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Birthday Cards for Shane
I left the room to get more information for my students and when I returned 3 minutes later, I found them spread out on the floor, on a circle, sharing supplies Today was a really good day for our class.
First were the Birthday Cards for Shane.
A little while ago my mom sent me an e-mail about a posting she had seen at the gym about a boy who was undergoing chemotherapy for leukemia and his only wish for his 8th birthday was to receive 35 million birthday cards, and break the world record.
I thought it was a cute idea but didn't give it much more thought. That was, until I saw the groups created on Facebook, and then did some research and found ALL kinds of websites dedicated to the cause. I couldn't believe it. I also started recieving messages from friends in Canada saying that their entire school board was taking place in the event. This made me excited and I decided to share it with my students.
I explained to them what Leukemia was. I drew pictures of "good" blood cells and "bad" blood cells on the board. I explained how the "good" white cells help our bodies fight bacteria and sickness; that the "good" red cells carry oxygen throughout our bodies; that the "bad" premature white cells (the leukemia) stop the
"good" cells from being produced and continue to multiply. I explained chemotherapy. I explained Shane's wish.
The students were dead silent. They were hanging on to my every last word. I told them to get their supplies, said I would be right back, and went to find out exactly how old Shane was turning on his birthday.
When I returned, the students had pushed the desks to the side, made a giant circle on the floor, and were sharing all of their markers, crayons, stamps, and papers. I almost started to cry right there and then. This was something they were passionate about. It meant making a difference in the life of another child and they were so eager to do so.
We took two periods to do this. We had completed about 65 cards. This was not enough for them. They stayed in the class at lunch, convinced the music teacher to let them continue through music class, talked to the administration about making it a school-wide event, made and hung posters around the school, and convinced most classes from 1st - 5th grade that this was something that they too should participate in.
I
Card Factory
Busy at work didn't even know they had made posters or got other classes involved until I game back from my prep period and saw posters in the hall. I was so proud of them. The cards they made were so heart-felt as well. It was the first time I really saw my class come together as a community and work together so hard to have something accomplished.
Many of them have said that they will spend all weekend making cards. We send them off on Monday.
For more information visit www.shaneswish.com
Next were our letters FROM Canada. My friend Erin and I have been reading "Flat Stanley" to our classes. It's about a boy who is flatened by a bulletin board falling on him during the night. Suddenly he is 2D and goes on all sorts of adventures including a trip through the mail to visit a far away friend. There have been all sorts of websites and mail exchange programs built around this. Erin and I decided to jump on board. My class made flat versions of themselves way back in September and sent them off to Canada. Yesterday we recieved their flat people (complete with biographies) along
"God will save you..."
Their cards were making me cry. with some pictures and a letter to the class.
My students were so excited about these. Today we took pictures with our new Flat Friends, to send back to Canada. This weekend each student will spend the weekend with their flat friend and journal all the fun and exciting happenings of the weekend that they shared. We'll then send the journals, flat people, pictures, and a few "Honduran things" back to Canada. Here's hoping it gets there before the end of the school year!
Overall a wonderful day with my children. When they are passionate about something, they really put their whole hearts into it. How can I make them care this much about their other projects??? Hmmmm....
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jill
non-member comment
thats really sweet of your students.. i need to think of something fun like that to do with my students.. although.. i have my doubts if they would do it or not.. hmm i will perhaps try tho.. we have "conversation" class so perhaps. :)