Friends:

It was another happy day at school. The morning began with the school on “lock down.” Third, fourth and fifth grade classes were engaged in interval testing to prepare them for their big standardized testing next month. Fortunately, my first class was second grade. What a delightful group of students. They listened so intently to all my stories. Because the other adjacent classes were testing, I decided not to do the scarf music activity (too noisy). Instead, I treated the students to an extra story they had not heard before. I told “The Ghost of Jean Lafitte” and they loved it, huddling close together as the suspense in the story grew. I told them that they were the only class to hear that story and they were ecstatic.

It was my last rehearsal with one of my third grade classes. They were PHENOMENAL. Their teacher, an absolute gem, took extra time to rehearse with them so they all worked without their scripts! I was in seventh heaven. Unfortunately, I forgot the SD card for my camera and the pictures from my cell phone didn’t come out well. The class worked so quickly through their rehearsal that we had time for a fun activity so we did one of my story round games called “Pile It On the Pie A Mile High.” I adapted it to feature Louisiana foods and it was so much fun. The round can be found in my Story Collection under “Story Stretchers, Story Games and Story Puzzles.” Great job, third graders! Their teacher even treated me to some yummy Ghiradelli chocolate and I shared some of my favorite “chocolate” books with the class such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Chocolate Touch, Chocolate Fever and The Candy War.

One of my fourth grade classes used my story “The Emperor’s Dragon” from Handmade Tales when they did a unit on dragons. It was so cool to see the students’ dragons, inspired by my drawing and story!

I can’t believe my residency is winding down. Friday is my last day. It will be an exciting day because my third, fourth, and fifth graders are performing! I can’t wait. Working at this school has been a tremendous joy. I have fallen in love with the teachers, staff and students of this school. The teachers are so engaged with their students;  I can see that they still love teaching. I’ve been receiving wonderful feedback from the teachers on my visit so I hope I’ll be visiting again soon!

Until I write again… Laissez les bon temps rouler! Let the good times roll!

Warmly,  Dianne

Friends,

At the end of this week, on Friday, my 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students will perform their “Louisiana Story Fest.” Each grade will perform for each other as well as lower grades and parents. Each class is performing a Louisiana folktale that I have adapted into a story theater script just for that class.

I began the day with a fantastic 3rd grade class performing “Take Care of my Cabbage.” The students cooperated and collaborated to create a wonderful performance. The chorus was right on and my storytellers were expressive and worked without their scripts. This was their first full rehearsal! I beamed with pride. Here is the third grade chorus rehearsing “Take Care of my Cabbage.” They used the scarves to represent the cabbage.

There was abundant joy in my PK-3 class as we explored Zydeco and Cajun music with scarves. They were so cute!

My fourth grade class was challenging. They really pushed me to the limit and I had to issue a behavior report to one of the students. I was told that their regular teacher has been out for a couple of days so they were really wound up. In the end, we rehearsed through most of the story. I get to see them one more time before Friday so I hope they’ll be able to pull it together in time for the performance! There are so many talented children in this class; they just lack self-control and discipline. It makes me crazy to see such bright children not apply themselves!

After my restless fourth grade class, I peeked next door into another fourth grade class. They were quietly working on a an Easter project “I am ‘Eggcellent.’” Inside a large egg, they wrote down their excellent qualities. Some of the writings were really touching. One student wrote, “I am ‘eggcellent’ at reading to my sister and helping my mom wash the dishes. I like to help my mom.” Another  student wrote, “I am ‘eggcellent’ at dancing.” He even showed me some of his moves. Here is a picture of one of the students’ social studies projects. It is about life on the farm. “Eggcellent” work!

The second fourth grade class really brightened my day. We listened to some of my Jump, Jiggle & Jam CD and even danced the “Soulja Boy.” We had a blast.

As challenging as some children can be, I still wouldn’t trade what I do for the world. No matter how apathetic some students seem, I can see their hidden potential. Today, I caught a fourth grade boy who did not want to participate in the story theater activity smiling as he participated. Tough on the outside, still a child on the inside.

When I work with students, each day brings new challenges and new joys. This is why I do what I do… in the hopes that somehow my work will make a difference, even if it is not readily apparent.  A friend once told me that working with children is sacred work. It is - you never know when you will touch a child’s life forever…

Until next time…

Warmly,  Dianne

Friends:

It was quite warm today, in the 70s so the above bulletin was appropriate. I am back at the school, where I am the teaching artist-in-residence, doing a Louisiana Story Fest. Last week, I was off because the school had a big week being evaluated by a team from the State Department of Education. It was great to be back in the classroom with my students.

My day began with a fantastic third grade class, who is performing “Petit Pouce,” a Louisiana folktale about a boy who is rescued from a “BIG SCARY man” by his dogs (very similar to “Wiley and the Hairy Man”). The class worked as a team, collaborating and cooperating. It was such a great way to begin the day.

Here is a picture of me working with first graders. They are creating a “rainbow river” with their scarves.

