First Grade Parade - Macy Style!

My great friend, Annie, brought this idea of a first grade parade to one of our schools about six years ago, and it's been a tradition ever since.  And now, because it builds school-wide community and a sense of collaboration between home and school, it's almost district-wide first grade.   You have to see it to believe it...  Each child makes a float.  Most of them do it at home with great elaboration and fanfare.  Many look just like those of the Macy's Day parade!  Sometimes even the simplest made are just as beautiful, and certainly the child is just as proud. 

About two or three weeks before, I send a flyer explaining to the parents what we are doing...It's made with a simple shoe box or similar size and has a string to pull it.  A few kids put wheels on them, but it wasn't necessary.  (When the pictures are developed, I will make a post of some of our floats!)


Here is one of the floats captured. It says, "Eat ham" on the front.









  Our school is separated into pods representing K-3.  And then 4th-6th is at another sister school down the road.  We went to our sister school first and the kids lined up outside and cheered and clapped and we threw candy.  My first graders puffed their chests proudly as they pulled their treasures down the sidewalk.   Then at the end of the sidewalk, we picked them up and headed to our school, where kids were lined up down the halls and all along the outside of the building.  I can see that this will be a tradition carried on in future years.

 

 

There will be more pictures to come.  But I'm sure you can tell from these that there was quite the turn out and there was a lot of enthusiasm as big brothers and sisters cheered them on. 

 

Have a fabulous Thanksgiving.  What did your school do to celebrate this day of gratitude?

 



   

Wrnkled Heart -vs- Full Heart Inspired by Molly Lou Melon

My kids love, love, love Molly Lou Melon.  They immediately related to her and want to cheer her on and protect her.   Often, they use the lessons she has taught us and try to apply it to new situations.  When we were doing our Family Meeting (sometimes called a Peace Circle),, we were talking about things that wrinkle our hearts and things that make our hearts full. We've talked a lot about thinking and be smart and not to cause a wrinkled heart.  One of our students drew Molly Lou Melon, and we hang our hearts beside it.

Here are some things the kids say wrinkle hearts:

taking things, calling names, not including someone, making fun of someone, being mean,  not sharing,

Here are some things the kids have said make our hearts full or grow our hearts (like the Grinch):
sharing, compliments, inviting others to play, cheering them on!, being nice,



Won't it make a great class book?   I think the kids will be pleasantly surprised.  We will put them side by side, to show the better choice...

SKYPE revisted for Technology Tuesday

We've been really enjoying the Skype experiences in our room.  Now we have a camera, and we aren't using my small little phone with the small little window anymore.  (Though the kids would still love every minute of the story, even just listening to it.)

This past week, my friend Annie read to us again from London . What I enjoy about this experience is that she was a first grade teacher and knows them as students and puts all her expectations for listening into place.  The kids sit straighter, and she asks them in advance not to play with their pumpkins or visit with their neighbor.  It's so cute!  They listen intently!


Another part that I like is that Annie chooses books that teach about character.  This week she chose a book about manners where a young child writes the Queen of England to ask about proper manners.  It's a funny book to the kids because the Queen writes back telling Kate to do the opposite of what she should do.  The kids laugh and say, "No!,  that's not right!"  We soared!

         http://clubs-kids.scholastic.co.uk/products/77756 - Yay!  It's a Scholastic book!  (However, it's an   
         English location.)

What I would love to encourage you to do is to try guest speakers in this way.  The kids love lots of different adults in their loves, and they especially enjoy guest readers.  Later this week, I am going to have my daughter, who is in the Coast Guard, read a book about her career to the kids.  They find this career choice fascinating, and it allows kids to aspire to be something that is worthwhile.  There will be lots of oohs and ahhs...I know! 

Now I see all other kinds of potential for this great tool.  Other teachers across the world can come right into my classroom.  Why should high school kids have all the fun?  I know that Annie will have the itch to teach soon.  It's in her blood, and when she's ready to teach a lesson, we will be ready.  For now, we will enjoy her beauty and her enthusiasm and marvelous sense of humor....She promised us a book about Knickers...all the kids snickered!

Have a fabulous Technology Tuesday.  Can't wait to hear what you do in your corner of the world.
Would you like to play in our room some day?

take care,

My daughter in Alabama, who is in the Coast Guard can read.