Category: Classroom

  • NATIONAL IEP WRITING DAY | First Monday in April

    NATIONAL IEP WRITING DAY | First Monday in April

    The first Monday in April is National IEP Writing Day to honor all special education teachers and team members who write Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students with disabilities.

    #IEPWritingDay

    On National IEP Writing Day, let’s pay it forward by thanking the team of professionals that write and implement IEPs that lead to the success of every student they work with on a daily basis.

    What is an IEP? An IEP, or Individualized Education Program, is a compilation of legal documents that are the layout of special education instruction and services needed for student with disabilities to thrive while in school, at home, and in the community.

    Writing an IEP is an under-appreciated job requirement special education teachers and teams provide each year. Statistically, almost 65% of teachers don’t like writing IEPs, and an additional 80% dislike writing Present Levels and the  Goals/Objectives of an IEP. The amount of paperwork that needs to be submitted per student is extremely time consuming.

    IEP Season

    Special education teachers and their teams go to great lengths writing and providing IEPs. In fact, no two IEPs are alike because no two students are alike. The professionals that create these IEPs and implement them are managers of legal documents, medical documents, and educational documents. According to school districts across the country, the average time it takes to write an IEP is between 1 to 2.5 hours per student. However, special education teachers and teams say they actually spend nearly 4 hours writing one IEP. Can you imagine the time it takes to write an IEP for nearly 50 students?

    On average, a special education teacher will write 16 IEPs in one school year. For some, it can be over 100 in a school year. In the Spring many schools have what they call an “IEP Season.” Even though most school districts have teachers writing IEPs year-round, the IEP season is 4-6 weeks in length. During this time teachers will write all IEPs in this short time frame, plus hold IEP meetings with teams and families.

    SPECIAL EDUCATION CELEBRATIONS

    • Write quick note or email to your fellow IEP team members thanking them for helping.
    • Praise your special education students for being a part of your teaching life. 
    • Send in a little treat, a handwritten card, gift card, or flowers to show appreciation to your child’s special education teacher and the rest of the IEP team.
    • Visit The Intentional IEP website and watch videos on the best practices for IEP writing.
    • Use #iepwritingday and #NationalIEPWritingDay to share yourself writing an IEP for a student without giving away confidential information. 
    • Give a public shoutout to the special education teachers and their teams at your school and share on social media using #makingpositivewaves.

    BEHIND NATIONAL IEP WRITING DAY

    National Day Calendar and The Intentional IEP collaborated to form National IEP Writing Day in 2022. Each year during the first Monday in April, we will celebrate special education teachers and their teams for making positive waves in the lives of students.

    The Intentional IEP is a website that helps special education teachers write IEPs more effectively and efficiently. Unsurprisingly, The Intentional IEP celebrates special education teachers and all IEP team members by working together to complete IEPs more collaboratively as a team. This collaboration helps to further facilitate the positive waves in education. The organization offers both free training using blog posts and videos. In addition, they offer paid services that includes video training, a searchable IEP goal bank, and an IEP writing course for teachers.

    Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

    On November 29, 1975, the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was signed into law giving disabled students access to services through an IEP. The intent was to help them access the same curriculum as their same-aged, neurotypical peers.

    The IDEA law states public schools must write IEPs for each student with disabilities who qualify for special education services. These IEPs are intended to help students and families:

    • Access the same-aged general education curriculum as their classmates.
    • Provide individualized and specific accommodations based on the student’s needs.
    • Allow special education teachers and teams to modify, adapt and make support changes based on individual IEP details. 

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  • NATIONAL SMARTIES DAY | October 2

    NATIONAL SMARTIES® DAY | October 2

    National Smarties Day on October 2 celebrates the sweet legacy of an iconic candy and the smarty pants people who never stop learning.

    #NationalSmartiesDay

    Smarties have been around since 1949. That’s over 70 years of celebrating this sweet candy wafer roll. In honor of National Smarties Day, we invite everyone to take a walk down memory lane and enjoy this nostalgic candy. If you’ve never tried Smarties, this is your chance to become a new member of the smarty pants club.

