Father’s Day

Happy Saturday everyone.

The third Sunday of every June marks a very special day in Canada and the United States – Father’s Day. It is a day for people to show their appreciation for fathers and/or other father figures in their life. For most teachers, this means we will be busy thinking of a special craft to make with our students.

I would like to share a poem I wrote, along with a craft I created and will be using with my Kindergarten students this
week – My Hero (poem-in-shirt). You will notice that the word Father was omitted from the poem. This is to allow students a chance to personally address the craft to someone in their life, who may or may not, be their father. I think it’s important to note that we need to be extra sensitive when talking about families around this event, as not all children may have a father present in their life. In my class, I emphasize that Father’s Day is not just about celebrating dads, but also about recognizing father-figures in their life. Sometimes this can mean a brother, an uncle, grandfather, stepfather, etc. I also make sure to include literature in my classroom that reflects that diversity.

This package includes: the poem My Hero, a dress-shirt template, 3 tie templates (one with stripes that students can colour in a pattern, one with polka dots, and another for students to draw their own design). The shirt template is best photocopied on light construction paper, and the tie on white paper. Once the tie is cut out, have students glue the top of the tie onto the neckline of the shirt. When the tie is lifted, it will reveal the poem, My Hero, beneath.

The top of the dress-shirt should be cut off (to create shoulders), and the rest of the shirt can be decorated in any way the students choose (polka-dots, stripes, finger-paint splotches, etc.).