Kindness Day #7

November 7-

When you don't feel good, all you want is your mom.  I am 37 years old, and I still miss my mom when I don't feel good.  Admittedly a few years ago, she came to take care of me when I was really feeling crumby...made me some hot tea and soup.  So yesterday I go to play mom/nurse for my little one.  Miss Em wasn't feeling good and started running a low grade temp.  By evening she was a hot mess.  She wanted tomato soup so we made a pot which she slurped right down.  Before it was even 7pm, we were in jammies curled up reading stories.  Her eyes were heavy but was sound alseep by 7:30.  It's no fun to have little ones who feel bad, but it feels good to try and make them feel better.

Kindness Day #6-

November 6-

Sharing is good, sharing makes my soul feel good.  This is a popular time of year when movies come out.  Last year I watched Bad Moms.  It was one of those movies that you wanted to see, but didn't want anyone to see you AT the theater watching it.  The movie is funny, SO funny.  Mostly because it is true and very relateable as a female. 

Of course I want to go to Bad Moms 2...the Christmas version that just came out.  Going to this movie will be way more enjoyable with girlfriends than your spouse.  So for day #6, I shared the first movie with a friend so that we could see the second one later this month.  Good belly laughing is good for the soul, right?!

Kindness Day #4- November 4

Rocky Before

  Living on a farm, you never know what adventures you might run across.  I grew up on a farm, but still consider it my home.  On Saturday, I was visiting my mom when she told me that the farm dog had gotten ahold of a baby kitty.  Usually this is code for 'snapped neck' or 'killed.'  His coat was drenched in dog slobber, not moving very much with his eyes half open.  The poor thing was simply adorable but pretty pathetic.  Being the animal lover that I am, I picked up the box and took him home.  The girls would be thrilled, but my husband, not so much!  My mom and I agreed that he would be lucky to make it through the night.

When I got home, I made a soft bed for him and let him rest.  Being a mom, I didn't sleep well wondering if he would be alive in the morning or not.  About 1:30 I got up to check on him.  He popped his little head up and was crying.  Now this little guy is little so hasn't been weaned off his mother.  I had some soft kitten food and put some water with it and it ate and ate as best he could.  I tucked him into bed again thinking the morning looked promising.  By morning our little fighter kitten was up and meowing and starving!  So more soft food and water.  By mid morning he was following us around the house and purring!  I have never seen a wild barn kitten so tame and loving when it hasn't been around people.

He is a lovey kitten and we hope to find a nice home for him.  Although we joke that we may need to help him "recover" for life.  Picking out a name was tricky, but I think we settled on Rocky.  He is a fighter after all.

Rocky After

Kindess Day #3- November 3

The service industry cannot be easy.  You are constantly serving others: making food, cleaning, taking care of children, greeting guests, answering questions and trying to do so with a positive attitude and smile.  I can imagine it is probably a thankless job most of the time. 

On Thursday and Friday I attended a conference.  Any time I stay in a hotel, I think about the maids and how they do the same job every day.  It can't be an easy job, but I sure appreciate a clean room, clean towels, and clean sheets.

My random act of kindness was to leave a $5 bill and a note of thanks.  I hope she (or he) enjoyed a soda after a long day of work!

Kindness Day #2- November 2

Fall is a great time of year.  I love fall!  I love sweatshirts, soup, fresh baked bread, football, and the crisp air.  Food videos are a guilty pleasure.  I really enjoy watching food videos!  What can I say?  Now my twin 6 year olds love to watch them too.  I ran across a video about mini apple pies.  So I baked up 24 last night.  I am a baker and I almost feel guilty about making them because it takes sugar cookie dough, apple pie filling.  I did make from scratch the whipped cream.  Yum-O!

This morning, we delivered a plate to the elementary office for a sweet treat!  Never mind that the plate (covered in plastic) fell onto the floor before it got to the office. Oh well...it all tastes the same even if it is slightly mangled. 

Day #2:  Mini Apple Pie

Kindness Day #1-November 1

What is something that makes people happy?  Food!  Food is fuel, but can also be comfort.  At the end of the day, sometimes it is great to just have a treat to celebrate the end of the day.  At our staff meeting, I shared 2 buckets of Halloween candy.  One bucket of chocolate, one of non-chocolate.

