Judy Young Letters

After our author visit by Judy Young, we wrote thank you letters to her and asked a few more questions. We were so excited to get a response!

Hi Prairie Branch Students,

I had a great time speaking to you at the Grain Valley Author Day Festival at your district's high school, and I LOVED reading all the letters you wrote me. Your did a great job of writing, and I can tell you thought about what you were saying.

Ava - I am so happy that I was the 1st author you've ever met!

Katie- I am glad you learned that you can research a topic!

Aiden P. - You're right - you don't have to travel to get ideas - you can get them just from reading!

To "an anonymous writer" - I hope you like reading Promise!

Emma J. - I would love to come to Grain Valley again, too!

Jaxon - You're welcome. I'm glad I got to speak to you, too!

Shelby- I won't forget my visit to Grain Valley, either!

Chancellar - WOW! You were really listening to me! I'm glad you learned to explore, read, and imagine to get ideas! Have fun in Mexico!

Savannah- I'm glad you found new ways to become inspired to write!

Jordan - You asked what I do when not writing. One thing is snow shoeing in the mountains behind my house. I've attached a photo taken on April 1. I'm standing on over 5 feet of snow!

Isabella - You asked how I got the idea for Promise. I was driving to visit a school and drove past an abandoned fire tower. It was a long drive so I stopped to stretch my legs and walk around a bit. A crow flew out from the top, and when I got back in the car and started driving more, I started imagining about what that crow was doing up there, and maybe there was a boy up there with him. And I started asking myself questions like why is a boy up there? How did he get up there? When I got to my hotel room that night, I wrote the first paragraph. You also asked my dog's name: Hobo is my black lab, Pip is my Brittany. And, you asked why I moved to Idaho. My husband and I have been going to ID for many years and decided we loved it so much we wanted to live here. 

Andrew - You asked what my favorite part of being an author is. Getting to make up stories, and then seeing or hearing about kids like you that like to read them. It can't get any better!

Sarah  H. - Like Jordan, you also asked what I like to do when not writing. I love to hike. Attached is a photo of me and my husband hiking in Denali National Park in Alaska. 

Sophia M. - You asked how long it took to write my first book. It took about 18 months to write S is for Show Me, A Missouri Alphabet.

Sophia G. - You asked why I don't write more novels. I have! The Wild World of Buck Bray: The Missing Grizzly Cubs releases next fall. I started writing on it in Alaska in the attached picture. (My camper is named Arlo, The Traveling Studio).

Thank you again for the great day at Grain Valley, and for all your letters! And, I had fun answering your questions while sitting in an airport waiting for a plane to CA where I will be giving a writing workshop this week, working with kids in grades 3, 4 and 5 on their own writing.

Judy

Classroom Update

Spelling Bee

I want to congratulate 5 students as finalists in our classroom spelling bee. Our grade level spelling bee will be this Friday. Congratulations and good luck to Luke, Brody, Andrew, James, and Emmy!

Testing Dates

Just a reminder, we will testing on Monday, April 25, Wednesday, April 27, and Wednesday, May 4th.

This week our focus will be:

Reader's Workshop - Using text based evidence to answer questions fully.

Writer's Workshop - Draft biographies focusing on elements of structure.

Math - Multi step number stories

Social Studies - The Civil War

This week!

Papa John's Night is Thursday! 

Other upcoming dates: 

4 PTA Mtg 6:30 PM

8 DARE Graduation 2PM (We are guests)

12 Grandparents Night/ Art Show 5:30-7

22 MAP Assembly 3PM

25-May 13 MAP Testing

29 4th Grade Field Trip/Art

29 PTA Carnival 6PM