Chalk Talk

HELEN HALLER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

? Teacher Andrea Slack is looking for more volunteer reading tutors to read with students. If you enjoy working with elementary school students and are interesting in becoming a reading tutor, contact her at 582-3200.

? Tami Wall’s third-graders have been writing about things they are thankful for. She is thankful for such a wonderful group of third-graders this year and she also is thankful for her wonderful sons Corey, Casey and Cole Wall.

I am thankful for my brother because he always entertains me. He jumps on the trampoline like a dog and gets on his hands and feet and jumps up and down.

Taylor Oakley

I am thankful for the Earth. I’m thankful for God. I’m thankful for everyone that helps me at school. I’m thankful for a fireplace. I’m thankful for food.

Dustin Farnam

I’m thankful for animals because they are cute little clever creatures. Sometimes they are funny guys. Some are fuzzy like Fuzzy Wuzzy. Some are active. Some have no fur or feathers. Some are nocturnal. Some are shy. Some have fleas. That is all I am going to tell you about animals.

Evan Hatt

I am thankful for all the men and women in the Army. They give us freedom. They fight for me and you. They protect our country.

Brenton Barnes

I am thankful for my brother because he helps me with my homework, cleaning my room and making forts. His name is Ian. He’s in fifth grade. His teacher’s name is Ms. Oden. His favorite thing to do is baseball.

Nathan Miller

I’m thankful for my pet dog because he is fun to play with. I play with him too. It is fun. My dog Odie loves me a lot. I am thankful of everything he does with me except when he gets bitey, jumpy and scratchy. That is when it hurts bad! My pet dog has brown on his back of each leg. He is four kinds of dog, part pit bull, husky, black lab and terrier. He is cute.

Kaitlyn Blue

I’m thankful for school because if we didn’t have school we would not learn. I’m thankful for home because if we didn’t have a home where would we live? I’m thankful for books because books are making people read better. I’m thankful for names because if we didn’t know people’s names we wouldn’t learn people’s names.

Erick Morales

I am thankful for TV because it tells us about different subjects. It’s another way to learn things like on the Discovery Channel and the News.

Victoria Lelle

My cat’s names are Lucky Bob, Scarlet and Tuesday. I love my cats. I am thankful for my cats because they are so good. And I think my cats love me. I know that I love them. I know how to take care of them and I think I do good with my pet cats.

Raelee Wessel

I’m thankful for my talents which are crafts like origami, painting, drawing and coloring. I make all sorts of origami, like boxes, animals and airplanes. I’m good at painting. I paint a lot. I’m good at drawing. I draw people, animals and bugs.

Izzy Haley-Fredj

I’m thankful for God because he made the world. And he made us. He made animals, trees and made my family. He made the sky. God made the galaxy. The first persons on earth were Adam and Eve. God loves everybody a lot. God is protecting us because he made us. He is everybody’s father. Some people even worship their own God. I don’t like that. I worship the real God. I am thankful for God because if he was not alive, we would not be alive.

Araceli Lopez

I’m thankful for my stepbrothers because they rock my world when they are not shy. I’m also thankful for them not just because they rock my world but because they are there for me and help me.

Nick D’Amico

I am thankful for my family because they love me and I love them. Also they sit down with me and when I am hurt, they make sure I am OK.

Jayda Wright

My brothers are what I’m thankful for. My brothers are John (the oldest), Jake in the middle and Max (the youngest). Max is my favorite because he plays with me and he loves me. John and Jake are mostly on the computer … actually all the time. I love my brothers.

Daisy Ryan

I am thankful to have friends so they don’t laugh at everything you do. Most of all, they love to play and have fun. You know what I am the most thankful for? My friends!

Kyah Fukunaga

I am thankful for food. My favorite food is pears. They are yummy. If I did not have food I would be sad. So I am thankful for food.

Darren Salazar

I am thankful for being Mexican because we are usually good at soccer. We can talk in a different language. If I wasn’t Mexican, I don’t what I would do. I can’t wait until Thanksgiving. It’s going to be cool. Adios!

Angel Servin

I am thankful for my mom because she cooks me food. She is nice and she takes me shopping. Her name is Angie and she is awesome. She even takes me on walks and bike rides. It’s fun to spend time with her by myself without my brother.

Ajene Heaton

I am so thankful for the trip to Disneyland because I got to spend so much time with my mom. My favorite ride with her was the California Screamin’. And that was my favorite ride alone too. And you know how much I like to spend time with my mom. And thank you mom for spending all that money for the tickets and both hotels.

