Re: ELEM: Leap year ideas

[Belinda Holbrook <holbrook@NETINS.NET>]

My theme in the media center right now is: Leap Into A Book-It's Leap Year! I'm
using frogs everywhere. I laminated frogs that have frogs jokes on them. I
put them on lily pads all around the school hallways. Lift up the frog to read
the answer. Example: How do you get frogs off the back of your car? With a
rear defrogger. We've been singing "Ten Green and Speckled Frogs" and "There's
A Hole in the Bottom of the Sea" at storytimes. I made cut-outs for the kids
to hold while we sing. A big frog on the bulletin board says "Ribbit, Ribbit,
Ribbit, Read It." I also told the kids that while frogs like to leap, so do
kids in tennis shoes. So we're having a tennis shoe drawing contest. Rules are
to draw a tennis shoe, color it, cut it out. I will give prizes for many
different categories, best drawing, fanciest, funniest, ugliest, dirtiest, etc.
Everyone will get a prize for participation. On Leap Day we will have a RIF
distribution. (For those who don't know, RIF is Reading is Fundamental, a
government program where all children get three free books during the year.) A
teacher is going this weekend to see about renting a frog costume. We also
have a second-grader who is a Leap Day baby. He's going to be our star of the
day. His teacher has made a sash to wear that says "Leap Day Baby." His class
is going to read frog books that day and use frogs in many different subject
areas. It's going to be a fun week for everyone.
Belinda Holbrook
Madison Elementary School
Davenport, IA
holbrook@netins.net