The highlight of the day was going on a leaf hunt around the school grounds and the park behind the school. Just before going out, I read the story "Leaf Man" by Lois Ehlert. In the book, leaves are put together in different ways to create characters such as ducks, cows, or fish. As students hunted for leaves, they were to keep in mind what colors and shapes they would need to create their character. They had as much fun creating their leaf character as they did collecting leaves. When they finished, they were allowed to go to any center of their choice, which thrilled them to death! I'm glad such simple things make them so happy. I was very happy about their effort to clean up at the end of the day. We had pieces of dried leaves EVERYWHERE but everyone pitched in and the room looked fantastic at the end of the day. Don't forget that the next 3 days are half days. See you at your conference!