Cole's class has been doing Me Bag presentations each Friday. Cole's group did their presentations last Friday. The kids were asked to decorate a paper bag and then to tuck up to eight items that were meaningful to or descriptive of the child. At school the kids, one by one, shared why each item was included and answered questions about them.
Cole chose to decorate his bag (a sparkly blue gift bag reused from his birthday) with pictures of his life and some favorite things (like Ellen, Little Bill, Rachael Ray, and of course, his cousins). Surfing was represented, as was horseback riding and Bear & Charlie (his dog and cat).
The following items were included in the bag and the reasons are all Cole:
1. His wetsuit - I like my wetsuit because I like to swim in the ocean all day.
2. Igloo (Iggy), Cole's Polar Bear Webkinz - I have fun with my webkinz, Iggy, on the computer.
3. Nate the Great book - I like to read Nate the Great books because he's funny and solves mysteries.
4. Triangle Crayons - I like my crayons for coloring and my mom used them when we do math homework.
5. Wooden Toy Bowling Set - I love to go bowling!
6. Wooden Spoon - I like to help my mom and dad cook.
We programmed everything into his Tango! so he could do the presentation himself. Apparently, he thoroughly enjoyed his time up front and when it came time for the next child to do their presentation, he was loathe to leave the "stage". The hook came out and dragged him away!
I wish I could have been there to see him. I was there at drop-off and pick-up and did see a lot of other kids checking out the outside of his bag, surprised to see him engaging in so many different activities that they like to do too. It turned out to be a terrific way to share a little more about himself with his peers who didn't know he loved bowling, or that he could bowl in a wheelchair, or that he could ride horses, or boogie board. It made him happy to see the kids somewhat impressed with his achievements and interests. The bag was a good reminder for them that he's not all that different...
