Dear Editor and G-R Fans, One of the most exciting things about summer is planning new things for my Fourth Graders. I’ve found some new books to recommend (including a 3-book survival series that fifth graders will want to read too) and some new cooperative activities like the “Letter Tiles” that were so popular last year. I have so many things to decide and can’t wait to get started! While organizing my classroom (and for those of you who have seen my classroom, you can stop laughing), I came across one of my favorite books by Edward De Bono called Six Thinking Hats. He teaches that if you wear different hats to look at a situation, you begin to see and understand it better. While the Red Hat gives the emotional view, the White Hat is neutral and objective. When we wear the White Hat we let the facts and figures do the thinking. As you make decisions this fall I hope you’ll put on the White Hat – get the facts and figures for yourself before you make important decisions. Do the right thing. Do what is right for your child. Don’t make important decisions based on anger or because someone told you to do something. That’s not what we teach kids to do, and our actions speak louder than words. My flowers need to be watered so they look nice for Science on the Deck, and Bruce has a long to-do list for me so I’d better get started. I Love G-R, Mrs. Bailey