    What are Smarties? Smarties are rolls of a small pastel colored candy tablets that are sweet and a little bit sour. Unlike most candy, Smarties have only 6 ingredients, too. There are six different flavors in a Smarties package. Flavors are randomly mixed together for each individual Smarties roll.

    Smarties Original Flavor Lineup

    • White = Orange cream
    • Yellow = Pineapple
    • Pink = Cherry
    • Green = Strawberry
    • Purple = Grape
    • Orange = Orange

    A Smart Choice

    When it comes to candy, Smarties are considered a smart choice. For starters, Smarties are free from the nine major food allergies: milk, egg, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy and sesame.

    If you are at a loss for classic gluten‑free candy, Smarties products are your delicious solution. The sweet treat is also gluten-free. Interestingly, the ingredients found in Smarties candy contains no animal products, making them a tasty and cruelty-free choice for anyone looking for delicious vegan candy. Did we mention they are only 25 calories in each roll of Smarties? 

    SMARTIE PANTS CELEBRATIONS

    There are an endless number of ways to celebrate today. If your candy cravings are keeping you from thinking straight, here’s a list of ideas to get you started:

    • Incorporate some Smarties in your favorite sweet treat. Use as a topping on ice cream, jello, or cake. You can even bake them in cookies, brownies or mix into homemade jam!
    • Create a DIY “Smartie Pants” Halloween costume.
    • Craft a thank you note for teachers and tape a Smarties roll to it.
    • Use Smarties as a teaching tool to learn to count, identify colors, match items, and build shapes to help with motor skills.
    • Make up your best Smarties pun or go with the classic, “Thanks for making me a Smartie!”
    • Eat a roll of Smarties, of course. Or maybe two.
    • Pick up some Smarties Mega Lollies for a friend.
    • Tag and post your Smarties celebration using #NationalSmartiesDay.

    CLASSIC HISTORY

    In 2022, National Day Calendar welcomed the Smarties Candy Company to our list of Founders. Beginning October 2 and every year after, we will be celebrating National Smarties Day in sweet style. The October 2 date also pays a beautiful tribute to the birthday of company Founder and Smarties creator Edward Dee, who was born on this day.

    Edward Dee, Smarties Founder
    Edward Dee, Smarties Founder 1924-2019

    Iconic Legacy

    Edward Dee (1924-2019) came to the U.S. from England with his family in 1949. As a third-generation candy maker, Dee arrived with a candy idea that would build his legacy. Beginning in a factory in Bloomfield, N.J., Dee began Ce De Candy Inc. in a rental property with two machines–a wrapping machine and a candy pellet-making machine. Dee would move his company to Elizabeth, N.J. in 1959 and finally to Union, N.J. in 1967, where the business remains today.

    Smarties Co-Presidents
    Co-Presidents Sarah Dee, Jessica Dee Sawyer and Liz Dee

    In 2011, the company decided to change their name from Ce De Candy Inc. to Smarties Candy Company. The Dee family has always been sole owners of the company, keeping their family tradition alive. In the 1970s, Dee’s sons Jonathan and Michael joined the business. The company is now led by the founder’s granddaughters, Co-Presidents Sarah Dee, Jessica Dee Sawyer and Liz Dee, making it a woman run company for the first time in its history.

    There have been many updates over the years including improving manufacturing facilities, adding solar power to their NJ candy factory which offsets half of their energy usage, and releasing new candy products including Mega Smarties – the largest Smarties roll available!

    A Sweet Future

    Education was an important aspect in Dee’s life long before he would immigrate to the U.S. He was a Cambridge University graduate and he knew the value of education. Because of this, he decided to name his candy Smarties as a way to encourage others to never stop learning. In 2013 the company began the “Smarties Think” initiative to continue his vision. Since then, Smarties has given more than $250,000 to classrooms in need.

