Summer Reading Incentives

School’s out for the summer!  ¸.•**•♫♪

But keep the kids’ minds busy even while they’re not in class every day. There are lots of opportunities to take part in summer reading programs. And most of them provide fun incentives for our little readers. Check out the following:

Johnson County Library Summer Reading Club  |  Dream Big READ!
Get the kids a library card! They can participate in the library summer program by setting a goal and logging the books they read or by attending library programs. Return logs between July 1-Aug. 4. In the preschool program, children can listen to books being read. School-aged kids will read at least six books. Each reader who submits a log by Aug. 4 will receive a free paperback book.

Half Price Books‘ Feed Your Brain summer reading program encourages kids ages 14 and under to read at least 15 minutes per day. When they turn in their reading log of 300 monthly minutes, they earn a $5 HPB gift card! Their website gives suggestions for making reading a fun family event and offers the reading log download.

The iVillage PBS Kids Summer Reading Challenge six-week reading program offers book suggestions and discounts, free downloads of PBS KIDS shows and a daily chances to win prizes.

Barnes & Noble Imagination Destination - This summer reading program through Barnes & Noble gives your child the ability to earn a FREE book after reading 8 books and keeping track of them in a reading log.

Scholastic Summer Challenge - Read. Log minutes. Win prizes. And the Scholastic folks are asking kids to participate in a World Record challenge!

Book It! Summer Break Reading Challenge is a Pizza Hut program.  Students who just finished grades K – 6 read 5 books between June 15 and August 15 to enter to win a Diary of a Wimpy Kid summer fun prize pack.

Book Adventure is a fun website for kids to read and quiz on books they’ve read. They also offer prizes and incentives.

We have a Holy Cross subscription to Tumble Books e-books!
U= holycrosscs   P= books

Holy Cross librarian Mrs. Anderson will be tweeting this summer! Follow her on Twitter @AndersonReads.  And visit the Holy Cross library site.

For book ideas, visit children’s book author & teacher, Esme Raji Codell’s blog.

other Holy Cross reading-related blog posts -

• Read a Good Book
• William Allen White Weekend
• Mrs. G’s Summer Reading Group

Summer Office Hours

from Holy Cross school secretary,
Anita Lemmon -

The Holy Cross School office will be open
during the summer on the following schedule:

For the next two weeks, the office
will be open daily, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Starting Monday, June 11,
the office will be open
Monday, Tuesday & Thursday, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

We will be closed the week of July 4.

Starting on Monday, July 30, the office
will be open daily, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
until school starts on Thursday, Aug. 16.

Have a great summer!

Field Day and more…

from Holy Cross principal, Dr. Beverlin -

Thank you to the Fathers Club for the wonderful work they did around the school recently!  They fixed and painted the fence, fixed the counter top in the front office, put mulch around the school and much more!  A BIG thanks to all who helped out!

Today is Field Day, which is AN OUT OF UNIFORM DAY! All students will have a hot dog lunch unless the office is notified.

Thank you to Sawyer and Logan Cook – two kindergarten students who were Principal(s) for a Day last Wednesday!  They gave each of the teachers a penny raise, supervised the playground and announced the St. James Academy Band!  Thank you Mr. Cook and Mr. Cook.  :)

This year, report cards for grades K-7 will be coming home with the students on Wednesday, the last day of school.  8th grade report cards will be mailed home.

All tuition, lunch accounts, and After School Care accounts must be current in order for the report card to be sent home. 

Tuesday, May 22 will be the last day for After School Care.

ALL STUDENTS NEED TO BRING A SACK LUNCH ON TUESDAY, MAY 22! 

Wednesday, May 23 will be the LAST DAY OF SCHOOL.
Mass at 9 a.m. in the church, DISMISSAL AT 11:30. 

Related past blog posts -

• Raising the Bar
• Fathers Club Moves Mountains
• Principal for a Day

Monday Mentions

An assortment of news and notes from Holy Cross to start your week -

• Thanks again to Johnny’s Tavern @ 95th and Antioch for hosting a Holy Cross Day last week. More than $115 was raised for the school. Thanks to all who attended and mentioned Holy Cross.  Look for another Holy Cross Day @ Johnny’s after school starts next fall!

