Spring Fling and a Field Trip

Does your calendar ever look like this too?  I keep my planner always on my desk {I know what some of you are thinking and yes I am a little ole’ fashion .. I still have to write my stuff down :)) } and this is what my April has looked like, and this is just the events that I have remembered to write down!  I have been so busy at school and at home lately I haven’t had time to sit and blog as much as I would like.  So I am going to use this  Wednesday night to catch you up on what has been going on in my class.

Actually the past couple of weeks we have not been in class that much.  Last Thursday second grade had their annual Spring Fling celebration.  This is one of my absolute favorite events we have all year. This is where we officially bring in the springtime.  We spend most of the day outside!!  We start off with an early picnic lunch with our parents and then we fly kites.  For a lot of the kids this is the first time they have ever even flown a kite.  It is so beautiful to look up in the sky and see all the different kites flying.  I took a picture but it does not do it any justice of how neat it looks to see about 75 different kites flying in the sky (this is all I could fit with my camera on my phone).  We have a huge back field at our school so the kids can all fit without bumping into one another while flying their kites.

They are not just limited to flying kites, the kids can blow bubbles, hula hoop, sidewalk chalk, etc…  They can bring or do just about any fun activity they want as long as it involves playing outside.   It is also a great way to get parents involved.  I love to see parents/grandparents flying kites or throwing a frisbee with their child.   The kids loved, loved, loved this day.  By 3:00 they were so exhausted.   It was a great way to  end the week and bring in spring.  We were out of school on Friday and Monday for Easter Break.  And speaking of Easter Break, I hope everyone had an awesome Easter.  Below is a picture of my family and I after church on Easter Sunday.  We had the best Easter service at church on Sunday and I was so thankful that I was reminded why we celebrate Easter.

We returned to school Tuesday and I tried my best to get a somewhat normal routine going, but they were so excited about our field trip that we were going on today.  We took a field trip to Art Break.  Art Break is an annual local event that host the largest display of art work by students in grades K-12 in the entire nation.  This year is is celebrating 30 years.  It last for one week and it open to the public, but all local schools (grades 2-3) take a required field trip every year to participate in different events.  In second grade they focus on reading and art.  In third they focus on making art.   Today we watched a play put on by the talented art students, sang and danced with the Canadian children’s group Stylamanders, and listened to a storyteller.   The students had a blast!  Plus we get to see some really awesome art work.   I took some pictures to show you.  You will be blown away by some of the art that these students can produce.   All surrounding parishes can enter or participate in putting their art on display.  The catch is, that all art must be original and must be done by the student.  It can’t be a traced or coloring type sheet.  

{This is my school’s display}

{This is all art work that was completed by local elementary students K-5.  One of my students had a piece entered in for competition.  It is the one on the bottom left corner}

{More art work completed by another elementary school K-5}

{Art work completed by local high school students}

{Art work completed by local high school students}

Isn’t so amazing some of the art work these kids produce?  I  am amazed every year by all the different art I see.  Even the young elementary kids can make a simple drawing look so awesome!!