Happy St. Patrick's Day

It's a great day to wear green...

and a great day for green sleeves!

I'm so happy to see my students working cheerfully...

working diligently...

solving math problems...

learning sight words....

and practicing handwriting.

St. Patrick's Breastplate (St. Patrick's Hymn)

I arise today through
God's strength to pilot me, God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me, God's eye to see before me,
God's ear to hear me, God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me, God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me, God's host to secure me –
against snares of devils,
against temptations and vices,
against inclinations of nature,
against everyone who shall wish me
ill, afar and anear,
alone and in a crowd...
Christ, be with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit,
Christ where I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.
Salvation is of the Lord.
Salvation is of the Lord.
Salvation is of the Christ.
May your salvation, O Lord, be ever with us.

The New Normal

Our kids are going to be okay. Despite all the uncertainty, craziness, the chaos created by this new corona virus, I know our kids have a solid foundation of faith. They know where to turn in times of trouble. Today, on our last day together for awhile, we had Free Centers at the end of the day.

          "Look what I made out of play doh, Mrs. Kemp! It's someone praying!"

This was followed by a play doh representation of a group of people sitting in a circle praying. (I;m not sure if the people in the play doh group were maintaining the appropriate social distance; the little ones are still not good at keeping their distance. They still want to come close and get their hugs.)

I was also encouraged when I read the following (completely unprompted) journal entry:

I thought, "Now here's someone who knows what life is all about." Loving God. Showing kindness. Having joy. (And by the way, I did not help at all with spelling or punctuation, so of course, this teacher's heart was very happy.)

I made the children promise to do their work at home without pouting. I know this is a promise that will be difficult to keep, so I'll be praying for all the parents in the days ahead. But the students have a good foundation, and I know they're going to be okay.

The following was Paul's prayer for his young disciple Timothy, but it could also be my prayer for my students:

"I thank God, whom I serve, ...as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois ( or _______insert child's grandmother's name here) and in your mother Lois ( or _______insert mother's name) and which I am persuaded now lives in you also. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God,.....For God has not given you a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline." II Timothy 1:7 NIV

A Normal Day

We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto.

Everything changed Friday morning when the governor made his proclamation that schools would be closed and public gatherings would be limited. This is uncharted territory for us as we transition to distance learning for awhile. 

We know, of course, that we'll get through this, just as we've survived floods, hurricanes, and other emergencies. By God's grace, in God's strength, we'll make it through and get back to normal. 

So here's a reminder of the "normal" that we hope to see again soon. Here are some photos of Thursday's Corn dogs in the Courtyard

"Mrs. Kemp, can you take a picture?"

 I hear this often on a normal day. The kids are proud of the things they create, and they're always asking me to take a picture. In fact, we have an entire bulletin board that we call the Wall of Fame, where I hang a selection of good work. 

We've been emphasizing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, so our future scientists and engineers are extremely proud of the things they design and build with Lego, magnets, and all kinds of blocks. So here's a sample of some of the things they've made.

I'm praying for God's hand of protection over us all'

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Dr. Seuss Day

Can you guess who came dressed as the Lorax?

We love dress-up days.

Thing One and Thing Two promise to clean up the mess they made.

The Cat in the Hat brought lots of Things to our class.

And another Thing...

We love Horton, the Lorax, and all the Dr. Seuss characters.

Bartholomew Cubbins must rescue the kingdom from a sticky, green substance called oobleck.

It's squishy and gooey.

We had fun visiting other classrooms and listening to Dr. Seuss books.

It was fun making oobleck.

Do you like green eggs and ham?

I will try them, Sam-I-am. 

I will try green eggs and ham.

Do I like green eggs and ham?

Yes, I like them, Sam-I-am.

Starry Night

Our first annual Starry Night was a fun time for PBS families to get together and celebrate the arts.

The kids loved playing with their friends in the newly refurbished PBS courtyard.

We loved the beautiful decorations that lined the courtyard.

Our little artists proudly showed off their art work.

Students had a chance to do some plein air painting as one of the Starry Night activities.

Early Childhood's Art

Our eleven T1 stars created a unique Starry Night mobile.

Our kids are Reaching for the Stars.

Kindergarten classes painted their version of Starry Night.

Our littlest ones added their contribution.

Pre-K's exhibit

TK's cubist art

In art class with Mrs. Price, early childhood students made sea animals for the Starry Night Under the Sea display.

Our class created sea horses and sea shells.

Our students made puffer fish for the display.