Where Is My Summer Going?!?

Just last week we celebrated our nation's independence with picnics and fireworks.  The stores celebrated the holiday with Fourth of July sales, only to be closely followed with Back to School sales.  Haven't checked your newspaper flyers lately?  I can assure you...it's begun.  This week's Target ad has a two-page spread with specials on lunchboxes, lunchbox containers, backpacks, notebooks, and writing utensils.  Not to be outdone, Wal-Mart also has a flyer out this week solely dedicated to all things school, whether that school is college or K-12.  As my daughter said when the flyers came, "I just want to enjoy my summer!" 

Ditto.

I feel like my summer just began.  I finished school (with students) on June 10th, was away for a conference that following week, took four days of teacher inservice courses the week after that, and served as preschool director for my church's Vacation Bible School the week after that.  And now the papers are advertising for school supplies. 

Just. So. Sad. 

I know some of you have been planning for the next school year already, but I figure I'll give myself another week or so before I really get into it.  In the meantime, I am undertaking a new adventure.  I'll be trying my hand at being a freelance education writer for Suite 101!  This is pretty exciting because I can write about what I do and I can do so whenever I choose.  If you don't remember, I worked in the writing field for a number of years before changing careers to be a teacher.

I know what you're thinking:  Aren't you busy enough?  Yes and no.  This year my husband and I will not be full-time weekend houseparents at the facility for underprivileged children.  It was too hard on my children, who missed out on a lot of their own activities (like sports) because we were on duty every other weekend.  We are still on the on-call list, but we are not obligated to go in just because there's a need.  The second reason we are not working full time on the weekend has to do with me; I have to take some courses in order to attain my next level in teacher certification for my state.  There is just not enough time in a week to get everything done.

So what am I doing in the meantime?  I'm reviewing and previewing academic skills with my children, catching up on my personal reading, running when my knee permits, and enjoying my family.  I can think about school in another week or so...as long as I don't look at any more flyers in the paper! 

Day 179: End-of-the-Year Party!

Day 179 was our End-of-the-Year Party.  If your school is like mine, the "party" is somewhat of a wrap-up to everything.

The day started with my kiddos taking a survey.  Every year I give the students an evaluation to fill out.  The first past is about them: what they've accomplished/goals they've met, new friends they made, etc. The second part is about the class/classroom: what lessons they liked best, what lessons weren't their favorites, and suggestions for improvement. (I always have to clarify on this one because I can't change things like the school-wide discipline policy, recess times, etc.  There are always a few kiddos who want to adjust those!)  The final segment is about me:  Did I treat them fairly?  Did they feel safe?  What was the best/worst advice I gave them? I tell the students to be honest; they are not going to hurt my feelings by their responses.  I take the surveys and read them over so I can gauge my teaching for next year.  I have actually taken some suggestions from students in previous years and changed things from time to time.  I've been thinking of doing a smaller version of the survey at the end of each quarter or semester as well.  We'll see what happens.

After that, we cleaned out the last few items from their desks (crayons, pencils, and final "fun" sheets) and cleaned up the room a bit.  By that time, it was time for recess and independent reading time, which led us into lunch.

Lunch was held in the classroom.  We had pizza, chips, and juice.  Some of the children also brought an extra snack or two, so they also had those.  During lunch, the students watched a slide show of the year, courtesy of one of our parents who took pictures of a lot of our class activities. 

After the slide show, the class had a surprise for me so I was asked to step out of the room for a few minutes while they got ready.  When I was given the signal to come back in, I came in to see my students standing at their desks with roses in their hands.  Each student then came up to me, gave me hug, presented me with a rose, and told me thank you or some other appreciative statement.  After that, each of the parents came up and presented me with a rose and said something nice about me and/or the year.  The whole thing was very sweet and slightly overwhelming.  I was a little teary by the end.  Here is a picture of the final bouquet:

There are more than two dozen roses in here. Every time I think about it, I get a little teary eyed.  It really was a thoughtful gesture.

 
After the hugs and tears and more hugs, I took the students to special.  During that time, the room was cleaned up and the desks were wiped down.  The room parents prepared the afternoon activities to be ready to go when the students were out of special.

