors students at Van Winkle enjoyed their SHOP projects for the year 2010. Students worked so hard making projects to sell at SHOP. The students chose to promote and conduct another food drive for the Genesis Food Bank located in Jackson. Dr. David Gatlin and his wife, Deana spoke at the PTA meeting in December about Genesis and their work. They encouraged parents, staff, and the Van Winkle community to bring cans of food for the drive. At the end of the drive the students at Van Winkle collected about 1000 cans of food for the drive.
It was with great excitement that the students and Mrs. Anne Land greeted a new teacher to the Open Doors classes. Her name is Ms. Bronwyn Land and she has also taught Gifted Education in other schools. The students had fun making up little slogans for our class with two "Lands" as teachers.

2010 was a very good year......Looking forward to 2011!!!

Students and Mrs. Land are excited about having Ms.Bronwyn Land as a new teacher in the Open Doors Classes at Van Winkle!

Students love posing in front of their holiday backdrop!

Akenya enjoys pizza at the Gatti Town Van Winkle event!

Students created covered hangers and twirlies for SHOP!

Students made many pretty bottlecap jewelry for SHOP!

Michael and Alex demonstrate the Twirlies!

Our SHOP display!!

Students love to show off their art work!

Rashee and Myalexis loved painting the backdrop.

Naudia was all about making jewelry.

Myia worked on a snowflake poem and collage.

Jewelry making is so much fun.

Naudia and Daecieon are so honored to sell our first jewelry to Dr. Shepherd.

Helping the customer make decisions!!!

Students Begin SHOP Projects with "THE JEWELRY LADY" Mrs. Margaret Ryals

Olivia and Kamri are so appreciative of the lessons from Mrs. Ryals.

It is that time of year again! Open Doors Students all over Jackson are beginning to think about the service projects that they will do for SHOP (Students Helping Others Planetwide). The Van Winkle students want to partner with Genesis Food Bank to provide food and non-perishables to those in need. Van Winkle students in the fifth grade were honored to have a local small business owner, Mrs. Margaret Ryals, teach them the art of jewelry making. Students were challenged not only in learning the skill in making quality bottlecap necklaces, but were also taught lessons in presenting their products in the most creative ways. The students were taught lessons in selling their products and skills in dealing with all kinds of customers. Math lessons were also practiced and drilled as students worked with Mrs. Ryals on the variety of ways that the products can sell. This was a very interesting day for these studnets. Mrs. Land and the Open Doors Students were very excited about all that Mrs. Ryals presented. The students also found out that Mrs. Ryals was a classmate of Mrs. Land when they were in High School....a few years ago.

Alex decides which bottlecap necklace she wants to try to sell.

Alex helps to straighten the designer bottlecap on the magnet for Jendaya.

Mrs. Ryals directed the students to make sure the necklace is straight before the customer leaves their stand.

Madison and Keyanna have never seen anything like this kind of jewelry.

Mrs. Ryals is delighted with the response of the students.

Hmmmm! Which one do I want to wear?

"I promise you, you will be able to do this!"

Mrs. Ryals has a large selection of original bottlecaps.

Students who had earned all of their points through PBIS were able to earn a "uniform free" day on Friday. This was an extra treat as they learned to make jewelry.

Kamri thinks that this is going to be a "sell-out" project for Van Winkle and that we will be able to provide prizes for the classrooms who bring in the most cans of food.

"Am I doing this right?" Selah is very excited about this project.

Look at all of the bottlecaps that Mrs. Ryals has made. WOW!!!

Mrs. Ryals is so patient as she works with the students.

"Not too much MOD PODGE ladies! It only takes a DAB!!!"

Olivia thinks that this is a skill that she will enjoy for a long time.

Leadership Project

Open Doors Students in the fourth and fifth grade will begin a Leadership project. Students will learn character traits of leaders and will study the traits of different leaders throughout the years. Students will create a portfolio of their research. Some of the students are pictured below and more will be coming later.

Madison enjoys her time in Open Doors.
Robin enjoys drama and acting. She also enjoys caring for her younger sister.
Michael is very much into engineering and problem solving.
Jordan is wonderful with words and will compete in the Scrabble tournament.
Amaya enjoys everything from academics to being active in outside sports.
Jendaya is very eager to do the projects in Open Doors.
D'Aubriney loves to do creative projects.
Students begin to work on their leadership portfolios.

Signs are made to go on the Word Wall.
Jordan is really concentrating as he makes his portfolio cover.

Jendaya and Amaya .....Hard at work designing their cover for portfolios.

More of the PTA Program/ 10/17/2010

Patriotism was in the air as the second and third grade Music classes, directed by Mrs. Elaine Williams, presented a program for parents,staff, and the community. The "Show Choir" also presented a great medley of patriotic songs. WHAT A WONDERFUL PROGRAM that motivated all who attended with a special pride in our country! The students shined as they smiled and sang at the top of their voices. Kudos to Mrs. Williams and your classes on a job WELL-DONE!!!!!