i’ve transported 99.9% of the wishlist packages to school. i bag everything then load up the chariot. at recess the 3rd grade moving crew transports everything to the classroom. across the yard they march each holding a trader joe’s bag filled with books. i only choose 7 movers each day – it’s a coveted job that everyone wants.
everyone has a job. some kids are in charge of labeling, others want to straighten & sort.
katherine labels all of the portfolios for student work. someone else finds a container for the highlighters & sharpies.
others take the plastic off the boxed sets of books, games, and white boards.
today i let them get into groups and play with the games.
such cooperative, smart children!
some of the books come with posters. we put those on the walls to cover as much of the gray grime as possible. derek wanted to unpack the book bins and hook them all together. others helped him fill them with books. it won’t be long before someone decides to sort them into categories.
today my moving crew brought all 23 sketchbooks into the class. i collaged my cover already and on friday the kids will each get their very own sketchbook and decorate their covers. these books are big. 9×12. with nice thick paper that can handle watercolor & tempera
everyone is terribly excited.
i’m anticipating that we’ll work in them a few times per week. i have some ideas to incorporate them during all the subject areas. there are so very many things one can draw after all!
drawing lesson pages, subject area pages, free pages, illustrated journal pages, maybe some comic pages (!)
writing, drawing, cutting, pasting, labeling, lettering, learning.
we’re going to do it all.
thanks all of you dear & special peeps for your donations to the classroom wishlist. please know that there’s a little classroom in downtown LA that is being transformed by your kindness.
truly, madly, deeply. xo
I needed to see this post tonight. My role in PTA is Art in Education and I’m in full freak out over fine arts day in frebruary. I’ve been toying with an art journaling class, possibly assembling a simple one for themselves .
Than going to town with them. Mine are all ages . Would so appreciate some insight.
Oh how I would love to be a child in your class!!Deb
I can feel the excitement! How wonderful that they have you for a teacher!
Lucky kids to have you!!!
Such wonderful pictures of the kids!! Such excitement occurs when we ALL WORK TOGETHER!! Just look at what has ben accomplished- not to be matched with what the children will achieve from this little bit of focused help!! so totally AWESOME!!!!
I cant wait to see some of their sketchbooks!
Thank you AWESOME WISE WOMAN for sharing it all with us!! OX!!!
I love seeing children loving books. Books can take us so many wonderful places. You are such a creative person and the children are so lucky to have you. I’m loving the rooster!!!!
Hi Mary Ann,
I went to your wishlist to see if there was something else that I could get for the children… It is SOLD OUT!!!
Since the children all have journals/sketchbooks, do they need art supplies to go with? Wouldn’t it be lovely if each child had his or her own package of colored pencils/watercolor pencils (not really sure what?) to go with the sketchbook? Will they be able to take the sketchbook out of the classroom? Maybe you’ll have a real budding artist who finds his or her passion with this!!! Wouldn’t that just be amazing???!!!
Let us know…
Susan
later in the year i will let them take them home to share and for the occasional assignment outside of class.
i will add more art supplies as i wait for the last of the goodies to arrive. want to assess our needs first.
everyone is SO generous and fast in donating. unbelievable!
I’m willing to bet that a lot of your readers have “extra” art supplies they would be willing to give to your kids. My stash could use thinning.
I knew your classroom would soon become an art-and-stories wonderland………….
So clever (and typical!) of you to nudge necessary tasks toward becoming coveted positions. 🙂
I am packing to come be a student in your class, but I will maybe have to leave during the scary stories……………… I’ll take my sketchbook into the hall, and sit on the floor and draw flowers and birds and cupcakes and sea shells with colored markers…….. Until it’s time for the next activity. Math, maybe. I can still remember the multiplication tables, all but the 7s. I think I must have been absent when they covered the 7s — I always have to figure them out, rather than having them memorized…………..
What lucky kids, to have a teacher who packs art of all kinds into their schooldays…………… !!!
🙂
I hope you’ll add art/craft supplies to the Wish List! I love shopping for those things. How about water based paints? I love the enthusiasm of the kids for the various jobs you’ve created for them. Seeing how they cherish the books is SO heartwarming. I’d love to be a student in your classroom. In spite of the storeroom look of it, you’ve transformed it with love and art. Bravo!
What lucky ducks these kiddos are. Makes me want to go back to school in Ms. Moss classroom!! You will make such a positive impact on these young lives and I can only imagine how they will look back on this time and say you were their favorite teacher!!
Dearest Mary Ann and children…you thought the blessings landed there…but they actually boomeranged back to us! Thank you for allowing us to play a small part in this magical transformation. Now…go explore all those goodies!!
xoxo
What a wonderful transformation! You, the children, the books and supplies, and your class are a little slice of Heaven!
Love seeing how your classroom is coming to life! Makes me wish I was teaching again! What a great selection of books and I can see that the kids are really enthusiastic to get involved. Great job MaryAnn! Looking forward to seeing what goes in the sketchbooks! 🙂
you won’t have to wait long, we started today and i’ll post tonight!!
Oh I just love seeing your classroom come to life and hearing all about the kids. I wish every child could have a Miss Moss style teacher!!
So happy we could add a smile to your day! I haven’t had so much fun shopping for books in a long time. I wish I could be back in school and you as my fearless teacher. Taking education to where no student has gone before. Let us know if you need some art supplies cause I really really like shopping for those. Xoxo Violet
These photos fill my heart. Thank you.
Enthralling, wonderful. I envy the children in this class and having you to show them the ropes.
How very cool! So this is how it is now, that each teacher has to completely outfit their own classroom? Yours looks spectacular, BTW. Have a fun semester. Xo
when this new class was created in mid-september and i was assigned to it, the room i was given was being used as a storage room. it had desks, chairs, an old carpet, and a couple of bookcases. our wonderful plant manager installed a white board, brought me another bookshelf, and a round table. i found the meager supply of discarded books in the copy room. there was NOTHING else. if the room i was assigned to had been a former classroom, there would have been at least a few things in it.
Lucky Kidlets! hugs, Donna
So very cool!
Wonderful to see human kindness on many levels! ♥
That is a mighty fine rooster on Miss Moss’s sketchbook! I’d forgotten about your students journals, I can’t wait to see what splendid adventures they come up with!
This giving and receiving has all been such a pleasure. Love the pictures.
Wow, this is miraculous. I’m so glad that you added to your wishlist because I didn’t get to purchase anything since I was out of town. Bravo for teachers who care!
How cool to see your classroom being transformed with the help of all your students. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could transform the world with a wishlist? What lucky kiddos to have you for their teacher, and I can’t wait to see what goes into all those sketchbooks.
I love this idea. Genius.
Warms the cockles of my heart.
We readers really want to please in some small regard for all the great entertainment. Shoot , I’d go for a Bmw next if I were you.
Oh my, MaryAnn – I only wish I were in your classroom.