4-14-11 Dianne de Las Casas at TLA with Dewey the Dragon from There's A Dragon in the Library

Friends:

Last week, I signed books at the Texas Library Association conference with my children’s book publisher, Pelican Publishing Company, and my professional book publisher, Libraries Unlimited, an imprint of ABC-Clio.

4-13-11 Dianne de Las Casas signs books at ABC-Clio Libraries Unlimited at TLA

I went to the conference with Marita Gentry, illustrator of several of my children’s books. We have a new book out this Spring, There’s A Dragon in the Library, and it went over very well at the conference!

4-13-11 Marita Gentry and Dianne de Las Casas pose with TX librarians at the Pelican Publishing Booth at TLA

I didn’t get to do as much as I wanted to at the conference because I was constantly signing books. I had a back-to-back, packed schedule with both of my publishers.

4-13-11 Dianne de Las Casas, Dewey the Dragon and Nina Fancher at TLA

Marita and I had a fabulous time. I love the fact that our new book gave us an excuse to wear tiaras because of its fairytale theme. The tiaras and Dewey the Dragon stole the show!

4-13-11 Marita Gentry and Dianne de Las Casas signing books at the Pelican Publishing Booth at TLA

This year I didn’t get many pictures with author friends! I got to hug Phil Bildner and say hi to my Texas storytelling friends. Lucky me, when I went to dinner at Guero’s with my phenomenal team at Pelican Publishing (thank you Caitlin and John), I also got to dine with the fabulous children’s book team of Jan Peck and David Davis. We ran into Jeanette Larson and Melanie Hope Greenberg and they joined us. On another night, I had dinner at Moonshine with my incredible team at Libraries Unlimited (much love to Sharon, Debby, Blanche, Shannon). Kristin Fontichiaro and Alexey Root, both Libraries Unlimited authors, are sweet as pie, and I hung out with them at dinner with the LU team.

4-14-11 Dianne de Las Casas and Melanie Hope Greenberg taken at Guero's Restaurant in Austin, TX (iPhone pic)

I managed a bit of shopping and met a wonderful husband and wife team at GSH Designs, where I bought lots of great jewelry for my daughters and for friends. Thank you Rosa and Johnny!

4-15-11 Rosa and Johnny of GSH Designs jewelry. Such nice people!

It was a wonderful conference and I love the city of Austin. I wish I could have seen more of it! A big hug to Marita Gentry for making my TLA conference such a special one.

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

3-9-11 SCASL 2011 Welcome basket in my room

Friends:

I’ve had some technical difficulties with my photos from my new camera so I only have a few shots on this blog from my iPhone. Last week, on Thursday and Friday, March 10 and 11, 2011, I was a featured author and speaker at the SCASL (South Carolina Association of School Librarians) conference. I was picked up at the airport by Drucie Gullion and Angie Bardin. They were so sweet and so much fun! When I arrived at my room, a welcome basket was waiting. Very classy!

On my first day of the conference, my first workshop was “Story Safari,” a workshop about the basics of storytelling. It was hilariously fun, especially the storytelling exercise in which groups had to act out animals in dire situations such as the one below.

3-10-11 Story Safari workshop participants acting out three animals stuck inside a boat adrift at sea

At the SCASL Awards luncheon, I was amazed by the incredibly gorgeous “vases” in the middle of the tables. They were vases made out of books that were handcut to look like vases! WOW!

3-10-11 Gorgeous handmade book vase centerpiece

After taking an amazing workshop on “Handmade Books” by Susan Gaylord, it was time to sign autographs. My friend, the amazing Kitt (“Kee-yit”) Lisenby, was at the head of the line. She is such a wonderful person!

3-10-11 Dianne's autograph line

My second workshop of the day was my “Tangram Tales” workshop. I taught the workshop participants how to create Tangram sets without a pattern, how to manipulate the geometric shapes to create pictures, and how to perform a “Tangram Story Theater.” They even invented new Tangrams!

3-10-11 Gorgeous handmade book vase centerpiece

On Day 2 of the conference, I delivered a talk at the Author’s Award Luncheon on how important libraries have been in my life and ended with the story of “The King’s Advisor,” from Handmade Tales. The talented author and illustrator, Joe Kulka, was awarded the Picture Book of the Year award. What a great guy!

