Making Our Own Sunshine Archives

Sometimes we forget how important school is to our students. In preschool, many of our students attend for two years, as a 3-year-old and again as a 4-year-old. A few years ago, on the first day of school, one of my little returning boys came bounding through the door "Hello, Miss Pat! I'm home!!!"

Pat White, Webster

 My Geometry class is an advanced class but we really need to work on vocabulary.  Students were putting together a puzzle over circle terms like: radius, diameter, minor arcs, and congruent chords when one of my students asked me what a "circumcised circle" was.

I was dumbfounded and shocked until I found the "circumscribed circle" listed as an option and was able to stop laughing long enough to explain the difference to the student. 

 I frequently stand by the office in the mornings to greet the students as they come in the building. I tell them hello, call them by name, and try to say something encouraging. One day I was in Mrs. Groene's pre-school classroom talking to her students. I asked them if they knew who I was and what I did here. One of the students shouted out, "Your job is to tell us hi!"

Kathy Wohlgemuth, Irving  Webster

I told one of our students today that I was going to be gone for two days in March. His face lit up and he said: "Great! Then I won't have to put up with YOU."

He then looked down and quietly continued: "But I WANT to put up with you!"

Alice Shaffer, CDS Ark City

Day Three, February 9, 2010

Several years ago I was attempting to help my 2nd grade students understand the difference between a paid employee and a volunteer. We had discussed it at great length. I said to them, "What do you call someone who does a job just because he or she loves it or wants to help? Someone who doesn't get paid a dime for doing it."

This one little guy waved his hand frantically in the air, I called him, with a great big grin he looks and me and proudly proclaims, "Poor!"

Kim Groom, WIS 

At the basketball tourney on Saturday I was talking to one of my players and she wanted to know where the other girls were. "In the nosebleed section" I answered.  Seeing how puzzled she was I explained it meant sitting at the top of the bleachers.  "Oh it seems like sitting here at the bottom you would be a lot more likely to get a nosebleed from being hit by a ball" she said.  Middle school kids! Gotta love their logic.

Kim Tennal, WHS

Day Two: February 8, 2010

I was celebrating my 41st birthday with my preschool students and one boy said, "That is the biggest number I have ever heard!" Considering we have counted to 100, I was not sure how to take the comment!!!

Last year, when I turned 40, one of my students said, "and you're still alive?"

Ginger Sprinkle, Webster

At our school, we are rewarding students for their good behavior, manners, and kind words and actions by giving them a red circle sticker to help fill up a large thermometer hanging on a wall.  Yesterday, I was surprised to not find my math cart where I had left it!  I couldn't imagine where it would have gone or who could have moved it unti l saw our visually impaired student with a big smile on her face.  With her biggest, brightest smile, she told me that SHE had moved it to my room for me to help me out!  I thanked her for doing that for me and gave her a red sticker. 

Her excitement reminded me how something so simple can brighten up a child's life!  A smile, a wave hello, a high-five, or just a simple little sticker is sometimes all it takes to make that child's day a better one!!  It just "made my day"!

Mary Butler, Country View

While discussing various nations of Latin America and their reliance on tourism for their economies I had a student announce that she would NEVER go to any country in Latin America.  I told her many of the nations had beautiful scenery, friendly people and would provide a wonderful cultural experience for her. 

Her reaction, "WHY would anyone ever want to go to a country that promotes terrorism?"  We then had a vocabulary lesson.

Peggy Craig, WHS

Day One: February 5, 2010

One of my little 3-year-old students made me smile this week as we practiced her standing/sitting balance.  I wanted her to stand up and then sit down without sitting down so hard. 

She wasn’t getting this concept.  I had her stand, told her to listen to me very carefully.  I told her I was going to put an egg under her bottom and she had to sit down VERY carefully or she would break my egg.  SMASH!  She sat down really hard.  We tried this for about 3 times before I got right in her face and said, “You BROKE my egg!”  She got this stricken look on her face and said, “But it was only a PRETEND egg!”  I said, “Yes but it’s running all over the top step, what are we going to do?”  Without hesitation she giggled and said, “We’re going to EAT it!” 

We continued playing “egg smash” for awhile and then she said, “Mrs C. would you put a banana under my bottom this time?”  We of course ended up with “banana pudding,” which just cracked us both up....ending our sit down carefully session!

Carolea Hower, Physical Therapist
 

I had one of my three year old little boys come into class yesterday and say, "Mrs. Amy, my voice is changing."  I said, "Oh really.  Why is your voice changing?"  He said, "Because I am growing up to be just like my Dad!" 

Amy Hutto, Webster Teacher

A few weeks ago, a Dad came to pick up his daughter after school.  He hung around for a bit until there were no kids here so that he could talk to me.  He asked if we sang any songs about "underwear."  I could not come up with any songs that we had sung about underwear.  I asked him to sing it to me.  He said "Clean up, clean up, everybody's underwear!"  The song is "Clean up, clean up, everybody everywhere . . ."

Amy Hutto, Webster Teacher

We had a high School Student who decided to TP our Cello/Bass room on Wednesday during break. It was not messy but our humidifier was totally wrapped. A "little bird", who wants to remain anonymous, snitched, so Robbie and I decided it was pay back.

Before the end of the day, I TP'd her viola and bow and put them back in the case. We have orchestra tomorrow, 1st hour. So if you'd like to know her reaction please come by the orchestra room.  

Ismail Farid, Orchestra Instructional Assistant

This story is second hand but priceless. 

One of our kindergarten girls, who has some behavior issues, was overheard telling another student, " I don't remember your name, so I'll just call you FRIEND".  This is one I should write down and remember.

Cheryl Underwood, IRC Teacher at Whittier

On Wednesday, my seminar students surprised me for my birthday by having Ms. Marafioti (my classroom neighbor) "distract" me in the hallway while they decorated my whiteboard and set out birthday treats.  It made my day!

Michael Bumgarner, IRC Teacher at WHS



I've been helping with ISS (in school suspension) for several days now.  One little guy has been in here for days.  Today he had his head down on the book he was reading...just giggling softly.  It was the cutest giggling which made all the other ISS'ers smile, too.
 

Lynne Hunter, WHS Health Teacher