Pinata Time!

We started our pinata art project today.  I'm never quite sure how long it will take my students to make them, so I try to do it at the beginning of April so there's plenty of time to finish before the end of school.  They're all working in groups of two, although quite a few of them are doing separate pinatas even though they're a group.  Oh well, if they want to do all the work, so be it.  We had just enough time to build the pinata with glue/newspaper/balloons.  Each student got one balloon so if there was a group of two they could combine theirs to make a head/body of something for their pinata.  One 6th grader popped his, so I gave him a new one.  Then that one popped.  He said it had just been resting in his hand!  Poor kid, it was not his day today.

At lunch, one of the 5th grade girls stole his 'spot' at the lunch table, so he tried to shove her out of the way. She shoved back, he shoved back, classmates got pushed and also shoved... his tray slipped and knocked her milk all over her tray so she had to get a new lunch.  Of course I was still in the lunch line getting my lunch while all this happened.  He was so frustrated/angry/upset when I came in that he could barely talk.  The girl got a new lunch, he explained what happened after lunch (calmly in the coatroom), and we went on our merry way.

The bell foam arrived today.  It was in a big, roundish, cardboard container.  After math/7th8th class, all the 5-8th graders gathered around the table for the opening of the foam... it wasn't nearly as exciting as everyone had hoped.  First, the box was wrapped in saran wrap, then came the box, followed by another layer of saran wrap, followed by the plastic bag package the foam was actually inside.  Sure it was all squished, but it didn't suddenly come flying out to hit someone in the face.  One 7th grader actually wanted that to happen; he kept moving around for maximum impact.  It didn't actually hit him.  Still, new foam is exciting.  And we got to have a dumpster party throwing away all the old yucky foam!