Volume 25, Issue 4 • June 2014
In this Issue
From the PTO President ..................................2
Primary News ....................................................3
From the Nurse ..................................................3
Intermediate News ............................................4
Music Notes .......................................................6
Technology News ..............................................8
Library News.......................................................9
Published by the Falk School PTO
From the Director
Dear Falk School Families,
We want our
children...
...to appreciate
the uniqueness
of individuals
and celebrate
the differences.
This will be my last Falk Talk letter and I would like
to take the opportunity to thank all of the current and
former Falk Families who have made my time so
enjoyable. I will truly miss each of you, and especially the children.
Therefore, it is appropriate that we end; not with
my words; but, with the voices of the children. Each
year we have a drawing to select the “Principal
for the Day.” I then ask the “Principal” to select an
“Assistant Principal.” They fulfill a variety of duties,
have lunch at the University Club and generally
enjoy themselves; as do I.
This year I asked Principal Simone Rothstein and
Assistant Principal Aniya Akhtar to tell me what they
liked about being at Falk. Simone roped her two
younger brothers in for their input as well. Here is
what they wrote.
“I love the SHERP trail, art projects we do, the
teachers, the building, the curriculum, field trips,
tons of special people and
groups that come to visit. I like
that the school is small, but not
too small. I would call it ‘fun
sized.’ We get guests to come and
perform and these are people we otherwise would
never get to meet. I love the many opportunities
that can make you a better student/person. I love
the middle school plays, the food that is better
than most schools, great friends we make and that
everyone knows each other. I like the community
art projects, the carnival, Halloween, Kennywood
Day, school activities and all of the great options
and opportunities. I like the diversity and the feeling
of community. I like that we display student projects
and art work throughout the building. I love Dr.
McConnaha and everything else about Falk.”
May it always be so.
Wendell
From the Art Studio…
We would like to wish you a relaxing, artful
summer. Here is a list of possible art classes this
summer for children and/or families. Thank you
for a wonderful year!
Pam Armstrong
Cheryl Capezzuti
Pittsburgh Center for the Arts
www.pittsburgharts.org
Carnegie Museum of Art (Art and Architecture
classes) www.cmoa.org
Union Project (Clay classes)
www.unionproject.org
Sweetwater Center for the Arts
www.sweetwaterartcenter.org
Chatham Summer Art Camps
www.chatham.edu/ccps/daycamp
Society for Contemporary Crafts
www.contemporarycraft.org
Mattress Factory Museum
www.mattress.org
Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh (Make Shop)
www.pittsburghkids.org
From the PTO President
It seems like just a short time ago that
Falk students and parents were starting off the school year, celebrating fall
and winter holidays, attending movie
night, and making new friendships with
classmates and other parents. It goes
without saying that this can often feel
like a special, magical community. The
Falk traditions of McKeever, Halloween
parade and carnival, pumpkin patch
field trips, talent show, holiday gift
shop, ice skating, multicultural
celebration, the book fair, carnival,
and end of the year picnic seem to retain
in
their charm and excitement from year to
o year. This
year was no different.
Falk made a huge leap this year with the unveiling
of the Falk Family Access Portal. Falk staff and
faculty put a huge amount of work and time (did
I mention time?) into getting this convenience up
and running. If you haven’t already accessed it,
please take a bit of time to explore the information
that is now available at your fingertips - a parent
and student directory, report cards, attendance
records, and forms.
After three years of anticipated, yet prolonged
retirement, it seems that Dr. McConnaha is
actually retiring. Some of you will remember
the little school overlooking Pitt’s campus that
encompassed one class per grade. Thanks to
Dr. McConnaha’s vision and leadership Falk not
only doubled in enrollment, starting with this
year’s rising fifth graders, but also increased in
size with the award-winning building expansion.
His accomplishments at, and contributions to,
Falk have been significant. The Parent Teacher
Organization (PTO) is appreciative that so many
Falk faculty, staff, and parents worked with such
fervor to send him off in a manner proportionate
to his legacy. Wendell, you will be missed!
