When I look back on my early school days, celebrating holidays were certainly some of my fondest memories. I loved those old Halloween school parties where the mothers would bake the most delicious cupcakes and brownies and sugar cookies shaped in the form of ghosts, pumpkins and vampires. Dressed in old rags, pretending to be hobos or pirates, we would play games and have sack races. But now it's 2007 and Halloween celebrations are frowned on by an administration that believes adhering to Time on Learning tasks and Massachusetts Standards take precedent over celebrating a holiday that some people think is politically incorrect. Do people really think we believe in witches and goblins and vampires that go bump in the night!!
And so as a teacher in 2007, one must be creative and think hard as to how one might align "Time on Learning" with a wee bit of "holiday fun". Rather then announce in a newsletter that we were having a Halloween Party, I told the children we were celebrating the Season of Fall. Of course when you celebrate....you dress up...so if you wanted to come in "dress-up" clothes that would be most appropriate. Through the grapevine, word travels fast in a small town and to my surprise (?), parents brought in lovely treats for our Fall Harvest Festival. Come celebrate with us our "Time on Learning" about the season of autumn!
We started our day with the Pledge of Allegiance and singing "The Grand Old Flag".
Then we practiced reading our "sight words" in a game called Ghostbusters. If you could read all the words, then you were a "Zapper of Ghosts"!
After sitting on the floor for such a long time while everyone got to "zap a ghost", we needed to move our bodies and so we put on the music and danced to a few activity songs that encourage good listening skills.
".....make a face like a clown..."
Raffi's "Shake Your Sillies Out" is a great movement song. Now that our itchies were gone it was time for some hard reading. First wr read from the charts:
And then from some big books:
Then it was time for science....but first we needed to take a little hike.
We looked through the schoolyard fence and harvesting is what we saw.
Oh my! Did a witch fall in the bog?
With compassion, we rescued the witch's hat.....and so we practicedour empathy skills.
Our science lesson over, back to the classroom we hiked, stopping briefly for a short class in art appreciation.
Back in the classroom, after brief "snack" we had a course in computer science.
All too soon our "Fall Festival" was over. It was a "learning filled day" , I must say. We learned so much more then the fact that maple trees turn yellow in the fall!
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Comments: 62
You have such beautiful little girls and handsome young men as your students :) Gorgeous fairies and elves...
Bob, do the parents get to see these lovely pictures too? As parents of young ones at school, I often wondered how are the kids enjoying their activities in school. I wish we had such pictures from their school hours too. Makes one feel good that the kids are learning in a natural, beautiful environment .....and are HAPPY!
And yes, Minnie, the parents of my children know about my Gather site.
And ten stars for a fascinating romp back in the classroom...in whatever way one cares to define classroom.
And so this morning I have decided to institute "Backwards Comments"!
This morning, Dr. Who dropped in and picked up all the folks knowing that you would surely miss their presence if they stayed too long.
Minnie, as a mom, I wish I could spend every minute with my child, but getting to peek at their day through gather articles is such a treat. I know we are fortunate to have a teacher that truly works round the clock, whether it is teaching in the class or reflections of what she taught. Mrs. E is wonderful!
Thanks Charlotte, Debbie G. and Tonia for dropping by our classroom yesterday. It does take a lot of planning and the support of the parents to make a day like yesterday a success!
You did a fantastic job of bringing Halloween to your classroom. Good for you and good for those kids! Your pictures were incredible, as usual. It brought back the memories of when my kids were small and their costumes were always voted the best in the school for the Halloween parade. *blows on nails and buffs them on her shoulder* I'd forgotten how much fun those days were. Thanks, Bob.
Have to really smile...when I was in 7th Grade we had a Christmas pageant and I was the Angel Gabriel. I wanted to be Mary but my best friend got that part. Can you imagine if we ever had a play about the Holy Family in public schools today. Talking lawsuits, I imagine!
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When I'm reincarnated...may I please be in your class. I promise to bring you an unadulterated apple everyday.
I think that you had a heck of a lot of halloween fun on a non-halloween day. Bravo.
It looks like the kids had a great time.
Another great icon, layla...you look like those pictures of authors on the backs of books I see at Borders! I, too, yearn for those days when Halloween, Christmas and Easter were celebrations one could share in school...but alas that's not the case anymore. Now all you hear are words such as "standards, frameworks, and testing". The other night when I was in the car on the way to the train station I heard an interesting conversation on NPR (On Point) about the need for state funded preschools (which I actually agree that there is a need) but then they interviewed the Headmistress for a Private Prestigious Preschool in a town west of Boston and I nearly drove off the road as she talked about her "test driven program"! We do have a need for state funded preschool programs...but hopefully they will be designed around the child and be developmentally appropriate.
Wilma does need chocolate covered batwings. I mean she eats too many chocolate covered ants. I am showing concern for her nutrition.
As for Wilma...Kathryn just did a book review on "Skinny Bitch" and it's all about good nutrition so I think you should buy her a copy if your that concerned. I see nothing wrong with chocolate covered ants...ants have excellent protein and if she dips them in dark chocolate. all the more better.
Great photo essay.
Blessings
Wiaka...as a teacher these days, one has to come up with creative ways to bring back the fun in learning.