In October 2011, creator Brad Montague realized there was a large homeless population in his hometown, and he wanted to do something about it. While researching the needs of the homeless community, he learned that socks are the items least donated to homeless shelters. So Brad took action. He began to film himself wishing people “Happy Socktober!” as he gave out pairs of socks on the streets, and he posted these videos on social media.

Word got around about these videos, and people wanted to know how they could help. So in a stroke of genius, Brad created a Socktober rap that could be purchased for a $5 donation to The Van, a group that drives a van around Arkansas to deliver necessities, including socks, to those in need.

Since then, Socktober has exploded! Kids and adults around the world have started their own sock drives to benefit their local homeless shelters. In 2013, Socktober teamed up with Kid President to spread the word and encourage more people to participate.

Last year, participants on all seven continents donated pairs of socks! This year William O. Schaefer will be collecting socks. PLEASE SEND ALL SOCKS IN By OCTOBER 30, 2018. Thank you.

A special thank you to kindergarten teacher, Ms. Liane Kolesar for continuing to drive this project forward!​

Acceptance is allowing someone to become part of a group or community and making them feel welcome.

Diversity is the understanding that each person 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: Perfectly Norman by Tom Percival

More books related to the theme of ACCEPTANCE:

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

It’s certainly easier to make assumptions about people than it is to spend time getting to know someone. SoulPancake wanted to put assumptions to the test to see what we’re missing out on because we’re so busy assuming we already “know” a person. Watch the video below and discover why you should never judge a book.

Listen to a few a YouTube books about ACCEPTANCE!
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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The most important part of observing this day is a moment of silence that occurs at 8:46am Eastern time. This is when the first plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. This is a time of prayer and remembrance of the victims who lost their lives in the terrible attack. It is also a time to reflect on freedom as well as the heroes who gave their lives saving others. Each year on Patriot Day, American flags are flown at half-staff to honor and commemorate those lives lost.

In the book titled, 14 Cows for America, written by Carmen Agra Deedy and illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez, we learn about the touching story of a native of Kenya, Kimeli Naiyomah who was in New York City on September 11, 2001. Kimeli returns to his homeland and tells the members of his Maasai tribe a story that “burned a hole in his heart.” As a child in the small Kenyan village of the Maasai, Naiyomah’s biggest dream was to one day own a cow, a symbol of life to his people. He decided to offer his beloved cow to the grieving Americans as an expression of his sympathy. In similar gestures, his tribe offered more cows, fourteen in all…a moving gesture of compassion and generosity.

Before you read the book below learn how to pronounce words that appear in the book.

Facts

• The 14 Cows The cows live in their home village of Enoosaen in Kenya. The original fourteen cows have multiplied, and there are now thirty-five “American cows,” as the village children call them. They are tended by Mzee Olé Yiampoi, a revered elder who is the custodian of tribal sacred knowledge about ritual and traditions. Olé Yiampoi was chosen by the elders to tend the cows because of his long-standing reputation as a trustworthy and deeply faithful man. The American cows are not isolated by themselves, but rather they live mixed with Olé Yiampoi’s cattle.
• The Maasai brand their cattle by making small slices in their ears. Each clan has their own special earmark for identifying their cattle, and every cow bears an earmark on both ears. The American cows needed an earmark of their own, so the Maasai charged American ambassador Ranneberger with designing the earmark. When Ranneberger visted Emanyatta, the sacred warrior camp of Enoosaen, for a ceremony honoring the graduation of the Ilmeseyieki/Iltalala warriors and the presentation of the fourteen cows, the elders approached him. They brought out a cowhide and drew shapes of ears on the cowhide with charcoal. Kimeli remembers presenting it to the ambassador, saying, “Now you represent your people. You are the elder of the Americans, you decide what earmark the American cows will have from now [until] forever.” After careful consideration, the ambassador hit upon the simple image of the twin towers. Now each new American cow is branded with two small upright bars on each ear representing the twin towers.
• “The gift of cows was a gift of life…people lost their lives in New York, but we have animals that are living that represent the … remembrance of those people, and because the cows will keep multiplying, life continues, doesn’t stop, … We decided that when you educate a child, it gives the child knowledge and a better life… and that life is passed on and on and on through many generations.” —Kimeli Naiyomah on the American Maasai high school
• The American embassy was so touched by the Maasai’s selfless gift of compassion that they decided to find a way to give back. After consulting with Kimeli and the tribal elders, the American embassy agreed to sponsor fourteen revolving scholarships to be given to Maasai teens (selected by village elders) to attend a Maasai high school for four years. A high school education is a tremendous gift for these students, many of whom would be unable to continue their education without scholarships. Even Kimeli’s high school education was sponsored by a kind headmaster at a local school who found a scholarship for the promising young student. Kimeli will be taking over the scholarship himself as part of the American African Nuru Foundation1 when the four years of funding promised by the American embassy runs up this fall.