    The early days of Edward Dee going door-to-door to make candy sales clearly paid off. Today, the Smarties brand continues to be a leader in the candy industry producing billions of Smarties rolls per year. With factories in New Jersey and Ontario, the Dee family continues the tradition of providing an iconic candy for smarty pants people everywhere.

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  • NATIONAL STATES AND CAPITALS DAY | September 22

    NATIONAL STATES AND CAPITALS DAY | September 22

    September 22 focuses on raising awareness and sharing education about all 50 states and their capitals on National States and Capitals Day.

    #NationalStatesandCapitalsDay

    As children, we learn about the 50 states and their capitals in the U.S. But as we get older, we tend to forget those important cities and their role in crafting policy and influencing the economy. And, while everybody knows their own state capital, many do not even remember the capital of the state next door. Today, let’s take the time to remind ourselves how important every state and capital is to our nation.

    Learning about States and Capitals

    Remember those paper maps we were given to learn about states and capitals? Our worksheet had blank states with star indicating where the capital was supposed to be. The agony of naming each state and capital was definitely stressful! We spent time memorizing names, where the state was and naming each capital. Not to mention spelling everything correctly. Some of us were lucky to have a teacher that would play a game to help us remember.

    Typically, we learn about states and capitals between the grades 3-6, starting with the state we live in. From there, we learn our country has 50 states and 50 capitals within each state. All 50 capitals have a unique history, which means there are 50 reasons why a specific city or town was chosen to be a state capital. In addition, we eventually learn how governments operate and the vital roll each state plays in our national government.

    Are state capitals found in the largest cities of each states? No. The first state capitals were built according the where the majority of the population lived in a state, or near a main access hub. For example, North Dakota is home of National Day Calendar. Our state capital is Bismarck, but was once the capital of the Dakota Territory. The Northern Pacific Railroad was built to transfer goods from eastern U.S. to the west, making Bismarck the prime location for state government. Bismarck became the official state capital only after the territory was split into 2 states–North and South Dakota.

    Huh?

    • The letter Q is the only letter NOT found in any of the state names
    • Sweet Home, Alabama is a real place.
    • It’s illegal to bury people in San Francisco, California.
    • New Jersey has a volcano.
    • South Carolina has a place called Monkey Island, that has over 4,000 rhesus monkeys.
    • The state bird for Wisconsin is a plastic flamingo.
    • There are more chickens in Delaware than there are people.
    • The Empire State Building in New York has it’s own zip code.

    State Capitals in Small Cities

    • Juneau, Alaska, population est. 32,300.
    • Dover, Delaware, population est. 39,400.
    • Frankfort, Kentucky, population est. 28,600.
    • Augusta, Maine, population est. 18,900.
    • Annapolis, Maryland, population est. 40,800.
    • Jefferson City, Missouri, population est. 43,230.
    • Helena, Montana, population est. 32,100.
    • Concord, New Hampshire, population est. 4,000.
    • Pierre, South Dakota, population est. 14,100.
    • Montpelier, Vermont, population est. 8,100.

    LEARN YOUR STATES AND CAPITALS

    • Divide learning about states into regions to learn each region before moving on to the next.
    • Check out a book from the library each week on a specific state to learn facts. Return the book and pick another state until all states have been covered.
    • Learn fun facts about states. What famous people are from there? What kind of tourist attractions might be fun to visit?
    • Fix a puzzle with all 50 states and capitals.
    • Draw a map of the United States with the states and fill in the capitals, too.
    • Use Dick & Jane Educational Snacks to help your kids learn about states and capitals.
    • Tag your videos learning states and capitals on social media #NationalStatesandCapitalsDay.

    BEHIND NATIONAL STATES AND CAPITALS DAY

    Dick & Jane Educational Snacks receives credit for the idea to celebrate National States and Capitals Day on September 22. Not only does it raise awareness about the importance of knowing all 50 states and capitals, it reminds people to have fun while learning.

