Tradition.
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
Tradition
One tradition at Milaca Elementary, at the end of the day, on the last day of school, all of the teachers and staff line up and wave good-bye to the buses as they leave the school grounds ...
Tradition.
Tradition.
Lonely
The best part of any classroom is the students who share the space ...
When the school day ends, and in this case, the school year, it can be a lonely place to work for two workshop days ... luckily for this fourth grade teacher, her students worked on a little project before they left to keep her company. LOVE these kids!! Feeling a little less lonely thinking about each masterpiece!
When the school day ends, and in this case, the school year, it can be a lonely place to work for two workshop days ... luckily for this fourth grade teacher, her students worked on a little project before they left to keep her company. LOVE these kids!! Feeling a little less lonely thinking about each masterpiece!
Keep Reading!
Our school has a school-wide read along at the end of the day on the last day of school. It worked really well when there were donations from the community to purchase a new book for all 1000+ students in our school. With the school library shut down, and the classroom library packed up, it limits our options. Dependent on the book orders during the school year, Ms. Leom is able to invite students to pick out a new book to read. Some years, she can offer this for both classes. This year, she had books for one student.
Keep reading!
Keep reading!
Project
Ms. Leom had a project on the last day of school. The mom in her didn't want to show a movie ... it is a day to stretch ourselves ... talk with friends ... and make some memories ... and what better way to do that than to lay down on the job and work on a project ...
You will have to see a future post to see our end result ... but notice how bare the walls and room looks ... our class worked together to take down the room in about an hour and a half (wish it took that long to pull it together!!)
You will have to see a future post to see our end result ... but notice how bare the walls and room looks ... our class worked together to take down the room in about an hour and a half (wish it took that long to pull it together!!)
Drawing
For the last couple of weeks, Mr. Greninger has been handing out tickets. Whenever he saw a student being responsible or respectful, he handed the student a ticket. They wrote their name on it, and put it into the can.
On the last day of school, he did a drawing. Each student had their name in the can multiple of times. They could only win one prize. There was a DS game, a bottle of pop, and water pouches. It as an exciting drawing for prizes!
On the last day of school, he did a drawing. Each student had their name in the can multiple of times. They could only win one prize. There was a DS game, a bottle of pop, and water pouches. It as an exciting drawing for prizes!
Circle Time
We had our last circle time on the last day of school ...
We shared what made this year special and what we were looking forward to this summer.
This was a special class. There were times when a pair or small group had differences, but overall, this was a very caring, inclusive, and kind class. They were able to forgive. They were able to empathize. They were patient. They each made an effort to make every day a safe place to be and learn.
For over two decades, I have taught amazing students. Each one has special qualities and gifts that I admire and appreciate. One quality that made this class stand out, was how they had a chemistry and worked collectively together. You can't always teach emotional chemistry or group dynamics. I hope they take these skills into the world. We need more kindness and caring. Let the circles of what we built together continue.
We shared what made this year special and what we were looking forward to this summer.
This was a special class. There were times when a pair or small group had differences, but overall, this was a very caring, inclusive, and kind class. They were able to forgive. They were able to empathize. They were patient. They each made an effort to make every day a safe place to be and learn.
For over two decades, I have taught amazing students. Each one has special qualities and gifts that I admire and appreciate. One quality that made this class stand out, was how they had a chemistry and worked collectively together. You can't always teach emotional chemistry or group dynamics. I hope they take these skills into the world. We need more kindness and caring. Let the circles of what we built together continue.
Ms. Sherri
Another great reason to love our school, are the people who work there. Today, we celebrate Ms. Sherri. She is a para, who we are THRILLED to have her work in OUR room! She brings her own sunshine. She cares about every students, and she is excited to see YOU. She is patient. She builds relationships. She works in many classrooms, but on the last day of school, she had a special something for our students ...
She gave each student a bottle of water, a fun straw, and a packet of flavoring.
Water is a welcome treat for students!
Just another example of making kids feel seen and noticed. Every student was smiling. Ms. Sherri knows our students. She makes our school a better place!
She gave each student a bottle of water, a fun straw, and a packet of flavoring.
Water is a welcome treat for students!
Just another example of making kids feel seen and noticed. Every student was smiling. Ms. Sherri knows our students. She makes our school a better place!
