A March Blogger Match Up Winner and Currently April

Congratulations Meredith Malik for winning the March Blogger Match Up Giveaway!

Email me at rachelelena@gmail.com with two TPT products of mine you would like. :)


I'm also linking up with the always fabulous Farley for April's Currently. 

 

This may be a record for how early in the month I am linking up.  

I'll leave you with a few Easter gems from yesterday and today...

     

March on By...

I figure it's only fitting to recap the past few (quite eventful) months before jumping into our current state of affairs.

March began with happy hour froyo at Pinkberry with a teacher friend and a Celtics game with the hubs and parents.

The next day we learned breathing techniques and the stages of labor during childbirth class. The most valuable piece of information learned was that while a birth plan is wise to have, be ready for anything--something that rang especially true when welcoming Baby Mack.

Leah and I also explored Ames Nowell Park for a walk and picnic with the puppies that weekend.

Dr. Seuss's birthday and National Read Aloud Day brought a sweet reason to bake. I was also in charge or decorating reading salons throughout the school. Classes were assigned times through out the day to read aloud to their peers. What fun!

I was fortunate enough to have two baking gigs in March-- a teddy-bear themed baby shower and a St. Patrick's Day themed 40th birthday.

 

I also took full advantage of a snow day to whip up yet another batch...

 

A few teacher friends and I participated in Marshfield's St. Patrick's Day race. This girl walked and only sprinted across the finish line.

I was awfully proud of these Mardi Gras cupcakes I was asked to bake with only a few days notice.

March also brought my most fabulous "Milk and Bookies" baby shower. From decor to food to guests and favors--it was amazing. My husband and I felt an overwhelming amount of love in the form of sweet cards, wishes, onesies, strollers, blankets, and handmade goodies. Baby Mack's bookcase is fully stocked with so many classics and some titles I have never heard of! (That's saying a lot from a teacher!)

 

The following day was the first of six bridal showers this spring/summer. This shower was for a sweet friend I taught with last year and who I have been fortunate enough to stay in touch with. The shower was nautical themed and perfectly set in Marina Bay. So pretty.

March brought the beginning of standardized testing in the classroom. To get the kids excited and ease any anxiety and nervousness, (this was their first experience with MCAS), I created a balloon countdown. (A special shout-out goes to the hubs for blowing them up!)

 

Boy were they excited to pop each balloon and hear the day's special activity! We had a Beach Day, a dance party, lunch in the classroom...They LOVED it!

 

Beach Day: 

Reading and working in our every day beach chairs. Notice the added towels and shades!

To review important reading and ELA topics and phrases, students chose a term from a list to write on their raindrop. On the umbrella, they defined it, gave an example, and decorated it for our "Cloudy with a Chance of MCAS" hallway display.

The day before the test, the kiddos signed these letters to give to parents to remind them that the following day was a testing day. These letters and the "Smart Cookie" tags I used for treats the next morning are from the amazing Teacher Wife. Love her!

I offered an after-school MCAS cram session the day before testing and I focused on contractions (something we hadn't yet covered in Grammar.) We transformed into "surgeons" for this Contraction Surgery activity courtesy of First Grade Fever. The kids had a blast creating contractions using band-aids.

How excited was I to learn that contractions appeared on the test! Yay!

Here was a testing goody for the other day of testing. This testing tag (and a million other amazing printables) are at Technology Rocks Seriously!

In the spirit of Easter, we were "egged" as part of a Fraction Match Egg Hunt. After finding an egg hidden somewhere in the room, students had to find a peer that had their fraction's match. (One fraction was written numerically while the other was represented pictorially.) This idea can be used to with multiplication facts and products, common nouns and proper nouns, geometric terms and examples...the options are endless!

 

March wrapped up perfectly with a babymoon to Newport. (It was then that I understood why expectant moms enjoy babymoons earlier in their pregnancies. I. was. big.) While Dad-to-be snoozed, I snuck out of the hotel room to snag us breakfast. Talk about a view.

We ventured downtown for a walk and lunch. Newport will never get old.

A holiday wouldn't be the same without a little baking. I baked Easter egg cupcakes for the teachers and staff at work.  

Pinterest and a few of my favorite blogs (one being Eighteen25) inspired these Easter treats for the teachers too!

And after three days and numerous naptimes spent completing this post...


The end.

the Sweet Sounds of Vacation

With Marathon Monday commentary and cheering from the crowds as background noise from the tv, I am reminded of many a Marathon Monday spent on the streets of Brighton and Chestnut Hill barbecuing, relaxing, and cheering on the runners--trying our hardest to spot the BC runners and big name athletes running before us.

Talk about strength and determination.

A 5k is my marathon and I hope to be able to check that off my list soon.

April 7th and 8th, I joined a few other teachers/faculty members at the Massachusetts Reading Association annual conference and took home some free books (including a big book on fractions) and tons of great ideas ranging from publishing writing in handmade books to interactive read-alouds and shared writing. We also had the opportunity to stay over at the Sturbridge Host Hotel, and it was a nice mini- getaway with some fun girls!

We started off the weekend with an impromptu double date at the Ale House with Kerri and Steve. Because of crazy work schedules, we don't get to see them nearly as often as we'd like so dinner was a nice surprise!

Last weekend, Justin and I spent Saturday at Borderland State Park with Ellie on a cupcake picnic. We have recently discovered Britley's Cupcakes in West Bridgewater. Their cupcakes are delicious--blueberry and Trail mix being my favorite. They have some pretty unique flavors and fillings--a few I would like to try out.


That night, Kerri and I enjoyed a girls night of a veggie tray, vino, and The Black Swan--the latter being quite disturbing.

This past Thursday's writing class focused on persuasive writing, and I am so eager to put into action some of the creative writing activities we've learned in this course.

Over the last few weeks I have baked a few festive batches of cupcakes to fundraise for this year's Walk for Hunger. I'll be walking it with a few of the teachers from work. We've raised more than $100 so far!

Friday was a field tip to Plimoth Plantation and given that it was the first field trip for many of my students, they behaved exceptionally well! That night, Justin and I were invited to the Sox game against Toronto which was a nice night, less the cold and windy weather and their loss. But regardless, a nice surprise to start the weekend.

Saturday night, the girls (and my mom and a friend of hers) checked out The Paint Bar in Newtonville and had a blast painting the Eiffel Tower. It was therapeutic, and I am looking forward to returning!

This afternoon, I am meeting Justin for our final walk-through the house before our lunch date.

Hopefully by noon tomorrow, we'll be homeowners! ::crossing fingers, knees, and toes::