This request may find you busy preparing for the upcoming holidays and sharing special celebrations with family and friends. It is our hope, however, that your family will reserve some time to help with our community service project.

For the sixteenth year, William O. Schaefer’s community service activity will be donating BLIZZARD BOXES, formerly known as Covered Cupboards, for the Meals on Wheels Program.

A BLIZZARD BOX is an assortment of donated non-perishable food items packed into shoeboxes. Refer to Blizzard Boxes Suggested Food List 2017 to find out all the details, including the suggested foods. Please be sure to check product expiration date.

Please wrap the lids separately from the boxes – wrap the top of the shoe box separately from the bottom of the shoe box (no boot boxes please) in grocery bag paper in order to make sure contents are easily accessible. Do not put any decorations on the box. Children can use their imagination to draw pictures on the paper that seniors would enjoy receiving! The BLIZZARD BOXES will be delivered to the recipients of the Home Delivered Meals Program if regular food deliveries are halted due to weather related or other emergencies.

Consider creating a BLIZZARD BOX with your family. Drop off your BLIZZARD BOX at William O. Schaefer (WOS), 140 Lester Drive, Tappan, New York between Tuesday, December 5th and Monday, December 18th.

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Thank you in advance for giving so generously to the seniors in our community during this winter season.

Questions can be forwarded to hhill@socsd.org, ebarsanti@socsd.org, ccosgrove@socsd.org.

Be compassionate!
“Be the wind that fills another’s sails!”

Compassion is a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.

Assembly Read Aloud: We’re All Wonders by R.J. Palacio

BOOKS:

SONGS ABOUT COMPASSION:

Books About Compassion Shared on YouTube:

Sometimes just the words you choose can make a difference in showing compassion….
Compassion – A definition

JellyTelly Kids Talk – Compassion

How To Change The World (a work in progress) | Kid President

Be compassionate!
“Be the wind that fills another’s sails!”

Gratitude is the quality of being thankful; the readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. To feel grateful is to feel thankful for something. Gratitude is a feeling of thankfulness.
Assembly Read Aloud: Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson

Read books about gratitude:

• An Awesome Book of Thanks by Dallas Clayton
• Thankful by Eileen Spinelli
• The Secret of Saying Thanks by Douglas Wood
• Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson
• The Most Thankful Thing by Lisa McCourt
• Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? By Dr. Seuss
• I’m Thankful Each Day by PK Hallinan
• A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams
• The Thank You Book by Mo Willems

Sing About Gratitude:

Books About Gratitude Shared on YouTube:

The Thank You Book by Mo Willems

Are you thankful for the little things? Here’s a new perspective on gratitude that might make you think again. Be GRATEFUL!

Every night in the United States an estimated 600,000 people live on the streets. This October, SoulPancake and Kid President want 2 million people to prove that even the smallest acts of love, like donating a pair of socks, can make a big difference in the lives of our neighbors who are homeless.

Socktober was launched by Kid President creator Brad Montague five years ago. It’s a movement to get kids and grown-ups to help the homeless in an easy, fun way.

Last year, more than 10,000 schools, families, businesses, and churches rallied together to bring Socktober to life. People from every state and continent have taken part in Socktober! This year, William O. Schaefer is participating and we are having a “Sock Drive” until the last week in October!

All of the socks we collect as a community will be donated to a local shelter.

Acceptance is the fact of allowing someone to become part of a group or community and making them feel welcome.
Diversity is the understanding that each individual 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: Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae

Read books about acceptance:

• It’s Okay to Be Different by Todd Parr
• Whoever You Are by Mem Fox
• Big Al by Andrew Clements
• A Rainbow of Friends by PK Hallinan
• The Big Orange Splot by D. Manus Pinkwater and Daniel Manus Pinkwater
• There’s a Skunk in My Bunk by Joseph McCann
• The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss
• I’m Like You, You’re Like Me by Cindy Gainer
• The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi

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

More great books about acceptance from YouTube!
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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Set SAIL for a Respectful Year!  Our first “Word of the Month” is RESPECT.  In class we are learning what it means to be respectful in the classroom, the hallways, the playground, and the bathroom!

Songs:

We Know the Way (Moana):

Respect Song:

Sesame Street Respect:

Bruno Mars You Can Count on Me:

Read Aloud YouTube Videos:

Are You Respectful Today Video:

Me First by Helen Lester:

What is a Friend:

Recess Queen:

Same Same But Different:

Support our school wide character ed program with the following parent resources:

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Hi Everyone!

Tomorrow is your first day of first grade!  I can’t wait to meet you all!  Make sure you go to bed early and eat a good breakfast before you get to school.  Bring your backpack, a small snack, and your school supplies (if you didn’t order them online).

I’ll see you soon!

Love,

Ms. Rossi

Look how we have grown!
Reflection is the willingness to learn about yourself. What have I achieved and what else do I need to do?

Assembly Read Aloud:

The OK Book by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

OK is turned on its side, upside down, and right side up to show that being OK can really be quite great. Whether OK personifies an OK skipper, an OK climber, an OK lightning bug catcher, or an OK whatever there is to experience, ok is an OK place to be. And being OK just may lead to the discovery of what makes one great.

Additional Titles:

If Kids Ran the World by Leo & Diane Dillon

Cookies by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

I Like Me! by Nancy Carlson

What I like About Me! by Allia Zobel Nolan

Friendship

Be a good friend!

Friendship is being caring and considerate to self and others. A kind person shows concern for the feelings of others and is helpful and generous.

Assembly Read Aloud: Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev.

When the local Pet Club won’t admit a boy’s tiny pet elephant, he finds a solution—one that involves all kinds of unusual animals in this sweet and adorable picture book.

Today is Pet Club day. There will be cats and dogs and fish, but strictly no elephants are allowed. The Pet Club doesn’t understand that pets come in all shapes and sizes, just like friends. Now it is time for a boy and his tiny pet elephant to show them what it means to be a true friend.

Books:

Additional Resources:

• Kindness Song in Sign Language
• Friend Song
• Jack Johnson We Are Gonna Be Friends Song
• Bruno Mars You Can Count on Me Song

Kindness is Cooler Mrs Ruler Read Aloud

How To Heal a Broken Wing

Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun Read Aloud

The Invisible Boy Read Aloud

How Full is Your Bucket Read Aloud

Spring is here and we were the first class to get out to the W.O.S. garden this year!  The garden needed some tidying up, so we borrowed some rakes and shovels from Mrs. De Feciani, our garden master, and got to work.  We picked weeds out of the garden beds and turned over the soil.  We raked up leaves and picked up sticks.  We also found lots of WORMS! Our class will be gardening every Monday at 1:50 pm, as long as the sun is shining.  Bring in a pair of gardening gloves if you can!  Thank you parent volunteers for helping!