tol•er•ance noun \ˈtä-lə-rən(t)s, ˈtäl-rən(t)s\
: willingness to accept feelings, habits, or beliefs that are different from your own
: the ability to accept, experience, or survive something harmful or unpleasant

The start of 2015, a new year, and the days leading up to the celebration of Martin Luther King’s birthday is an excellent time to learn about tolerance. Martin Luther King Jr., dreamed of a world more tolerant than the one he lived in. Tolerance has the power to make a difference in student’s lives — and in the world those students will create.

What is your dream for the world?

Read Spork by Kyo Maclear

His mom is a spoon. His dad is a fork. And Spork, well…he’s a bit of both! Spork sticks out in the regimented world of the cutlery drawer. The spoons think he’s too pointy, while the forks find him too round. Will Spork find his place at the table?

Watch the tailer of this newly released book below.

To share and learn more about tolerance, consider reading the following books:

This week in library, first and second grade students continue to explore the world of programming with an iPad app called Cargo-Bot!

Cargo-Bot is a puzzler designed to teach kids about programming. The concept is simple –tell a robot arm how to move colored boxes around on a platform into different patterns.The implementation may be quite challenging, and just like in coding, a working solution may not be the optimal solution.
The key to learning to code is learning to think like a computer—which is a hard thing to do! Your child may need assistance.
Get Cargo-Bot for free on the App Store.

An Orange For Frankie by Patricia Polacco

Set during the Great Depression, this is a moving story about how the joy of giving can be contagious. Frankie, the youngest in the Stowell family, sees a poor hobo passing through town and gives him his favorite sweater to help the hobo stay warm. When his family hears of his generosity, they are moved and join together to give him a special gift.

The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

The Rainbow Fish is an international bestseller and a modern classic. Eye-catching foilstamping, glittering on every page, offers instant child-appeal, but it is the universal message at the heart of this simple story about a beautiful fish, who learns to make friends by sharing his most prized possessions

Hear the Rainbow Fish read by Ernest Borgninie by clicking here.

Give something that does not cost money!

Volunteer. Volunteering your time is a great way to be generous. If you want to be generous, then spend at least an hour or two a week volunteering at a soup kitchen, tutoring adults or children, cleaning up a community park, or doing some other good out there in the world. You can do different tasks, such as volunteering in a bookstore, or helping at a fundraising campaign for charity. Find something that gives you meaning while expanding your generosity.

Make someone smile. If you see someone who needs cheering up, whether it’s a stranger or one of your relatives, take a moment to make that person smile, whether you tell a silly joke, smile at them, or do a sweet favor for that person. Making someone smile can have a big impact on their day, and you’ll be generous for trying to make someone happier.

Hold the door for someone. No matter how busy, late, or tired you may be, you should never be too tired to hold the door for someone, or to take a moment out of your day just to be polite and kind to a person near you. This simple act will make you and the person feel better, and you’ll see that there’s always time to slow down and help out.

Know that being generous will make you happier. Though you shouldn’t be generous for the sake of furthering your own needs, you should know that people who are generous are known to be happier than those who are not: Being generous helps people feel more compassionate towards others, gives a stronger sense of community, and to establishes a higher self-image. While you are being generous towards others, you can also be generous toward yourself as well.

• If you’re happier, then you’ll have more of a positive outlook and more energy to do good in the world. The positive cycle will continue.

Be Generous! Pass It On!