Putting the Magic Back Into the Classroom...

Today I had so much fun at school. I wrapped up the famous "elf on the shelf" and stuck him in the freezer to chill him out. I asked the principal (who was super busy) if he would deliver the elf to a fifth grade classroom in the most dramatic way possible. He was outstanding and really belongs on Broadway. Yup, he took the package down to this classroom with ice chips all over the top of it! The kids were shocked that he was insisting that they stop working because he had received a special delivery from the North Pole. He brushed off all the ice and insisted that students feel this strange package that just appeared on his desk. The kids were so freaked out by this. 
The teacher is my friend Christina and she was loving all the drama. She unwrapped the package slowly and pretended to be amazed by the contents. The kids were practically falling out of their seats. She put the note she found from Santa under her ELMO so the kids could read it. They were dying from excitement. It was precious.The note reminded them that they needed to treat each other kindly because the elf was WATCHING them and reporting back. I think I will have him holding my cell phone one day, texting Santa.  So you are probably wondering why I am writing this about a 5th grade classroom. I realized today that we forget that fifth graders are just overgrown kindergarten kids and need some magic in their lives too! Right? Their joy was so touching and wonderful to witness...
We had them work collaboratively and decide what to name their elf by voting and using tally marks. Hey, this is still a Common Core School Zone. Now we are writing CC riddles for them to solve in teams to find the elf each day. I cannot wait to see how they react to our silly hiding spots each day. Do you have an elf spreading some magic in your room? I hope so.
Fran