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Backpack Dangler for Star Kindergarteners	How to be A Star Time: 10 minutes, ongoing
Materials Required:
1 diaper pin or large safety pin 4 to 5 5-inch pieces of pipe cleaner colorful beads (including star beads)
Project Description:
Wrap about 1/2 inch of each of the 5-inch pieces of pipe cleaner around the stationary side of the diaper pin. Twist to secure to the remaining 4 1/2 pieces of pipe cleaners. Determine your own "Star Kindergartener" criteria for distributing daily beads. For example: going to bed and getting ready for school on time, completing homework assignments, following bus, school, and playground rules, making new friends, etc. The goal of the bead distribution is to encourage a positive attitude toward school, and to support dialogue about school activities between parents and students. There is no right or wrong way to decorate the backpack dangler. One suggestion is to create a color or shape pattern (something that repeats). Be creative! At the end of our "How to be a Star" unit, bend the open ends of the pipe cleaners upward and twist around nearest piece of pipecleaner to secure. Pin the backpack dangler to your child's backpack. --submitted by Lynn Hess