Time sure does fly!  When we dismiss for the Christmas holidays, we will have completed the first semester, which means that one half of the school year is over.  As we return from the holidays on January 5th, think of some New Year’s Resolutions that would be appropriate for the final semester of the year.  Resolutions, such as these, would be great and would help make sure you have a great second semester.

I hope each of you have a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and a safe and fun holiday!

Our third, fourth, and fifth grades have finished their fall unit on reading music with recorders. Some of our fourth and fifth graders have even learned some Christmas carols. Good Job!!

This month all classes have been singing Christmas 
carols, eighteen of them in some classes. Now they can sing along with the "piped" music at WalMart! hahaha!

Next month we will be dancing in Music:  square dance, circle dance, folk dance, and more. We always have a great time trying to figure out where our right and left feet are....some seem to have two left feet!

Mrs. Lewis wishes all her students a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!!!

Wacona's Art Club meets on Wednesday afternoons from 2:30-4:00 p.m. Most of the members are 5th graders who signed up during art class. We have had two meetings thus far. Our projects have been focused on a Christmas theme. 

After the holidays we will work on some three dimensional projects.
 
 

We have some exciting things going on in the lab this year. Keep watching our web site for information about these things:

Thanks to all the kids who sold candy bars. We're earning money to buy digital cameras for each grade level. We also plan to buy ink cartridges for the teachers' printers. 

We have lots of projects going on this year. We have three S.W.A.T. teams, fourteen PROMOTE Georgia teams, and a huge GenY club. We also have a team of video specialists who record and produce our morning news show. 

There are lots of opportunities for any student who wants to be involved in technology. Mrs. Miller appreciates all the kids (and staff and parents) who are willing to work and learn with her.

The weather outside is getting cold, so P.E. is going indoors more 
often. We have started two new games this year that allow lots of running, fun, and exercising. The trash game makes you think and keeps you in shape at the same time. The country game includes fitness and strategy.

The winter sports are gearing up at the High School. Basketball and wrestling are in full swing. The Gators and Coach E.B. Price are looking forward to a great basketball season. Coach Stevens and Coach Ragle expect great things from their wrestlers this year. Coach Ragle said, "We are looking to win our third region 
championship this year."

Mrs. Hires is a new teacher at Wacona this year. This is her third year of teaching. She was a parapro in Mrs. Rideout's room while she earned her degree in Early Childhood Education.

She is from Waycross and is married to Billy Hires. They have two children, one boy and one girl. Their son, Brad, lives in Tennessee, and their daughter attends college at VSU. Mr. and Mrs. Hires have one grandson and are expecting another one soon.

Mrs. Hires enjoys scrapbooking and camping in her spare time.

She likes helping children and seeing them make progress through the school year. She especially loves to listen to her students read.

We're glad to have Mrs. Hires at Wacona this year!

Though I am new at Wacona, I taught at Waycross Middle School for three years. I taught sixth and seventh grades.

I was born in LaFayette, Alabama, which is about thirty miles from Auburn (Go Tigers!). We moved several times because my dad taught. I moved to Waycross from Tallahassee, Florida.

I am married to Michael, and we have two children. Ashley is in the fourth grade and Jake is in the third grade.

I have a dog that we adopted from the Humane Society, and three cats that adopted us. They just appeared and became part of the family. 

My hobby is reading. I love to read and will read just about anything. Currently, I am reading the Mitford series by Jan Karon. I really like reading mystery books.

I enjoy teaching because I like to share experiences with students. I enjoy sharing my favorite books with students and seeing them enjoy the books. It is very rewarding to see a student understand something for the first time.

Santa was just sitting in the crime lab when his cell phone rang. It was Mr. Elf. He had found some of Frosty the Snowman's parts. 

Santa rushed to his patrol sleigh. When he got there, Mr. Elf met him at the door. 

Santa got the Pole Patrol to block off the crime scene. They found the puddle of Frosty with all his parts floating in it. Santa collected some of his parts and took them to the lab for the medical examiner to examine. The medical examiner said he had found coal chipped and the carrot bitten. 

Santa tested it for D.N.A. It was Mr. Elf's. Santa told the police to bring him to the station. They took him to the interrogation room. 

The officers talked to Mr. Elf. "Santa is real mad at you. We believe you melted Frosty." 

"I did not," Mr. Elf denied it.

"Yes, you did. Admit it," said one of the officers.

"Give it up, I know you are lying," said a second officer.

"Ok, I was hungry so I took a nibble, but I did not melt him," Mr. Elf kept denying it.

"Ok, so how did he melt?" The officers questioned him.

The D.N.A. test proved that Mr. Elf had nibbled the carrot, but he still said he didn't melt Frosty. Was Santa missing something?

He had to find who melted the man. He searched through the police fingerprint system. They found a match with the fingerprints, and there were six points between Elf and Jack Frost. 

"Oh no! We were wrong!" Santa realized that there was more to the story.

Santa informed the officers to get the Swat Team ready. They arrived at Jack Frost's. "We are going in on three," Santa said. "One, two, three!" 

BAM! 

"Don't move! Police! He's got a hostage. It's Mrs. Claus. Drop the hostage! You're under arrest. Let her go. We have you surrounded." Santa and the Swat Team watched Jack Frost.

Jack Frost dropped Mrs. Claus and gave up. 

"Ok, take him to jail," Santa put the handcuffs on Jack.

Jack said, "I'll get my lawyer, Mr. Scrooge."

The State versus Jack Frost was a difficult case. "Is it true that you melted Frosty?"

"Yes, I did," Jack admitted.

"Is it also true that you nibbled on the carrot nose?"

"Yes."

"Is it true that you and Elf are twins?"

"Yes."

"Then expect to get life in prison because you are guilty of melting Frosty the Snowman. Just one last question. Why?" Santa asked him.

"I did it because the children only like him and they don't like me." Jack pouted as they took him to jail.