How to Spread Warmth and Hope

Tips to Create Gift Bags for the Homeless This Christmas

The holiday season is a time for giving, and there's no better way to show compassion than by helping those in need. One impactful way to make a difference is by creating gift bags for homeless individuals.  

A gallon-sized plastic bag filled with essential items can provide much-needed comfort and support during the coldest months of the year. This can be a class project, or students can create bags as individual projects. 

I sent a letter home to parents inviting them to create bags with their children as a great opportunity to teach children about compassion and giving back to the community. My letter made it very clear that his project would not receive a grade and that it was entirely voluntary. I was pleasantly surprised at how many participated. 

What to Include in the Gift Bags

When assembling your gift bags, focus on practical items that can improve the daily lives of those experiencing homelessness. Ensure all items are new or gently used and packaged in clean bags.

Warmth and Comfort:

Thick socks 

Beanies

Gloves

Scarves

Blankets (small, travel-sized)

Hygiene Essentials

Toothbrushes and toothpaste

Soap

Sunscreen

Deodorant

Wet wipes

Lip balm
Nourishment:

Protein bars

Granola bars

Nuts and seeds

Water bottles

Additional Items:

Rain ponchos

Band-aids and first-aid supplies

Individually wrapped tissues

Making it Personal

To add a personal touch, consider including a handwritten note of encouragement.

Where to Distribute Your Gift Bags

There are several ways to distribute your gift bags:

• Local Homeless Shelters: Contact your local homeless shelter to inquire about their needs and donation procedures.

• Soup Kitchens and Food Banks: These organizations often interact with individuals experiencing homelessness and can distribute the bags on your behalf.

• Outreach Programs: Many cities have organizations dedicated to helping the homeless. Research local options and see how you can partner with them.

By creating and distributing gift bags, you can make a tangible impact on the lives of those experiencing homelessness. Your generosity can bring warmth, comfort, and hope during the holiday season and beyond. It makes an excellent class or group project.

I have a free resource for your students to help them get into the spirit of the season.

Download your FREE resource here.

Download this resource here.

Thanks for reading. I wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season. 

Charlene

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The Magic of Gratitude

We can do a great service to our students by encouraging them to express their gratitude. Sometimes, they need a nudge to realize that appreciating the small things in life can lead to happiness.

 

3 Ways to Boost Gratitude

1. Gratitude Journaling: Buy a spiral notebook or a blank journal and choose a time each day to jot down things you’re thankful for. This could improve your outlook on life.

1. Express Gratitude to Others: Take the time to verbally express your appreciation for the people in your life. You can do so in person, in a phone call, text, or email. You don’t need a reason. If you appreciate someone, say so.

1. Practice Mindfulness in Daily Activities: Pay attention to the small pleasures and experiences throughout your day, from the way the sky looks to the taste of something you enjoy eating or drinking. Involve as many senses as you can. How does something you encounter look, taste, feel, smell, or sound?

I think it’s important to help students express gratitude for everything they receive from others. Saying thank you is a small act, but it can have a big impact on one’s mental, emotional, and physical health.

November is a month filled with opportunities to express gratitude. We celebrate Veterans Day, International Men’s Day, and Thanksgiving Day.

I have a really popular gratitude resource in my store, and it’s FREE.

 

A Gratitude Booklet makes a heartfelt gift for Christmas, birthdays, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, or any occasion. This creative writing activity encourages students to research one of their own family members or significant friends and write biographical sketches. They will enjoy learning more about their family history and will experience the joy of giving a truly unique and special gift. The recipient of the Gratitude Booklet will learn how loved and valued they are by those who contributed to the booklet.

You can download this resource here.

 

 I also have three inexpensive and helpful resources for Thanksgiving and the winter holidays.

You can download it here.

You can download this here.

You can download this here.

I am grateful to you for many reasons. Thank you for reading for reading my blog and for being a teacher. I hope you and your students and your family have a blessed holiday. 

Thanks for reading,

 

Charlene

 

Thanks for reading. Check out the Linky Party below to find blog posts from my teacher friends at The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs Marketing Cooperative. If you would like to join this group, click here.

