Five for Friday... A Week Worth Appreciating

It's Time for Doodle Bugs' Five for Friday! (Shhhh... let's just not tell anyone it's already Saturday, Okay?) Click on the picture below for a peek into this week's adventures in other classrooms.

This week FLEW by! It seems like there was something important happening every minute...

Monday was our last day to review for The Test. We finished our English Language Arts testing last week and this week we had two days of testing for math. I've changed the way we review for testing... I've added more partner work, move "move-around" games and more group study. Time will tell...

By Wednesday it was all over. And I was soooooooooooo proud of my students. They really worked hard! It was funny to be watching them and suddenly hear someone say "Yes!" (Translation: "One of my answers is in the list!") and "Oh, Oh, Oh!" ((Translation: "I've seen a problem like this before"). Even if their scores are not all stellar, I will be more-than-pleased with their efforts. The state measures their scores against a standard of proficiency. In my mind, they all worked at a proficient level... including those who waited quietly (and waited and waited!) for their classmates to finish. I'm glad that's over!

Wednesday was Teacher Appreciation Day. Some of my students brought flowers... and chocolate... and sweet notes... and they left me a giant note on the white board with everyone's name included. I left it up for an extra day because my heart wouldn't let me erase it!

My principal gave each teacher a book for Teacher Appreciation Day. (I love that my principal is a serious reader!) Mine was called Teaching with Fire: Poetry that Sustains the Courage to Teach. (I wrinkled the ribbon, sorry, J.) and the quote on the card was "The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be ignited" --Plutarch. I thought that was so inspiring (and thoughtful). And, of course, I loved my purple pen! My favorite section is called "Holding On." Now I know just where to look when I need a little extra motivation to try again the next day.

Our PTA puts on a luncheon for the entire staff at our school... and our tiny staff barely filled six tables! Yep, we are a small school. But what we lack in numbers, we make up in determination!

Yes, I did do laundry, but that's not why this picture is posted! Sometimes, when the stars are all aligned, I can manage to sneak in a surprise for my colleagues. Under the guise of "practicing for promotion," twenty sixth graders learned a song in sign language called "Do I Make You Proud?" Our colors are white and royal blue, so they dressed in school colors and took the stage. Some were nervous and some were... more nervous!

Just like the differences in students' voices, their signing is different too. Some sign in a "timid" way and some sign in a "dramatic" way. It makes the whole performance that much more touching. And, since they only had two days to pull it together, it was so gratifying that they managed to shine (brightly!) on stage. They were SO precious! I was fine for the first few verses, but at some point, the tears started and that was that. Later, they said they thought it was funny that I was crying, but I think they knew it was just an acknowledgement of how proud I felt at that very moment...

If you have never heard the song--or you missed a season of American Idol, I left the link below. Imagine it from a student to a teacher... Pretty sweet, huh? The part about raising my hand really affected me because we worked so hard this year to become participants. The video is a little "over the top," but twenty kids in blue and white shirts, signing with all their hearts would have made even Taylor Hicks proud!

Friday was Western Bar-B-Que Day. By 10:30, the smell of hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill had reached every classroom. We sneaked out a few minutes early--only to be among the three other upper-grade classrooms who were thinking the very same thing!

Living in suburban southern California, most of my students don't own any "western wear." Three kids had a variation of a cowboy hat. A few had plaid shirts and jeans, but we didn't look very festive. The night before, I had made a trip to Boot Barn. This is a local store filled with cowboy boots and other western attire--quite dissimilar from the shorts, t-shirts, and tennis shoes worn by most of my students to school each day. The salesperson was laughing as I sorted through the big barrel to find 32 bandannas. She didn't know that I was thinking with each choice: "Ashley will want a pink one, Marcus will probably be wearing black basketball shorts, Roxie's favorite color is green..." That morning, I let them choose bandannas, and soon we looked ready for a photo shoot... or at least for a tray of "special" food prepared by the Food Service people!

Once lunch was over, we finished our Mother's Day letters, and then my cowboys and cowgirls waited for the clock to finally tick its way to the weekend.

Twenty more school days. I keep alternating between being excited and feeling a bit melancholy. This is definitely a class I will always remember...

PS  Don't you just love those cupcakes? Just another wonderful clip art set from Ashley Hughes... find them  HERE at TpT!

Calming the Chaos Blog Hop... Organizing for the End of the Year

Even though I have five weeks of school remaining, I am already wanting to start organizing my room to wrap up the school year. I think this comes, in part, from the fact that we have been so busy lately, things are literally piling up around us!

Many activities still lie ahead for my sixth graders. We still have two more days of standardized testing, two more benchmarks and math placement testing for middle school. We are planning a surprise presentation for Teacher Appreciation Day and a performance for our Staff Appreciation Luncheon. And then there are end-of-the-year activities, including the Sixth Grade Picnic, Game Day and the Awards Luncheon. (I wasn't sure which words to capitalize in the preceding list... so I capitalized anything that sounded like fun!). And, of course, our Promotion ceremony...

