CE - Abe tag:www.midpac.edu,2010:/elementary/ce_p2//28 2010-01-17T00:26:30Z Movable Type Pro 4.31-en Martin Luther King, Jr. tag:www.midpac.edu,2010:/elementary/ce_p2//28.8894 2010-01-11T19:46:59Z 2010-01-17T00:26:30Z Ms. Abe
Getting judged by the color of one's skin was incomprehensible-- the part they took away was the fact that it wasn't fair or nice that someone (of any race) made a woman (of any race) stand up from her seat on the bus.  

I shared all this with Ms. Rivera, and her remark was, "Maybe it will be this generation..."      
]]> At the end of the book, I told them this happened about 50 years ago, and they said, "Oh!" and nodded their heads.  It made more sense to them that something that didn't make sense was something that happened what seemed to them a long time ago.

I did want to share some notes I jotted in December that related to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  We had talked about UNICEF, the canned food drive, and needs versus wants, and I held up a photo of a boy from Africa and asked the children what this boy in Africa needed.  Here are some of the kindergartner's answers:

*  food
*  water (and then someone added "CLEAN water")
*  somewhere beautiful to live with no bugs
*  money
*  a fun place to go so you're happy and you can play and swing
*  school
*  some medicine
*  to be healthy
*  not too much hot sun and green grass
*  no poisonous snakes around their house
*  doctors
*  not to fall in a pool like I did
*  hospitals, so if you break your arm or leg or have a disease, you won't die.

Listening to their answers, yes, maybe it will be this generation... 

As I wrote in an earlier blog, while Mrs. Bailie's and Ms. Field's classes ran the canned food drive, Mrs. LeBlanc's and Ms. Revard's classes visited a care home.  After their visit they wrote reflections which included how they felt visiting the care homes, and what we could do better next time, since they always have such creative ideas. 

I also asked the first and second graders what the care home residents said in their conversations, and it was interesting how the students looked happy and little embarrassed yet pleased when they were sharing what the seniors told them.  Here are some comments the children said the seniors told them:
 
*  You're so cute!
*  You're so clever!
*  You're good boys and girls.
*  You are such happy children.
*  They (the children) love me! (some of the students hugged this woman when leaving, and this is what she said while they hugged her)
*  Oh!  There's children!  (one woman who was coming down the hallway in her wheelchair said this)
*  Once upon a time, I was a little girl too.
*  Do these children go outside?  Their skin is so nice.

I think we all could benefit from someone telling us we're cute and clever for no reason other than the fact that we simply exist!  Visiting our kupuna is a blessing all around.






]]> Caring for our community tag:www.midpac.edu,2009:/elementary/ce_p2//28.8636 2009-11-14T01:35:53Z 2009-11-23T18:47:54Z Ms. Abe I realize there have been pleas to give in just these last several weeks (UNICEF, canned food drive).  I want to emphasize that it is not necessarily a certain amount that we as a CE program are seeking, but that the children are encouraged to share something.  

I consider myself a pretty frugal person, but it always amazes me at how much excess I as an American have.  For example, for UNICEF, I clean out the change my husband dropped on the dresser over the past year-- just think if every American donated the change off his dresser.  Or for the canned food drive (which ends this Wednesday, November 25), for some reason, I always have too many cans of corn and an extra box of cereal in my pantry.  I am thankful for the privilege of being an American who has a job-- in my life I have spare change and a some cans of food that I won't even miss.  

When you take the time to help your child put change into that UNICEF box or go through your pantry with your child, and he gets to carry that can to school and put it on the pile of cans for St. Patrick's food pantry, you are helping your child develop the habit of giving.  I wish you could see the faces of these children carrying in their UNICEF boxes and their canned food-- there is a sense of worth in being able to help someone else and they are feeling good because they are doing good. And of course, the recipients of our efforts benefit too.  Thank you so much for your support of our programs and your child's emotional and spiritual development!

]]> I was so impressed that some girls in Ms. Field's class came to me on their own during their recess wanting to do a puppet show for the canned food drive.  This was something they had discussed last week during class (see last week's blog) and they took the initiative to encourage others to give to the canned food drive!  With just a little guidance, they independently wrote and practiced their puppet show, and at assembly yesterday, they performed for the entire elementary school.    

Some classes are discussing needs vs. wants and laying pictures from newspaper advertisements out on a continuum (I wrote about a kindergarten class a few weeks ago that was discussing that).  We are discovering a secondary lesson: disagreeing respectfully.  We practiced our tone of voice and choice of words when we were respectfully disagreeing with another student.  It's amazing how heated these discussions can become when discussing whether a TV, a car (the 1/2 students brought up these two items just like the kindergartners did), a watch, a laptop, and even a Transformer are needs or wants.  The discussions became complicated sometimes.  When I wrote last week about "needing" a gift for a birthday party, that was fictional.  This week, one 2nd grader mentioned that he truly needed a Transformer because it was his little brother's birthday and he had nothing else to give to him!  All the other children in that class agreed that yes, this particular Transformer was more of a need than the other toys other people had placed along the continuum after hearing that reason. 

Mrs. LeBlanc's and Ms. Revard's classes are visiting senior care homes (Manoa Senior Care, Palolo Chinese Home) the week before Thanksgiving while the other 1/2 classes are delivering canned food.  Since we are continually working on increasing our empathy for others, I asked them what they thought would make a senior care resident happy.  Here are some of their responses:

*   someone to talk to
*   someone who visits
*   someone to play with
*  good food and water, and have someone bring them to you
*  cards
*  someone to care about them 
*  a gift, a picture
*  to watch TV
*  to get a foot or back massage
*  to have someone sing to them
*  to have someone read a story to them

I was so touched by their thoughtful responses!  We decided that the ones we could do was visit them, sing to them, make cards for them, and talk with them.  We also briefly practiced giving hand massages, since we weren't sure if we could do back massages on them.  We also practiced shaking hands.  They are excited to go visit the senior care home residents!

The empty toilet paper roll on my desk reminds me to ask for craft material for our lunch recess Peace Room activities (I feel like the ultimate teacher when I carefully peel off remnants of toilet paper off the roll at home and bring it to school).  I use the term "craft material" in a very loose sense-- empty toilet paper rolls, a bag of ribbon from Christmas past, foam Halloween craft kits-- the students have been delighted to have these wonderful materials to work with.  Mahalo!  

