Party in the Library

Each fall my school holds a Bull and Oyster Roast as a fund raiser.  One activity at the Bull Roast is a silent auction which benefits the Parent's Association.  The Parent's Association is always encouraging faculty members to make donations to the silent auction and this year I decided to contribute a party in the library for a lower school student and 6 friends -- The Library Lock In.  In all honesty I was a little afraid that no one would bid on it, but it sold for a healthy amount to a pair of 5th grade parents.

Friday night was party night.  It was held from immediately after school until 9:00.  We played dodge ball, made balloon propelled cars, ate pizza, had a Wii tournament, played board games, and watched a movie (or part of a movie--we ran out of time!).  I was initially worried that the boys would grow tired of being in the library.  Time flew by and we could have probably gone a bit longer.

I loved the whole evening.  I enlisted my family members to help -- 20 something daughters and good sport husband.  I loved seeing the boys be boys.  Watching them take great delight in playing with balloons, and seeing their playfulness while playing board games was a highlight of my night. 

World Read Aloud Day

We just celebrated our first World Read Aloud Day and it was a huge success. 

We set up tents and filled them with pillows and books.  They were available to boys and classes for reading all day long.  (Thank goodness we've had a very temperate winter and a 65 degree yesterday!)  We have a lower school teacher who is in the process of finding a publisher for a picture book he's written and he read his book to the pre-primary boys.  We have an amazing upper school teacher, author, storyteller, folklorist who volunteered to tell folktales to the entire lower school.  He was captivating as we heard about Jack, Baba Yaga, Medio Pollito, Jabuti and others.  We had several upper school teachers bring their classes over to read with lower school boys.  Our Director of College Counseling came over to participate in a reader's theater session.  We ended our day with a coffeehouse complete with snacks and open mike poetry readings.

It was a day to love and celebrate reading and community.  I couldn't have done it without the support of my colleagues.  They brought in pillows and tents, they brought their class, they interrupted their instruction, and donated their precious time and they supported me with all of their kind words.  It was definitely one of my most favorite days EVER!!