Berkeley is in...Berkeley!

Boys and girls, I have been at HOME for the past two weeks! I love to travel my beautiful state, but I also LOVE to be at home with my Sugar Maple Friends! It has been so nice to get some rest and enjoy this beautiful spring weather! Bears love springtime!

I will tell you about some of the schools I have visited while I have been at home. I made a special visit Back Creek Valley Elementary for their Mountaineer Day! This is a special day when the students do all fun things relating to West Virginia. Of course, I had to come and tell them all about my favorite state! There were other fun things for the children to do, too, like learning to square dance, singing along to banjo music, and homemade ice cream. I'm so glad I could be a part of their end of the year festivities!

Back Creek Valley Elementary!

Some of the very special students in Mrs. Holben's class!

Next, I visited Spring Mills Primary School to speak to their second graders. They were very well behaved children, and I thought they were good examples to the rest of the students in Berkeley County for how you should act when you have visitors. Spring Mills Primary is a Green School. That doesn't mean that the school is painted green! It means their school was built to save energy and take care of the environment. I think it is very important that their school helps keep West Virginia beautiful.

Where's Berkeley?

What a nice welcome from Mrs. Waters' class!

Look at those raised hands! No calling out of turn here!

They knew many things about West Virginia already!

While we were there, Mrs. Sponaugle stopped by to see one of her teachers from elementary school! Mrs. Altman, the art teacher, was Mrs. Sponaugle's teacher when she went to Marlowe Elementary. I think that is wonderful they were able to catch up...and I just love art class! I'm an artist bear as much as I am a writer bear, you know?

Mrs. Sponaugle and Mrs. Altman
(and Pablo Picaso in the background)!

Now, last week I made a special trip with Mrs. Sponaugle...to a radio station, WEPM and WLTF! This is the local radio station for Martinsburg. You may listen to this station in the car with your parents, or at home when you are listening for school delays and closings during the winter. Mrs. Sponaugle was there to talk about ways teachers can improve themselves so they can be leaders. Marsha, the nice lady who interviewed Mrs. Sponaugle, allowed me to have a little talk time as well. It was neat to speak into the large microphones and see my little bear voice recorded with zig-zaggy lines on the computer screen.

Here I am with a radio from another generation!
This is an antique radio. I don't recommend sitting on
antiques, unless you are a little black bear.

With Mrs. Laskey and Mrs. Sponaugle, waiting my turn to speak!

After my successful interview! All of those little keys and screens
help them put together an interview segment!

At the end of the week, I went on a field trip with the students at Tomahawk...to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.! Yes, I did get to go back to the nation's capital, to learn about the many animals in our world. I promise that I will write you all about it, as soon as I finish packing for my trip to Beckley (in Raleigh County).

Until next time...