Today was an incredibly memorable day for me and I hope that your children had an amazing time! They were all smiles. It was a wonderful way to celebrate our hard work and enjoy some quality time together before the long break. The day was full of lots of surprises too....
My son built and painted this sign to welcome the kiddos.
You-tube helped create the mood. We had a campfire going all day. The crackling sound with bugs in the background really made it feel like we were outside!
Mr. Sears made several small "fires" with christmas lights and foil. It created a soft ambiance that the kids loved. Plus, no one got burned. ;-)
The kids were anxious to see the room and find out what the big surprise was.
They cheered when they saw that we were having a camp day. We all got comfy on the sleeping bags.
Students were given the opportunity to share the personal narrative that they wrote this quarter. Every single student shared a story!
While we were sharing stories, every single administrator came in and listened to a few of the stories. I rewarded the students for their hard work and bravery with a special brag tag.
We also took some time to read some great stories. It was super relaxing to spend a half an hour reading on our sleeping bags.
My kids love books so much that it was fun to give them this surprise...
...25 new books for our classroom library! I was able to get most of these books for free because of the book orders that you placed last month. The kids were thrilled!
Snack time! No campout is complete without s'mores!
After snack, I surprised the students with the special stories that you wrote about them. They felt so special and were very impressed with your writing abilities! Thank you so much for this special touch to our day!
All day, I had been teasing the kids with this box.
I told them that it was a very special gift for them. I had all kinds of fun guesses from the kiddos: a board game, a packet of work to do over break, a paper that said they never had to do homework again, candy, etc. I told them that they could open it if one of their parents correctly guessed what it was or if Mrs. Fox came in the room. Selah said, "My mom is pretty smart. I think she will guess it." So we posted a picture on our class Instagram. We weren't getting any guesses and the kids asked me to text you. They are so resourceful! I sent a text and the guesses started coming in: a board game, a ball, a book, etc. We were in the middle of reading your guesses when Mrs. Fox walked into our room!!! The kids cheered so much and Mrs. Fox was stunned! She doesn't always gets that kind of welcome!
The kids grabbed the box. I tried to get a picture, but it wasn't easy because they were anxious to tear it open!
The student helpers, Michael and Kahlon, teared open the box. Inside they found a picture of a Kindle Fire and the following note, "Dear Mrs. Sears' Class, Do you enjoy using tablets? I hope so, because Mr. Sears and I purchased 6 tablets for the classroom! They will be here later today." The kids screamed and hugged me like mad. It was a moment I will cherish always.
The tablets were just delivered.
I love teaching very much and making kids happy to so much fun. I won't be able to make every kid happy every day- but days like today make my job feel like a privilege. I have always wanted to have more technology in my classroom. I own my own business and I have worked very hard and feel honored to bless my classroom with wonderful educational tools! After fall break students will be using the new Kindle Fires in their small groups and for writing research. I can hardly wait.
But first- FALL BREAK!!! I am off on a cruise with my family in the Caribbean!
