It was a slick and slushy start to our Tuesday morning, but smiles prevailed!  During walkabout, a first grade class started their day with R Time by pairing up to work and talk together using counters as part of their task.  It was reported to me how much they appreciated the opportunity to “help a friend get smarter.”  🙂

A Kinder class was using the weather to create their Morning Message.  The teacher asked, “I have forgotten how to spell the word.  Where would I find it in our room to help me?”  A young learner leaned over to me, “She’s ALWAYS forgetting how to spell things and we ALWAYS have to tell her!”  🙂

Another Kinder class was using play dough to form numbers and ten frames (the physical part of manipulating stiff play dough is always a challenge for our young learners anyway) when a little one burst heartily into song, “Come on everybody, let’s get this done; numbers in the teens, they start with 1!”  🙂

Finally, a fifth grade class held a discussion about the turn of events during the Civil War.  A learner reminded everyone, “In the middle of a mess you can always find an opportunity, kinda like the weather this morning, huh?!”  🙂

What a blessing to see firsthand the frosty start to our day didn’t melt the warm hearts within our walls.  Here’s hoping you find something to warm your heart today; stay safe out there!   🙂

Health Note:  In light of record flu numbers, Nurse Sullivan wants us all to please remember these important first steps you can take with your family:

1. Teach and enforce frequent hand washing with soap and water.
2. Teach and enforce not to share personal items like food or drinks.
3. Cover those coughs and sneezes using the elbow, arm, or sleeve (NOT hands).
4. Know the signs and symptoms of the flu:  fever greater than 100.5, cough, sore throat, body aches, runny/stuffy nose, headache.
5. Finally, please keep your child home if they are sick.  Students should return school once they are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications.

For more information, please visit http://www.texasflu.org or http://www.cdc.gov/flu/