Silliness

Silliness

BY MADISYN TAYLOR Giving yourself permission to be silly will nourish your creativity, and is a good exercise in letting go. Children appreciate all that is silly as a matter of course. Their grasp of humor is instinctual, and even the smallest absurdities provoke joyous gales of earnest laughter. As we age, this innate ability to see the value of silliness can diminish. Work takes precedence over play, and we have less incentive to exercise our imaginative minds by focusing on what is humorous. When we remember childhood, we may recall the pleasures of donning funny costumes, reciting nonsense poems, making up strange games, or playing pretend. This unabashed silliness nourished our vitality and creativity. We can take in this nourishment once again by giving ourselves permission to lighten up and be silly. Too often we reject the wonderful silliness that is an inherent, inborn aspect of the self because we believe that it serves no purpose or is at odds with the grown-up culture of maturity. We play yet we do not lose ourselves in play, and our imaginations are never truly given free reign because we regard the products of irrational creativity as being valueless. Yet silliness itself does indeed constitute a vital part of human existence on a myriad of levels. Our first taste of ethereal bliss is often a consequence of our willingness to dabble in what we deem outrageous, nonsensical, or absurd. We delight in ridiculousness not only because laughter is intrinsically pleasurable, but also because it serves as a reminder that existence itself is fun. Skipping, doodling, and singing funny songs are no less entertaining than they were when we were children. We need not lose all interest in these cheerful and amusing activities, but to make them a part of our lives we must be ready to sacrifice a little dignity and a lot of fear. It is precisely because so much of life is inescapably serious that silliness should be regarded as a priority. Through the magic of imagination, you can be or become anything--a photographer, a professional athlete, a dancer, a pilot. Whether you take hundreds of silly pictures, revel in the adulation of your fans as you make the winning catch, boogie down rock-star style in front of your bedroom mirror, or turn your desk into a cockpit, the ensuing hilarity will help you see that lighthearted fun and adulthood are not at all incompatible.

Week at a Glance

Monday - 3rd and 4th Math Benchmark

Tuesday - 3rd and 4th Reading Benchmark

Calendar Meeting - Part 2 - 4:30pm - Central Office

Wednesday - 5th Grade Science Benchmark

Social Studies Vertical Meeting - 3:30pm - TP Room

Thursday - Spring Class Photos

Friday - No School - Good Friday

Monday - YES there IS school next Monday, April 2nd.

Benchmarks

Our 2nd round of benchmarks are this week! For our grade levels not testing, your schedule shouldn't change at all.

For our grade levels who are testing, you will follow your normal schedules (once your students have finished testing)

Let's just make sure that in the hallways we're especially quiet with students testing all over the school.

Calendar Meeting

Part 2 of the 2018-2019 Calendar Planning Meeting will be this Tuesday at 4:30pm at Central Office.

PLCs

There will be no PLC meetings this week. BUT there will still be morning duty happening (as seen below)

Monday - Kinder ELAR (outside) - 1st and 2nd ELAR (inside)

Tuesday - 5th Grade; ALL (outside) - PreK (inside)

Wednesday - 4th Grade ALL (outside) - 3rd Grade ALL (inside)

Thursday - Kinder Math (outside) - 1st and 2nd Math (inside)

Birthdays

March 28 - Debbie Abke

Blogs/Articles

Teaching for Democracy

Why Reading Books Should be Your Priority, According to Science

Mothers of Children with Down Syndrome Create Moving Video

BRILLIANT strategy from my friend Wade King on reviewing skills!

In Closing...

Our kids are capable of greatness and often times the biggest obstacle they face is us.  Despite what any of our own personal beliefs may be, many of the children of our nation marched this weekend and rose their voices. It was a powerful example that age doesn't matter.  And when you truly research history, children were often the instigators and instrumental in many important moments of history.