Along with the departure of Falk’s director, we
will also be losing a long-standing member of our
community, Nurse Susan Sholtis. Nurse Susan is
the competent, comforting source of TLC for our
children at times when they are feeling unwell and
sometimes at their most helpless and vulnerable.
Thank you, Nurse Susan, for the decades of care
that you have given both children and adults in the
Falk community. Best wishes in your retirement!
In this season of transition, faculty, staff, and
parents have also been able to make space and
time for welcoming Falk’s new Director, Dr. Jeff
Suzik. New leadership comes with some change,
however the essence of Falk and the magic of this
community will continue to live because of those
of you who are a part of it. Dr. Suzik, I trust that
2
you have already
begun to feel the magic.
magic
Thanks to all who came out and enjoyed the
annual Falk PTO picnic!
Finally, I want to personally thank PTO officers,
parents, faculty, and staff who were so committed this year. Those of you who attended PTO
meetings, chaired an event, volunteered to set-up/
clean-up/staff an event, shared your expertise in
a classroom, voiced concerns about weather—or
transportation-related challenges, offered unique
ideas, and otherwise contributed to this village
in which we are all connected and simultaneously raising children; please know that you are
appreciated beyond measure. Our children are
only young once and one of the most powerful
ways to show them what it means to be a part of
a community is to be active yourself. Consider
attending just one PTO meeting next year. The
magic comes from our collective contributions.
Imagine our potential if we all contribute, even a
small amount. Thank you for allowing me to serve
the Falk community. See you at Kennywood (June
5th). Have a spectacular summer!
Kym Simmons
Contact Information
2013-14 Falk PTO Officers:
Director
Wendell McConnaha
412-624-8022
Secretary
Jina Kaufman
412-422-5920
President
Kym Jordan Simmons
412-513-9833
Treasurer
Michael Steich
412-521-1281
Vice President
Martica Hall
412-309-2940
www.falkschool.pitt.edu
Primary News
The Primary Team has enjoyed another exciting
school year! We cannot believe it is coming to
an end and summer is just around the corner.
This year has been full of wonderful memories for
our students. In kindergarten the students have
entered the Falk community making so many new
friendships and learning so much in their first year
of elementary school. First grade has enjoyed new
experiences as they continue to grow and take
on new challenges. In second grade, the students
have finally reached the top of primary and they
take on this role with such great pride! They are
gearing up for the big transition to Intermediate
and the independence that comes along with
that. They are maturing and growing into such fine
young boys and girls.
The end of the school year has been filled with
entertaining activities. From field trips to class
plays we have been supplementing our learning
with these rich experiences. Having a moment on
stage to shine, speak and perform in front of others has helped our little ones grow using courage.
walking tour in second grade give our students the
experiential learning that makes what they do in
the classrooms that much richer. We are thankful
for all of these opportunities and the support
that the parents and other teachers in the school
provide to make them all possible.
We are so proud of all of the accomplishments
each of our students have made this year. We will
miss seeing each of you everyday. We wish our
second graders the best of luck in third grade
and hope
they come
e
back to
visit often.
n.
Have a
safe and
happy
summer!
Exploring our city with field trips like the transportation trip in kindergarten and the Pittsburgh
From the Nurse
n Safety for
The Friday before Memorial Day Weekend has been designated “Don’t Fry Day!” by Sun
Kids, a non-profit organization of dermatologists. Although this first official weekend of summer may
be behind us, it’s a good reminder to make EVERY day “Don’t Fry Day.”
The CDC’s 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey notes that only 1 in 10 students wears
sunscreen with a SPF of 15 or higher when outside for more than 1 hour on a sunny day. Below are
some tips from the Skin Cancer Foundation to keep you and your child safe in the sun.
1. Stay out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
2. Shadow rule: If your shadow is shorter than you are, the sun’s rays are at their strongest.
3. Choose tightly woven, lightweight clothing for comfort and protection.
4. Use sunscreen and lip balm with SPF of 15 or higher, even on cloudy days.
5. Choose a sunscreen labeled “broad spectrum” and “water resistant.”
6. Apply the right amount of sunscreen, and reapply every two hours and after swimming, toweling dry, or
sweating.
7. Buy fresh sunscreen each year. If it changes in look or smell sooner than that, toss it.
8. Cover your head with a tightly woven, wide-brimmed hat that shades your face, ears, and neck. If you or
your kids wear a sports cap, use plenty of sunscreen on the parts of your face, ears, and neck left exposed.
9. Choose sunglasses with 99 to 100 percent UV absorption to protect your eyes and skin around them.
Of course, tanning beds and sunlamps are to be avoided by all, and babies 6 months old and younger
should be kept out of the sun completely.
The total amount of sun exposure over a lifetime is a risk factor for skin cancer, so begin now to limit
your child’s exposure and teach him or her how to stay sun safe.
Best wishes for a safe and relaxing summer for all our families!
Susan Sholtis RN, School Nurse
3
Volume 25, Issue 4
Intermediate News
Inte
It’s almost the end of the
year,
ye but lots of exciting
things
are happening in
thi
Intermediate!
In
S
Spring
Garden Field
Trip
T
T
This
year, the entire
Intermediate went to
the Spring Garden
Preschool on a field
trip. We all read
to the little kids at
Spring Garden, the w
way Intermediate
reads to their Primary buddies. We also made
paper flowers with them. Each book that was read
was donated to the kids, and to their classroom or
library. And we also filled out book badges for the
books we read to our buddies.
- by Benjamin Gutschow, Room 118
The Intermediate
grades collected
A while ago, we went on a field trip to Spring
Garden Preschool. The whole Intermediate went.
When we got there, we split up into groups and
found our preschool buddies. We read a book to
them, and we also made paper flowers for them.
Then we all played together until it was time to go
home.
-Hanwen Zhang, Room 121
over 1200 books
to donate to the
Spring Garden
Preschool.
4
When we went to Spring Garden we had to read
to a preschooler who either had a book or did not
have a book because their parents couldn’t afford
one. After we read to our preschooler we gave
them the book we read to them.
-Avi Kallivayalil Room 120
Language Arts
In Language Arts the 5th graders are writing
children’s books. We all drafted many scripts, did
storyboards, and block pages, and now we are
working on our books. The process is hard but the
best part is having a finished book that you did all
the work on. Our class has stories about sheep,
bullies, donkeys, cakes, hamsters, and lost objects.
We all can’t wait to read our stories to our buddy
readers!
-Ben Bermann, Room 122
In Language Arts this year we started reading and
writing workshop. It was really fun! We did many
projects on the books we read like making a summary or Predictions. We even wrote to the author
who wrote our book! Mine was Beverly Cleary who
wrote The Mouse and the Motorcycle and many
other books.
-Etienne Strandberg-Houze Room 120
Math
I liked the Spring Garden Field Trip because we
got to read books to our little buddies. I also liked
it because we got to give the book to our buddies
and I also liked the way our buddies listened to us
read.
-Deniz Finkel, Room 123
The 5th graders are doing budget math. They will
be learning multiplying decimals, taxes, managing
money and more. They will pick a job, and roll dice
and figure out if they are married or have children.
You also get to buy a house and manage your
money.
-Evelyn Tipper, Room 122
I liked the Spring Garden Field Trip because the
little kids didn’t have any books and we gave them
some. I also liked it because we read to them. The
little kids were really cute.
-Lilli Steich, Room 123
In third grade we learned how to multiply. We did a
little bit of division. And we learned about polygons
and diameters and money and fractions!
-Lehmakiya Vanda, Room 120
continued on page 5
Intermediate News, continued
Science
I liked space
because we did a
lot of fun activities.
My favorite was
the Comet Strips. I
liked it a lot. I also
just liked learning
cool things about
space. It was fun
when we got to talk
to Ms. Scherrer’s
son. I love space.
-Hannah Malkin,
Room 123
In our 5th grade
Science unit we
are learning about plants. We started our unit by doing a plant experiment.