3-11-11 The audience at the SCASL 2011 Author Awards Luncheon

I connected with old friends (Thanks Kitt, Jed & Kristen!), made new friends (Drucie, Angie, Susan, Joe, and so many others), and had a fantastic time. Thank you SCASL for honoring me with a return visit!

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

2-22-11 Dianne's star cheerleaders in the front row!

Friends:

Today was the second day of my summer reading workshop tour in Kansas and today, I was in Topeka! It was a brisk 16 degrees when I was picked up from my hotel. Brrrr! But things quickly heated up once my workshop started. I had some sizzling librarians with warm hearts!

2-22-11 Librarians create a snow blizzard using a coffee filter to make a snowflake in the story, Papa's Teepee from Handmade Tales

I began with a creativity exercise in which the participants had to create a self portrait out of items from their purses, wallets or pockets. There were some very interesting self-portraits! I love this techie self-portrait. A cell phone for the hair, flash drives for the eyes… I soooo relate! Hahahaha!

2-22-11 A self-portait by a workshop participant using items from her purse

The first half of my workshop was dedicated to Handmade Tales. They learned some draw and tell tales and some cut and tell tales such as “Joseph Had an Overcoat.”

2-22-11 Librarians make Joseph's overcoat in the story, Joseph Had an Overcoat

They learned how to make a scroll story, how to create paper Russian nesting dolls, and how to cut magic stars. They learned the string story, “The Stubburn Turnip” and how to make a star string figure. A favorite is always “Bandana Man.” John and Jacob make such adorable little old women!

2-22-11 John and Jacob are old women in the story, Bandana Man, from Handmade Tales

I love how Bandana Man always makes my workshop participants sooo happy! Yes, he’s quite the cutie!

2-22-11 Workshop participants in Topeka, KS make Bandana Man

After an hour lunch, the second half of the workshop was dedicated to Tangram Tales and “Picture Book Makes and Takes.” First, they learned about Tangrams and cut out a Tangram set without a pattern. Then they began manipulating the Tangrams.

2-22-11 Workshop participants create Tangrams

Then I challenged them to a contest, requiring them to invent their own Tangram. This one was the winner – a plant in bloom by Jacob, AKA “Wonder Boy.” After he won the contest, he did a victory lap around the room and everyone did the wave for him. Hilarious!!

2-22-11 The winner of the Invent-a-Tangram contest - a blooming plant

Then it was time for the workshop participants to create their Tangram Story Theater. Everyone in the workshop performed “Tiger’s Tale, Anansi’s Stories.” It came out sooo cute!

2-22-11 Librarians perform a Tangram story theater - Tiger's Tale, Anansi's Stories from Tangram Tales

After finishing Tangram Tales, we moved on to “Picture Book Make and Takes,” where I showed them different book activities to go with all of my picture books. First, they made Cajun Cornbread Boy puppets. Ooh yeah, cher!

2-22-11 Spicy Cajun Cornbread Boy makes a librarian happy!

I told the story of Madame Poulet and Monsieur Roach with the help of some great librarians with a good sense of humor!

2-22-11 Workshop participants become dead roaches in the hilarious story of Madame Poulet and Monsieur Roach

My last story was There’s a Dragon in the Library. They loved all the activities that went with this story, especially the accordion dragon!

2-22-11 There's a Dragon in the Library large accordion puppet

It was a fantabulous day and I sooo enjoyed my time in Topeka! A very special thank you to my editor from ABC-Clio Libraries Unlimited, Sharon Coatney. She lives in Lawrence and made a special trip to attend my workshop. She is amazing and I love her! Thank you also to Mickey Coalwell, Teri, Brenda and all the staff of the Northeast Kansas Library System (NEKLS) for getting me from A to B and for executing a flawless workshop! You guys rock!

Thank you especially to all the wonderful librarians with whom I had the privilege of sharing my day. Keep doing the amazing work you do!

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

2-21-11 All librarians are stars!

Friends:

Today I had the great privilege of doing a summer reading workshop for Kansas children’s librarians in Iola, Kansas. The first part of the morning was dedicated to Handmade Tales. I began the workshop with a creativity activity to warm the participants up. They had to create a self-portrait from the contents of their purses or wallets. Fun!

2-21-11 Participants create a self portrait out of items in their purses or wallets

Then we started with draw and tell tales. First, they learned how to draw “The Emperor’s Dragon” from Handmade Tales.