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Halloween is a Spooktacular Opportunity for Writing

Halloween is often seen as a time for costumes, candy, and spooky decorations. However, for secondary English teachers, it presents a unique opportunity to engage students in creative and engaging writing activities. The eerie atmosphere, rich symbolism, and imaginative potential of Halloween can ignite students' imaginations and inspire them to write with passion and purpose.

Why is Halloween perfect for writing?

Halloween is a feast for the senses. From the crunch of leaves to the eerie creaking of old houses, students can tap into vivid imagery to create atmospheric writing.

 

Halloween offers a wide range of genres to explore, from fantasy and humor to horror and suspense.

 

Halloween evokes a full range of emotions, from fear and excitement to mystery and wonder.

 

Here’s a sample of several of the assignments I gave the students in my classroom:

A challenge to write their own spine-chilling short stories.

A challenge to write a mystery or a detective story.

A challenge to create in-depth character sketches of Halloween icons.

A challenge to write song lyrics, poems, limericks, or free verse.

A challenge to write dialogue for scenes in plays.

 

If you incorporate Halloween into your language arts curriculum, you can create a fun and engaging learning environment while helping students develop essential writing skills. I have several creative writing activities in my store that can unleash your students’ creativity.

FREE

You can download it here.

 

 Here's a resource that my students loved. 

You can download it here.

 

Thanks for reading,

 

Charlene

 

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Tips to Avoid Three Common Grammar Mistakes

Subject-Verb Agreement Errors: This occurs when the subject and verb in a sentence do not agree in number. For example, “The team are winning” should be “The team is winning” because “team” is a singular noun.

 

The most helpful tip I can offer is to always determine the correct subject and verb in the sentence and decide if each is singular or plural.  Once you know, it is easy to make them agree. Often, a prepositional phrase occurs between the subject and verb, complicating the process.

 

Let’s look at this example sentence. One of the boys (is, are) going to help me.

If you’re not careful to remove the prepositional phrase, you might think that the plural noun “boys “and the plural verb “are” agree. This is wrong because the noun boys is not the subject.

If you find and remove the prepositional phrase before you determine subject/verb agreement, you will see that “one” is the subject. “One” is a singular pronoun, and it agrees with the singular verb “is.” One of the boys (is, are) going to help me.

 

 

Misplaced Modifiers: A modifier placed too far from the word it’s supposed to modify can create confusion or a completely different meaning. For instance, “She only eats apples” suggests that eating is all she does with apples, whereas “She eats only apples” clarifies that apples are the only thing she eats.

Misplaced modifiers often create humorous word pictures. For example: The children ran through the streets wearing Halloween costumes.

 

 

Confusion Between Homophones: Words that sound alike but have different meanings and spellings often cause mistakes. Common examples include “they’re,” “their,” and “there,”; “your,” and “you’re,” and “its” and “it’s.” Misusing these can lead to misunderstandings or a lack of clarity in communication.

 

When you are unsure of which spelling to use, always consult a dictionary. Practice using common homophones correctly.

 

The five most common homonym errors often made in writing and speaking are:

1.   There / Their / They’re

      •   There: Refers to a place or position (e.g., “The book is over there”).

      •   Their: Possessive form of “they” (e.g., “Their house is big”).

      •   They’re: Contraction of “they are” (e.g., “They’re going to the park”).

2.   Your / You’re

      •   Your: Possessive form of “you” (e.g., “Your car is parked outside”).

      •   You’re: Contraction of “you are” (e.g., “You’re going to love this movie”).

3.   Its / It’s

      •   Its: Possessive form of “it” (e.g., “The cat licked its paws”).

      •   It’s: Contraction of “it is” or “it has” (e.g., “It’s raining outside”).

4.   To / Too / Two

      •   To: Preposition indicating direction or purpose (e.g., “I’m going to the store”).

      •   Too: Means “also” or “excessively” (e.g., “I want to go too” or “That’s too much”).

      •   Two: The number 2 (e.g., “I have two cats”).

5.   Affect / Effect

      •   Affect: Usually a verb meaning “to influence” (e.g., “The weather will affect our plans”).

·   Effect: Usually a noun meaning “the result” (e.g., “The effect of the storm was severe”).

 

You can download a FREE list of some of the most common homophones here.

 

Here are two resources you may find helpful.

You will find it here.

 

You will find it here.

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