Friends:

I spent most of the day preparing for my residency at a New Orleans area school (I have been a teaching artist at this school for 8 years!). I am doing a two-week artist residency at an elementary school (PK-5) presenting “Stories on Board: Creating Board Games from Favorite Tales.” For grades PK-2, I will be telling stories and then the students will play board games I created based on my stories. For grades 3-5, students will be creating board games from folk and fairy tales that they will deconstruct, from which they will create a story map. Using the elements of the story, in groups, they will design and craft board games based on the stories they choose. The upper grades’ activities will culminate in a grade-wide “Game Day,” where they will exchange games with other classes and play each others’ games.

Because I am teaching such a wide age range, I had to come up with a way to make the board games work even for children who have not yet mastered reading fluency (PK-1). I decided to go with a nearly wordless board game that I invented called “The Gingerbread Jam,” based on my retelling of “The Gingerbread Man.” Here is a picture of my 7 year old daughter (in all light pink) and her cousins helping color the boards.

The students will be divided into groups of 5-6. They will be instructed on how to play the game. “The Gingerbread Jam” tackles basic math concepts of adding and subtracting. Numbers do not go higher than “4.” This is done so that even my preschool students will be able to play the game with minimal supervision. Game pieces are fuzzy pom pom balls and the game uses either dice or spinners.

Here is a picture of Eliana (7 years old) and her cousins, (Camrynn [8)] Ashlynn [7], and Jasmynn [6]) playing the game. They had so much fun that they played it over and over.

The game is simple in concept but addresses many content standards in language arts and math. Besides, it also makes learning a blast!

I will be blogging about my residency every day so please come along and join the fun!

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

Eliana, my 7 year old, is such a sweet girl. She is constantly kissing me, hugging me, and telling me how much she loves me. She is also very helpful and will do anything I ask her to do right away. In addition, she often takes the initiative to do thoughtful things on her own like make my bed, fold and put her own clothes away, or pour me a drink.

So I thought I would do something special for her. Last month, before I left for my big international trip, I gave her a Super Star Award. It read:

“Super Star Award to
Eliana Marisol Casas
from Mommy
You are AMAZING!
February 2008″

Eliana loves the trophy so much that she carries it around with her all the time. It’s like she won a coveted “Oscar” award. Of course, she deserved it because she is an AMAZING child. Sometimes you have to let your children know in big ways how much you appreciate them. Just because they are.

Here is a watercolor masterpiece she created for me today…

See what I mean? AMAZING! Delight in the miracle of your children. Show them how much you love and appreciate them. They are amazing!

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

Today was the final day of my Louisiana Story Fest residency. The above is a drawing by Ivan, a first grader, of my story, “The Cajun Cornbread Boy.” The gator in the middle has a red mouth, full of cayenne!

I stayed up late Thursday night assembling treat bags for my third, fourth and fifth grade performers, for those who performed without a script. Along with an autographed picture of me, third and fourth graders received “medals” while fifth graders received friendship bracelets. I also made little teacher treat bags. In addition, I put together a goody bag to raffle off to the teachers at the end of the day. Here is a picture of the teacher, Ms. K, a second grade teacher, who won the bag full of treats, including my CDs. The funny thing was that she was the one who gave me the giant card and had her class write letters to me yesterday. I told her she must have good karma!

When I arrived at the school in the morning, I set out four boxes of Krispy Kreme donuts for the teachers. Then I stuffed their mail boxes with the treat bags I prepared. Finally, it was off to set up the video camera in the cafeteria (with the help of the librarian) and make final preparations for the performances (setting up the stage, doing a mic check, preparing the props, and finalizing the lineup).

The first group of students to perform was third grade. There were a large number of parents who attended and I was so pleased. Three third grade performed for the pre-school classes. In all the excitement, I neglected to take pictures of my first two third grade classes. They did an awesome job!! Two of my third grade classes performed completely without scripts. Not only did the students earn their treat bags, their teachers were given one of my CDs as a reward for the class. This is a picture of my last third grade class performing “Petite Pouce and His Dogs.” What a delight to see these students shine on stage. And to think, they did it in less than three class periods!

After third grade, the two fifth grade classes performed for the kindergarten classes. Both of my fifth grade classes performed without their scripts. They were so good that the kindergarten classes began participating and singing with them. The little ones laughed in all the right places. I was so proud of my students and overjoyed that the kindergarteners enjoyed the performances so much. This is a picture of me with Jada, one of my fifth grade students. She was the leader of the chorus and created the melody that the girls sang in “Jean Sotte (Foolish John).” The boys rapped while the girls sang. It was phenomenal. I met Jada’s mother who told me that she was a Gospel singer. No wonder Jada is so talented!