2-21-11 The Emperor's Dragon from Handmade Tales

After a couple of draw and tell tales, I taught them “Joseph Had a Little Overcoat.” I demonstrated some of my other Handmade Tales such as making nesting dolls out of paper, doing the “Ugly Duckling” out of towels, and showing them a scroll story, “The Boy Who Drew Cats.” We did “Papa’s Teepee,” creating snowflakes and a snow blizzard out of coffee filter. So cool!

2-21-11 Creating a snow blizzard with coffee filters snowflakes from Papa's Teepee story

Then it was on to “Bandana Man,” a fun rendition of “the Gingerbread Man.”

2-21-11 Anita creates Bandana Man from Handmade Tales

I taught them “The Stubborn Turnip” out of string and they loved the string figures! I also taught them how to make stars!

2-21-11 String figure stars!

After lunch, it was time for a fun game. Since the theme is “One World, Many Stories,” I taught them a game that I learned from children in Singapore called “Pluck the Pearl.” Game players face each other and try to “pluck” the pearl from the open oyster. The oyster snaps closed and if the “plucker” gets snapped, she loses. It’s a lot of fun and takes a bit of speed and coordination.

2-21-11 Leah and her partner play Pluck the Pearl, a game from Singapore

Afterward, it was time for Tangram Tales. First, I had them create a Tangram set and work with Tangrams.

2-21-11 Amanda creates a bucking horse Tangram

Then they invented their own Tangrams. I made it a contest and here is the winner!

2-21-11 Wendy invents a humming bird feeder Tangram and wins the contest!

Then it was time for the creation of a Tangram story theater. They practiced and performed “Tiger’s Tale, Anansi’ Stories,” a tale from the West Indies. It came out so cute, especially the story chorus!

2-21-11 Participants perform Tiger's Tale, Anansi's Stories from Tangram Tales

After Tangram Tales, it was time for Picture Book Make and Takes. First, I told an excerpt of The Cajun Cornbread Boy. Then they made Cajun Cornbread Boy stick puppets.

2-21-11 Workshop participants create The Cajun Cornbread Boy puppets

Then I performed Madame Poulet and Monsieur Roach with the help of the audience members. Rachel, thanks for playing the part of Monsieur Roach!

2-21-11 Dianne de Las Casas performs Madame Poulet and Monsieur Roach with Rachel as Monsieur Roach

The roaches in the story were soooo funny! Love them!

2-21-11 Hilarious! Kansas children's librarians play like dead roaches in Madame Poulet and Monsieur Roach

It was a spectacular day and I had a ton of fun!! Special thanks to Sandy Wilkerson for coordinating this portion of my Kansas tour. I felt so much love and sunshine from the Sunflower State!

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

4-16-10 Dianne de Las Casas signing books at ABC-Clio Libraries Unlimited

Friends:

What a busy week it’s been! I attended the Texas Library Association Conference in San Antonio, Texas with my two illustrators, Marita Gentry and Holly Stone-Barker. My days were non-stop, running from book signing to book signing. I signed at both of my publishers, ABC-Clio Libraries Unlimited and Pelican Publishing Company. The only time I got to see the Riverwalk was from my 27th floor room balcony!

4-15-10 View from private balcony at Marriott Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas

That evening, Marita, Holly and I attended the Storytelling Swap at the Grand Hyatt. Marita and I told a 7 minute version of Madame Poulet & Monsieur Roach, with her drawing the tale as I told. It was so much fun and everyone loved it. The next day, when we signed books, we had a lot of librarians come to buy the book because of our performance.

On Thursday, the girls and I hit the ground running. We signed books at Pelican Publishing during the Exhibit Hall opening from 10am-12pm. It was crazy buzy with non-stop signing for all three of us.

4-15-10 Holly Stone-Barker, Dianne de Las Casas & Marita Gentry sign books

I was lucky enough to get a picture with my good friend, Phil Bildner, a fellow author and amazing person. Phil started a non-profit called NOLATREE. He lives in NYC but takes youth to New Orleans during the summer to rebuild the 9th Ward and areas devated by Hurricane Katrina. Phil, you totally ROCK!

4-15-10 Dianne de Las Casas with Author Phil Bildner

I had a lot of librarians who came looking for me. It was a good day!

