March Calendar Events–Spring Bursts on the Scene

 

 “March Calendar Events–Spring Bursts on the Scene” by Linda Martin Andersen

My sister asked me to redo a floral arrangement I had made for her several years ago.  It needed a pick-me-up.   I finished the changes on February 24, a snow day in Fayetteville, NC.  Even though I love the occasional snow here, I was glad to see spring burst on the scene, even if it was in my foyer.

I hope something from the March calendar events will put you in a creative or playful mood.  Enjoy!

Copyright 2015 Linda Martin Andersen

 

March is…

American Red Cross Month or Red Cross Month–Name a time the Red Cross helped someone.  What did they do?  Do you know any Red Cross volunteers?  Research and learn more about this organization.

Deaf History Month (3/13 to 4/15)—What books have you read with a character who is deaf?  Does the character speak and sign?  Are any of your friends hearing impaired?  Do you know any students who have someone who signs for them?  Where can you learn sign language?

Expanding Girls’ Horizons in Science & Engineering Month–Why is this called “expanding girls’ horizons?”  Why do you think girls might need this?  Discuss this with others.

Mad for Plaid Month—Name three things you usually find in plaid.   Are you mad for plaid or do you dislike it?  Why? 

Music In Our Schools Month–If you could choose the music for your music class what would you choose?  Why?  What is your favorite instrument?  Favorite musician?  Favorite type of music?

National Craft Month–Do you own a craft box?  What type craft supplies are inside?  What  projects do you enjoy?  Where do you get your ideas?  Do you share them with friends and family?  My daughter-in-law gets lots of ideas from Pinterest.  She recently showed me photographs of benches made from old bed frames.  A friend, Joy Acey, makes Poetry Boxes and shares them with family and friends.  See her blog post about poetry boxes and photographs too:  http://poetryforkidsjoy.blogspot.com/search?q=Poetry+Boxes

Copyright 2015 Joy Acey

Copyright 2015 Joy Acey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

National Kite Month (3/28-5/3)—Maybe you’d like to fly a kite this month.  When did you last do this?  Where were you?  Was it during March?  If so, was it a “lamb” or “lion” day?  What do I mean by that?  What does it mean when you tell someone to “go fly a kite?”  Draw a kite design and a setting that hints about your day.  Think Charlie Brown, kite, and a tree.  Do you remember what Charlie Brown called that tree?

National March Into Literacy Month–What does it mean to “march” into something?  What does “literacy” mean?  How are you “marching into literacy?”

National Nutrition Month–Name as many healthy foods as you can in a minute.  What healthy substitutions could you make in your diet?  For example, substitute water for soft drinks.  Will you try one healthy substitution for a week?

Optimism Month–What is optimism?  Which of your friends would you call optimists?  Would they call you an optimist?  What helps you have a positive outlook?  How can you share it?  Joan Edwards, a dear friend of mine and a true optimist, has a blog called “Never Give Up.”  Check it out here:  https://joanyedwards.wordpress.com/

Sing With Your Child Month–Think of something you like to do with a friend.  What is a song that fits that experience?  Try singing it next time you’re doing this together.  For example:  When out boating, you could sing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.”

Women’s History Month–Who is a famous woman in history that you admire?  What did you admire about her?  What do you have in common with this person?   How would you like to be remembered?

Youth Art Month–Name places where youth art would be on display in your area.  Where could you go to see more?

Special Weeks in March…

Celebrate Your Name Week: 1-7–Do you know anyone with the same name as someone famous?  Surely, there’s another Michael Jordan around. 

Edgar Allan Poe is a famous author’s name.   The 1897 Poe House, a part of the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex in Fayetteville, NC.  was owned by Edgar Allan Poe, but not the author.   This historical house shows what life was like in 1897.  See here:

http://www.ncdcr.gov/ncmcf/1897PoeHouse.aspx

What do you know about your name?  Are you named for a relative or someone famous?  Who chose your name?

National Pet Sitters Week: 1-7–Have you ever worked as a pet sitter?  If so, what were your duties?  How would you rate your pet sitting skills on a scale from 1-10?  Why?  Would you rather pet sit or baby sit?  Why?

National Procrastination Week: 1-7–What is procrastination?  It is usually seen as a problem.  When have you procrastinated?  Any tips for someone with this problem?

Return The Borrowed Books Week: 1-7–Do you have any overdue library books?  Have you ever paid an overdue fee?  Have you ever lost a library book and had to pay for it?  What are ways to prevent this from happening?  Can you renew books online?  Where do you place borrowed books when you take them home?  Is there a better place for them?

Save Your Vision Week: 1-7–Does your school regularly check students’ vision?  This could help detect vision problems.  What are other ways to save your vision?  What are some things that can damage vision? 

Severe Weather Preparedness Week: 1-7–What severe weather preparations does your family make?  Have you ever gone without electricity or water for a long period of time?  Do temporary shelters open in your area?  Have you ever stayed in one?

Women in Construction Week: 1-7–A friend of mine is getting a new house built.  A woman is her construction contractor.  What women do you know in the construction field?  What construction work can you do? What construction work would you like to learn?  Who could you ask to help you?

Women of Aviation Worldwide Week: 2-8–What is an aviator?  Whose name comes to mind when you hear women aviators?  What deed is she best known for?  Check your facts.  Add a few more to your memory bank.  Ask family members the same questions.  Have them check their answers and add to their knowledge. 

