Dear IMA Families
Hopefully this finds you well and dry!
I am not surprised and I am happy to report that the children have been working productively in the classroom, choosing work independently, helping others without being asked, responding to reasonable requests, and working, for the most part, with concentration.
By now I’m certain you have heard all about the library and grocery store trip tomorrow. The children will need their bus pass and their library card and any weather appropriate clothing. We will be riding the city bus, and walking a bit to get to the Lakeview Library and the Willy Street Co-op North. We will leave after lunch, and we shall return right before dismissal.
We have thoroughly discussed the purpose of our trip which is to check out books and do some grocery shopping for other classrooms as a part of our community service work. We are not there to use the iPads or to look at the screens.
The children may want to bring a bag they can use for carrying books. The children all know that they can use their library cards to check out books for themselves, and that they are free to check out as many books as they can carry!
Please remember this when the children prepare for tomorrow. They are quite capable. You may want to guide their morning routine with something like, “Hmmm, is there anything else that you may need today? Anything different that you may be doing at school today that would require additional items to bring to school?” This line of prompting may only be necessary for the first or second trip. After that, no prompting may be necessary.
I urge you to avoid taking care of all preparations with regard to bus passes and library cards and placing them in the hands of your children. The more independently connected they are with the process, the more likely they will take responsibility for the process, and the more likely they will gain a healthy confidence and sense of value for their work.
If you have not signed a permission slip for the library trips, please find me at drop-off so that I can get you that form.
Many, many thanks and looking forward to tomorrow’s adventure!