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Dear Oak,

Our three Rainbow School rules:

Number 1: We take care of ourselves.

Today, I saw someone come to the snack table when they were hungry, sit down, and eat squishy red pink snacks. I wonder what things you did today to take care of yourself.

Number 2: We take care of each other.

Today, I heard someone asking about how to help someone be safe when they want to get somewhere they can’t get themselves. I wonder what things you did today to take care of others.

Number 3: We take care of Rainbow School.

Today, I saw someone go over to our sink and turn the water off. I wonder what things you did today to take care of Rainbow School.

We’ll have a special Taking Care edition of Oak Rainbow Rocket News on Friday where you can share the ways you take care.

Love,
Teacher Michelle

Dear Mulberry,

Hmmm… I’m feeling hungry. It feels like there’s a tiny dinosaur with a big roar stomping around the empty cave of my belly. I think that I’ll catch me some shrimp and make a shrimp quesadilla with cheese and spicy salsa. That will be just the ticket!

First, I have to catch the shrimp. Before that, I need to sail my ship to where the shrimp live. Aha! There’s some shrimp. Wait a minute! These shrimp are a lot harder to catch than I thought they’d be. They run so fast.

Phew! I finally caught about a half dozen. Let me get them on top of my tortilla. Now, I’ll put on the cheese and spicy salsa. Last, I’ll put on the top tortilla. Gadzooks and crocodiles! My shrimp are running away. Maybe, I better just have an almond butter and honey sandwich instead.

Uh oh, now where did that almond butter get to?

Love,
Teacher Michelle

Dear Oak,

You found the Rainbow School Horse right away and showed them to your dad. After your dad left, another person joined you, and you told stories. Rhino and Horse listened. Rhino’s person wanted to be Horse’s person. That was hard, but you decided to take turns.

Rhino’s person left, and another person joined with their baby. The horse played with the baby. Baby road in a backpack on their grownup’s back, while Horse galloped alongside. You went up Rainbow Mountain, through the Sleeping Barn, through the Pine Forest and into the kitchen. I wonder if Baby and Horse were hungry. They played all morning.

Love,
Teacher Michelle

(Read in robot voice.)

Dear Robots,

I feel so glad. All robots survived the wave. I feel so glad. Scary non-robots did not saw robots into two pieces. I feel so glad. Scary non-robots did not hammer robots and break robots. I feel so glad. Robots stayed safe inside robot bodies.

I feel so sad. Robots shared robot treats robot to robot. I did not get any treats. What is this water coming from my robot vision field?

Love,
Teacher Robot

Dear Mulberry,

Welcome E! E has joined us on Fridays, so we’ve gotten to play. Today was special. E joined Mulberry and stayed and played the whole day! Yay! E heard our new song, “You gotta ask me first.” E shared news.

E pulled anyone who wanted to ride in the wagon. E cut some paper. E made some swirly marks with a few of us who were cutting and gluing and marking. E built towers with almost everyone. E hung out in the sandbox. E observed.

E helped sing the Goodbye Song. E hugged Mama hello. E waved goodbye.

Love,
Teacher Michelle

Dear Oak,

You had the red hammer. You like red. You were using it as a crash hammer. Crashing needs lots of space. I built a tower. You crashed it. I built another. You crashed it. Soon others came to join our game.

You decided to turn the blocks into stepping stones. The stepping stones became a lava bridge. It was tricky to balance on the stones. Sometimes, you had to take a really big step to get to the next stepping place. Sometimes, you had to take a step up, sometimes, a step down. Sometimes, the steps had a hole in the center. Sometimes, they were little. Sometimes, they were skinny.

You balanced along the path one way and then the other way back, meeting others. I wonder how you got around them safely.

Love,
Teacher Michelle

Dear Mulberry,

We care for ourselves, for each other, and for Rainbow School. We help each other. One person wanted to put something on top. It was too high, so a taller person helped. Another wanted to push something in, but it kept falling over. An older person was able to help.

Someone wanted to go up the hill, but it was too slippery. A person standing by asked another to hold their gate while they helped push.

Two were building something tall with eyes. It was wibbling and wobbling. They were worried it might fall. There was a third there who saw it tipping and was excited for the crash. The two building started to feel angry, but then, one said to the other, “We can build it again.”

You helped someone today. I wonder how. I wonder who helped you.

Love,
Teacher Michelle

Dear Oak,

“We hate Annie.” Ouch! Words can boom too and be really ouchie. Hate is an ouchie word. At Rainbow School, we care for each other. That’s Rule #2. Sometimes, I don’t like someone, but I love everyone. We can care for everyone.

Maybe when I come into school one day, I really want to play with Jaime, and I don’t want to play with Annie. Jaime is playing with me. We’re having fun. Annie comes running over to play. I say, “We hate Annie,” before I can stop to think. I see Annie’s face fall. Ouch.

I wonder what you think I could do. I wonder what you think hate means.

Love,
Teacher Michelle

Dear Oak,

I scooched into the tent backwards. My head touched the top. One of you saw me just as I disappeared inside. They came over, decided they needed a blanket, and went to get one. Then they decided they needed one more blanket. Two others came over.

They peered inside and saw the blankets. One thought that maybe the first would give them a blanket, but the first wanted both of their blankets. Both people went to get more blankets. Soon we were cozy in the tent. There were four of us.

Once in a while, a fifth came in. We read books.

Love,
Teacher Michelle

Dear Mulberry,

The grownup that’s in this story you wrote together today shared it with me. I was delighted to hear that with a little help from a phone call, you were able to save Woodland. Here is the story:

There was a giant poop that invaded Woodland. It was stinky and brown and also blue and purple. Three Mulberry students knew that they needed to step up and protect the town. 

One thought that they should poke it with their markers, but that didn’t work! The poop liked being poked and it became happier.

Another had an idea, he thought they should slice it with a sword. That didn’t work either, now there were two poops coming towards Rainbow School.

Another thought that they should shoot it with a gun, but there were no guns around anywhere. They ran to a house and grabbed some Nerf guns and Nerf darts. They all boomed the poop with their Nerf guns, but it just absorbed the darts and started moving faster; it was almost at Rainbow School!

A grownup showed up with an idea to call an expert. It was another Mulberry student. She called him on the phone, and he raced over to school with his firehose. He sprayed and sprayed and sprayed his hose until all the water in Woodland was gone, but so was the poop! It washed away and down into the sewers. 

They all gave each other high fives and went to take a nap; they had saved the school and the whole town.

Love,
Teacher Michelle

And here is the picture writing that inspired the story: