Back in May my mom retired from Safeco Insurance after working there almost 30 years. After she'd been retired for a little while I asked if she'd be willing to come up once a week and watch Zeke so I could volunteer at the kids school. I figured I would just go in for an hour each week alternating between the kids classrooms...Owen's one week and then Jack's the next and then Ella's. Well she thought that it would be silly for her to come all the way up here for me to just volunteer for one hour. So she stays for the whole day!!! I get to volunteer in all the kids classes each week! This last Thursday was my first time and it just happened to be the day of the All School Veteran's Day Assembly. I got to school at 9:30 and spent an hour in Jack's class cutting out laminated math sheets. Then we all filed into the gym where the 5th graders sang The National Anthem.
All the kids were seated in lines according to who there teacher was. In order to keep the kids quiet the teacher has there hand in the air and the kids also put their hands in the air. It worked beautifully!
Mr. Watter's is the schools new music teacher. He just moved back to the US....he's been living outside the US for 11 years. I met with him at the student led conferences that happened a week before and he is just so amazing. The kids are so blessed to have him!
We sang a few patriotic songs like America The Beautiful and My Country Tis Of Thee. It was so wonderful to be singing those wonderful words with all those kids. In the middle of the performance all the 2nd graders got up and sang The Grand Ol' Flag. It was so adorable and of course I got teary eyed! With all that's going on in the world right now it was nice to sing those touching songs.
Jack is in the back middle...of course almost out of sight! Typical Jackson!!! :)
After the assembly I went to Owen's classroom where I graded math timing sheets. For lunch I stayed in Owen's classroom and ate with him. I will alternate between the kids classes each week in regards to eating lunch with them....of course I will go in birth order so I get to eat with Jackson this week.
After lunch I headed down to Ella's room where Ms. Asselin needed me to go gather leaves for an upcoming art project. Thankfully it wasn't raining outside, but even if it had been I would have been happy to do it. I truly love helping the teachers out. When I got inside I set out all the leaves on paper towels to dry and then helped the kindergartners with their math project and then they went to recess.
Prior to me coming in on Thursday I had chatted with the kids previous teachers letting them know I'd be at the school the whole day on Thursdays and I would probably have time to help them as well. Once Ella's class went to recess I wandered down the hall and helped Jack's kindergarten teacher...Ms. Richardson out with stuffing folders and making copies. Owen's 1st grade teacher...Mrs. Layman (she got married over the summer she was Ms. McConnell) didn't have anything that she needed help with, but she said she would make sure she has something for me on Thursdays from now on. Then I popped into Jack's 1st grade teacher's class...Mr. Heintz. He didn't really have anything ready right that moment, but I waited until he was able to get something together. I ended up spending almost an hour in the staff workroom making copies of multiplication workbooks. I literally finished up and got back to class right when the kids were lining up to head out to the buses. It was so much fun to help out 5 different teachers in one day! Another fun thing was that the kids didn't have to ride the bus home...they just got to ride with me.
Thank you so much Mom for sacrificing your Thursday!!
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