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Falling into Traditions by Reading

There are so many opportunities to create and carry on family traditions during the holidays. We don’t have to create traditions that are a huge production— sometimes a quiet night at home with people you love is the best way to spend your time. Have you ever considered making books or reading part of your holiday traditions? There’s not much that is better than finding a cozy corner in your house, curling up with a soft blanket, and reading some good books, and Fall time is the perfect time to cozy up with your family and read some fun books together! 

To get you started, I’ve selected a few books about Fall that will get you in the spirit of Autumn!

It’s Fall! by Linda Glaser with cut-paper illustrations by Susan Swan

This darling book follows a little boy as he explores and experiences Fall, learning about all the things that happen during this time of year. He notices the leaves changing colors, the animals starting to get ready to hibernate, the leaves falling, and the temperatures cooling. They plant bulbs in their yard in preparation for next Spring, snd he plays in the piles of leaves that have fallen off the trees. 

The illustrations in this book are phenomenal— they were all created out of paper then photographed for the book. 

Sammy in the Fall by Anita Bijsterbosch

Sammy is a curious little tiger who loves going on adventures with his stuffed horse, Hob. Together, they do all sorts of fun Fall activities, like picking apples, raking leaves and jumping into the piles, collecting acorns, doing crafts, and playing in the rain. 

The illustrations are adorable and the story is fun and engaging for younger kids.

The Roll-Away Pumpkin by Junia Wonders and illustrated by Daniela Volpari

Marla Little finds herself in quite a predicament: her giant pumpkin has started to roll away, and she can’t catch it. As she runs behind it, trying to stop it from rolling any farther, she exclaims, “Diddle-dee-doo! Oh, what shall I do?” She follows her pumpkin through town, and with every place her pumpkin rolls by, she gathers a new towns person to help her stop the pumpkin. Soon, the baker, the butcher, the farmer, the milk man, and the parade marchers are all running after the roll-away pumpkin with Marla. The pumpkin starts to get close to where some people are trying to cook a feast for the townspeople. Acting quickly, Marla flips a giant cauldron onto its side just in time for her giant pumpkin to roll right into it, where it stays until it is made into a delicious soup for all the people.

This story is a fun one to read with little kids, and is easy to get them involved in it with the repetition of Marla exclaiming “Diddle-dee-doo! Oh what shall I do?” every time she adds a new person to her pumpkin rescue efforts.

Full of Fall by April Pulley Sayre

This book features photographs of all the beauties that Fall holds. It highlights the rich, vibrant colors of the changing leaves, describes the sounds and sights of the leaves falling from the trees, and what happens to the leaves as they fall, dry up, and begin to decompose. The photographs capture the textures of nature during this time of year, and show just how beautiful and wonderful Fall is.

Apples and Robins by Lucie Félix

This book is so unique! Rather than traditional illustrations to tell the story, the author uses shapes cut out in the middle of the pages to form pictures. This format helps readers to see that everything around them is made up of shapes, put together to form new shapes and objects. The story is very simple, telling about picking apples and building a bird house for the robin. A storm comes and blows the leaves, apples, and birdhouse out of the tree, and again, uses shapes to rebuild the birdhouse. 

This book was so fun to read. The cut out shapes made it engaging and fun to follow!

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Reading is truly one of the best ways to connect with people around you— especially younger kids. It’s a great way to build language skills as well as build relationships and establish traditions. I hope you take some time soon to pick up a good book and share it with someone you care about! 

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Counting Practice, but Make it Fun

Learning to count is an essential skill for kids to learn, so why not make it fun?! Last November, I created and shared a printable Thanksgiving themed I-Spy page. You can find it here. Since last year’s page was only in color, I thought I’d share a black and white I-Spy printable this year! 

These I-Spy/ Find and Count pages are great for early finishers, class parties, fun math activities, or even as a game. Parents can also print them for their kids for long car rides, waiting rooms, quiet time, or to be used to keep kids entertained while the turkey is cooking! 

**Printable is free, but is intended for classroom or home/personal use only. It is not to be sold, reposted, or claimed as your own.**

Thanksgiving Find & CountDownload
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The Wild World of Dress Up Days

School dress up days— the bane of every parent’s existence. These days range from super simple (I see you, Crazy Sock Day) to wildly outrageous (Dress Like Your Favorite Book Character Day I’m looking at you!). The students love them, the teachers tolerate them, and the parents could do without one more thing to add to the calendar. 