   
]]> Canned Food Drive on November 16-25 tag:www.midpac.edu,2009:/elementary/ce_p2//28.8622 2009-11-13T19:56:10Z 2009-11-14T22:06:21Z Ms. Abe
The only comments I want to add to their letter is that canned food can be brought to the Dining Room and placed under the mirror on the side wall.  Also, like the other service activities, participation is totally voluntary.  Each family knows their own situation best and should choose when and to what extent to participate in an activity.

The students are very excited to help others.  In fact, a few children have already brought in cans just from talking about it in CE class-- even before the letter was emailed to the families!  How wonderful that children are talking about helping others at home on their own.


]]> *  nervous
*  shy
*  embarrassed
*  happy because I was helping the homeless
*  happy because I finally got to tell everyone about the canned food drive
*  happy because they understand what we're doing
*  happy because now maybe they'll bring in cans/St. Patrick's will get more cans because more people will participate  

Then we talked about what they thought they did well and what they could do to improve next time.  They spoke very matter-of-factly:  "speak louder...have my group stay by me...work on not being so scared when a lot of people are staring at me (although when this particular student spoke, I had no idea that she was scared-- she spoke so confidently!)."  I thought they did a good job considering we didn't have too much time to practice and they were speaking to elementary students of all ages!  I love how at MPI the children enjoy speaking in front of an audience and also are able to examine themselves without shame.

We have been doing canned food drives for many, many years now, even back at our days at Epiphany School.  However, this is only the third one that I am in charge of.  In my understanding, being in charge of the canned food drive means talking to Aunty Pat at St. Patrick's food pantry, making posters and speeches and doing public service announcements, among other activities.  My next question during our reflection time was, "Do you think going around doing this public service announcement encouraged our school to bring cans?"   A few kids mentioned that as kindergartners, they remember the first and second graders coming in to do the public service announcement.  Most agreed that they thought it was a good idea to remind others to bring canned food.

Lastly, I asked, "What else can we do to encourage our school to bring cans?"  What I am continually learning through our school-wide inquiry research is to keep asking students what they are thinking.  For example, I need to be more open to changing my paradigm of what I as a teacher visualize as "the canned food drive" by challenging children to solve problems and having them reflect and ask and answer questions.  Through this, the children are revising "the canned food drive" concept and taking ownership of it.  I was amazed at what ideas they came up with in about ten minutes, and my original question morphed into how we could get more cans in general.  I asked them clarifying questions to help them further form their ideas, and this is the result:  
*  A sock puppet show, or a show using the CE puppets-- we should do it during assembly because that's when everyone's there.
*  We should put the posters we have already made on the poles at autoline-- since we already made them [we should use them].
*  We should hold up canned food drive signs where the big kids hold the "honk" signs by the playground outside of campus.
*  Each student should make one small poster and we should put it around the elementary school, like the bathrooms and classrooms.
*  We should make big banners that say canned food drive and the dates, and do a parade.  Mrs. Hussey could say on the intercom for everyone to come out, and everyone can come out and see our posters and banners as we march around. 
*  Ask people for cans outside of our school, put up signs around the neighborhood.
*  Go to the Mayor and then the Mayor can tell everyone else.
*  Do an announcement at lunch time, and do it at both lunch times.
*  Put an ad in the paper.
*  Get money by doing jobs and buy canned food.
*  Ask the teachers, Mrs. Hussey, and Mr. Rice, and they'll tell other adults.
*  Tell people about bringing cans at the stage in my neighborhood, and bring bags to collect the cans.
*  Put posters along the freeways.
*  Go on TV!  (They were very excited about that one.)

I think several of these ideas are definitely do-able.  Anyone out there able to get us a spot on TV or in a newspaper?...How exciting it is to help others!
]]> What is a "need"? tag:www.midpac.edu,2009:/elementary/ce_p2//28.8322 2009-10-23T21:16:43Z 2009-11-01T01:32:13Z Ms. Abe This past week we passed out boxes for UNICEF.  We understand that participation in UNICEF is a family decision and all participation is voluntary.  If you do decide to participate, please return the boxes (or if you've misplaced the box, children have brought just a bag of coins which is fine also) by next week Friday, November 6.  If your family chooses not to participate, please simply discard the box.  

We started talking about needs vs. wants in light of the upcoming Halloween event-- and Halloween means it is the "season" of UNICEF.]]>
On another day, they discussed whether or not shoes were a need after someone volunteered that as a need.  Several shared that they need shoes because otherwise "you might step on bees or hot places...you need shoes so thorny trees...pieces of glass... pins don't hurt you."  One child said with strong emotion, "You need shoes or else your feet will get dirty!"  In response to that last comment, another child said, "You don't need shoes because you can wash your feet if they get dirty."  Another said shoes were not a need because "people in other places don't wear shoes."  

Then one child volunteered that TV was a need.  Several chimed in:  "You need TV in order to see the weather for the day...you need TV to see the news."  One child said, "Once I saw this commercial for medicine, and I told my mom about it because maybe it could help her foot.  If I didn't have a TV, I wouldn't know about that medicine."  (I thought that was a very sweet act, to see a commercial, and think about how it could help your mom!)  Another said she needed TV so she could see where to get food.  Another said, "I need TV so I can see my shows!"  (I'm sure fans of "Lost" and Korean dramas can relate to that feeling!)  In response to that last comment, one child said, "You don't need TV, because you can play something else to have fun!"  Others said "TV is not good for you...TV hurts your eyes."  I didn't have enough class time to take a vote on this one, but I think less people thought TV was a need than shoes. 

We are discovering that It all depends on one's definition of "need."  One way of thinking about "need" is "do I need this to survive?"  Thus, only a few things qualify as what humans truly need, such as food and clean water.  However, "need" can also be thought of not only in a survival point of view, but something that should be done either for one's benefit or as an extrinsic requirement, like "I need to exercise more," or "I need to wear covered shoes or shoes with a back strap to MPI," or "I need to go to the store to buy Mandy's birthday gift."  I love this open discussion of thoughts and feelings!  We will be going over this discussion of what is needed more next week.  

One first grader wondered "why don't rich people give to people who don't have anything?"  She became very passionate, and said, "They should MAKE rich people give to people who are poor!"  (Well, yes, some countries' governments agree with her, and through our taxes we Americans are doing the same, in some sense.)  I asked her how she would feel if I made every child give money to UNICEF.  She paused, then said, "Well, they should make them give SOME of their money to the poor people."  I am glad our children are pondering the hard issues of our world.