Max Wisner

I am thankful for my family because they are nice to me. My mom buys apple pie and ice cream. My dad is nice to me. My brother plays with me. I am nice to my family. My mom lets me have a dog and have a good day.

Kimberly Perez

I’m thankful for Thanksgiving because we share with a family and have good foods and cool football games we have good turkey. At school once, in second grade, I drew a cool-looking turkey!

Gavin Booker

I am thankful for my family.

Michael Kelly

I am thankful for Earth and God for making it. I am thankful for my family. I like that my whole family likes sports. We like soccer, basketball, baseball and football. We play and watch them all!

Mike McAleer

– Debbie Buchillo, secretary

SEQUIM COMMUNITY SCHOOL

? Olympic Peninsula Academy news

The academy’s “Mission to Mars” – On Friday, Nov. 5, 30 brave and excited students from Olympic Peninsula Academy left Sequim at 06:30 hours and traveled to the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field. The children, ranging from fifth grade to high school grades, participated in the Challenger Center’s Mission to Mars event. The purpose of the mission was to simulate the replacement of an existing Mars research team with a new, OPA student team trained on Earth.

Upon boarding their craft, the OPA team entered Mission Control, rendezvoused with the red planet, entered its obit and landed successfully on Mars. The result of this event was to instill a sense of teamwork and partnership while utilizing communication skills, writing skills and hand-eye coordination to productively accomplish the assigned goals of the mission. The following duties were performed by the Mars OPA student team to complete their mission:

The Communications Team was assigned the task of relaying all oral communications between Mars Control and the spacecraft teams.

The Data Team completed the safe routing of messages containing figures and calculations too complex to transmit via oral communication lines.

The Navigation Team plotted all aspects of the course.

The Probe Team assembled and launched probes, responsible for gathering data about the two moons orbiting Mars.

The Life Support Team monitored the astronauts and the transport vehicle.

The Remote Team studied geologic samples from Earth and Mars.

The Isolation Team maneuvered spacecraft robotics.

The Medical Team made sure all crew members remained healthy and able to complete their tasks.

Many thanks to the Challenger Center staff, OPA parents and the children of OPA who fulfilled their mission masterfully.

– Robert Converse, Mission to Mars co-captain, Olympic Peninsula Academy

? Scott Shaddock’s lamp-building grade 5-12 class is a new addition to the enrichment class offerings OPA at this semester. The goal for this class is to instill and encourage a sense of craftsmanship and an understanding of metallurgy. The students are following a curriculum used more than 100 years ago, which provides students the tactile activity of manual arts and a well-rounded academic experience. Mr. Shaddock would like to thank his students who have risen to the challenge and have pleasantly surprised him by their accomplishments and enthusiasm.

– Terralyn Dokken, OPA secretary

? First Teacher news:

Friday, Nov. 26 – First Teacher will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Monday, Nov. 29 – Reading Time with Olympic Gentle Paws handlers and therapy dogs at 10:30 a.m. Every child attending Reading Time receives a free book. Drop in from 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 30 – WIC (Women, Infants and Children). For more information about the WIC program, contact Pam Walker at 417-2275.

First Teacher is in classroom 4W in Sequim Community School at 220 W. Alder St., next to the playground. Parents of preschoolers come with your children and enjoy activities, the playroom and the playground. Sign up to receive the monthly newsletter with parenting tips and information about local resources for families. For more about the First Teacher program, call 582-3428 or 681-2250.

– Cynthia Martin, director and Chase Hill, VISTA volunteer

SEQUIM HIGH SCHOOL

? Sequim High School will have early release at 10:55 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 24. Buses depart at 11:10 a.m. Students attend all six periods on a shortened schedule.

? The floral design class is looking for donations of evergreens for holiday centerpieces. They can use all types of fir, cedar and pine, including pine cones. Call the school at 582-3600 for more information, or leave your limbs/cuttings at the greenhouse door. They will take donations until Dec. 12.

– Carol Wagner, floral design teacher

? The Sequim High School Band Boosters’ Down Home Holiday Bazaar is from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 27, in the SHS cafeteria, 601 N. Sequim Ave. The proceeds from the sale of quality handmade crafts and gifts will help the high school band members with trip expenses for the upcoming Heritage Festival at Anaheim, Calif., in March 2011. For more information about this event, call Joann Moore at 683-2461.

– Vern Fosket, band director

? Celebrate 100 years of Wolf Pack pride and buy a Sequim High School centennial T-shirt ($12) or sweatshirt ($30) in the main office between 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

– Lora Millet, secretary