Showing posts with label red ribbon. Show all posts

Friday, October 30, 2015

Can You Stay?

Posted by Amazing People, on 6:30 PM
With another Red Ribbon Week celebration in the books, 
I'm tucked in comfortably on my couch, reflecting.

One of my all-time favorite days of the school year is the day we set aside for our Hometown Heroes Pep Rally. This year marked our 15-year-anniversary of this celebration. We invited members of our High School football team to open up car doors and greet our students as they arrived for school. The smiles on our star-struck students said more than my words possibly could.


Inside the gym, our superhero role models signed autographs before school.



The gym was packed with FHS role models from the band, most sport teams, the color guard, the cheerleaders, the drill team, the student council, and the Peer Assistance and Leadership students, all there to remind their littlest fans about the importance of making healthy choices, not just this week, but for life.

I seriously did not think the week could get much better. 
Until this morning. 
I was invited to be a mystery reader in Jennifer Collins' first-grade class. I chose the book The Legend of Spookley, the Square Pumpkin. 


I took my ukulele so I could play and sing the last two pages. It was the cutest thing when they sang with me: Maybe one day we'll all discover, that you can't judge a book ~ or a pumpkin ~ by its cover.

Then a little girl whom I can't say I recognized raised her hand. I thought that she might have a connection. Or a story to tell. Instead, she had a question: 
Can you stay?

Well, dear reader, let me just say that words can't adequately describe how it felt, to hear those beautiful words of affirmation. And it got me to thinking about some other three-word phrases that people might need to hear more often. 
Three words that send a heart soaring. 
Three words that someone might be waiting for.
Three transformational words.

Here are a few of those phrases that I think could positively impact a moment, a day, a week, a month, a year, a decade, a lifetime.

*I see you. 
*Are you okay?
*Let me help.
*Come with me.
*I forgive you.
*I am sorry.
*Please forgive me.
*You're a light.
*I admire you.
*Let's be friends.
*Help me understand.
*Tell me more.
*You're so caring.
*I trust you.
*You inspire me.
*I miss you.
*Let's get together.
*Please be careful.
*I appreciate you.
*I am grateful.
*Thank you kindly.
*You come first.
*I love you.
*Please stay longer.
*Be the reason.

Don't those three little words feel AmAzInG?
What would you add to this list?
And who do you know that needs to hear these from you?

Before I sleep, a few resources to wrap up Red Ribbon Week, starting with this visual display that the first-grade team put up ...


and some energy-saving tips from our district Energy Guy.

Listen to an Edspiration podcast interview about empathy I gave {here}.

EnJOY a podcast about tackling bullying in the upper grades {here}.
Watch Fresno Unified District's Human Kind masterpiece {here}.

And check out the newbie bullying-prevention emoji.




What a week!





Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Keep It Golden

Posted by Amazing People, on 2:00 PM
Our favorite ventriloquist, Dennis Lee, traveled to Friendswood to help us kick off Red Ribbon Week, and look who he brought with him to remind us that as we travel through life and as we write and tell our story that we should always be mindful to keep it golden.


Wolf E. and Sweetie Pie


 and Nicholas, oh my!


They talked with us about moving from me to we ...


and reminded us that everybody has somebody who loves them.


We loved how he spelled the word LOVE out of his props so much that we drew it in our some of our reflections.


Spending the day with ventriloquist Dennis Lee is a special treat that we've looked forwarded to with delight and anticipation every year for the past fifteen. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and your camera and join us in Wolf E. Lodge, where you'll enjoy a few memories from this year's show.





Thank you, Dennis Lee, for the booster shot of laughter and love.






Sunday, October 25, 2015

What's Your Anti-Drug?

Posted by Amazing People, on 12:30 PM
Today I'm excited because I've worked it out with my friend Shelley to give all of the readers who commented on Friday's post {10/23} a copy of her 
Mindful Bodies, Mindful Learning packet. 


If you left a comment on Friday or Saturday and would like a packet, please email me {bgruener5@gmail.com} and I'll send you the digital file. Thank you, Shelley, for your kindness!

Now, let's be Frank ... how cute is this visual display?

Isn't it cool how much "chains" and "change" sound alike?
My friend Terri Brady came to Bales last week to help us kick off Red Ribbon Week with this clever creation. Our plan is to send home red strips of paper so that students and their families can answer the question: 
What's Your Anti-Drug?

Then we'll link them together to make a red chain border. 
I can't wait to read what their anti-drugs are.

Visits from our PALs start Monday, so I know the halls will be abuzz as those teenage mentors fill our campus with friendship and love.

School family members will get a mustache and a pencil because 
We 'mustache' you to be drug-free. 
On Tuesday we'll wear our favorite jersey or team shirt to 
Team up against drugs.

On Wednesday, our role models from Friendswood High School will lead our Hometown Heroes Pep Rally before school. That's always a fan favorite that supercharges us and sends us soaring because 
We've got the power to be drug-free.

On Thursday we'll Give drugs the slip wearing slippers, of course.
And Friday will find us dressing up in 50s garb or our costumes, both of which will say Drug-free is a nifty way to be!

So we've got a busy week ahead as we celebrate Red Ribbon Week 
 and say yes to healthy choices. Click {here} to download the mini-poster freebies that we'll be putting around campus, like this one from the creative 
Shelly Rees at Teachers Pay Teachers. 

Click graphic for source and freebie download at Teachers Pay Teachers.

Her creations are adorable, so please take a look at her store and support this seller next time you need something. Thank you, Shelly, for generously sharing your time and talent with us!

How will you and your school family celebrate this week?





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