    Owners Dick & Jane (yes, those are their real names), have a passion for education. With a mission to bring a fun way for kids to enjoy learning, they set out to help kids enjoy learning through creating a business of healthy snacks that also serve as learning tools. Primarily geared for students K-8, their snacks can be used as a teaching tool to learn about:

    If you would like more information about Dick & Jane Educational Snacks, please contact:

    Alisha Beasley
    Business Development Manager
    Alisha@EducationalSnacks.us
    248-519-2418

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  • CLASSROOM – Crayon

    CLASSROOM – Crayon

    National Crayon Day inspires this week’s classroom and why not? Crayons are an essential tool for every student. Even high school students find coloring relaxing and a creative outlet. When was the last time you colored? Yesterday? This morning? We never grow too old to color.

    HOW TO OBSERVE CLASSROOM – Crayon

    Break out the crayons. Color. Create art. Sort. Collect. Use every color in the box!

    Celebrate Every Day in the Classroom by:

    1. Asking a question about the day or observance and finding the answer.
    2. Exploring the subject further. Whether you read a book, interview an expert, watch a documentary, or run an experiment, there is always more to learn about the observance.
    3. Writing about the day or observance. You can write about what you learned or what the day means to you.
    4. Telling someone about the day. You might be sharing information that is helpful to someone. Or, you might brighten someone’s day.
    5. Solving a problem. Many observances discuss issues around the world that need fixing. How would you fix it?
    6. Being creative. Draw, paint, build, design, bake, create your idea of what the observance means.

    Of course, as always, sharing on social media isn’t required; learning is. But if you do, please use #NDCClassroom to share on social media.

    THIS WEEK’S PROJECTS

    Check out this week’s dot-to-dot and then head over to our long list of coloring pages. We have many to choose from. You can also complete the Celebration Challenge.

    There are over 1,500 national days. Don’t miss a single one. Celebrate Every Day® with National Day Calendar®!

    National Day Calendar® is protected under the copyright laws of the United States. All information on this page, including design, audio, video, text, photographs, and graphics, is owned and controlled by National Day Calendar. Duplicating, plagiarizing, or falsely claiming creative ownership, printed or digital, without consent of National Day Calendar, is considered a violation of United States copyright laws. See full description of National Day Calendar copyright rules.

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    Michele

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  • CLASSROOM – Goof Off

    CLASSROOM – Goof Off

    We don’t usually goof off in the classroom. However, sometimes goofing off is a good thing, even in the classroom. We can goof off for a few minutes to clear our minds and get ready for the next project, lesson or subject. There are many ways to goof off. We can play games, sing songs, or just be silly. And then, it’s time to get back to work, fresh and alert.

    HOW TO OBSERVE CLASSROOM – Goof Off

    Take a break and get goofy.

    Celebrate Every Day in the Classroom by:

    1. Asking a question about the day or observance and finding the answer.
    2. Exploring the subject further. Whether you read a book, interview an expert, watch a documentary, or run an experiment, there is always more to learn about the observance.
    3. Writing about the day or observance. You can write about what you learned or what the day means to you.
    4. Telling someone about the day. You might be sharing information that is helpful to someone. Or, you might brighten someone’s day.
    5. Solving a problem. Many observances discuss issues around the world that need fixing. How would you fix it?
    6. Being creative. Draw, paint, build, design, bake, create your idea of what the observance means.

    Of course, as always, sharing on social media isn’t required; learning is. But if you do, please use #NDCClassroom to share on social media.

    THIS WEEK’S PROJECTS

    There are over 1,500 national days. Don’t miss a single one. Celebrate Every Day® with National Day Calendar®!

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    Michele

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  • CLASSROOM – Johnny Appleseed

    CLASSROOM – Johnny Appleseed

    Spring is the perfect time to talk about planting in the classroom and Johnny Appleseed in the inspiring legend of a real man who is also part myth. This week in the classroom we offer a couple of projects to use in the classroom for National Johnny Appleseed Day.

