Yesterday was the big day! Two performances of our musical play, The Rainbow Fish! The students were thrilled. They shared how exciting it was for them to be on stage in front of their peers and families. Some students said they didn’t feel confident at first, but with all the rehersals and practice time, their confidence grew. I was just thrilled to watch this transformation!
Here is a video from the morning performance. What fun we had!
We started this beautiful, sunny Monday morning with costume making for our Rainbow Fish play. Students folded or twisted their white top in a design of their choice and then wrapped it with rubber bands…..another great fine motor building activity!
Next, students gently placed their shirt in the bucket with their special color.
We left the shirts in the dye for about two hours so that the colors would be BRIGHT!
Then the shirts soaked in cold water to set the color.
The final step was to squeeze out the remaining water and hang the shirts out to dry.
Aren’t they perfect?
The Swooper Citizens topic of the week is Consideration. Consideration means showing concern for the rights and feelings of others. We shared an article from the Huffington Post that outlines a list of seven habits that considerate people have.
1. They practice empathy.
2. They smile often.
3. They sense other peoples’ needs.
4. They mind their manners.
5. They put others first when possible.
6. They are patient – even when they don’t feel like it.
7. They apologize when they need to.
Click on the link below to read the whole article.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/27/habits-of-considerate-people_n_5710033.html
After we discussed these habits, I read the book It’s Mine by Leo Lionni aloud.
Three selfish frogs live together on an island in the middle of Rainbow Pond. All day long they bicker: It’s mine! It’s mine! It’s mine! But a bad storm and a big brown toad help them realize that sharing is much more fun. With characteristic clarity, simplicity, and exuberance, Leo Lionni makes it possible for kids to see themselves through the antics of others who share our world.
We asked students to discuss ways they can be considerate at home (“Walking quietly when my sister is napping.”) and at school (“Listening when my friend is talking.”) We have observed students being extra considerate this week!
Today, on our first day back to school after the winter break and evacuation orders, we learned about the very important character trait of generosity. We talked with the children about the season of giving and ways that we can give. Students discussed buying presents for others and making cards. We also talked about passing on items that we no longer need that are in good shape. Generosity can be more than buying things….take a look at this video:
My favorite quote from this video is, “If you do good things, good things will happen to you.” On the heels of this, I read the book Boxes for Katje aloud.
After World War II there is little left in Katje’s town of Olst in Holland. Her family, like most Dutch families, must patch their old worn clothing and go without everyday things like soap and milk. Then one spring morning when the tulips bloom “thick and bright,” Postman Kleinhoonte pedals his bicycle down Katje’s street to deliver a mysterious box – a box from America! Full of soap, socks, and chocolate, the box has been sent by Rosie, an American girl from Mayfield, Indiana. Her package is part of a goodwill effort to help the people of Europe. What’s inside so delights Katje that she sends off a letter of thanks – beginning an exchange that swells with so many surprises that the girls, as well as their townspeople, will never be the same.
This inspiring story, with strikingly original art, is based on the author’s mother’s childhood and will show young readers that they, too, can make a difference. (Amazon)
The students were very moved by the book. It was incomprehensible to them that Katje didn’t have a bar of soap, and she hadn’t had chocolate for several years! I reminded the students of the Tecolote Tuesday we had right before school was closed. At that Tecolote Tuesday, two students visited from the Upper School. They came to ask us for donations of socks and jackets for local homeless people. In the spirit of the season of giving and to practice the character trait of generosity, I encourage students to bring in new socks and gently used or new jackets to donate.
Being a good citizen is an important part of being a part of Laguna Blanca School. We strive, campus-wide, to be the best citizens we can be. Positive character traits are discussed weekly at our Tecolote Tuesday meetings, as well as during our Swooper Citizens lessons. Last week, the kindergarten and first-grade class had the chance to see a good citizen in action in the community of Santa Barbara. We were invited to visit the Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol and were treated to a very special tour of the Harbor Patrol boat.
While the first graders toured the boat, the kindergarteners enjoyed snack down by the waterfront.
I also read the book, Officer Buckle and Gloria. “Officer Buckle is a roly-poly bloke, dedicated to teaching schoolchildren important safety tips, such as never put anything in your ear and never stand on a swivel chair. The problem is, Officer Buckle’s school assemblies are dull, dull, dull, and the children of Napville just sleep, sleep, sleep. That is, until Gloria the police dog is invited along! Stealthily pantomiming each safety tip behind Officer Buckle’s back, Gloria wins the children’s hearts. Meanwhile, Officer Buckle assumes the cheers and laughter are all for him. Children will be highly entertained by the laugh-out-loud, adorable illustrations in this 1996 Caldecott Medal winner while learning the value of teamwork and a pawful of nifty safety tips.” (Ages 4 to 8) –Gail Hudson
The students thought the book was hilarious!
When it was our turn, we made our way to the Harbor Patrol boats and were greeted by Officer Nathan, who spoke to us about what it means to be a good citizen.
Then it was time to board the boat and learn about what Officer Nathan and the other members of Harbor Patrol do and the tools they use.
The students were very impressed with all the tools on Officer Nathan’s tool belt.
Each student took a turn “driving” the boat.
Then they were able to use the water hose!
This field trip was truly a “hands-on” learning experience for the kindergarteners. Thank you, Officer Nathan and the Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol!
Our Swooper Citizens theme of the week is Understanding. We defined Understanding as being empathetic and tolerant. To drive the theme of understanding home, I introduced the kindergarteners to one of my favorite children in the world….my friend Andrew. I started by displaying a picture of Andrew and asking the children what they would do if they met Andrew in a park.
