We Are Thankful!

Happy Thanksgiving to all! Today is a wonderful day to celebrate with family, friends, and take some time to reflect on the things for which we are truly thankful. We asked some of our students and teachers what they are thankful for this year, and here's what they had to say.......

Friendship - Ryan G.

Life - Danny D.

iPad - Luke R.

Friends - Kendall R.

Family - Molly P.

Being alive and in Austin - Mr. Dave

My dog - Mr. Jim

My health and freedom to do what I want - Mr. John

Life - Ms. Tommie Jean

We are so thankful for our awesome students and parents, and our amazing teachers! We hope you have a great day full of love and turkey!

Why Does Ms. Sherry Love Shel Silverstein?

Have you have ever read a poem by Shel Silverstein?  The topics are what kids love!  Jimmy Jet and the TV Set, Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Who Would Not Take The Garbage Out, and The Dirtiest Man In the World all speak to kids.  The poems appeal to everyone's inner child too, so you don't have to be a youngster to enjoy Shel Silverstein.  

At Huntington I often recommend that parents read to their kids from Silverstein's books; just pick a poem or two and READ! The poems can be shorter than a story but just as entertaining.   A short poem is perfect for practicing handwriting too.  Make sure you read it through a few times before asking your student to copy it.  If the poem is a long one, ask them to copy their favorite lines.  Kids don't mind practicing when you have lines like this:

Milford Dupree, though he knew it was rude, 

Talked with his mouth full of food.

He never would burp or walk out in the nude,.....

From the poem "WITH HIS MOUTH FULL OF FOOD" in the book, Where The Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein. 

Books by Silverstein rarely show up at Half Price Books because people love them so much they never throw them out.  If you don't own a book by Silverstein, rush out and get one soon.  

SICK

"I cannot go to school today,"

Said little Peggy Ann McKay.

"I have the measles and the mumps, 

A gash, a rash and purple bumps......

it goes on for 27 more lines and ends,

What's that? What's that you say?

You say today is Saturday?

G'bye, I'm going out to play!"

 

 

 

 

What's your favorite Shel Silverstein poem?

October Teacher of the Month - Mr. Steven

This month, we are excited to crown Mr. Steven our Teacher of the Month! He has brought his amazing math skills to our center, and has been a huge asset to our students and our staff.

How long have you been teaching at Huntington?
One year.

What are your favorite subjects?
I love math and physics.

What drew you to teaching here at Huntington?
From helping my daughter with homework and my few experiences coaching volleyball, I realized that I like teaching and sharing the knowledge I have.

How is teaching at Huntington different from teaching in the classroom?
I don't know, I've never taught anywhere else.

What you are not teaching, what do you enjoy doing? 
I play volleyball and video games, and enjoy hanging out with my daughter and girlfriend.

Last, tell us three random facts about you!
1. My Wednesdays are always booked up because I play in volleyball leagues downtown.
2. I spent 6 years living in Okinawa when I was young.
3. I am a graduate of Lake Travis High School.

Many thanks to Mr. Steven for sharing a bit about himself, and for being such a great teacher. Huntington's students and teachers are grateful for your hard work!

August Teacher of the Month - Ms. Tommie Jean

This month, we are turning the spotlight on Ms. Tommie Jean, our August teacher of the month! She's been a wonderful member of our teaching staff and brings so much joy and knowledge to our center.

How long have you been teaching at Huntington?
Two years

What are your favorite subjects?
I can't pick - I enjoy all subjects!

What drew you to teaching here at Huntington?
I was looking for something meaningful to do - to get me out of the house - when my granddaughter Kyli started pre-K.

How is teaching at Huntington different from teaching in the classroom?
I used to have my classroom set up before school started with a large variety of activities to cover a large range of abilities/disabilities. Actually, it's not too different from Huntington. Though I was more focused on specific strengths and weaknesses.

What you are not teaching, what do you enjoy doing? 
I enjoy doing crafts, spending time with friends, traveling, and spending time with my grand kids. 

Last, tell us three random facts about you!
1. I've lived in Maryland, Delaware, Florida, Oklahoma, and Texas.
2. I love to sail!
3. I have a MOST mixed up family!

Thank you for sharing a little bit of yourself with us Ms. Tommie Jean! And most importantly, thank you for being such a wonderful teacher and ally for our students.

Summer Reading 2014

"Few children learn to love books by themselves. Someone has to lure them into the wonderful world of the written word; someone has to show them the way."  - A Father Reads to His Children

Our summer reading program HUNTINGTON READING ADVENTURE is in full swing here at Huntington Learning Center, and we're so proud of all of our students that are participating! We've posted some pictures on Facebook and Twitter of the kids that are signed up, and wanted to take a minute to explain the program.

Kylie just signed up for Summer Reading!

HRA runs from June 9 through September 15 and is aimed at helping students have a sense of accountability for the literary development as well as celebrating their achievements. To join the adventure, a student sets a goal of the number of books they will read over the course of the program. As they finish each book towards their goal, they will fill out a Huntington Reading Adventure Comprehension Card and turn it in. We will display the cards in the center as our way of celebrating each milestone.

We hope that at the end of the adventure, our students will not only have achieved their goal, but discovered or deepened their love of reading. We hope they will explore new worlds, and look forward to even more fantastic journeys in their reading travels.

Good luck to all of our students and happy reading!