It is our job as teachers to give you time to grapple with problems and make your brains work – Cultivating a Growth Mindset. Sometime in life, people have no choice. Their whole lives can be a struggle. These inspirational stories are more about physical struggles but deliver the same message about not giving up!
When things in school or out are difficult, what will you do? Who will you turn to? How will you shift your energy on the Mood Meter?
What’s your favorite book? Are you ready to encourage others to read it? Now is the time to use some writing skills and creativity for Mrs. McBride’s monthly challenge,The Book Bottle Buddy Challenge.
Reuse a bottle and get to work! All entries are due November 21st.
This month we celebrate Thanksgiving and Veterans Day. It is important to show gratitude for your own happiness, health, relationships and impact on the world.
Cottage Lane will be growing a gratitude tree. The gratitude tree will show everyone that we appreciate the small things in life, are grateful for everything they have, are mindful of the things that are going right in their lives and hold people in our lives close to our hearts. SAY, “THANK YOU!”
In your writing journal write daily gratitude responses. Feel free to go above and beyond and say thank you to others, write them a letter and share that letter with them. After 7 days of gratitude responses, receive a leaf for your teacher and add it to the CLE gratitude tree. If you need writing prompts, try these:
Sunday, November 11th is Veterans Day. Our book of the month, America’s White Table. Listen to the significance of each item placed on the table and how Katie comes to understand and appreciate the depth of sacrifice that her uncle, members of the Armed Forces and their families have to make.
It is important Americans give thanks for their freedom. The perfect way to do this is by thanking our active troops, our veterans, our heroes. It is important to show gratitude toward those who serve. Consider writing a card to send to a veteran.
Additional Resources:
It’s Halloween week! Let’s have a sweet time solving tricky problems. You need to get rid of the rotten pumpkins but don’t wreck the good ones that are still edible. Good luck!
Extra Time?
Today we used, Story Cubes, to generate a creative story. Anyone can become a great story teller and there are no wrong answers. Let your imagination “roll” wild with these images. Post your story to this blog.
The National Day on Writing (October 20), an initiative of the National Council of Teachers of English, is built on the premise that writing is critical to literacy but needs greater attention and celebration.
For ten years, hundreds of thousands of people share their writing and engage in activities around the theme of #WhyIWrite.
Today, we will write for entertainment!
Extra Time? Try these games:
September 24th is Punctuation Day! Punctuation Day argues that the correct use of apostrophes, semicolons and other punctuation is critical if you’re to get your (rather than, say, you’re) message across. If you’ve spotted any examples of bad punctuation, take Punctuation Day as an opportunity to share them out and to promote awareness!
These fun books are great reads to help you celebrate Punctuation Day. 
The Exclamation Mark by Amy Rosenthal is great way to express who we are and how we want to leave our mark this year. “So with his head held high, he went off..to make his mark.” How will you make your mark this year? Post your comment below with your exclamation!
Extra time? Check out this great punctuation game for kids.
What’s your favorite animal? Are you worried about an endangered species? Is there an animal you want to learn more about? Now is the time to use some research skills and creativity for Mrs. McBride’s monthly challenge,The Sock Challenge.
Find an old sock that lost its match in the laundry and get to work! All entries are due October 19th.
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