To learn more go to 14 Cows For America​

Welcome to first grade in room 2! We had a great day together! Our supplies are unpacked and organized and we’re ready to get going! Today we practiced a lot of important routines that will help our classroom run smoothly and safely. We read First Day Jitters by Julie Danneburg. This got us talking about how each of us felt on our own first day of school… nervous, worried, unsure, but mostly excited and happy! Click on the picture below to hear the story again.”

Looking forward to a fantastic year with some pretty awesome kids!

Ms. Rossi

Look how we have grown!
“Reflect on the ocean crossed and how to improve the journey.”

Assembly Read Aloud: I Am Enough by Grace Byers

This is a lyrical ode to loving who you are, respecting others, and being kind to one another!

Other Books about Reflection:

YOUTUBE Songs that teach REFLECTION:

Books about REFLECTION on YOUTUBE:

As a society we depend on the many convenient products that are available to us, and nowhere is it easier to use prepackaged food, than when packing a school lunch. Most of us pack lunch items in single-use plastic bags, aluminum foil, or wax paper, or purchase single-serving items like chips, cookies and yogurts, that come in their own disposable package. Admittedly, these products are easy and convenient, but ….what is the environmental cost?
Much of the trash we generate comes from the packaging on the food we buy, and lunch foods are no exception. In fact, it has been estimated that on average a school-age child using a disposable lunch generates 67 pounds of waste per school year. That equates to 18,760 pounds of lunch waste for just one average-size elementary school.
Although we may enjoy the convenience of pre-packaged food, we should stop to think about the impact it has on our communities landfills. If you’re like the William O. Schaefer Earth Kids, you’re always on the lookout for small changes that make a real difference in the world, and packing a Waste-Free Lunch is a change that’s easy to make.
May 14th to May 18th William O. Schaefer in partnership with Cottage Lane Elementary and the SOCES PTA are sponsoring a Waste-Free Lunch! Please join us and truly make a difference by packing a Waste-Free Lunch!
Below is a video created by the Earth Kids that shows you how to pack a Waste-Free Lunch.

Things to consider when packing a Waste-Free Lunch:

• sandwiches and other main dishes, fresh fruits and, fresh vegetables, and treats in a reusable lunch container or containers.
• cloth napkins
• stainless-steel forks and spoons
• reusable drink containers
• reusable lunchboxes

Use this worksheet to compare which items in your lunch are reusable, recyclable, compostable, or waste before and after your Waste-Free Lunch Day. The goal is to have the majority of the leftover items from your lunch in the first three columns, and have as few items as possible in the waste column.
When planning and packing your Waste-Free lunch use this worksheet to find out how well you did!

Be Responsible!

“You must be a sailor before you are a captain!”

Responsibility is being accountable for your own actions.

ASSEMBLY Read Aloud: The Ant and the Grasshopper (Aesop’s Fable)

YOUTUBE Songs that teach RESPONSIBILITY:

Books about RESPONSIBILITY on YOUTUBE:

Parent Resources:​

Be persistent!
“A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor!”
Persistence is the continuous effort to do or achieve something even when faced with obstacles.

Assembly Read Aloud: Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems

When a bus driver takes a break from his route, a very unlikely volunteer springs up to take his place-a pigeon! But you’ve never met one like this before. As he pleads, wheedles, and begs his way through the book…boy is that pigeon persistent!

Songs on YouTube About Persistence:

Books on YouTube About Persistence:

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Be kind!

“Be the anchor in rough waters!”

Kindness: Kindness is the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.

K is for kindness! It’s a simple word, it’s true, but it’s amazing what a word can do! How will you be kind today? Small actions make a big difference!

Assembly Read Aloud: Kindness is Cooler, Mrs. Ruler by Margery Cuyler

When Mrs. Ruler asks five of her kindergarteners to miss recess, she’s got a special plan up her sleeve. She’s about to teach a new golden rule: KINDNESS IS COOL!

Books About Kindness:

Sing Songs About Kindness:
Sing along with Tori Kelly and the rest of the Sesame Street gang as they sing a song all about kindness.

Read About Kindness with books from YouTube!

Optimism: Optimism is the ability to remain hopeful and confident about the future or successful outcome of something. Be positive!

Assembly Read Aloud: The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper

Everyone loves The Little Engine That Could, that classic tale of the determined little engine that, despite its size, triumphantly pulls a train full of toys to the waiting children on the other side of a mountain.The story is used to teach children the value of optimism and hard work.

Sing Songs About OPTIMISM!

Read About OPTIMISM with books from YouTube!