This break was short. Very short. I'm taking a deep breath as I write this, preparing myself for re-entry tomorrow morning. The one thing that is easing that transition a bit is the warm glow I get thinking about the Herons' work the last day before break. They didn't want to stop. In fact, when I told them it was time to put away their work to go to recess, they began a chant (normally I abhor chanting but this time, I'll admit, I found it charming.) "What do we want?" "Work!" "When do we want it?" "NOW!"
We were making Truchet tiles at the time. Using a compass and square graph paper, students created deceptively simple pieces they could fit together to make very cool patterns. (This link is to Christopher Danielson's site – a local math education teacher who created Math on a Stick at the state fair.) It's the kind of math I love to introduce in these "spare" moments in our schedule. We can do an initial explanation in ten minutes. I explain a few directions students can explore and, suddenly everyone is completely obsessed. This math becomes a habit – something students pick up in their spare time. And each time they return to it, they make a new discovery, solidify a concept, or simply find joy in the beauty of the mathematical world. 
We also went sledding on Thursday (thanks, Petersons, for the new sled donation!). I love watching the Herons sled. They quickly created new games and challenges for each other. Our little sledding hill affords a place to play hard without building up dangerous amounts of speed (a few rules about bailing out before you hit the hay bales and walking up the side of the hill also help to keep things sane.) It's great to see kids take risks and try new things with their bodies. I strongly believe that having opportunities to take responsible physical risks in a controlled setting helps kids learn where their limits are so that, as they become more independent, they make good choices by themselves. This is a key concept in the adventure playground movement and something that the fourth and fifth grade teachers adopt in our PE and outdoor play curriculum. The next time the snow is fresh and packable, we'll have a giant snow ball fight – another opportunity to learn about boundaries and how to handle physical play.
So, even though the break was short, we went into it with great momentum. I'm so looking forward to jumping back on the wave as we enter our exciting month of opera (and coding and cursive and conference reflection and…)
The Rookery 
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