Getting to Know Our Way Around Campus

This week we were busy! We read a few stories throughout the week about everyone's favorite cat, Pete.

Then today....we had a visitor! Pete came to our school {wink, wink!} This is a fun way for our new friends to learn the lay of the land. Not only did Pete take us ALL over the campus, we also met all those important faces the kiddos need to know.

Our search led us to meet the:
*Librarian
* Custodian
*Office clerks
*Health tech/Nurse
and of course... the last stop was our principal!

Each stop had a clue to send us off to the next place! In the picture below you can see the clue just sitting and waiting as my kiddos talk and meet the librarian who is telling them she saw a blue furry ball racing through her library just minutes before!

And reason number eight million and two that I love kinder is that they didn't see the clue sitting there immediately. It was tucked just a tad behind that blue crate that it took a minute.... And then.... they see it! The clue! They all know what that yellow card is because our first clue, looking the same, had magically shown up in our classroom with the book  Pete the Cat Rocking in My School Shoes {in the picture at the top of the post}. This book is PERFECT for our adventure since it is all about Pete roaming around a school.

Our clues have a note inside about how Pete wants to meet us but he keeps missing us.... but he doesn't cry because he can't find us {goodness no!} he just keeps on searching!  We also referred to the book from time to time.  I would love to share the cards with you, but I can't because of copyright reasons. However, all you need to do this yourself is the book and a stuffed Pete. The clue cards were extra!

Back to the principal's office... aka the last stop of our search!! The little ones eyes are searching and searching around the room....Where is he? Where is Pete? Our principal reads the note from him and then .... drumroll please.... he was spotted hiding on a shelf in the back. Pete's note explains that this is his helper who stayed behind at our "groovy" school to watch over us since Pete is a busy cat!

And now... since she has got their attention....as in you could hear a pin drop! I mean, come on...A. They are in the principal's office and B. They can't believe there's a rock n' roll cat roaming the halls! Anyway, she lists all the positive things that can happen to explain why a child may come back to her office in the future....then she mentions, "Maybe, just maybe someone will make a bad choice and have to come here to talk to me about it." And you see their sweet faces thinking....um, not me! Not me! {fingers crossed} And she reviews the school rules so they can be sure to never enter her office for a bad reason!

And to wrap it up...a dance party in the principal's office! Because what is more fun than rocking out to any or all of Pete's songs WITH your principal!!

When we got back to class we had to journal about this whole experience!

I did this entry as a directed lesson since we have been using the sentence frame "We like the ___" in other things this week.

And this evening I have received two parent emails saying that their kids can't stop talking about Pete visiting our school! It was a groovy and "radtastic" {just stole that term from my dear friend Kelley at theTeacher Idea Factory}

Oh and one last thing.... Last year we did a similar "get to know your school" search using a gingerbread man {see that post HERE} but this time around I am saving him for the holidays!

Have a groovy and radtastic weekend!