We knew that plants cannot survive without water, sunlight, nutrients in the
soil and space and air. Our class divided into groups and each group planted
seeds in soil, and let them grow healthy in the plant house. We then planted
other seeds without something the plant needs to survive. One group, instead
of feeding water to their plant, watered it with Coke. Another group planted
their plant in sand, and aother group did not let their plant get light, by hiding
it in the office. As days went by, all the groups recorded what they was in their
science journals. Soon, almost all the experimental plants wilted or died.
-Emily Jeong, Room 122
Reading
Our last unit in Fifth Grade Reading class was “Literature Circles.” We were
separated into groups and we had to read a certain amount of pages in a novel
per night. We would have to do responses for specific chapters; connector,
summarizer, discussion director and more. We learned to communicate well
with our group and have a discussion the next morning amongst ourselves
without any teachers!
-Isabel Cardenes, Room 118
Social Studies
Last unit in 5th grade Social Studies was researching Ancient Civilizations.
We split the class into 6 groups of 3 or 4. Each group researched one civilization, such as Ancient China, Egypt, Greece, Incas, Rome, Japan, and the
Maya. First we researched and put the research on a poster. The final project
is to teach a lesson to the class and assign homework.
- Jackson Morehouse, Room 118
The 4th grade is presenting a play about Famous Pennsylvanians. Our play
will be on Friday, May 23, 2014. The 4th grade will perform a number of acts
about famous people from Pennsylvania. We started by having the teachers
assign us 1 person to research. We went to the library and the library teachers helped us find resources. Then we brainstormed questions we wanted to
learn. The teacher made a list of all the questions. We had 2 weeks to find the
information and answer the questions. After that, we split into groups according
to what we were famous for. Each group created a
mini skit, then all the groups met together and we
planned our the play.
The 4th graders would like to thank Ms. Metcalf,
Ms. Sukenik, Ms. G, Ms. Wolf, Ms. Kroll, Ms.
Gannon, Dr. Conover (for helping with music), Ms.
Williams and Mr. Outerbridge. Also their parents,
for helping with props, and many more.
-Zoe Zuckerbraun, Room 121
The 4th graders are working on their Social Studies
posters. Each person got a famous Pennsylvanian
and researched them. Then we used the information we got to make a poster. All the posters have
illustrations and color and look really good. I got
George Westinghouse and one of the things I
learned was that he was the 8th child in his family.
-Hannah Anderson-Brownlee, Room 119
I liked the Chocolate Museum (Fair Trade Unit) a
lot because we learned new things, like the way
the people get treated with punishments. We got
to display the museum in the cafeteria. I LIKED IT
A LOT!
- Xavier Ramirez, Room 123
I liked space because
we did a lot of fun
activities. My favorite
was the Comet Strips.
I liked it a lot. I also
just liked learning cool
things about space.
It was fun when we
got to talk to Ms.
Scherrer’s son.
I love space.
-Hannah Malkin, Room 123
5
Volume 25, Issue 4
Music Notes
The Music and Performing Arts Department finished up the year with
many outstanding performances from students representing the
Primary, Intermediate and Middle School levels. Dr. Conover and
Ms. Sassani are tremendously thankful for all of these collaborative
ve
opportunities and have enjoyed each and every one of them.
April 9th Middle School Spring Concert
This performance featured the MS Jazz Band, MS Chorus & MS
Concert Band
May 12th - 15 7th & 8th Grade Musical - “The Little Mermaid”
This performance featured all of our 7th and 8th graders on one
of the following crews: Performer, Stage Crew, Lights & Sound,
Sets & Props or Costume Crew.
May 21st Kindergarten Performances
“E-I-E-I Oops” – Room 25
“You WILL be My Friend” – Room 27
May 22nd Intermediate Spring Concert
This performance featured all students of the Intermediate
Chorus and the Intermediate Band.
May 23rd 4th Grade Performance – “Famous
Pennsylvanians”
This performance featured student written scripts, and an
original music composition created by the students with “recycled
cled
instruments.”
