November is Gratitude

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.

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:

• It was a good moment today when __________________.
• I’m glad I had the opportunity to _________________ this week.
• Thinking about _______________ makes me feel good.
• I like seeing _______________________ in nature.
• I’m grateful I’ve accomplished ________________ in my life.
• I learned _________________ from a challenge.
• ______________ always makes me smile.
• Additional gratitude writing prompts can be found here.

This month we celebrate and practice ACCEPTANCE!

• Acceptance is the willingness to embrace feelings, habits, or beliefs that are different from your own.
• Acceptance is the ability to experience or survive something unpleasant.
• Acceptance is the willingness to tolerate a difficult or unpleasant situation.
• We all have the human need and right to be accepted.

Here is a recording introducing and pronouncing Duncan Tonatiuh.

Sylvia Mendez (left), 73, talks to her sister Sandra Mendez Duran (right), 59, about Mendez v. Westminster, their family’s 1945 lawsuit that won Mexican-American children the right to attend white schools. Listen to them speak here, Story Corps – Mendez.

What surprised you about this story?

Happy Socktober! Each night in the United States, an estimated 600,000 people live on the streets. This October, we want 2 million people to show that even a small act of love, such as donating a pair of socks, can make a big difference in the lives of our neighbors who are homeless.

Kids and adults around the world have started their own sock drives to benefit their local homeless shelters. Cottage Lane Student Advisory Council will collect and donate new socks to People to People.

Please bring in a new pair of unworn socks by October 25th.

As a school we will celebrate this event by wearing our own pair of Crazy socks on October 25th!

This week at Cottage Lane we are participating in the “Start with Hello” campaign. We are encouraging every student to make a difference with their peers. Whether it is a simple hello or a conversation, we are trying to foster an inclusive community.

Having conversations can be awkward, but Kid President shows us how it’s done! He too is on a mission to meet lots of awesome kids! #YearoftheKid Sometimes meeting new people can be scary. What if they’re too different and we don’t get along? What if things get really, really awkward? Well, Kid President says, embrace the AWKWARD! Check out his video below.

Share a message of positivity by leaving a comment on this blog.

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.

Please complete this Recycling Survey on your own.
Recycling Survey 2018

Welcome back to an exciting school year! This year’s character education is bursting with color.

September is scarlet red for COURAGE. Starting a new year with new teachers, new classmates and new expectations takes courage. Being brave, making sacrifices, facing fears, admitting mistakes are all ways to show courage.

At our assembly, we learned how ordinary people found the courage to do extraordinary things. Welles Crowther, The Man in the Red Bandanna, was one of many amazing people who were courageous on September 11, 2001.

We all might not be able to be as courageous as Wells, but we can practice small acts of courage. Remember Mrs. King’s warrior words, “I have the power and the courage to be a positive, proactive upstander.” Will you stand up for yourself, stand up for others, make a new friend, try out for a team, develop a skill, audition for a play, speak in front of an audience, ask for help, treat failures as opportunities to grow, etc.?

Post a comment to our class blog on how you will show courage this year.

New York Maker Faire

Today’s Questions:

1) What types of school activities do you feel will best prepare you for your future?

2)  What can you and your classmates do to help create an effective classroom with a focus on learning?

2018-19 CLASS LISTS

In an effort to complete class lists by early September we are asking that you complete the form for the 2018-19 Class List below.  This will help parents to connect with one another and will help class ambassadors begin their work of communicating with the class families.  If you have any questions about class lists you can contact Rana Park at ranap927@gmail.com

https://goo.gl/forms/LlucwBROLzCF8Auy2