Getting Ready for Spring!

I've posted a St. Patrick's Day repeated addition/beginning subtraction game, and am working on sentences for a set of 5 grammar games with a circus theme. Linking verbs, helping verbs, irregular verbs, and then contractions. They are turning out pretty well.

Our technology at home increased exponentially. Laptops and Kindle, I skyped upstairs with my 7 year old downstairs. Why write a thank-you note when you can tell them to their (screen) face? After homegrouping, all files belong to everyone on whichever device we're on. Amazing.
I brought home my next teacher's guide to start working on skills for Unit 4 of Treasures. I want to get a little ahead so I can enjoy winter.

Passwords

I locked myself out of my account because I forgot another password.  Someone really smart will find a way to let people pick one password that lasts forever on every site.  We ate up almost al lof the cookies for Santa, so we had to make more.  I've been checking out some blog trains for graphics and found some new designers that I like. I'm interested in learning how to make my own graphics if anyone is interested in providing some tips?
 

It's Definitely a Monday

Do you love days when you have to split a class? I was out this morning for a follow up for my son, and as I walked down the hallway, my teammate stopped me to tell me we were splitting a class in in the afternoon. I had moved social studies to the morning so the sub wouldn't have to do small group, and another teammate didn't have cultural arts because of bookfair. We had fifteen minutes of DEAR, then three of the classes went to cultural arts, after which we watched a video called something likeWhy Christmas Trees aren't Perfect. It was sweet. The Small Pine let the animals find shelter and food in its branches and it was picked to be the Christmas tree for the Castle (that looked suprisingly Russian considering the English accents) . One of my students was crying real tears when the little bird was lost in the snow. Polar Express and Grinch are classics, but they watched intently becasue it was a story they didn't know.
At the end of Friday, I learned I was getting a new student. After I bought exactly 17 poem books and exactly 17 rain forest books and exactly 17 Flat Stanleys. So I went back to the book warehouse sale. For student 18. That didn't show up today.
Happy Monday.

I went to the book warehouse sale tonight. What a dangerous place!  Each of my students has three books for Christmas, Holocaust books for my daughter, Wimpy Kid for my son, and 5 read alouds for me.The book fair is at school this week, but I did better than my teacher discount.

Time is running out to get projects started. I cut out pieces fot the snow globe writing and copied directions for cinnamon ornaments.  I haven't even had time to decorate.  Time goes so quickly.

TGIF & WBTS

...And we're back to school! 

I haven't taught my class since November 15th.  Two haircuts, a lost tooth (almost in the back but I saw it), and one of my little guys has decided to read!  I love my sub, she was my student teacher last year so I know she did everything right, but I missed them. Mostly their faces lit up but one guy became grumpy. My returning reminded me that I had temporarily abandoned him. We made up. At the end of the day, one girl came up and said she knows why the day went so fast. She was having so much fun. I asked her what was her favorite part and she said all of it.   A few of the "bubble ups" after recess were that I was back. They missed me too.

It's hard to want to plan, and make copies, and remind them to settle down when you haven't seen your class in so long. Coming back on a Friday was a good plan. My feet are back in the water, but it wasn't a long-term commitment. Christmas break is coming up so we'll be off soon.  I can't be mentally done yet, there's too long to go!

My son was running at recess, and smiling. All the adults were watching him. He hasn't done either at recess all year. I am so thankful his tumors are out. He can be a kid again.  He was a little tired (almost feel asleep during reading group) but he was glad to be back.

At lunch today we started discussing how our cultural arts schedule will change next year when our second grade moves in with the third-fifth grade. My school has been two buildings since the 50s, and we are being renovated with an addition. We've had two music rooms, two gym/cageterisa, two libraries, two art rooms, and two computer labs for three grades each. How in the world are we going to squish in another grade, and what will we do with 3-4 classes of each grade when we only have one of each room? Do your schools double up for cultural arts?