We recently completed short, descriptive paragraphs in which we were asked to:
"Pretend that you’re an adult with kids of your own, and your son/daughter wants to miss a day of school to attend the coolest sporting or concert event. Write an excuse note to his/her teacher for the missed day of school. Did Bobby’s tight shoes cause a severe toe injury? Did Sally’s dog eat all of her clothes, therefore prompting an emergency shopping spree? Be as creative as possible." (Writing prompt courtesy of Writer's Digest Magazine, "Kids Assignment" Contest March 2006)

We reviewed parts of a friendly letter, continued to approach the writing as a process, and showcased wonderful word plays and creative senses of humor.  

This project aligned with the following Pennsylvania Academic Standards:
1.1.5 Learning to Read Independently
1.4.5 Types of Writing
1.5.5 Quality of Writing
3.7.5 Technological Devices
Excuses, Excuses
Written by Mrs. Dingman's 5th Grade
November 2010
November 30, 2010
Dear Mrs. Dingman,
Please excuse my son, Michael from school today. Yesterday Michael was playing the Wii Sports and left the living room window wide open. As a result some crazy devil-horned flying monkeys with meatballs on their heads flew in and tried to strangle Michael for no reason. Eventually, the flying monkeys got Michael into a tiny prison cell and spun it at a hurricane’s wind speed. The cell vanished into a puff of pitch-black slime. The devil-horned flying monkeys disappeared too. We are looking for Michael. Since we got the whole world looking for Michael, Michael will be back tomorrow.    
Sincerely,
Adam  
November 30, 2010
Dear Mrs. Dingman,
I ask you to excuse my lovely twin daughters Emerald and Jewelia from school because they got turned into wild animals. It happened when Emerald wanted to go to the astonishing zoo. When we got there a crazy mad scientist took my adorable girls and threw them into a loud machine, which trapped them. Then the crazy mad scientist threw four carnivorous animals into the thing connected to the other pod, which combined with my sweet daughters. So that is why my wonderful children need to be excused. When they get back if they talk about a cool vacation to the Amazon jungle then they still have a little animal left inside them.
From,
Anjelique
November 30, 2010
Dear Mrs. Dingman,
Please excuse my son Chris for being absent. He had a fever of 3000 degrees. At first we thought he was going to go up in flames but then the military had an idea. It was risky but it was the only way. First we used the burning heat to power our car to an airport. Then once we got there we used the heat to power an airplane to Iraq. He was getting so hot we had to pour water on him every 10 seconds to stop him from exploding! Once we got there we were at the USA base. The enemy was approaching and we had no weapons or electricity. We were able to use the heat to power all the generators and it was enough electricity to finish our plan. You see the plan was that we use the heat to power a new force field that had just been created so the enemy wouldn’t overrun the base. Once the force field was up and running Chris passed out for five days. If he says anything about going to a heavy metal concert and that his eardrums popped that’s not what happened. The heat messed up his brain.
Sincerely,
Andrew
November 30, 2010
Dear Mrs. Dingman,
My daughter Kelly had to miss school because when we went to New York City, some extremely surprising accidents happened. When I took Kelly to Hot Topic, she got extreme Hot Topic fever, and got an awful 4000-degree temperature. Then after we left the hospital, Kelly ate a warm Subway sandwich, then her nose and tongue fell off, and her eyes melted right on the clean floor. After we left the hospital yet again, Kelly had a black blindfold over her eyes, so she walked into the middle of the street and got hit by Justin Beiber’s pink, sparkly tour bus. So you must please understand, with so many trips to the hospital, Kelly didn’t have time to go to school! Also, if she says anything about “Free Arcade Day” she’s trying to make it sound like she wasn’t hurt.
Sincerely,
Autumn
November 30, 2010
Dear Mrs. Dingman,
Please excuse my daughter Bennie because she got her head stuck in a horse’s ear. Poor Bennie got too close to the mascot that was an actual horse and the horse didn’t like the music. That dumb horse thought Bennie was an earplug and put Bennie in its ear and poor Bennie couldn’t get out. So please excuse Bennie from school. She and the horse are going for surgery at 12:twenty5 today so I will be picking them up.
Thank you,
Juliette K.  
November 30, 2010
Dear Mrs. Dingman,
My son Danny will not come to school for 130 days because he walked into a large mirror. Danny turned into the mirror and now he sees everything backwards. Then when he saw stuff backwards he thought it would be fine to go on the ceiling to see stuff upside down. Then he fell. After all that Danny was in little pieces. Now Danny can’t see a thing. That night I came around and didn’t see him on the floor. I got the broom and dustpan and put him in the garbage. Then I had to go to the garbage bag and dig him out.
Thank you,
Juliette P.

November 30, 2010
Dear Mrs. Dingman,
Please excuse my son Nalrah from school for 8 days. Nalrah went to a public indoor swimming pool last week that was taken over by aliens from Neptune that looked like lifeguards. These aliens put a liquid from Neptune into the pool that freezes anyone who jumped into it, so when Nalrah dove in the pool, he popped up to the surface in a block of ice that floated in the water with a temperature of 2,000,000 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. I turned around just in time to see gargantuan dragonflies fly through the window, (they could fly through solids) pick up the aliens, and zoom away. So I lifted Nalrah out of the pool, surprisingly light, and drove him to Pies On. I carried him to the kitchen and shoved him in the pizza oven. The doctor said it would be 8 days before he thaws out. Thank you for excusing Nalrah from school.
From,
Harlan
November 30, 2010
Dear Mrs. Dingman,
My daughter Missy wants to miss a day of school on a test day. Missy said she saw a flying monkey wearing a pink tutu. Then she said to me the monkey asked me if I want to go roller-skating for the monkey’s birthday. The monkey is crazy. Who would go anywhere with a monkey especially with green and blue hair? Next the monkey told Missy to ask if she could go and of course I said ARE YOU NUTS? NO WAY YOU ARE GOING ANYWHERE WITH A MONKEY. So Missy was mad and said roller-skating is a lot better than school so she went anyway. That is why Missy missed a day of school on a test day.
From,
Kaycie
November 30, 2010
Dear Mrs. Dingman,
Please excuse my son Billy from school today. He turned into a turkey. One afternoon he was doing his messy science homework. He mixed the wrong bubbly chemicals together. Then the bubbly chemicals exploded in his face. After that I ran as fast as I could to the kitchen where the explosion happened and all I saw was a chubby turkey. So excuse my son Billy until the chemicals wear off.
Sincerely,
Wesley 
 November 30, 2010
Dear Mrs. Dingman,
Please Mrs.Dingman, excuse my son from school. This evening he complained that he was just playing video games and lost by 1 point. Then he screamed and he threw his controller at the TV. You should excuse Max from school today because when he screamed he got laryngitis. After that when he threw the controller at the TV, the TV broke and the sparks burnt him on the face, arm, leg, and the ear. He said that those places hurt really badly and they’re swelling up like a cheese puff. Max locked himself in his room and he won’t communicate with me. He probably won’t answer any questions in class and he’ll get a bad class participation grade in all of his classes.
Sincerely, 
Zachary   
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