My hope is not to teach or validate different forms of government or to make anyone give something, but to encourage children to share with others-- whether it is coins for a child across the world, a ball at recess, or a purple marker in class.    
]]> Hello, Duveneck Elementary! tag:www.midpac.edu,2009:/elementary/ce_p2//28.8169 2009-10-02T20:20:29Z 2009-10-03T22:49:18Z Ms. Abe One of the students in Ms. Field's class asked why they are the only class meeting with the children from Palo Alto.  I explained that because of the time difference and the schedules of the two classes, that their class is the only one that can meet.    

The children are perplexed about the time difference.  I agree that It's a concept that is hard to fully grasp and visualize.  Mr. Young's class said that they had just come in from lunch recess, and Ms. Field's class was just going to morning recess.  I am contemplating how to explain Daylight Savings to them.  I didn't even hear about Daylight Savings until I went away to college-- I thought my college friends were joking when they talked about moving the clock!
   
It's amazing how easy it is to meet across an entire ocean or continent -- just click iChat on our computer that's equipped with a camera, and ta-dah!  We are face to face! With the addition of a SmartBoard and a plug-in camera, our whole class can easily see their whole class, and vice versa.  We've already met twice so far this school year.  

Before we met the children from California today, I showed Ms. Field's class on Google maps a map of the world, of North America, California, the Bay Area, Palo Alto, and then zoomed into Duveneck Elementary using the satellite version of the map.  We saw their playground, and could even see the white lines drawn on the blacktop.  We wondered what the circles that were quartered were used for.  We wondered if they played four-square with them?  

Other questions we wondered included:
*  Are they the only 2nd grade class?
*  Do they get free choice dress?
*  What grade does their school stop at?
*  What are they studying?
*  How many people go to their school?
*  What are they doing in math?
*  Why are they in a different time?
*  Have they ever been to the Lazy Boy furniture store where my aunty (in CA) works?

We also looked at the Duveneck Elementary website, saw that their mascot was a dragon, and viewed their school lunch calendar.  We were envious that they have pizza days several times a month! 

After the last time we met, one student said that her sister didn't believe her when she said that she talked to kids in California!  

On a side note, this past week, students from China performed piano for our students.  During lunch recess, our children took them around our elementary school campus-- it was amazing how much English these Chinese children knew.  (We Americans REALLY need to learn more languages!)  While the children were visiting the Peace Room here in the CE House like several children do at lunch recess, a girl from China gave another student here her email address.  For a brief moment, I wondered about doing a webcam conference with her school in China... who knows what our school in the future will hold!
]]> If you tell the truth... tag:www.midpac.edu,2009:/elementary/ce_p2//28.7992 2009-09-11T19:49:45Z 2009-09-26T22:15:50Z Ms. Abe
At a recent chapel, Chaplain Koyama shared a story about when he was a very young boy he took candy from the ice cream man's cart and never told him about it.  He said he wished he could've told us that he made it right and confessed, but he never did tell the ice cream man.  He shared how to this day he still thinks about it and feels bad about it.  This provided a terrific springboard to discuss honesty.

We encounter many situations throughout the day where we need to decide whether or not to tell the truth, whether admitting we looked at a friend's paper on a spelling test or confessing that we stepped on someone's toe by accident when trying to get in line.






]]>
Here are some of their answers:
*  It is bad to lie.
*  It is good to tell the truth.
*  If you don't tell the truth, no one will believe you.
*  If you don't tell the truth, you will feel bad.
*  If you don't tell the truth, at the end your mommy or dad might figure out and she might get mad at you/ you might get in trouble/ if someone finds out you lied, it will cause a big problem.
*  Your friend will feel bad/sad/left out/you will hurt his feelings.
*  If you lie, you will get paranoid.  You will be keeping a secret.  
*  No one will trust you if you lie.  No one will want to be your friend.
*  You wouldn't want someone to lie to you, would you?  
*  It is important to tell the truth because you might feel bad about it when you get older.
*  Be honest or something might happen to you.  It will come back to you.

Then I read The Berenstain Bears Tell the Truth, where Brother and Sister lie to their Mama at first.  The children offered reasons why Brother and Sister didn't tell the truth.  Most of them thought that people lie because they don't want to get in trouble.

There were also other ideas:
*   They lie because they want to get something (like a toy).
*   They lie because they want to impress someone/seem cool.
*  They lie because they feel jealous.
*  They lie because they are scared.
*  They lie because they don't want their mama to feel sad.

I drew them a diagram.  It started with "wrong choice" -- and all the children agreed that everyone makes wrong choices sometimes-- and then diverges into two paths, "lie" and "truth."  We talked about how either way, you won't feel very good.  Isn't it odd how even doing something right will not feel good at first?  I want them to know that even doing something right can be painful and will take courage.  We talked about what comes next along each path.  I did a small puppet show where the puppet who chose the "lie" path had a big black cloud hanging over his head-- not just because of the wrong choice he made, but because of the lie.  

At the next CE class, I added another arrow and I told them I wanted them to know they can choose to tell the truth even if they lie at first. What I thought was great was at the next CE, a first grader said, "Mrs. Abe, you should add another arrow-- if your parents find out you lie, you will get an even BIGGER consequence!"  So we added that arrow into our diagram!

I've been considering ways to help make these lessons stick in their brains and hearts.  When I was a 5th grade teacher at Epiphany School, a police officer would come to our school and teach DARE, or Drug Awareness Resistance Education.  I believe most schools around the island had a DARE officer present at their school.   I would sit in these classes and wonder how effective they were (I don't know if any longitudinal studies were done).  Overall, I was glad they raised the topic, and they did fun role plays and gave out accurate information about drugs and alcohol.

I think it is challenging to create a program that will be effective for every child, because every child has different life experiences.  Thus, after I read A Big Fat Enormous Lie, where a big, green creature, a "lie," follows the boy until he tells the truth, we did a Turn and Talk, where children turn to each other and talk about a question.  What helps YOU tell the truth?  What do you remember to help you tell the truth?  Why don't YOU lie?

*  I don't want my friends to think I'll lie to them.
*  If I tell a lie to someone, they might tell someone else I lied, and no one will be my friend.
*  I don't want to get in trouble for lying.
*  It (the lie) will hang over my head.
*  There's a BIG consequence if a lie, and just a little one if I tell the truth/ my mom doesn't give me a consequence if I tell the truth.
*  I don't want to make God sad.
*  I don't want my friends to be mad at me/I want my friends to still be my friends.

On one page near the end of the book, the boy was throwing his arms out in an outstretched way and raising his head.  I asked the students how he felt and why the illustrator drew him like that, and they said, "He feels free from the lie!  It's not hanging over him anymore!"  

