|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Newsletter - December 2009
|
 |
|
|
|
Rooster Morris
PO Box 269
Rockdale, Texas 76567
800-866-2685
|
News & Views
December 2009 |
| |
Out of the Mouths of Babes...
This month's newsletter is devoted to the students that we have seen this year. Many students send letters, cards, and notes after a performance or workshop. This year we received posters, postcards, drawings, letters, notes, and email from all over the country. We know you will enjoy these as much as we do! We have edited for clarity only.
Birthday Party at 40,000 Feet by Cooper Kegley
Beep. Beep. "This is your captin speaking. You are now free to roam about the cabin. Let the party begin!"
"This party couldn't get any better," I said. All of my friends are here having a party on an Airbus 380. One hundred presents for me and a four foot cake too! The captin put on some music over the PA. This is the best party in my life! The best part is that this private party jet will stay in the air for 14 hours.
After the party was over we had 4 hours to go. Every bathroom on the plane was occupied and smelled horrible. Everyone was air sick bad.
Note to self - never have a party on a plane again!
They Said It
Quotes from Students, Teachers, and Parents
"I want to be just like you when I grow up--except for the gray hair." (A boy in Texas)
"Did your mother really name you Rooster?" (A girl in Kansas)
"Will Axle ever meet a princess?" (Several girls in several different states)
"Can you bring Axle to Oklahoma? I want to meet him." (A boy in Hollis, Oklahoma)
"Your books rock!" (Kids everywhere)
"Do you think you could put me in your stories? My name is ________." (Boys and girls from all over the country)
"Do you live in a mansion?" (A boy in Kentucky)
"Listening to Mr. Morris read to me was like watching TV in my head" (A boy in New Mexico)
They Drew It
Created by Students
They Colored It
Schools Everywhere
|
|
|
Programs & Schedule
Skype an Author
If your school has Skype capabilities and would like to interview Rooster, email Jody and be the first school to use this new technology!
Teacher Workshops
Rooster has developed a workshop just for teachers that includes the teachers writing as a modeling exercise. Rooster has found that when he gives a writing workshop and the teachers write with the students, the students perform better. Teachers have said, "Thank you for the fresh new ideas. I can use them every day!"
Author Visit
The students will see and hear for themselves how Rooster went from being a horse rider to a book writer; from a reluctant reader to a creator of a children's series. Rooster will share how reading to kids was the inspiration for him to begin writing and how it was kids who helped him overcome his fear of writing.
The reading program includes Rooster performing readings and songs from his books. He will bring the characters to life with incredible voices, music, and sound effects. Rooster interacts with the audience by asking volunteers to help him perform some of the songs from the Axle Galench series. The kids get to share the microphone and perform in character while the audience cheers them on!
Rooster speaks about the importance of habits. He encourages the kids to read and write every day so they can be experts in school. Rooster's program is filled with practical strategies to help students truly Succeed with Reading.
Rooster performing with students at a school
The intriguing and compelling story of Axle Galench becomes a personal experience as the audience enters into the saga of this little boy's journey into the land of Bedlam.
What better way to show your students how much fun reading can be than to watch a published author do just that?
Targeted audience is 1st grade to adult.
Writing Workshop
This 60-minute session helps students with the writing process. Beginning with getting those first great ideas down on paper in list form, to adding dialogue, and then writing an actual essay based on an imaginary event, this workshop gives students skills that will last them a lifetime. Rooster will ask for volunteers to read their stories to the group. This workshop is a GREAT CONFIDENCE BUILDER for students and teachers, alike!
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
December 8, 2009
Eunice Middle School (AM)
Eunice Elementary (PM)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
December 9, 2009
Mills Elementary
Hobbs, New Mexico
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
December 10, 2009
Stone Elementary (AM)
Southern Heights Elementary (PM)
Hobbs, New Mexico
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
December 11, 2009
Broadmoor Elementary
Hobbs, New Mexico
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
December 14, 2009
Ventana Ranch Elementary
Albuquerque, New Mexico
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
December 15, 2009
Bel-Air Elementary (AM)
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Arroyo del Oso Elementary (PM)
Albuquerque, New Mexico
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
December 17, 2009
South Georgia Elementary
Amarillo, Texas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
January 13, 2010
Bullard Elementary
Bullard, Texas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
January 15, 2010
Bales Intermediate
Friendswood, Texas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
January 20, 2010
Crouch Elementary
Arlington, Texas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
January 21, 2010
Amos Elementary
Arlington, Texas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
January 25 & 26, 2010
Mary Martin Elementary
Weatherford, Texas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
January 27, 2010
Ikard Elementary
Weatherford, Texas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
January 28, 2010
Austin Elementary
Weatherford, Texas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
January 29, 2010
Honey Grove Elementary
Honey Grove, Texas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
February 5, 2010
Roosevelt Elementary
Norman, Oklahoma
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
February 6, 2010
Southwest Regional IRA Convention
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
February 17, 2010
White Oaks Elementary
Fairfax, Virginia
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
February 18, 2010
Oak View Elementary
Fairfax, Virginia
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
February 19, 2010
Rolling Valley Elementary
Springfield, Virginia
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
March 2-6, 2010
Peoria Schools
Peoria, Arizona
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
March 12, 2010
Mary Michael Elementary
San Antonio, Texas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
April 7-9, 2010
New Mexico Library Association Conference
Albuquerque, New Mexico
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May 14, 2010
Valley Hi Elementary
San Antonio, Texas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May 19, 2010
Socorro ISD
El Paso, Texas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May 20, 2010
Socorro ISD
El Paso, Texas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May 21, 2010
El Paso ISD
El Paso, Texas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
February 11, 2011
New Mexico Regional IRA Conference
Albuquerque, New Mexico
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
November 17, 2011
Childress Elementary
Childress, Texas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For more information about Rooster's programs, visit www.laid-back.com or call 800-866-2685.
