Summer plans.

Well school is over. I spent the day screening new sprouts for the fall… we administer some assessments and score them to help with placement... it’s always a bit of a mixed bag of emotions. On the one hand, I’m excited to meet new friends… on the other hand, I am ready for summer vacation.

As I did last year, I’ll be taking a break from daily postings over the summer. Don’t worry, I’ve got a few special surprises up my sleeve. Some giveaways, a book study, and some other stuff you’ll just have to come back to find out about. How's that for a cliffhanger?

If you have the summer off, ENJOY. I’ll be spending the first half of my summer working with graduate students at the local university... spreading my love and enthusiasm for literacy. The second half will be spent traveling and RELAXING. I’ll be back soon with more information about the giveaways and book study.

Goodbye.

The last day is never fun. The kids are ramped up… feeling anxious, sad, excited, you name it. It’s not a good mix. At my school, my sprouts meet their first grade teacher on the last day too, which just works them up even more. It’s a fast, sometimes chaotic day and yet I’m sad when it’s over.

In what other grade but kindergarten do they kids say they are genuinely sad school is over? We tried to have as normal a day as possible, but really, it didn’t happen. The hugs were more frequent and much tighter. One little guy almost hurt me he hugged me so tightly… there were no complaints from me.

I almost started to cry at one moment… it was towards the end of the day, they were all shoving the last bits of paper and memorabilia into their backpacks… the classroom got very loud and noisy and I just stood there looking at them all and got overwhelmed with emotion. For the record, I snapped out of it, but it almost happened… almost.

To make matters worse, one of my dear friends was leaving our school today. I stayed to help her pack her room up and tried to bring a little laughter to the sadness of the situation… I got a few chuckles out of her and the others helping, but really, it was all just a show. When I finally got a moment alone with her, I gave her a big hug, kissed her gently on the cheek, and told her I’d see her soon. Goodbyes are no fun.

As luck would have it, the last few itty-bitty friends to leave are some of the most affectionate. No asking for hugs from these characters. They asked me to walk them out to the bus line, something I don’t normally do… today I did. As two of them took my hands, I thought, ‘Wow, another year gone.’ They will visit me next year early and often. I’ll have a new batch of fresh sprouts to nurture. I’ll miss my class, but I know they have the skills (academic and social) to be successful. I'm a teacher... I gave them my all.

Clingy.

"Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives." - C.S. Lewis

As I prepare for my last day with my sprouts tomorrow, this quote from the author of The Narnia Chronicles, has stuck in my head like a jingle. Something happens the last few weeks in kindergarten… it didn’t happen when I taught second grade, and I suspect it doesn’t happen in most other grades, my students, all of them, become incredibly clingy.

Maybe it’s all the talk of ‘becoming a first grader’ or just the simple realization the end of our precious time together is near, but my itty bitty friends become, what my mother would refer to as, ‘Velcro puppies’.

The funny thing is, while they are hanging off me at every second possible, I’m finding myself feeling the same way. When they line up at Quiet Time to give me a hug, I’m squeezing them back with just a little more gusto. Grown men can be tenacious too.

There’s another powerful quote about teaching from Carol Buchner – ‘They may forget what you said but they will never forget how you made them feel.” I think it’s the same for teachers. As I look back on the year, it’s not the benchmarks, data, and test results I’ll remember (for the record, they were good), it’s the affection. The love. The way they made me feel.

Graduation Reflections.

Yesterday was our kindergarten graduation. Always a bittersweet day, here some highlights.

• There's nothing much cuter than new dresses and new dress shirts on kindergartners.

• Practicing our songs in the morning, a certain kindergarten teacher had a mini panic attack when the entire class forgot the second verse of 'Rags' - a song we've sung all year long.

• When you realize that every other class is having some sort of celebration around the same time as yours, don't worry about parking... Just email all parents and ask them to take said parking chaos into consideration.

• Realize when your female teaching partner comes back from changing into a dress, a little boy saying, "You look like a cow!" is probably not a good thing... For the record, her dress was black and white - prompting the comment.

• When you emerge from the bathroom wearing a dress shirt and khaki pants and every child swarms to tell you how 'handsome' you are, it's most likely a sign that all the t-shirts and shorts you've been wearing the past few weeks have washed away the fact that you wore the same dress shirt and khaki pants all year long until it hit eighty degrees.