4-15-10 Dianne de Las Casas & Marita Gentry with a librarian fan

In the afternoon, I signed books with ABC-Clio Libraries Unlimited. Again, it was busy but fun because I got to see people I adore like Debby LaBoon, my author rep and Sharon Coatney, my editor. Plus, I got to see a lot of librarians I knew as well as making a lot of new connections!

4-15-10 Dianne de Las Casas with a fan at the ABC-Clio Libraries Unlimited booth

Later that evening, I went to dinner with Shannon, an editor with Libraries Unlimited, Kendall Haven, an LU author with nearly 25 LU titles, Debby LaBoon, and Sharon Coatney. We ate at a charming restaurant called Josephine Street Cafe, which had a tree growing in the middle! The food was delicious but the company was even better.

4-15-10 Shannon, Sharon & Debby from Libraries Unlimited

On Friday, Marita, Holly and I headed back to the convention center to sign more books with Pelican Publishing. At the beginning of my signing, Eric Kimmel, author extraordinaire and my friend, came to see me. I was so touched that he stopped by! Thank you, Eric. I <3 U!

4-15-10 Dianne de Las Casas & Author Eric Kimmel

I was also fortunate enough to hang out with the amazing Matthew Gollub, who is an author and phenomenal performer. On Thursday night, I went to the Doo Wop dance with Shannon from Libraries Unlimited and hung out with the two of them all night. What fun! Thanks for swapping tips with me, Matthew. You are one cool dude!

4-16-10 Author & Performer Matthew Gollub with Dianne de Las Casas

My last signing was at ABC-Clio Libraries Unlimited, where the company interviewed me for a video podcast. I’ll let you know when the video is up. After signing, I had a little while to walk the exhibit hall, find friends, and shop. I happened to catch Jenni Holm, my friend and the author of the Baby Mouse series. Her 2 year old daughter, Millie, was with her. I sat on the floor with Millie and told stories while her mom signed books. Typical! LOL But I had a ton of fun with Millie!

4-16-10 Dianne de Las Casas with Author Jennifer Holm (Baby Mouse) and her 2 year old daughter, Millie

We had to leave on Friday evening because I had a keynote and workshop to present on Saturday so I had to stop at the San Antonio airport store to buy gifts for Eliana. To my delight and surprise, I was privileged to meet Suzanne Collins, the author of The Hunger Games series. Suzanne and I were both buying “tortilla warmers.” She was so sweet that she let me pick the one I liked best. Despite all her success, she remains humble and gracious. Now, I am an even BIGGER fan! Thanks, Suzanne!

4-16-10 Author Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games series) and Dianne de Las Casas buying tortilla warmers at the San Antonio Airport store

The Texas Library Association conference was rockin’ awesome and I had a blast. I look forward to attending next year, with several new books including There’s a Dragon in the Library, illustrated by Marita Gentry.

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

Valerie Byrd Fort, Dianne de Las Casas & Amanda LeBlanc, The Red Hot Mamas of SCASL 3-12-09

Friends:

I had an amazing time in Greenville, South Carolina at the 2009 South Carolina Association of School Librarians (SCASL) Conference. Valerie Byrd Fort (President), Amanda LeBlanc (Conference Coordinator), Kitt Lisenby (Past President, Betty Davis Davis (one of my hostesses), Lena Lee (one of my hostesses), and so many other media specialists made this one of the best library conferences I have ever attended. They made me feel welcome and loved!

Teacher Librarians cut "Joseph Had an Overcoat" in Handmade Tales Workshop 3-11-09

My first workshop (“Handmade Tales”) was on the morning of Wednesday, March 11, 2009 as part of the SCASL preconference. I had a great time with the librarians cutting, folding, drawing and telling Handmade Tales.

These librarians are "STARS" in my book! 3-11-09

My afternoon session was “Story Fest: Reading Comprehension through Story Theater.” It is a fun, active workshop that has the participants role-playing and dramatizing stories.

Teacher Librarians dramatize a role in my Story Fest workshop 3-11-09

Here are some more pictures of the group acting up! LOL

Teacher Librarians "act up" in Story Fest workshop. hahaha 3-11-09

It was a blast to see them let go of their inhibitions and have a great time. The workshop culminated in the librarians acting out two stories (I divided the room in half). The first group performed “Sausage Nose,” a Swedish folktale.

Teacher Librarians dramatize the story, "Sausage Nose" in Story Fest Workshop 3-11-09

The created their flavorful story choruses while the storytellers rehearsed. Then they put it all together.