We read The Big Leaf Pile with Clifford the Big Red Dog, where Clifford makes a wrong choice but chooses to tell his friend the truth about it.  These stories were a great jumping off point for discussion and the children really related to the challenge of telling the truth to parents as well as friends.  I had to giggle to myself when they were literally cringing when I read the page where Clifford was debating whether or not to lie to his friend!  If you have any great stories that encourage children to tell the truth, please let me know!

]]> Blessing Ms. Amanda tag:www.midpac.edu,2009:/elementary/ce_p2//28.7930 2009-09-03T22:46:08Z 2009-09-05T02:52:43Z Ms. Abe
Before they brainstormed animals they thank God for, I read one page each about spiders, caterpillars/butterflies, and snakes from a book with photos.  After I read about each animal, I asked them, "How does a spider knows how to spin its web?  How does a caterpillar know how to turn into a butterfly?  How does a snake know to sheds its skin?"  They looked at me with big eyes, and most shrugged and said, "They just know."  A few said, "God tells it."  The children were so enthralled looking at the photos in the book and listening about the animals-- they really appreciate creation!  I think we adults need to re-learn how to marvel from them.    
]]> *  birds
*  flowers
*  flower bowl for the flowers
*  rainbow
*  hope and peace
*  surprises
*  to be a fireman
*  my aunty because she's her friend
*  lots of money
*  butterflies
*  a cat
*  horses
*  love
*  a hamster
*  rich
*  to have a great time with all her friends.

The 1/2 multiage students prayed for Ms. Amanda to have these good things:
*  that she won't get sick
*  lots of sleep
*  an assistant to help her clean
*  lots of presents
*  for everyone to be nice to her
*  a day off of work
*  that she lives a long time
*  that God takes care of her when she dies
*  that no one leans on the glass so she won't have to clean it again
*  that she gets to eat her favorite food for dinner
*  that she can smell brownies in her oven.

Isn't the difference between the kindergarten and 1/2 multiage answers interesting?  

If you've ever received a picture drawn with love from a young child, you know what a blessing that is.  Again, we adults need to learn from the children, and try to capture that earnest love that children exude and share it with others like how they share it.  Why do children lose that as they grow older?  

(By the way, a couple classes were able to give Ms. Amanda their cards personally, and they made Ms. Amanda cry.  We hope we blessed her as much as she blesses us!)

To extend last week's lesson, the first and second graders practiced how to say "no" in a kind way, while being aware of their (1)  tone of voice, (2)  face and body, and (3) choice of words (they added more words instead of just saying "no").  They each had to stand up and do a role play. 

I asked the students what their options would be if the person they asked "Do you want to play on the tire swing?" kept saying no.  Here are some of their ideas:
*  ask someone else
*  ask him if he wants to do something else/ask him what he wants to play
*  ask someone else who is already playing what you want to play
*  be nice to everyone all the time, so they can think of you as a friendly person and when you ask him, he will say, "That is a nice person-- I want to play with her."
*  ask him again in case he didn't hear you
*  ask if you can join him in what he's already playing

I thought they came up with some truly viable options together! 

I read Franklin's New Friend to them and part of our discussion centered on a drawing of a new student, Moose, where he is being introduced to the class and he is looking at his toes and is not saying a word.  On that page, Beaver tells Franklin that he thinks Moose doesn't look very friendly.  I asked the children what they thought Moose might be feeling, and the children were able to empathize and read Moose's body language and thought he might be feeling "shy,"  "sad because he doesn't have any friends,"  'sad because he misses his mommy,"  "worried because he wonders if anyone will play with him."  I asked them if they agreed with Beaver, and they all said no.  

]]> No, I Don't Like Strawberries, But I'm Still Your Friend tag:www.midpac.edu,2009:/elementary/ce_p2//28.7853 2009-08-29T00:07:32Z 2009-08-29T08:59:08Z Ms. Abe I can't believe we've already finished the third week of school.  Time has gone by so quickly.  Even though it is the third week of school, I think some children are still adjusting, which is totally normal.  Many of them look awfully happy, however, even during their transition!  Please let Ms. Rivera (the elementary school counselor and CE teacher for 3rd-5th grade) or me know if your child would like to talk about anything going on during school or at home. ]]> In CE, I still ask the children every day to sit next to someone they do not know as well.  I told them I will be doing this indefinitely.  A few protest, saying they know everyone, but I shared with them that even though I am friends with all the faculty members, there are some I know better than others.  This has a several desired effects-- they get to know more of their classmates, they may discover a new friend, and also it helps them talk less to their neighbor.  


At Open House on Wednesday night I felt like I didn't have enough time to fully explain what CE is about.   I will be posting my usual sheet that explains the CE philosophy, but I think I will first share the whole list of what the children understand CE to be.  I always value what they share.  (I already shared at Open House a partial list of how the children describe CE.)  


"What is 'CE?'"

  •   to tell God about your feelings
  •   CE is when you make peace
  •   when you thank God for family and friends
  •   CE is where you love people
  •   if anyone gets in a fight, CE is where you solve their problems
  •   where you learn to be kind
  •   where you learn about God
  •   where you pray to God
  •   to learn what other people like
  •   to learn how to not hurt someone's feelings
  •   where you learn that other people have feelings
  •   where you learn to share
  •   where you learn to be respectful, caring, and loving
  •   where you learn to be nice to other people
  •   where you learn what peace is about
  •   where you learn to be fair
  •   where you learn to be polite


A group of 19 children compiled that list in about five minutes.


Last week we played a get-to-know-you game where the children filled out their favorites and then had to go around and see if their favorites matched anyone else.  This week we went one step further.  I asked them how it felt when they found someone who had the same favorite as them:  

  •   excited
  •   good
  •   happy
  •   proud.  


I asked them how it felt when they could not find someone who had the same favorite as them:  

  •   one-of-a-kind
  •   surprised that no one else liked that
  •   sad
  •   left out
  •   proud
  •   happy because I'm the only one
  •   so-so because I'm happy I'm one-of-a-kind but mad because no one else likes it.  


I had them repeat after me that "I am special even though I like the same things as others" and "I am special even though no one else likes the same thing as me."  We talked about how either way is okay.  


I don't know why a few children felt comfortable, even proud, being the only one who liked sponge candy and some other children really didn't like being the only one who liked dragonfruit.  I think it reflects human nature to want to be the same as others.  Yet I think that internalizing that it's okay to be the only one who likes something may help children fend off negative peer pressure, and perhaps even be able to intervene and help stop someone who is being mean to another person, whether that person being mean is a friend or a stranger.  