    HOW TO OBSERVE CLASSROOM – Johnny Appleseed

    Explore the story of Johnny Appleseed. What do your students think about how he lived and what parts of his story are reality and what is myth?

    Celebrate Every Day in the Classroom by:

    1. Asking a question about the day or observance and finding the answer.
    2. Exploring the subject further. Whether you read a book, interview an expert, watch a documentary, or run an experiment, there is always more to learn about the observance.
    3. Writing about the day or observance. You can write about what you learned or what the day means to you.
    4. Telling someone about the day. You might be sharing information that is helpful to someone. Or, you might brighten someone’s day.
    5. Solving a problem. Many observances discuss issues around the world that need fixing. How would you fix it?
    6. Being creative. Draw, paint, build, design, bake, create your idea of what the observance means.

    Of course, as always, sharing on social media isn’t required; learning is. But if you do, please use #NDCClassroom to share on social media.

    THIS WEEK’S PROJECTS

    There are over 1,500 national days. Don’t miss a single one. Celebrate Every Day® with National Day Calendar®!

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    Michele

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  • CLASSROOM – Farming

    CLASSROOM – Farming

    National Farm Rescuer Day inspires this week’s topic in the Classroom. Farming is a vital industry that feeds not only you and me but the entire world. We also introduce a new Celebration Challenge format that can be used as often as you like.

    HOW TO OBSERVE CLASSROOM – Farming

    Discuss how farming impacts our lives. From the farmer who sows a grain of wheat to the baker who makes the bread to the grocery store employee who stocks the shelves to the meal we will eat tonight, farmers touch everyone’s lives many times over.

    Celebrate Every Day in the Classroom by:

    1. Asking a question about the day or observance and finding the answer.
    2. Exploring the subject further. Whether you read a book, interview an expert, watch a documentary, or run an experiment, there is always more to learn about the observance.
    3. Writing about the day or observance. You can write about what you learned or what the day means to you.
    4. Telling someone about the day. You might be sharing information that is helpful to someone. Or, you might brighten someone’s day.
    5. Solving a problem. Many observances discuss issues around the world that need fixing. How would you fix it?
    6. Being creative. Draw, paint, build, design, bake, create your idea of what the observance means.

    Of course, as always, sharing on social media isn’t required; learning is. But if you do, please use #NDCClassroom to share on social media.

    THIS WEEK’S PROJECTS

    Download and print this week’s projects.

    There are over 1,500 national days. Don’t miss a single one. Celebrate Every Day® with National Day Calendar®!

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    Michele

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  • CLASSROOM – Old Stuff

    CLASSROOM – Old Stuff

    National Old Stuff Day inspires this week’s classroom. But what does old stuff have to do with the classroom? First off, we repeat the same actions and routines every day. We often do them without really thinking about them. Routines are good. They keep us on schedule. They order the day in a way that makes sense to us. These are old things that we don’t have to learn to do anymore. It’s old stuff. However, change has a way of making us examine the old stuff. Sometimes we cling to a routine because we’re comfortable with it. It makes sense to us. The same applies to our students. Change can be scary, but it can also be good.

    Another way to look at the day is by looking at the physical things in our life—the stuff. For students, these things might include books, games, toys, clothes, jewelry, blankets, or a backpack. Each old item might have some significance or they might not even know why they still have it. In either case, the day looks at how these items can serve a new purpose or serve the same purpose for someone else. No matter their age, students can take a look at the Old Stuff in their life and see it from a different perspective.

    HOW TO OBSERVE CLASSROOM – Old Stuff

    Take a look at the old stuff with your students. Download and print this week’s projects for more ways to explore the day.

