Happy New Year

Dothan Brook students have big wishes for 2017!

My Wish For 2017 Is...

I put up this bulletin board last month with the hopes that students would write their (kind and considerate) wishes upon the stars.  I hung a small bucket of markers off to the side and walked away.  

To have my cats back, no school, more social studies, live with freedom and pride, do a back handspring, and have an awesome year. 

I was surprised and oh-so-pleased when the stars filled up fast and students started drawing their own stars with wishes on them.  I quickly hung up more stars and the students just as quickly filled them.

To say hi to everyone, to be a better person, to have more books, and, of course, a little puppy dog!

The kids were so excited about the board and I was excited to see so many positive messages.  One child wished her sister could do better in math, another wished for a baby sibling, another wished for her parents to still love her even though they are divorcing.  Lots of kids wished for more school or no school, more math or no math, books, puppies, and iPhones. 

I hope their wishes come true and that all of your wishes for 2017 come true as well!

Holiday Carolers

We had a surprise visit from Hartford High Schoolers today.  They came from the band and chorus and performed several carols for the 4th grade library class.  What a festive surprise!

A little holiday sweetness

How cute is this little guy with Rudolph on his shoulder?!

Paper Circuits

We have been learning about electricity in enrichment groups this month and today the 4th and 5th graders got to experiment​ with "paper circuits," electrical circuits made on paper using copper tape and tiny LEDs.   

I really wanted to give them two days to experiment with this project, but we lost a day to the weather last week and next week is vacation.  I'm going to have to work this in again later in the year because the kids loved it.

(I took a really cute picture of a student holding a finished card, but my phone didn't save it!! )

Holiday Engineering

I challenged students to make Christmas trees with the Keva planks today.  Then I surprised them with buttons for decorations.  I love the different ways they came up with to meet the goal.

Snap Circuits

We were lighting things up with Snap Circuits in enrichment today!  The theme this month is electricity and the kids are pumped!

Airplanes!

Things got a little crazy in library yesterday when I introduced an airplane greeting and Mr. Sadowski taught us how to refine the design.  The kids had a soaring time!