• Congratulations to the 2012-13 Holy Cross Student Council – President Rebecca Haeusser, Vice President Ellie Thompson, Secretary Emma Kate Callahan and Spirit Booster Allie Canfield!

• Several field trips are planned for this final full week of the school year. What beautiful weather is forecasted!

• PTO and Mrs. Obershaw are still looking for a few volunteers for Field Day next Monday. If you can spare an hour or two, please call the school office.

• Check with your student(s) to see if they turned in all their library books. They were due to the library last Friday, but some are still out there.

• Talk with your student about whether your family is going to donate remaining used school supplies at the end of the school year. If you wish to donate the school supplies when the students clear out their desks, please drop them off in collection boxes outside of Mrs. O’Brien’s classroom in the primary hallway. The Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Eucharist will send the supplies to children in Tanzania, Ghana and Nigeria. They also need desks and tables, if you have any to offer.

 

Mrs. G’s Summer Reading Group

from Holy Cross 5th-grader Jarod Roberts -

Mrs. G has hosted a book club this summer. We have read 3 books and played many games and even played with water balloons! Mrs G says if you read 3 or more books during the summer, you will not forget what you learned in school. We have read 1. Top Secret  2. Kid in the red jacket  3. Boys start the war. Thank you Mrs G… we sure are having FUN!!!

Jarod Roberts, 5th Grade

Summer Hours

from Anita Lemmon in the Holy Cross School office -

Starting next week, the school office hours will be Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Those will be our summer hours until August 8.

Scrip and trash bags will be available for sale during those times.

Construction may affect those hours at times. I’ll try to keep you posted as the work progresses.

Sign Up the Kids for VBS Today

from Carol Morris @ Holy Cross Church -

Holy Cross VBS is PandaMania this year!

It is June 20 – 24 from 9 a.m. – Noon.

The number of children signed up so far is very low.

We need at least 20+ more people to sign up by this Wednesday, June 8, by 4 p.m., or we may have to cancel!

Registration forms are outside the church office or on the church website.  Turn in registration forms at the front office.

Any questions? Call Carol Morris at 642-8038.

 

June ‘Staycation’ Ideas

Need to find some fun close to home to entertain the family this summer?  There is so much going on, you’re bound to find something you’ll enjoy.

Here are a few ideas we found right here in our area.  Many of them even offer free admission.  Please feel free to reply to the post, and let us know of other ideas.  We’ll post some more soon for July.

• Rainforest Adventure Exhibit
  Open through Sept. 5 @ Crown Center
  Free hands-on exhibit for kids to explore tropical rainforest around the world, including computer games, a 9-foot kapok tree, gorilla blind and a station to make your very own insect.

• Farmers Market Concerts
  10:30 a.m. @ the downtown Overland Park Clock Tower
  Free mid-day concerts. Visit http://bit.ly/kwNpg1 for a schedule of the artists performing.

• Park Place Summer Concert Series
  Thursday nights from 6 – 8 p.m. @ Park Place in Leawood (near 115^th & Roe)
  Free family-friendly concerts. Visit http://bit.ly/jAalkQ for a schedule of the artists performing.

• Music in Merriam’s Marketplace
  Friday nights at 6:30 p.m., June 10 – August 12 @ Park Place in Leawood (near 115^th & Roe)
  Bring a lawnchair or blanket and enjoy free concerts at Merriam’s covered marketplace pavilion at 5740 Merriam Drive. Visit http://bit.ly/k5PWej for a schedule of the artists performing.

• Music in the Park
  Sundays from 7 – 8:30 p.m., June 5 – August 14 @ Santa Fe Commons Park in Overland Park (8045 Santa Fe Drive)
  Bring the family. Bring a picnic. And bring chairs or blankets for these free outdoor concerts. Visit http://bit.ly/mJ3I0K for a schedule of artists.

• Friday Night Concerts @ Crown Center
  Fridays @ 8 p.m. in Town Center Square
  Free outdoor shows by country and pop favorites. Visit http://bit.ly/igYwps for a schedule of concerts.

• Old Shawnee Days
  June 2 – 5 in Shawnee Town
  Something for everyone – music, carnival rides, contests, games, the parade, crafts, shopping, festival food, etc. http://bit.ly/kyzjQN

• Prairie Village Art Show
  June 3 – 5 @ Prairie Village Shops
  The annual art show features over 100 artists from across the country. http://bit.ly/mDP0sJ

• Farm to Table Celebrations
  First Saturday of each month (May through October), 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. @ City Market, downtown KC
  These free, fun and family-friendly monthly celebrations each center around a Farmers Market theme, including June’s Get Your Sweet On. Visit http://bit.ly/iizJW9 for more information.