"Sausage Nose" story chorus cheerleaders in Story Fest workshop 3-11-09

The second group performed “The Ant and the Grasshopper,” an Aesop fable.

Teacher Librarians dramatize the story, "The Ant and the Grasshopper," in Story Fest workshop 3-11-09

The story chorus for “The Ant and the Grasshopper” got down with their flavorful hip-hop rap.

"The Ant and the Grasshopper" story chorus in Story Fest workshop 3-11-09

On Thursday, March 12, 2009, I did two breakout sessions, “Tangram Tales,” and “Tell Along Tales.” Tangram Tales was well-received and the librarians loved combining the math of Tangrams with stories.

Teacher Librarian does a Tangram boat on her computer! 3-12-09

Here is another Tangram, the “organic” way…

A Candle Tangram in Tangram Tales workshop 3-12-09

I didn’t get any pictures from my Tell Along Tales workshop! But my room was packed to capacity. I received lots of compliments on all my workshops. I also told The Cajun Cornbread Boy at the awards luncheon and afterward, my book, The Cajun Cornbread Boy, sold out. I autographed a lot of books at this wonderful conference! It was a pleasure and an honor to do so.

Children's Book Authors Dianne de Las Casas, Phil Bidner & Dan Yaccarino have fun at dinner 3-11-09

One of the many highlights of my trip was meeting fellow children’s book authors, Phil Bidner & Dan Yaccarino. They are wonderful guys and so much fun to be around.

"Mice on Main" art installation with "Goodnight Moon" in front of Hyatt Hotel in downtown Greenville, SC 3-12-09

Here is a picture of one of my favorite people from the conference – Kitt Lisenby. Kitt (Kee-Yit) taught me how to speak South Carolinian. Add a couple of syllables to every word and draw it out. I loooooove you, Kee-yit! LOL In addition to Southern speak, I had the best Southern food like fried green tomatoes! Yum!

I can’t wait to return to SCASL. I just love those librarians! Thank you all so much for making my trip to South Carolina so special!

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

3rd grade storyteller tells Three Billy Goats Gruff - 1-27-09

Friends:

Tuesday, January 27, 2009 was my last day at Strehle Elementary for my Tangram Tales residency. It was the big performance day where the upper grades performed Tangram Tales for the lower grades. The 3rd graders performed for the pre-K students, the 5th graders performed for kindergarten and the 4th graders performed for 1st and 2nd grades. Students had parts as storytellers, Tangram artists, and chorus members.

3rd grade Tangram artist creates house - 1-27-09

The third graders did a fantastic job. I had to substitutute for missing students. It was fun to see the reaction of the younger students watch the upper grades perform.

3rd grade Tangram artists creates foxes for "The Cat and the Rooster" - 1-27-09

I really enjoyed seeing the students put in their best efforts and work as a team. Ms. Guidry’s 3rd grade class rocked the room with their “Feel the Story Beat” chorus in “Tiger’s Tale, Anansi’s Stories.”

3rd grader Tyren in Ms. Guidry's class rocks a beat as the chorus performs in "Tiger's Tale, Anansi"s Stories" - 1-27-09

After 3rd grade, the 5th graders performed. For the most part, they were prepared and I loved watching the audience rock out to their stories.

5th grader Ebony tells a story - 1-27-09

A student in the audience came up to me afterwards and said, “Ms. Dianne, your 5th graders were really good!” Boy, did that make me feel great! Great job, 5th graders!

5th grader Matthew creates rainbow Tangram in "Windbird and the Sun" - 1-27-09

Then it was time for me to take a break. My 4th graders were not performing until late afternoon so I had the advantage of a long lunch. Around 12pm, the Edible Arrangement I ordered for the teachers and staff of Strehle Elementary was delivered. It was gorgeous and a big hit with everyone!

Edible Arrangements delivered to Strehle Teacher's Lounge - 1-27-09

After lunch, I headed back into the cafeteria to direct the last of the performances. 4th grade performed, and much to my delight and surprise, did a great job, even after all the challenges we faced in with them in the classroom. Ms. Johnson’s class was great, shocking all of us. They definitely get the prize for “Most Improved!”

4th graders create pot and candle in "The Hodjas's Bet" - 1-27-09

Ms. Creecy’s 4th grade class had everyone dancing to their story chorus in “The Stoncutter,” a tale from Japan.

