Letters November/December 2003

A happy Lucky Subscriber
It was so exciting to see my name in the August/September 2003 issue of Teaching K-8. I'm thrilled to have been chosen to receive the wonderful books by Bernard Waber, as he is one of my favorite authors. I've frequently used his crocodile, Lyle, with my first grade classes as well as with my young campers in the summer. The children love his writing and illustrations as much as I do.

I was just thinking about buying his new book, Courage, when I noticed that my name was in the "Lucky Subscriber" box. I announced to my family, "I am a winner!"

What I didn't realize was that I was going to receive more than one book! These fabulous books will be shared with my class this year, as well as my classes in the future. Thank you so much!

I thoroughly enjoy reading your magazine. It always has great ideas, articles and information that I can put to use or pass on to my colleagues. Keep up the good work!
Edith Zabriskie
Summit, NJ

A satisfied contributor
It was a pleasure working with Teaching K-8 as you prepared my article, "Living the Promise," for publication in the August/September issue. The packaging was perfect, and the pictures complemented the text beautifully. It was all I had hoped it would be. I wasn't expecting to see the graph and the additional activities on TeachingK-8.com – what a nice touch! Thank you for all your time, energy and expertise.
Maria Brountas
Bangor, ME

Cheers for August/September
The August/September issue thrilled me through and through. Each page, each feature, deserves a comment with an exclamation point at the end!

The ads were attractive and enticing. Subaru's "Going the Extra Mile" really resonated with me, because I had just found out about the Heifer Project shortly before reading the ad. The suggestions in the ad were an inspiration for similar projects that children really can do.

I liked "The Parent Connection," especially the tip that it's OK for kids to use the kitchen table to do their homework. A separate room and desk for homework is a good practice for older students, but it's not always workable for little ones – including in my own home!

The feature "Adventures in Mentoring," by Carianne Capalongo-Bernadowski, was a timely reminder for the start of the year. What a rich experience mentoring can be. I hope the article inspires teachers to create their own mentoring situations.

I just had to convey my cheers for this issue. All I can say is, "Wow!"
Barbara Pontecorvo
Wayland, MA

November/December 2003, Vol.34, No.3