Disneyfication

A real plus to grouping gifted kids together is that they are with other children who have similar attributes and quirks, and that makes them feel more comfortable about being who they are and showing the sides of themselves that they might keep hidden if they were in a gen ed classroom with only one or two other high ability students.

Case in point - as we discuss children's classic literature, they discover that many classic books have been made by Disney into movies. (The One Hundred and One Dalmatians, Pinocchio, Winnie the Pooh, etc.) Often Disney changes the story, and after reading the real deal, the children become indignant about "Disneyfied" (their word) books.

Wednesday, JS brought in a dozen of his little sister's Disneyfied books to share - these are books by Disney based on the movie Disney did, not the real classic book. And this is what I saw later during free reading time:

GH, JS, MM, JB, EK, and HS.

Six boys, gathered together on the floor, reading the Disneyfied books and discussing the differences they see from the real books.

They are discussing The Jungle Book, one of the few Disneyfied classics in which I prefer the movie by Disney over the book. They were stunned to learn that, while I was equally surprised to learn that none of them had seen the Disney movie.

That's going to change, if you know what I mean!!

They Cheered!

I don't ever want a student to be bored in my classroom. Neither do I want students feeling overwhelmed. But, since it is a High Ability class, I do have to keep the pace up and there is a lot going on. Add in the heavy, heavy emphasis the state currently puts on testing, and the potential exists for both boredom and being overwhelmed.

So, it is nice that, when an assignment is announced, I hear gasps of joy and then cheering.

What are they so excited about?

Scrolls.

Something from my student teaching days. (Thank you, Pam Green!!)

The kiddos are given a roll of receipt tape (like the kind your grocery or Walmart receipt is printed on) with a Greek or Latin root written on it. They then have to list words that derive from that root.
I always set a minimum number of words that they must find. They giggled yesterday because I made it a Classic connection - 101 words. (The One Hundred and One Dalmatians - get it?) And for the first day, they can only use their brains and books. No internet! I partner them up and turn them loose, and you would think it was a holiday, they are so excited.

They even clamor to take their scrolls home as homework, and there are always a few who beg for an extension past the assignment deadline so that they can keep adding words to their scroll.

In 2012 I began keeping track of the highest number of words found, and the record is 2600+. Hard to believe, isn't it? And we always measure the length of our scrolls, too. I have not tracked the length record, but last year altogether our scrolls measured 300+ feet - the length of a football field! (Makes it a bit difficult to hang them in the hallway, but I'm not complaining!)

I'll take some photos today as the kids work and post them  tonight. Stay tuned!

A Family History Shock

I was hoping to find some gems while doing my family history (Oooo! Maybe a King or someone who changed the world!!) and I fully expected to find a skeleton or two.

But this?

This was a shock.

And they've even done his temple work!!

Yep, She Likes It!

Emily posted these pictures today of Julie with her quiet book and my heart melted.

 She is loving on the puppy that's on the first page.

 Ahhhhhh!!

These pictures make all the hours I put into the book worthwhile. I am so glad she loves it!

Spending Time in Murfreesboro

While Julie's birthday was the focus of our whirlwind visit to Tennessee this past weekend, we did squeeze in a couple of other things.

Such as lunch at the most delicious fast food place ever - Cook Out! You could smell the grilled food as you drove to the place! It smelled just like summer when all the neighbors have hamburgers going on the grill.

The birthday girl.

Boompa and Cole.

Craig insisted on taking my picture since I am usually behind the camera.

Only in Tennessee would you find a scripture reference on the cup and "God bless America."

They had good milkshakes, too!

Julie and I played peek a boo during lunch.

Isn't she cute?

We also played games after Julie went to bed and Carla and Betsy went home.

Sunday morning Julie opened a card that my tender-hearted student, TM, made and sent for her.

It looks like she is really reading it to herself!

Emily made this super cool giant ruler to measure Julie as she grows. They will hang it on the wall.

The advantage to this is that they can take it with them when they move into new homes. I think it is a really neat idea!

You are never too old for your Muppet Baby keyboard or (or your daughter's birthday one.)

Julie's Birthday Party

Julie turned one on January 18, and Craig and I were lucky enough to be able to attend her first birthday party.

It was a Very Hungry Caterpillar party - that's her picture taken each month from birth to one on the caterpillar! The foods we ate were the ones in the book.

The adults had a cake and so did Julie!

We opened presents before nibbling. I was touched that Cole insisted that crepe paper streamers be part of the decorations for the party since I always did that for our family. You never know which traditions will be important to the next generation!

Julie's leggings are from her Aunt Sarah. See the Hungry Caterpillar butterfly on her shirt?

Mommy shows Julie the first of her gifts...

... while Daddy films the unwrapping.

A soft puppy like Daddy's childhood one, Poppy! Just look at that happy face! Score, Aunt Lisa!!

A colorful hippo game from Aunt Sarah, Uncle Todd, JC, and Trinity.

A keyboard from Boompa! (Daddy loved Aunt Lisa's Muppet Baby keyboard when he was Julie's age and played with it constantly.)

Clothes, a ball popper, a dog that teaches colors...

... and a car from Julie's other Grandma. This was a big hit! (And Cole's first experience in toy assembly.)

Then, it was time for cake. Emily made Julie her own mini-cake complete with strawberries on top.

Ready to film the big mess.

Which really wasn't too bad - Julie kept picking small bits off the cake and popping them into her mouth instead of diving into it..

Delicious, Mommy!

And then, disaster. The cake "broke" into pieces with a little help from Mommy who sliced a small piece out of it for Julie to eat.

Shades of Curt when he was little and would cry, "My bread broke!!" But not to worry, Daddy fixed the cake.

It took a while, but eventually Miss Julie started digging in and playing with her cake.

Such fun! She ended up in the bathtub shortly after this photo was taken.

Mommy, Great Aunt Carla, Grammy, and Cousin Betsy watched the fun and shared the adult cake and other snacks.

Julie Opens Her Quiet Book

Cole and Emily saved the quiet book for Julie to open last. There were a LOT of distractions that were calling her name, but Cole was able to get her attention.

 He shows her the pillow made from the same fabric as the cover.

 Look! A puppy to pet! Such soft fur!

 Apples in a basket and Jumbo the elephant.

 Picking the flowers (note that she went for the orange one!)

 Changing the pumpkin's mouth (Cole called the other mouth a mustache!)

Two special pages - monkeys (designed and drawn by me) and the snowman with the scarf knitted by Julie's Aunt Cathy.

 She'll figure out how to untie and tie it!

 Looking for Chief Illiniwek inside the tipi.

The Russian matryoshka fabric represents Cole and his mission to Yekaterinberg.

I really enjoyed sitting back and watching her open my gift. All those hours spent cutting and sewing and coloring and tracing were so worth it!

Julie's Quiet Book - the Beginnings

I didn't want to post anything on here that might give away the book to Cole and Emily, but I did do a draft of some in-progress  pictures.

The tablecloth from Russia that I cut up.

Possibilities for the snowman's hat and boots prior to receiving the scarf from Cathy.

Cutting out the pieces takes forever! Then they have to be interfaced to be strong enough to be played with, and then sewn down.

Hours and hours of work, but so worth it!