Hello Girls and Boys,
We are the Rhody's - Rhonda and Rocky.
I am Rhonda, the hen on the left and I'm Rocky the rooster on
the right. We are both Rhode Island Reds. We love Rhode
Island. We live in a lovely chicken coop in Glen Hills School
in Cranston, Rhode Island. Every year we take a trip to visit
girls and boys all around the state. We learn so much about
Rhode Island from our travels. Guess what? We are
going to visit your class this year! Rhonda is going to go
south and Rocky is going to go north. So, be on the look out
for one of us coming your way. In the meanwhile, we will be
sending you messages about our ramble. Be talking to you
soon.
Love,
Rhonda and Rocky Rhody
December 5, 2002
Well, I made it to Block Island. Wow!! What a trip. The ferry ride took one hour. It was a nice smooth trip over. I traveled thirteen miles over the Block Island Sound to get here.On the way over, I could see many fishing boats and a few tankers pass us by.
Mrs. Monje's fourth grade class has 11 students. There are 140 students in the entire school( grades K-12). The class is studying about Rhode Island, too. They loved my bag of goodies and particularly loved all the rooster books.
Yesterday, I traveled around the Island. It is 7 miles long and 5 miles wide. During this time of year there are only 800 people on the Island, but during the summer there can be as many as 15,000 people visiting the Island. I saw Block Island's two lighthouses and stood at the most southern point in our state, at the Mohegan Bluffs. These cliffs that overlook the Atlantic Ocean was just beautiful.
Tomorrow we will be looking for deer ( they say there are about 200 roaming the Island) and Harbor Seals who swim down from Canada and stay the winter on the Island.
Check out my pictures. I will try to send more soon.
 |
 |
Talk to you soon,
Rhonda
"Hello, Narragansett! "I thought as the ferry that I had traveled on from Block Island docked in Galilee. Galilee, the fishing village where the ferry docks, is part of Narragansett. Galilee is a busy place. Did you know that commercial fishing is one of the most important businesses in Narragansett?
I was eager to meet the fourth graders in Mrs. Good's class but it was Sunday so I knew I'd have to wait. I decided to take a look around the town. As I headed toward the center of town I passed several beaches. Seeing them reminded me that Narragansett's beautiful beaches have made tourism the town's other most important business. People come from far and near to sunbathe, play, and swim at the beaches in Narragansett.
'First settled by Native Americans, Narragansett took its name from the Narragansett tribe. The Narragansetts, and the early colonists as well, farmed and fished. Narragansett was once a rural area, but it is now suburban. I noticed many neighborhoods and stores on the way to Narragansett Pier.
'When I saw the stone towers connected by an arched walkway I knew that I was in the Pier. That's the nickname for the center of town. I was surprised when I found out that there isn't actually a pier in the area. Piers were built along the shoreline in the 1700s and 1800s. They were used for shipping and tourism. Each of these piers eventually rotted or was destroyed by a storm. But the area's nickname stuck. To this day, people call the area near the beaches in the center of town "The Pier".
What a great time I had with the fourth graders in room 16 at Narragansett Elementary School! During my visit they took field trips to Trinity Theater to see "Christmas Carol" and to the U.R.I. Bay Campus to learn about animals that live along the coast. I helped the students to review some information about Rhode Island by sharing the items in my yellow duffel bag. We took a class photo to help us remember our time together.
I
waved goodbye to my new fourth grade friends and thought about the
fun I'd had in Narragansett. Images of beautiful beaches and fishing
boats appeared in my mind. Then I started to wonder what was in store
for me at my next stop: South Kingston. I'll drop you a line
soon!
Love,
Rhonda
I have been visiting in South Kingstown for the past two weeks but I had a brief visit to Charlestown for the holiday break. The boys and girls here at Peace Dale School have been helping learn a lot about this suburban town. South Kingstown also has many rural areas with turf farms and a few other kinds of farm. This town has a town council to govern the town and many other town committees to help the town council. I went to visit the beaches in South Kingstown. There are quite a few! We tried to take a couple of pictures but the camera wasn't working. I visited the town beach in Matunuck and a State beach named East Matunuck. I'm off to Westerly now. I'll be seeing you soon.
Love,
Rhonda
Dear
Friends,
I arrived in Westerly on the Friday before
Martin Luther King's Birthday and had a very restful weekend. I
was able to take a trip downtown. This main area in town has a
beautiful park called Wilcox Park. It is about 18 acres in size
and is actually grounds of the Westerly Public Library. After walking
around for an hour I headed back to Springbrook School to wait for
Tuesday when the students returned.
Since I spent most of my time in the
Springbrook School Library with Mrs. Benjamin and Mrs. Mouradjian, I
was able to meet all 380 students and teachers. Boy, did I
learn a lot about Westerly! My special friends were the
third grade classes. They were the ones who helped me with my
album pages.
Here are some of the things I learned about
Westerly.
