Ms. Cheung's Connection

We are up and running!  Welcome to another exciting year of fourth grade!  We start each Monday with a goal for the week, followed by a daily Project Wisdom  message, and then to a full schedule of reading, writing, math, social studies, science, and more. 

One of this week’s Project Wisdom messages was simple but very important…  BE KIND, BE KIND, BE KIND.  We talk about the message throughout the day and really try to practice it.  What can you do to show kindness at school, at home, or in your community?

We ended the year with sunny days and happy smiles!  We excitedly made many colorful bracelets for the children in Haiti.  We will send them to Miss Leisa as she plans another trip in July to deliver much needed supplies.  

The sunshine also provided us with delicious foods cooked in the sun…pizza, fruit crisp, and brownies!  We enjoyed our fabulous cooking while using free energy from the sun! 

Just how peaceful is our earth?  With the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico spewing millions of gallons of oil into our delicate ecosystems, how can we say earth is peaceful and safe for our fine feathered friends and all the other creatures of the earth who live in that part of the world?  What do you think? 

DON’T FORGET HAITI…important words from Miss Leisa…

Leisa Faulkner, executive director of Children’s Hope visited the students in Ms. Cheung’s class on April 15, 2010.  She spoke to the students about the hardships that the Haitian people are still going through to survive and rebuild their communities.  Despite the struggles, she told us that the Haitian people remain hopeful. 

The students filmed her visit and are working on a movie to document their experience.  Stay tuned for more information about Miss Leisa’s visit!

The students wrote to Miss Leisa to thank her for her work in Haiti.  They also are excited with the idea of actually meeting Miss Leisa!  The

Ms. Cheung’s class sent over $50 to “Children’s Hope” this week.  The children continue to send  thoughts of hope to the Haitian people.   Here is another excerpt from Leisa’s journal:

…”We distributed all the medical supplies we carried, are home now for just one week, and will return next Thursday with a team of ten and over a thousand pounds of medicine and supplies. Please remember to keep pledging…or just encourage someone you know to make their own pledge. We are in this recovery for the long haul…there is much work to do…but as the Haitian saying goes, “many hands make the burden lighter.”

 If you want to see some of the images from our January trip into Haiti, please take a moment to look over these images by Paul Taggart (for AARP).

http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourworld/politics/articles/haiti_earthquake_.html

Leisa Faulkner, Executive Director

Children’s Hope

We have collected over $40 to send  to Haiti through Children’s Hope, an organization led by Leisa Faulkner.  She sends regular updates on the progress they are making in restoring Haiti and the lives of the people there.  Here is an excerpt from one of her recent journal entries:

2010 Haiti Journal #4        January 17, 2010

We … were reminded of one of the beautiful things about Haiti, their endless spirit and courage…as we shared soup and bagels, I heard such a story…

 The woman to my left held out a small bill and said she had a story to tell…we grew quiet as her moist eyes signaled we should. She said she was given this money by a woman who had suffered a bad foot injury, and without treatment was now expected to die of gangrene. She had lost her home and her husband, but not her spirit. She told my new friend that this was the last of her money, and asked her to take it, and writing her name on a small bit of paper, along with those of her children, asked my friend to find her children. She was kind and gentle…

 Peace, always and all ways,

leisa

As we learn about the plight of the Haitian people after the earthquake, we think about how fortunate we are and how we can help others.  The students decided to help the Haitian people by collecting money which will be sent through a local organization called “Children’s Hope.” 

You can learn more about “Children’s Hope” by visiting their website at http://www.2childrenshope.org/index.html

The students in P4 at David Reese Elementary continue to think about peace and how they can make the world a better place for all people.  Here are more of the students’ writing about peace…

“Peace and a rose are alike in so many ways…it is good.  Peace is also colorful when a flower blooms you have a beautiful flower.  When I am around peace I feel like a rose in the sun.  I love peace! ” -Ashley

“Peace is in my neighborhood.  It is quiet in my neighborhood and it is lovely.  And I feel like I am listening to music and it makes me fall asleep…it is so quiet.  -Melody

Winter break begins December 24 and will continue through January 3rd.   Have a happy healthy new year!