Dike Newell School

Dike Newell students have been learning about the history and traditions associated with New Year's Eve and New Year's Day during this week's library classes. We discovered that while much of the world celebrates New Year's on January 1st, some cultures go by different calendars and celebrate New Year's Day on a different date. In Norway, eating rice pudding with an almond in it is considered lucky on New Year's Eve, but in Spain eating twelve grapes just before midnight is thought to bring good luck. We also talked about resolutions and why some people make them. Books we read were: It's New Year's Day by Richard Sebra, New Year's Day, by Lynn Peppas and The Night Before New Year's by Natasha Wing. We also watched a video from PBS Learning Media as well as a segment from News Center Maine on the New Year's Eve sardine drop in Eastport Maine. PBS Learning Media: https://mainepublic.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/ae60c378-39ba-486c-a9e9-5ed9f6a97c1d/new-years-day-all-about-the-holidays/ News Center Maine https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/entertainment/events/ways-to-welcome-the-new-year-in-maine/97-6f5a5be1-eee3-4060-91b3-b59550ddf0cc -- Lisa Hardman RSU 1 Librarian Dike Newell School

Because the power is out at Dike Newell School, we will be dismissing students at 12:15. Student buses will leave DNS at 12:15. All other RSU 1 schools currently have power and will stay open.

The countdown is on! Join us next week for some spirit days before our break!

Thanks to the generosity of donors at Donors Choose, the Dike Newell School Library now has storytelling kits containing cloth characters and props to help bring stories to life and make students more active participants. Storytelling kits are especially useful in reinforcing the concepts of the story as well as allowing for creative thinking. We received kits for: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Five Green & Speckled Frogs Five Little Ducks The Gingerbread Man Go Away Big Green Monster! It Looked Like Spilt Milk Itsy Bitsy Spider The Jacket I Wear in the Snow The Kissing Hand The Little Red Hen The Napping House No, David! Old MacDonald Had a Farm Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes The Rainbow Fish The Snowy Day Teasing Mr. Crocodile There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly The Three Bears The Three Billy Goats Gruff The Three Little Pigs The Very Hungry Caterpillar For more information on Donors Choose, please visit: https://www.donorschoose.org/classroom/2658360 -- Lisa Hardman RSU 1 Librarian Dike Newell DiDike Newell Elementary School

Dike Newell students are participating in Hour of Code in their weekly library classes this week. Hour of Code is a free introduction to computer science through fun activities and videos for learners of all skill levels. Schools around the world join the Hour of Code movement as part of Computer Science Education Week. With just one hour, anyone can learn the basics of coding. Here at Dike Newell, we read How to Code a Sandcastle and How to Code a Rollercoaster by Josh Funke as well as Coding in Video Games by Elizabeth Noll and How Do Video Games Work? by L.E. Carmichael. Students then worked in small groups programming Bee-Bot robots to follow challenges given by various members of the group as well as by Ms. Hardman. The lesson ended with a dance activity from code.org. For more information on Hour of Code, please visit: https://hourofcode.com/us/learn For more information on Bee-Bots: https://www.terrapinlogo.com/beebot-ss.html To code a dance party, please visit: https://code.org/dance

First grade students have been participating in Library Craft Club and showing off their creativity. Students were able to use construction paper, stickers, googly eyes, Popsicle sticks, yarn as well as other materials to complete their masterpieces.

Dike Newell students have been learning about Veterans Day during their library classes. A veteran is a former member of the armed services or military. Branches of the military include the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Veterans may have served during times of war or peace. We read Holidays: Veterans Day by Rebecca Pettiford, American Holidays: Veterans Day by Connor Dayton and Celebrating Holidays: Veterans Day by Rachel Grack. We also watched a PBS Learning Media video about Veterans Day at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PqQkskHW3g On Wednesday, November 8th the school held a community meeting centered around Veterans Day headed by the Academic Engagement Committee. First grade teacher Larissa Costello, who also happens to be a Navy veteran, read Veterans: Heroes in Our Neighborhood by Valerie Pfundstein. Music teacher Celina Reed recorded a sing-a-long and led students in a rendition of This Land is Your Land. Interventionist Melissa Raedel put together a wonderful Veterans Day slideshow featuring local veterans. Happy Veterans Day to all Veterans. Link to Mrs. Reed singing This Land is Your Land: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM_VgCzZezI -- Lisa Hardman RSU 1 Librarian Dike Newell School

Thanks to a grant from Donors Choose, Dike Newell students will have the opportunity to participate in Science Club in the school library. Materials received include rock, fossil and mineral kits as well as science viewers that offer an up close look at sea life, insects, spiders, birds, lifecycles and animals. Students will also have the chance to further investigate topics of particular interest to them. For more information on Donors Choose, please visit: https://www.donorschoose.org/classroom/2658360

Congratulations to the winners of the book raffle in honor of the Dike Newell School's celebration of International Talk Like A Pirate Day. After learning about pirates and the history of the day during their weekly library classes, students were given the chance to enter their names into the prize drawing. Congratulations to Thomas, Henry, Dorothy, Natalie and Xavier. Many thanks to the donors at Donors Choose who supported this project. For more information on Donors Choose, please visit: https://www.donorschoose.org/classroom/2658360 -- Lisa Hardman RSU 1 Librarian Dike Newell School

