Week of April 8, 2024 | TK and Kindergarten
Celebrating National School Library Month and
Beverly Cleary's Birthday April 12 with D.E.A.R. Time
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Book! Book! Book! by Deborah Bruss
The animals on the farm go to the library to find something to do, but the librarian doesn't understand what they are trying to say.
Crafty Connection Frog and duck coloring sheet
At-Home Crafty Connection Step-by-step instructions to make cheerful paper frogs (add a paper book)
Celebrating Author Beverly Cleary
April 12, 1916, McMinnville, Oregon - March 25, 2021, Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
From Henry Huggins (1950) to Ramona's World (1999) Beverly Cleary wrote books for children, about children much like themselves. Children of today may find themselves amazed at the freedom to roam that was enjoyed by the children in Beverly's books, not unusual at the time.
National D.E.A.R. Day April 12 Drop Everything And Read
In 2006, to mark Beverly's 90th birthday, the American Library Association, and others set aside her birthday, April 12, as a day to remind and encourage families to make reading together on a daily basis a family priority. When Beverly’s own children were young, they participated in sustained silent reading time at school, known as D.E.A.R. Their enthusiasm for this activity inspired Beverly to give the same experience to Ramona, who gets to enjoy D.E.A.R. time with her class in Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (1981), introduced in Chapter 2.
The animals on the farm go to the library to find something to do, but the librarian doesn't understand what they are trying to say.
Crafty Connection Frog and duck coloring sheet
At-Home Crafty Connection Step-by-step instructions to make cheerful paper frogs (add a paper book)
Celebrating Author Beverly Cleary
April 12, 1916, McMinnville, Oregon - March 25, 2021, Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
From Henry Huggins (1950) to Ramona's World (1999) Beverly Cleary wrote books for children, about children much like themselves. Children of today may find themselves amazed at the freedom to roam that was enjoyed by the children in Beverly's books, not unusual at the time.
National D.E.A.R. Day April 12 Drop Everything And Read
In 2006, to mark Beverly's 90th birthday, the American Library Association, and others set aside her birthday, April 12, as a day to remind and encourage families to make reading together on a daily basis a family priority. When Beverly’s own children were young, they participated in sustained silent reading time at school, known as D.E.A.R. Their enthusiasm for this activity inspired Beverly to give the same experience to Ramona, who gets to enjoy D.E.A.R. time with her class in Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (1981), introduced in Chapter 2.
Week of April 8, 2024 | First through Fifth Grade
Celebrating National School Library Month with Who's On First?
 |  Who's On First  Extended Costello family |  Bud Abbott and Lou Costello  Chris & Paddy Costello (front L to R) |
Who's on First? With split second comedic timing Bud Abbott and Lou Costello bring their hilarious baseball routine to a new generation of delighted fans.
Script Who's on First
Video Who's on First (1953)
Bonus Video 7 into 28 Lou Costello invents a new kind of math
Crafty Connection Who's On First coloring sheet
Local news report Extended Costello family in the Library Beach Reporter article (May 5, 2013)
Local news report Lou Costello's daughter in the Library Easy Reader article (April 14, 2010)
Script Who's on First
Video Who's on First (1953)
Bonus Video 7 into 28 Lou Costello invents a new kind of math
Crafty Connection Who's On First coloring sheet
Local news report Extended Costello family in the Library Beach Reporter article (May 5, 2013)
Local news report Lou Costello's daughter in the Library Easy Reader article (April 14, 2010)
Week of April 8, 2024 | First through Fifth Grade
Celebrating Author Beverly Cleary's Birthday with D.E.A.R. Time
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Celebrating Author Beverly Cleary
April 12, 1916, McMinnville, Oregon - March 25, 2021, Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
From Henry Huggins (1950) to Ramona's World (1999) Beverly Cleary wrote books for children, about children much like themselves. Children of today may find themselves amazed at the freedom to roam that was enjoyed by the children in Beverly's books, not unusual at the time.
Audio Excerpt Listen to actor Neil Patrick Harris read Chapter 1 of Henry Huggins.
"Quite often somebody will say, What year do your books take place? and the only answer I can give is, in childhood."
Learning to read did not come easily for young Beverly, and once she did learn, she found the stories contained in early readers to be boring, simple, and unsurprising. Then, in the third grade, on a rainy afternoon at home, she found herself enjoying reading The Dutch Twins, by Lucy Fitch Perkins about the adventures of ordinary children. The book awoke in her the joys of reading for pleasure and she began spending extra time in the public library.
"Children should learn that reading is a pleasure, not just something that teachers make you do in school."
By the time Beverly was in sixth grade, a teacher suggested she should become a children's author, based on essays she had written for class assignments. Beverly first worked as a children's librarian and in a bookstore before becoming a full-time writer for children. In her work as a librarian, she struggled to find books to recommend to children, books that they would have fun reading, so she decided to write children's books herself, books about characters that young readers could relate to.
"I enjoy writing for third and fourth graders most of all."
During an interview with the Los Angeles Times in 2011 at the age of 95 she stated, "I've had an exceptionally happy career." Beverly Cleary died in a retirement home a few weeks shy of her 105th birthday. No cause of death was given.
