One School One Book

February is right around the corner which means it is one of my FAVORITE times of the year.  One School One Book is kicking off February 1.  Each family at Freeman will be receiving a FREE copy of the chosen book this year along with a reading guide, bookmark, and maybe even a fun surprise! 

Why do I love this project so much?  Reading is a passion of mine.  I am a bookaholic (if that is even a word) I am pretty sure.  I have been collecting boxes of books since I can remember.  Each time we move, I am reminded of the hundreds of titles and thousands of pounds that get shuffled in and out of boxes.  You would think in a digital age, most of these would be on an iPad or Kindle, but no.  There is something thrilling to me to hold a book in my hand and having a sense of accomplishment with every page that I turn.  I can quickly go back through to re-read if I missed a detail or make a note on the side if I want to remember something for later.

Every day, Monday through Friday, family's will be given a reading assignment from the book that we are all reading.  The next day in class, there will be a short discussion with the other students about what was read the day before.  There might even be little activities that go along with the story from time to time.  It's fun to have conversations with the kids at school about the characters from the book or what they think will happen next.  The weekends are meant for catch up time because we understand that life is busy!

The part that I love the MOST about this project is that it provides an opportunity for family's to come together at night, before school, in the car, wherever and read together.  It provides a chance for discussion about life, or what happened at school that day.  So many times we are rushed from one activity to the next that we don't take time to sit down and have intentional, uninterrupted time together.  This is such an important part of a students day!  Plus it promotes reading as a family. 

Parents often ask teachers, "How can I help my child be a better reader?"  The answer is simple.  READ.  If you are wondering why reading for 20 minutes each night makes a difference, look at this chart below.





When I see statistics like the chart above, I get pretty passionate about reading each night at home.  If you are struggling with what to read, just pick something.  Don't worry so much about the content or if it is too easy, or too difficult for them to understand.  When my daughters were one years old, my husband and I would put them in their cribs, sit down on the floor of their bedroom and read Harry Potter with a book light.  We knew they didn't understand the story line, but they got used to hearing how we read.  They heard the pauses and inflections, the excitement or worry.  They might even have picked up on our facial expressions.  The girls are 7 now and even on the nights that we get home late, past their bedtime, we cannot go to sleep without a story, even if it is a short one. 

Make reading a habit.  Just like your bedtime routine, add reading together the last thing you do before lights are off and you tuck them in.

We will be giving out clues as to what the title of our book will be this week so be sure to follow us on Twitter #freemanfalcons or @erinsieh and our Facebook Page, Freeman Elementary School.

Happy New Year

2019    Turning the calendar over to a new year, for a lot of people, means starting over, setting goals, creating resolutions. Many are really motivated for the first few weeks. It is a fact that gym memberships sky rocket in January and then by the end of the month, most people go back to their old habits and feel defeated that they fell off the wagon.  They are a loser and will never make their goals.  Eleven months go by and they find themselves gearing up for a motivating new year again.

I don't really believe in New Year's resolutions. I am more of a goal setter. It's true, that if you write down your goals, you are more likely to achieve them. Even if you have set them aside for a while. Don't get me wrong, I love starting a new year and the energy it can bring with the newness. Just the same that I like starting each school year over in August.  It's refreshing and inviting.

Of course there is nothing special about starting in January.  You can start new goals any time of the year.  In fact, I like to re-evaluate in the summer and if need be, self correct a little bit or set some new goals.

I encourage you to set some goals for yourself. It can be for 2019, or for the month of January. Keep setting goals, make them realistic and attainable, but also think outside the box a little. Here are a few of mine for the year:

Complete a Marathon

Connect with a friend on a weekly basis

Read 2-3 books a month

Create more experiences/memories with my family instead of collecting more "things"

Cutting my social media browsing down by 1/3

The scariest goal on my list is a marathon.  This has been an ambition of mine for about 20 years.  For the half marathons that I have completed, after crossing the finish line, I can't imagine running that race all over again.  There is no way my body can will itself through another grueling 13 miles.  However, there is something exciting about putting a really lofty goal on your calendar.  Don't get me wrong, I am terrified to run 26.2 miles.  But I am also excited for a challenge that is probably as hard as anything I have ever done.  Thank goodness I have a great support system and some friends to encourage me along the way.

Today was an easy day.  I am at the start of my training for a half marathon in May.  The full will be in the fall.  It's the days 2 months from now, where I haven't gotten good sleep, my legs ache, the wind is blowing 25 mph and I am just not "feeling" like lacing up my shoes.  Those are going to be the hard days.

What about starting the new year at school.  One of the biggest mistakes that we make coming back is asking kids "how was your break?"  It's just a natural question.  However, there are some kiddos that had a rotten break and would much rather have been here, at school, than not.  Maybe there weren't any presents under the tree, or maybe not even a tree or decorations.  Perhaps the heat had been turned off or there were no family gatherings to go to.  I was once told that instead of saying "how was your break?"  You should just look at each child, smile, and tell them that you are glad they are here.

As you think about starting the second semester, or maybe just as you think about kids and life in general, I hope you take the time to watch this Ted Talk from Rita Pierson.  It is about 7 minutes, but it is worth your while.  Indeed every kid needs a champion, and I hope that you will be a champion for someone.

Every Kid Needs a Champion by Rita Pierson