Sunday Letters 9.6.15

Dear New Third Graders,

You are amazing!  Each teacher from your past has told me how wonderful you are as a group and they are not exaggerating!

Thank you for all of the notes and pictures that you have made for me.  To spend you quiet time making me pictures shows how kind and considerate you are.  You are already cooperative, assertive, responsible, empathetic students with quite a bit of self control. Now you have words to describe all of your positive attributes and you are building on them each day.  It is because of you that I can be the nice, fun teacher you claim I am.

Your writing stamina, ideas, and enthusiasm has grown so much over the last week!  Only one week of writing workshop and you are hooked!  I love reading all of your writing:  lists, fictional stories, letters.  Your topics are so diverse and entertaining!  Letters to Taylor Swift, each other, and even tacos!  Fictional stories about robotic ducks and a fight between Spiderman and Venom over a Starbucks card!  I can’t wait to read what else you have inside you waiting to come out on paper this year!  Enjoy decorating your notebooks this weekend!

I hope to give you an environment that allows you to take risks and grow this year!  You will learn and grow as students and young people, I promise you that.  I can’t wait for all of the adventures we will have together this school year!

See you Wednesday!

Ms. Bless

Five for Friday and a Glorious Three Day Weekend

ONE

As all of the kids were lining up for recess, I noticed that one boy from our class was still on the playground.  You know that twisty thing that kids can climb up or down? It kind of looks like DNA?  Well, when he just looked at me after I told him to get in line with the rest of the kids, I realized he was stuck!  It took a few minutes, but I did get him out.   I have no idea how he did it and I don’t think I will be able to walk past that thing again without smiling.

TWO

This morning, while trying to get my son ready to drop off on my way to work, he spotted a frog on the living room window.  Crazy!  Can you say major distraction?

THREE

We use Responsive Classroom, an integration of social and academic learning.  One aspect is logical consequences and positive time-outs.  We call them “breaks” and teach kids to use them to regain self control.  

While some kids are often in the break chair, others seldom if ever go there.  However, when we first introduce the concept, each child takes a turn in the chair.  (Just to experience it and practice expectations.)  And the kids with the most self control, the ones that never get in trouble and always obey the rules, are always super excited to go to the chair.  I absolutely love the huge smiles they have when they are sitting in the chair that first time!  They practically leap out of their chairs with smiles from ear to ear as soon as we say “Take a Break” to them.

 

FOUR

I think, other than time with my son, I might miss naps the most.  Summer is over and I can’t just lay on the couch and nap whenever I feel the least bit tired.  Why is it I thought they were so horrible as a kid?

 

FIVE

That brings me to the weekend, the three day weekend.  Time for naps, hanging with my favorite little man, and seeing Ghostbusters in the theater!  Yes, I know I can watch it on Netflix, but I am still excited to experience it in the theater.  With popcorn!  Thank goodness that my wonderful friend is also willing and eager to pay money to see it in the theater too!  With popcorn!  You can’t forget the movie theater popcorn!