Harvest window clings and another Fabulous Friday

I feel like I am in the honeymoon phase. I STILL love my kids and feel great about what is going on in the classroom.

Today we ended with a fun Social Studies activity. Seems easy enough, right?

Not last year. It wasn't possible. The kids could not handle it. Too chatty, too needy, too far from independent.

This afternoon, after a review of place value which we started yesterday, which may or may not be a challenge, we transitioned back into Social Studies. Students got to choose 6 of the state's symbols and draw and color them. I would love to use these as part of their Massachusetts Pizza Box project--still planning it out in my head.

One afternoon this week I ventured to Building 19 (B19 to regulars) and I discovered lots of festive supplies and decorations. I purchased 4 harvest-themed window clings, put them up yesterday and a glance at them during an English lesson or Math instruction just make me smile because

a) they're from B19...
b) it's fall...
c) I realize just how lucky I am to have my VERY own classroom where I can display such window clings.

While I know there are stressful, crazy, busy, troubling days ahead--as there are in any classroom-- I can say that this year has already seemed much simpler and easier than last year. I had to survive the storm, to see the rainbow. =)

Fabulous Friday

Today was terrific!

We got through everything that was planned. The day went smoothly and my kids are SO smart! I presented them with their Writer's Notebook--something I didn't do last year. They ate them up! I even had an opportunity to have a few writers share their work in the Author's Chair and they loved it! Their stories were so creative and with lots of dialogue! A third grader writing about a boy named Jim who likes Gym?! How clever!

Finished the day presenting Spelling certificates. (They all earned one again this week!) The students also got to spend their earned "Bakery Bucks" at our class store. Pretty sweet.

The brains behind Jim and Gym celebrates his birthday Monday and is bringing in cupcakes. Sweet. =)

Gym soon and a hot date with the soon-to-be-hubby tonight. =)

A fabulous Friday (from start to finish), a lazy Saturday, and wonderful Sunday

Friday afternoon I had a fabulous meeting with my principal and curriculum specialist about flexibility in planning and managing our Literacy program--Reading Street. I love it but there is soooo much they provide us, it can be overwhelming. [[ Read: 4 spelling pages, 4 grammar pages, a grammar transparency, Daily-Fix-Its, a story of the week, 3 leveled readers, centers, writing prompts, &a paired reading selection EACH week. ]] It can easily get overwhelming deciding what is most valuable and what can be passed over. Talking to them reassured me that the key to it all is quality over quantity and that I can easily continue my Literacy block ( discussion, leveled readers, center activities) into the Science/Social Studies block seeing as the story-of-the-week almost always incorporates a science or social studies theme. (Last week's "Boom Town" incorporated supply &demand, the Gold Rush, as well as jobs and businesses.) I felt great leaving School Friday.

A terrific night out at Bar Louies and CBS Scene for a friend's birthday got us home late Friday night and up early for a truly special book sale. It is held in the basement of a library in Newton and seems like a hidden gem. There is always a line at the door 30-45 minutes prior to the start. There are two separate entrances to the sale. (We strategically wait outside the one closest to the children's books and adult fiction.) =) I have always found great books for my students (and me!) at unbelieveable prices. ($2 for a Jodi Picoult? $4 for a set of 6 Judy Moody books--I'll take them!!) This time around I found so many great Social Studies books about the Wild West, 13 colonies, famous people in history, Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence. For my own leisure reading I picked up





... $1 a piece. =) =)


The library volunteers who run the book sale are so sweet--offering bags and assistance finding particular genres of books among the well-organized shelves. My only gripe with the sale is the other patrons. They are often impatient and, at times, even rude. We (my brave sisters and mom) have come to realize that some are dealers and others, just miserable folks who take the fun out of this "hidden gem" as they snap at you, mutter under their breath, or remain stationary when you politely say "excuse me." ::sigh:: But it is worth it and we return 3 times a year to this stuffy, cramped, at times unpleasant, rewarding, hole-in-the-wall "hidden gem."


On a quite separate and unrelated note, we finalllly purchased curtains for our living room. Black, lightweight, and long and I am in love. =) My handyman of a soon-to-be-hubby hung them already and they look fabulous.

(the website's product image)

Back to a bit more correcting, lesson planning, dessert :) and bedtime!

Day 6: done!

I promise more to come but...


I am loving my second year of teaching. I feel more confident about my teaching. I am very pleased to have a new, different, unique bunch of kids who are so darn cute at times, it's hard to believe this is a j-o-b.

Last night was Open House, and I met 16 of the 19 students' parents. Only a few made me nervous. =)

I am very proud of my classroom, and I am excited for another year.

our welcome sign on our door

classroom news bulletin board


close-up of the recipe-card jobs


writing table (showing off my first-day-of-school surprise bouquet)

My brownie cupcakes have come out of the oven, and dinner is about to go in!