It was so wonderful getting to spend time with kids in smaller groups this week--and by "spend time", I mean virtually, of course! I actually got to virtually see some kids THREE times this week, which was a nice treat. That's because, in addition to the small group meetings, we had an optional whole grade call on Friday morning right before Mrs. O'Keefe's Quizizz (which I participated in...and probably shouldn't have actually tried in a competition amongst 4th graders...sorry guys!). I was especially excited for Friday's call because I couldn't wait to "premiere" the staff video to our students. I really enjoy making slideshows, so when the idea of doing one for the students at the Kennedy was brought up to staff, I didn't mind taking on the project. But I made sure to let folks know that the video wouldn't be ready until Friday morning, which allowed me to send the finished product out to everyone at exactly 9:57am, just three minutes before our 4th grade meeting, making these guys among its initial viewers. Mwhahaha...

Another exciting virtual call this week went down on Thursday, when we had a reunion of sorts. Who was involved in this reunion, you ask? The Kennedy's former third grade teacher Ms. Labaire and her former students! It was so cute to see them get so animated talking about all their favorite memories from third grade. Perhaps the best part was when Ms. Labaire shared some important "life" news: she's engaged to be married! The kids' elated squeals, giant grins, and supportive words of congratulations made it a really precious moment, and I was grateful to be a part of it. 

Our Bucket Fillers this week were Aliyah and Jack. Just seeing Aliyah on my computer screen brings a smile to my face--even though half the time I need to remind her to adjust her screen because I can only see her eyes! I love hearing her talk about the reading she's been doing at home and all the quality bonding time she's been having with her sister. She worked really hard on the assignments this week, and I'm so proud of her. Speaking of quality bonding time, Jack and I had some of our own this week. On Monday I started "office hours", which means between 11-12 each weekday I'm available for students through a Google Meet link. I told them they can click on that link at any time during that hour--if they're having trouble with something, have a question, or just want to say hi--and there I'll be. Well, Jack briefly popped in almost every day to simply chat, and it was awesome. He is just so darn funny. I miss interacting with kids on a more personal level, so it was really nice getting to "spend time" with Jack on a few different occasions this week!

Let's all take a minute to enjoy the adorableness that is this photo of my niece and nephews, shall we?? While it stinks I couldn't physically be with them yesterday to celebrate Easter, getting sent this photo was an absolute GIFT, and I hope you all were able to have your own bright moments this past weekend. 

This upcoming week, I'm looking forward to kicking off weekly small group virtual meetings. It'll be nice to get the chance to check in with kids in a smaller group format, as opposed to the class-size ones we've had so far. Parents/guardians will receive an email with that meeting schedule (which will start on Tuesday!), and I will post it on Google Classroom Tuesday morning. In addition, starting this week, I will be available from 11-12 for "office hours". That means that if you have a question about something I've posted or if you're stuck on an assignment I've asked you to do, you can click the Google Meet link at the top of our Google Classroom page at any point between 11 and 12, and voila!--I'll be there to assist you. 

Last week's Bucket Filler was Maggie, and don't worry Maggie, your prize is on its way...This week, we have two Bucket Fillers: Annabelle and Logan G. Annabelle stood out this week because of her awesome 'Make Your Own Map' project. It was so cool to see the amazing effort and originality that she put into this assignment, and her approach to this project is a perfect example of how you can get creative with the work you're being asked to do. The work Logan has been doing has also stood out. Logan has put consistent time and effort into the daily tasks, and that's on top of other separate assignments that he's doing too. He is the OPPOSITE of lazy, and I miss seeing his smiling face everyday! Congrats, you two!!

Well...it's been a while. The last few weeks have been a combination of weird, frustrating, scary, and stressful, but also eye-opening. I don't know about you, but I'm realizing now that there's a lot I took for granted before all of this. Some examples? Getting to see my students in person! Getting to teach in person! Getting to be in my classroom with my students! It's been tough navigating this whole "learning from home" model, and I'm sure that feeling is shared by both students and families alike. I'm doing my best to keep things engaging and meaningful for kids, and I'm grateful for the students who have been putting time and effort into trying them. While I wish that could be all of my students--so that we can stay connected and keep some sense of school "normalcy"--I know that it's a difficult time for everyone. And at the end of the day, it's the health and safety of all of you that is of the utmost importance.

Now, on a lighter note, let's talk Wheel of Fortune. Yes, I mean the game show that's on every night at 7:00 on CBS. I watch it just about every day, and there are times when I'll take photos of an unsolved puzzle (one that relates to a topic we've discussed in class) and challenge my students to solve it. For example, check out this one I took during the national parks themed week. With our big focus on landmarks this year, it was perfect! The reason why I'm rambling on about Wheel of Fortune is because it's a game that centers around words. It sounds silly, but simply tuning into an episode here and there is a good way for kids to remain exposed to word parts and spelling. So, watch Wheel of Fortune!

Another recommendation that I've recently discovered is a channel on Youtube called "Yoga with Adriene". Although I've always liked the idea of yoga, I never really made it a priority for myself. Plus, I felt like I lacked the flexibility and patience needed for yoga. But these views have changed since stumbling upon a "30 Days of Yoga with Adriene" playlist a few weeks ago. She has a TON of different videos of all different lengths and focus areas. They are kid-friendly, easy to follow, and a really positive way of keeping both your brain and body healthy. Click here to check them out! Also, for those students who have an iPad or iPhone, there's an app related to the book Wonder that I just downloaded on my own phone. In class, we enjoyed exploring some of the daily precepts together. Well this app (just search "Daily Wonder" in the app store) has exactly that: a new precept each day, in addition to a little background information about some of the more well-known quotations. I included a photo of today's precept, which I found to be pretty fitting for all that's going on right now...

Now, for the moment the kids have been waiting for...Bucket Filler of the week! I've decided we need to kickstart that routine again. From now on, throughout the week, I'll put the names of students who have filled my bucket into a bowl. You can fill my bucket by regularly putting effort into the daily schoolwork, or turning in an especially impressive assignment, or doing something that stands out in some way. Then at the end of the week, I'll pull out a name. The prize for the Bucket Filler of the week is still undecided, but I have some ideas that we can talk about next time we have a whole class video meeting. Last week, there were several standout students whose name I could've pulled. But the Bucket Filler of the week was....(drumroll please)....Maggie! Maggie has shared several fabulous writings with me and she consistently responds to the Google Classroom posts. I included her Word Cloud to the right as an example of her hard work. AND she even took the time to write me a thoughtful note of gratitude expressing her enjoyment of the daily tasks. Maggie, you've been filling up my bucket a lot lately, so thank you and well done!