National DEAR Day April 12 Drop Everything And Read
In 2006, to mark Beverly's 90th birthday, the American Library Association, and others set aside her birthday, April 12, as a day to remind and encourage families to make reading together on a daily basis a family priority. When Beverly’s own children were young, they participated in sustained silent reading time at school, known as DEAR. Their enthusiasm for this activity inspired Beverly to give the same experience to Ramona, who gets to enjoy DEAR time with her class in Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (1981), introduced in Chapter 2.
Audio Excerpt Listen to Chapter 2 of Ramona Quimby, Age 8, presented by MrsMorrisReads
April 12, 1916, McMinnville, Oregon - March 25, 2021, Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
From Henry Huggins (1950) to Ramona's World (1999) Beverly Cleary wrote books for children, about children much like themselves. Children of today may find themselves amazed at the freedom to roam that was enjoyed by the children in Beverly's books, not unusual at the time.
Audio Excerpt Listen to actor Neil Patrick Harris read Chapter 1 of Henry Huggins.
"Quite often somebody will say, What year do your books take place? and the only answer I can give is, in childhood."
Learning to read did not come easily for young Beverly, and once she did learn, she found the stories contained in early readers to be boring, simple, and unsurprising. Then, in the third grade, on a rainy afternoon at home, she found herself enjoying reading The Dutch Twins, by Lucy Fitch Perkins about the adventures of ordinary children. The book awoke in her the joys of reading for pleasure and she began spending extra time in the public library.
"Children should learn that reading is a pleasure, not just something that teachers make you do in school."
By the time Beverly was in sixth grade, a teacher suggested she should become a children's author, based on essays she had written for class assignments. Beverly first worked as a children's librarian and in a bookstore before becoming a full-time writer for children. In her work as a librarian, she struggled to find books to recommend to children, books that they would have fun reading, so she decided to write children's books herself, books about characters that young readers could relate to.
"I enjoy writing for third and fourth graders most of all."
During an interview with the Los Angeles Times in 2011 at the age of 95 she stated, "I've had an exceptionally happy career." Beverly Cleary died in a retirement home a few weeks shy of her 105th birthday. No cause of death was given.
National DEAR Day April 12 Drop Everything And Read
In 2006, to mark Beverly's 90th birthday, the American Library Association, and others set aside her birthday, April 12, as a day to remind and encourage families to make reading together on a daily basis a family priority. When Beverly’s own children were young, they participated in sustained silent reading time at school, known as DEAR. Their enthusiasm for this activity inspired Beverly to give the same experience to Ramona, who gets to enjoy DEAR time with her class in Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (1981), introduced in Chapter 2.
Audio Excerpt Listen to Chapter 2 of Ramona Quimby, Age 8, presented by MrsMorrisReads
Week of April 8, 2024 | Monday Classes Only
Partial Solar Eclipse in Our Area Begins Monday Morning
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A Few Beautiful Minutes, by Kate Allen Fox
What happens during a solar eclipse? The sun vanishes. Light becomes dark. Day animals sleep, and night animals wake. The moon takes over the sky. People stop what they're doing and together, they look up. The whole world changes for a few beautiful minutes. Read by Diane Pust
Note Though this is a lovely, evocative story, throughout the book people looking at the sun are not wearing eye protection, which critical to prevent lasting damage to one's vision.
A Message from Principal Tara Grings
For the first time this millennium, a total solar eclipse will be visible in the contiguous U.S. April 8th.
Here in Manhattan Beach, a partial eclipse will begin at 10:05 a.m., when the moon will appear to touch the sun’s edge. At 11:11 a.m., the sun will reach its maximum eclipse of about 49% covered. The partial eclipse will end at 12:21 p.m.
It is important for everyone to understand that although California is not along the line of totality, looking directly at the sun without proper protection is still dangerous to one’s eyes. Please speak with your student(s) about this event and the precautions they should take during the eclipse.
All elementary schools in MBUSD will be following these safety guidelines:
What happens during a solar eclipse? The sun vanishes. Light becomes dark. Day animals sleep, and night animals wake. The moon takes over the sky. People stop what they're doing and together, they look up. The whole world changes for a few beautiful minutes. Read by Diane Pust
Note Though this is a lovely, evocative story, throughout the book people looking at the sun are not wearing eye protection, which critical to prevent lasting damage to one's vision.
A Message from Principal Tara Grings
For the first time this millennium, a total solar eclipse will be visible in the contiguous U.S. April 8th.
Here in Manhattan Beach, a partial eclipse will begin at 10:05 a.m., when the moon will appear to touch the sun’s edge. At 11:11 a.m., the sun will reach its maximum eclipse of about 49% covered. The partial eclipse will end at 12:21 p.m.
It is important for everyone to understand that although California is not along the line of totality, looking directly at the sun without proper protection is still dangerous to one’s eyes. Please speak with your student(s) about this event and the precautions they should take during the eclipse.
All elementary schools in MBUSD will be following these safety guidelines:
- We will have indoor recess and lunch during the eclipse, just like a rainy day schedule.
- Parents and staff will remind students to not look at the sun ever, but especially not during the eclipse when transitioning from classrooms to other locations on campus.
- School staff will NOT be providing solar eclipse glasses.
- Students are NOT permitted to bring solar eclipse glasses.
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