Posts Tagged ‘life skills’

Being a Friend Means Making Thoughtful Choices

Monday, April 15th, 2013

Grandpa John took his grandson Orrie and his friend, Jay to the movie theater.

There is special seating for children and adults using wheelchairs. This seating area is behind the last row of seats in the theater. This is where Orrie needs to sit. There are chairs in this area, where a friend or two can sit with the child or adult sitting in a wheelchair.

While Orrie is getting settled in the theater, Jay stands on line to get a bag of popcorn for himself and one for his friend, Orrie.

Jay meets Hector on line and Hector invites him to sit with him in the front of the theater where he tells Jay he can see the movie better. Jay has been waiting to see this movie and doesn’t want to miss any of it.

Is it okay for Jay to give Orrie his popcorn and tell him he is going to sit up front with Hector and will see him after the movie is over? If he is a good friend, what else can he do? What would you do?

What about asking Hector to sit with him and Orrie in the special seating area? Then they could all watch the movie together.

Tags: Can Do Kids, friend, friends, Good Choices, Grandpa John, Hector, Jay, life skills, orrie, thoughtful, wheelchair
Posted in friends | Comments Off

Orrie Opens a Bank Account

Wednesday, April 10th, 2013

Orrie had been saving money he got, for special occasions, in his piggy bank.

When Orrie got cash gifts from his aunts and uncles and Grandma Maureen and Grandpa John, on his birthday, his parents decided it was time for him to have a bank account.

Orrie was so excited to be getting his very own bank account! He felt so grown up.

Orrie’s dad called the bank and made an appointment for Orrie to meet with someone at the bank that could help him open an account. Orrie’s dad picked Orrie up after school in the family van, which is wheelchair accessible. When he got to “Can Do” Street Bank, there was the ramp he could use to wheel himself into the bank. He felt so proud as he made his way into the bank.

The bank manager greeted him and showed him to a private room where he and his dad met with one of the ladies who works at the bank. She was very kind. She explained all about opening Orrie’s bank account. They talked about the money he deposited earning interest over time and that would make his money grow. She told him that since he was a minor, that mean’s –not old enough to handle his own money–his dad would need to be on the account as well. At first Orrie didn’t like that, but the bank lady explained that’s how it must be until he is older.

Then it was time to open his piggy bank.

Orrie spread all the coins and bills out on the desk in front of him. The bank lady scooped up the change and put it into a change counting machine. His dad added the cash and checks Orrie got on his birthday.

They all got quiet. Then the bank lady smiled at Orrie and said,”Congratulations Orrie, you now have a bank account with $159 in it.”

“A hundred and fifty-nine dollars,” said Orrie in a loud voice. “Wow, wait till I tell my friends that I’m rich!”

Tags: bank, bank account, Can Do Kids, Good Choices, Grandma Maureen, Grandpa John, life skills, orrie, piggy bank, savings
Posted in Good Choices | No Comments »

Bike Riding is Fun When We Keep Safe

Saturday, March 30th, 2013

It was that time again; time for Policewoman Paula to visit all the classes in “Can Do” Street Elementary School. It was time to speak about bike safety.

It was officially spring, although it didn’t feel like spring. Summer wasn’t far behind. With warmer weather, the “Can Dos” were looking forward to bike riding most every day. Some of them had two wheelers and were good at riding a two-wheel bike. Others were still learning to ride a two-wheel bike.

No matter, thought Policewoman Paula they all need to to know how to be safe when bike riding.

After she thanked Miss Pat for having her, and greeted the “Can Dos” she talked to the children about how much fun bike riding can be if you follow the rules of bike riding and pay attention to what you are doing while riding.

Policewoman Paula spoke to the class about the following bike safety rules:

