On Thursday, we celebrated Veterans Day as a school community with an assembly. Mr. Elliott started the celebration by reading us the book "America's White Table". The White Table is set in many mess halls as a symbol for and remembrance to service members fallen, missing, or held captive in the line of duty. This book tells of a young girl who sets a White Table at her home to show her gratitude for her Uncle John and all of his fellow Veterans. After he read, our 4th graders sang a medley of the Armed Forces theme songs. At the end of the assembly, our very important Veteran guests introduced themselves and told us how they helped serve our country.
On Friday, we took the metro bus down the hill to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Visitors Center. We had many amazing Room 203 adult family member with us to help make the trip safe and enjoyable. (THANK YOU, chaperones!) At the center, we were given a tour called "All Lives Have Equal Value". We learned about some very big problems that people in our world face, and heard about how the Gates Foundation is helping with some of these problems. The kids were encouraged to reflect on a problem they care a lot about (as Ms. Colondo says ~ a problem that "breaks their heart"), and draw it as their cause. Then they were given time at a makers' space to invent ways to help with their cause.
We will start this week off by using our gratitude to sing on stage at our Monday Morning Meeting! All three kindergarten classes will be singing the song, "What a Wonderful World" with Ms. Stone to help our school wrap up November's Gratitude focus. The students have learned the words to sing as well as the American Sign Language for the words. I am looking forward to seeing their performance and I hope you will be
able to join us as well. If kids want to practice prior to (or after) the performance, here are the links that Ms. Stone provided:
a video with ASL signs
https://www.dropbox.com/s/5182jxk2ssqlcql/What%20a%20Wonderful%20World.mp4?dl=0
a track to play to practice singing
https://www.dropbox.com/s/rxj83g7qrbhff1h/What%20a%20Wonderful%20World.mp3?dl=0
Enjoy your week!
With gratitude!
Katie