I had a wonderful visit
and hope to come back again. Now I am off to Hope Valley.
I'll be in touch soon.
Rhonda Rhody
PS Check out my pictures around Springbrook School. Click
on the pictures to make them larger.
 |
 |
 |
Hi Boys and Girls,
I was at the Hope Valley Elementary School
from February 3rd to Valentine's Day. This school is on Main
Street and it has three hundred seven students in grades K to 5.
It is located in the village of Hope Valley which is part of
the town of Hopkinton. It is in a rural area of the state.
The school district is called Chariho. It includes
students from three towns; Hopkinton, Richmond, and Charlestown.
The Enchanted Forest, a young child's amusement park, and "In
Harmony," a therapeutic horse riding center, are both located in
Hopkinton. I visited Mrs. Foggo's fourth grade. There are
sixteen children in the class.
I was involved in many exciting adventures
during my stay in Hope Valley. Some of them included publishing
biography reports, researching historic buildings in our state,
learning about heat energy, reading "Something Upstairs" by Avi,
working on lots of mathematical problem solving, using quotations,
E-mailing "Cyber Pals" on Block Island, and making Valentine's Day
items for the residents of the W.A.R.M. Shelter. This is a
shelter for homeless people in the Westerly area.
There are seven computers in this class and
four of them are online. The students used them all the time
and I was always part of one of their integrated technology projects.
They made me feel at home. I did many fascinating tasks
and I heard many interesting stories while in the school or when at a
student's home. I had a great time!
Love,
Rhonda
March 6, 2003
Dear Girls and Boys,
I have had a very exciting time in Mrs. Kilcup's Kindergarten class
at Carey School in Newport! I drove over the Jamestown and
Newport Bridges with Mrs. Kilcup. Carey School is close to the
waterfront. Carey is also close to some beautiful mansions,
Cliff Walk, Ocean Drive, and Salve Regina University. Carey School is
108 years old. There are many, many historical sites in
Newport. When the explorer Verranzano visited in the 1500's, he
liked what he saw so much that he stayed long enough to enjoy the
first two-week vacation in America. Newport has many
‚"firsts"‚ and that's why Newport is known as "America's
First Resort".
I missed meeting one of my cousins, a Dominique chicken from
Casey Farm in Saunderstown. She is coming next week.
Dominique chickens are the oldest breed to be raised in this
country....even older than Rhode Island Reds! Casey Farm
is trying to increase the population of this kind of chicken, and
some schools are helping out by incubating the eggs laid by the
chickens on the farm. It will take 21 days for the eggs to
hatch.They will go back to Casey Farm a few days after they hatch.
The children will go on a field trip to the farm in May to see how
the chicks are doing.
I got to stay with one child for a half day, and went home with
another child at night. I heard lots of chicken and hen
stories. We had a visit from the Roger Williams Park Zoo mobile.
I met an eastern box turtle, a yellow rat snake, and a
chinchilla. I'm glad that the yellow rat snake won't be here when the
eggs arrive, because he eats them. Many of the children drew
pictures of me and wrote about me in their journals. I even had
my own journal! Now I'm off to Quidnessett School in N.
Kingstown.
Love,
Rhonda Rhody
Hola Amigos!
I arrived at Veterans Memorial Elementary School in Central Falls on
Monday, November 25th. I learned that Central Falls is an urban
area. In fact, it is the smallest city in the United States!
It is only one square mile.
In the past Central Falls was home to many new immigrants.
Irish, Polish and French immigrants were the earliest citizens
of Central Falls. Now Central Falls continues to be home to new
immigrants. Many immigrants from Central and South America live
in Central Falls now. Their first grade class has children from
many different Latin American countries including Puerto Rico, the
Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Columbia. They are all
learning to speak English! They have a class mascot, named
Squeaky who is getting ready to travel around the State of Rhode
Island too! In fact, he will be visiting my home! We hung
out together during my visit!
I had fun with this class because I arrived for Thanksgiving Week. I
got to go to their feast! They had soup and bread. They peeled
all the vegetables for the soup and baked the bread. Boy!
The food smelled great! One of the children even made a
Native American necklace for me to wear at the feast!
I also joined them for morning meeting and greeting. They let
me do the greeting. They loved my Cock a doodle doo... Though
they did worry that I was getting a sore throat or laryngitis!
Well, these guys certainly have kept me very very busy! But I'm
packing my bags and getting ready to move on! Stay tuned to see
what happens to me when I arrive in Smithfield!
Adios mi amigos!
Rocky
Hi Friends,
I am having such a great time here at Anna McCabe School, in
Smithfield! I have so many new friends now, and gee, I hope I
remember everyone’s name! The Second Graders in Mrs. Lenore’s
class have been so nice to me. I’ve had the opportunity to do
many jobs in the classroom and spend special time with my new
friends. Of course, it’s always fun when the classroom reads
all about me---I feel like such a star!