May 29th 3rd Grade Performance – “From Earth to Sky”
This science-integrated performance featured music, dance and
nd
poetry from Ms. O’Sullivan’s and Ms. Scherrer’s classes.
May 30th 1st Grade Performance (Room 21) – “Greek Stories”
ories”
Featuring the music selection called “Greece is the Word”
June 4th 8th Grade Graduation
The MS Concert Band and MS Chorus will finish up their busyy year
by performing at the annual graduation held at the O’Hara Center.
nter.
7th & 8th Grade Musical
“The Little Mermaid”
6
7
Volume 25, Issue 4
Technology News
Primary
Throughout the second grade year, students have been exploring the ways
that technology can support them in having a voice—in making their thoughts
and opinions heard. We began the year with storyboarding and animation,
and used some of the skills we learned to represent our marble track experiments through animation. Most recently we have been working on podcasting, using the medium of audio to share a persuasive message. A highlight of
our investigation was our trip to the Saturday Light Brigade recording studio
at the Children’s Museum, where we learned how a recording studio works
and recorded samples of our voices. SLB staff came to Falk for follow-up
visits where they recorded our own podcasts with professional equipment!
Stay tuned for what second graders have to say about Wasting Fruit (Ms.
O’Brien) and Eating Meat (Ms. Herring).
Intermediate
Fourth and fifth graders have been getting acquainted with their Google Docs
(4th) and Gmail (5th) accounts. Cloud and social computing make it possible
to share work with project partners and teachers, and to work on projects
both at school and at home. These platforms are a great convenience, but
also a great responsibility, and students have been learning how to use them
responsibly and effectively.
Middle School
This semester, the 6th grade has been exploring a new unit on rocket design.
The goal of this unit is to provide the students with an opportunity to design
and create a new form of rocket. Each week the students have been faced
with a specific design task. Using various materials the students created and
tested their own unique rocket. So far, the students have created air powered
rockets, catapult propelled rockets, and rockets that are powered by a
combination of Alka-Seltzer and water. We can’t wait to see what the students
develop with in the next 3 weeks!
Giant Eagle
Thank you to all the families who contribute to Falk
alk through the Giant
Eagle Apples for the Students program! Through
h your generosity, we were
able to purchase a new set of lab headsets as well
ell as new memory
cards for our cameras. If you would like to participate
cipate
in this program, it is as quick as registering
your Giant Eagle card here: http://www.
gianteagle.com/Save/Supporting-Our-Schools/
Apples-for-the-Students/
8
Robotics
17 students participated in the May Madness
robotics competition, an annual event held at
the Sarah Heinz House. Congratulations to
the team of Austin Li, Vivian Li, Anna Marks,
Phoebe Tsagaris, and Theo Tsagaris, who
won first place overall as well as first place
for best hardware design! And thank you,
thank you, thank you, to the parent volunteer
coaches who made the program possible: Jon
Kaufman, Benoni Outerbridge, Songrong Ren,
Melissa Rayworth, Ira Rothstein, Christine
Andrews, Teressa Vanda, Chris Piccolo,
Rachel Mackey, and Hong Leong!
Library News
Spring Reading Initiative
The Spring Reading Initiative came to a close on May 28 when
the entire Falk School community came together to celebrate
reading at our annual All School Read-In. At that time, the total
number of pages read and books read from April 1 through May
28 was announced. As of May 19 the cumulative page tally was
375,625, which is just ahead of where we were on this day last
year. The announcement was followed by fifteen minutes of
sustained silent reading. Parents were invited to attend.
Summer Activities
• Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh :
Carnegie librarians visited Falk on May
27 to promote this summer’s reading
program with our K-5 students. The
theme this year is “Fizz Boom Read”.
It will kick off at the Main library in
Oakland with a Fun Family Festival
including snacks, activities and entertainment on Sunday, June 8 from 12
noon to 5:00 PM. Register then or at
your local library. Read, collect prizes and attend fun programs
until August 9. The grand prize is a Kindle Fire.