Playing Hooky
Late Friday afternoon, we had a visitor to Room E135 ... Ms. Leom was invited to be the staff member on the sixth boat for the sixth grade class fishing trip. She was sad to miss out on a day with her current class, and she had plans ... but the opportunity to hang with some of her alumni and find out what this fishing trip is all about was too a-lure-ing of an adventure to pass up!!
This picture doesn't do justice to the number of laps she made on her boat, checking on her 19 fishing companions and encouraging them to catch a fish ... Captain Rich worked so hard ... with his helper, Gary ... we traveled to five locations ... checked the depths of the lines every five to ten minutes ... three different types of bait ... some movement ... Captain Rich, an expert on these things, thought the late ice out, the still cold water temperatures, and our timing was early by a week ...
There was a little rain and some students who really wanted to catch a fish, nearly as much as Ms. Leom ... Ms. Leom was hoping to be invited back ... she is afraid her no fish count might limit her chances. That is one of the many reasons why being a teacher at Milaca Schools is special. When you have a student for one year, or work with a group of students, you have opportunities to continue those connections for years to come. We are building and maintaining a larger community that extends beyond the walls of our classrooms.
As Ms. Leom's Grandpa Gene always said, "Any day spent fishing is a day well spent." Indeed.
The best part, coming back to school to share some fish tales with her students and get them excited for their future trip as sixth graders to play hooky.
This picture doesn't do justice to the number of laps she made on her boat, checking on her 19 fishing companions and encouraging them to catch a fish ... Captain Rich worked so hard ... with his helper, Gary ... we traveled to five locations ... checked the depths of the lines every five to ten minutes ... three different types of bait ... some movement ... Captain Rich, an expert on these things, thought the late ice out, the still cold water temperatures, and our timing was early by a week ...
There was a little rain and some students who really wanted to catch a fish, nearly as much as Ms. Leom ... Ms. Leom was hoping to be invited back ... she is afraid her no fish count might limit her chances. That is one of the many reasons why being a teacher at Milaca Schools is special. When you have a student for one year, or work with a group of students, you have opportunities to continue those connections for years to come. We are building and maintaining a larger community that extends beyond the walls of our classrooms.
As Ms. Leom's Grandpa Gene always said, "Any day spent fishing is a day well spent." Indeed.
The best part, coming back to school to share some fish tales with her students and get them excited for their future trip as sixth graders to play hooky.
Egg Drop
Twenty years ago, when Ms. Leom started teaching, Mr. Zimmer introduced her to the Egg Drop experience. Mr. Zimmer retired, but his idea of teaching students to invent a way to keep a raw egg safe while being dropped from a high space lives on in the imaginations and problem solving of a new generation of students ... Where Mr. Zimmer used to climb on top of the Elementary Cafeteria Roof, the new generation uses the top of the press box of the football field ...
There are great ideas every year ... having observed with our own eyes ... red jello has a high speed splatter reaction that some parents - the ones who do laundry - may not appreciate ...
Fourth graders are dreaming big ... for their egg drop in a year ...
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| Fifth grade teacher, Mr. Anderson leads the adventure |
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| the fifth graders gather around |
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| the audience of fifth and fourth graders are captivated |
Fourth graders are dreaming big ... for their egg drop in a year ...
Wipe Out
On Friday, we had to wipe the memory of our ipads, clean them, and place them on the cart for summer programming.
This might be the hardest good-bye of the year. We spent all year downloading apps, arranging them just so, working on various projects, and with a few touches to the screen, the iPads are wiped out for a new user.
This might be the hardest good-bye of the year. We spent all year downloading apps, arranging them just so, working on various projects, and with a few touches to the screen, the iPads are wiped out for a new user.
Tank Park
In March, Milaca Elementary and Princeton Elementary challenged each other to a reading contest. The school that won would win bragging rights for an entire year and be able to post the plaque in the library. For the second year in a row, Milaca Elementary won. The prize, Mr. Meyer and Mr. Voshell were going to take fourth grade for extra Recess at Trimble Park (aka "Tank Park"). There were some unexpected events that made their time valuable. In the end, the fourth grade teachers made the reward happen.
Thankful for this day. This moment. These kids.
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| lining up to begin our walk |
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| "Tank Park" |
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| Nurse Kim biking to check on a student during their lunch at Rec Park |
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| Ms. Leom's Fourth Grade Class, May 2018 |
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