• Lost Trail Days
  June 4 @ Louisburg Cider Mill
  Free admission/parking, plus live cowboy music, cowboy poet, mutt strut contest, turtle races, bullfrog jumping contest, etc. http://bit.ly/iDWGNO

• Party in Your Park Concerts
  June 10 @ Quail Creek Park (70^th & Grandview) – ‘Loozin Sleep’
  Bring a lawnchair or blanket and enjoy Merriam’s free classic rock concerts on these summer days at these neighborhood parks.

• Mr. Stinky Feet in Concert
  June 10 @ 7 p.m., Frontier Park (155^th & Indian Creek Parkway, Olathe)
  June 11 @ 3 p.m., Cedar Roe Library (5120 Cedar, Roeland Park)
  Free concerts.

• Farmstead Dairy Days
  June 11 @ Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead (135^th & Switzer, OP)
  Milk a cow, enjoy ice cream, and other dairy fun! $2/person, under 1 free. http://bit.ly/iuZumC

• Horse N’ Around Fest
  June 11, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. @ the Agricultural Hall of Fame.
  Put on your boots and come on out for some horsin’ around at the Ag Hall of Fame. Try your skills at roping, see a Farrier make horse shoes and watch the various horse enthusiasts demonstrate their skill. Admission fees/kids under 5 free. http://bit.ly/lreB83

• 50th Annual Greek Festival
  June 17 – 19 @ St. Dionysios (across the street from Holy Cross School)
  Enjoy a taste of Greece. Free admission.  http://bit.ly/kvGtFS

• Irish Street Faire
  June 18, 4 – 11 p.m. @ Browne’s Market, KCMO
  Browne’s Irish Marketplace (KC’s oldest retail business and North America’s oldest Irish business) celebrates its124th anniversary and annual Irish Street Faire. Tickets are $8 in advance/$10 at door. http://bit.ly/mTi00Q

• Shatto Family Day at the Farm
  June 18, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. @ Shatto Dairy Farm (north of KC)
  Celebrate Dairy Month in June at this free event.  Tour the local dairy farm, pet baby calves, milk a cow, sample Shatto products, etc. http://bit.ly/lWJu6u

• Sprint Family Fun Series
  Third Saturday of every month, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. @ the Power & Light District, downtown KC
  Free
  June 18 – Summer Safari  (petting zoo, train rides, scavenger hunt, puppet show)

• KC Chalk and Walk Festival
  June 18 – 19 @ Crown Center Square
  Artists start with empty squares of asphalt and by the end of the weekend, these squares will be transformed into magnificent pieces of artwork. http://bit.ly/lGC8ez

• Lake Fest
  June 18 @ Lake Jacomo, KCMO.
  Jackson County kicks off summer with Lake Fest! This family event features live music, one of the area’s largest water balloon contests, kids’ games, boat rides and a fireworks display over Lake Jacomo. $10.00 per vehicle admission.

• Dinosaur O’Dell & the T-Rex All-Stars Concerts
  June 25 @ 11:15 a.m., Ice Cream Dreamery @ Crown Center Square
  This performance is a fundraiser for the Children’s Place.
  June 29 @ 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., Pottery Barn Kids @ Town Center

• Dragon Boat Festival
  June 25 @ Brush Creek on the Country Club Plaza
  Enjoy cultural and social exchanges at the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival and Races. The fun will include cultural games and performances, food, dragon boats and fun activities for the family. More details at http://bit.ly/jR5u9K

 

Summer Movie Deals 2011

When the kids aren’t reading this summer (see yesterday’s blog post) and the weather isn’t cooperating for outdoor play, you might want to take in a movie.

Here are some ideas in the area where you can see free or discounted movies this summer!

• Cinemark Summer Movie Clubhouse. 
  Discount movies offered Monday – Thursday, June 6 – August 11 @ 10 a.m. and Noon at Cinemark Merriam (55^th & Antioch).  Click here to download a flyer with movie listings.