• When, not one, but two little boys have a clothes crisis (scissors and chocolate milk), be sure to start the phone calls to their mothers with 'He isn't hurt' - Both moms arrived with new shirts and for the record, kindergarten moms ROCK. Also of note - no wardrobe malfunctions for the girls.

• When you walk the class down to the cafe-gym-atorium a full half hour before the ceremony begins to set up, do not be surprised to see almost all of the parents there ready and waiting for you... after all, you warned them about the parking.

• When planning your outfit for the celebration, don't forget that while your classroom is air conditioned and cool, the cafe-gym-atorium is not. You will be sweating. You will be shiny. Get over it.

• Don't forget the extension cord for the boom box in the classroom. If you do, when you realize you've forgotten it moments before you need to hip play, you'll have to run back to your classroom on the other side of the school making yourself even sweatier.

• When kneeling down for pictures with every child after the celebration, try not to worry about the pain in your knees on the hard tile floor. Remember why you're here and the smiles will be natural.

• Don't imagine you're the President or Lady Gaga when the flashes from the cameras temporarily blind you.

• When the dust begins to settle and your realize one little boy had nobody show up, do not let his tears make you cry too. Take his hand, walk him back to class and offer him a chocolate pudding from your secret stash. Since naturally he's on the last bus, sit next to him, put your arm around his shoulders and read books with him until his bus is called to distract him from being sad.

• When his bus is finally called and he leaves, remember this is why you teach. You teach for the one kid who is alone after everyone else has left with parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. You teach so you can give him a pudding, read with him, and make him feel better.

Monday is our last day. It's never easy and when I finally say my last goodbyes and get in my car to go home, I fully expect to shed a tear or two.

Double dog dare.

I've written about it before. My dear friend, Mrs. F. teaches third grade. I see those big, almost gangly, third graders limbering down the hallway and I know there is a universe between them and my tiny sprouts. Sometimes I forget how challenging the academics can be as the children grow.

Yesterday in the teacher's room, I ran into Mrs. F. at the copy machine. We began chatting about this and that (her son just turned one and is quite simply one of the most adorable little boys in the world...) and I couldn't help but notice what she was copying.

"What is that?" I asked with a tinge of fear.

"It's their homework for tonight," she replied.

I picked the paper up and studied it. I was intrigued by her 'double dog dare' - I loved that. As for the actual math problem, I kid you not, it might has well have been in Chinese. Here it is:

"Um, I see the multiplication sign, but that's about all I see..." I mumbled.

She then proceeded to try and explain to me how this problem would be worked out. Mrs. F. is a patient person. She's an amazingly gifted teacher. She achieves amazing results with her students. She was totally lost on me.

I was polite because she's my friend. I nodded and said 'yes' and 'ah, I see' from time to time, but really I felt like Homer Simpson with 'Turkey in the Straw' going on in an endless loop in my head as she spoke.

Today she emailed me to let me know nineteen out of her twenty-one students got it correct. This did not make me feel any smarter. I adore kindergarten and never want to leave it... bumping into Mrs. F. making copies only reiterates this for me.

Teechr.

Yesterday at bus time, Darlene handed me the following note:

I love it for many reasons. First, she has clearly mastered the 'ch' blend - something we've been working on diligently for months. Yay! Second, she loves her teacher, something I never tire of being told. Finally, she wants to be a teacher when she grows up. There's no better compliment than that. She got a big hug for this one.

Pout.

This afternoon, I read a new book… well new to me. The Pout-Pout Fish is the story of a little fish who just simply can’t see past his pouty ways. His ocean friends try to help him turn his mood around – to no avail. Finally, a stranger comes along and gives him a kiss… he flips upside down, and realizes he really isn’t a Pout-Pout fish after all.

Well, I just loved this book. First of all, it’s written in a wonderful silly rhyming pattern that is reminiscent of Dr. Seuss. Secondly, there is not one, but two messages to discuss after reading. First, we talked about how simple it is to make a decision to change who you are… you can decide, at any moment, to be or act differently. I then asked if anyone knew what the second message was… after some silence and blank stares I gave a clue.

“Sometimes, I come to school and I’m not very happy… I might be upset or sad about something going on at home, or even with other adults at school.” I began.

“Then, one of you walks in, and does something that changes my mood…” I hinted.