My classes ended with a great group of fifth graders who rolled through their rehearsal of “Jean Sotte” (Foolish John). They will be performing on Friday for the kindergarten classes, parents, and the other 5th grade class. I love what the chorus did with their lines and the storytellers are showing so much promise (they just need to project their voices). I can’t wait to see them perform! Here are my 5th graders rehearsing…

At the end of the day, I stopped in the library to visit with the librarian. She had a second grade class. Much to my surprise and delight, they were acting out one of the stories in my Story Fest book, “Epaminondas.” It was adorable! This is a picture of Epaminondas’ mom leading him home on a “donkey.” It was such a pleasure to see these children acting out the story. I decided to surprise them with an impromptu performance of the way I tell “Epaminondas.” They loved it. I also told the Louisiana story of “Elephant and Snake.” The librarian thanked me for giving the kids “lagniappe,” Cajun French for a “little extra.”

Another great day!! Until next writing, Happy Tales to You!

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

Create a family story drama! Using a script, each person is assigned a role (or multiple roles). You can use a pre-made script such as “The Turtle Who Would Not Stop Talking” or other story theater scripts included in the “Story Collection” section of my website. Videotape your performance or better yet, perform it live in front of friends and family. It’s a fun way to get the whole family to tell tales together!

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

Today was another great day at school. Again, I had terrific classes that needed little correction, as a whole (there are always one or two in each class that need stronger discipline). Here is a picture of me telling stories to kindergarten-aged students. We had so much fun!

This is a picture of us “blowing trumpets” as we explored Dixieland Jazz music with scarves.

The highlight of my day was a fifth grade class who performed so well and created such a masterpiece that I would consider using their adaptation as a performance piece. That was how good it was! The boys and girls in the chorus didn’t want to sing and rap the chorus’ line together so they broke into separate groups and made their lines work with BOTH singing and rap! Amazing collaborative effort!

I won’t be at the school next week (they have the Louisiana State Department of Education visiting the school next week for an evaluation). So it will be a week before I can see the students again. I look forward to going back to the following week and seeing my students again.

TGIF!!! Have a great weekend!

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

Happy Valentine’s Day! This morning my family woke up and found that Cupid visited! A bevy of treats awaited them at the kitchen table, decorated with rose petals, red and pink candes. Eliana loves her pink poodle, “Lovey.” Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays! I love showing the people I love and care about how important they are to me. It’s my greatest reward all day.

This morning, I set a heart-shaped box of chocolates on each table in the teacher’s lounge, along with a giant card, just to let the teachers and staff know how much I appreciate them. They were all tickled. The chocolate was pretty much devoured before lunch ended!

Above is a picture of Snow White with the dwarves who love her so much. This beautiful mural graces one of the walls in the main hall of the school.

As usual, I had a fantastic day. All of my classes were superb (needing minimal correction from me - yay!). Third grade enjoyed their role playing and came up with a cool rap for their story chorus in the story theater they are performing called “Take Care of My Cabbage,” a Louisiana tale full of French words. Here are some third grade students depicting a high society woman walking her dog in Central Park, New York.

For my second visit to the lower grades, I told the stories “Pulling Up the Sweet Potato,” my Louisiana version of the Russian folktale, “The Enormous Turnip.” I also told “The Cajun Cornbread Boy,” my spicy version of “The Gingerbread Man,” which will be my first picture book. Here are pictures of me telling in a kindergarten and a first grade classroom.

My day ended with my sweethearts - my husband, Antonio, and my beautiful girls, Soleil (17) and Eliana (7). Soleil surprised the family with a plate of Godiva chocolate-covered strawberries (good thing I walked my two miles today!). Soleil special-ordered them and designed them herself. She said they were “dark dipped, white tipped and red drizzled.” They were gorgeous AND tasty! I had to eat them! My husband gave me a book I wanted, A New Earth: Awaking to Your Life’s Purpose by Eckard Tolle. He also sent me a miniature pink rose bush and chocolates from Harry and David. Eliana spent her own money and bought me a heart-holding panda snow globe. Check out these strawberries… Mmmmm!

Today was definitely a chocolate-dipped strawberry day. It began and ended — sweet. Sweet dreams, my friends. Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

Happy Valentine’s Day. I made this simple Valentine carrying box for Eliana, my seven year old. She is taking it to school, stuffed with Valentine treats for her classmates. She can also bring home the Valentine treats she receives. It’s very easy. It took less than ten minutes.

Materials:
Tissue Box with large opening
2 chenille sticks
Hole punch
Stickers or cut outs
Other decorations

Instructions:
Punch a hole on either side of the tissue box opening. Create a handle from the two chenille sticks, twisting them together. Insert each end of the chenille stick into the holes. Secure the handle by twisting the ends of the chenille a large knot on either side (the knots will be inside the box). Decorate the box with stickers or cut outs. I cut apart a Valentine paper bag for my decorations. Now you’re ready to fill your Valentine box with lovely goodies! Happy Hearts Day!

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

It was another fabulous day at the school where I am doing a Louisiana Story Fest Residency. The picture above is a backdrop of a bayou on the school cafeteria stage. Just beautiful.

