PPBF: Elmore

Today I'm excited because I've found a picture book so special that
 I'm coming out of my self-imposed PPBF retirement to showcase it.


Title: Elmore
Author and Illustrator: Holly Hobbie
Publisher: Random House Books For Young Readers
Birthday: January 30, 2018
Suitable for ages: 3-7 (and up!)
Themes: Making friends, celebrating differences, writing 
Opening page: 
Elmore lived by himself in an ancient maple tree. He loved it there.
Brief Synopsis: Elmore is a precious little porcupine who doesn't mind living alone, but the loneliness he feels ultimately finds him desperate to find some friends. Because he's so prickly, however, the other animals are kept at quill's length. Will he find a way to invite them into his world despite their differences?

Resources: 

Read reviews {here} and {here}
Check out the Publisher's website {here}

Why I like this book: So many reasons! First, it was a gift from my friend Heather Elmore, the counselor at Westwood Elementary. I spotted it a few weeks back when I visited her (in my old office) and fell instantly in love. As I was thumbing through the pages of her namesake treasure, falling deeper with every turn, she got online and ordered it right there for me. 

Second, the charming illustrations absolutely reeled me in.

Third, Elmore doesn't wallow in his problem; instead, he takes steps to creatively solve it. I absolutely love that he uses the power of the pen to create a Friends Wanted sign and ultimately find those friends by sharing a bit of himself in a creative twist.

Set up the story with the Folkmanis porcupine puppet;
click the image below to order one just like ours.


If your students are like mine,
they will adore with this spikey little guy.
Talk with them about what it might feel like to be prickly ...


or what it means to needle someone.

Dig into the rich text and find other unique vocabulary words
that students could illustrate and/or discuss.
Why does the author call Elmore's home an ancient tree
Is there a play on words when she tucks him into his snug hollow?
Does solitude always equal boring?
When is the last time you felt all tuckered out?

In the story, Elmore recalls that his mom told him that the L in his name stands for love. Ask your students to buddy buzz with a partner and share what they know about how they got their names.

Use Elmore's writing idea as a springboard for unleashing the power of the pen. You might even seek out another class either in your school or beyond your school's walls to invite them to be PenPals.

Consider this example from a fourth-grade superhero
who understands the power of the pen
and uses it so eloquently.


On my first day back after a week of being out of the office caring for my Dad, one of my friends seeks me out before school and hands me this beautiful treasure for my Smile File, folded up like a fan and sealed in a Ziploc baggie. Is that not the most beautiful gift? Pull out a note that someone wrote to you, read it aloud, and ask students how they think it made you feel. Invite them to share a time that they've used their words to step into someone's story, uplift them just a little, and change the direction of their day. Encourage them to write or draw something for someone to make an ordinary day extraordinary,
like the note you share did for you, 
like Miah's note did for me,
like the note that Elmore found tacked to his cozy dwelling 
at the end of this tale 
did for him.

Finally, research to find out all that you can about porcupines.
Are they social or solitary?
Are they nocturnal?
What do they eat?
Do they have predators?
Compare and contrast what you discover about real porcupines
with how the author portrays the fictional Elmore.

Check out this incredible newcomer; 
I predict you'll truly treasure this Holly Hobbie masterpiece.  









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Loving Connections

I wasn't sure that he would even let me come home to help take care of him, but when I called Dad last week after he lost consciousness and fell down, he seemed relieved that I would consider taking some time away to help. So I booked a flight with the miles I'd been saving in the case of an emergency, put in for some family illness days off, and grabbed a few drink coupons for the three-hour flight home. The guy next to me, a former prison officer, on his way home from Jamaica, seemed a little envious when I pulled those coupons from my purse. 


"What are you going to have?" he asked. I told him I thought that a Bailey's Irish Cream sounded pretty good. He nodded in agreement just as I handed him my second coupon. "And what are you going to have?" So began a beautiful week of loving connections for which I remain incredibly grateful. By about 11 pm, my plane had landed and I was in my brother's car reconnecting with him as we headed to his place for my overnight stay. My sister would join us for coffee in the morning and by lunchtime, we'd be home helping care for our Dad.


