Showing that we CARE

Last night was Open House. It was fabulous! I had a lot of students and families come, and I was so glad to have the opportunity to share our classroom procedures, learning opportunities, and other curriculum information with the families.

Freebie from @Sheila Jane Teaching Freebies

We loved putting this writing activity together for our parents. We showcased our data notebooks from Briana Beverly, reading and math notebooks, Lucy Calkins writing folders, a cute Back to School picture, and some Math About Me friends.

However, today's post is about more than just our Open House event. It is actually about what happened in the last 72 hours BEFORE our school's Open House events. 

In the past, my teammates and I had thrown around the idea of hosting some sort of gathering with our second grade parents. We wanted to connect with parents on a level that was more informal, more personal, and outside of the typical classroom setting. That idea was just swimming around in the back of our heads waiting to emerge. 

Then, BAM. Friday(with Open House two school days away), we realized that, while time and funds were not on our side, we just HAD to make this idea of ours come true. We asked permission, made a plan, and got to work. We reached out to local businesses, recruited our family members, and within 3 days we had several donations and sponsors who were willing to help us host a "Greet & Eat" cookout for our second grade students and our families. 

#hotdogsandbunsfordays #thisistripone

I want to say a big, BIG, SUPER BIG thank you to my principals, my teammates, our sponsors, and the family members who went above and beyond to make this happen. 

I feel grateful, blessed, humbled, and most of all PROUD of my school, our teachers, the students, and the families who we work with every day. 

It was an honor to serve dinner to the families. The smiles on the faces of those eating with us were enough to fill this little ole' heart of mine. So..I challenge you to reach out to your parents. Make that positive phone call home today to "just check in and see how everything is going" or to "brag on how awesome ____ did today during math". Write a parent a handwritten note letting them know how much they mean to you or to ask them if they have any questions or concerns. Invite them in to read to your classroom. ANYTHING. They want to be involved. Let them be. 

#secondgradestrong