Why even have special dress up days? Will crazy hair day teach kids to stay drug free? Probably not. Will they remember the dress up days when they are adults? Again, probably not (unless it was extra cool and memorable). So if they don’t really serve any sort of educational purpose, why have them? 

I think the easy answer to that is that dress up days are fun. They bring a silly, creative element to a normal school day, and students thrive on fun and creative. In addition to that, there is usually a “punny” saying that is made up to help students make a connection between the dress up day and the lesson/theme for the day— such as “Team Drug Free!— wear your favorite team’s color or gear!”

This week is “Healthy Choices Week” at my kids’ school, and boy were they excited for the week to start! I started to grumble and mumble about it as soon as I saw the email in my inbox. My feelings changed, though, when I opened the email to find that the dress up days were incredibly easy— still fun— but easy enough that we didn’t need to do any extra planning or creating, and easy enough that little thought or effort has been required of my thinking skills… and that’s a win in my book!  

I appreciate when the school staff doesn’t go too overboard with these kinds of days. It truly makes my mornings easier! This week’s dress up days include:

Drug Prevention Monday: Be “RED”y to say no to drugs— wear red

Tasty Tuesday: Add colorful fruits and veggies to your diet— wear the color of your favorite fruit of veggie

Workout Wednesday: Get up and move— wear your favorite workout clothes

Online Safety Thursday: “Hats off to online safety!” — wear your favorite hat

Get Good Sleep Friday: Help your body grow by getting enough sleep— wear your pajamas

These kind of dress up days involve the kinds of things my kids wish they could wear to school more often, especially the hats and pajamas! It makes it easier for them to want to participate when it’s stuff they already have, actually want to wear, and doesn’t cause them any extra attention. There are many students who don’t enjoy participating in dress up days when they involve them going beyond their comfort zones and doing wacky and crazy things. 

While dress up days don’t typically serve an “educational” purpose, they do give something fun for students to look forward to and provide them an opportunity to get involved in a school wide community. They may not be for everyone, but that’s ok! What’s your take on dress up days?

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Financial Aid: Making College Dreams Come True

Ahh, college: for many, it’s the starting place of living out the American dream. A place where “adulting” truly begins, goals are achieved, and degrees are earned. A place where many young adults go to to really figure out what they want to be when they grow up. Unfortunately, it’s also, for many, a place where debt is incurred. College dreams can quickly come crashing down as students face the reality of ramen noodles, mac & cheese, and plasma donations. The cost of attending college is no joke. 

It’s no secret that the cost of tuition has increased over the years, sometimes inflating faster and steeper than the cost of living. This means that student debt is rising, and it’s hard to keep up. The average yearly tuition for college in the 1960s hovered around $250 for a public college. Today, yearly tuition for a public college averages over $10,000. Yikes! Talk about an increase!

Even though the price is steep, colleges are still attracting students who are eager to learn and prepare for their future. Of the thousands of students enrolled in colleges across the country, there is a very small percentage that can pay for their tuition, books, fees, and living expenses from their own bank accounts. Because of this, students must rely on outside sources for funding. 

The world of financial aid can be a bit overwhelming to navigate. Today I’ll break it down and explain the different kinds of aid that are available to students who need help paying for college expenses. We’ll group them into two categories: those that require repayment and those that don’t. 

Financial Aid- Repayment Required

Loans: A student loan is money borrowed for the purpose of paying for the costs of attending college. Loans must be repaid, and typically include interest. Most student loans do not require payback to begin until after the student has graduated or otherwise stopped attending the college. Many loans meant for students have an option to do income-based repayment plans, where the monthly payment amount is determined by how much money the student is bringing in each month. 

Some loans will offer loan forgiveness if the student obtains a job in a specific career and maintains employment for a set period of time, while also making payments toward their loan balance during the duration of the years of work set by their loan terms. 

Financial Aid- No Repayment Required

Grants: Grants are most often based on financial need. The most common type of grant is a PELL Grant, offered by the government. Students qualify for this kind of grant if they fill out the necessary forms and are found to have the greatest financial need. There are usually stipulations attached to the grant, such as maintaining a certain GPA, attendance requirements, and so on. Students can apply for federal grants by filling out the FAFSA form that can be found here.

