Mr McDonald is reading "Running Shoes"

I am very excited to post a blog about one of my favourite books, Running Shoes, by Frederick Lipp.  I do love to run so there is part of this story I can relate to, however, the special part of this book is the main character named Sophy.   Sophy lives in Cambodia and has a dream.    She is ferocious in her desire to see this dream come true and for me that is the truly inspiring part of this story.   

When I read this book to students we often focus on many different themes including motivation, generosity, determination and gratitude.    Recently, however, we used this book in classes to focus on treating others the way you like to be treated.    To make dreams come true there are always a few hurdles to leap over and Sophy has to overcome mean gestures and unkind words that come from her new classmates.   She does an admirable job and models a great way to respond when others say hurtful things.   She is a courageous young girl who never compromises her integrity and is very careful not to say or do anything mean-spirited back to her peers.   In the end they discover a new-found respect for their new classmate and Sophy continues to achieve the goal that she had set for herself. 

This is a wonderful story to read with your children at home and can be accessed by students in primary to junior grades at different levels.  Enjoy!  

Mr. McDonald is reading "Comment devenir une parfaite princesse en 5 jours"

This month I have chosen one of our new french titles in the library.   This book, "Comment devenir une parfaite princesse en 5 jours" would be most appropriate for our grade 1 - 4 students although all would find it terribly funny.    Anyone who from time to time feels like they have too much energy, or find it difficult to sit for a long period of time will appreciate the troubles that la princesse Echalote finds herself stumbling into.    The language is beautiful and the illustrations are self-explanatory.    No matter how hard la princesse Echalote tries she slowly comes to the realization that she is trying to be someone she is definitely not.   She realizes instead to focus on her strengths, her speed and to use her boundless energy to help her accomplish a goal which is meaningful to herself. 

I like the message in this book because as educators and parents it is so important to find the strengths and interests our students / children have and allow them to succeed at something they are good at doing.   Sometimes this could be a particular sport, an artistic skill or a subject they are really interested in exploring.   We are very much looking forward to exposing our students to many new areas of potential interest this month at Victory PS with our upcoming Enrichment Clusters.   Please take some time to talk to your children about what skill or cluster they chose to focus on and to discuss what they have learned.    Our hope is that they too will feel the satisfaction that la princesse Echalote did when she accomplished something that was of particular interest to her.  

Happy Reading!  

Mr. McDonald is reading...."Giraffe and Bird"

Sometimes getting along with others can be difficult....even if it is your best friend.    At Victory P.S. we have been talking a lot with our students about Character Education and this month's them focuses on fairness and fair play.     This is an especially relevant topic as we are in the midst of snowfort season which can often bring about discussions around fair play.     "Giraffe and Bird",  by Rebecca Bender is an excellent example of two friends who don't always get along.   Instead of seeing each other's positive characteristics they spend too much of their time arguing until they are separated and realize how much they miss their friendship.

This story is one of our Blue Spruce books and is available in our library.   It offers parents a great opportunity to have a discussion with their children about friendship and appropriate play.   Have fun reading about their troubles and celebrating as they figure out how to be good friends on their own!    Happy Reading!  

Mr. McDonald is Reading: The Invention of Hugo Cabret

"The Invention of Hugo Cabret", by Brian Selznick.


What a wonderful story!    This book was given to my daughter over the holidays.   I saw several Victory students reading it in December and I couldn't wait to dive into it.    It is definitely a novel told as much through the fascinating pictures as it is through the narrative.    The written part of the story is likely more suited to junior students, although it would be a great read as a family or with a parent. 

The story takes place in Paris in 1931 and despite the size of the book it can be read quite quickly as many of the pages are filled with glorious drawings.   The story itself is captivating.   The main character, a young boy, learns a lot about himself, friendship, and the importance of looking beyond the physical characteristics of people to find the true beauty of a person's personality.     It is one of my top picks for the year already and would definitely recommend it for anyone interested in toys, art, history and adventure.    Happy Reading!! 

Mr. McDonald Is Reading "The Grinch"

Please note for the record that I firmly believe reading "The Grinch" is much better than watching "The Grinch".   I'm a big Dr. Seuss fan and love getting into the rhyming rythms of his books!!    I'm also a sucker for the message behind this story.   If the Grinch can make a turn around and see the value in giving and being nice then anyone can.     That's what our Character Education efforts are all about at Victory P.S.!    I love watching the Grinch take responsibilty for his actions, show respect to the Whos, and demonstrate sincere compassion which was sorely missing for most of his life.    ( even his heart grows!!!) .  

Demonstrating "Character Education" does not require massive changes or a "grinch like transformation".    There are many small things you can do too....    Think about ways this holiday season that you can show respect, responsibility, compassion, fairness and honesty.     Have a wonderful holiday with family and friends and Merry Christmas to all! 

Mr. McDonald

Mr. McDonald is Reading Fall 2011

RABBIT AND BEAR PAWS ..."SACRED SEVEN - RESPECT" 

Welcome to another wonderful fall season of reading!   I am very excited to be reading a great series of books by Chad Solomon.   Many of you may remember Chad who visitied our school last year with his puppet characters and spoke about his graphic novels that highlight aboriginal cultures with a great message in every story.    The most recent book I' m reading is part of the Rabbit and Bear Paws series called Respect.     The author uses the basis of the seven Grandfather's Teachings as a character education teaching tool.   In this story both Rabitt, Bear Paws and their friend Strawberry learn the importance of respecting the environment and the animals that are all around them.    It is filled with great illustrations and centres around an exciting adventure for all three of the friends.     Come to our library to check it out!  

Mr. McDonald is reading....Scaredy Squirrel!

Are you planning an upcoming birthday party?  Or perhaps you are trying to figure out how to avoid things you do not like....if so.....then this book is for you!   Scaredy Squirrel is back and he is looking to celebrate his birthday.   But...as you can imagine all of Scaredy's fears, concerns and worries make this a much harder task than it needs to be.  Scaredy Squirrel is the master of making lists and of planning ahead.    I always appreciate how organized Scaredy is and if you are a fan of lists, charts, and schedules then you will appreciate Scaredy Squirrel's approach to life and the story he tells through the engaging pages of this book. 

The best part is that this book, like so many of his others, has a surprise ending and Scaredy is forced to deal with a change in plans.     This is an excellent message as so many times in our days things happen over which we have no control.   The snow storm that I am looking at right now out our school window in the first week of spring would be a great example of how sometimes the unexpected just happens.     This latest book by Melanie Watts is a wonderful read not just for the story of Scaredy's birthday party but for the mini life-lessons we can learn from his adventures.    Let me know what you think and if you can make any connections between this story and some of your own personal experiences. 

Don't forget to visit our library to check out the other great books Mrs. Taylor has on display.   Happy Reading!