September 2022 brought in the new school wide theme based on the novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It continues to amaze me that my staff allow me to hijack the entire year with my literary chaos.
I'm reading the original text aloud through a podcast accompanied by pictures and video clips. We are running the podcasts during a school wide teacher prep block. This is different procedure from the past two years when my podcasts were used during lunch eating time to help with supervision (Covid years). It was my way of having a shared reading experience in a time when were separated into isolated classes.
However, now I am able to watch the podcast with my students, and there is something magical about watching 257 multi-aged children bonding over a book at the same time.
This year, we will be taking the theme a little further. In an assembly, the school community was introduced to the challenge: The Missing Bricks of the Yellow Brick Road!
LadyMac and I created a video introducing the Wicked Witch of the West and her flying monkeys:
The witch sees in her crystal ball the Blacklock Elementary is coming to Oz to save Dorothy. But the problem, according to the witch, is that the yellow
brick road was damaged by the cyclone and unless Blacklock can locate the bricks and fix the road, they will not be able to save Dorothy.
Luckily, the flying monkey defects, and makes its way to Blacklock and interacts in real time with the principal Aussie Girl. In monkey language (that she learned in university - lol ), the principal learns
that there are 9 bricks missing that Blacklock needs to earn during the year. Only then can the school save Dorothy.
Some of the tasks the school will need to accomplish include food bank food drive, Earth Day garbage clean up, annual Read-a-thon, and so much more.
Lions, Tigers, and Bears, Oh My!