When they went around asking each other whether they share the same favorite, some people of course said no.  I could feel the slight sense of rejection, so we practiced saying "no" to each other-- not a "no-I-don't-like-strawberries-and-I-don't-like-you," but a "even-though-I-don't-like-Pokemon-we-can-still-be-friends" kind of no.  They were able to copy the friendly "no" inflection.  We also brainstormed adding more words, like "No, but I think I saw on Kennedy's paper that she likes it," or "No, but I may like something else on your paper."  


The next class we went one step further, and the children practiced saying "no" to me with a kind/nice inflection when I asked if they wanted to play on the tire swing.  I emphasized that maybe they didn't feel like going on the tire swing but they still needed to tell me no in a way that did not make me feel utterly rejected.  We again brainstormed more words they could add to simply saying no:  "no, but maybe I could play with you after I finish my snack,"  "no, but you can play on the slide with me if you want" (I thought that was a great one that a child came up with!), "no, but maybe next recess we can play."   


These are skills we will continue to practice all year long-- and all one's life! 

]]> Getting to Know You tag:midpac.edu,2009:/elementary/ce_p2//28.7033 2009-08-22T00:15:57Z 2009-08-22T18:59:05Z Ms. Abe This week I asked the children every day to sit next to someone they didn't know that well.   I was impressed at how earnest they were in trying to accomplish that task.  I even heard a few say to themselves, "I don't know ___ as well.  I'm going to sit next to ____" and then went to seek that child out.  We continued to play different getting-to-know-you games.  We also did mini-interviews, and introduced each other to the class.  Since the 1st and 2nd graders are more able readers and writers, they did an activity where they filled out a questionnaire about their favorites (favorite ice cream, favorite main dish, favorite activity at home, etc).  Then they had to find someone who had the same favorite as they did.  They seemed to enjoy going from person to person and trying to find someone with the same answers at first, but some got tired when they couldn't find someone who liked the same thing as they did.  Next week I'll share what they discovered and their feelings about it.


]]> A couple students asked when we are going to pray again, because they wanted to pray about various issues on their hearts.  We haven't started taking turns praying (or passing) just yet because I wanted us to really think about what prayer is and not just do it in a rote fashion.  I asked the children, "What do you think prayer is?"   I found their thoughts on prayer fascinating-- after all, these children are only ages 5-7.  Below I tried to group their thoughts (and I have questions on how I did that-- not only how I organized the content, but please forgive my non-traditional outline format), but everything written here is verbatim of what they shared:  


I.  Prayer is a time to talk to God

A.  To ask God 

1.  that we will be safe

2.  that he will give us good things

3.  to wish to God what you want your life to be like

4.  for things we need

B.  A time to thank God

1.  for what he gave us

2.  for [something] the earth, nature (animals, mountains), sun

3.  for helping me

4.  for loving us

5.  for Jesus

6.  for making us


C.  To pray for someone

1.  who died/who died so they will be safe

3.  who needs help

4.  who we love-- my mom, dad, aunty, people in my class, my dog

5.  who is sick

6.  who is on a trip

7.  to have a good day

8.  to make a wish for one another

 

D.  A time to share your feelings with God


E.  Tell God how good something is


F.  Say to God you care for him


II.  Prayer is a time of peace


III.  We pray to make something better

A.  An "owie"

    1. Prayer keeps you healthy and stay alive


IV.  Prayer is when we listen to God


V.  We pray because we care about people, animals


  1. Prayer is giving God a gift, hoping God is okay


We will definitely be delving further into this discussion as the year continues.  


The preschoolers discussed why it is important to listen to the teachers and each other.  Some of their responses included "if you don't listen, you won't know what to do,"  "if you don't listen, you'll go on time out,"  "if you don't listen, you have to go to your room,"  and "if you don't listen, you might get lost."  We talked about what our bodies look like when we listen.  We also practiced pretending to listen to different people who were sitting around our circle-- our voices were off, our bodies were sitting up, our legs were criss-crossed, our hands were to ourselves, and we turned our faces and eyes to face the speaker. 


I hope you as well as your children are transitioning smoothly back into the school routine!   

]]> Welcome! tag:midpac.edu,2009:/elementary/ce_p2//28.6578 2009-08-14T21:30:53Z 2009-08-15T03:57:24Z Ms. Abe Welcome to a wonderful new school year!  It has been such a pleasure to see the children again and meet new friends.


In CE this week I asked the children to look around our classroom and share their observations of the physical differences between the CE classroom and their regular classroom ("the CE classroom doesn't have any chairs," "there's a bathroom connected to the CE classroom," "the CE carpet is softer").  Yes, the CE House is a real house that someone used to live in before our elementary school moved in.  No, Mrs. Abe does not live or sleep here.

]]> We also introduced prayer and talked about what they could pray about ("my dog who died,"  "___ who is sick and not here today," "that everyone has a good day").   We also briefly shared a few names for God (God is love, God is the creator, and God is a king, which may be one reason why we bow our heads when we pray, just like how we bow to show respect when we meet the queen of England).  In CE, children always have the option to pass, whether it's during prayer or sharing one's feelings.  Also, we acknowledge that prayer and figuring out who God is are ideas that one ponders one's entire lifetime.


I also showed the children a picture that had several cartoon faces of different emotions on it and asked the children to try to identify which face they feel like and why.  We call this time of sharing feelings "Ohana Time."  I talked briefly with each child as they wrote and drew how they felt and why, and heard their different responses: "nervous about starting school," "happy to see my friends," "miss my mommy," "happy because my grandma's picking me up,"  "tired because I had to wake up early." 


Another activity we did was a getting-to-know-you game, where children stood up if they liked _____.  Then we did part 2 where children stood on one side of the room if they liked _____ and the other side of the room if they liked ____.  Another important aspect of the game was when I asked them each time, "Is it ok for some people to like chocolate ice cream better than vanilla ice cream?"  Yes!  "Is it ok for some people to like vanilla ice cream better than chocolate ice cream?"  Yes!  We want to accept our differences and not make little comments that belittle someone else because they like something different, especially if only a few people were standing on one side.  We also talked about how even if our close friends are standing on one side of the room because they like pepperoni pizza, it's okay to stand on the other side of the room away from them because we like cheese pizza. 


