Monday, January 23

 Hi parents,

We had a bit of an off-day today. Our morning was actually pretty good - the students worked on journal writing, math, spelling, and editing as usual. We learned about 'indents', and when to use them in paragraph writing. We also watched another video about the seven sacred laws, and learned about the Eagle, which symbolizes love.

In the afternoon, we had music, and then we got a special visit from AARCS, to thank us for our fundraising at the winter concert. The students got to ask questions and even to meet and pet a nice dog that AARCS brought (if they wanted to). Unfortunately, the presentation went over our gym time, which I thought wouldn't be a big deal because we'd already went outside for a bonus PE break in the morning and had lunch recess, but I guess I was mistaken. The wailing chorus of complaints was unlike anything I've heard all year, and I let the class know how disappointed I was in their lack of appreciation for what I thought was a pretty cool experience. I am very grateful for the students who asked respectfully if we were still going to gym, without interrupting or whining, and then accepted my answer with understanding.

So tomorrow we're going to dial it back and work to earn back some of the other pretty cool things at school. We'll be doing lots of math, reading, and writing. It'll probably end up being a nice change of pace, and a good opportunity to practice fundamental school expectations and skills. But I do hope it also helps the class be a bit more appreciative of the things that make our classroom special.

Have a nice day,

Zac