Buttons and Letters

The BUTTONS....In October I was introduced to the third grade teachers, Linda Margusity and Tia Burgit at Mount Nittany Elementary school as they were beginning a study of Africa. After speaking to the two classes we wanted to continue to engage the kids and build a partnership with two primary grade one classes in Rwanda.

Buttons were collected by the students in Rwandan baskets and presented by Linda Margusity to Linda Schimmel who will be going to Rwanda with me. With enough buttons collected, they created an art project, "Button People" as a gift for the class. I will take the buttons, 3 pounds, with me so the children in Rwanda can create a piece of art to share with the State College students. All the students will compare what is the same and what is different in their art.

The class also came up with ideas that show how buttons can be made into toys, sequel and used for teaching math.

The LETTERS....what the students wrote were amazing. I offered a diversity of topics and asked them to write in detail about one topic of their choice. I suggested they use descriptions and their five senses. Well, the letters with artwork included were funny, informative and from the heart. They wrote about their families, their pets, their bedrooms, food they like and how to cook it, instruments they play, living on a farm, being in a wheelchair, collecting rocks, Halloween and sports.

Writing about playing baseball, 8 year old Miles' letter described the rules in detail and said "You try to hit a ball with a bat. Not the type that flys it is more like a stick of medal". Love that!!!

I had another chuckle when Avery, 8, wrote about snow. "When you eat snow that is colored it is a snowcone. There is a bottle that has flavors that make a snowcone, a snowcone, but if you found yellow snow already on the ground don't pick it up and eat it." I guess we will need to explain that one to the teachers too.

Genevieve, 8, said her favorite weather is rain because she and her sister like dancing in the rain.

And Aubrey, 9, shared about having accidents. "Have you ever had an accident? If you had you know some can hurt and some do not hurt. I had a accident that hurt once! I fell in a fire! Other accidents are only mess ups but since its an accident its a misstake. Both kinds are still accidents. We don't mean to do them at all. I fall off my bike some times it hurts then get better quick. Accidents happen no biggy there. You have them I have them."

Thank you Mt. Nittany Elementary letter writers. You brought smiles to my face and so many others!! And thank you for all the suggested topics you want the children in Rwanda to write about.