Please remember that your children are going through a transition phase, so they may require more patience and understanding from you, they may require more sleep, and they may require more "down" time.  It may be hard to remember your elementary school days, but try to remember when you first started a job.  You had to figure out what your boss' expectations were, and you needed to learn to communicate with new co-workers both in a social setting as well as in a work setting.  You even needed to learn how to navigate the new environment-- where the xerox machine and the bathrooms were located.  Even if you were excited to start anew (or especially if you were not excited to start anew), I'll bet you felt some stress.  That has been your child's world this week.


I am SO excited to start this new school year and look forward to learning more about and supporting each child this year.  I am also really looking forward to all the exciting questions we will pursue and thoughts we will ponder!  What a privilege it is to teach your children.


  

]]> Some Things Change--Some Things Stay the Same tag:midpac.edu,2009:/elementary/ce_p2//28.6235 2009-05-21T23:57:21Z 2009-05-29T08:54:13Z Ms. Abe
I asked the children three questions to reflect upon this 2008-2009 school year, and several of their answers are posted below (in no particular order).

]]> Writing in journals
Role plays
Writing peace poems
Book swap
Listening to Mrs. Abe read stories
Talking about how we feel/'Ohana time
Praying
Having Mrs. Abe as our teacher
Learning about peace
Learning about recycling/plastic/corrugated cardboard
Going around to the classrooms and telling them about the canned food drive
Drawing/writing
Praying
Singing
Learning about kindness
Coming to the Peace Room during lunch recess

(2)  What did you learn this year in CE?
Recycling 1 plastic bottle saves 6 hours of electricity (3 students quoted this directly --this information was from a book that I read aloud!)
How to respect people
Feeling the other person's feelings (volunteered by a kindergartner!)
Recycling
Recycling is better than throwing away trash
Trash goes to landfills
How to respect people
God loves us no matter what
We can recycle #1 and #2 plastics in Hawaii
God lives everywhere
God will always be with you, everywhere you go
Love
Peace, peace is important, peace helps you feel calm
Friendship
Respect my friends
God is all around us
Don't lie on the floor (our classroom rule)
Love my friends
Listen to people
Be quiet when other people are talking
God takes care of us
Violence is never okay
Use less paper

(3)  What do you think should be changed/done differently/what is something you want to learn next year?
The history of God
More about God
Get a better air conditioner for the classroom
Learn more about recycling, walk down to the bin at our school
Where is God?
Write more poems
Do less 'Ohana time/prayer (in contrast to the children who enjoyed that most about CE)
How did God make us/the earth/solar system/animals?
What the highest number that plastics go up to?
What do other countries do with their trash/recycling?
What do you do if someone's mean to you?
Get a chapel building for MPI
How strong is God?
Where is Jesus?
More about feelings
Do more puppets
How did God make himself?
How many landfills are there in Hawaii?
What happens when I grow up/college?
Do the prayer leaders in alphabetical order by first name (right now they're by last name)
Some children also mentioned some things they as individuals need to do differently next year, like talk less when other people are talking.

I look forward to exploring some of the topics that they mentioned next year!

I was really struck by the relevant questions/topics the children brought up.  I think the children's ability to reflect on what they've learned and then think about what they want to learn next is a reflection of the philosophy here at MPI.  

The last book we read this year was called Sometimes Things Change by Mary Murphy.  It's a picture book.  Even though there are crayon markings on every page, I told the children I bought it for only 25 cents from Manoa Library-- one of my favorite sections there!  The book talks about how some things change, whether my home, my feelings, my costume, day changes to night, dark changes to light, etc.  However, on the last page, the author writes "Some things change, but some things stay the same."  There is a picture of the adult penguin hugging the two little penguins. 

I told the children that, yes, soon their lives will change.  They may have another teacher, they will have different people in their class, they may even move to another school or another state.  However, their parents will always love them, their classroom teachers and I will always love them, and above all, God will always love them. That will always stay the same.  

May the road rise to meet you
May the wind blow at your back
May the sun shine warmly on your face
May the rain fall softly on your fields
And until we meet again
Until we meet again
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

Warmest aloha,
Lori Abe
]]> Celebrating Earth Day tag:midpac.edu,2009:/elementary/ce_p2//28.6050 2009-04-23T19:29:56Z 2009-04-27T07:44:49Z Ms. Abe
It was so much fun to see the children excitedly poring over the boxes of books, then becoming engrossed in the books they found.  How wonderful that they have such a love of reading!  Not only was it an Earth Day celebration, it was also a celebration of reading.  Every child got to browse through the books, whether he brought a book to swap or not.





]]>
How can we help our children deal with unfortunate situations?  It was interesting seeing them try to handle their feelings of wont.  A few came to me and begged me to save a particular book for them on the side (asking an adult for help is a strategy)-- except that I wasn't saving books for anyone.  When I said I couldn't save books, a few tried to hide their books deep among the boxes so no one else would take them.  A few begged their friends to give them a book, which is another strategy, to ask a friend for help-- but I had to stop them, for the sake of the child who brought the books as well as to make it fair for all the children who didn't bring books.  A few told me they didn't want to participate, which is fine.  And a few excitedly saw books that they thought their friends (who had brought books) would like and brought it to them.  

I did reassure all of them that they could bring in a book another day.  Thus most of the children looked through the books, read a few, and vowed they would come back the next day with their book from home.  Problem solved.

Several children did come back the next day.  Some found the book that they were hoping to get.  Others didn't, but seemed to find an acceptable alternative.  Thankfully, many times an initially disappointing situation can become a happy one.  There are life lessons to be learned everywhere, even through a seemingly mundane Earth Day book swap!  (Next week we will see how many books are left over; we are considering allowing every child take home a book next week, whether they brought one in or not.)

On another side note, it was fun to see these young children in what was possibly their first "shopping" trip alone, being able to choose whatever book they desired.  What a rush!  Some chose quickly and sat down with their books.  Others took their time going through every single box.  It's interesting how each child is different.  (Aren't you curious to see which book your child will bring home?)

Another Earth Day activity we did this week was talk about trash and how we need to reduce the amount of trash we generate, especially since we live on an island.  I told the students that we will talk about recycling different materials, and this week we talked about recycling plastic.  

I showed them photos of the new containers put out by the City-- gray for waste, green for green waste, and blue for recyclables.  Many children eagerly chimed in that, yes, they have those containers at home!  I also showed them a photo of the large, metal container that we see at our neighborhood schools that look like a Matson container.  This year we even have one here at MPI.  Even if our home doesn't have the City containers, everyone can put those recyclables on those big Matson container ones.