• Falk School Library: During the summer, we don’t allow books
to circulate so that we can do inventory. However, all of our
electronic resources are available from any computer connected
to the Internet. These resources include Novelist, which is a great
way to find your next good read, and many databases that might
help you answer questions. Links to the databases are found on
the library website’s Online Resources page. All the passwords
for these databases are found in the online document “Passport
to Passwords.” This pdf document is password protected; the
password is “falk.”
Collaborative Work
In the last couple of months, we have had the opportunity to
collaborate with grades in every level. In Primary, we worked with
Ms. O’Brien, Ms. Smith, Ms Herring, and Ms. Rimkus to provide
print resources at an appropriate reading level for the 2nd
grade study of different cultures. We also introduced students to
Britannica Online, which has a feature that allows the computer
to “read aloud” the text, allowing emerging readers to more easily
access the information. In Intermediate, we worked with
Ms. Metcalf, Ms. Plaugher,
Ms. Sukenik, Ms. Gannon, and
Ms. Gorecka on the 4th grade
independent research project
on famous Pennsylvanians.
We discussed the difference
between fact-based questions
(those that can be answered
with one sentence) and
inquiry-based questions
(those that require paragraphs to answer). We also
introduced students to both of our online encyclopedias: Groliers
and Britannica and various titles in the Biography Today series.
In Middle, we worked with Ms Baker to identify genetic disorders
that we could support for a 6th grade research project. We demonstrated how to use the indices of the different print resources
we own as well as how to navigate the three databases that we
subscribe to.
Annual Library Book Fair
The 2014 Library Book Fair was a great success with gross sales
of $11,354.40 and $2,660.48 in profit, which will be used to enrich
the library collection. The All for Books program brought in over
$470 dollars. This money purchased 46 books from the Fair for
classrooms and the library. In addition, Scholastic donated 470
books to one of two nonprofit organizations that support literacy.
More importantly the Fair created excitement about books and
reading. This would not be possible without the support of the
Falk School community. Thank you to the school and library staff,
the homeroom teachers for facilitating All for Books, the parent
volunteers, and everyone who made the Fair a success.
The adult volunteers included: Joy Abbott, Joanna Alarcon,
Chris Andrews, Michele Bertocci, Barb Bianco, Kate Brownlee,
Amee Chaudry, Laura Dietz, Erika Fanselow, Melody Farrin,
Muge Finkel, Erika Forbes, Sam Frizzell, Gaby Gosman, Marah
Gubar, Tica Hall, Ester Hoogstaden, Jackie Huggins, Camille
Jackson, Dilsun Kaynar, Patty Mareda, Judy McClelland,
Jessica Morowitz, Rico Nardini, Paula Nichols, Marily Nixon,
Milena Nigam, Valerie Oke, Inci Ozgunes, Revathi Pennathur,
Kate Rothstein, Daryl Rubin, Kate Salvi, Priya Saxena, Rosie
Sherman, Matthew Siegler, Mary Anne Smith, Liping Song, Carla
Spagnoletti, Jamie Stern, Gayle Strandberg, Maureen Szabo,
Simone Taubenberger, Cindy Tipper, Wendy Troxel, Patricia
Tsagaris, Cynthia Vanda, Deborah Walker, Jill Weathington, Amy
Williams, Maria Zimmerman, Noel Zuckerbraun, Deb Zuroski
Behind every successful event are primary organizers. This
year’s Book Fair co-chairs were parents Paula MonaghanNichols and Deb Zuroski. Under their leadership the school
library was transformed into a fiesta for the fair, decorated with
tissue paper flowers made by after school students and 2 giant
puppets from the fifth grade play. The fair opened with a teacher/
staff preview breakfast. Our co-chairs recruited volunteers (and
took sales shifts themselves), distributed materials, assembled
the gift baskets, created displays, and more. A special thank you
to Paula and Deb.
