4th grade after-school: sponsoring this group (once a week)
The leader knows how a sponsor funds the manual, the activity books, and the flashcards, and how to ask. This once a week plan is for 4th grade children in a after-school group.
about 9, the upper end of the program- 5 to 10 minutes missions
- once a week
Sponsoring this group for 4th grade in a after-school group
The leader knows how a sponsor funds the manual, the activity books, and the flashcards, and how to ask. In this after-school room, 4th grade children (about 9, the upper end of the program) practice with “The blocks back in the bins.” Eli, the classmate, Eli stayed after play and put the blocks back in the right bins. The once a week calendar is the one that fits: This is the once-per-week format from the second half of the manual, written for groups and clubs that do not meet daily. One meeting carries the mission. A single home task goes in the activity book. Do not try to compress five school days into one hour.
The after-school leader leads. Children have already been in school. Skip silent copying drills. Say the line, act the kindness, and write only the note the program is building toward. Children answer in student-led, with the adult timing the 5 to 10 minutes. The spoken line is “Thank you for cleaning up the blocks with me..” The note line is “Thank you for putting the blocks away..” Alison Gilham’s program supplies the manual, the activity book, and the flashcards; this page is the plan for this group and this kindness.
One once a week meeting in the after-school room
This is the once-per-week format from the second half of the manual, written for groups and clubs that do not meet daily. One meeting carries the mission. A single home task goes in the activity book. Do not try to compress five school days into one hour. In the after-school room, the after-school leader has one sitting with 4th grade children, about 9, the upper end of the program. Do not replay a school week. Children have already been in school. Skip silent copying drills. Say the line, act the kindness, and write only the note the program is building toward.
Open on “The blocks back in the bins.” Tell the group that Eli, the classmate, Eli stayed after play and put the blocks back in the right bins at the block corner. Put two bins of blocks in sight. Ask all three questions, one at a time: “Which part of cleanup is easy to leave for someone else?” “What thanks sounds fair if you both worked?” “What thanks sounds fair if Eli did your part too?” Children answer in student-led, with the adult timing the 5 to 10 minutes. Stop answers that are only “they were nice.”
Say the spoken line together: “Thank you for cleaning up the blocks with me.” Then each child says it to a partner. If the books are not in the room yet, practice the spoken mission anyway, and tell families how a sponsor or an order supplies the printed set. The after-school leader listens for Eli's name and for two bins of blocks.
Writing comes only after the line has been said. They may write the note without tracing. The template remains the checklist: greeting, specific kindness, closing, and the person’s name spelled with care. The sentence they aim for is “Thank you for putting the blocks away.” Children who are not ready dictate. The extra pages are for this draft.
Who is in the after-school room
After-school groups are tired. The mission has to be shorter than the day’s homework help and more concrete than a talk about character. Flashcards give the group something to look at. The weekly format fits programs that do not meet every weekday.
Age tips for 4th grade (about 9, the upper end of the program)
Fourth graders can lead a flashcard discussion and write a complete thank-you note. The program still uses the same three products, so a school that runs preschool through 4th grade can share materials. Older children thank community helpers and write notes that name a specific kindness. For this after-school plan, keep the mission inside 5 to 10 minutes. student-led, with the adult timing the 5 to 10 minutes.
The note for Eli
They may write the note without tracing. The template remains the checklist: greeting, specific kindness, closing, and the person’s name spelled with care. For this kindness the sentence is “Thank you for putting the blocks away.” It has to mention the block corner or two bins of blocks, not a general compliment to the classmate.
Words to say about Eli
This is a script the after-school leader can say with 4th grade children during sponsoring this group. It uses “The blocks back in the bins,” a practice situation for this plan. It is not a list of the 30 printed flashcards. Those cards stay in the set and match the activity book. Use this script when you need the words in the room.
Copy-ready lines for “The blocks back in the bins”
Spoken line to practice: “Thank you for cleaning up the blocks with me.” Reply children may hear: “The long ones go in this bin.” Note line to write: “Thank you for putting the blocks away.” Spanish line for the same kindness: “Gracias por guardar los bloques.”
Spanish materials in this group
If any child in the after-school room speaks Spanish at home, order the Spanish activity book for that child and keep the same situation. The Spanish line for this plan is “Gracias por guardar los bloques.” The English line remains “Thank you for cleaning up the blocks with me.”
Classroom and group notes for the after-school room
After-school groups are tired. The mission has to be shorter than the day’s homework help and more concrete than a talk about character. Flashcards give the group something to look at. The weekly format fits programs that do not meet every weekday. Children have already been in school. Skip silent copying drills. Say the line, act the kindness, and write only the note the program is building toward.
If 4th grade children stall on Eli
Scatter five paper squares. Cleanup is not done until the thanks names the bins, not just “helping.” A child who keeps thanking the after-school leader is avoiding Eli. Send them back to the classmate and the moment at the block corner. Whispering “Thank you for cleaning up the blocks with me.” counts.
Books for this after-school 4th grade group
This page is about getting the set into the after-school room: the manual, one activity book per child, and the 30-card flashcards, so “Thank you for putting the blocks away.” can be written about Eli. The leader asks on Find a Sponsor at no cost. Alison Gilham matches a sponsor or takes a chosen group in any U.S. state, then calls the leader before shipping. Payment is due when the package is ready. Groups over 30 add books in tens. Spanish copies use “Gracias por guardar los bloques.” beside “Thank you for cleaning up the blocks with me..” Email info@cultureofthankyou.com or call 971-265-8262.
What Eli's lesson needs
The Operation Thank You Manual is 98 pages. The first half is the Monday–Friday classroom sequence. The second half is the once-per-week sequence for clubs. Each child needs Why and How To Say “Thank You,” the classroom edition: a saddle-stitched activity book with situations for saying thank you, the How To Write A Thank You Note template, and extra pages to practice. The flashcard set has 30 cards, 8.5 by 11 inches, colorful, with rounded corners. The cards mirror the activity book so the group can look at one situation before writing. The manual, the activity book, and the flashcards are available in Spanish. The MISSION Reminders Supplement can be added when some children speak Spanish. Extra activity books are sold in packs of 10. For “The blocks back in the bins,” also set out two bins of blocks. If the books are not in the room yet, practice the spoken mission anyway, and tell families how a sponsor or an order supplies the printed set.
Home work after The blocks back in the bins
Put one set of toys back where they belong and thank the person who usually does that alone. Write that in the activity book so the family sees Eli's kindness, not a blank “say thank you.” They may write the note without tracing. The template remains the checklist: greeting, specific kindness, closing, and the person’s name spelled with care.
Questions leaders ask
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