ELA: We will be working on writing personal narratives and starting our novel study of Wonder.
SS: We are studying different kinds of maps.
Happy Patriot’s Day! So many peoples’ memories of this day is filled with sadness. Hundreds of thousands of people have truly tragic stories. Loss of husbands, wives, best friends, daughters, sons, aunts, uncles, coworkers, acquaintances...it is my daily hope that we never forget those who gave something of themselves that day. As the saying goes, "All gave some; some gave all."
In that vein, I love the idea of turning the overwhelming despair of the day into a celebration of the people who do things to make our lives better! While I do feel strongly that it is my responsibility to address the significance of Patriot Day, these aren't my kids and I'm not looking to upset anyone. And so, I tend on the "less is more" side of explanation. It will be touched on as a point of history and an acknowledgement of what these kiddos may have heard or seen about the day in their conversations or brief television mentionings at home. But I will never speak of that day as anything other than a day when people loved each other more, came to a fellow human's rescue, and comforted each other in a way that we don't see on a daily basis. And though the level of help given that day was extra-ordinary, it IS the core of who we are, and I refuse to believe otherwise. Mr. Rogers (one of my childhood favorites!) once said, “When bad things happen, look for the helpers. There are always helpers.” I love that quote because it reminds us that while bad things can and do happen, there are always more people who come running to help than we would ever expect. The good always overcomes the bad. That’s a wonderful thing to keep in our children’s minds as they grow up!
I love this country, I love its people, and I love that I get to belong here. We are so fortunate, and I hope we never lose sight of that.