Three gift baskets were awarded to students in
the Book Fair Raffle. Each basket contained books and party items in keeping
with this year’s theme. The winners were:
• Primary Level Basket – Finn Beier,
room 21
• Intermediate Level Basket – Neil
Wagner-Oke, room 121
• Middle Level Basket – Maya Roma,
room 217
continued on page 10
9
Volume 25, Issue 4
Library News, continued
Birthday/Gift Book Program
The library and the PTO coordinate the program
as a means of expanding the library collection
while commemorating special events and special
persons: birthdays, holidays, grandparents,
teachers, preservice teachers, and sometimes
even pets! An appropriate bookplate is placed in
each book. All Falk students, teachers, preservice
teachers, and staff benefit from the continuous
updating of the collection.
At the end of October families received in the mail
a letter inviting them to participate, a donation
form, and a book list. Students and adults can
also come to the library to browse books and
complete an order form. Donations can be made
at any time. Keep in mind the dollar amount for
each book is a suggested donation. This information is also available on the library website at
http://www.falkschool.pitt.edu/library-pages/about/
Gift-book-program.
Natasha Girel and Sarah Delano coordinate this
program with Ms. Williams. If you have any
questions about the Gift Book Program, contact
Ms. Williams at 412-624-8516 or lwilliam@pitt.edu.
Thank you to those who donated books in April
and May:
Berach Gildengers, Legends of Chima: Beware
of the Wolves by Greg Farshtey, April 2014
Josephine Reiter, Heidi by Johanna Spyri
Lucia Lazzara-Goodrich, 39 Clues Unstoppable:
Countdown by Natalie Standiford, May 2014
Alex Miller, Road Trip by Gary Paulsen,
Ghosthawk by Susan Cooper, and Escape from
Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein,
May 2014
Lee Ann and Keith Conover, Diego: Bigger
Than Life by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand in memory
of David Capezzuti, May 1, 2014
Laurie Williams, Alphabet of Sports by Barbie
Heit Schwaeber in memory of David Capezzuti,
May 1, 2014 and The Night Gardener by
Jonathan Auxier, May 2014
Deniz Finkel, Hurry Up Houdini by Mary Pope
Osborne in honor of his birthday, July 2014
Book Fair Gifts
The Marks Family, Baby Otter by Ginjer L. Clarke
Jacob Brodkey, Tales from a Not-So-Happy
Heartbreaker by Rachel Renee Russell
The Frizzell family, Mythical Monsters: The
Scariest Creatures from Legends, Books, and
Movies by Chris McNab and Rocks and Minerals
by Dan Green
Carnival Gifts
Luke Pena, Daredevil: The Daring Life of Betty
Skelton by Meghan McCarthy in honor of Ms.
Sarada and Mr. Cee
Ada Tonguz, Kelsey Green Reading Queen by
Claudia Mills in honor of her birthday, March 2014
Rhonda Brown Freyvogel, Harold’s Trip to
the Sky by Crockett Johnson in honor of Lila
McClelland
Thea and Eli Crossett, The Watcher in the
Shadows by Chris Moriarity
Jackson McCullough, The Yearling by Marjorie
Kinnan Rawlings in memory of the climate
Ruby Jin, Chloe by Peter McCarty in honor of Ms
Sarada and Mr. Cee
Natalie Floreancig, Lulu Walks the Dogs by Judith
Viorst in honor of Ms Ridge
Ian Mackey-Piccolo, You Can Draw It! Aliens by
Maggie Rosier in honor of his birthday, July 2014
Cameron Mackey-Piccolo, Duped!: True
Stories of the World’s Best Swindlers by Andreas
Schroeder in honor of his birthday, August 2014
Grant Mowry, Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon
Prison by Brandon Mull in honor of his birthday,
January 2014
The Schnakenberg/Vaughan Family, Stuck by
Oliver Jeffers in honor of Zach Ursin
Mackenzie Morehouse, Freaks by Kiera Larwood
in honor of Mr. Nardini
Ellis Simmons, Where’s Waldo: The Wonder
Book by Martin Handford
Sophia Doyno, Odd Weird & Little by Patrick
Jennings in honor of her birthday, January 2014
Elena Hochheiser’s parents in honor of her Bat
Mitzvah, Hero on a Bicycle by Shirley Hughes