Ms. Creecy's 4th grade class performs "The Stonecutter" - 1-27-09

I loved seeing the students reach their creative potential. It was so much fun to see them work together to create a cohesive performance piece. I received a lot of gratitude from the teachers and the students gave me so much love while I was at Strehle. One student already emailed me and said, “I love your Tangram Tales and I miss you already, Ms. Dianne!” This school has such a special place in my heart.

2nd grade teacher Allison Hoadley wins Dianne's teacher gift basket - 1-27-09

Thank you Strehle Elementary for being such a wonderful school. I definitely feel like family when I am there. You all rock! Hugs! I’ll send you a postcard from NYC!

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

Ms. Dianne tells story to Ms. Jones' Kindergarten class - 1-26-09

Friends:

Today was Day 9 of my 10-day Tangram residency. This was my last day for classroom visits. I saw PK through 2nd grades twice and worked with grades 3-5 for three classroom periods. It was a whirlwind visit. My first class was Ms. Jones’ Kindergarten class. I was still trying to work through a hoarse voice so it was challenging to try to communicate with this group of overly energetic students. They were so different from Friday, chit-chattering and wiggling around.

Kindergartener in Ms. Jones' class creates horse Tangram - 1-26-09

Following Ms. Jones’ class, I went next door to Ms. Robinson’s Kindergarten classroom. It was like the two kindergarten classes did a personality switch. This group was calm, collected, and cooperative. It was fun sharing my Anansi tale with them. Deriving inspiration from the story, they created the “She be the Queen Bee!” slogan for Ms. Robinson and Ms. Brenda. Of course, I had to invent Tangram crowns for the ladies. They looked terrific! Gosh I had a blast in that class today. Ms. Brenda even wore her crown to lunch later that day!

Queen Bees Ms. Robinson & Ms. Brenda wearing Tangram crowns invented by Ms. Dianne - 1-26-09

When I finished with Kindergarten, I headed to Ms. Giroir’s PK class. The students were excited to see me and I was excited to see them. They are so cute, like the girl who says, “Ms. Dianne is a special guest visitor!”

Ms. Giroir's PK class works on their Tangrams - 1-26-09

It was then on to Ms. Guidry’s 3rd grade class. When I arrived, they were presenting a school project to their class, The Mouse and the Motorcyle poster by Beverly Cleary. The posters were fantastic and I enjoyed seeing the many faces of creativity.

Student in Ms. Guidry's 3rd grade class creates "The Mouse and the Motorcycle" poster, a book by Beverly Cleary - 1-26-09

Ms. Guidry had to help me corral this normally tame group of students (it must have been the morning donuts with all that sugar). Once they organized themselves, they did a good job of rehearsing. I can’t wait to see them perform tomorrow. I hope they will all perform without their scripts. They do such a good job of working as a team when they focus.

After lunch, I went to Ms. Walker’s 5the grade class. She is good at controlling the students and they were ready for me when I walked in. The students worked very well through their last rehearsal. We finished early and they were able to hear my story, “The Ghost of Mabel Gable.”

Students in Ms. Walker's 5th grade class work together to create Brahman and Tiger Tangrams in "The Tiger, the Brahman & the Jackal," a story from India - 1-26-09

Ms. Creecy’s 4th grade class was next. We had time to run through the script twice. The students did a fantastic job. I love Nelbert’s beat.

4th grader in Ms. Creecy's class creates prince with umbrella Tangram - 1-26-09

Ms. Mauer’s 4th grade class was last. With Ms. Mauer absent, the students were difficult to settle down, even with two other adults in the room. We did not make it through the rehearsal although there were some students did a fantastic job. I hope they pull it together for the show tomorrow!

4th grade storyteller and Tangram artist work together in "Windbird and the Sun" - 1-26-09

After the last class let out, 2nd grade teacher, Ms. Hoadley, invited me to see her new bulletin board, “Wild About Tangrams.” It was so cute!

Ms. Hoadley 2nd grade bulletin board "Wild About Tangrams" - 1-26-09

Here is a closeup of one of the Tangram pictures.

Student in Ms. Hoadley's 2nd grade class - "My Tangram is a candle."

It was such a bright, positive ending to my day, seeing a young, enthusiastic teacher so excited about the Tangram Tales lesson plan that she created a bulletin board showcasing her students’ work. Yay, Ms. Hoadley’s class!