Day #1 Shared Halloween candy

November Kindness Project

Quite a while ago, I read the book, WONDER by RJ Palacio.  This was one of the best books that I had read in a very long time.  One of those "so good that you cry" books.  It's a favorite for adults and students alike.  I could hardly contain my excitement when I learned that there was a movie that was coming out.  As a bonus, the main actor is Owen Wilson and actress, Julia Roberts!!  If you don't know the story WONDER, you need to.  I will write more about that later.

You may have seen some pictures or clipart of something like this:

Being kind is a major theme that runs through the book.  Ironically, November is also Kindness month.  Let's face it, we all need a little more kindness in the world, right?!  We had a staff meeting yesterday where I presented to the staff a challenge.  I copied a blank calendar of the month of November and challenged each staff to perform one random act of kindness for each day of the month and jot it down...accountability to themselves. 

At home, I created a video with my own girls about a kindness challenge to the students.  Students are also to perform acts of kindness each week and post it up on our bulletin board by the elementary office.  My hope is that the board will be bursting with all kinds of kindness but also create some change so that practicing kindness becomes a habit without thinking.

Check back here to see all the good that is happening.  Of course, tweet it out if you can #BeKind.

What's the Deal With These Fidget Spinners?

You may have noticed a new trend.  Fidget Spinners. They are very popular with students across America right now, but some adults are starting to buy into the fascination with them as well.  You may be aware that "fidgets" are tools designed to help some students focus or concentrate better while sitting in class, listening to a presentation, or just chilling out.  For some it creates a sense of relaxation or calmness.

Fidget Spinner's are all the craze right now.
Click to Read Article

There is some science behind fidgeting or tapping your foot, messing with jewelry or your hair while you listen or concentrate on a task.  It's called self-regulation.  Most of us have a little quirk that helps us focus, some are just more noticeable than others.  

I admit, I have caved to the fidget spinner craze by purchasing 2 for my daughters this past summer.  They were wildly popular for a period of time but now I just see them sitting by their beds.  Once in a while, they will pick them up and spin them around and around but the hype has disappeared.  Perhaps part of it is that I would not allow them to take them to school, church, or while visiting friends.  They were to be used at home or in the car only.  

A friend of mine explains fidget spinners best, they are fun if you are using them, but to watch others using them, they are super annoying.  She is right.  I cringe when I see kids playing around with them, but spinning it around for a few minutes myself is kind of fun.  

I don't see fidget spinner around school very much right now.  It seems that last spring and over the summer they were all over the place.  They have very much just been a phase which makes me wonder what the next "gadget" will be...

The Energy Bus

This time of year, energy seems to be lacking around the building.  As much as we try to do our best and start the day with a fresh attitude, life happens and it can be a struggle.  I guess there is a reason there is this thing called "Spring Break."  Some days there isn't enough coffee and caffeine to keep the body going and the mind sharp.  So we have to draw our energy from somewhere else.  For each of us, that can be a different place or different items.

One of my favorite things to do is to go running.  About 99% of the time, when I am finished with a run, I feel a LOT better.  I like to start my day with a run, but the cold, dark, and rain has been preventing that lately.  So the good ole treadmill has been getting a workout, but even that is depressing.  I reminded the kids this morning that the sun will come out tomorrow (or eventually).  Gotta love the music in Annie which I have been singing over and over this weekend.  So what else do I like to do to boost my mood?  Of course there is food, which isn't the healthiest choice, but it sure tastes good going down.  Friday night I went to a comedy show, which made me feel 10 times better.  I think laughter really is the best medicine.  Catching up with friends or unplugging from reality are also great ways for me to recharge.

This year, our staff read The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon.  It is a simple read but a great message with lots of wonderful quotations and snippets of "energy."  As this time of year gets tough, I have pulled out my book and have been skimming through it to be reminded of how to find more fuel for the week.  I would encourage you to pick up a copy or check it out at your local library.  There is also a kids version of the book called The Energy Bus for Kids.

Here are the top 10 Rules for the Ride of Your Life:
1.  You're the Driver of the Bus.
2.  Desire, Vision and Focus move your bus in the right direction.
3.  Fuel your Ride with Positive Energy.
4.  Invite People on Your Bus and Share your Vision for the Road Ahead.
5.  Don't Waste Your Energy on those who don't get on your Bus.
6.  Post a Sign that says "No Energy Vampires Allowed" on your Bus.
7.  Enthusiasm attracts more Passengers and Energizes them during the Ride.
8.  Love your Passengers
9.  Drive with Purpose.
10. Have Fun and Enjoy the Ride.