A few smiles and hands arrived. I called on Audra.

“We hug you!” She exclaimed.

“Yes! Your hugs put a smile on my face and put me in a good mood,” I agreed.

Sometimes a kind gesture, like a smile or hug, can really turn your mood around. Which is a good thing since nobody loves a Pout-Pout fish.

Some spider.

Oh Charlotte. Each year, you cast a spell on my class... and me. We just finished our study of insects and spiders (they're different!) and celebrated by watching Charlotte's Web... the classic animated version - not the live action remake from a few years ago. I was about to begin writing about E.B. White's masterpiece, but I remembered my post from last year. After rereading it, it really captures the magic of the story... so, here it is again. Until next year Charlotte, rest well dear friend.

Well, we finally finished Charlotte’s Web. I’ve got to say, every time I read that book, I find something new to admire. They don’t call it a classic for nothing.

Anyway, yesterday I read the chapter where Charlotte dies. We’d talked quite a bit about what they thought might be coming and I knew most of them knew it was imminent. When I came to the last paragraph, the one where she actually dies I scanned the room. My sprouts were engrossed. I looked down and finished the chapter.

One of the most heart wrenching lines of the book (or any book for that matter) closes the chapter.

‘Nobody, of the hundreds of people that had visited the Fair, knew that a grey spider had played the most important part of all. No one was with her when she died.’

As I finished the line, I looked up. There were some visibly sad children staring back at me… a few with tears. Momentarily, I questioned my book selection. Had Charlotte’s death been too much for my sprouts?

No. In kindergarten, the majority of books we read are finished in one sitting. The reading experience is short, usually around ten minutes or so. The other chapter books we’ve read this year were on the short side too. This book was a journey. It took weeks to complete. Each day, we took twenty minutes out of our hectic day to sit and experience the world E.B. White created together. It was magical.

After I read from a chapter book, we usually get up and sing a song or do some movement activity… sitting for twenty minutes is a feat for five-year-olds! As we got up yesterday, I noticed Andy and Sage walked over to me… they were clearly affected by the sadness we’d just shared.

“Are you boys alright?” I whispered to them.

Andy nodded, but his face was giving him away. He wasn’t.

Sage chimed in with, “Anyway, we can sing and dance and we won’t be so sad about Charlotte, come on Andy.” He grabbed his buddy’s hand and walked him over to the circle.

Charlotte, you truly are some spider.

Portal.

Ah the internet (or World Wide Web as the local newsman calls it...). I'm never surprised at the amazing networking opportunities it provides. I get tweets and emails weekly from teachers, students, and parents. Usually they are kind comments and questions. Occasionally, I'm asked to read and review a book (who doesn't love a free book?) - a few weeks ago I got a most unusual email.

Rachael Stefanussen, an Industrial Design student, emailed and asked if I would take a few minutes to look over her senior capstone project. Being the busy person I am (yes, the kids leave at three, but we all know how that goes), I agreed, but it took me a few weeks to give it the attention it deserved. When I finally sat down to view her project, I was blown away.

Rachael's video was entertaining, professional, and, most importantly, thought provoking. She has envisioned a Portal that would connect teachers across communities to collaborate on classroom management, lesson planning, and all aspects of teacher mentoring. After viewing the video twice, I emailed Rachael with my thoughts and ideas. What about crossing all boundaries and making this international? What about integrating Facebook and twitter and using the already built networks many teachers have created?

Part of what excited me about Rachael's video is the simple idea that someone is thinking outside the box and trying to push the teaching experience even further into the future. I love progressive pondering and Rachael has really impressed me with her ideas.

Rachael was very gracious and we had a nice email dialogue back and forth. I asked her if she minded me sharing her wonderful proposal with others... she agreed on one condition - she'd love feedback from others too. So here it is. Please take a few minutes to watch and leave a comment for Rachael.

Job.

Last week, as we were standing in line for the bus, some of the sprouts were talking about their parents coming along on our field trip to the beach the next day. Evelyn, whose mom was not joining us, was feeling left out.

“I wish my Mom could come on a field trip,” she said.

“Well next year, when your brothers and sisters are in school, maybe your mom can come,” Mrs. D. offered.

Next year, Evelyn’s little brother and sister will start kindergarten and maybe mom will be able to come along on one of Evelyn’s first grade field trips.