On Tuesday, January 27, 2009, it is my last day in my 10-day residency. The upper grades perform for each other, the lower grades and parents. I hope they are ready to perform without their scripts! Good luck, students! Break a leg! Make your parents, teachers, school, and community proud.

Until next time,

Happy Tales to You!

Warmly, Dianne

Ms. Jones' Kindergarten class listens intently to Ms. Dianne - 1-23-09

Friends:

Friday was a rough day at school mostly because I was working through a very hoarse voice. My cold turned into bronchitis and the drip caused terrible laryngitis. Talking to 7 classes a day doesn’t help recovery either. Still, I had fantastic classes who really understood and cooperated. My first two classes were spent in Kindergarten. They were marvelous. I sipped my herbal tea throughout my visits, which seemed to give my voice some momentum. Ms. Jones’ kindergarten class was exceptionally wonderful.

Kindergarteners in Ms. Jones' class creates bunny Tangram - 1-23-09

After kindergarten, I headed to Ms. Giroir’s pre-K class. The kids loved my story and I made it through the storytelling, allowing the students to help me carry the story. One of the students yelled out, “Ms. Dianne is a good visitor!” So cute. They worked very well with the Tangrams, including the special ed students that joined us. With guidance from the teachers, the students did great work with the Tangrams. A couple had such good spacial reasoning that they were able to form some of the Tangrams on their own, remarkable for Pre-K.

PK student in Ms. Giroir's class creates candle Tangram - 1-23-09

It was on to Ms. Guidry’s third grade class. What a delightful group of students. We had so much fun creating the story chorus. Ms. Guidry is such a fantastic involved teacher. She chimed right in, leading the chorus. I cannot wait until this class performs. They were so awesome that we finished early and I had time to tell “The Ghost of Mabel Gable,” one of my most popular spooky stories with rip-roaring humor at the end.

Storyteller and Tangram Artist in Ms. Guidry's 3rd grade class work together in rehearsal of "Tiger's Tale, Anansi's Stories" - 1-23-09

After lunch, I went to Ms. Avist’s first grade class. On my way there, a second grade student from Ms. Dorsey’s class, Justin, gave me a gift – an orange from his grandfather’s backyard. Strehle really has some delightful students. Ms. Avist’s class is a sweet bunch of students who really enjoyed my telling of “Tiger’s Tale, Anansi’s Stories.” They worked intently on their Tangrams, eager to share their creations with me.

First grader in Ms. Avist's class creates house Tangram - 1-23-09

This class made me a pile of love notes – like I said they are a sweet bunch of students! Thank you, Ms. Avist’s class!

Piles of love notes from Ms. Avist's first graders - 1-23-09

From first grade, I moved into Ms. Dorsey’s second grade class. I tell you, these students are fabulous. They cheer when I walk into the class. Of couse, Ms. Dorsey has a lot to do with it! She is such an enthusiastic teacher who shares my stories with the class all the time. They are such big fans. The class loved the story of “Tiger’s Tale, Anansi’s Stories” and invented some creative Tangrams. One of the students, a Hispanic boy named Axell, sang my story chorus in Spanish as I sang in English. It was so awesome. Then, another Vietnamese student sang the chorus in his native tongue. Soon it was a multi-lingual story and song fest. What an absolute delight! They inspired a book idea… Thank you, Ms. Dorsey’s class!

Ms. Dorsey's multi-lingual second grade class poses with Ms. Dianne - Thank you for your songs! 1-23-09

My final class of the day was Ms. Johnson’s 4th grade class. Unfortunately, this class did not go so well. Ms. Johnson forgot that I was coming to her class and had the kids lined up to play outside. The students had their balls in hand and their jackets on as I walked into the classroom. When they found out that they had to rehearse instead of play, they were like a buzzing, bouncing hornet’s nest. They were agitated and would not focus. Between Ms. Johnson, the Special Ed teacher and me – we could not get the class to settle down. I tried to talk to them and work with them but they just did not want to cooperate. Ms. Johnson was upset with the class and severely admonished them for behaving in this manner in front of a guest. Unfortunately, she suspended them from performing in the Tangram Tales Story Fest on Tuesday. I hope she reconsiders and that her class is able to perform. It was my final visit with the class and they will not have the opportunity to work with me again before Tuesday’s performance day.