Oscar & Simon Nigam, Dangerous Waters: An
Adventure on the Titanic by Gregory Mone and
Poptropica: Mythology by Tracey West
Nancy Glick, Frontiers of Surgery by Ann Fullick
in honor of her mother, Ellen Falk Hirsch, and Lucy
Maude Montgomery by Alexandra Wallner in honor
of her great-grandmother, Fanny Edel Falk
The Walker/Floreancig family, Pinocula by
Obert Skye and The Pigeon Needs a Bath! by
Mo Willems
Neil Wagner-Oke, The Animal Book by Steve
Jenkins in honor of his birthday, August 2014
Sahana and Sajaan Borrero, The Lego Movie:
Junior Novel adapted by Kate Howard
10
Evelyn Tipper, Tomorrow Girls: Set Me Free by
Eva Gray
Cara Wagner-Oke, Crocodile by Gallimard
Jeunesse and You Wouldn’t Want to Be an
Egyptian Mummy!: Disgusting Things You’d
Rather Not Know by David Stewart in honor of her
birthday, June 2014
Library News, continued
PYRCA
THE HEARTWOOD PROGRAM
Falk once again participated in the Pennsylvania Young Readers’ Choice
Awards (PYRCA).
The Heartwood Program is a literature-based
ethics curriculum for children. The program uses
illustrated books from representative cultures
around the world to help children understand
seven attributes: courage, loyalty, justice,
respect, hope, honesty, and love. The stories
are primarily folklore, legends and hero tales.
The books are read aloud in class and then
discussed. The different attributes are featured
according to a schedule throughout the school
year. Parents are encouraged to read the books
aloud with their children. Many of the books are
available at the public library and the Falk School
Library. See the Heartwood Institute website http://www.heartwoodethics.org/.
The Falk winners were:
K-3: Captain Awesome to the Rescue by Stan Kirby
3-6: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
6-8: The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann
The statewide winners were different for K-3 and 6-8 and the same for 3-6:
K-3: Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds
3-6: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
6-8: Chomp by Carl Hiaasen
Come see our display in the library to see how many Falk votes each of the
45 books got!
As we continue participating in this reading initiative, we hope to increase
the participation of students in grades 3-8 next year!
Love is the attribute for May.
Main Books:
The Rag Coat by L. Mills
The Seeing Stick by J. Yolen
Honey, I Love by E. Greenfield
Magical Hands by M. Barker
Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters by J. Steptoe
Annie and the Old One by M. Miles
Supplementary Books:
Blackberries in the Dark by M. Jukes
Grandma Didn’t Wave Back by R. Blue
The Hundred Penny Box by S. B. Mathis
The Keeping Quilt by P. Polacco
The Legend of Scarface by R. San Souci
Love You Forever R. Munsch
My Mother is the Most Beautiful Woman in the
World by R. Rehyer
Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs by T.
DePaola
Now One Foot, Now the Other by T. DePaola
Sachiko Means Happiness by K. Sakai
Sayin Good-bye to
Saying
Gran
Grandma
by R. R. Thomas
The Wednesday Surprise by
E. B
Bunting
11
Volume 25
25, Issue 4
Falk Laboratory School
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh PA 15216
Published by the Falk School PTO
Editors
Anne Brownlee
annebrownlee@gmail.com
Deborah Walker
dlwalker23@yahoo.com
Designer
Patricia Tsagaris
pinkhaus.design@verizon.net
Please send us your contributions
for future editions of FalkTalk.
Happy Summer!
Calling All Future Scientists!
Interested in science below the seafloor? If so, come to the
Carnegie Science Center on Sunday June 14 to hear about one of
the most productive international research programs of all time, the
International Ocean Discovery Program, and its U.S. deep sea drilling
vessel the JOIDES Resolution. For more information visit:
http://www.carnegiesciencecenter.org/calendar/event-details/?eventID
=2577&year=2014&month=6&date=15