Gratitude is the quality of being thankful; the readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. To feel grateful is to feel thankful for something. Gratitude is a feeling of thankfulness.
Assembly Read Aloud: Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson

Read books about gratitude:

• An Awesome Book of Thanks by Dallas Clayton
• Thankful by Eileen Spinelli
• The Secret of Saying Thanks by Douglas Wood
• Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson
• The Most Thankful Thing by Lisa McCourt
• Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? By Dr. Seuss
• I’m Thankful Each Day by PK Hallinan
• A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams
• The Thank You Book by Mo Willems

Sing About Gratitude:

Books About Gratitude Shared on YouTube:

The Thank You Book by Mo Willems

Are you thankful for the little things? Here’s a new perspective on gratitude that might make you think again. Be GRATEFUL!

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Acceptance is the fact of allowing someone to become part of a group or community and making them feel welcome.
Diversity is the understanding that each individual is unique, and recognizing our individual differences. These differences might include: ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies.

Assembly Read Aloud: Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae

Read books about acceptance:

• It’s Okay to Be Different by Todd Parr
• Whoever You Are by Mem Fox
• Big Al by Andrew Clements
• A Rainbow of Friends by PK Hallinan
• The Big Orange Splot by D. Manus Pinkwater and Daniel Manus Pinkwater
• There’s a Skunk in My Bunk by Joseph McCann
• The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss
• I’m Like You, You’re Like Me by Cindy Gainer
• The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi

Sing a few catchy songs about acceptance:

• Harry Kindergarten-Acceptance
• Kindness Song in Sign Language
• Friend Song
• Jack Johnson We Are Gonna Be Friends
• Mr. Stanley: Tolerance
• Everyone is Different song

More great books about acceptance from YouTube!
How Full is Your Bucket

Octicorn

Whoever You Are

A Rainbow of Friends

The Big Orange Splot

The Sneetches Video

Same Same But Different

It’s Okay to be Different
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Set SAIL for a Respectful Year!
Be respectful!

Songs:

We Know the Way (Moana):

Respect Song:

Sesame Street Respect:

Bruno Mars You Can Count on Me:

Read Aloud YouTube Videos:

Are You Respectful Today Video:

Me First by Helen Lester:

What is a Friend:

Recess Queen:

Same Same But Different:

Support our school wide character ed program with the following parent resources:

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It is hard to believe that this day has finally come! It has been an absolute pleasure to watch these kiddos grow and learn, this year. I hope you all have a wonderful summer!

Simply click the link below and enjoy a glance at our year together. Hip-Hip-Hooray for our First Graders!!

Our Kindergarten Memories 2016-2017

Friendship

Be a good friend!

Friendship is being caring and considerate to self and others. A kind person shows concern for the feelings of others and is helpful and generous.

Assembly Read Aloud: Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev.

When the local Pet Club won’t admit a boy’s tiny pet elephant, he finds a solution—one that involves all kinds of unusual animals in this sweet and adorable picture book.

Today is Pet Club day. There will be cats and dogs and fish, but strictly no elephants are allowed. The Pet Club doesn’t understand that pets come in all shapes and sizes, just like friends. Now it is time for a boy and his tiny pet elephant to show them what it means to be a true friend.

Books:

Additional Resources:

• Kindness Song in Sign Language
• Friend Song
• Jack Johnson We Are Gonna Be Friends Song
• Bruno Mars You Can Count on Me Song

Kindness is Cooler Mrs Ruler Read Aloud

How To Heal a Broken Wing

Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun Read Aloud

The Invisible Boy Read Aloud

How Full is Your Bucket Read Aloud

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Spring is here and once again the New NY Bridge provides a home for the fastest member of the animal kingdom, a pair of peregrine falcons! Hundreds of feet above the Hudson River, a man-made nest box was installed on top of the Tappan Zee Bridge.

Currently, the adult pair nested in this box and laid several peregrine eggs. The falcons are now incubating their eggs, which are expected to hatch in mid-April. The eggs will hatch with chicks, called eyases (“EYE-a-sez”, singular “EYE-us”).

2017 is the Third Annual Falcon Naming Contest, the New NY Bridge project is asking students to help name the Tappan Zee falcon eyases!

Learn more about the Peregrine Falcon at the following resources:

• The New NY Bridge Project has a webcam which provides an unfiltered window on the day-to-day lives of the peregrine falcons. You may see the adult birds eating, incubating eggs, feeding their young, defending their nest and more. Remember, these are wild birds and their behaviors reflect what really happens in nature. Some of their actions may be unpleasant to watch and it is possible that some of the fledglings may not survive into adulthood.
• Peregrine Falcon Fact Sheet- NYSDEC
• Annual reports from NYSDEC on the status of falcons in NYS
• North American Falconry Association

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Be persistent! Persistence is the continuous effort to do or achieve something even when faced with obstacles.

Assembly Read Aloud: My Brave Year of Firsts by Jamie Lee Curtis

Books that teach persistence:

Stuck by Oliver Jeffers

The Very Busy Spider written and illustrated by Eric Carle

I Knew You Could! A Book For All The Stops In Your Life by Craig Dorfman

Below is a fun little animation that illustrates persistence!

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Today we showed pride in our school by wearing our Red, White, and W.O.S. gear!! Ms. Rispoli’s class was eager to show off their school spirit! Happy Friday!!

Every night in the United States an estimated 600,000 people live on the streets. This October, SoulPancake and Kid President want 2 million people to prove that even the smallest acts of love, like donating a pair of socks, can make a big difference in the lives of our neighbors who are homeless.

Socktober was launched by Kid President creator Brad Montague four years ago. It’s a movement to get kids and grown-ups to help the homeless in an easy, fun way.

Last year, more than 10,000 schools, families, businesses, and churches rallied together to bring Socktober to life. People from every state and continent have taken part in Socktober! This year, William O. Schaefer is participating and we are having a “Sock Drive” the last week in October!

All of the socks we collect as a community will be donated to a local shelter.

H/T to Ms. Kolesar!

Take the Sock Challenge. Leave your answer in the comments below!