Every day this week at recess, the gang raced around the playground path. A month ago, some of these children couldn't even make it halfway around without getting winded, but now poor Erin is eating their dust!
Of course, with any competitive activity comes conflict. And with conflict comes a chance to grow and learn. Not only are the students becoming stronger and faster, they are learning to be gracious winners and losers. We have had several after-recess discussions about fair play, sportsmanship, and, most importantly, personal best. No doubt, it's hard to lose. Losing is never fun; many kids (and adults) struggle to lose gracefully. We spend a lot of time teaching children to work together to reach group goals, but sometimes forget to show them how to reach personal goals. Children need to learn both cooperation and competition. Part of being a strong competitor is learning that winning doesn't always mean being first. Trying your best, showing improvement through dedication and practice--that is how you achieve your personal best. No, you might not always come in first place, in fact, you might not ever come in first place, but you will feel a sense of pride knowing that you worked hard. The truth is, nobody gets better just by showing up. To quote the great prophet Ru Paul, "You better work!".
When it comes to songwriting, however, these kids are all winners. Here's our most recent composition: "The Twelve Days of Halloween", written, of course, by the students of the Haunted Class. See if you can figure out which lines belong to your child. Grrrruesomely Grrreat!
On the First day of Halloween my Vampire gave to me...
An
exploding
slow walking
zombie
On the Second day of Halloween my Vampire gave to me...
2
determined demons
On the third day of Halloween my Vampire gave to me...
3
vampire bats
4
decepticons
5
scary bowsers
6
frankensteins
7
stinky shreks
8
king boos
9
autobots
10
cut off hands
11
MJ thrillers
12
bloody humans
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