    Celebrate Every Day in the Classroom by:

    1. Asking a question about the day or observance and finding the answer.
    2. Exploring the subject further. Whether you read a book, interview an expert, watch a documentary, or run an experiment, there is always more to learn about the observance.
    3. Writing about the day or observance. You can write about what you learned or what the day means to you.
    4. Telling someone about the day. You might be sharing information that is helpful to someone. Or, you might brighten someone’s day.
    5. Solving a problem. Many observances discuss issues around the world that need fixing. How would you fix it?
    6. Being creative. Draw, paint, build, design, bake, create your idea of what the observance means.

    Of course, as always, sharing on social media isn’t required; learning is. But if you do, please use #NDCClassroom to share on social media.

    THIS WEEK’S PROJECTS

    Old Stuff. Should it stay? Should it go? That’s something for your students to decide.

    There are over 1,500 national days. Don’t miss a single one. Celebrate Every Day® with National Day Calendar®!

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    Michele

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  • CLASSROOM – Mother Language

    CLASSROOM – Mother Language

    A mother language is the first language a person begins to speak. Imagine if you were the last person who knew how to speak your mother language. How important would it be to save your language? This week in the classroom we discuss mother languages and learning new languages. Languages are a part of our culture. The words, the sentence structure, even how we say certain words are influenced by our culture and history. When a language is lost, much of a culture dies with it.

    This week, look into languages with dwindling speakers. Discover what is being done to preserve those languages.

    HOW TO OBSERVE in the CLASSROOM – Mother Language

    Download and print this week’s projects. You can also follow the suggestions below to help your students explore the days in their own way. It might surprise you what they discover! We’re often surprised by our own discoveries!

    Celebrate Every Day in the Classroom by:

    1. Asking a question about the day or observance and finding the answer.
    2. Exploring the subject further. Whether you read a book, interview an expert, watch a documentary, or run an experiment, there is always more to learn about the observance.
    3. Writing about the day or observance. You can write about what you learned or what the day means to you.
    4. Telling someone about the day. You might be sharing information that is helpful to someone. Or, you might brighten someone’s day.
    5. Solving a problem. Many observances discuss issues around the world that need fixing. How would you fix it?
    6. Being creative. Draw, paint, build, design, bake, create your idea of what the observance means.

    Of course, as always, sharing on social media isn’t required; learning is. But if you do, please use #NDCClassroom to share on social media.

    THIS WEEK’S PROJECTS

    There are over 1,500 national days. Don’t miss a single one. Celebrate Every Day® with National Day Calendar®!

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    Michele

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  • CLASSROOM – No One Eats Alone

    CLASSROOM – No One Eats Alone

    Classrooms across the country participate in No One Eats Alone Day. The student-led observance is a call to action and encourages students to include their fellow peers at lunchtime. This week in the classroom we offer up a project that will encourage students to get to know someone new. It serves as an invitation to build friendships and an environment of understanding.

    HOW TO OBSERVE in the CLASSROOM – No One Eats Alone

    Download and print this week’s projects. You can also follow the suggestions below to help your students explore the days in their own way. It might surprise you what they discover! We’re often surprised by our own discoveries!

    Celebrate Every Day in the Classroom by:

    1. Asking a question about the day or observance and finding the answer.
    2. Exploring the subject further. Whether you read a book, interview an expert, watch a documentary, or run an experiment, there is always more to learn about the observance.
    3. Writing about the day or observance. You can write about what you learned or what the day means to you.
    4. Telling someone about the day. You might be sharing information that is helpful to someone. Or, you might brighten someone’s day.
    5. Solving a problem. Many observances discuss issues around the world that need fixing. How would you fix it?
    6. Being creative. Draw, paint, build, design, bake, create your idea of what the observance means.

    Of course, as always, sharing on social media isn’t required; learning is. But if you do, please use #NDCClassroom to share on social media.

    THIS WEEK’S PROJECTS

    Download and print this week’s projects to celebrate No One Eats Alone Day.

    There are over 1,500 national days. Don’t miss a single one. Celebrate Every Day® with National Day Calendar®!

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    Michele

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There are over 1,500 national days. Don’t miss a single one. Celebrate Every Day with National Day Calendar!

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