National Crayon Day

Yesterday we celebrated the glory of the PENCIL – well before we worked the pencil we started with the might CRAYON!

There are currently 120 Crayola Colors plus specialty colors.  To view all of them you can visit Crayola’s Explore Color Page

Did you know that in 1990 some Crayola Crayons were retired? We didn’t know… (some of those were favorites too!)

 

In 2003 Save the Shade contest. Burnt sienna was saved.

After visiting the Crayola Explore Color page or if you already know it, be sure to leave a comment and tell us what your favorite crayon color is.

Wed. 3/30 Is National Pencil Day

Standard No. 2, colored, rainbow, dull or sharp, mechanical, long or short, no matter how you like them a pencil is a student’s best friend so what better way to celebrate National Pencil Day that happens tomorrow MARCH 30th then to highlight a few things about this wondrous writing tool.

Let’s start with a visual of how they are made…How Pencils Are Made by pencilpages. Image by Incense Cedar Institute. #Pencil

10 Pencil Facts

1. Pencils can be used upside down, underwater and in zero gravity.

2. French pencil boosters include Nicolas-Jacques Conté, who patented a clay-and-graphite manufacturing process in 1795; Bernard Lassimone, who patented the first pencil sharpener in 1828; and Therry des Estwaux, who invented an improved mechanical sharpener in 1847. (via discovermagazine.com/ )

3. Before erasers were invented, people used bread to remove their errors.

4. The metal band that attaches the pencil to the eraser is called a FERRULE

5. You can’t get lead poisoning from a No. 2 lead pencil because the “lead” is actually a mixture of graphite & clay.

6. Pencils are designated 1-4 with 1 being the softest & darkest, thus 4 being the hardest & lightest.

7. The average pencil can write 45,000 words.

8. The longest pencil record is 1,509 ft and 1.05 inch and is held by a company in Nuremberg, Germany since 8/5/2015.

9. Why yellow? Yellow was viewed as a color of luxury & quality and who wouldn’t want a pencil with those same qualities?

10. Lastly if you think you have pencils here, there and everywhere – well you don’t compared to Tushar Lakhanpal of India he has the world’s largest collection of pencils consists of 19,824 pencils verified 14 October 2015.

Image source: Tushar Lakhanpal/Facebook

#tbt | Mr. Yuk

IMAGE CREDIT: CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF PITTSBURGH/PITTSBURGH POISON CENTER

If you grew up in the 70’s or 80’s you were privy to this little guy telling you that "Mr. Yuk is mean. Mr. Yuk is green. When you see him, stop and think. Do not smell, do not drink, do not touch, do not eat or you will be sick. Sick, sick sick! Sick, sick, sick!"

We thought with this being POISON PREVENTION WEEK he would be the most fitting #tbt item…but it turns out that you can still get this guy or at least a FREE sheet of stickers

For a free sheet of Mr. Yuk (aka Mr Yuck) stickers, send a self-addressed, stamped business-size (#10) envelope to:
  Mr. Yuk

  Pittsburgh Poison Center

  200 Lothrop Street

  PFG 01-01-01

  Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Poison Prevention Week | Mar 20-26

We have come a long way from the days of Mr. Yuck stickers (which are still surprisingly available.) This week is set aside by Congress and is intended that this event is a means for local communities to raise awareness of the dangers of unintentional poisonings and to take such preventive measures as the dangers warrant.

There are two basic themes, "Children Act Fast...So Do Poisons!" and "Poisoning Spans a Lifetime."

For more info from the to common questions regarding poison prevention or To find your local Poison Control Center

Here are some interesting statistics for the take away…

10 Facts About St. Patrick’s Day

1. Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated in more countries than any other national festival.
2. Almost 37 million Americans are of Irish descent!
3. The top three (3) American places that celebrate St. Patrick’s day are
1. Boston
2. New York City
3. Chicago
4. Each leaf of a four (4) leaf clover has a meaning – hope, faith, luck & love
5. St. Patrick was from Ireland – He was from Britain!
6. 44% of people plan on wearing green today.  Why should you?  Well it is tradition to pinch people who aren’t wearing it.
7. The legend of Leprechauns can be traced back to the 8th century tales of of water spirts called “luchorpanm” meaning small body.
8. shil·le·lagh  (SHəˈlālē/) noun a thick stick of blackthorn or oak used in Ireland, typically as a weapon.
9. Legend states that St. Patrick drove snakes out of Ireland, but science has proven that it is too cold in Ireland and that snakes never existed there.
10. Corned Beef and cabbage is the traditional meal to eat on St. Patrick’s Day
1. Here is a recipe via livingonadime.com
2. 1 (3 lb.) corned beef brisket, plus seasoning packet
   1 large onion, peeled
   10 small (red) potatoes
   15 baby carrots
   1 head of cabbage, cored and cut into wedges
   Salt and pepper (to taste)

Place brisket, seasoning packet and onion in a large Dutch oven or pot. Cover with water 6 inches above meat. Bring to a boil and boil for 30 minutes. Reduce to medium low or to a gentle boil. Cover and cook for 3 1/2 hours. Remove onions, cut into wedges and put back in the pot. Add carrots, cabbage and then potatoes. Cover and cook 30 more minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove vegetables, but keep the meat in the juices until you’re ready to slice it so it won’t dry out.

 

Best & Worst Study Habits | Where do you fall?

source: campusbooks

March Monthly Celebrations & Activities!

• Irish American Month
  • Notable Irish Americans
  • 2016 Presidential Proclamation             
• National Nutrition Month  
  • 36 Ways to Get Involved in NNM
  • FREE Tip Sheets & Handouts
• National Women's History Month
  • Remember to celebrate Mom, Grandma and all the other women in your life this month.  For 6 more ways to celebrate.

• Red Cross Month
  • The Red Cross encourages people to donate blood during March.  To find a local blood drive visit this their site.
• Music in Our Schools Month
  • Music In Our Schools Month® or “MIOSM®” is NAfME’s annual celebration during March which engages music educators, students, and communities from around the country in promoting the benefits of high quality music education programs in schools. 
  • For ways to get involved visit the link above or like NafMe’s Facebook page

Remember Spring starts this month too!

Have a great