Fills Like Summer

So far this summer I have received exactly no letters from students. I'll admit that I'm a little disappointed that I haven't gotten to hear about camp or driving to Grandma's. The kids are at their best in letter form, because they're as entertaining as during the school year, but I don't have to tell anyone to sit down, get in line, or stop playing rough. Well, I'll settle for dipping into the ol' mail bag from past summers.

Dear Ms. Garb
Thank you for the pen I love it I can’t wait to see you after the trip you know what it doesn’t even fill like summer but school past bye fast well I hope you’re Doing good. If you Are you going to see your parents please send me a postcard.
Matthew
P.S. can you send the envelope Back I lik to colecte the stamp’s
Thanks

I Don't Love You

From grade three we now go to age three...

This week we visited some friends in Massachusetts who have a three year old boy, Declan. We were chatting with them in their living room when Declan was dropped off from his preschool summer camp. He sat down on the couch and set about taking off his shoes--the first step in getting down to some serious playing. I was pretty sure he didn't remember me since our last visit a whole year ago, so I introduced myself. Declan answered by clarifying what I would not be getting out of this afternoon's relationship. The actual conversation went as follows:

Sarah: "Hi Declan! Do you remember me? I'm Sarah."
Declan: "I don't love you."

I'm assuming the conversation from Declan's perspective was this:

Sarah: "Hi Declan! Do you remember me? I'm much taller than you and a stranger who doesn't look like anyone in your family. Should we love each other?"

Declan: "Easy, lady. You are definitely not my grandma and I'm 85% sure that you're not one of my aunts. Those are the people that I love, but you are none of them. So, if you're thinking that you're just going to walk into my life and I'm going to embrace you, you are mistaken. We could probably play my Dora the Explorer Memory game, but that's the level we're at."

But That's Math...

Ah, summer. The season of visiting pretend towns with your family. I’m personally familiar with such pretend towns, having grown up close to Old Sturbridge Village, where colonial-garbed women spin wool into yarn and a blacksmith perpetually hammers away at a new shoe for his horse. You can tour the old homes and purchase quills and ink at the general store. I even went to summer camp at one of these old-time setups and learned how to churn butter. This summer, these old fashioned villages will surely be brimming with girls such as Milena, who one year saved up her money for months to dress as a girl from the 1700s.
   Milena was explaining one day at lunch about her family’s upcoming trip to Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, and about how you can rent old fashioned clothes there. Milena was saving her money and although she wanted to buy some other things, was putting those on hold until after the Williamsburg trip. She was very serious about those colonial dresses. She listed off the money that she had saved--$8 from Tyieshia for her recent birthday and $5 from Becky--and explained there was still five weeks of allowance to be had before the trip. I asked how much, then, she would have total with the birthday cash plus allowance. Milena looked at me as if I had asked an absolutely ridiculous question that she couldn’t possibly be expected to answer and said, “Well, that’s math, so….”

Fourth of July

Somehow, in book club one day, the need arose to refer to our nation's birthday.  Byron made sure to clarify for the other group members what he was talking about.   

"The Fourth of July--when the Earth was created."

As with many holidays, children know there's something special about them....but aren't always 100% solid on what that something is. 

du-LI-CIOUS

Ahhh! Resisting temptation is so hard! Nate was eating some Five Guys fries the other day, which are cooked in peanut oil. I am allergic to nuts and have been to the emergency room my fair share of times for some rather unfortunate accidental walnut and pecan situations. I actually ate Five Guys fries a few times before finding out they cook everything there in death oil, as I like to call it. The fact that I survived those death oil fries means one of two things: either peanuts just aren't that bad on my nut-allergy spectrum, or I'm faking! Still, I avoid eating at Five Guys.

But those fries! The smell was irresistible and I admit that I did eat a few. My defense sounded a lot like that given by third grade Thomas a couple of years ago, who was lactose intolerant. One afternoon, he was doubled over with a stomach ache after having eaten cheese at lunch. "Thomas," I asked, "why did you eat cheese if you knew it would make your stomach hurt?" In light of my inability to resist those amazing but potentially deadly French fries, I can't really blame him for his reply, delivered in a rather pathetic-sounding moan. "Because it's du-LI-CIOUS!"

No Need to Bring Soap and Water Into This

As Samuel exits the bathroom on the hiking trip:

Ms. Sarah: “Did you wash your hands?”

Samuel: “No. I had my gloves on!”

Two Hours of Summer

Dear Ms. Sarah
Wow! I cant believe I’me already writing to you. It’s been a great two hours of summer so far. Right now I am painting flower pots to sell tomorrow.
Have a great summer,
Daniel

The Deal

One day Nina asked what she needed to do to earn some free reading time. Curling up and reading in the classroom library was Nina's favorite thing to do and we were using this reward as a way to help her improve her behavior in class. We explained that she had to meet her goals—things she had been working on getting better at all year. The key to free reading in the library would come in the form of: following directions, asking permission, putting in a good effort, and being kind to others. Nina replied, “I just don’t do those things.”

Meat with Plants IN IT

Deonte: "You don't eat meat?"
Ms. Sarah: "No, I'm a vegetarian. I don't eat meat."
Deonte: "Why?"
Ms. Sarah: "I think it would be better for the planet if people ate only plants."
Deonte: "Well. I eat meat. With plants IN IT. And broccoli and cheese."

Find a Shiny Nickel

Kindergarten studied economics at our school this semester. You may be wondering if a five-year-old's investigation into economic principles covers such hot topics as AIG. Well--this is at least what my third grade student Devon wondered when he heard about their subject matter. So, Devon is clearly up on the current economic crisis, but nobody else in the third grade seemed to have any idea what he was talking about.

A couple of weeks ago, the kindergarten classes shared at our all-school meeting about what they've learned. Sub-prime mortgages did not make it into their song lyrics--very hard to find a rhyme. No, the kindergarteners stuck with singing about finding a shiny nickel and putting in a pocket. The other kindergarten class then launched into a lovely ballad about the economy--"Some things cost money and some things are free." The rhyme there writes itself.

During the song, Devon leaned over with a disbelieving smile on his face, half-laughing as he said, "I thought the economy was serious!" As anyone who's even so much as glanced at the evening news in the last year knows, the economy these days is no laughing matter. "Certainly not an appropriate topic for a CHILDREN'S song!" I imagine Devon thinking to himself. "What are they thinking??"

Fresh as a Daisy

Earlier this week, the principal came into our classroom during lunch. Rodney and Angelo were talking to him, when Rodney exclaimed, “You smell clean!” Angelo, clearly wanting to be able to fully appreciate the principal's cleanliness as well, asked, "Can I smell you?"