Week 2-We've Been Busy!

We've been busy this week!  We started off the wk by stuffing our 6 pencil boxes.  They were all gone with in the wk-that made my kids proud, excited & happy!  We also did 17 BD cards for 80 & 90 year olds with August & September BDs.  Finally, yesterday we took 15 recycle bins out.  It went much smoother this wk than last so I was glad that we spent so much time learning the procedure last wk.  :)
I gave a chocolate surprise to one of my friends at work.  I also gave one of my friends a T-Shirt that she had been wanting.  I sent a "back to school" card to one of my friends that is returning to school to finish up her degree.  Finally, we gave Mady's teachers their two favorite candy bars with a note that said, "Thanks for being so SWEET to me during this first month of school."  :)
We also had a LOT of acts of kindness done for us this week.  Mady was in the paper this week for when she volunteered this summer at the assisted living center Morning Pointe.  We had 5 people give us copies of the article including one of my sweet students.  :)  One of the articles was from my principal with the sweetest note attached.  :)  We also had a friend that gave us 3 free tickets to the circus in October! What a great week!  :)
Ps.  We also got all of our blog permission slips back this wk so now we can start posting pictures!  :)
AOK Total = 73

Week 1-2012! Off to a GREAT start! :)

We started school this wk & we kicked it off with a bang!  My parents & students seem very excited about our project.  I told the kids this wk that I thought it would be cool if we could reach 1,500 or even 2,000 acts this yr!  I sent home the picture permission slips home this wk so hopefully I can start posting pics soon!  :)  We started off with our usual Friday AOK-recycling for 1st & K.  It took a LONG time to explain,train etc. but hopefully all that time will make things run like clock work from now on.  :)
We didn't have time to stuff our school boxes but I am hoping we get to that tomorrow.  :)  I also sent some cards this wk:  I sent a card to a friend that had lost a pet & is going back to work after being on maternity leave this wk.  I also sent another card to another friend that lost her pet as well.  I sent a new home card to my brother & sis-in-law & wished him a good start to his school yr. & let them know we're praying for a sick pet they have.  I also sent a sympathy card to a friend from work that lost her f-i-l this weekend.  I also made a nice little surprise card w/ dark chocolate for my IA.  :)  Mady & I donated a pr of her shoes to Soles4Souls @ LG.  I made 2 Post-It pads for a couple of my friends at school & I sent a thinking of you card.  We also had some AOKs done for us this wk.  I broke a vase @ school & my friend Amy helped me pick it all up.  A local church donated a backpack & school supplies to one of my new students.  We are off to a great start!  :)
AOK Total = 30

Summer Tally = 56! (That's ALMOST one a day!)

Well...summer has quickly come to an end but our AOK's won't!  :)  I have LOVED doing this project with Mady over the summer!  I hope it has started setting up a foundation for life long habits & I hope it inspires her to step outside of herself & be kind to others.  After all-kindness starts with each one of us.  :)  My "goal/hope" is to try to have her & my Mom or myself cont. to do @ least 1 AOK a wk.  (Hopefully it will be easy to cont. this project!)
This summer we have been able to donate 2 phones (when we upgraded) to soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan.  :)
We also got to attend a prayer walk @ Boo's school & the sweet director sent us a thank-you card in the mail!  This was an AOK very close to my heart since it's the 1st time that Boo will be "away" from home on a regular basis.  (I threw a couple of prayers in there for myself b/c I think I might need it the most-lol!)  
We sent some coupons in the mail to our friend Angela that just had a baby & a Get Well card to one of my friends that just had surgery.  We also sent my Aunt Judy a copy of the license plate game & a pack of pencils.  (A funny little joke from our recent reunion).
We have donated a school supply to soldier's families the last 2 times we went to The Dollar Tree-I LOVE that they are doing that!  :)
Probably our FAVORITE thing that we have worked on in the last couple of wks has been a "Survival Kit" for Mady's pre-school teachers.  (I am LOVING getting to do things for her teachers that I would LOVE someone to do for me-SO FUN!)  We also filled a bag full of classroom supplies that I know will come in handy. ;)  We plan on giving all of that stuff to them tonight @ Mady's Open House.  :)
We have been the recepient of some AOKs last week as well!  (Of course!)  :)  Mady & I were enjoying our last Groupon of the summer @ Splash Zone & needed some water.  The boys just gave it to us instead of charging us for it-so sweet!  :)  Also, my friend Renee offered to drive us to one of our workshops so we both didn't have to drive-very nice!  :)
As summer is ending I am preparing for another yr. of AOKs in my classroom.  Since I know we did WELL over 100 acts in 100 days last yr.  I am changing it up a bit-our new theme is Kindness Counts!  I want my students to know that every little AOK does matter!  Boo & I have already gotten school supplies for the crayon boxes-this yr. we did a box for each grade level.  This will be my students 1st AOK.  I will have them write a note about having a great yr & we will put it in the box.  I will never forget one sweet 5th grader showing me his note last year when he got on the bus & when I told him that was from my class he thanked me & told me to thank my kids-I was SO impressed that he wasn't "too cool for school" to do that, especially in front of all his bus friends.  Kindness goes a long way!  :)
Mom has also acquired a list of all the people at her church that will be turning 80 or 90 this year!  We will be sending them cards we make throughout the year.  :)
Finally, I am implementing an AOK jar in my room as part of my discipline plan-after their warning-they will have to pull an AOK out of the jar & do it some time throughout the day!  Hopefully it will help them step outside of themselves & it will benefit someone else as well.  (A win-win!)  :)
I have had a BLAST doing this with my Boo this summer & will definitely cont. to do it with her throughout the yr.  This is my FAVORITE thing we do in our classroom so I am excited about continuing the "tradition" & I am HOPING we can break our "record" from last yr!  :)
Final Summer Tally = 56!