It's tulip time up north and our spirits are high! At a time when increasingly we can get out of our homes, we're featuring Core Virtues that get us out of ourselves in other ways: graciousness and courtesy, humility, and forgiveness. April is also (since 1990) National Volunteer Month! That theme certainly reinforces our monthly virtues and in "Telling our Stories" we explain why. We hope this will be a month of gentle renewal for all of our pandemic and winter-weary teachers and students. | |
Could anyone more fully embody humility, graciousness and courtesy than Mr. Rogers? He's our hero this month and good children's books about him abound. He was not a flashy guy, and teachers will appreciate his "heroic" reflections. "When I was very young, most of my childhood heroes wore capes, flew through the air, or picked up buildings with one arm. They were spectacular and got a lot of attention. But as I grew, my heroes changed, so that now I can honestly say that anyone who does anything to help a child is a hero to me." So, all you teachers and parents can consider yourselves heroes too! | |
National Poetry Month Too!
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April is not just National Volunteer Month, but also National Poetry Month. On our site, we feature a new poem each month that either highlights the virtue or draws attention to the wonder of the season. This month we're recommending a new book of poetry for third to fifth graders. Check out the striking and heartwarming verse in John Frank's Lend a Hand: Poems About Giving. In fourteen original poems children encounter other young people offering random acts of kindness. These range from singing at a retirement home to picking up litter to training a service dog to sharing a sandwich with a hungry classmate, and more. Gorgeous illustrations. | |