Grants can also come through other government agencies such as Department of Workforce Services, State Offices of Rehabilitation, and Veteran’s Affairs Office of Education and Employment. Funds that come from these agencies are typically reserved for persons with disabilities or some other hardship that would otherwise prevent them from attending school and finding meaningful employment. Funding for tuition through these avenues would need to be obtained via working with a vocational counselor at each specific agency. 

Scholarships: This type of financial aid does not have to be repaid, and is awarded to students based on various things. Scholarships can be given for just about anything, as long as there is a supporting person, group, or company that is awarding the funds. For example, our scholarship, the Honors Graduation Build A Better Future Scholarship is awarded to five outstanding high school seniors who design, plan, and execute a project that betters their community. Other scholarships are awarded for athletic prowess, while others are given for academic achievement. Others are awarded for writing an essay about why the number “5” is the best number, having red hair, writing an essay telling which superhero you’d want to change places with for a day and why, creating an award-winning greeting card design, or even writing an essay that makes the judges laugh. Simply put, there are scholarships for every kind of person out there— you just have to be willing to put in the work to find it!

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If college seems out of reach for you because of your financial situation, you may be pleasantly surprised to discover that you qualify for PELL grants, loans, or obscure scholarships. If you are truly committed to making college your reality, don’t be afraid to put in some work and make it happen! You won’t regret it, and the experiences you have and the things you learn will shape you into an amazing person who will do amazing things!  

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Thanksgiving Word Activities

Turkey Day is just a couple of weeks away, and I can hardly believe it! The days leading up to holiday breaks are often filled with excitement— which is fun, but also sometimes translates into extra energy for the kids and extra exhaustion for the teachers (and parents!). Holiday themed activities are always a fun way to engage your students and attempt to wrangle the chaos a bit during those days. 

I’ve created a couple of fun word activities you’re welcome to use. These are geared more for upper elementary, but can definitely be used for kids of other ages if they are able to do them! Below you will find a downloadable word scramble as well as a Thanksgiving word making activity. 

Print them off and use as a sanity saver on those crazy days, as an activity for the car ride to Thanksgiving dinner, or print them off for the kids to work on while the turkey cooks on Thanksgiving Day! However you choose to use them, have fun!

**Printables are free to download, but may not be sold, reposted, or claimed as your own. For classroom and personal home use only.**

Thanksgiving Word ActivitiesDownload
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Veterans Day Remembrance

Today is Veterans Day in the United States. It’s a day we pause to honor and pay tribute to the brave men and women who have so diligently served our country and sacrificed so much for the citizens of our nation. Because I have family members who have served in the military, and a husband who works with veterans suffering from service connected disabilities, I understand the levity of this day, and have always done my best to think about and honor military members, past and present. 

We can do our part to honor service members by talking about them, their bravery, and their service. Were it not for our brave service men and women, we would not be able to enjoy the freedoms we enjoy. Our lives would be much different than they are. In order to ensure that our military continues to receive the honor and thanks they deserve, we must teach our children and our students to respect and honor this day. 

This can look like many different things, but all are appreciated by those being honored. Some ideas include:

  • Writing thank you letters to soldiers who are currently deployed
  • Writing thank you letters to veterans who are no longer actively serving
  • Create a video montage with students expressing their gratitude
  • Visiting with retired veterans and listening to their stories
  • Schools can hold an assembly to show pictures of, share memories of, and even hear from service members
  • Talking to our students about the profound impact that members of our military have made

Every year, I would have my students take some time to make a card or write a letter that would be sent to a soldier currently deployed. It always amazed me how much thought they would put into the words they wrote. There were even a few years we got some letters back, and it made the students so happy! There are many organizations who will collect letters and send them for you— a simple Google search will usually guide you in the right direction.

Not every student fully understood the magnitude of what soldiers do for us. Others, however, did, as they had a parent actively serving in the military. But regardless of their depth of understanding, they did know that soldier are important and that they ought to be honored and remembered, and that’s a lesson I hope they have carried with them as they have grown into adulthood. 

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Bullying is Never the Answer

If you’ve been in the classroom for any length of time, you have likely witnessed first hand just how mean and destructive bullies can be. It’s a problem that seems to have existed for as long as humans have been around, and it doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. In fact, it’s becoming more prominent with social media being so accessible. Students need to understand  that bullying is never ok and is never the answer. The repercussions of being the target of a bully are long lasting and can be quite detrimental to a person’s health, confidence, and self image. 

As teachers, it is crucial that if we see something, we say something, and that we teach our students to do the same. We need to teach our students what bullying is, what it can look like, how it feels to be the victim, and how to address it when/if we see it happening. I found a few picture books that did a great job of teaching these concepts— take a look!

