Oh My

Well, it has been a busy first few weeks of school.  And also a bit surreal.  In the first three weeks of school, we have had the aftermath of a hurricane, a tropical storm, and massive flooding.  We started school on August 29, but because of the effects of the above, we just finished our 11th day of school on Friday. 

The routines have been slow going because of the interruptions.  We had a full week the week of August 29th, followed by a week comprised of one-and-a-half school days.  We had Monday, September 5 off for Labor Day, then we had school Tuesday and half of Wednesday. 

Wednesday was an early dismissal due to the pouring rain and flooding occurring here in the northeast.  (In some nearby areas the water came so fast that the students weren't allowed to leave until the state police gave clearance to leave.  Some students (and parents who came to pick them up when the weather turned) had to end up staying in the schools overnight.) Thursday and Friday we were off because of the flooding of the Susquehanna River in our area.  At one point we had part of our interstate, the turnpike, over 150 state roads, and many local roads closed due to flooding of the roadways, sinkholes, or buckled roads.  Some are still closed.

My family fared pretty well, only having to deal with a boil water advisory for four days and closed roads.  We also took in a few members from our church who had to be evacuated from a flood-prone area.  (Good news, they didn't get any water.)  Others, including many of my students and colleagues, are still dealing with cleaning/repairing/replacement of flooded basements and homes and the headache that comes with dealing with insurance companies.)  By the time we came back on Monday, September 12, it was like the first day of school all over again.

It'll take some time, but we'll be back on track soon.  Keep us in your thoughts.

Let the Countdown Begin!

I know it's been a while since I've posted; I've been doing all of my back-to-school duties.  School starts Monday in our district, barring any possible power outages from Irene.  I am not located on the coast, but I am located inland in one of the affected states.  My area is calling for wind and rain, but not much more than a regular thunderstorm.  We'll see what happens. 

I've been debating on whether to continue my daily blogging, and I think I'm going to try to post a one to a few times a week.  (Gotta take some grad courses for my next certification level, so I'll be taking time to do that.)  I will continue to post new ideas and neat happenings throughout the year for you, so don't go anywhere!

If you have already started, I hope your year is going well for you.  If you have not already started, I hope your year will go well for you.  And, if you feel the urge, send me a comment from time to time and let me know how your 180-day journey is progressing.  (You can be anonymous if you want!)

Let the countdown begin!

Day 1: The First Day of School

Day 1.  The First Day of School.  Sigh.  Summer is officially over.

The day started off pretty good, actually.  I slept well the night before, was up on time in the morning, and didn't feel apprehensive about the day.  Dare I say, I felt ready?

I prayed, ate a good breakfast, made sure I had my lunch packed, and went into school early.  Checked over my work, took a few pics, and made some last-minute adjustments.  At 8:45, with the ringing of the first bell, the day officially began.

I greeted each student at the door of my classroom and ushered them into the room.  One student greeted me with a very cute apple hand sanitizer pump for my desk. (Note: Always have Thank You notes in your desk drawer!)

We got through the day relatively simply, with the routines being explained and behavior expectations being covered.  Things did get a little hairy, when, I realized an hour before lunch that I'd forgotten to take the students to the cafeteria to review our serving line procedure, where we sit as a class, and what the allergy-free tables are.  This doesn't sound like a big deal, but when there are nearly 640 K-5 students in your school and everyone is trying to go over the lunch routines before the first lunch period begins, it can get a little crazy.  (My class interrupted a third grade teacher in the midst of her explanation.  Oops!)  We were a few minutes late for recess because of that mini fiasco.

The morning was a warm 80 or so degrees, but by the end of the day, the room was sweltering.  My school does not have air conditioning, so the 93 degree day outside felt more like 100 degrees inside, and the ceiling fans just blow around the hot air.  I told my class to make sure they bring water bottles everyday because my room is one of the hottest in the building.  Lucky me.

I have two students with food allergies or sensitivities this year, so snack time was a bit unnerving because I had to check over everyone's snack.  I had to send one kid back to put his snack because I wasn't sure about the processing of it.  (The factory also makes a peanut cookie, but the wrapper didn't say anything about machines being shared.)  I felt bad, but my one child's peanut allergy is VERY SEVERE, so I decided to err on the side of caution.  I DID write a note to the child's parents explaining any I sent the snack back home and that they could find a safe snack list on my class webpage.  This is definitely a point I need to go over on Parent Night in two weeks.

All said, the day went smoothly (mostly), and I have a read on my kids.  Amazing how you can tell the temperament of a child by the end of the first day.  I call it "Teacher Vision."

I have 19 little minds that are dependent upon me this year to help them grow academically, socially, and emotionally. 

I'm ready for the challenge.

View from the front of my room.  The lion above the number line is holding a spot for all of the "Grrreat Words to Know" section.  Words don't begin until next week.

View from the back of my room.

My desk area.  Where all the magic happens. (Wink, wink!)

My door.  The sign says "Welcome to the Learning Safari."  My giraffe is reminding visitors that my room is a peanut-free and tree nut-free room.  The pictures around the door frame further lend to the safari theme.  Wish I could show you all of them but the camera lens wasn't big enough!

Classroom routines.  Posted near the door (which is on the other side of the blue desk in front of the overhead).

View from student cubbies/hooks.  Books, books, and more books.

View from my desk at the end of the day.  I made it!