Word-of-the-Day

I discovered my own genius in the 5th grade. I had a teacher by the name of Mrs. Burnett who made it a point of having us choose one word from the dictionary and define it so we could present it to our class. I still remember my first word as a new student in a new class and school. It was “physician” and my teacher praised me. She told the other students that I had set the bar high, and now they would have to move beyond words like “goat”, “fence” and “tree” to more challenging fare. My 5th grade friends and I still get a laugh out of that.
Fast forward–30-years. I am teaching a second grade group of students. I never forgot the influence of developing my own vocabulary, so I decided it was time to really challenge my own notions of language acquisition and give them a “word-of-the-day”. This exercise has been fascinating. Merriam-Webster provides a word of the day on their online site. Unless the word is one that would have lewd undertones, I choose it. I do not discriminate. The routine? I write the word on the board and provide the part of speech. Then we try to make connections with the word looking at splitting it apart and guessing what it could possibly mean. Then I come up with a definition that we can all understand. Their mission? To use the word-of-the-day discreetly in conversation with their family at home.
The retention of these words has been remarkable. For instance, Daniel told both his parents and I that he “asked his brother nicely to leave his room, but when he wouldn’t, he frog-marched him right out of the room. Paige said, after a moment of quiet reflection, “My mom has a nosocomial job. She’s a nurse.” Parents have giggled to me that they try to downplay the new words since their kids are trying to be so natural with the usage, but they are always able to notice the word-of-the-day, and they too get a chuckle from it. My students feel smart and validated with the new weapon they have, and I feel proud that the lessons my teacher taught me about the power of language, can now be passed on to my little geniuses.
They are an omnium gatherum of fertile minds prepared to meet the challenges of today’s world…hint hint….that’s today’s word!

A Fond Farewell to my Family at F.L.I.C.S

Hello FLICS Family:

As many of you know, my family, the Gray family, has not returned to FLICS this year. I want to take this opportunity to say goodbye to everyone of you have made the last 4 years wonderful for us. Although I am no longer going to be there on a daily basis, please know that I am a long-term advocate and supporter of a school that gave my children the best start possible.

There were many factors that impacted our move, and the primary factor for us was proximity. We live on the FAR east-side of the city and the rising cost of gas was wreaking havoc on our pocketbook. Can I get an amen?!

My children are adjusting well to their new environment, but you know, there’s nothing like family. The Parent Room at FLICS after school was a place my children could go to feel grounded, to see safe adults collaborating together towards the betterment of the school. It’s a place they saw parents laugh, disagree, and come back to the table. Sometimes they might even get a snack there while they waited for me to pick them up after school.

I’m not trying to get all mushy or anything, but FLICS kept me grounded too. It was a place where I saw great ideas come into form with the will and support of the parents and families there. Everytime I walked in the building, I reminded myself that it was the determination of parents, staff, administration, teachers and community that had moved us from our old building to our new home. It is my hope that everyone at FLICS continues to work with our students in mind. Our kids are depending on you!

As we go through some interesting change in the city and in the country, I am proud that I can leave my post as FLICS-LSCO President with my head held high, knowing that I was a part of great work at FLICS. As the LSCO moves forward, make sure that you make a commitment to staying involved. Remember: the NUMBER ONE predictor of student success is family involvement. 

You can find me at my Internet home at www.ourchildrencount.com, a site where you can find great information and links to other informative sites. Or please, leave a comment on this or any other blog post so that we can continue to share great ideas together. It has been a blast!

Keep Loving–Keep Loving,

Kija Gray