Though he'd been spending a great deal of time in this chair, we actually found him enjoying lunch with three of the farmhands whom he typically runs errands for and works alongside of in the shop at the family farm. Dad was so surprised and incredibly grateful when they called him to say they'd like to treat him to a meal. When he told them he'd have his daughters there, they said no worries, that they'd be glad to bring enough for all of us. They stayed and dined with him, a seemingly small gesture that made a huge imprint on his heart, for sure. In the next five days, I'd hear him tell the story of his fall over and over again and each and every time, he'd mention that noon-time kindness of those three mechanics.

As night began to fall, we gathered to play cards and caught this breathtaking scene of our family farm in the distance out of his dining room window.



By Friday, Dad felt well enough for an outing; he was itching to show me the remodeling project that he'd been working on at the parochial grade school that my siblings and I attended all those years ago. He was beaming with pride as he showed me all of their upgrades. I especially loved seeing their handiwork in the preschool room because that's where we happened upon nine young boys playing soup kitchen, each wearing a chef hat and apron carrying soup pots in their arms and ladles in their hands. I couldn't resist engaging in this yummy scene, so I told the tiny chef nearest the door that I was so hungry and would he be so kind as to share some soup. His smile said that he'd be happy to share as he scooped his pretend creation into my hands. Before I knew it, each little boy was lined up to serve me some soup. Just as I was about to get full, the tyke who stole my heart did this: He blew on my soup before serving it to me.

Empathy.
Compassion. 
Kindness.
In one fell swoop scoop. 
So innocent.
So thoughtful.
So lovingly beautiful.

I wanted to stay and play with those little friends all afternoon, but Dad needed to rest soon so we visited two more classrooms before heading home. 

During my week-long stay, we had a lot of read-aloud time ...  


from these two kindness books.
  

It was such a great time of connecting and reflecting
about life and love, 
about compassion and kindness,
about people and projects,
about family and faith.

I managed some time with Mom, too.



On Monday, we took another outing to visit two schools and have lunch out. We let Dad's wife, Flo, pick the place since she was our faithful Uber driver so off to Cranky Pat's Pizza Parlor we went. On the way in, we asked a lady coming out if the food was any good. She smiled and said, "If it isn't, let me know because I'm the owner." She was precious and we really connected with her during our brief encounter with her. Inside, we found a man seated alone at the table next to us. I'm not exactly sure how the conversation began, but he started to tell us how he'd just returned from visiting his daughter in Napa Valley and how she has lived there for fifteen years and how he recently retired from his job. 



We figured he'd eventually run out of things to tell us or that the person he was waiting for might show up, but instead he came over to our table to continue sharing his story. He said he had two hours to burn because it was during a visit to get a nail out of his tire that his mechanic had noticed a leak in his radiator. That was when he decided to walk to the pizza parlor and buy lunch for his mechanic. Isn't that the sweetest thing?

Tonight I'm feeling blessed to be back in Texas
as Dad continues to rest and restore.
The doctors told him not to work or drive for now,
so he's trying to figure out what this season
of his life is going to look like.
He's thinking once he can drive again
about maybe making visits to people
in a similar situation as his.
Maybe the elderly, maybe the ailing.
Maybe just someone who's craving a caring connection.
Empathy is an strong elixir like that;
stepping into another's shoes can do beautiful things
for both the giver and the receiver.

I'm so thankful that Dad let me come home to help even though
he's not used to be on the receiving end of kindness.

Thank you all for your positive wishes and prayers.






1

Attention, Balance, Compassion

Happy first day of Springtime and International Day of Happiness.
Know what makes me happy?
Kindness.
Need some ideas for warming the world?
Check out this postcard we got in the mail
from the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation.



So many ways to come to the rescue with kindness.
Take this superhero fifth grader, for example.
A few weeks back, she brought me a bag filled with these origami notes, asking if I could mail them to Puerto Rico for her, to cheer up some friends who were recovering from hurricane Maria.


Today, I was happy to share over the morning announcements
that her kind act was reciprocated with priority mail
from a fifth-grade class at Colegio Radians.

Are these not the most beautiful hand-folded treasures?


Happiness from one child's heart to another.


Yes, my friend, kindness is contagious.
In that same batch of mail, we received a special pebble,
a Kindness Rock for our Peace Garden!


 A blinged-out starfish.
From England, with love.
A gorgeous addition to our serenity spot.
Kindness beautifies everything.

And this sweet story of kindness, from our FHS Choir,
the gift of song for a Swedish couple at their wedding.
It just happened in the moment.