As I look at that list, I am suddenly aware of why I have a headache!

Many of my bloggy friends are finishing the school year in just a few weeks. For them, the end-of-the-year organization is already in full swing. And some of my Canadian bloggy friends stay in school until the END of June. I think we should think extra positive thoughts for them... their end-of-the year is still a bit in the distance!

With that in mind, Kristy at 2 Peas and a Dog has organized an end-of-the year blog hop to provide some strategies and suggestions to help us get ready as the year draws to a close. There are lots of fun ideas to help keep kids engaged for the last few weeks of school and some sweet send-off activities that will help you end the year on a happy note!  Click on the sweet graphic below to go to her blog. Once there, you can find lots of bloggers who have linked up to share their ideas for "calming the chaos."

These bloggers are also listed at the bottom of this post!  And there's a rafflecopter giveaway for an adorable Memory Book from Mrs. Beattie's Classroom. Seriously cute! And a perfect activity for ending the school year!

As for me, I am a serious list-maker. I have been known to make lists of my lists! Last week, I started detailing those year-end items I often forget. (Every year, I get at least three phone calls to affix the students' pictures to their files in their "official" folders!) I need to keep my list handy--and then delight in each item crossed off. Knowing my tendency toward disorganization, I'm guessing no one would be surprised if I told you I was already on page TWO!

Here's the list I've been using... and if you need a list get you started, you can click on the graphic below, and print this one from google.docs!

I am currently obsessed with these scalloped borders from Graphics at the Pond. And I am ALWAYS obsessed with HelloFonts from Jen Jones-Hello Literacy. Whenever I revert to "regular" fonts, my flipcharts always look like they are missing something...

If you have never been to Jen Jones' blog, Hello Literacy, you should go there right NOW! And bring your coffee cup because there are about eight gazillion things you are going to want to see! Her fonts are legendary, but Jen also has wonderful Common Core resources and lots of information about reading and phonics and fluency and many other oh-so-important things. You may think you are getting ready to organize for the end of THIS year, but you'll quickly find yourself delighted about all the things you have discovered that will be helpful as you plan for NEXT year! I adore Jen Jones!


So how are YOU doing on organizing for the year's end? I hope that these next few weeks will find you reflecting on happy school year memories and the sweet anticipation of summer!

Blog Hop Participants

Check out this Great Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Currently May... and I Beat My Record!

I think there might be something wrong with me… I’m sitting at the computer, checking Oh Boy Fourth Grade’s website every fifteen minutes in anticipation of the posting of May’s Currently!   

I know that at some point, I will click, and it will be there… and a new month will have begun!   

I love knowing that we can all link up together and I can connect with my pals through this BloggyTradition. Ah, our dear Farley… she makes us WANT to check in with each other… isn’t that a wonderful character trait? (Can you tell my mind is still on standardized testing as well?) Thanks, Farley, for the ongoing invite...

I’m at the funny point in the school year: I am excited that the end is near, but I am getting a bit sad to say goodbye to this group. We’ve worked so hard to come together as a team this year. And we’re almost there…

Yet at the same time, I can’t seem to keep myself from making plans for next year. Even after thirty years, each September I feel like a novice teacher all over again—especially with the arrival of Common Core! I should also consider winning the lottery since my plans for the new school year seem to include more than a few purchases at TpT!

Right now I am printing out task cards. At this point, I buy some and I create some. I am getting better at purchasing a set, using it as practice and then tailoring my own version to meet our specific needs. Task cards have helped my students increase their discussion skills. I love to hear them agreeing to disagree!

There is still so much to be done before the year ends. We have barely begun practicing for promotion and it is five weeks away! I still haven't finished the invitations. The envelopes arrived today and they are the wrong hue of blue! I have to do a quick internet search tonight to find the right shade of envelope to match the ink, the stickers and the stamps. I have to admit: These little details are among my favorite parts of the whole event! (I know you will understand that "right hue" comment, dear Ladybugs/Kristen!)

And then it will be over. Again. I think that this is one of the hardest parts about teaching sixth grade. When the year is over, you send them off with hopes that they come back and visit--or at least that they send a friend to update their old teacher on what's happening in their lives. June is just a happy/sad kind of month for me!

Wait! It's not June yet! It's May! And only May FIRST! And there's a holiday this month! WooHoo! I think I could survive almost any month with a three day weekend thrown in!

With that, I send you happy May wishes! Now, go back to Oh Boy First Grade... Click the Currently picture or click HERE.  Link up and tell everyone what is happening in your life during May. Don't forget to leave some BloggyLove for the two posters behind you, the one in front of you, and all sorts of friends in between! Okay, I added that last part in myself, but I love to catch up with old pals and meet new ones through the Currently Linky.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

PS I made it in the top FIFTY of Currently links! A new record! And now... back to envelope shopping!