Seriously, one of my favorite books of all time~ At first, the illustrations blew me away.   I loved how realistic they were. Then, a few years back, I read this for the first time to my class and it melted my heart!   It made my heart so happy!   I was sooooo touched!   I use this every year in my teaching and it makes such a difference in my students!   It has such a great impact on them!  

Even the smallest acts of kindness can powerfully impact the lives of others. With  just a simple gesture (a smile) you could ignite a circle of warmth that flows from person to person, touching the hearts and lives of people  you  may never even meet.

PAY IT FORWARD CHALLENGE

I am challenging EACH of my students to PAY IT FORWARD this week.   (and also for the rest of their lives)   1st:   Share the impact that Katie had in this story with your family. 2nd:   Think of 20 acts of KINDNESS with your family, discuss them and how powerful they are.

3rd: Pay it FORWARD to someone this week.  

4th:   Please leave a comment about HOW you “Paid it Forward” this week.   You as the student can leave a comment or any one in your family could leave a comment.   ON THURSDAY– I will check who has left me a comment and we will read them in class.   The children will be rewarded if they and or their family  particiapte in this activity. Good luck and have fun!

Have you ever really, really wanted a pet but your parents did not agree?   Well, if you have then you probably will enjoy this book!   This story so funny, it is actually a Humurous Fiction story.   We had a great time reading it and the whole time I was reading it my student’s were touching their heart.   (when they touch their heart, that means that they are having a TEXT to SELF connection)    I absolutely LOVE to listen to my students thinking and hear about all their connections to the text we read.   If you have not read this book before WE (the Can Do Kids) totally recommend it to you!   Your class or your family would really enjoy it!

Please share your Personal “Text to Self” Connection with the world!  

This week we have been reading some INFORMATIONAL texts on Penguins.   The neatest part about this is that we have been “adding” new FACTS to our SCHEMA!   I love listening to them when they have a aha moment.   The excitement fills the room and everyone is enjoying to read!   Some of the new facts that we learned these last couple days were:    

 “KID QUOTES”

“The male Emperor Penguin puts the egg in his Brood Pouch for 2 months, while the mom goes off to sea to find food,” said Snake. “The father penguin has to sleep standing up and shuffle his feet while walking to keep egg safe,” said Homer. “It take 5 months for the baby penguin to grow up into a junior pengiun and be ablel to swim,” said Cheetah Girl. “Penguin chicks gather in a group called a creche to stay warm,” said Maxi. “The father takes good care of the egg,” said Pony Girl. “The father can live a long time without food because he is fatter and bigger,” said Miley. “Emperor penguins are 4 feet tall,” said Navy. “The mother penguin swallows the water creatures, then when she meets her baby chick, she throws it up to feed it,” said Lego Master. “The mother uses her beak to brush the chick’s down,” said Kunglow. “After the chick hatches from the egg, it is wet and can’t come out of the pouch or it will die from the cold,” said Garfield. “The mom has to walk for three days to find open water and food,” said OP. “Seals like to eat penguins,” said Batman. “The mom toboggans on her way to find food for her baby chick,” said Fall.     Here is a short video clip with Penguins for you to enjoy and extend the learning at home!   Remember, discussing what your child did at school at home is such a Powerful TOol!