Polar Express Party!

Oh what fun it is to be a kid in second grade! Our Polar Express party was a blast!

Special thanks to Mrs. Belmonte and Mrs. Recor for helping to plan and organize this wonderful and creative celebration. We greatly appreciate the generous monetary donations earlier in the year and the donations of party supplies and goodies for our treats! A big thank you goes out to all of the parents who volunteered their time during the party organizing, serving the children and cleaning up afterward!

 We started with a fun and sticky sweet project! The kids used lots of fun candy pieces, graham crackers and frosting to create a Polar Express scene! They turned out really cute! The kids absolutely loved the project!

While the class was busy designing their train scenes, each child had a turn at the hot chocolate bar. There were marshmallows, chocolate bars, whipped cream, and crushed candy canes to top it all off! We listened to the the soundtrack from the Polar Express movie as we sipped our drinks.

Miss Emily made each child a bag of reindeer food with oats, sugar and glitter. The tag says:

Sprinkle on the lawn at night,

The moon will make it sparkle bright.

As Santa's reindeer fly and roam,

This will guide them to your home.

These Rudolph cookies were just too stinkin cute to eat! 

We tried to keep the food nice and healthy to balance out the blood sugar from the hot chocolate! We enjoyed grapes, cheese and crackers.

In the morning, the kiddos made their own bingo boards. They colored the tiles, cut them out and glued them in their lucky arrangement. 

My team of volunteers cleaned up while Emily and I took turns being the bingo callers. They were amazing. It didn't even look like we had a party!

The kids wore their pajamas and snuggled up to read by flashlight.

I think they loved the first gift of Christmas bell ornaments I made for them. It was cute when the children asked me if I could hear the bells ring!

Happy Holidays!

Have a wonderful and restful break!

A Quiet Day

I had prepared myself this weekend to put my counseling skills into use for a sensitive, reassuring discussion with the students today regarding the tragic shooting. I thought I would follow their lead after getting a sense of  how much the children came into class already knowing. I also wanted to observe them for a little while to see the reaction of the children to this terrible tragedy before speaking to them.

Surprisingly, not one child spoke of it. Nor did they inquire about our heightened security precautions today. I assume that open discussions have already been had at home or parents have chosen to shelter them from the news completely. Because the students did not bring it up, I made the decision not to discuss the tragedy the classroom today. I tried to keep the day as normal as possible and fun for the children with lively music and holiday activities. At some point, perhaps even tomorrow, students may express an interest in talking more openly.

Please encourage your little ones to express themselves as needed at home and please let them know that I have said that I am always here to listen when they need me. Feel free to write or call to let me know if there is anything I can do to help your family or your child to cope with the news of this heartbreaking violence.

I dreampt I stood

In a studio

And watched two sculptors there,

The clay they used

Was a young child’s mind

And they fashioned it with care.

One was a teacher

The tools she used

Were books and

Music and art;

One was a parent

With a guiding hand

and a gentle loving heart.

And when at last

Their work was done

They were proud of

What they had wrought

For the things they

Had worked into the child

Could never be

Sold or bought.

And each agreed they would have failed

If they had worked alone

For behind the parent

Stood the school

And behind the teacher

Stood the home.

-Author unknown 

Troy Historical Museum

The children  had a wonderful trip and enjoyed traveling back in time at the Troy Historical Museum! Here are some highlights from our field trip!

We began at the one room school house. We were greeted by the very strict Mr. Norton. When the school bell rang, the students greeted him by name with a curtsy or a bow before entering. Each child sat at a desk and assumed the role of a school child from long ago. They were asked to stand to ask permission to speak and to share answers.

We read from and did a few math problems from these old textbooks.

The children practiced writing their assumed name and wrote out math problems on slates.

These students volunteered to pretend to act as the naughty children in class. Here is the book balance punishment of long ago.

 This young man was caught throwing rocks and had to write sentences on the board.

Oh no! Not the dunce cap!

Then it was off to the general store/post office/pharmacy. There the children learned about goods and services. They also made some toys that would have been played with in pioneer days.

We were allowed to eat lunch in the school house along with the other second grade class.

Our last stop was at the cabin and the house where we were able to dip our own candles. What fun! 

It was a great day at the Troy Historical Museum! They are open to the public. I know the children would love to return and take you there!