So if you find yourself in a slump, go do something that lifts your spirits and gets you going again.  Perhaps one of my favorite quotes that I have displayed in the elementary commons this week is, "Some days you just have to make your own sunshine." What a great reminder!

The Lemonade War!

During the month of February, the Freeman Elementary read The Lemonade Wary by Jacqueline Davies as part of our One School One Book project.  This was the 3rd year that we have participated in the program.

Usually I pick the book based on what I think the students will enjoy.  This year, we had the students vote on a book.  Then from the top 3 choices, we had another vote for the book we read.  It was a secret until the reveal earlier this month.  Our top three choices were PIE, THE INDIAN IN THE CUPBOARD, and THE LEMONADE WAR.  The Indian in the Cupboard was a very close second.

Each student at Freeman PK-6 received a copy of the book compliments of the PTO and Freeman Public Schools.  Every night there was a reading assignment and then questions were read each morning with announcements that each class had to answer.  It's a great way to keep the entire family involved in the project.

If you don't know anything about the book, I highly recommend you pick it up and read.  The story revolves around a brother and sister, Evan and Jessie who typically get a long.  However, Evan is worried that his little sister will be promoted to 4th grade next year (the same grade that he is in) and will make him look stupid.  So they start fighting.  Evan and Jessie make a bet about who can earn the most money with a lemonade stand before the end of summer which is Labor Day.  Suspense builds as you try to figure out who will earn more money.  By the end, they come to a truce...but who won??  I won't spoil that for you.

If you loved this book, be sure to pick up the second book in the series, THE LEMONADE CRIME.  It is a continuation of what happened at the end of this book.

If you participated with your family in the project, THANK YOU!  The best way for kids to learn to become better readers, is by modeling and sitting down together to read.  Sometimes the kids don't even have to know how to read, just sharing in a love for literature can make a huge different.  Go to the local library, spend some time at a book store, read a book together and then watch the movie about it and compare how it is alike or different, start a book club or book talk with some friends.  There are many ways that you can foster a love for reading.  Check back in with us next February to see what the next book our school reads!

This Will Revolutionize Education

This video was shared with my by a colleague.  What a great 7 minutes about education and the role of teachers.

Being a Partner in Education

Parents want the best for their kids.  Schools are no different!  Every day we are making decisions about what is best for students.  It's hard.  Sometimes there is push back because of the decisions that we make.  They are your children and sometimes it is difficult to know what is best or what the solution is.  The bottom line is, we are all doing the best that we can!

Teachers make 200-300 exchanges with students every hour.  This means they are making 1200-1500 decisions every day.  That equates to one decision every 4 minutes.  On top of that, teachers are busy being role models, information providers, facilitators, administrators, assessors, disciplinarians, and nurturers.  When you are spreading your attention between 20 or more students a day that can be overwhelming and exhausting.  Not to mention all the energy and stories that students share with you daily.  There is a lot that goes on in school in a day.  There are lessons to plan, papers to grade, centers to create and set up, emails and phone calls to return, websites to update, problems to solve, students to serve.

Parents have bills to pay, jobs to go to, groceries to buy, meals to cook, activities to take kids to, laundry, dishes, homework to help with, mowing the lawn, feeding the cats, walking the dogs, problems to solve and kids to serve.

Every day, teachers are doing the best that they can and I know that parents are too.

The point is, we need to be in this together.  We need to be partners in every aspect of a child's education.  We should be:

-Having open and honest communication with our kids.
-Sitting down with students to work on homework.
-Spending 20 minutes a night reading with your child.
-Supporting students with activities or school events.
-Modeling positive behavior (they are watching everything adults do!)
-Talking with students about how their day was.
-Problem solving difficult situations.
-Working through friendships and interactions with others.
-Making sure they are modeling good character.
-Teaching tolerance and acceptance.
-Supporting creativity and extra curricular activities (not just athletics).
-Spending time playing together and exploring new things.
 
Schools want the best for students.  In order to create the best students, we need parental and community support.  The phrase, "it takes a village" rings so true in education.  Raising the best students isn't just one persons job, it takes everyone.

I am an educator and have the best of intentions, but still I go to sleep thinking I was a parent fail that day.  We try hard and have good intentions, but sometimes it's all we can do to get through the day.  Being a parent that is about to send two kids off to kindergarten has given me a new perspective on education.  I have a greater appreciation for teachers and parents by living in both worlds.  It really makes me think that we are ALL doing the best that we can, with what we are given.

So the next time there is a concern or problem or activity, remember to be kind, be supportive and make it a positive experience with your child.