Speaking of in the moment, today I'm eager to start integrating the ideas in this book. Lots of mindfulness ideas to help all of us embrace
Attention, Balance, Compassion.

This handbook will perfectly complement the work I'm doing
both personally and professionally to become more mindful.

Coupled with these inspirational journals from Fox Chapel Publishing, my mindfulness practice is really going to rock.


These beautiful new guided journals offer intentional opportunities
to reflect and rejoice. I'm especially excited about this one.
Check them out by clicking on the book cover image.

For now, I'm signing off for about a week as I head to Wisconsin
and help my Dad as he heals from some health issues.

What are you joyful about on this International Day of Happiness?





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That Character Quilt

Today I'm excited because I received a message that our character quilt is finished and ready to be picked up. Moments later, I was at Lori's front door, 
eager to see how it turned out and take it home.


The idea for that character quilt came last summer when my friend Ann brought some of her old Westwood t-shirts by to see if I'd have any use for them. I figured that some of hers coupled with a few more of mine would make the twenty we'd need for a really nice t-shirt throw. 

There are so many memorable moments 
represented in the seventeen years that these Ts span. 
Lots of ups and downs, 
lots of highs and lows, 
lots of smiles and some tears, too.
Okay, lots of tears.
A gentle mix of happiness and heartache,
a poignant parallel to life itself.
Because things change.
Programs and people come and go.
Students grow up and move on.
And colleagues change jobs and retire.
If those t-shirts could talk ... what a story they'd tell.

So today I'm feeling grateful to Ann for her shirts and to my 
quilt-making friend Lori for sharing her time and talents so that this character quilt could find its way onto the bed in our Texas Room. My greatest hope is that every visitor who wraps up in it will feel the caring and love that envelopes me every single moment of every single day as a part of the Westwood Elementary and Bales Intermediate school families deep in the heart of Texas.








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Powerful Therapeutic Art

Today please welcome a Houston Middle School Counselor, Nicole  Batiste.

******************************* 
Five Powerful Therapeutic Art Lessons by: Nicole Batiste

Relatively new to the school counseling world as I've spent the last three years as a School Social Worker-Counselor and before that I was in the classroom, one honest confession I can make is that I was extremely and [prematurely] excited that my new role might allow me to finally ditch lesson planning. Little did I know, I was in for a rude awakening. Not long into my counseling journey, reality hit; I still had to lesson plan, only now instead of creating engaging lessons for my classroom around academia, I was planning engaging lessons around a needs diverse caseload. If you’re anything like me, you to have a lot of different kiddos on your radar you are trying to service. More than likely it seems like you can’t ever get enough engaging resources to help you make your sessions meaningful and engaging. In a lot of trial and error in planning activities, I've learned two truths.

1.   Kinesthetic, hands-on therapy is highly engaging
2.  Art Supplies are your friend!

Whether you’re doing individual sessions or conducting groups, adding some art supplies and having something for your students to create is a goldmine for school counselors. Below are five tried-and-true powerful therapeutic art activities that can help stock up your counseling cabinet or simply give you ideas to create some pretty awesome lessons for your learners. 

   This activity is a great intro to the therapeutic arts. Students will begin by learning and identifying primary colors. Then students will start assigning color to their daily emotions and their desired emotions. This resource allows your students to search themselves emotionally and creatively connect it to color.





         What Color is My Anger? 
   
   This resource is great for anger management/emotional regulation. Students are required to assess their anger and decide what's inside their anger outbursts. You can use this resource OR have client draw a bomb and reflect what triggers or emotions are inside that bomb.

   
   This activity is great for self-esteem or girl-drama groups. In this therapeutic art activity, children learn about the importance of inner beauty and empathy. Participants will draw on a blank face what they consider their outer appearance or image and then on the other side draw what's underneath their surface. Encourage kids to make a list about both their outer and inner selves before completing a dual self-portrait.




   This therapeutic art activity is wonderful way to build rapport with your students and serves as an opener for therapy. Your students will use drawings, colors, symbols and words to fill in their "Crystal Ball." Kids have A LOT of fun with this one because they get to talk about all their wants and dreams. It is also a great resource for you to get an understanding of what they ultimately want out of life, school, etc.



