The word of the month for June is self-acceptance. Self-acceptance is acceptance of self in spite of deficiencies.
In the video below, Lupita Nyong’o helps Elmo deliver a message to kids about why they should love their skin. This message of self-acceptance and an informative lecture: Our skin protects us, it helps us touch and feel things, and – perhaps most importantly – it allows us to be tickled! “Skin comes in lots of beautiful shades and colors”! It’s important to love the skin you’re in.

Sing along as Will.i.am sings “What I Am” as part of Sesame Street’s 41st season.

Read: I Don’t Want To Be a Frog by Dev Petty, illustrated by Mike Boldt

Frog wants to be anything but a slimy, wet frog. A cat, perhaps. Or a rabbit. An owl? But when a hungry wolf arrives—a wolf who HATES eating frogs—our hero decides that maybe being himself isn’t so bad after all.

Make an Origami “Jumping Frog”. Follow the step-by-step instructions.

Do YOU want to be a frog? NO?! Well, WHAT KIND OF ANIMAL do you want to be?Write about the animal you want to be below or think of your favorite part of several different kinds of animals (wings, beak, furry tail) to create your own special creature!

empathy
noun em·pa·thy \ˈem-pə-thē\
: the feeling that you understand and share another person’s experiences and emotions : the ability to share someone else’s feelings

Below is the symbol for empathy. It shows that the world is interconnected. We are all connected and need to understand other people. It is important that we help each other learn to have empathy — to “walk two moons in someone else’s moccasins.”

In the book, Stand In My Shoes, Emily asks her big sister what the word empathy means, Emily has no idea that knowing the answer will change how she looks at people. But does it really matter to others if Emily notices how they’re feeling? Stand in My Shoes shows kids how easy it is to develop empathy toward those around them. Empathy is the ability to notice what other people feel. Empathy leads to the social skills and personal relationships which make our lives rich and beautiful, and it is something we can help our children learn. This book teaches young children the value of noticing how other people feel. Listen as the book, Stand in My Shoes by Bob Sornson is read.

April was National Poetry Month. National Poetry Month is a celebration of poetry introduced in 1996 and organized by the Academy of American Poets as a way to increase awareness and appreciation of poetry in the United States.
In honor of National Poetry Month, students created “Book Spine” poetry during their library lesson. Students arranged book titles to make a poem. Just like regular poetry, they created a poem that was serious or funny.
To make a “Book Spine” poem the students started by moving books around with their spines together so that the titles were like lines of a poem. Students moved books around into different stacks until they found lines that worked best together to create a poem.

Below are some of the “Book Spine” poems our class created.

Take a look at our performance! Our class worked with Mrs. Berubi’s class and presented this wonderful show to all the students and teachers at William O. Schaefer!

Read: Enemy Pie by by Derek Munson

One boy’s perfect summer seems to be ruined when his worst enemy, Jeremy Ross, moves in down the block. Fortunately, though, Dad has a recipe for enemy pie. But it seems that the pie will only be effective if the recipient is treated kindly before eating it. Reluctantly, the boy agrees to spend time with Jeremy.

It might not be Enemy Pie or like your grandma’s apple pie, but these factories go through quite the process and add their own magic touch for a melt in your mouth taste. Watch the video below to see how this factory produces mini apple pies.

People say they don’t have time to be kind. Watch the video below to see how to stop and remind others that kindness only takes a moment! Kindness blossoms…

Read: I Like Your Buttons by by Sarah Marwil Lamstein, illustrated by Nancy Cote

When Cassandra compliments her teacher, she starts good feelings flying throughout the school, out onto the playground, and all around the neighborhood.
Pay It Forward!

Watch a clip from the movie “Pay It Forward.”

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.