I am just in love with the teachers, staff and students at this school. We are having a fabulous time sharing Louisiana folktales, performing story theater, and exploring Louisiana music. The picture below is of kindergarteners working with scarves. This time, we explored Dixieland Jazz music (Johnette Downing & Jimmy LaRocca’s new CD, Dixieland Jazz for Children). With our scarves, we played all the instruments in a jazz band - the drums, the bass, the trumpet, the trombone, the piano and the clarinet. We also waved like the Mississippi river and created a collage of scarves as colorful as New Orleans. Take a look…

The picture you see below is of two third grader students. During this role playing activity, I require that the students pair together in boy-girl partnerships. The students below objected so strongly to working together. In the end, they made the best partners and exhibited the most cooperation amongst their fellow classmates. They worked as a unified team and had fun together. They are portraying a bride who has been left at the alter and the mother comforting the bride. The boy even had the courage to take on the role of the bride. This was a perfect example of story theater in action!

A fifth grader gave me this beautiful flower made of out paper. He agreed to teach me how to make one. I can’t wait to use it in a story. Children are so creative and inspiring!

My day ended with second graders who were an absolute delight. It was magic in the classroom. When I told stories, they listened so intently; it was like we were engulfed in a magic story bubble. I love those enchanted moments! Plus, they have a dream teacher — so patient and warm. I wish she was my teacher!

Before I left the school, I visited the librarian. She brings books to life through creative drama. I love that. This week, the students are working on The Hat by Jan Brett. The librarian printed out the masks from Jan Brett’s website. The kids use them as they act out the story.

She took the story even further and re-created the clothes line featured in the tale. Ingenious.The librarian and I agreed that THIS is the way that children should be taught. They are too overwhelmed with standardized testing. It takes all the fun out of learning. And learning should be fun!

I am blessed to be able to do what I do. My work allows me to teach, enrich, and inspire children. But more than that, the children teach, enrich, and inspire me!! Tomorrow is going to be another great day -PLUS it’s Valentine’s Day! I love Valentine’s Day! Happy Hearts Day to You!

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

As you walk down the hall of this school, Jack and the Beanstalk greets you with a big grin. Look at the door next to Jack. You can see the scale of the mural. Story book characters decorate the walls in the halls of this school. I will post one every day so you can enjoy the art too. What a cheery sight as you’re walking down the hall!

Except for today’s weather (rain, lightning, flooding and tornados), it was a delightful second day at the local school where I am performing a story theater residency. The day began in a preschool classroom where I shared Louisiana stories, songs, and scarf activities to Cajun and Zydeo Music. The highlight of my day occured here. The preschool teacher said that a little girl who had NEVER participated in any group activities since the beginning of the year, participated in my activity. She said it was an incredible breakthrough. I was so touched and humbled by the power of the arts in education!

A fifth grader told me, “Ms. Dianne, you’re the best teacher I ever had!” Working with children puts such a smile on my face. Below, you will see 4th graders portraying a bus careening down a mountainside. They did such a marvelous job acting out their roles.

The teachers and the staff at this school have been phenomenal. They are so cooperative and helpful. They truly made me feel like part of the faculty, a member of their “family.” Plus, the students are a treasure. Below, fourth graders are portraying a woman walking her dog in Central Park, New York.

I look forward to another day of the joy of sharing stories! Vivre Louisiana!

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

Today was the first day of my Louisiana Story Fest residency at a local school. The whole school is participating in a year-long study of Louisiana. Each grade is focusing on a different aspect of Louisiana. The school hired me as a teaching artist, through an arts grant, to work with the students using my signature story theater method. Our theme is “Louisiana Story Fest, based on the ideas outlined in my book, Story Fest: Crafting Story Theater Scripts. For grades PK-2, we are studying Louisiana folklore and music. I am telling Louisiana stories and doing scarf activities to explore Louisiana music (Cajun, Zydeco, Jazz). Here are first grade students using scarves and dancing to Zydeco music.

For grades 3-5, we are studying Louisiana folktales. I developed story theater scripts for each class, based on Louisiana folktales. The students worked with scarves, doing dramatic role-play. The scripts are designed for whole class participation. Everyone gets a part. The stories are divided into individual storyteller roles and then parts for a story “chorus.” The storytellers will narrate and act out the story while the chorus sings, chants, and dances their part. It’s a lot of fun. The fifth graders below are acting out a Mardi Gras parade, depicting a float with a king on top and Mardi Gras revelers surrounding the float.

I was tickled pink when a first grade boy gushed, “Ms. Dianne, this was the best day of my entire life!” A kindergartner told the class, “Ms. Dianne is better than the President of the United States!” Wow! Maybe the White House should hire me… LOL

The residency will culminate in grade level performances by grades 3-5. In addition, the lower grades and parents will be invited to watch the show. Story theater is a great way to explore language arts and reading comprehension in a fun and dynamic lesson. The whole brain is engaged as the students develop sequencing skills, work on problem solving, perform group work, and learn the stories. I look forward to the rest of my week with these students. It’s really cool that my work having a school-wide impact because I get to work on a longer-term basis. It’s not just a 45 minute performance. The skills and self-confidence students gain from performing can have lasting, life-long effects.

Support the arts in the schools! Happy Tales to You!

Warmly, Dianne