After lunch, fourth grade performed. While some of the students performed with their scripts in their hands, it was still fun. The fourth grade students performed for first and second grade. One of the first grade classes delivered letters to me at the end of the day. They had such wonderful things to say about the fourth graders.

“Dear Ms. Dianne, I liked when you said ‘trip trap’ and the fourth grade. Love, Dwyn”

“Dear Ms. Dianne, I liked when you came in our class and singed (sic) stories. And I like when she told stories in the cafeteria. And I liked the fourth graders. Love, Shaniya” Shaniya even included a lovely picture.

“Dear Ms. Dianne, I enjoyed the songs and I am so happy that the fourth graders said, ’skitter skitter skat - we’ll find our way back, just like that. Word. Love, Kathleen”

Other letters I enjoyed from my first graders:

“Dear Ms. Dianne, I really liked the play and I hope you come back. I had so much fun with the scarf and the tape. I almost forgot! You really sing like an angel. I’ve never heard anyone sing that good and thanks for sharing. Love, Ronique”

“Dear Ms. Dianne, I love the plays and when you went to the classroom. It was funny when you shaked (sic) my head real fast. It was so funny when you said, ‘roach.’ That was the best day of my life. Love, Justin” This is Justin’s drawing of my story, “Madame Poule’ and Monsieur Roach (Mrs. Chicken and Mr. Roach).”

And finally:

“Dear Ms. Dianne, I like how you look. How can you look pretty? How do you look so pretty? And I like your stories and your stories are so cool. And I learned about your stories. Love, Makayla”

As a parting gift, the school gave me a wonderful book called 212: The Extra Degree by S.L. Parker. The book is so simple but has such a profound message: “At 211 degrees, water is hot. At 212 degrees, it boils. And with boiling water, comes steam. And with steam, you can power a train.” The premise of the book is that if you apply the “extra degree,” you can make a difference and accomplish great things. Everyone should read the book! This is the inscription inside the book:

“To Dianne de Las Casas, CS school’s faculty and students would like to thank you for applying one extra degree that really makes a difference. You are really hot! With love, the Faculty and Students of CS School”

I had the best time at this school. Several of the teachers said they would love to have me permanently on staff. It was such a privilege to become a part of this school “family.” I loved all the teachers, staff and students. It was an unforgettable experience, one that I will always carry in my heart. I love you, faculty, staff and students at CS School!

Until I write again, may you laugh, love, and live each day to its fullest. Happy Weekend!

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

It has been a wonderful two weeks visiting all the classrooms of the school where I am the teaching artist-in-residence. I feel like I have truly made deep connections with the students and the teachers.

Today was bittersweet, because it was so wonderful and because it was my last day to visit the classes. My day couldn’t have gone any better if I had planned it that way. My second grade class was as sweet as sugar cane! They had a blast listening to “Pulling Up the Sweet Potato” and “The Cajun Cornbread Boy.” Then we did a cumulative round game that I wrote called “Pile It on the Pie A Mile High.” The students had to think of Louisiana foods to add to the top of the pie as the song went on. It was so much fun because we made mistakes! What a beautiful bunch of children!

My third grade class was fabulously prepared. Their teacher worked with them on the side to rehearse. And it showed. They were so prepared, working completely without their scripts! Their performance is going to ROCK! I can’t wait to see it! Great job, Ms. G (my fellow chocoholic)!

My fourth grade class (the very same one that was a huge challenge the other day) did a great job with their rehearsal. I was such a joy to see the students finally working together to create a piece of which they could be proud. There are a lot of chatter boxes but this class is full of bright, creative children who can accomplish a lot when they put their minds to it. One of my most challenging students (the one who received a behavior report the other day) shone “on stage” when she performed. It gave me goosebumps to see her succeed like that. Afterwards, she hugged me and asked me when I was coming back to the class. It was one of those “Wow” moments.

Today was the school’s Black History luncheon. All the teachers contributed a dish. Talk about delicious! I strayed from my healthy eating habits to splurge on lunch - fried chicken, the creamiest homemade mac-n-cheese, spinach artichoke dip, and the most delectable cabbage and smoked sausage casserole! I really felt like part of the family, laughing at the table with my new friends and sharing their food.

After lunch, I saw Pre-K. What a delightful group of students!!!!! (Ms. S - you are a rockin’ teacher!) The children, teachers, and I had the best time! After I told “The Cajun Cornbread Boy,” one of the students nicknamed me “Cayenne Dianne.” It was hilarious. We laughed so hard that my stomach hurt and my make-up ran. It was one of those moments filled with abundant joy. I love laughing so hard that it sounds like your soul is bubbling to the top. Thank you, Ms. S and Ms. L for a “spicy” time!