The children offered many conversation starters like, “What is your name? How old are you? Would you like to play with me? Do you like to swing?” It was that last question that caught some students’ attention. “Mrs. Delwiche, Andrew is missing a hand! Can he swing?” one student asked. “Oh yes,” I answered. “In fact, Andrew can do just about anything you can do,” I continued on.
I went on to share a little more information about Andrew. He loves to swing and play basketball. He is an artist, like his mother. Andrew is in first grade at a local school, and his smile lights up a room!
The students began to understand that though Andrew is missing a hand, he plays the same games and loves the same activities that the kindergarteners do. Next, I played a short video from a few years ago when Andrew’s mom visited our class.
We then discussed how showing understanding also means being empathetic. Two big ideas! Here is a video we showed to help clarify the meanig of empathy:
For our Swooper Citizens lesson of the week, we discussed confidence. We asked students to share things that they are good at.
We then discussed the rock wall and asked students how they felt before the first time they did the rock wall. Many students said they felt nervous. Several had not yet tried to climb the rock wall.
This gave us the perfect lead in to discussing confidence. Mrs. Vanetti beared her soul and told the students that she had NEVER done the rock wall before. Over-confident ME jumped in and said that the rock wall is super EASY. I even suggested that we go an give it a try.
I hopped on and boasted, “This is SOOOOOO easy!” (which it is not, as I slipped off the wall half a dozen times…) I started to get discouraged and said to Mrs. Vanetti, “This isn’t as easy as I thought.” That’s when Mrs. Vanetti started to cheer me on. The students joined her!
My own cheering section! Boy, did this give me confidence!
Then Mrs. Vanetti gave it a try. She did great!
Next up were the students…..I am so proud of their grit and persistence in trying to climb the wall. For many, it was the first time they had climbed the wall.
After each student had a turn, we returned to the classroom where we discussed what words or actions help build confidence and which squash confidence. I had been a confidence squasher. That was the moment when Mrs. Vanetti and I came clean…..she admitted that today was not her first time climbing the wall, and I told the students I was pretending to boast and act like I was a pro. Students then shared about what helped them to feel confident and climb the wall. I’m glad they recognized the importance of balancing being confident with being overly confident.
Our Swooper Citizens theme of the week is patience. Our goal of the lesson was to give students the opportunity to practice patience. First, we gave the students a scenario. “Imagine you are waiting in a LONG line for your favorite ride at Disneyland. What do you do to pass the time?” There were some great answers like, “Eat a snack.” or “Play a game on my mom’s phone.” or “Play I-Spy.” I then said, ” You would have to be really patient to wait in a long line, but it would be worth it!”
Next, we invited students to participate in the Marshmallow Challenge! What is the Marshmallow Challenge? Take a look!
Some marshmallows got eaten right away:
Some students played games to pass the time, and some just stared at the yummy treat.
In the end, those students who were patient enjoyed two fluffy marshmallows.
We got the idea for this activity from this cute You Tube video. The students had fun watching it!
We wrapped up the lesson with a great read aloud, My Mouth Is A Volcano. We thought this book demonstrated the need for patience perfectly!
All of Louis thoughts are very important to him. In fact, his thoughts are so important to him that when he has something to say, his words begin to wiggle, and then they do the jiggle, then his tongue pushes all of his important words up against his teeth and he erupts, or interrupts others. His mouth is a volcano! My Mouth Is A Volcano takes an empathetic approach to the habit of interrupting and teaches children a witty technique to capture their rambunctious thoughts and words for expression at an appropriate time. Told from Louis perspective, this story provides parents, teachers, and counselors with an entertaining way to teach children the value of respecting others by listening and waiting for their turn to speak.
The students got a kick out of all the interrupting Louis did! Many agreed that their mouths are like volcanos too 🙂
We rolled out Swooper Citizens this week as well, introducing the theme of Cooperation! The children could not get enough of this silly video which so clearly shows cooperation, but is really an ad for public transportation! I promised them I would add it to my blog for you to enjoy:
Students also listened to the story of Little Blue Truck. “Beep! Beep! Beep! Meet Blue. A muddy country road is no match for this little pick up–that is until he gets stuck while pushing a dump truck out of the muck. Luckily, Blue has made a pack of farm animal friends along his route. And they’re willing to do whatever it takes to get their pal back on the road. With a text full of truck sounds and animal noises to read aloud, here is a rollicking homage to the power of friendship and the rewards of helping others.” (Amazon)
I also introduced Brag Tags to the students. Students are recognized with a Brag Tag when they demonstrate positive learning choices, like following directions or staying on task. Students are recognized when they help a friend or are working hard. This year, I created specific Brag Tags that target the character education themes we will be studying.
So many Brag Tag choices!
On Fridays, all students wear their Brag Tags to celebrate their hard work during the week.
We continued practicing Mindfulness this week. Students listened to the book When Sophie Gets Really, Really Angry, by Molly Bang. In this book, Sophie gets very angry. She yells, and she feels like a volcano ready to explode. She runs until she can’t run anymore. She cries. Then she sits on a rock and listens to the sounds of nature. She feels the breeze, and “The world comforts her.” Students recognized right away that Sophie was practicing mindfulness.
Next, we showed students this video:
We loved the idea of the glitter jar, and we decided to have each student make one.
Add glitter, water, a bit of glycerin, and watch the glitter gently float to the bottom of the jar.
Now that’s relaxing!