Keep Calm, Summer is Almost Here!

                 Upcoming Events:

 Hard to believe that there are only 4 days left of school.  This week we are holding theme days in the 4th grade classrooms.  We want the last few days to be fun and get the kids into summer mode.  Although, I think that many already are.  

Monday Disney Day; wear your Disney attire and accessories

Tuesday Camp Read A Lot; children can bring in blankets, flashlights, pillows, etc to set up camp in the room- No tents please

Wednesday Beach Day; wear your sunglasses, bring in towels and beach balls for some beach fun

Thursday Game Day; children can bring in board games, puzzles, etc.  Please no electronc devices.

Morning Meetings:

This past week I have had the students run the morning meetings.  They had to come up with a greeting, a sharing out and an activity.  The children did such a nice job.  Most of our meetings dealt with emotions/feelings.  Some nice discussions took place.

Spirit Week:

We held our last school wide spirit week also.  The children were full of spirit as they came into school dressed up for the theme of the day.  

Tropical Island Day; children had on island clothing and were displaying their island vibes.

Fancy Friday was another hit for Spirit Week.  The children dressed to the nines, in beautiful dresses, bow ties and suits.  

Look at all those smiling faces.  Overall, we had an amazing week.

Reading/Writing:

With all the excitement of the week, we still continued to read A Boy Called Bat.  They worked together to write up and share summaries of the chapters we read.

Book Tasting at Cafe Read:

On Friday, I transformed the room into a small cafe.  Tables were set, menus were distributed and there would be a feast of books to sample.

                                                                                                                             

Once the children entered our cafe, they chose their seating and began sampling at the books.  There were 4 courses, an appetizer, salad, entree and dessert in which they rotated to the different tables to get a "taste" of some of the books that were on the menu.

They were very much into the "meal" and sampled various genres as they spent time at the table until it was time to change courses.

As they filled in their menus, they had soft conversations about some of the books they were introduced to and discussed why the book was so interesting.

As I walked around to each table, making sure the books were to their liking, I could see the excitement on their faces.  This event was a hit and I hope that they were able to get some book ideas for their summer reading assignments.  I also played the part of Master Chef.

Lastly,on Friday afternoon we were able to listen to the 1st graders sing to us. They had been learning the song in 4 different languages all year.  Friday they performed for us.  It was wonderful to hear them and sing to us in those different languages.  

Social Emotional Corner:

With all that took place this week, and it was a lot, I had to realize that I needed to stay calm so that I could better serve my students.  I did a lot of breathing exercises along the way.  I made sure I went for walks after school to refresh and refocus for the following day.  I also had to reflect on what went well and what didn't go so well.  At this time of the year, it is hectic, to say the least.  However, if I check in on myself and regualate myself, I can be a better teacher to my students.  Although there are different levels of calm, I need to always make sure that I am ready for what the day brings.  If I am not prepared I know it will be a bad day for me.  If I am recharged and refocused, we all have a good day.

Reminders:

Many children are without snacks during our snack time.  Please make sure you or your child pack an extra snack or two.  

Children are also coming in without water bottles.  They often run around at recess or if they have gym class and find themselves very thirsty.

Please make sure the children are dressed appropriately and not with flip flops or very short shorts or sleeveless shirts.  

Cell phones need to remain in your child's locker.  They should not be on them or to be checked during the school day.

This week many of the children's things will be coming home, please make sure they bring in their back packs so their belongings come home.