My fifth grade class did a great job with their rehearsal. They still needed some direction but, over all, they were fine. Afterward, we even had time for a little fun and played “Pile It on the Pie A Mile High.” I look forward to their performance tomorrow!

The teacher who wrote the grant to bring me to the school filled out an evaluation form for me for another grant I am working on. This is what she said (it brought tears to my eyes)… It was one of the highlights of my day!

“Dianne has been able to captivate our students from three year olds to fifth graders. Her age-appropriate stories have sparked creativity across all grade levels. The teachers have stopped me in the halls to thank me for making sure she was in our grant! They have been very impressed by her abilities.”

But I have to say that my favorite part of the day was receiving a gift from today’s second grade class. I was moved to tears by their gift. Look at this card - the grapes are made with the students’ fingerprints!

The students wrote letters to accompany the humongous card they gave me. And the letters weren’t form letters either - they came from the students’ hearts! Ms. K - you have class!! (pun totally intended… LOL) Here are some of the letters:

“Dear Ms. Dianne, thank you for coming to our school. I loved the Cornbread Boy. I enjoyed the Sweet Potato Story. My favorite part in the Cornbread Boy story was ‘a jump, a skip, and a hop.’ Also, I was fond of dancing with the scarves. I like when we were putting our scarves down and up. I hope you can come back to our class. Love, Mikala”

“Dear Ms. Dianne, Thank you for coming to our school. I liked the cockroach story. I liked the cockroach story because it was funny. Also, I enjoyed Cornbread Boy. I loved the part when the cornbread boy did a triple back flip off of the alligator’s head. I hope you can come back next year and join us again. Love, Vernay”

“Dear Ms. Dianne, Thank you Ms. Dianne for coming to our class. I enjoyed the Pile it on the Pie song. I liked it when it started getting confusing. Also, I loved when you said, Run run as fast as you can! You can’t catch me, I’m full of cayenne. I hope you come back next year. I hope you keep writing stories. Sincerely, Tanlon”

“Dear Ms. Dianne, Thank you for the two fun days. I enjoyed the cockroach story because you sneezed on us. Also, I liked dancing with the scarves. My favorite part was going in circles. We hope you come back next year. Love, Hallie P.S. You smell like vanilla ice cream.”

and one that truly tickled me…

“Dear Ms. Dianne, Thank you for the good times. I loved the cockroach story. I liked when you sneezed on people. Also, I enjoyed dancing with the scarves when we had to bring the scarves up. I hope you can come back next year. What do you take a bath with? I love you. Love, Dwayne”

A side note: Students in all of my classes have been commenting, “You smell so good, Ms. Dianne.” The students have told me that I smell like cotton candy, blueberries, vanilla, strawberries, ice cream, and vanilla ice cream! It’s so funny!

It’s nearly 2:30 am and I have a big day tomorrow — my third, fourth, and fifth graders perform! Yay! Lower grades and parents will be watching. I have been up late preparing treats for my students (autographed pictures and medals or friendship bracelets in pretty bags) and teachers. The students who perform without a script will receive a special treat from me. I hope I have to give out every treat bag! Wish my students luck!

Until next time… Happy Tales to You!

Warmly, Dianne

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,

On Saturday, February 23, 2008, Eliana, my 7 year old, had her First Reconciliation. In the Catholic faith, this is when children first confess their sins and receive their penance. All the second graders looked so sweet, girls in their Sunday best and boys in little suits. The ceremony was held at the church affiliated with Eliana’s school. This is a picture above the altar at the front of the church, with a gorgeous stained glass window.

Eliana was a reader, reading one of the responsorial Psalms. She did such a great job. Look at my pretty-in-pink princess. What a smile!

This is a picture of Eliana with her paternal grandparents, Abuela (grandma in Spanish) and Papi. They were so proud of her! Eliana did such a good job. She didn’t appear the least bit nervous. In fact, she radiated.

Afterwards, we ate breakfast at a fantastic little cafe’ called Parrot Pete’s. On our way to Parrot Pete’s we stopped to get gas. Check out Eliana in front of the Chevy Bel Air. Gorgeous car, gorgeous girl (and cute little dog too, in the window).

It was a special day, especially for Eliana and Antonio. Her First Reconciliation was on his 40th Birthday! We love you, Eliana, and we are so proud of you! After church and breakfast, Antonio and I headed for Orange Beach, Alabama for fun in the sun! More on that in the next blog. See you soon…

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