Once the children were picked up, we prepared to go outside for about an hour (not much longer, as there was a heat advisory that day.  Even with that, it was cooler outside because of the breeze than it was in the building.).  We went down to one of the fields and played water games: Duck, duck, goose (where you threw a water balloon at the person's back instead of tapping them on the head), balloon toss, water tag, and the student favorite, free for all.  When everyone was sufficiently drenched, they stretched out on their beach towels and had juice and Popsicles.  After that we took a group picture and prepared to go in for a craft activity.

Back inside, the students painted picture frames to be filled with a copy of a class picture (courtesy of the same parents who provided the slide show).  The students finished their  paintings and went outside as they finished.  After recess we read under the fans and waited for dismissal.

A long, hot, fun-filled day.    

Day 178: Talent Show!

I told you all a little while back that the second grade was going to put on a talent show as a tie-in to our last language arts theme of the year, which was named, "Talent Show."  We scheduled it during the last week of school for a few reasons: the grade level would be finished with the theme, the students would have sufficient time to practice, and we wouldn't get in trouble for taking away from "instructional time." (Our principal frowns on anything that takes away from classroom instruction; if we schedule a speaker or something, it must have a direct connection to the curriculum.  Not that we would just waste time, but it's better to be on the safe side.)  Moving on...

Permission slips were sent home during the second week of May; those who wished to participate had to send their forms back two weeks before the show date to give me time to double-check song lyrics (ALWAYS do this!), arrange performances, reserve the space, and make arrangements with the custodian for mikes, lights, etc.  Even with the deadlines, there were some changes as late as the day before (lost slips so notes were sent in, people dropping out or changing what they were doing, etc.  It was a little crazy for a minute there, but we got it all together.).

Talent show morning began as a scorcher.  The show was scheduled to begin at 9:30 and last until 10:45-11:00.  It was a humid 84 degrees at 8:45 when the children came in.  Let's just say that once all six classes, teachers, and various family members were in the cafeteria/multipurpose room at showtime, the place was toasty, even with the doors open!

Any students who were performing came up the to cafeteria first so we could arrange them in the order they were going to be on stage.  (Their classes came up later.)  Then we could have one act on stage while another was getting ready and the third was "on deck."  This way we could keep the flow going with a minimum of interruption.  Once the children were finished, they came back and sat in their seat; we returned them back to their classes afterward.

We broke the show into three sections to allow for changes. (Some acts had mats or needed to have the area cleared, props put up, etc.)  This also allowed our hosts (students from the classes) to have a break.  In all we had about 30 performances, so the hosts introduced about 10, as well as our "laugh breaks."  Laugh breaks are segments where two or three students tell jokes to the audience; our version of a commercial break.

Once we got started, things went along pretty smoothly.  We had one student forget her dance routine in the middle of the song, but she came back later and started over.  She rocked it!  We also had quite a few singers (with music and a capella, solo and in small groups), some dancers, a few gymnasts, a pogo stick act, hula hoops, piano recitals, baton twirling, a comedy skit, a guitar act, sports demonstrations, cup stacking, and several students who created artwork for display (portraits and sculptures). 

Overall, the show lasted just over an hour and a half, and we were able to get out of the cafeteria in time for kindergarten to get in and sing their farewell song for their parents.  (It was a little hairy there for a minute; I wasn't sure we were going to make it!)

The children enjoyed the show and were able to show off all of their talents.  I would say that if you plan to do this with your class or grade level, allow plenty of time for organizing and a few extra minutes in the show schedule to allow for little mishaps (because they will happen!).

In years past, we also provided refreshments after the show, but we didn't this year because it would have been cruel to keep the parents in that heat much longer!  But if the idea floats your boat and the weather (or air conditioning) works for you, then go for it!

Day 174: Summer Reading!

Thursday, June 2 was Day 174.  Our school was visited by a librarian from the local public library to talk about the summer reading program.  The idea for this year is to explore your world and other cultures through books.  The children are supposed to read 10 hours to earn a free book.  Time past 10 hours qualifies them for additional prizes.  Several of my students already signed up for the program; I hope the rest do, too.