National Agriculture Week: 8-13–What agricultural products is your state or area known for?  Have you ever worked on a farm?  Have you raised any of your own food?  Have you ever picked fresh corn or selected a pumpkin from a farm.  I grew up gathering things from our family vegetable garden.  Last year, I had a dairy farm treat.  I ate ice cream produced fresh at  Maple View Farm in Hillsboro, NC.  Learn more here.

  http://www.mapleviewfarm.com/about.php

Girl Scout Week: 8-14–Say “Girl Scouts” and most people think…cookies.  I know I do.  Do you?  Are you a Girl Scout?  Have you been?  What’s your favorite Girl Scout cookie?

Act Happy Week: 16-22–What do you think “Act Happy Week” should include?  What if you don’t feel happy all the time?  What can you do?  What else?  When I needed someone to help me feel happy, Stephanie Green, a children’s book author volunteered to show me around town and visit with me.  Thanks, Stephanie.  She is finishing the 12th and final book of her Princess Posey series.  Check out her books here:

http://stephaniegreenebooks.com/books/books.html

Wildlife Week: 16-21–What wildlife have you seen in your backyard?  On road trips?  Other places?  Have you ever seen posted signs asking you not to…feed the ducks or other animals?  Why do you think that is a rule there?  Should you respect the request?  Why or why not?

World Folktales & Fables Week: 16-22–What old stories do you like to hear?  Can you tell any of the Aesop Fables without having to read them?  Try it.

International Tree Climbing Days: 21-22–Do you have a favorite tree for climbing?  Do you read, write, or draw while in the tree?  Do you have a tree house or know someone who does?  What about a tree swing?  If you have no place to play in trees, use your imagination to take you there.  Oh and be careful about tree climbing.  Do it with parents’ permission and always with landowner’s permission.

Tsunami Awareness Week: 22-28–What is a tsunami?  Describe its power and the damage it can cause.  How would you prepare for a tsunami?

American Crossword Puzzle Days: 27-29–Do you solve crossword puzzles?  Do you find them online, create your own, or buy crossword puzzle books? 

National Week of the Ocean: 29-4/4–What would you like to see or do in the ocean?  Have you ever been on the ocean?  What were you riding on?   A motor boat, a yacht,  a cruise ship, etc.

 Special Days in March…

Dr. Seuss Day: 2–Thank goodness Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel), didn’t give up even after 27 rejections.  We like to hear his silly stories again and again.

http://www.npr.org/2012/01/24/145471724/how-dr-seuss-got-his-start-on-mulberry-street

National Grammar Day: 4–Do you have an ear for grammar errors?  What grammar errors do you often hear?  Do you have an eye for grammar errors?  What words trip you up?  What can you do?

Toy Soldier Day: 4–When I hear ” Toy Soldier,” I recall the dance from the “Nutcracker Ballet.”  What do you think of when you hear “toy soldier?”  What books, movies, etc?

World Read Aloud Day:  4–Check out Amy Ludwig VanDerwater’s poem called “Reading Aloud.”  Also read “This Home” inspired by a child who makes a paper house for her toy turtle and classmates join in the fun. 

http://www.poemfarm.amylv.com/2015/02/struck-by-tiny-paper-home.html

World Day of Prayer: 6 (Always First Friday)—Is there prayer at the flag pole at your school on this day?  What do wish all the world would pray for?

National Cereal Day: 7–What are some of your favorite TV commercials for cereal?  What are some of your favorite cereals?  Which of the cereals you eat do you think is probably the healthiest?  How did you decide?

Daylight Savings Time Begins: 8 (One hour ahead)–If you get confused about whether to move ahead or behind an hour, here is a saying to help you remember:  “Spring forward.  Fall back.”  Have you ever been late on the morning following the change in Spring?  Have you ever been an hour early in the Fall?

International Ask A Question Day: 14–What job/career encourages a person to ask lots of questions?  Any others?  Ask someone else this question and see if your answers are the same.

Awkward Moments Day: 18–What are some awkward times you remember? Share them with someone.  Maybe the whole family will join in.  When I was a teenager, I remember some TV commercials products made me feel awkward if my boyfriend was over. 

World Day of Theatre for Children and Young People: 20–Have you ever been in a play or other production before an audience?  What about a program at school?  Does your area host summer theatre camps for children?  Do churches in your area put on productions?  Would you like to perform?  Where can you find out about acting?

International Day of Forests and The Tree: 21–A tree farm grows in front of my house.  I would like to know more about forests.  If we are lucky, a guest blogger will share a bit of his knowledge with us this month.  Stay tuned!

National Common Courtesy Day: 21–Define common courtesy.  Check here: 

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/courtesy

What manners do you call your strengths?  Which ones need some improvement?  How can manners be improved?   Where can you practice?

National Quilting Day: 21–Where have you seen people quilting?  Was it on TV, video, a movie, or at a craft festival?  Do you have a handmade quilt?  Do you know anyone who donates homemade quilts for church raffles or gifts?  Where did early quilters get fabric for sewing?  What is quilt art?  I have a lovely art quilt given to me by Maureen Wartski.  It is called “Moon Magic.”  See other samples of Maureen’s art work here, shown in her memory.  I miss you, dear friend.  https://maureenwartski.wordpress.com/art/

Poetry Day: 21–Write or read poetry today.  Find seasonal poems, poems about animals, poems about school.  Choose other topics.   Read poems by three favorite poets.  Read poems you haven’t read before.   Look for a poems by a poet you do not know.   Do you have a new favorite?

International Goof-off Day: 22–What is a “goof-off?”  When have you been one?  What day of the week would you say you might be the most likely to goof-off?  Why?

Tuskegee Airmen Day: 22—Who are the Tuskegee airman?  Why are they honored with a special day?  When was this group formed?  Why?  Have you ever seen a movie or special program about the Tuskegee Airmen?  Where were you?  Share something you learned.

Please leave a comment.  Come again soon and bring a friend.

For more March celebrations visit  http://www.brownielocks.com/march.html

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