|
|
Video & Media
To watch Rooster's videos on YouTube or read articles from newspapers, click on the appropriate link below:
Photos from the Wellington Ritz Theater
To download and read media articles, click here. The articles are listed on the right side of the page. 
|
|
Land of Enchantment Award Nominee
Axle Galench
in Search of Barnsfoggon
has been named to the
New Mexico Land of Enchantment
Award Reading List
for 2009-2010!
|
|
|
TCA Deadlines
Rooster is on the TCA's Touring Roster. This means that schools and libraries can apply for a mini-grant to help cover Rooster's fee and expenses.
For performances occurring:
September 1 - December 14, 2009
the application deadline is August 1, 2009.
December 15 - March 14, 2010,
the application deadline is November 1, 2009.
March 15 - June 14, 2010,
the application deadline is February 1, 2010.
June 15 - August 31, 2010,
the application deadline is May 1, 2010.
There are special funds available for programs hosted in the Rio Grande Valley and in the Midland / Odessa area.
For more information about mini-grants, you can call TCA at 512-463-5535 ext. 0, or call Jody at 800-866-2685, or email jody@laid-back.com.
|
|
Quotes from the Audience
"Last night I went to a play at our local playhouse and sat next to a 6th grade teacher from Broadmoor Elementary.
She felt that Rooster's writing workshop was very beneficial and that the students were engaged in the writing prompts.
This sort of opportunity is important, not just because of the short term teaching, but the reinforcement that it gives to the students that what their teachers are presenting is what the author has to produce."
Nancy Powell
Art Teacher
Stone Elementary
Hobbs, New Mexico
"Children in the Texas Panhandle were delighted and inspired with the 'Adventures of Axle Galench' from author, Rooster Morris! His program encourages children to read, write and pursue their talents.
Rooster literally touched hundreds of lives throughout the Texas Panhandle with live audiences and through a simulcast opportunity from the Globe-News Center to children in Miami and Dumas school districts.
We look forward to his return to the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts!"
Ali Tiegs
Executive Director
Window On A Wider World
Amarillo, Texas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"We loved you being in our school today. One of my teachers told me the coolest story right after you left.
She said, 'I have one little girl that cries every day when we write. Today she wrote almost a page and her story was picked by Rooster to be read. What a thrill that was!'
I know stories like these make your job even more rewarding. Thanks again!"
Janet Wood, Principal
Childress Elementary
Childress, Texas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I have a 6th grade student who is crazy about Axle Galench. He is keeping a list of unfamiliar words and writing definitions for them. He's very impressed that I have an autographed copy of the second book.
I was fortunate enough to attend a performance of Rooster's at an elementary school in Dalhart a few years ago.
Please put me on the e-mail list. I want to order the next book as soon as it comes out!"
Kay Arp
6th Grade Language Arts
Fannin Middle School
Amarillo, Texas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Of course I was thoroughly entertained--Rooster Morris' visit was wonderful. His ability to change his voice to fit all the characters in his stories is amazing!
But the most wonderful thing of all was watching the 4th graders during the writing workshop. Everyone was highly engaged as he showed them how to use their imaginations and "voice" to create their own stories with relative ease. Everyone was writing intently and everyone produced a composition!
Thanks again for a fabulous experience. Rooster and Jody are exceptional people who are providing an exceptional service for students."
Rosanna Webb
District Librarian
Lindsay Elementary
Lindsay, Texas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Thanks, Rooster & Jody! The Ritz auditorium was alive today! At times you could hear a pin drop as Rooster read, then the room would burst into giggles. We could 'feel' the students' enthusiasm. Thanks for a great show."
Francis Schmidt, President
Wellington Ritz Theater Inc.
Wellington, Texas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Today was wild! The Ritz with Rooster was wonderful! The students loved Rooster, his sounds, music, being on stage--he had them spellbound with his story. They listened so carefully! Teachers all agreed it was most enjoyable. I love to hear that!"
Barbara Bartlett
WOWW Representative
Window On A Wider World
Globe-News Center for Performing Arts
Amarillo, Texas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"We loved Rooster. The teachers were so impressed--I have heard only good feedback. We want you to come back in the future!"
Ellen Brown
Crow Elementary
Arlington, Texas
|
|
Rooster's Bookshelf
Rooster is currently reading:
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood by Mike Artell
Consumer Reports Magazine
Isreal's Tribes Today by Stephen M. Collins
Barbarians at the Gate by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar
|
|
|
|
Wishing each of you a blessed, beautiful Holiday,
Rooster Morris and Jody Logsdon
LBW Media, Inc.
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|