“No, my dad has already said he’s signing her up for a job next year,” she replied.

I had to smile. Parents sign kids up for soccer, T-ball, dance class, and other activities. Apparently Evelyn’s dad is signing her mom up for work.

Teddy!

Today my class had a really unique treat. Mrs. M., a first grade teacher at our school, brought her pet lizard Teddy in for us to meet. Yesterday, when Mrs. M. asked me if my class might like to meet Teddy, I asked a little more about him.

“What kind of lizard is he?” I inquired.

“He’s a Black and White Argentine Tegu,” she answered.

Confession. I had no clue what a Black and White Argentine Tegu was… my experience with pet lizards is limited to geckos and chameleons… so I said, “Sure, the kids would love it.”

Imagine my surprise, when Mrs. M. knocked on my door and came in holding this:

Needless to say, I was taken aback and the class was enthralled with Teddy. Why is his name Teddy? According to Mrs. M., he is cuddly and snuggly like a Teddy Bear. Yeah, right…

Well, wouldn’t you know it, that lizard was, well totally affectionate. He really did seem to love Mrs. M. and want to be close to her. He also liked it when I pet him on his back. Mrs. M. took twenty minutes out of her planning time to come meet my class and share her unique pet with us. We learned a lot about Teddy… I also learned not to judge a lizard by his appearance.

Growth.

Last week on our field trip to the beach, I had a really nice conversation with Sarah’s mother about her.

You see, when the Sarah started kindergarten last year, she was one of the youngest sprouts and, although I’d seemingly forgotten, she couldn’t write her name. Her mother hadn’t failed to remember.

“She’s come such a long way in just one year,” she remarked.

“You’re right… just wait until you see how much she grows in first grade,” I said.

As we sat on the bus chatting about Sarah, I remembered how much help she needed back in August. I remembered writing her name with a yellow highlighter. I remembered holding my hand over hers as she practiced writing her name. I remembered showing her, over and over, how to hold her scissors (‘Thumbs up!’).

As we enter the homestretch it’s easy (at least for me…) to forget where many of my sprouts began… it’s awesome to witness just how far they’ve come.

Lucky.

In the interest of full disclosure, let me start by saying this post has nothing to do with kindergarten, teaching, education, or my classroom. I just spent the last three days with my ninety-year-old plus grandparents (yes, they’re both not only still alive, but quite spry) and while I almost never write about my personal adventures outside the realm of the classroom, I’m about too. Don’t worry, I’ll be back at school tomorrow and we still have a few weeks left… the sprouts shall return!

My grandparents live in a private gated community in Florida. Like all good Jewish folks, they headed straight for the Sunshine State to retire… for the record, my ninety-three year old grandfather swears he hasn’t retired, it’s just that nobody will hire him at his age… he’s quite correct on that matter, but for the record, his mind is still sharper than a tack and he could teach the business men of today a thing or two for sure (although I had to show him how to get all the features of his new HD flat screen TV - isn't that what grandsons are for?).

My grandmother, approaching her ninetieth birthday, has only begun slowing down because her body is forcing her too. Her mind is still going a million miles a minute and she still curses everything about Florida (sorry Floridians) and swears she will move back to New York City one day… the only REALLY great city in the world (her words not mine).

Last night, before leaving, I convinced my grandmother to allow me to cook for them. Something I’ve never done in my entire life… not because I haven’t wanted to take care of them, but my grandmother, like many, is the caregiver, the matriarch, the cook – she makes sure everybody eats what she considers to be enough and nobody else takes that role. For the first time, she stepped back and let me do a little work. It was almost surreal.

This morning, my grandparents dropped me off at the airport… I got a little sad saying goodbye to them. About halfway through my second connecting flight home today I got quite a startle. Without warning, I felt something warm and wet on the calf of my leg… it felt like, well, a tongue. I looked down between my legs and saw a rather large yellow lab licking my leg. I glance behind me and realized the woman behind me was blind and this was her Seeing Eye dog... taking a risk and saying 'Hello' to me.

Now I know you are supposed to ignore these small heroes if they approach or interact with you… after all they are working dogs and need to stay focused. Well this dog was clearly off duty for the time being. I leaned down under the seat and let her lick my hands and then gave her quite a few pets for good measure. I was feeling a little down and she made me smile.