Then we talked about how we look for the little triangle made of arrows, symbolizing recycling, and that here in Hawaii we can recycle plastic containers with the number 1 and number 2 in that little triangle.  The children turned into "plastic detectives" where they had to look at 18 different objects, find the triangle, look at the number in the triangle, and decide whether or not they could put it in that big blue container at home or the big Matson container to recycle it.  I told them that was something they, as young children, could do to help the earth regarding plastic recycling.  They can be on the lookout for what is recyclable (that 5 mm little triangle might be hard for grandparents to find!), and maybe even go and put the recyclables into that blue container.  (One child said one of his chores was to put recyclables outside into the blue container.)
  
So if you see your child carefully scrutinizing a plastic container in your home, look for the arrow made of triangles with him and see what number it is.  Can you recycle it?

On a final note, today was my last webcam conference with Mr. Young's class in California for this school year.  Because Ms. Field's class is studying plants, we asked them what their favorite plants are.  Two girls who volunteered their answers replied, "Poppies...tulips."  Our children were, "What?  Poppies?  Tulips?"  (Have you ever seen the orange California poppies in the spring when they're blooming-- even all along the highway?  What an amazing sight...)  Then they asked us what our favorite plant was, and one of our students volunteered to answer and said, "Plumeria!"  The California children said, "Plumeria?"  I think I will try to find photos of poppies and tulips and show them to our children.  Perhaps I should email Mr. Young photos of a plumeria plant as well.  In our communication with others, we need to remember that everyone's experiences in life are different... 

We also asked the California children what they recycle at school, since we're talking about recycling.  They said they recycle paper at school.  I asked if they can recycle plastics with the numbers 3, 4, and 5 in the little triangle, and Mr. Young said yes.  Hopefully one day we can catch up with California in terms of recycling!  
]]> Kind Words and Earth Day tag:midpac.edu,2009:/elementary/ce_p2//28.5990 2009-04-16T22:46:51Z 2009-04-19T08:58:08Z 17 April 2009Dear families, We will be doing an Earth Day Book Swap during your child's Character Education class next Wednesday through Friday, April 22-April 24. If you bring a book, you can swap it and take home a "new"... Ms. Abe

17 April 2009


Dear families,


We will be doing an Earth Day Book Swap during your child's Character Education class next Wednesday through Friday, April 22-April 24.


If you bring a book, you can swap it and take home a "new" book!  You can bring in just one book or as many books as you wish (is it time do some spring cleaning of those shelves at home?)-- the most you can take home is five books, however, because of the time it takes to look through the boxes for a book.


Or if you don't wish to participate, that's fine too.  (Some children mentioned that they love all their books and didn't want to bring any in to swap.  If your child changes his mind after seeing the neat books his friends are taking home, he can come during lunch recess another day).


Any books preschool level through 5th grade would be appropriate, so you can bring in a book that you've outgrown and take home a more challenging book.


You can bring your book(s) to the CE house or you may bring it the day of your CE class.


Any remaining books that are not swapped will be donated to a worthy cause.


Mahalo,

Lori Abe and Shirley Rivera

Character Education

]]> Wrapping up the canned food drive:  Thank you so much to all the families who donated food and personal hygiene items!  The children counted over 1000 items of food that came in.  WOW!!!!!!!!  We certainly have a very generous and thoughtful MPI family.

Thank you also to Mrs. Johnson and Mr. and Mrs. Serikaku for driving all those cans to St. Patrick's Food Pantry.  The volunteers at the Food Pantry were so grateful!

==========

This week our Chaplain Koyama returned back to Hawaii and doing chapel services, but he was feeling very sad during chapel because his father just passed away.  

We decided to write kind words to him, because that is what friends do when their friend is sad-- we try to let them know we care about them and we try to make them feel better if we can.  I tried not to prompt them and asked them for examples of what they could write.  I was very curious to see what words they would come up with, being so young and never having read any Hallmark condolence cards.  I knew whatever they wrote would come from their hearts.

The children wrote words that I know will bless Chaplain Koyama and some drew little pictures that they hoped would help him feel better, such as pictures of Chaplain Koyama and his father togehter, an ice cream cone, and hearts.  One child drew a picture of herself with Chaplain Koyama smiling and looking up into the sky together, looking for his father in heaven.  

Here are some of their kind words:
*  Think about the times you spent together.  Think about when you had fun with him.
*  Your dad will always be with you forever and ever.  
*  I know your dad is in heaven and I hope you always have a good day like always.
*  I hope you feel better.  Your dad is in a happy place now so you don't need to worry.
*  Don't be so sad-- we are here to take care of you.  
*  I love you.
*  Your dad will always love you and you are one of the best chapel persons and your dad is the best.
*  It is ok-- you can think of your father any time.
*  I hope you feel better and your father always will be in your heart.
*  I'm sorry that your Dad died.  But he'll always remember you.
*  Don't worry because your dad will be watching over you.
*  I am sad because your dad died.
*  I miss your dad.  Your dad was a great dad to you.

And I had to smile when I read this one written by a kindergartner:  "I love you.  I hope you have a God day"  (I copied all the capitals and lower case letters exactly as written).  

I wish you could have seen their little faces as they sat intently drawing and writing these kind words to Chaplain Koyama.  

Please pass me a tissue...

This week we talked about next week's Earth Day Book Swap.  We also started talking about how we can care for the earth, starting with reducing the amount of water we waste.

I read a book about how valuable and fun (clean) water is, and then the children brainstormed ideas of how they-- even being young children-- could save water.  With the preschoolers, I mentioned some of the ideas the older kids brought up.  

Here are some ideas they mentioned:
*  Turn off the faucet when you're done using it.
*  Turn off the hose when you're done using it.
*  If you drink water and aren't done with it, put it in the refrigerator instead of throwing it away.
*  Take a shorter shower.
*  Don't let the bath water run too high.
*  Turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth.
*  Throw trash away in the trash can, so it won't fly into the water.

Then each child acted out how he could save water.  When acting out how I turn off the water faucet, I pretended to twist it, and many students copied that movement, or acted out brushing their teeth, or taking a short shower.  So when one student showed me an up and down movement as to how he would save water, I must have had a perplexed look on my face, because he promptly explained to me that the faucet in his house shuts off by pressing it down.  Ah!  I had to laugh.