    Pieces of Me  
   
   Another simple way to engage kids in therapy is the "Get to Know Me activity." This is also a great resource for fostering social skills as kiddos talk about themselves and listen and respond to others. In this activity. students use puzzle pieces to answer simple questions about themselves and then represent them artistically.





Quick Tips:

·   Don’t over think it; therapeutic art is just using artistic creation in the therapeutic process.
·   Have discussion questions ready- Once kids pick up a crayon, for some reason they are ready to open up!
·   Join in on the fun. Being a member and facilitator helps everyone feel equal and it adds to the fun!

To purchase these and other Kinesthetic Therapy activities, visit {here}



About the author: School Counselor Nicole Batiste graduated with her Masters degree in Social Work in 2013 and has worked as a school counselor, social worker and elementary educator. She has a passion for teaching social emotional learning through engaging, hands-on, thought-provoking activities.

**********

Thank you, Nicole, for sharing these creative ways to help students learn about themselves as they mature and grow socially and emotionally. 






1

A God-wink And A Little Boy

If you're on Spring Break, happy vacation time. 
Don't forget to set your clocks forward tonight if you're in a place that recognizes Daylight Savings Time. Before I unplug for the week, I wanted to give you a quick update. Remember our Kindness Rocks Peace Garden that the Kids For Peace Kindness Team helped us create back in January?


Here's my little joy rock next to the one that inspired mine.


Anyway, we decided to fireant and weed proof it,
but seeing it like this kind of hurt my heart a little.


I wasn't sure how it would turn out ... 
and who would be putting it back together.
This picture provides the answer to the former question;



the latter would be me.
So I grabbed some volunteer friends out of class
and they helped me with the middle heart, the one that
showcases the schools whose Kind Coins donations
helped fund our Playful Hearts Playground.


Thomas, a fourth-grade boy who helped me set these rocks on their crushed granite bed to help set the path, softened my heart and made it smile when I heard him say, "I know why you're doing this, Mrs. Gruener." {Because if not me, then who? I thought with a twinge of frustration} "Because it's Open House tonight, right?"


A God-wink and a little boy.
Frustration traded in for peace.
Deep in the heart of Texas.
And some very proud and excited parents and kids that night
at our Peace Garden grand opening during Open House.
Sometimes all it takes is a child's voice.

As I reflect, I'm so thankful for Thomas' insight
as he helped me put our serenity spot back together.








0

Our Escape Room Experience

Today I'm excited because spring has sprung.
We got these treasures into the ground a few days ago
and we've been enjoying some incredibly beautiful weather
that's sure to make them super happy and promote their growth.


In school, we're working on growth as well. A seed for an Escape Room experience for our learners was planted some time ago, so when my friend Laurel posted about her superheroes in Iowa and their Escape Room escapades, I knew I had to give it a try. I searched Teachers Pay Teachers and ended up with this; click the image to purchase the file for less than $5.


So we start the class with our Toucan puppet named Rainbow,
who tells the kids he's actually a Toucan't, because he can't fly.

We discuss the Henry Ford quote: 
Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right.

Then the students brainstorm ways in which Rainbow could experience flight even though he has no wings. Such great ideas and so much power in collaboration as we help Rainbow unlock his fixed mindset thoughts. We discuss how we are all a hybrid of both fixed and growth mindset thoughts and how important mindset, attitude and effort are in our personal growth and development. One of our fourth-grade boys had this insight: Fixed mindset is like a traffic jam in your brain. Boom!


I explain that we've got four challenges today,
one for each of the letters in the word GROW.
Students will be working in duos or trios
to escape their fixed mindsets by completing the challenges.
Each puzzle completed correctly earns them a key, or a letter
until they spell out the word G-R-O-W.


As a bonus, if they still have time, they get to attempt a bonus Scramble Squares puzzle or enjoy some time learning a new song in the ukulele lab, like these aspiring fifth-grade uke players are.


My only clue for them is to really follow directions carefully.
Because they will buy themselves time if they follow directions.
Really carefully.

Here's the first puzzle they attempt with a follow-up reflection:


Look at this group's answer; isn't it hilarious?

Okay, so maybe we have some more growth-mindset work to do.


Anyway, we're having great fun learning and growing together; making today's lesson an Escape Room event added a super cool twist. It's said that life is made up of many memorable moments; I'm so grateful to my cyberspace collaborators for helping make this a lesson my students won't quickly forget. 








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