My grandmother, in all her stories this weekend kept saying, over and over again, “We’ve been so lucky”… really, I’m the lucky one.

Label.

Jason has a new toy. Someone in his family gave him an old label maker… remember the old kind where you had to move the dial to each letter and then punch it onto the green sticky tape? Well this new device is quite thrilling for Jason.

He came in and gave Mrs. D. a bracelet with her name on it first. She proudly wore it on her wrist all day long… even though I’m quite sure it wasn’t comfortable and maybe even a little bit painful for her. That’s what you do when you get a gift from a sprout… you wear it with pride… even if you need a band-aid or get a rash.

When Jason promised, “Yours is coming tomorrow,” I got nervous.

Unlike Mrs. D., I’ve got hair on my wrists, and that bracelet was going to hurt. I devised a plan… the label would go on my glasses instead! Genius!

When Jason presented me with my own label (with my last name misspelled, but naturally not mentioned by me), I proudly placed it on the arm of my glasses. As everyone arrived, they commented on my label.

As the day wore on, I forgot about my label. Always there to remind me of anything out of the ordinary, the other adults in the school all commented on my label… No, I didn’t forget my name… No, I don’t need my name on my glasses in case I get lost…

When I got in my car to go home, I saw my reflection in the rear view mirror and removed my label… I proudly put it on the dashboard of my car. I don’t usually like to be labeled as this or that, but when the label is from Jason, I’ll humbly accept it.

Maybelle.

One of my favorite parts about teaching kindergarten is sharing my love of books with my sprouts. Everyone has favorite authors and stories, but sometimes an older book comes seemingly out of nowhere and catches you by surprise. Today, Maybelle poked me on the shoulder and said, “Hey, here I am!”

Last winter we read Katy and the Big Snow by Virgina Lee Burton and did some amazing map projects with it. We’ve slowly been reading through her books and Maybelle the Cable Car is one I’d personally never read. As an afternoon treat, we read it and had the most wonderful time.

The story of San Francisco’s unique cable cars and their struggle to stay running in the face of the newer, trendier busses, Maybelle the Cable Car is a charming tale about honoring what makes a place (or person) unique. Maybelle and her sister cars fight the buses and eventually have the entire city behind them. Told with a rhyming verse and Virginia Lee Burton’s charming illustrations, Maybelle the Cable Car had my class cheering.

Now, unless you teach kindergarten in San Francisco, most kindergartners don’t know what a cable car is… we had a wonderful chat about them, the city, and I pulled up some photographs online to show them what a real cable car looked like.

We also talked about how as the world progresses and newer and cooler stuff come along, it’s always good to honor and cherish those things that we truly love. Video games are amazing, but we still love our Lego’s. DVDs (and now Blu Rays) are awesome, but there is something special about sitting in the theater and watching a film on the big screen with an audience. A Kindle is cool, but nothing beats holding a picture book in your hands and sharing it with your class.

Thank you Maybelle for helping us see that sometimes a classic shouldn't be forgotten.

Earring.

This morning, in the quiet hubbub of arrival time, Penny came up to me with her hand out, holding something precious.

“Mr. ______, the back of my earring fell off,” she said.

Uh-oh. Another area of expertise I’m quite lacking in. The last time I tried to fix Nicole's hair, she looked like she took a very long ride in a convertible on a windy day.

“Um, hold on a second,” I replied and walked over to fetch Mrs. D.

Mrs. D. calmly fixed the broken earring for Penny.

When she finished, I remarked, “It’s a good thing you’re hear Mrs. D. – I am no good at earrings.”

“Girls simply cannot be without their earrings, Mr. ______,” she smiled.

With that, Penny skipped off to begin her reading. Another disaster averted.

In common.

Today as we walked outside for recess, David grabbed my hand. This isn’t unusual for him… as we walked to the hill, he looked up at me and said, “You know what Mr. _______, you and I have a lot in common.”

“Really? Like what?” I said, taking the bait.

“Well, first of all, we are both smart,” he began.

“Very true,” I agreed.

“Secondly, we both love to write,” he continued.

“Also a fact,” I said. I’ve shared my love of writing with my sprouts.

“Finally, we’re both quite handsome,” he said with a smile.

“No arguments from me David… now go run and play,” I instructed.

And with that, he took off like a bullet. My miniature carbon copy.

Remembrance.

