Celebration Saturday

 

I love linking up to a wonderful celebratory community, inspired by Ruth Ayres, every Saturday!

 

Great things to celebrate this week:

 

- My 5th graders had a blast putting on plays that they adapted from their small group books.  They worked hard collaborating on scripts on Google Docs.  They had to choose and adapt 4 scenes.  The scenes had to show how their main character changed over time, how the main character faced fear with courage, and had to make the story line clear to those students who hadn't read it.  Their scenes had to be major plot points.  We kept it simple because of time - just simple costumes and props, but I was impressed with how they pulled everything together in just a week.  They performed Glory Be, The Lions of Little Rock, Number the Stars, Chains, Fever 1793, The Liberation of Gabriel King, and Paperboy.  I loved overhearing this conversation between two girls at the end of class:

"I wish we could stay in Language Arts class all day."

"I know.  If someone asked if we'd like to stay in Language Arts class all day, it would be like a rhetorical question."

Love it!

 

 

 - One of my 6th graders invited me to his LEGO robotics tournament this morning, so I went.  What a cool and amazing activity for these kids!  His team of 4 created a robot out of LEGOS.  They program it with the things they want it to do in an obstacle course.  They compete with another team's robot and get points according to the "tricks" it performs.  They compete several times throughout the day to try to get one of the top scores so they can advance to another tournament.  Sam's father is one of the coaches, and his mom was videotaping the tournament.  They both explained how much collaboration and good sportsmanship are at the heart of the organization. They called it "coopertition."  Other core values included "discoveries," "integration," and "inclusion." I loved seeing the enthusiasm of these kids!!

 

 

- As you might have read in this week's Slice of Life, Libby's wedding dress came in, and the bridesmaids' dresses have been chosen!!

 

- Speaking of Libby, she accepted a job offer with Nationwide Insurance Company in Columbus for an August 4th start date.  Here was her joyful Facebook post about it:

 

SO EXCITED to have accepted my offer at Nationwide as an associate within the Marketing Leadership Rotation Program! Feeling undeservedly blessed. Columbus, here we come!— with Jamie Stagnaro

We're so excited for her and proud of all her accomplishments.  We're also glad that she and Jamie won't be too far away. :-)

- Exam week is over for Libby.  She will be coming home tonight, and Katie finishes up on Tuesday.  It will be fun to have them home for the holidays!!  Both of them are traveling right after Christmas, but at least they'll be here for a bit beforehand.

- I was so excited to receive an ARC of Augusta Scattergood's forthcoming book from Cynthia Lord!! 

                  This was tucked inside from Cynthia!                    Isn't it a beautiful cover?!

- We enjoyed watching a Google + Hangout with Aaron Becker on Thursday.  I had shared Quest with my kids just days before for a mini Mock Caldecott unit we're doing, so it was fresh in their minds.

Off to read other celebrations!