The week of October 16th Dike Newell students will be learning about community helpers during their weekly library classes. Community helpers are people who work together to make the community a better place for everyone. Community helpers include police officers, firefighters, doctors, nurses, dentists, veterinarians, teachers, librarians, mail carriers, garbage collectors, coaches, sanitation workers, crossing guards and many more! We will be reading: Community Helpers: Police Officers by Christine Leaf Firefighters by Julie Murray Helpers in My Community by Bobbie Kalman Mail Carriers by Julie Murray Veterinarian by Samantha Bell Whose Hands Are These? A Community Helper Guessing Game by Miranda Paul

In honor of International Talk Like A Pirate Day, which was on September 19th, Dike Newell will be having a belated celebration on Friday, October 13th. This holiday was originally created by John Baur and Mark Summers. The idea came to them when one of them got hurt during a racquetball game and yelled out "Arrrr!". They decided it would be funny to make a whole day where people talked like pirates. They figured it would never take off, but columnist Dave Berry wrote an article about it and the day became famous. Now a lot of people celebrate the day because it's fun and silly. Thanks to generous donations from Donors Choose, the school library has received pirate themed picture and activity books as well as a sticker and eye patch for every student. Here are some words and phrases you can use to participate in this day: Ahoy! - Hello Aye! - Yes Booty - Treasure Matey - Shipmate or friend Hearties - Friends Shiver me timbers! - Something to say when you are surprised Yo-ho-ho - Something to say when happy Ye - Use this instead of "you" Aft - The back of the ship Bilge - Bottom of the ship Fore - Front of the ship Port - Left side of the ship Starboard - Right side of the ship Buccaneer - Another name for pirate Shanty - Song Doubloons - Gold coins or money Jolly Roger - The flag of a pirate ship Walk the plank - To be forced to walk off a plank of the ship into the ocean Weigh Anchor - Get the ship ready to sail (Information on this holiday is from the Ducksters website) -- Lisa Hardman RSU 1 Librarian Dike Newell School

Dike Newell students have been learning about being a citizen during their weekly library classes, as well as how to be a good citizen at home, at school and in the community. We read: All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold Being a Good Citizen by Adrian Vigliano Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller I am a Good Citizen by Jenny Fretland VanVoorst We Are Good Citizens by Ann Bonwill -- Lisa Hardman RSU 1 Librarian Dike Newell School

We love a good celebration, and Friday is a GREAT day to celebration - it is International Day of "The Dot!" The Dot is a tale by Peter H Reynolds that celebrates the creative spirit in each of us. We love the story, and we love the creativity in our school! https://nationaltoday.com/international-dot-day/... We'll be celebrating Friday, so wear your dots!!

Thanks to the generosity of Books on the Bus, Dike Newell School students have been receiving brand new books during their weekly library classes. Students were very appreciative and enjoyed having a book to start their summer reading off just right! For more information on Books on the Bus, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/booksonthebusmaine/

Second graders had a WONDERFUL time drumming today!! Mrs. Reed, our fantastic music teacher, is working hard to put together an Artist in Residency program for Dike-Dike Newell Elementary School and so today we joyfully kicked that program off. Drummer Sayon Camara came and led our second graders in drumming and singing. Even some staff got in on the fun! Drummer Sayon Camara will be at the Patten Free Library Park Gazebo at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, June 16th. This participatory performance will include traditional music from his home village in the Sankaran region of Guinea, West Africa. For more information, please visit: https://www.patten.lib.me.us/.../summer-reading-drumming.../

Students have been learning about the history of Flag Day during this week's library classes. Celebrated on June 14th, Flag Day is a day to honor our national flag. On Wednesday, June 14th, Dike Newell students are encouraged to wear red, white and blue for Flag Day. Books we read were; The American Flag by Tyler Monroe, F is for Flag by Wendy Cheyette Lewison and The United States Flag by Kirsten Chang, We also watched a PBS Learning Media video on Flag Day at: https://mainepublic.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/339cef7c-616c-461d-8752-f611b00d7c87/flag-day-all-about-the-holidays/

It's getting to be that time of year - all library books are due back by Monday June 12th! Please take a look around at home and make sure any DNS library books are brought back into school. This week we are also coming up on the 1-year anniversary of the fire at Dike-Newell. In honor of our building and what our school has been through, everyone is invited to wear Dike-Newell spirit wear and/or school colors this coming Friday. #Dikenewellstrong!!

On Wednesday, May 10th, author Katie Coppens will be visiting Dike Newell. Katie teaches middle school science in Falmouth and has over twenty years of teaching experience ranging from third grade to high school. She is the author of eight STEM related books, including the Acadia Files series. Students have been learning about her life and books during their library classes, and have been especially enthusiastic about Geology is a Piece of Cake and Geometry is as Easy as Pie. The first book teaches science and the second math, and both are cookbooks to boot, with yummy recipes used as teaching tools.

Congratulations to Juliana, winner of STEM Challenge #4, which was to take a picture of something interesting discovered on a nature walk. Many thanks to all who participated.

April is National Poetry Month and in honor of the occasion students have been hard at work learning about various types of poetry during their library classes. Students from first and second grade also read poems aloud during the schoolwide community meeting on Tuesday, and did a wonderful job! April 11th will be Poem in Your Pocket Day at Dike Newell School. Initiated in April 2002 by the Office of the Mayor in New York City, Poem in Your Pocket Day takes place every year on a day during National Poetry Month. While the day is officially April 29th, it falls on a Saturday this year, so the school opted to move it to the 11th. Students will have poems with them to share with others throughout the day. Additionally, multiple staff and students have recorded poems for a special poetry video to be shown in classrooms.