Use a practice track to get really good at bike riding before you ride in the street. A practice area is where you to apply biking rules in a contained environment. A gym or playground with a flat, concrete area works well as a practice biking area.
Obey traffic signs. Get to know what traffic sign means what and have a parent test you before you go out in traffic.
Wear a helmet whenever you rid, no matter how short the ride, no matter how hot the day. Make sure your helmet fits well. Your bike helmet should fit snugly without rocking from side to side. Helmet sizing pads help get the proper fit. The helmet should sit low on the forehead. It should only have about one to two finger-widths between the eyebrow and the helmet.
Make sure the bike seat and handlebars are a proper height. You should be able to straddle the bar with both feet flat on the ground with about 2 inches of clearance.
Check you bike each time before riding it for loose chains, low tires, broken spokes and other possible bike dangers.
When riding a bike in traffic:
- Ride in single file and in a straight line on the right-hand side of the road.
- Make sure your hands are always within reach of the hand brakes.
- Use hand signals when turning. For a left turn, put your left arm straight out and parallel to the road. For a right turn, bend the elbow of your left arm so that your forearm and biceps form a 90-degree angle.
- Keep an eye out for potholes, sewer grates, uneven pavement, and soft shoulders. Warn riders behind you by calling out these dangers.
- Never ride with both hands off the handlebars.
- When biking, don’t wear headphones (they muffle the sound of approaching vehicles) or pants with flared cuffs (they can get caught in the bicycle’s chain).
- No night riding; you are 3x more at risk of having an accident at night.

Tags: bike riding, bike rules, bike safety, Can Do Kids, Good Choices, life skills, miss pat, safety skillls, teacher pat
Posted in bike riding | No Comments »

The Vegetable Garden

Saturday, March 23rd, 2013

Grandma Hattie is known all over “Can Do” Street for having the best vegetable garden.

Since the school was starting a vegetable garden, some of the “Can Dos” wanted to know just how Grandma Hattie takes care of her vegetable garden every year. They went to visit her after school to get some advice on what vegetables to plant and when to plant them. Most of all, they needed to know how to take care of the vegetable garden.

Grandma Hattie was pleased to see the boys and invited them into her kitchen. She had taken chocolate chip cookies out of the oven just before the boys arrived. They smelled so good!

While they all sat around the kitchen table eating cookies and drinking milk, Grandma Hattie shared the secrets of a good vegetable garden.The boys listened carefully. They nodded, took notes, and asked questions.

Then Orrie asked, “What should we grow?” Grandma Hattie smiled and opened a folder next to her on the table. She took out a word jumble and said,”Whatever vegetables you can find in the jumble, I have seeds for and you may have them.”

The boys all began working on the jumble. When they finished, Grandma Hattie gave them the packages of seeds for the vegetables they found.

Why don’t you try the jumble and see if you can find a vegetable or two or three or more? Just print out the page and try to see how many vegetables you find.

Here is a list of some vegetables you may find in the jumble: corn, carrots, peas, lettuce, onions and tomatoes.

Tags: Can Do Kids, Good Choices, Grandma Hattie, jumble, life skills, plant, vegetables, word jumble
Posted in "Can Do" Kids, Good Choices, Grandma Hattie, vegetable garden | No Comments »

Willie and the Grade Book

Wednesday, March 6th, 2013

Willie got back from recess early. There was no one else back yet. Just as Willie started to sit down in his chair, he noticed the grade book on Miss Pat’s desk.

Report cards were due out this week. Willie really wanted to know what he got in math, which was not his best subject.

Grandpa Dooley promised him a new bike if he got all A’s. Willie really wanted a new bike. He had already picked out the bike he wanted. It was in the window of the bike store on Can Do Street. It was a beauty!

Every night, since his last report card, Willie did extra math problems, hoping to get his grade up. He had worked so hard and his test scores were better, but were they good enough for an A?

Willie couldn’t help staring at the grade book. He just had to know if he had gotten an A in math. He thought to himself, “What would a little peak hurt? He wouldn’t look at anyone grades but his.

Willie got up, checked the hallway to see if anyone was coming, and went to Miss Pat’s desk. He took a deep breath and opened the grade book.

He was so busy finding his name and then searching for his math grade that he never heard Miss Pat come up behind him. “Can I help you find something, Willie? Miss Pat sounded angry when she asked him that question. Willie dropped the book and turned to face Miss Pat who looked as angry as she sounded.

“I was just checking my grade in math. My grandpa promised me a new bike if I got all A’s. I just had to see if I got an A in math, said Willie.

Miss Pat answered, “Does that give you the right to go through my private book?” What if I were to go through your school bag with out asking your permission? Would that be okay with you?”

Willie had to admit that he would not like that one bit.

Miss Pat and Willie sat down and had a talk about respecting the property of others, the privacy of others, and most of all…the rights of others.

For his punishment, Willie had to write a composition about why what he did was wrong.

Tags: A's, Can Do Kids, Good Choices, grade book, homework, life skills, math, school manners
Posted in "Can Do" Kids, bike riding, Miss Pat, school, Teacher Pat | No Comments »