Giraffe is Left Out written by Sue Craves, illustrated by Trevor Dunton

Giraffe, Little Lion, and Monkey are all friends. When Leopard moves into their class, Giraffe is not excited. He does not want to let Leopard join their friend group, and purposely excludes Leopard from any and all activities. Leopard is sad and feels left out. When it comes time to pass out invitations to his birthday party, Leopard gives one to everyone else, but doesn’t give one to Giraffe. Now Giraffe is the one who feels left out. Soon, he begins to understand just how mean it is to leave people out, and he learns that Leopard is actually a really good friend. Giraffe mends his ways and becomes a friend to Leopard in the end.

I liked how this book showed that excluding people is a form of bullying, and that it can be hurtful to others.

Billy Bully by Alvaro & Ana Galan, illustrated by Steve Simpson

When Billy Bully comes to the playground to play with the other kids, he takes over and makes the fun go away. He takes toys, cuts in line, pushes, breaks others’ things, tricks people, and won’t take turns. No one wants to play with him. With every mean thing he does, another kid leaves the playground. Soon, he is left with no one to play with, and he starts to realize that the things he was doing weren’t nice. One by one, he goes to his friends and apologizes and makes up for the things he had done. Soon, all the kids have come back to play together.

The illustrations in this book are so cute, and the story is easy to follow. There is also a counting element as Bully’s friends leave and come back one by one. I loved how it depicted several ways that someone can be a bully to help kids understand that bullying can take on many forms.

Eddie the Bully written and illustrated by Henry Cole

Eddie is mean, mean, mean. He says unkind things about his friends, teases them, ruins their art projects, and more. No one likes to play with him. He’s always picked last for teams, left out of the fun, and ignored. When Carla, a new girl, moves into their class, she is assigned to sit right next to Eddie. Everyone expects Eddie to say and do mean things to her, but before he has the chance, Carla compliments Eddie on his sweater and tells him that everyone must want to be his friend! Eddie is unsure what to say to this, because he knows that it isn’t true. Carla asks Eddie to help her make new friends, and Eddie agrees. He quickly learns that it feels good to be nice, so he changes his ways and starts over, this time, being a friend to everyone.

Similar to Billy Bully, this story shows different ways that bullying can happen, helping kids to understand that bullying isn’t just one thing.

Bullies Never Win by Margery Cuyler, illustrated by Arthur Howard

Jessica is a first grader who worries about a lot of things, one of which is Brenda, a girl at school who likes to bully and be mean. Brenda finds a way to make fun of everything Jessica does, so Jessica slowly stops doing all the things she loves to do. Jessica finally has had enough and breaks down crying to her mom. Her mom suggests that she stand up for herself or tell their teacher. Jessica is worried about what she will do or say to Brenda to make her stop being a bully. The next day at lunch, Brenda continues to tease and say mean things. Jessica has had enough, and stands up and tells Brenda that, “… bullies never win!” Brenda is embarrassed and doesn’t say anything else to Jessica. That night, Jessica feels proud of herself for standing up to Brenda.

I loved how this story showed how to stand up to a bully. It was an empowering story!

Bully written and illustrated by Jennifer Sattler

Bully is a bull frog, and he wants all the lily pads on the pond all for himself. He won’t let any other pond friends eat them, smell them, or look at them. Soon, he has chased everyone away and is all alone. There is only one flower left, and he wants it just for himself, so he sits on it to protect it. A bee comes up to him and tries to save the flower by reminding Bully that he’s sitting on it. Bully is mean and asks the bee what he’s going to do about it. The bee has an idea, and buzzes away to gather his friends. Together they reclaim the pond and chase Bully away. The lilies begin to grow again, and the pond is back to its thriving self. Bully moves to a new pond, but is sad to see that it’s just a pond of mud, and he is all alone. Still, all he cares about is that the pond is all his.

This story showed that it can be powerful to stand up to a bully as a group— strength in numbers. 

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Bullying is never the answer, and students need to know that. These books do a great job of teaching that and showing that bullying can take on many forms. Bullying is a problem that many kids will face, either directly or indirectly, and it’s important that students be equipped with the tools they need to stand up to bullies and speak up when they see it happening. We may not be able to completely eradicate bullying from our schools, but we can certainly make a difference by teaching our students to respect and watch out for one another.