Last week was a big week for the Kinders. They heard "The Shelf Elf" by Jackie Mims Hopkins to review all the library lessons they learned last month and then they (finally) got to check out books. The books will be kept in their classrooms at first until the teachers decide the kiddos are ready to take them home. They all did a great job following directions and using their shelf markers and I was proud of each and everyone of them.
The first graders heard the story "Hunter's Best Friend at School" by Laura Malone Elliot and then we talked a bit about friendship. We discussed that being a best friend doesn't mean following along when your friends are making bad choice but it does mean that you help your friends be the best they can be. It was a fun story with a great message.
The 2nd graders heard "Chrysanthemum" by Kevin Henkes and we discussed how the behavior of the children in the book represented Peacebuilder behavior. We reinforced the Peacebuilder pledge and some children shared times when then had been teased about things they had no control over. It was a valuable discussion for everyone.
We had some extraordinary discussions in our 3rd-5th grade classes after we read the book "Those Shoes" by Maribeth Boelts. The kids shared times they had wanted something that they couldn't have. We talked about the importance of valuing what you do have rather than focusing on what you don't have. We talked about wanting things just because everyone else seems to have them and why it's a waste of time and energy to try to worry about having what others have. I appreciate the honesty and candor of all the children who contributed to the discussion.
A special thanks to Mr. Moore's 4th graders who served as my guinea pigs with the Shelf Finder Relay Race. The game proved to need a bit more planning but they were good sports about it.
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