Don't you know what April Fool's means???

As I was driving to work today, I thought, "Great...April 1st...what kind of pranks are my kids going to pull on me today?" I love April Fool's day, but only when I'm the prankster. So first thing this morning, one of my student's asked, "Mrs. Buchanan, am I stupid?"
I replied, "Nooooo! Who told you that?"
Then he said, "April Fool's!"
I was quite confused for a second, then I realized that he thought today was "opposite day." So I explained that April Fool's is a day where you try and trick people. It has nothing to do with opposites.

Later during the day, another student blurted out, "Mrs. Buchanan, I hate your haircut. It's ugly!"
Taken aback, I said, "Boy...I'm going to write you up. You don't talk to adults like that." Then of course he said that frustrating statement, "April Fool's!"
By this time I was not happy. I told that class that this is not a time where you make fun of people. That they were just being mean.

Immediately a light bulb clicked in my head...I am going to have to teach this class what April Fool's is all about (besides all the other objectives I'm supposed to be teaching).
So we went to lunch, recess, and then our special. While the kids were gone I came up with my plan. Once I picked up the class and brought them all back to the classroom and told them all to take a sheet of paper out. I informed them that I forgot to write an assignment on their homework sheet and asked them to copy down the remaining assignments. This is what I wrote on the overhead:

Math Textbook

pg. 361-370 (1-45)

pg. 371-380 (1-25)

At this point, a few students started to complain...will we have to do all these problems tonight, what did we do, I'm not going to do this, can we use a homework pass? I did my best to hold back smiling.

"Well since there is so much complaining, I guess you want more to do."

Then I add the following:

pg. 385-390 (1-50)

pg. 390-401 (1-32)

Everyone one is quiet at this point. Some are angry as fire, others look as though they are about to cry.

"Please hold your paper in the air. I'm going to come around to make sure you wrote all the problems down. Just a warning, all the problems you choose not to do, those will turn into laps during recess tomorrow! Alright...is everyone done?!?!? Because........ I just wanted you to add this to your assignment..........................APRIL FOOL'S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

At first their faces were confused, then relieved, then excited!!! They couldn't believe their teacher had really "tricked" them. After that (a few minutes of laughing then calming down) I explained that that is what April Fool's is all about. These are the days where I love my job!!!