Well hello there!
Whew...finally down time to blog. I have felt rushed the past couple of days. I LOVE visiting with all of you, but I miss teaching and blogging about our days!
I wanted to take a minute and blog a little more about our trip to jail and take you through it. Upon our arrival, the kids were very, very quiet and nervous. Sgt. Metzger immediately put them at ease. They began in the gym/training room just asking him some questions that they were wondering about. He took us through an inmate's day from sleeping and eating to what do they do all day. The answer to that one, which he made very clear, was NOTHING. It is super boring in jail, so much so that inmates actually want to go to prison because they have more to do (cuz people are there longer so they have more programs). In jail, people can get their GED but not college courses. I never knew that!
Then, we split into two groups. We stayed in the gym and watched a presentation on how the officers do their jobs. They showed us the weapons they have in order to keep themselves and others safe if need be. Tyson went in the restraining chair. They said that they put people in there for at least an hour or two to give them time to calm down and be safe. I ordered one for the classroom...KIDDING!!!! :0) The only weapon an inmate has at that point is spitting at an officer. That explains why they put the cap on Tyson's head that covered his mouth. It really didn't look fun, and Tyson said it was pretty uncomfortable and tight. They also showed us their paintball/pepper gun system. The officers actually shot it at each other and showed us the wound that it makes. OMG!!! It looked like a bullet wound. They did this to show the kids that they are not messing around when it comes to this point. In order to get shot by an officer by this weapon, the inmate has had at least 3-4 hours of negotiating. It is the last straw. And the kids think it is bad if I take $50. OUCH!!! Lastly, they showed us the tazer. They shared that this is another last resort weapon.
Finally, we took the tour of the actual jail. Kids saw EVERY THING!!! They saw inmates in their cells and outside areas. They saw the skype in courtroom, the visiting station with the phone on both sides of the glass. They saw both men and women. Lastly, they saw pedifiles. We were behind glass where they couldn't see us but we could see them. This is always the eye opener for me because these are the most normal looking people in the place. They are NOT scary looking. They are regular Joes that prey on children. The officer stressed that kids should not have facebook or any other social networking site. These are the guys that read their information (safe settings or not) and then find children. They look at their pictures they post and find those locations. This is heart-braking to see. I would have never guessed these guys would prey on kids. They look like you and me!!!
Overall, the trip was a super success! The kids all said they NEVER EVER wanted to go back. They were able to see what life would be like if they made bad choices, starting NOW!
We had many parents join us, which was fantastic!!!! Olivia's mom chaperoned as did Robby's grandfather. A HUGE thank you to them. When asking Olivia's mom what she thought about the trip this is what she texted me, "The field trip was an awesome experience for everyone. The officers were very informative and did a great job of answering the kids' questions appropriately. The kids in my group all said they would NEVER make bad choices...they did NOT want to be on the other side of the glass. I can't wait to go back next year with my now 3rd grader." Thanks for sharing that with us!!!
I hope that knowing all that we did that your child, when put into a drug/alcohol situation, remembers just how important it is to JUST SAY NO!
Today, we packed a ton of learning into our half day. We spent the morning finishing up our hands on water cycle testing. The kids were asked to show what they know in many different ways. We spent a good three-four weeks doing all sorts of activities revolving around the four major stages of the cycle. I am hoping to see proof of their learning in these tests. Next week we will move onto a new topic!
In reading, we have been working on all sorts of reading strategies revolving around a Halloween theme. Today, we read Happy Haunting Amelia Bedilia. Then we did an activity with all the idioms used in the story. Fun! They are really getting good at finding and identifying idioms in text. We also quizzed out on Personification and Similes today.
Tomorrow is the Unit 9 spelling test. Please review those words one last time.
Tomorrow morning we will spend, spend, spend our fake money. Kids MUST spend ALL of their hard earned cash. We will have a little store where they can bid on items. I will also bring back out the coupons that they can buy to do fun things in the school/class. They will start fresh on Monday with a new wallet with $100 start up money. The money system will stay the same and will continue on as usual. It is working in here. We will not have field trips this next quarter (at least none planned thus far) but we will have some fun days to buy into. So, it will be just as important to make good choices and be involved in school happenings this coming quarter. The owls will come down tomorrow. From this point on, students will be asked to just pay a fine directly to me at the time the infraction happens rather than moving their owl and paying at the end of the day. They are past the point of needing to hold, touch, and see the consequence. We can now just deal with it and move on from the moment. Yay!
Lastly, the bake sale will happen tomorrow at dismissal. Items are now 25 cents each. This should help push them out the door. We are making some bank so thanks again for all your help!
Have a wonderful evening!!!
