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School Fun!
Mystery Picture Puzzle
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Answers on page 30
flag apple 2 tepees envelope mushroom
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cup sock bottle caterpillar microscope
pear bird crown soap pencil canoe 2 hearts mouse candy kiss wristwatch bushel basket
cone ruler chalk popsicle flower pot
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Presents...
S chool F un
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The Last Night of August
Activities:
School for
Puzzles:
2, 10, 11, 27
Mammoth Musicians
Science:
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Mrs. Fly
Cartoon:
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Flippin’ Out
Puzzle Solutions:
30
over School
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14 Max & Gracie 15 Home Is Where the School Is
20 Dylan’s Plan 22 School at
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the Aquarium
24 Picture Day 26 Banda Goes
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to School
28 I Hope I Don’t
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Get Mr. Gray
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29 Wild Zoo School
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The Last Night of August by Daryl-Lynne Gottier • illustrated by Pamela Harden ‘Twas the last night of August, when all through my mind, Flew the visions of summer I was leaving behind: The swimming, the biking, the beach in the sun, The hunting for fireflies, the cool things I’d done. Finding shells at the ocean and frogs in the lake, Making paths through the tall grass and scaring a snake, My bike through the puddles, bare feet in the sand, Out late every evening. Summer life was just grand. Now my sisters were tossing and turning in bed, Which made me believe school was something to dread. On my chair lay my school clothes, backpack by their side, My stomach had jitters, and there was nowhere to hide. The full moon was shining around me so bright, I knew I would have my eyes open all night. School really was starting the very next day. If I closed my eyes tight, would it just go away? The leaves would be turning, the air, it would cool. There was no way to stop it . . . tomorrow was SCHOOL! Soon alarm clocks were ringing, breakfast sat on my plate. Mom told me to hurry or else I’d be late. Now, Brittany and Ashley, brush your teeth and your hair. Josh, I checked the street corner, your bus soon will be there. Grab your jacket and backpack, don’t forget your lunch money. Now, hurry up, hurry up, HURRY UP, HONEY! So out of the house I flew like a flash, Chasing two sisters in a shaky-legged dash. And up to our corner the yellow bus flew, With a bus full of big kids and a huge driver too.
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And then in a twinkling, the bus “pulled” me inside. It was doomed to be an unforgettable ride. My breakfast just sat in my gut like a lump, And the bus driver hit every single road bump. At last at my school, and then at my class, I peeked in the door and sure wished I could pass. The desks were all lined up in nice little rows. The teacher peered at me down the end of her nose. Her eyes, how they darted, her cheeks were quite red. She opened her mouth. I don’t know what she said. I was led to a seat that was right by her desk, And was told, “You sit here, Josh, I am Mrs. Levesque.” She started a grin that showed pearly white teeth. Curly hair topped her head, big brown eyes just beneath. She had a sweet face and a sweeter perfume That left us all grinning as she moved through the room. I was calming down slowly and soon looked around. My eyes grew in amazement at the cool things they found. There were puzzles and books covering every long shelf. I just might have some fun here, in spite of myself. The walls had great posters and pictures and maps, A job chart with chores and names written on flaps. In a corner were sticks, stones, and leaves in a tank. It was home to the class pet, an iguana named Frank. We did word games, some reading, and arithmetic too. We practiced a fire drill so we’d know what to do. We went to the library and picked out some books. I bought my first hot lunch and met the two cooks. We played Four Square at recess, and I made a new friend. Soon the bell rang to tell us that school would soon end. I heard my teacher call out as I walked out of sight, “You survived the first day, now go have a GOOD NIGHT!”
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School for
Mammoth
MUSICIANS by Jacqueline Adams • photos by Richard Lair
What’s gray, weighs 30,000 pounds, has 9 trunks, and plays music? The Thai Elephant Orchestra! Does the idea of elephants playing musical instruments sound strange to you? It didn’t sound strange to elephant expert Richard Lair. He’d already seen talented elephants pick up brushes and learn to paint abstract art. When he met musician Dave Soldier, the two of them decided to create the world’s first elephant orchestra. Like any group of musicians, this orchestra spends time learning how to play together. It’s like going to a music school for very large students. The musicians in this unusual orchestra live in Thailand at the Thai
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Elephant Conservation Center. At first, two male and four female elephants made up the orchestra. Was it hard to teach them to play instruments? “It was easy,” says Richard, “perhaps because they are used to painting and because they like the sound.” Elephants can play some human instruments, such as harmonicas, but most instruments for humans aren’t the right size and shape for a huge animal that uses a trunk instead of hands. Richard, Dave, and three of their coworkers designed most of the elephants’ instruments, including a xylophone of large metal pipes, a ten-foot keyboard, and a gong made from a logging saw.
