Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Viking Honor Roll Party

             You are invited to a raucous evening of festivities,             
including pillaging and frolicking. 
Have yourselves prepared for the evening 
by 3:30 this Friday, January 21st.  You may bring    
different raiment to change into if you so    desire.
Your parental units may pick you up at the schooling 
                                             establishment at 7:30 p.m.
                                                          Be prepared. 



For this party we had a Viking feast.   We always have the invitations on their desks on Monday the week of the party.  The time from after school until the official dinner starts is always the most difficult time-filler.  We chose to do a scavenger hunt for this one since we hadn’t done one yet this year.  Our favorite clues were “Help!  There is a clue in my head!”  which led to the science human body figurine (referred to as “The Gut Man” around here) and there was indeed a clue inside his head.  Another one was “Cabeza de Bambi,” or in English, “head of Bambi.”  The clue was under the deer skull in our science box. 

Next we had them file into the fellowship hall where we had changed into our Viking garb-- cloaks from Goodwill and Viking hats ordered online.  We also added an animal print scarf and Jeff stuffed a pillow under his cloak for a “big belly” effect.

We had giant wooden spoons and "shooed" them into our Viking hut.  We made this by buying a $25 roll of the 8 x 100 foot black landscaping plastic and then standing eight foot tables on end in a circle (Stonehenge style).  Then we taped the plastic to the tops of the tables.  We cut a flap for a door and entered in through there.  Inside we had three tables set up in a “C” shape.  For decorations we had a square of burlap in the center of each table with wooden or pewter candle sticks with lit candles, brown-colored pebbles, and wooden spoons or forks.   We also had benches, wooden crates and pewter cooking utensils set up in the front with the “Viking King’s Goblet” on it.


 Once they were seated we prayed and then resumed our Viking feast.  We plopped down metal circle trays in front of them for plates.  We each had large metal bowls or baskets with rolls in them.  We took huge forks and stabbed them into the rolls, then handed them to the students that way.  We did the same thing with baked potatoes.  We spooned carrots onto their plates with the large spoons and chicken tenders with forks.  For dessert we had dirt pudding-- chocolate pudding with crushed Oreos on the top and a gummy worm hanging out. 

Yes, Vikings were a little sloppy and did get chocolate pudding on their faces.  When you run a tight ship at school and the students obey and respect you, you can have a lot of fun. 

     We then sang our latest geography song while we banged on the table Viking-style.  Then came a surprise.  We asked two youth boys to dress up as Vikings.  They burst into the room with a wooden crate and began grabbing candle sticks or anything of value they could find and throwing into their crate.  Then they stole the “Viking King’s Goblet.”  After this they ran and hid.  We then told the students that we had to go and get the Viking King’s Goblet back, and find the thieves.  The unexpected is always fun.  Once discovered, the thieves confessed and we readily forgave them and offered them dessert.

Next on the agenda we passed out Honor Roll certificates, A-B Honor Roll first, then the all- A Honor Roll certificates. We also always have a book mark not only to encourage them to read, but to have something with which to remember these fun nights.  This one read, “Viking Honor Roll Party Winter Blahs 2011” as we had all been feeling those January blahs.  More on that later.  We ended the evening by playing Gestures