One of the things I love the most about our annual First Grade Sleepover is the way that family's get involved in the event. This year our theme is "...lions and tiger and bears. Oh my!" to go with our Wizard of Oz school theme. One of the things that families are asked to do with their child is to make a lion, tiger or bear - stuffed animal for Sleepover. The directions are emphatic that you don't have to sew and that the idea is simply to have fun with your child. The week before they are due, we make stuffed animals/pillows with the children that come from the large mobile home community. These children are mostly second language students and so we incorporate making the animals/ pillows during the day that we tutor after school in their community. Parents are invited in to help stuff and make the creations but we supply all the "stuff." The picture on the right below with the big bear show the pillows that the students made together after school at the MARC.
A parent in the classroom volunteered to make four extra pillows, just in case another student showed up without one, and of course, they did, but for the parents that are actually able to work with their children to make something special, this becomes a wonderful shared experience. The pillows and animals come in the week before the event to they can be displayed in the lobby on the evening of Parent's Night.
On Parent's Night students come with their family to make a keepsake pillowcase. Each student sends in a pillowcase (and we ask that parents that are able, to please send in an extra), so that we make sure to have a pillowcase for every student that shows up. We had over 100 children show up with their families to make pillowcases! The first grade teachers have plenty of stamps set out with acrylic paint so each child can work with his family to make a pillowcase. As they leave, the students are given a little bag of Teddy Grahams.
It's just such a nice tradition! Teachers who now have grown children talk about still having the pillowcase that their child made in first grade.
The actual day of Sleepover began with a parade filled with first graders in pajamas, dark halls, flashlights and glow-in-the-dark bracelets. The students ended in the Dinning Room watching and meeting the Wizard of OZ characters while they ate breakfast and the Principal (in her red sock puppet pajamas... with footies!) lead a dance party where first grade teachers danced on the stage and students danced to all the popular kid songs.
Then it's off to Center about literature run by the Resource Team. The music teacher reads a children book about a party under the moon that includes singing and dancing, of course.
Coach provides an active outside game that included a read aloud!
Art read the popular Paddington Bear that ended with a painting art project.
And Mrs, KK, our Media Specialist ended our day with a shadow puppet show of one of our favorite books, Ira Sleeps Over complete with popcorn and dancing with a disco ball!
What an amazing day!
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