After a long wait, the permanent handrails have been installed inside and out. They still need paint.
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It's finally time to clean the carpets. Just a year of wear and tear definitely takes its toll. When we return, there will be more physical changes at the school, including refurbished restrooms in the original part of the building. Restroom sinks have already been removed, and I'm told we will have new drinking fountains in the hallway!
Thursday's Field Day was successful in that it allowed students to be active on the last full day of school. Success also came in the form of great weather. Hoggatteers appeared to have a super day. I missed taking pictures at one station, when I took some turns in the dunk tank.
This month's celebration of positive behavior was Water Day. On Tuesday, all students who did not have office referrals for conduct were treated to an hour of water play including sponge races, table tennis ball races (while being sprayed with water bottles), and something called Noodle Ball.
I am very proud of these nine students for turning in 100% of their homework
for the entire school year - a testament to their responsibility: CORALEE, FATE, CHRISTIAN, JAYLEAN, SERENITY, FAITH, KIELYN, KOURNEY, AND DALTON Our general challenge for the Math League students is for them to qualify to compete at the state level. This year, one student - ZACH - qualified and competed at that level. His reward for this was a rib dinner, last Saturday, and the opportunity to put a pie in the face of the Math coach of his choice. To my relief, he chose Mr. Culbertson! Photos by School Board President Anne Sharp But...mild-mannered Mrs. Mouton sprinted out of nowhere with a pie of her own, and she struck my pristine face. Foul!
The library at Missouri State University is a far cry from the libraries of my youth. In order to pack more volumes into a smaller space, MSU has eliminated the aisles between shelves. Hoggatteers were fascinated by the electronic, push-button system that commands the shelves to move, opening only one aisle in which a person may locate a needed book. In our efforts to get students thinking about college, the fourth grades traveled to Springfield, Missouri, Thursday, for a quick introduction and tour of Missouri State University. MSU ambassadors greeted us and answered a few questions before walking us around campus. Students were immensely interested in what they were seeing - the pool, the gyms, the stadium, the moving library shelves, the fountains, the bowling alley, and more. After completing the state standardized testing a week earlier, our class joined the others in celebrating. Wednesday's walk and picnic in Cunningham Park was a reward for trying hard, answering everything, and respecting other students who were also testing.
Monday was the ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of Cecil Floyd's new safe room and gymnasium, followed by a cookout. A few Hoggatteers were among the crowd.
Sunday's storms gave the community its first opportunity to use the yet-to-be-completed safe room at Cecil Floyd. Even though Joplin was not in the path of these tornadic storms, about 50 local residents sought shelter, Sunday evening. A rope tornado was actually visible to the west of the Joplin skyline, but it took a northeasterly route, just skirting Joplin before retreating into its cloud. Nearby communities of Baxter Springs, Kansas, and Quapaw, Oklahoma. We recently had some experiences that remind me of what sets our classroom apart from others. First, on our walking trip to Irving Elementary School, our class was distinctly different from the others who accompanied us. When the "freeze mob" was complete, Hoggatteers swept into the fourth grade classrooms and met with strangers - the students of Irving. They looked them in the eyes and shook their hands. They asked them questions and conducted real, comfortable conversations. Next, on our field trip to Jefferson City, Hoggatteers stayed to the right side in the halls and in the stairways, yielded to employees at the state capitol, and greeted our guides and speakers with firm handshakes. One adult in particular - a librarian in the Supreme Court - was astounded to be addressed with smiles and firm handshakes by mere fourth graders. Finally, last week we had a visitor to our classroom, a teacher doing observations as part of the requirements of her first year as a teacher. In reflecting on the things she witnessed, I realize more and more that the atmosphere of a classroom is a very important thing. She saw some things she would not likely witness in another classroom:
I love to see how my students interact with others. We must continue to make progress in our mannerly conduct and demeanor. We must never be satisfied with our current state of knowledge and behavior; instead, we will constantly stretch ourselves forward - students, teacher, and parents - to improve in our relationships. |
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tweet, and share about the site... and check in regularly for new material, posted often before DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT! History in ResidenceElementary Schools: Bring Mr. Hoggatt into your classroom for a week of engaging and rigorous history programming with your students. LEARN MORE BUILDING BETTER
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