Last week, when we took our field trip to the beach, I sat next to Cindy on the way back. She, like the rest of the sprouts, was tired and quiet from all the sun and salty air. About halfway back to school, she looked up at me and said, “You know, we don’t have school on Monday.”

I’m always tickled when kids tell me something I already know and think I don’t (like when Luther arrived that morning and asked me if I knew we were going on a field trip today…). It never occurred to Cindy that I didn’t know we had Monday off.

“Yes, I know, but do you know why we don’t have school?” I asked her.

“Um… so we can have a barbeque?” She offered.

“Not really,” I replied.

“Is it because it’s getting warmer and nice out?” She tried again.

“Well it is warmer and lots of folks have barbeques, but we have the day off because of Memorial Day,” I began.

I could see the blank look on her face.

“Memorial Day is a day we take off to honor all the soldiers and people who have fought in wars for our country's freedom,” I explained.

Summing up complicated ideas and concepts in one sentence is a skill needed when working with five and six-year-olds.

“We’ll talk more about Memorial Day tomorrow and next week,” I assured her.

With that she closed her eyes and rested until we arrived back at school. The next day, when I asked about Memorial Day, Cindy had her hand proudly waving. She knew why we take this day of remembrance off.

Discovery.

A good friend of mine passed this article on to me from The Economist. The research presented debates the practice of telling children how something works first versus letting them explore on their own.

As teachers, we struggle with this all the time. As a rule, I want to let my sprouts discover new learning tools, manipulatives, and toys on their own, but I do have to take safety into consideration.

When introducing a new tool in the classroom, I try to use The Responsive Classroom’s Guided Discovery model. In a nutshell, this process involves:

• naming the material
• collecting ideas about its use
• exploration
• sharing what was learned or observed about the material
• cleanup

During the ‘collecting ideas about its use’ brainstorming, I always interject my ‘safety concerns’ – For instance, while introducing Play Dough, when I feel like we’re coming to the end of our ideas, I throw out something like, “So if you make a pizza out of Play Dough, would it be all right to actually put it in your mouth and eat it?” I try not to come out and say “Don’t eat it!” – which is what I really want to do… instead I guide the class to their own conclusion about the edibility of Play Dough.

I’m always amazed at how children find unique ways to use something… often in ways new to their classmates and me. Yes, you can make a video game out of wooden blocks! Sure, the dollhouse is a wonderful way to practice what we’ve learned about fire safety. Building bridges with snap cubes and testing the number of cubes before it snaps is Engineering 101.

When we let children use their imaginations to create their own rules and boundaries around toys and tools, the possibilities for learning are endless.

How do you introduce new items?

(a wooden block video game)

Fish.

These last few weeks of school are always a challenge. Mother Nature is partially to blame. With the warmer temperatures it’s more difficult to sustain the attention of a six-year-old, but I do my best. In kindergarten, more than some of the older grades, the kids are also beginning to become anxious at the prospect of leaving the safety and comfort of their friends, classroom, and teacher. Behaviors often spike.

When we began our Ocean Unit a few weeks ago, we also began our ‘fish’ whole class incentive program. It’s rather simple. A fish bowl is drawn on the board and for every morning or afternoon we can go without any major behaviors we draw a fish in the tank. Physical contact or a child needing to visit the Rest Stop defines a major behavior.

The incentive was an indoor beach party. We’d planned the party for yesterday weeks ago, but the class didn’t know that… they thought they had to earn it. We set our goal as ten fish. Ten. That’s it. With each day they had the chance to earn two fish - one in the morning and one in the afternoon. They could have those ten fish in one week. As luck would have it, we only earned the tenth fish the day before we’d planned the party. It took over two weeks to earn those fish.

Our party was a huge success. We made our own beach visors, wore sunglasses and flip-flops, laid our beach towels out, and sang all our ocean songs. We also watched Finding Nemo. I always feel like Mr. Ray was my inspiration to become a teacher... Being a movie released almost ten years before any of my sprouts were born, I was surprised how many of them hadn’t seen it. It’s always fun to watch a child enjoy an amazing movie for the first time… plus with all we’ve been learning about the ocean it’s really a good representation of all the facts we’ve discussed… except for the talking fish of course.

We’ve got a few more days to wrap our Ocean Unit and then it’s on to insects… I’m thinking we’ll be working on getting spots on a ladybug…