The Act of Kindness assignment this week needs your permission to use the phone. I have told the kids to call a Grandparent or relative and tell them how much they mean to them. Call Grandpa and say: "I really like spending time with you." Or call Grandma and say: "Thanks for letting me bake cookies with you. I really enjoy it." Kind words can mean so much!

Earlier this week, a red flier came home with your child regarding a fundraiser at 5 Below. Starting today through December 11th, the store is donating 10% of all sales to North. The store is located next to Target in the Shops at Boardman Park. Just remember to hand the cashier the flier as you check-out. Please feel free to make copies to give to family members or friends as they begin their Holiday shopping. Thank you for your support.

We kept with our character trait of 'Generosity' today and read the book The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. In this beautifully written story, the tree is continuously giving of itself to the boy. It begins with the tree giving of its' leaves, apples, and branches to swing from and this brings the tree great happiness. As the boy ages, the tree gives all it has until it is a stump that cannot give anything more. All the tree has left is a place to sit down. The boy takes this offer and the tree is happy once more. It is a well-written story that portrays our character trait throughout the book.

This morning I was preparing the students for the December character trait of 'Generosity'. The students helped me define the trait as "giving to others". This does not have to be a gift that is bought at a store but could be something such as love or friendship. I shared a story of a girl, Shifra Mincer, who began her generosity in the 6th grade. She began by volunteering at a homeless shelter with her teacher and students from her class. Her generosity grew to mending the clothes of the homeless that were torn or ripped. She then began making pillows for babies in the hospital and the elderly. Shifra willingly gave away her gift of sewing to others to make their day. What an inspiration!

Today we enjoyed the book If You Take a Mouse to the Movies by Laura Numeroff. The mouse was taken to a movie theater and asked for some popcorn. This popcorn started a sequence of events for him and the boy which led them back to the movie theater. There are many other books by this author that your children may enjoy. In fact some students may be bringing some of these books home tomorrow after library.
Today, another Scrip gift card order form came home. Many were asking for a repeat of this sale closer to the holidays. The sale will end in time for you to receive the gift cards before Winter Break.

Welcome back after a well-eaten and well-rested break. The students this morning shared their favorite dish that they ate for Thanksgiving. Pumpkin pie was a big winner with the school. Many of the students went to see new movie releases this weekend so we turned our morning into a movie critic time. The students held up 'thumbs-up' or 'thumbs-down' depending on if they liked the movie or not. It seems as if The Muppet movie was a huge hit with those that saw it. I look forward to seeing it with my family.

The Act of Kindness Assignment for this week is to say "Good morning", "Good afternoon", or "Have a nice day" to their bus driver. They were told to make sure to say it with a smile!

I enjoyed hearing the notes of thanks that the students passed out as their Act of Kindness assignment. Most of the notes sent were because a family member helped with homework or sat and read a story with them. I encouraged the students to continue this assignment and show thanks to the person who prepares their feast this Thursday.
I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy the time with family and friends. I will see you on November 28th.