The 2025 Muffins with Moms is more than a charming second grade event at SAA, it’s a joyful celebration of literacy, love, and the lifelong bond between students and their families.
Each spring, just before Mother’s Day, our second graders work on one of the most beloved projects of the year. At first glance, it might seem like a simple celebration. But behind the smiles and baking lies a thoughtful and layered curriculum that blends reading, writing, and social-emotional growth into one unforgettable little event.
Second grade teacher Sarah Timothy explains:
“We model it after If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, but students write their own books—like If You Give a Mom a Muffin or If You Give a Grandma a Muffin. We spend weeks reading and analyzing how those books are written, then apply the structure with our own ideas.”
This isn’t your average fill-in-the-blank writing exercise. These stories bubble over with adjectives, imagination, and plenty of personality.
Students dig into what makes their moms or grandmas special—everything from their comforting hugs and household routines to how they still love them even when they can be difficult to live with. The result? Books that are both hilarious and heartwarming.
Alongside their stories, students also create hand-decorated towels, heartfelt cards, and—of course—freshly baked muffins. “The day before, they’re baking and whispering about their surprises,” Sarah adds. “It’s all very top secret.”
It’s a project that quietly encourages much more than writing skills. As students reflect on relationships, practice kindness, and pour their hearts into these gifts, they’re actually engaging with several of our Schoolwide Learner Outcomes—learning to think critically and with curiosity, nurture lifelong relationships, and pursue personal growth in ways that matter far beyond the page.
When the big day arrives, moms and grandmas are invited to a surprise reading and celebration in the classroom. The kids beam with pride, presenting their books and basking in the joy of giving something meaningful.
The 2025 Muffins with Moms turned a classroom into a celebration of connection—between home and school, between generations, and between the learning of the heart and the learning of the mind.
In a world racing toward test scores and tech, Muffins with Moms is a gentle reminder that education is about connection—between words and meaning, between children and their families, between school and the greater good.
It’s also a model of how we embed life lessons into learning, starting in second grade.
Because at SAA, we believe that when you give a child a muffin, they just might give the world a little more love.
5601 Winding Way
Carmichael, CA 95608
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