]]> April Showers of Blessing tag:midpac.edu,2009:/elementary/ce_p2//28.5963 2009-04-09T22:49:31Z 2009-04-13T01:47:22Z Ms. Abe
Mrs. LeBlanc's and Ms. Revard's classes, the two 1/2 multiage classes who were in charge of the canned food drive this semester, had a blast drawing their posters and writing their speeches.  They were literally dancing with excitement and nervousness the day we went to each kindergarten through 5th grade class to make their public service announcements.  They did a wonderful job-- the children here at MPI really excel at public speaking because they do it so often.     
]]>
*  bunnies
*  dyeing eggs
*  Easter egg hunts
*  the golden egg
*  lunch/dinner with family
*  church
*  candy

I read an Easter story that talked about most of the activities they mentioned above. 

Then I read another Easter story.  We didn't have very much time to cover many details, and Lord knows how many deep and philosophical discussions we could have on what few details I did read about (pun intended).  I was mainly trying to expose them to the basics of another Easter story.

Next we did an Easter egg hunt.  The children did an exceptional job following the unorthodox instructions:  find just one egg, and don't open it!  (I had to smile when one of the preschoolers exclaimed, "It's just like the Waiting Game!!"  Yes, one can never take for granted a preschooler who can wait and not open an Easter egg.)(I described the Waiting Game in my last blog.)

One by one, each child opened his egg.  Inside each egg was a little object, and I asked them if it reminded them of anything I read about in the last Easter story.  I was surprised at what they remembered, whether a piece of palm leaf from when the people lay palm branches on the road to Jerusalem, or an angel pin that represented the angel who was in the empty tomb.  It is indeed a very complicated story with many layers of meaning; thankfully Easter is something we celebrate and revisit every year.

The last few eggs that were opened contained stickers, and I asked those children to share and pass out the stickers.  It is such a joy to watch children (or even adults!) share with each other, and ask each other with great concern in their voices,  "Did you get one?"   

Because Earth Day is in April, we will move from helping others, whether friends in our school or hungry people in our community, to helping the earth.  Character Education will be sponsoring a book swap for the children, where they can bring a book and exchange it for another book.  More details are coming! 
   
]]> What is peace? (part 3) tag:midpac.edu,2009:/elementary/ce_p2//28.5715 2009-02-06T21:17:09Z 2009-04-10T01:15:47Z Ms. Abe
Thus began our introduction into our next subject, being a good friend.  

]]>
One component of being a good friend is the ability to wait respectfully for our turn.  To be a good friend, we must wait patiently for our turn at the water fountain (rather than cutting in line) or wait for a turn to ride the tricycle or play with a particular sand toy (rather than grabbing it out of the hand of a friend).  Not only does this show respect for others, but others will want to play with us knowing they can trust us to take turns and are fair.  ("To have a friend is to be a friend.")  

The preschoolers read several books about waiting our turn, learning that if you take turns then everyone can have fun, that everyone takes -- and gets-- turns, and that even adults need to take turns.  (Can you imagine if adults didn't take turns when they were driving?)  

After these books we also discussed what we can do while we wait.  Some answers the children came up with included "play with another toy...play with someone else...read a book."  We also drew pictures of what we can do while we wait.  Another activity we did was playing the Waiting Game.  

For the Waiting Game, I modified a marshmallow experiment I learned about in my Educational Psychology classes in college.  To briefly summarize the experiment, children were given a marshmallow.  They were told that they would be left alone with that marshmallow, and if they chose to wait and not eat it, they would be given another marshmallow.  Using a hidden camera, the researchers then watched how the children tried not to eat the marshmallow.  A longitudinal study on this experiment talked about the importance of learning how to delay one's gratification.  

What the Waiting Game entailed was placing a toy in front of each child and telling them that they could not touch the toy until my watch alarm went off.  If they were able to wait, then they could play with the toy.  If they did touch it before my alarm went off, then I had to take the toy away and they had to wait for the next round in order to try play again.  

As we sat there and waited for my alarm to go off (it was actually only a couple minutes-long wait), I asked them what they could do while they were waiting.  The four-year old class spontaneously began chanting "1, 2, 3..." and patting their laps and clapping together, laughing.  I didn't know what the outcome of this activity would be, and it actually seemed easy for them to wait in this a controlled setting.  I thought it was interesting that the next few times that they came to class, a few of them excitedly asked, "Are we playing the Waiting Game today?"  

Day to day, we also compliment the preschoolers on how they have been waiting patiently for their turn or waiting patiently in line.  

With the older children, we read several books and discussed how to be a good friend by helping others.  One of the activities we did was skits.  At first I pretended that I needed help, and the children volunteered and acted out various ways to help me, whether asking if I needed a band-aid, asking if they could help me carry something, helping me clean up my imaginary snack that fell on the floor, or asking if I'd like to play with them.  Then the students acted out different scenarios and other students volunteered ways to help them.  It's interesting that when thinking of helping others, the majority of them thought of someone who was physically hurt, and they especially recalled the times when they took someone to the nurse.  

It was also interesting to see when I tried this activity with the preschoolers that they acted out different solutions to my problem.  For example, when I acted like I was sad, a preschooler offered me flowers, whereas the 1st and 2nd graders invited me to play with them, assuming I was sad because I didn't have anyone to play with.  It gave me chicken skin to see so many children want to volunteer to act out to help me and to hear their kind words and actions.  I think it actually was a bit shocking for some of them to see me, their teacher, pretend to fall down and get hurt or pretend to cry and be sad.  Now we want to see this enacted in their real life!

I told them about a story in my life where I almost missed an opportunity to help a friend.  She wasn't asking me for help so I missed it at first and I just listened to her share.  Only after a while did I realize that I could offer to help her, and I told them how I kicked myself for missing it the first time and how thankful I was that I finally thought about it and was able to bless my friend! The last few classes, we've been pretending to put on our "helping brains" that think of how to help others, our "helping eyes" to see how to help others, and our "helping ears" to listen how we can help others, and not just think of me, me, me. 

Speaking of helping others, we will be having our last canned food drive for the school year on April 6-9, right before Easter.  We are hoping to collect all kinds of canned food (meats/fish, vegetables, fruits), peanut butter, spaghetti sauce, pasta, rice, cereal, and powdered milk.  Aunty Pat at the St. Patrick's Food Pantry in Palolo also said they can use toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, and shampoo for the homeless as well, so if you have any that you've gotten from a hotel and can't use, please bring that in as well.   Mrs. LeBlanc's and Ms. Revard's classes are in charge of the canned food drive this semester, so they wrote a letter that will go home to all the families after Spring Break with more information.   
 
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