Hello parents, teachers and students!
Wow, what a week it’s been. We’ve officially settled into the month of February. Both Valentine’s Day and Presidents Day are right around the corner.
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But can you imagine being stuck inside a hospital instead of actually enjoying the holidays or being part of a class Valentine’s Day party? Well, for some children, that actually is the case.
So guess what? You can actually help make Valentine’s Day a little better for some young patients and their families that are currently at the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio.
All you have to do is go online and send a Valentine to a child at the hospital. There are four cards to choose from and your card and message will be delivered with a small gift on Valentine’s Day. How cool is that? Can you imagine the excitement from one of those kiddos? It would be a wonderful gesture.
You can click here to send a card.
Students can submit stories, art for Guinness World Record ‘I am Texas’ book
Texas students in grades 3-12 are being asked to submit fictional or non-fictional stories, poetry and illustrations that follow the “I Am Texas” theme so they can be part of a 7-foot-tall book titled “I Am Texas” --which will be displayed permanently at The Bryan Museum in Galveston.
Submissions are due by March 2, and they can be made online at iamtx.org.
The book — which will earn the Guinness World Record of the largest book in the world by kids for kids — will consist of work from 1,000 students.
There are also prize money and scholarships up for grabs.
KSAT Kids Student Spotlight
Also this week, we’re highlighting Leia, an eighth-grade student at Jackson Middle School in NEISD, who spent weeks creating a gold, sleeveless dress out of 200 pages of a “Harry Potter” book.
She used wire and hot glue to tie it all together, and she accentuated the flow with golden butterflies on rods.
Leia’s dress received praise when NEISD posted images of the creation on Facebook — praise that a veteran artist or designer would normally see.
In the Facebook post, Leia stated she created the dress because she enjoys books and wanted to make something unique.
“I love reading, and I use it as a way to escape reality and live in my own magical world,” Leia said. “So, I think that by creating a project in real life, something that can be seen and touched, I think that, in a way, it was like I was bringing the book to life. It was also like nothing I’d ever done before, so I think that I really didn’t want to pass up an opportunity to create something like this.”
Do you know of a student, classroom or school that is doing amazing work and deserves to be featured in KSAT Kids? Nominate someone by emailing ksatkids@ksat.com.
Kids wanna know: Why do people run for office? What type of education do you need to be an elected official?
And kids, in case you didn’t know, 2022 is an important election year with all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and a third of the U.S. Senate both up for grabs. In Texas, voters will also elect statewide leaders like the governor.
For candidates to make it to the November election ballot, they first have to be selected to represent their party (Republican or Democrat) by voters in an upcoming March 1 primary election.
In this week’s KSAT Kids edition of “Kids Wanna Know,” elementary students learn about what it’s like to be a state senator by interviewing California’s Bill Dodd. The state senator shares why he chose to run for election, what he is most proud of and how he works to serve the people he represents in his district.
Senator Dodd goes on to share what is expected of him, his roles and responsibilities and the type of education needed to become a State Senator. Watch the extended interview, use the worksheet and view the “shorts” for more information.
🚀 Kaiti’s Science Lab shoots film canister rockets at Thornton Elementary
Meteorologist Kaiti Blake and KSAT anchor/reporter David Sears went to Thornton Elementary School in Northside ISD a week ago for another live science experiment.
Kaiti and David - along with a class full of fifth graders - shot film canister rockets. And I can definitively say, they had a blast! Get it, hehehe...
The activity is courtesy of Sciencebob.com.
If you’re a teacher or administrator and would like Kaiti to visit your school, email Kaiti at: kblake@ksat.com.
Parents and guardians: upload a video of your child performing the activity by clicking here. Send it in and you might see it on GMSA @ 9 a.m.!
KSAT 12′s Educator of the Month Contest
And lastly, do you know someone or have a favorite teacher or educator who goes above and beyond in the classroom?
As a husband of a teacher, I know educators deserve more recognition.
To that end, KSAT 12 has launched the Educator of the Month Contest for our K-12 educators within the KSAT 12 viewing area.
One educator will be selected each month and receive a $500 Visa gift card presented by Firstmark Credit Union and a trophy that says “Educator of the Month” with the educator’s name. To nominate an educator, click here.
For the month of February, Ryan Fink, a teacher at BASIS San Antonio Shavano Campus, has been recognized as KSAT’S Educator of the Month. He says math is the “language of the universe,” and that he’s been teaching the “language” for the last 10 years.
From Algebra II to AP Statistics, Fink says he wants to make sure all his students not only get the practice but understand the process as well.
“I make them show work on everything,” said Fink. “It’s the process that counts. I don’t care about the end solution. It’s great if you get there, but I care about how you got there.” Well done Ryan!
Have a great weekend everyone!
Ben Spicer
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Do you have an idea for a lesson or feedback? Email me at Bspicer@ksat.com with new content, lessons, story ideas or tips!