Happy Leap Year

So why do we have an extra day in February anyway that we call “Leap Year”

Well it all has to do with the solar system believe it or not.  It actually takes 365.2422 days to make a full circle around the sun.  So to even that out every four years they take the left over .2422 and add a day.

Why February?

Well all the other months already had 30 or 31 days.  Simple as that!

People born on February 29th are known as “Leapers” or “Leaplings” and about 4.1 million people were born on Leap Day.

World Read Aloud Day 2/24/2016

Today is World Read Aloud Day! 

World Read Aloud Day motivates children, teens, and adults worldwide to celebrate the power of words and creates a community of readers taking action to show the world that the right to literacy belongs to all people. World Read Aloud Day is celebrated by millions of people in more than 100 countries thanks to people like you who participate and spread the word across the globe! (via litworld)

Started in 2010, this day is now celebrated in 65 countries and all 50 states.

If you will be posting or writing about LitWorld's World Read Aloud Day, be sure to link to the LitWorld website and tag them on Twitter (@litworldsays), Facebook (@LitWorld) or Instagram (@litworld) so that they can re-share your content with their online community.

#tbt: Scratch N’ Sniff Stickers

Technorati Tags: #TBT School Stickers

You got your homework handed back and nothing said you did better than getting a Scratch N’ Sniff sticker back on your paper.  Oooo what scent would it be? Buttered Popcorn? Strawberry? Apple?

Trend Enterprises was the biggest producer back in the 80’s with up to 104 scents by 1984 including the favorites above, as well as, such not so favorites as: skunk & leather (the roller skate.) For a list of all 104 of scents to jog your memory visit Bubbledog.com

To learn how scratch N’ sniff stickers work visit: Howstuffworks.com

What was YOUR favorite scent to get?

What’s Up This Week

First up this week is Chinese New Year on Mon. Feb. 8th & rings in the Year of the Monkey

Feb. 9th ends Mardi Gras in New Orleans wrapping up 70 parades that started on January 6th!

Feb. 10th Ash Wednesday

Friday, Feb 12th is Abraham Lincoln’s birthday.  Teachervision has put together a variety of video’s & activities for all grade levels to assist in studying the life and accomplishments of our 16th President born in 1809 on this day.  Content is broken down into:

• Grades 1-4
• Grades 5-8
• Grades 9-12

Lastly but not least is the day of love…’s galore, romance budding, cupid fluttering,

What Did Phil Predict? 6 More weeks of Winter or Spring

The first Groundhog Day was on this day in 1887. According to tradition, if a groundhog comes out of its hole on this day and sees its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter weather; no shadow means an early spring.
The rodent goes into hibernation in late fall, comes out in February to find a mate, then goes back into hibernation until March when they come out for the rest of the year,  In 1887, a newspaper editor belonging to a group of groundhog hunters from Punxsutawney called the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club declared that Phil, the Punxsutawney groundhog, was America’s only true weather-forecasting groundhog.  via History.org

So how right is Phil?  Since 1988, the groundhog was "right" 13 times and "wrong" 15 times. 

What about this 2016? via his official webpage at groundhog.org 

Phil Predicts an Early Spring!

Hear Ye, Hear Ye, Hear Ye. Now, this Second Day of February, Two Thousand and Sixteen, the One Hundred and Thirtieth Annual Trek of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club….Punxsutawney Phil, the Seer of Seers, Prognosticator of All Prognosticators, was awakened from his borrow to the cheers of his thousands of faithful followers….In Groundhogese, he directed the President and the Inner Circle to the precise prediction Scroll, which translated reads:

The inner circle goes to great ends  To keep me abreast of latest trendsDown in my burrow I never get bored   Riding on my hover boardAnd I sure have fun flying my drone  But weather forecasting is my comfort zoneIs this current warm weather more than a trend?    Per chance this winter has come to an end?There is no shadow to be cast,   An early Spring is my forecast!

You can find out more on Phil and/or Groundhogs Day by visiting these links: 

Website
Teachers - Lesson plans & activities for PreK, Elementary, Middle & High School
Follow him on Facebook
Pinterest - 29 boards all Groundhog Day & Phil related