• Dickinson Summer Vacation Movie Series.
  Discount tickets are available for movies at area Dickinson Theatres, Monday – Thursday at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Download the flyer to check out which movies are showing at area theatres.

• KCK’s Legends Shopping area will present a Free Summer Movie Series.
  The Legends 14 theatre will air movie favorites every Tuesday and Wednesday at 10 a.m. in June & July (doors open @ 9 a.m.). Click here for a schedule of what movies will be showing.

• Free summer movies at Johnson County Community College.
  They’re showing vintage movies, Wednesdays June 8 – 29 at 10 a.m. in Yardley Hall of the Carlsen Center. Free parking in the Carlsen Center west garage. Movies include Kiss Me Kate on June 8, Gigi on June 15, Bye Bye Birdie on June 22 and West Side Story on June 29.

• Free Friday Night Flicks @ Crown Center.
  Bring your blanket and lawn chairs, and watch movies under the stars at Crown Center Square in July. They’ll be showing 50 First Dates, Tootsie, Hoosiers, A League of Their Own and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Movie begin ~ 9 p.m.

• The City of Leawood will offer two Free Summer Movie Nights. 
  Jaws will be shown @ Leawood City Park (106^th & Lee Blvd.) on Friday, June 3. And Footloose will be shown @ Ironwoods Park (147^th & Mission Rd.) on Friday, August 19. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets. No coolers or alcohol allowed. Movies begin ~ 8:30 p.m.

• Merriam Aquatic Center’s Family Night Dive-In Theater. 
  On Friday, August 5 at 9 p.m., watch ‘Despicable Me’ while floating in the pool under the stars. Adults must be accompanied by a child. Regular admission/season passes apply.

Read a Good Book

School’s out! So now you’re probably working out your plans for the summer, right? Make sure those plans include time for reading.

Holy Cross Librarian Anne Anderson suggests the following summer reading program opportunities. Note all the links for more information:

• Get creative @ the Johnson County Library this summer. Sign up at any JoCo library location to get a reading log.

• Barnes & Noble offers a free book and a chance to win a Nook to students in first through sixth grades who read 8 books this summer. Reading logs & more information for parents are available online and in their stores.

• Turn in a completed reading log at Half Price Books for $5 Back-to-School Bucks summer reading reward! Click here to download a reading log.

• We have a Holy Cross trial subscription to Tumble Books, e-books! Find the username and password in the May 20 school newsletter.

• Book Adventure is a fun website for kids to read and quiz on books they’ve read. They also offer prizes and incentives.

• For more book ideas, visit children’s book author and teacher Esme Raji Codell’s blog.

HAPPY READING!

~~~~~~~~~

A few more summer reading incentive programs:
(updated 5/26/11)

• Pizza Hut offers the Book It! Summer Break Reading Challenge program.  Students who just finished grades K-6 read 5 books between June 15 and August 15 to be eligible for prizes.

• Chuck E. Cheese offers free tokens to kids who chart their reading progress. Download the Reading Rewards Chart here.

~~~~~~~~~

And a summer reading suggestion from Holy Cross mom, Wendy Regehr:
(updated 5/27/11)

My daughter is heading into sixth grade at Holy Cross, and the students have a summer reading assignment. They’re to read at least three books from a list provided by Mrs. Carney.

Not sure if you guys are aware, but half the books on the required summer reading list are available via iTunes in the form of apps.  And if you have a Kindle… about half of the books on the list are FREE… check it out at Amazon.

Here’s the deal on the iTunes app, called Free Books -  you can pretty much get a full library (23,469 books) stocked full of classic books, the Bible, Shakespeare, famous speeches, great poets, the list goes on and on. It costs just $1.99.

The Secret Garden, The Wind in the Willows, The Jungle Book, Black Beauty, Heidi, Treasure Island, Swiss Family Robinson (all on the book list) … are all accessible in the app for $1.99

You can also get a much smaller library app for $2.99, but it only has a couple of the books… it’s called Classics.

They also have a Classicly app, and that’s by the same company that makes Free Books… that app is actually FREE.  It may have the same exact books, but the app itself looks different from the preview.  It claims to have as many books as Free Books. I think Free Books costs $1.99 because the design & appearance of the app looks cooler and neater… maybe more user friendly.

I do not work for Apple, although I may sound like it in this email… but I do admire their work!

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Please reply to this post if you have more reading suggestions to share!