February Celebrations

     Get ready for February ahead of time. Check out these two packets to help you celebrate Mardi Gras and Valentine's Day.

Click the picture to preview the packet.

Click the picture to preview the packet.

Fairy Tale Ball

     Thursday was our 100th Day of School.  To celebrate we had a Fairy Tale Ball.  We had spent two weeks reading all sorts of fairy tales and comparing them.

     Each student chose a fairy tale character and dressed as that character on the day of the ball.  We announced the Royal Court and then performed a dance.  We enjoyed snacks afterwards and then decorated swords, crowns, and wands.

Dorothy and Glinda the Good Witch 

One of my little girls told her dad I was "The Pope"

Our backdrop for photos

Cinderella and Prince Charming

The Beast and Rapunzel

Our Class

Decorations

Our Food Table

(caramel apples, crown-shaped sandwiches, swords with cheese, chocolate-covered strawberries)

Castle Cupcake Holders

Pocohantas 

 Alice in Wonderland

The Beast

Click to picture to see the packet. 

This is our chart to mark characteristics of a fairy tale.  It is included in the learning packet.

Living the Dream

     This week we have been doing our reading assessment, DIBELS.  I always use the phrase "show what you know."  So, as we were working at teacher table, I would remind the children that next week was "show what you know." I had been calling students one at a time to come to teacher table.  It was Kennedi's turn. She ran up to me and hugged me and said, "I'm living my dream!" I had no idea what she meant.  I asked her and she said, "I'm living my dream, I'm coming to show what I know." Cute! Meanwhile, I'm thinking...if DIBELS is living the dream, we have got to get you out in the world! Seriously!

Heart of a Teacher

MLK Day Off

     So, today we were off, and it was glorious.  I love Sunday nights when you know you do not have to get up for school the next morning.  I made a homemade pie crust and used it to make peach cobbler.  YUM!

 I used Martha Stewart's pie crust recipe.  

And yes, I had vanilla ice cream, too.

     My husband just came in from fishing for our little "pet." He's not actually our pet, but he is just like one.  We call him "Buddy." This is Buddy walking on our deck. Our backyard is a small pond / lake.  Buddy has lived here for years.  When he sees my husband, he immediately flies over and waits for a fish.  When my husband catches a fish, he throws it in the yard, and Buddy comes to get it. He is so spoiled.

 He'll even sit on our deck railing and look inside the house waiting for my husband to come outside.

This is where we will be Spring Break!

Booked our condo today!

Three New Products to Check Out!

Click the cover.

A Visit from God

     I teach in a private school, a Catholic school.  This week we were celebrating the canonization of the saint in which our school is named after.  Our priest came and gave a talk Monday morning to teach us about St. John.  Outside the gym numerous pictures of the saint were posted.  As we were walking to lunch one of my little girls said, "Mrs. Paige, those pictures are of the man God was telling us about this morning." How cute...I couldn't help but break into a smile. 

     Hope this brings a smile to you today.

Make Your Resolutions a Reality

     Last night I was at spin class.  As I was profusely sweating and pushing through the agony, my spin instructor Kevin said, "This is making your resolutions a reality." I thought, what a great quote.

     I have always written New Year's Resolutions for as long as I can remember.  In fact, I've always looked forward to writing them.  I buy a new notebook, and the very first thing that I write in the notebook is my list of resolutions. We are almost two weeks into the new year.  Maybe it's a good time to go back and review what we've written.  it doesn't do us any good to write them if we never review them periodically and break them down into smaller achievements along the way. Just a thought.

Classroom Observation

     I survived my observation on Monday.  Everything went well...thank goodness.  I get so nervous.  I think the older I get, the more nervous I get.  Shouldn't it be just the opposite?  When my principal walks in, I don't even look at her.  My hands were shaking as I read Beware of the Bears. I could feel them shaking and felt like everyone could see them shaking. Also, when I get nervous my eyes tend to water.  That's why I only look at the children. She didn't stay too long and gave me a thumbs up when she left.  Ah...relief.

     We are working on our Fairy Tale Unit, so on Monday we compared The Three Bears to Beware of the Bears.  I'll share our chart we are working on too later this week.  After we read a fairy tale, we mark off which ingredients were in the story that made it a fairy tale.

     I've started looking through a new professional book to help with Common Core.  It's called The Common Core Lesson Book by Gretchen Owocki.  It's several hundred pages, so it's not something you can go through in one night.  I think it will be a great resource.  She goes through the Common Core for Reading for grades K-5.  

Back in the Swing

     Okay, so the first two days back at school were not that bad. I get observed by my principal tomorrow.  I always get nervous.  I've got my lesson ready and  eager to put it behind me.

     Here are two new products I finished this weekend.  The first helps with the Common Core.  It is Domino Addition.  It includes materials for a math center as well as independent work.  The second product is a celebration pack for the upcoming 100th day of school.  I hope you like them.

Click to view

Click to view

Hope everyone has a great week!

Heading Back to School

Tomorrow morning the alarm will go off, and I will have to face reality.  School is back in session.  And to be honest, I just don't want to go.  Is that bad?  Is that terrible?  Does it make me a bad teacher?

We get two weeks off for Christmas break.  I find, though, that the first week is spent taking care of last minute Christmas preparations.  Then, the second week arrives.  And just as I am unwinding and getting into a new groove, it's time to go back.  Does anyone share these same feelings?  Please tell me I am not the only one.

I know that when I get back in the swing it will not be as bad as I am envisioning. Right?

I did work on some new products that I hope you will take the time to check out.  One is for the New Year. The other two are Fairy Tale packets.  One is a celebration pack and the other has learning activities.

Click on the pictures to see the packets.