The orchestra rehearsed outside, in the shade of teak trees. Dave wanted to hear what the elephants would decide to play, so he didn’t teach them songs. He signaled when it was time to start and stop playing, but the elephants chose their own notes. Do elephants enjoy making music? “To some, it’s just a job,” says Richard, “but others, such as Princess and Tadpole, simply love it.” Princess, a seven-year-old female elephant, likes her xylophone so much that she sometimes refuses to stop playing! Tadpole, a six-year-old male, performs on several instruments. He taught himself how to play the diddley bow, which is a drum with a wire that makes it sound like an electric
bass. “Music puts Tadpole in a good mood,” explains Richard. It took the Thai Elephant Orchestra only 11 days to record their first CD. The money raised from selling the CDs bought milk formula for orphaned baby elephants and will help run a school for elephant trainers. Three more elephants have joined the orchestra. One is Look Aet, who is only three years old, but is one of the orchestra’s most talented musicians. Tadpole has a new drum kit, and the other elephants are learning new instruments. They will keep playing music that entertains humans and helps elephants. You can hear a sample of elephant music or order a CD at www.mulatta.org.
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by Paula Matzek • illustrated by Shannon Comins “Yea!” shouted Chuck, “No teacher today!” It was true. At least it seemed to be true. Mr. Digman was nowhere to be seen, and there was no substitute teacher, either. “Yippee!” yelled Amy. “We can have a good time today!” “Let’s have a party!” screamed Chris, dancing wildly around his desk. Suddenly, at the height of the celebration, a calm, pleasant, high voice was heard above all of the commotion. “Good morning, class. Please take your seats.” “What was that?” gasped a stunned Chuck. “It came from the direction of Mr. Digman’s desk,” whispered Marie. “Correct! I am your substitute teacher. Please sit down and get started on your journals.” “There’s nothing over here but a fly!” exclaimed Chris, who was examining Mr. Digman’s desk top.
“That’s Mrs. Fly to you,” said the fly firmly. “Please sit down and get to work.” A shocked silence was followed by a sudden flurry of murmured conversation. “A talking fly!” . . . “This can’t be real!” . . . “What’s going on?” “Mr. Digman is sick today,” explained Mrs. Fly, “but I expect you to follow all of the regular rules and procedures. My nephew Bernie Fly has spent many days visiting your class. Perhaps you remember him observing your reading group.” “Yeah,” said Chris, “I remember that fly. He hung around for days.”
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“Yes,” said Mrs. Fly, “that was Bernie, and he always came home just buzzing with excitement. He was
quite impressed with the behavior and work habits of your class. So, naturally, I am thrilled to have this opportunity.”
Chuck was having so much fun that he forgot all about his plans to squash her.
“Let’s squash her at recess,” whispered Chuck to John.
When the day was over, the students were sad to say good-bye to Mrs. Fly.
John.
“Sh-h-h,” whispered
The class soon discovered that Mrs. Fly could be very strict. Anyone who failed to follow directions immediately found Mrs. Fly sitting directly in his or her ear, buzzing angry orders to “Pay attention,” “Sit up straight,” “Get busy,” and “Proofread your work.” Marie liked having Mrs. Fly for a reading teacher because Mrs. Fly walked along each line of print as Marie read. Marie never lost her place once. Mrs. Fly’s handwriting lessons were the best. She shuffled around in the chalk dust on the chalk tray and then marched carefully and precisely across the chalkboard. She formed every letter perfectly with a series of tiny footprints. “That’s cool!” shouted Chris, forgetting to raise his hand. “Yes, and you can do it, too, just as soon as you learn to walk on walls,” chuckled Mrs. Fly. “I hope she teaches us how to do that during recess,” whispered Amy. But when recess came, Mrs. Fly led the class in a lively game of Simon Says. “Simon says wave your left wing – oops, I mean arm,” giggled Mrs. Fly.
During science class, Mrs. Fly told her whole life story, including her narrow escape from a hungry spider in the shed behind the gas station last summer.
“Will you ever be our substitute again?” asked John. “Yeah, and teach us to walk on walls?” pleaded Amy. “We’ll see,” said Mrs. Fly. “In the meantime, you may be seeing my nephew Bernie at school. He’s been having some trouble with using the guide words in the glossary.” When Mr. Digman returned the next day, he asked the students to write about their day with the substitute teacher. “Well,” he said after reading their papers, “I can’t believe that you all got together and collaborated on this wild story. A teacher who can walk on walls and fly around the room? How did you think of such a thing?” The students just grinned at each other and tried to keep from giggling. Later, when the reading group was gathered around the table, Mr. Digman heard a faint buzzing sound and saw a small black speck moving around on his open glossary page. “It’s that fly again!” he exclaimed.
“BERNIE!” shouted all of the students.
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