The Kissing Hand

Dear Mom and Dad,

Happy 2nd Day in School!

It was another short day, but we’re still glad to see our friends and teachers. When we came in, we did our morning jobs,  then headed for the carpet where  we played with some building blocks and animal toys. Some played in the kitchen area, and some stayed in the library. Others finished their placemats, we can start using tomorrow when we have our first full day.

After cleaning up, our teachers discussed some important rules regarding the toilet– that we should make sure that the pee goes in the toilet, not on the floor. As Petals Class, we need to do our best to take care of our classroom, and make sure that it’s not dirty– or else it will be smelly, and we don’t want that!

We were also able to make our own “Good Morning” song. A and L suggested clapping and patting or laps while we sang. Pauline was worried about forgetting the tune, so she recorded us singing altogether. We listened to it afterwards, and we sound good, heehee!

We ate our snacks, and C and T happily volunteered to be snack leaders/ Speaking of snack leaders, we also talked about our classroom jobs that we will be responsible for in the class.  First, we have our snack leaders. And lunch leaders. Then we have the line leaders, who stay in front of the line whenever we got outside; and the caboose, who stays at the back of the line and checks on everyone (Is everyone inside the white line? Who’s not holding on to the rope?)

Nimo read a book called “My Little People Farm, and we enjoyed lifting the flaps in the book. After that, we sat down with Pauline, who reviewed to us our classroom rules before explaining to us our aforementioned classroom jobs. Pauline asked what if we don’t know where our names are? Do we just keep quiet? Or do we just cry and say, “I can’t find my naaaaaaameeee!” We replied, “No.” and our teachers said how important it is to use our words, so our they can understand us:  Do we have an ouchie? Are we sad? Are we feeling hungry?

Pauline read a book called  “The Kissing Hand”, by Audrey Penn. Some of our friends  said they have read it, so Pauline said, “Okay.. So most of you know it already, so… the end.” to which we laughingly replied, “NOOO!”

The story starts with Chester the Raccoon, who doesn’t want to go tot school because he just wants to stay at home with his mommy, play with her and his toys. Mommy Raccoon then told him that  it will feel scary and strange at first, but, eventually he will enjoy school as he makes new friends and learn new things. Mommy then told him the secret of the kissing hand, planting a kiss on his hand. Whenever he feels sad, he can place his hand on his cheek to feel his mommy’s love again. Chester did the same for his mommy, before he went to school– in the evening! Quite the opposite of us, because we go to school in the morning.

“So, when you miss your mommy, daddy– or anyone– you can just ask them for a kissing hand,” Pauline said. “You are all so lucky, because unlike Nimo and I, when school finishes, you can see your mommy. Our mommies are so, so faaaaaar away, that we need to take a plane to see them!” she told us sadly.

“My mommy is not far away,” E said. “I can ride my bike home and see her.”

“My mommy not far away, too,” M said. “We just ride bike home.”

 “I also ride a bike to go home,” A said. “Then I can see mommy and daddy.”

Pauline asked us if we have any questions about the book.

“Why did he give her a kissing hand?” E asked.

“Because you know what? When you go to school, your mommy and daddy also misses you. They think, ‘Hmm, what is my baby doing in school? I miss my baby already!’ so Mommy Raccoon also misses Chester, so that’s why Chester gave him a kissing hand, too.” Pauline explained.

“Why is the yellow moon in the book?” C asked, pointing to the cover.

“Maybe because our animal friends in the book go to school at night— which is the opposite of us! We go to school in the morning!” Pauline said.

“Oh! Opposite!” L echoed. Our teachers explained that opposite mean words with different meaning.

“Is Nemo going to school, too?” T asked.

“Who? Me?” Nimo the teacher, asked.

“No, Nemo the fish,” T said. Pauline said that he also goes to school, but deep in the ocean.

“Does everyone come home in the morning?” O asked. Our teachers said that maybe they come home before morning, before the sun goes up; compared to us, we go home before the evening, or before the sun goes down.

After that, we got ready to go home.  The teachers had their hands full, so O volunteered to be a teacher– in– training, and she read her life book to us as we waited for some of our friends to finish preparing their things.

So that concludes our second day. Maybe tomorrow we can swap kissing hands?

Love,

All the children in Petals Class