Fourth Grader in Ms. Johnson's class creates horse Tangram - 1-23-09

It was hard to end the day on a less than stellar note, especially since the rest of my day had been spectacular despite my health issues. By the end of the day, I was whooped and ready to go home and relax.

Then another disaster struck. My car would not start. Fortunately, another teacher, Ms. Giroior, who was parked next to me, stayed late and was able to give me a jump. I made it home where my car died in the drive way. The good news is that it was a faulty connection to the battery causing my battery to drain. The battery is still good and my car is now in working order.

Update on my health: On Saturday, I woke up with absolutely no voice and terrible asthma. I went to the doctor (Urgent Care). I received 2 shots – antibiotics and steroids. I had a dangerous asthma flare-up that caused me difficulty breathing. I knew I needed medical attention. The doctor prescribed me antiobiotics, a steroid dose pack, and asthma meds. My voice is slowly returning but still weak and hoarse. My breathing is much better. I hope to continue to get better as I leave for New York City on Wednesday!

Gotta get to bed now!

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

4th grader in Ms. Creecy's class makes a mountain Tangram - 1-22-09

Friends:

Today marked Day 7 at Strehle with my Tangram Tales residency. I began in Ms. Creecy’s 4th grade class. They were a great group. They created a fantastic rap with beats for the story chorus, with Nelbert leading on the beats. It was so much fun. Congratulations to Gavin and Chase, who performed their parts without a script. Ms. Dianne is so proud of you! Ms. Creecy’s class did a phenomenal job today! Yay!

Ms. Clausing's Kindergarteners listen to "Tiger's Tale, Anansi's Stories" - 1-22-09

From 4th grade, I went to Ms. Clausing’s kindergarten class. They were as enthusiastic as ever, participating in the story. They enjoyed manipulating the Tangrams and were more skilled since it was my second visit to their class.

I then went to my second Kindergarten class, Ms. King’s class. I told “Tiger’s Tale, Anansi’s Stories,” a tale from the West Indies. Ms. King is a delight and the kids had so much fun, rocking to my story chorus “Hey mon, hey mon. Feel the story beat! Hey mon, hey mon. Feel the story beat.” They enjoyed it so much that nearly the entire class got up to dance to the story beat!

Ms. Till’s 3rd grade class was right before lunch. They did a great job rehearsing their story, “The Cat and the Rooster,” a tale from the Ukraine. I loved the way the story chorus came together on their parts. One of the students showed me a Tangram that she invented on her own, outside of the classroom. Wow!

Diamond flower invented by 3rd grader in Ms. Till's class - 1-22-09

After lunch, I went to Ms. Walter’s 5th grade class. The students were wound up and unfortunately, one of the students had to be disciplined and sent to the office. After that, the class was great. They made it through their entire script. I love their story, “It Could Always Be Worse,” a Yiddish tale. We had so much fun with the story chorus, which the students gave their own flavor by rapping it and adding a fun beat. I can’t wait to see how their class performs on Tuesday!

After 5th grade, I went to Ms. Hoadley’s 2nd grade class. They were so much fun, really getting into the story and their Tangram creations. Ms. Hoadley was so inspired by the Tangrams that she told me she is going to create a “Wild About Tangrams” bulletin board. How cool is that?!! Thank you, Ms. Hoadley!

Ms. Dianne & Ms. Hoadley, 2nd grade teacher - 1-22-09

My last class was Ms. Lankard’s 2nd grade class. They also enjoyed the story and invented some very creative Tangrams. Check out this rocket!

2nd grader in Ms. Lankard's class invents rocket Tangram - 1-22-09

One of the highlights of my day was when Carla Short, a 1st grade teacher, delivered a sweet treat to me… homemade pralines!! Mmm. Mmm. Mmm! They were so delicious – the best I have ever tasted. Ms. Short, did I ever tell you that you are sweeter than pralines?!!

Carla Short, 1st grade teacher & Dianne - 1-22-09

Then, Ms. Pat, a pre-K teacher and the coordinator of the arts grant that brought me to Strehle, showed me some extension lessons that one of the teachers had done with her students. 1st grade teacher, Ms. Hervey, had her students trace their Tangram shapes and color them, creating gorgeous Tangram pictures.

1st grade Tangram bunny - 1-22-09

Thank you, Ms. Hervey! What a wonderful job your students did!

Another great day at a great school!

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne