Van Winkle Lunch Week Visit

Mrs. Land enjoyed meeting Sherwin Johnson, public relations for the School District. He took wonderful pictures of the events for National Lunch Week and was excited to hear about the Open Doors Blog. Thanks for sharing your photos for our Blog, Mr. Johnson. Great pictures.
Click on the link below to see Mr. Johnson's pictures!!

Van Winkle Lunch Week Visit

Second graders learn POWERPOINT SKILLS

The second grade Open Door students are learning to make Powerpoint Slides. They were very excited when Mrs Land told them that there are adults who do not even know how to do this skill and that some people go to college and learn how to make Powerpoint presentations. Mrs. Land explained to the students that they will use these skills in presenting any research that they do this year. On this day, the students learned to use custom animation to make their pictures and words move!!! Mrs. Land is very proud of the students.

Se'Lah, fourth grader, loves to work on the computer!!!

Pictures from National Lunch Week

Students in Open Doors enjoyed making the pictures that were displayed on the wall for National Lunch Week. The students used the week of National Lunch Week to prepare for the DISTRICT TEST by doing activities such as a Cause and Effect Display, writing, and by using Math skills in the display that demonstrates how many sugar grams are in servings of different foods. Mrs. Land had a lot of fun painting some pictures to display also. She was very thankful for Mrs. Giles for providing a large chalk picture of the theme of the week. Mrs. Dixon also contributed to the National Lunch Week by having her daughter, a graphic designer, make wonderful pictures for the display. The Montessori, Kindergarten, and First grade students dressed in Headbands made by Mrs. Land and in t-shirts made from Wal Mart Sacks donated by Wal Mart. National Lunch Week was truly an event that was participated in by the school and school community. Thanks to the cafeteria staff for making wonderful food for this event. They also dressed up and looked AWESOME!!!





Mrs. Land enjoyed painting some original pictures for the event. Her display of pictures showed that Van Winkle is a school full of ALL STARS....leaders, parents,staff,community and most important.....the students!!!

Our ALL STAR LEADERS!!!


Our ALL STAR STAFF


Mrs. Giles' wonderful poster!!


ALL STAR PARENTS


ALL STAR STUDENTS







Students in the Open Doors classes enjoyed using Math skills to determine how many sugar grams are in one serving of select foods.





"Gotta GETCHA Head in THE GAME" was a perfect song for this picture. The students discussed how they had to be focused in all areas of their lives.














Dr. Bowen poses for a picture with visitor to JPS, Dr. Janie Thornton and (below) with the Kindergarten students.

LOVE YOUR BOSS DAY!!!

Mrs. Land wanted to show Dr. Bowen and Mrs. Grigsby how much she appreciates the work that they do in being her bosses. Two students, Melody and Kamri, were recruited by Mrs. Land to create a "Singing Telegram" for these wonderful ladies.
To the tune of "Happy Birthday" the girls sang:
Happy Boss Day to YOU,
Happy Boss Day to YOU,
You're wonderful Bosses,
Mrs. Land loves you, too!!!!
The girls covered their heads, their idea, with the cute seat covers that they made in Open Doors. They also gave Dr. Bowen and Mrs. Grigsby a little package of water and snacks. Both ladies loved this little presentation by these girls.

National Lunch Week inspires Open Doors Students

Open Doors classes really practiced Dr. Bowen's message of "Having Fun as They Learn" this week. As the students prepared for National Lunch Week with the theme All Star Lunches; they also had the opportunity to review skills that will be tested on the District Test next week. Students discussed what it meant to be an All-Star. The students worked in groups to create a FLOW MAP that demonstrated Cause and Effect. Nautica and Maisie had fun explaining the chart to Dr. Bowen. Students in the fourth and fifth grade painted posters and banners that will be used to decorate the cafeteria for National Lunch Week. Wow!!! Learning is so much fun!!!




One center for the second graders was to compete in placing the chess pieces on the board correctly and quietly. Students had no trouble with accuracy....but practice was needed on the quietness as they got so excited about the center.




Travis, Jamal, Jalisea, and Jameia worked hard on the Cause and Effect chart.

A Little Tasty Experiment

WOW!!! A comparison and contrast of the same cake mix made two different ways. The Open Door students enjoyed this healthy and tasty lesson. Students created a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast two of the same cake mixes made with different ingredients. A survey among 34 students was taken and the results were that the cake made with the Diet Sprite tasted the best!!! WOW! The students could not wait to get home to tell the family about this new, healthy cake. Students were able to tell how a Venn Diagram could be used in other subjects and in other areas of Open Doors.

Students in Open Doors enjoyed making play dough completing a lesson on "sequencing, following directions, and writing specific directions". The students compared purchased play dough to homemade play dough and determined that making your own play dough was cheaper; there was a larger quantity, and the fun of making your own was NO comparison. The students had so much fun using the play dough to make models of the brain. They will continue a study of the brain by making models using different materials next week while learning the functions of the different parts of the brain.











Armand enjoys a simulation of brain surgery on the computer.





Nautica and Shamia think this study is too much fun!!!


The students were asked to write specific directions for how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Mrs. Land told the students to write EVERY detail and to be very explicit in their directions. (Students learned what that word meant.) Mrs. Land proceeded to follow the directions exactly how they were written.
The result:
"Put the peanut butter on the bread." Mrs. Land did what the directions said and actually put the peanut butter on the bread.

"Put the peanut butter and jelly on the bread and put the top piece of bread on top."
WOW!!! Someone would have a hard time eating that one!!"

Maisie gets a real kick out of trying to eat this sandwich.


Ladarius and Daeceion think this is a really funny sandwich.




Judge Kidd enjoyed watching the students as they answered a test about "following directions" that Mrs. Land gave the students. This was a trick "test" to see if the students would follow the directions. The TRICK: At the top of the page students were told to read ALL of the statements BEFORE answering the test. On the bottom line the statement said, "Now that you have read all of the statements, answer #1 and turn your paper over." ONLY one child followed the directions clearly....but the rest sure had fun following the directions of the test!!