Thank you Veterans!

This is a unit that I absolutely love teaching/learning about because it hits home.  My husband is a Veteran, who has served in the Army for seven years and did two tours overseas. Being part of a military family has helped me as a teacher and become a better person to help others, teaching others to help and to teach our youth what Veteran's have done for us as well as what Soldiers are doing for us now. Ok, I will get off my soap box now :).

A benefit to have a husband is a Veteran means I get cool Army things to bring to my class to show them and talk about them, and most of all to have a soldier/veteran come into the classroom to talk to the students!

Here is an old picture when my husband Justin came home after his one year tour in Afghanistan, in 2012.

This week was a very short week (3 days) since our volleyball girls made it to state! YAY!  

Center work:  Working on some middle sounds of words.  

Center work: sounding out the letters of the words and identifying the letters. 

The Kindergartners with the rest of the elementary singing during our Veteran's program.  I told them to make sure to sing loud and smile.  I was so proud of them singing in their first concert!  

We learned what/who a soldier/Veteran is.  We listed some items that describe them and what they all do.  

 They each got to make their own soldier.  To incorporate our art with handwriting, they had to think of one thing they would say to a soldier to thank them.  They came up with some sweet and nice things to say.  

Like I said earlier one of the benefits to having a husband in the Army is all the cool stuff they have.  I brought in some his Army stuff and explained to them what they were used for as well as some of the medals that he earned. They each got to try on his ruck sack.  

Trying on one of his Army hats. 

Putting on the safety belt that is used when they go running during drill.  

Army boots.  

Our soldiers all done and put up in the hallway. 

During our reading we learned about pandas.  We learned a lot of fun and interesting facts.  Pandas are not considered bears, they are considered to be part of the raccoon family.  They are also very lazy and eat most of their day.  He made our own little panda.  We learned about what parts of the panda are black and what parts are white.  We used cotton balls for the white parts on the panda. 

Another Veteran's day art we did was heart flags.  We added glitter onto our stars to make them 'pop'.  The saying is right, we are proud to be an American!!!