Smithfield is a great town! Did you know that it’s called “Apple
Country” because it has so many orchards? The children here are
lucky to be able to go apple picking in their own town! A few of my
friends told me that in the summer, they go to the orchards for
strawberry and blueberry picking, too! And here’s
something else you probably didn’t know: The New England
Patriots—the Super Bowl Champs—practice every summer in
our town, at Bryant College! We are very proud of that fact!
Smithfield is an old town. It was first settled in the year 1636, and
made a town in 1730. That’s a long time ago!
Well, I have to go now. Mrs. Lenore said that I need to get ready for
lunch—my last day here at Anna McCabe. I think we’re
having egg-salad for lunch. (I really want a McDonald’s
cheeseburger!). Talk to you soon!
Your friend,
Rocky
P.S. Here are some pictures from my trip to Smithfield. Click on pictures to make them bigger.
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
||
I have been in Mrs. Karmozyn's first grade at Austin T. Levy School in Harrisville. I learned that Harrisville is a village in the town of Burrillville. Burrillville is a rural community in the northwest corner of RI. It borders MA and CT.
The Nipmuc Native Americans were the first people to live here. They hunted the woodlands and fished in the clear rivers and streams. The firstnEuropeans came soon after Roger Williams settled Providence. Most of thesenfirst settlers were farmers. During the early 1800's, the town's waterways were used to power textile mills. They were the center for Burrillville's many villages. During the 1950's, the mills closed. Many were later destroyed by fire or were torn down. Today, the many villages are pleasant places for people to live. Burrillville is beautiful every season with its many lakes, streams, woodlands and hills.
Austin T. Levy School was named after a philanthropist, Austin T. Levy. A philanthropist is a person who shares his money with others. Mr. Levy gave the money to build the school and many other public buildings in Burrillville.
We have been very busy at A. T. Levy School. We began each day with a "Morning Meeting." We sat in a circle on a carpet map of the US, sang a cooperation song and then greeted each other with a good morning and a handshake. It was easy for me to learn everyone's name. Next, we read the message on the News Chart. Guess what? The news was about the exciting things we were going to do together. There was a "Special Child of the Day" and that child was my guide for the day. Next, we did reading and writing workshop. Everyone certainly loves to read and write in this classroom. Some children even wrote stories about me.
After lunch it was time for math. We played a money game and a game called Tower of Power. You roll two dice, add the numbers and build a tower with unifix cubes to show the sum. This game is really helping me to learn addition facts.
Everyone at Levy School was getting ready to celebrate the Chinese New Year and the 100th Day of school. In art we made a giant paper mache ram to celebrate The Year of the Ram. We all visited China with Big Bird by viewing a video. We saw the Great Wall of China, visited a school and learned some Chinese words. Ni hao (New How) means hello. We learned that people travel from place to place on bicycles. Did you know that more people live in China than anywhere else?
I have had a great time at Levy school but it is time for me to move on to Foster where I am sure I will have some new and exciting experiences. I sure like traveling.
Your Friend,
Rocky Rhody
What a great visit I've had in Warwick! Many of the children at Warwick Neck School remember meeting Rhonda and were anxious to tell me what they've been doing this year. With 350 children, Warwick Neck is one of the largest of Warwick's twenty elementary schools. Their motto is "Let your light shine" and their symbol is the lighthouse. Because they have a computer lab in the library media center, everyone had a chance to visit our website and explore the links.
I had an exciting visit to the Warwick Public Library with the second-graders. We toured Many of them got library cards and borrowed favorite books like Junie B. Jones, Magic Tree House, sharks - and chickens!
I made a lot of new friends at Greene School, which is very close to Warwick Neck. The first graders were just starting to talk about communities, so they knew that Warwick is a suburb of Rhode Island's capital, Providence. It is the second largest city in RI and is located south and west of Providence.
Although Warwick is very busy with lots of restaurants, stores and malls (it is the shopping capital of RI) and the state airport (T. F. Green), Warwick Neck and the Greene School community are very quiet. Many of the students can walk to the shores of Narragansett Bay. Some travel to nearby Oakland Beach in the summer, a nice but kind of rocky beach on the Bay (so it has little waves). Warwick has many playgrounds and parks, a terrific skating rink and a pool. Some of you may remember Rocky Point Amusement Park - it's practically in Warwick Neck School's backyard. There are even a few farms in Warwick.
Warwick was the fourth settlement in RI, founded by Samuel Gorton in 1642. It has 39 villages. One of them, Pawtuxet Village, is the oldest village in New England. The first strike for freedom to begin the Revolutionary War happened in Warwick with the burning of the Gaspee. Every year we celebrate with a big Gaspee Days parade and craft festival and other activities. .
.Now I'm off to visit Rhode Island's capital, Providence. Hello to my friends back home in Glen Hills - please give Cutie Ruby red a kiss for me!
Your friend,
Rocky Rhody
http://www.cpsed.net/murphy/rhonda
This page was last updated March 23, 2003
top
of Rhonda's Journal