Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Books to Read In Kindergarten


My third baby is starting Kindergarten tomorrow! Cue all the tears for this momma. My little guy is excited and ready to go, which makes it a little bit easier on me. It's so hard letting go, but a wise friend once told me years ago that the process of letting go is a gradual one that begins the moment you hand your newborn baby to anyone other than your husband to hold. There are many little moments and milestones along the way to prepare not only your child, but you, for them to leave your home someday. Tomorrow, we will hit another milestone. It's really true the days are long, but the years are short. For five years I've been nurturing my baby and he's grown, and is ready for this. He is going to rock Kindergarten, and I will be here cheering him on every step of the way!

Here is a quick run down of the books we are reading to get even more excited for Kindergarten! We have several of these in our personal library from years past when Cooper and Max started Kindergarten. I also reserved some of these titles at the library to have some new books to read!

(Amazon affiliate links)


A Kissing Hand for Chester Raccoon (The Kissing Hand Series)


Kindergarten Rocks!

Monstergarten





The Night Before Kindergarten


Planet Kindergarten


The 12 Days of Kindergarten (Pictureback(R))


The Best Thing about Kindergarten



Amanda Panda Quits Kindergarten



Saturday, August 11, 2018

Back to School Prayer Guide

The end of summer is a time of preparation. The school supply aisle is buzzing with activity, and teachers and staff are hard at work preparing to welcome our students back to school. Excited kids and parents head out for back to school shopping for new clothes, shoes, and fresh haircuts. All, in preparation of starting our students off on the right foot. Parents and students will be facing many emotions in the coming days. Some will be filled with excitement, some with anxiety and fear, or many a little mixture of all these and more. The best way to prepare for sending our kids back to school is prayer. I've created a Back to School Prayer Guide full of things we can pray for our students, teachers, district staff, and for the safety of everyone in our schools. Join me in praying for our students and teachers this school year.


A few ways you can implement this prayer guide include, going on a prayer walk around your school during non-school hours. I love to jog up to my kids school during the summer or on weekends and pray for the teachers, students, and their safety; all while getting in a workout. Find a friend or two and meet at a home or set aside a regular time to pray together for your school. Encourage your family to pray for your student and their teachers. Write your kids teacher a note of encouragement and let them know you are praying for them this school year. Don't forget to pray daily with your kids before school, for their school day. I have created a free printable, of the prayer guide below, for you to refer back to, click HERE to print. Have a great school year!


Students:
·      Pray they honor God in their thoughts, actions, and words.
·      For the Lord to place them with the right teacher for their individual learning style.
·      Pray they would have a passion for learning.
·      Pray students will show respect for those in authority (teachers, principals, and staff), as well as other classmates, and themselves.
·      Pray that students will show compassion for their fellow classmates. That they would exhibit kind and caring attitudes toward others.
·      Pray for new students, that they will feel welcomed and included from the very first day. Pray they make connections and new friendships begin to form.
·      That students would make wise friend choices. That they would find a few Christian friends to encourage one another in the faith. 
·      That they would be a good influence on friends, and they would have the discernment to know when others are not a good influence.
·      That they would put forth their best effort in all their studies.
·      That they would demonstrate self control

Teachers:
·      Pray they will find great fulfillment and joy in teaching daily.
·      Pray they have a passion for teaching and investing in our children. Pray that their enthusiasm will be contagious and pass down to the students.
·      Give them great creativity in planning lessons that will make learning fun and memorable for their students.
·      Pray that they feel respected, supported, and appreciated by faculty and parents.
·      Pray for their home life (for any spouses, children, and circumstances they may be facing outside of school).
·      Pray they will have patience, grace, and love for their students.
·      Pray that they will make connections with their students and their class will bond together for a great year of learning and growth.
·     Pray they have a positive work environment and good relationships with co-workers, staff, and principal.
·      Pray for their salvation.

Safety:
·      Pray God's protection over the school and all students, staff, and teachers everyday.
·      Pray that any plans that are meant to cause harm would be exposed.
·      Pray that any bullying will be found out quickly and handled, so that all students have a safe environment for learning.
·     Pray for the student’s spiritual safety and protection from exposure to any bad thing. Or anything that could possible cause a lifelong addiction (pornography, drugs, acohol, etc.).

District Staff:
·     Pray for the district staff, superintendents, and school board that make decisions that affect our children.