Be Kind

This is a four part heart created by 8 students of various ages, Kindergarten through 5th Grade in Homeroom.  We had just finished this one, and Naser was holding it in place.  He was very pleased with the colorful out come!

At Ridgeway Community School, homeroom is an afternoon every couple of months that we come together as families--all siblings in a family or individual students of mixed age levels.  Our Kindergarten through 5th graders all work together on a project or learn something about our theme. Our theme of Kindness continues for this year.  Each homeroom group created two hearts in four parts each.  Various combinations of children and adults worked together to create patterns and then color in the pattern.  They were very careful and considerate. The idea was originally created by Cassie Stephen's, a generous art teacher in Tennessee. Here are some photos from Mrs. Johnson's group working together.

    Sawyer and J.J. working together.                                                           

 Willa and Johanna creating together with Malia and Delaney looking on.  Mrs. Johnson was coloring too.  In the background of this photo with Mrs. Johnson, you can see Cassie Stephen's post, that has a video tutorial to help everyone learn how to do this fun collaborative art activity.                                                                                                                            

Delaney and Elan working patterns.

 Naser and Abdullah working together.

    Malia and Payton beginning.

 Celia and Marcus making patterns.

 Malia and Payton's part of the heart complete.

Malia and Delaney with Elan in back.  Great working together.

About a week later, I got them all up on the front bulletin board. The top image is the whole mural. The lower picture has the 'D'  and two hearts missing, but it's a bit clearer in detail. A total of 12 hearts and 6 letters spelling "Be Kind."  A big thanks to Cassie Stephen's for her wonderful sharing of this art activity.  I was lots of fun!

You may be interested in another Kindness activity that we worked on earlier this year.

"Be Kind," that is a good reminder for all of us.

Kindness At Ridgeway Community School

Each year at Ridgeway Community School, we celebrate a theme that brings our school community together to learn, grow, and value one another a little deeper.  This year the theme is Kindness.  Two of our teachers, Jennifer Krings and Danielle Helms made bracelets for all the teachers and staff.  Then they created "Be Kind" bracelets for all the students.  The students received these at the first homeroom of the 2018 -2019 school year in September.

Homeroom is an afternoon every couple of months that we come together as families--all siblings in a family or individual students of mixed age levels.  Our Kindergarten through 5th graders all work together on a project or learn something about our theme.  During this afternoon, we began to create squares for a Kindness quilt.

Some ways the children showed kindness in action.

We have lots of opportunities to show kindness.  And sometimes we make mistakes and have to say, "I'm sorry," and work on a different way to show kindness.  We're all a work in progress--the children and the adults.  It's good to have lots of opportunities.

Art of Making with Our Hands

Since I was a little person, I’ve loved making things with my hands.  And if I didn’t know how to make it, I’d go to our local library and find a book to help me figure out how to do it.  There was magic in the search to figure it out and then in the making it!  . My Mom and Dad were makers and they helped in many of the adventures.

Dyckman Free Library, Sleepy Eye, Minnesota ~Photo credit~

I hope to give that sense of "loving the making" to my students at Ridgeway Community School.  This autumn, I held a Stitching Club to teach children how to tie a knot, sew on a button and learn some simple stitches.  We made some fun projects.

The Kindergarten through 2^nd Graders made a stitching card with a butterfly, a giraffe and a little pocket to store treasures.  A big thank you to all the volunteers who helped these little ones have such great success.

They were very happy with their stitching projects! 

Last Day of School 2015 Ridgeway Community School Part II

Our end of the school year event for health and wellness is a walk/run around the West Lake in Winona scheduled for the Saturday following the final school day.  This year was an especially exciting year with celebrity runners  joining us for our before school Workout Wednesday and then sharing stories of their love of running and staying healthy.  Students were encouraged to get fit with running or walking the track at Ridgeway Community School.

Another thing to get the students excited was to get small donations and for each dollar, the homeroom group received a shoe that was taped to the wall.  The Homeroom with the most shoes would be able to duct tape their teacher and Ms. Jodi, our school coordinator to the wall!  That bit of fun play got students very excited!  Two homerooms for going very close to being the winners--Mrs. Meyer and Mrs. Johnson.  Who would win?  Oh, my goodness, it was a tie and they both got the fame of being taped to the wall.  

 Ms. Jodi, duct taped to the wall.

Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Meyer, the two tying Homeroom teachers!

Students in each homeroom along with their teacher.

Smiles and hugs all around.

After lunch, the very exciting kickball game began with 5th Graders verses Teachers.  The rules were gone over and agreed on by both sides before the game.  Mrs. Cindy Smith making sure all was fair for both teams.

Students and teachers getting ready for the very exciting game.  The game goes for 4 innings or one hour which ever comes first.  This year, though the teachers were winning 5-4 after 4 innings, it was agreed to continue for the full hour.

In the end Teachers won 5th Graders--10 to 6.  Good game by all.

After the game, everyone excited a freezy including Mrs. Hundorf, our Special Education para-professional and out fielder.

Mrs. Langlie, our music teacher and second base player.

Mrs. Maynard, Special Education para-professional helped keep all the children safe on the playground and in the bounce house.

 

Mrs. Conway, our Special Education teacher and 3rd Base person.

 

Ms. Geier joined us for our final day.  She student taught in Mrs. Johnson's 1st Grade through the spring semester.

Mrs. Meyer, our 2nd & 3rd Grade Teacher and 1st base player.

Mrs. Anderson, 4th & 5th Grade Lead Teacher and our fabulous out fielder with some of her students, Nyah, Elise, Jocelyn. 
There were many more teachers playing and having fun with students that missed my photo eye.

Mrs. Anderson and Tyler.

Ms. Eischen, Art Teacher and Nyah.

Last Day of School 2015 Ridgeway Community School Part I

The last day of school is filled with finish up, clean up, awards, lunch and play ball--the especially thrilling kickball game: 5th Graders verses the Teachers. (See Last Day of School 2015 RCS Part II)

 
Elise during wrap up time in Mrs. Anderson's room.

 Ms. Ashley giving out 100% Attendance Awards!

Students participate in accelerated reading at Ridgeway Community School.  After they read a book, they can  take a multiple choice quiz and gain points depending on the difficulty of the book.  The students above received a Bronze Metal.

Silver Metal Award Winners.

Gold Metal Award Winners.

Crowning achievements for two of our teachers.

A special gift for our friend, Nyah, whose family is moving.  A canvas painting of thumbprints from everyone in our school creating a growing tree.  The leaves of the tree are Grades 2-5 students.  The trunk and roots are the Kinders and 1st Grade students. Three 5th Grade students added rootedness with their thumbs at the base of the tree.  All the fruits and flowers are the teachers favorite colors.  The red thumb prints are strawberries--one of Nyah's favorite fruits.

The canvas was provided by Mrs. Cindy Smith--a loving parent of one our 5th Grade student's, Nathaniel "Viggo" Smith.