I have quite a few books on my summer reading list.  What about you?  What can't you wait to get your hands on this summer?  Leave a note in the comment box!

Day 171: I'm Melting, I'm Melting!

Friday, May 27, was Day 171.  The harbinger of things to come for these last two weeks of school.

Yep, you guessed it.

The HEAT.

Here was my temperature reading for most of the day:

Can you read it?

In case you can't read it, the mercury was just under the 88-degree mark. This with the windows and door open to create cross ventilation and air flow.  (Trust me, NOT having them open would have been much worse.) 

Let's see.  One teacher, 19 bodies, and 88-degree air temperature. (I didn't even get into the 90-plus humidity percentage!)  Not a pretty picture.  By the end of the day everyone was tired, sweaty, and lethargic.  SO glad school is almost over! 

The week of Memorial Day is supposed to have highs in the 90s all week, which means near 100 (or more) in my room.  I'll keep a daily tab for you.

Until then, send cold thoughts our way, because "We're melting! We're melting!"

Day 168: Field Day!

Today was Field Day, every elementary school student's favorite day in the spring.  Really.  Gym class activities for half a day, popsicles, and a chance to be silly with your friends?  Who DOESN'T like Field Day?

Games were planned, volunteers were gathered, sunblock applied, and insect repellent sprayed on.

And.

Then.

It.

Rained.

When I arrived at school this morning, the weather was a fine mist of rain.  This mist proceeded to get heavier and heavier as the time for student arrival loomed.  Fields primed for the day were soggy and muddy. 

Enter the announcement saying that Field Day would not be rescheduled because of the forecast.  (We are supposed to have thunderstorms all week long.)

So what did we do?  Volunteers were ready.  Students were ready.  Staff was ready (with a back-up plan, of course!). 

Well...

...We had it inside. 

"Inside!?!" you gasp.

"With 670-plus students?!?" you ask. 

Yes.

Here's how we managed: 
**Grades 3-5 had their activities in the morning while grades 1-2 watched a movie in the cafeteria.  (Kindergarten had their own field day last week.)  Stations were set up in various classrooms and common areas among the third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade hallways.  Those classes rotated stations for an hour and a half, until the lunch rotations started.
**After the lunch rotations, the first- and second-grade classrooms became the scene of various activities, with the common area near the library serving as yet another station.  The older grades watched the movie in the cafeteria. 
**Each classroom hosted stations for the 11 classes to rotate through.  We started in our own rooms and rotated to the left until we reached our own rooms again.  (My classroom was turned into a throw/toss station.  The children had three little stations where they had to make a basket, throw rings onto a moving target, and throw rings onto a giant inflatable dinosaur.)
**Some of the stations we visited: jump ropes, scooters, relay races, parachute games, volleyball, bowling for cones, memory relays, and two-person board walking.  Our final station was a class picture.

In all we had a fun day with very few injuries, no sunburn, and no insect bites.  (However, there were a few welts from jump ropes gone wild and one finger run over by a scooter.  No worries; the children are fine.) 

By the end of the day, the students were tired and ready for naps.  So was I!

Day 152: Storms and Flooding

Whoa.

I know I've been asking for spring to arrive, especially after the winter we had, but today takes the cake.  As we all know, with spring comes the arrival of rain, rain, and more rain.  Well last night and into today, we got hit with that storm front that made it's way across the country and devastated the Midwest and the southern states. 

Around 10:00 last night, the lightning started.  No thunder until later in the night.  And then the rain started.  Buckets and buckets and buckets of rain.  It sounded like someone had a pressure washer aimed at my windows all night long.

When I got up in the morning I clicked on the local news and the entire Doppler radar area was covered in dark green, yellow, orange, or red.  Not colors you want to see first thing in the morning.  My family and I went on through our morning getting ready for school.  My husband took my daughter, who is recovering from a sprained ankle, up to the bus stop. My son and I finished our morning routine and were about ready to walk out the door only to get a phone call telling us that one of the major roads near my home was flooded.  And school would be on a two-hour delay due to the flooding there and other parts of the area.   The middle schools, which miraculously already had some students on their way to the buildings (my daughter being one of them), were on a liberal tardy policy.  That basically means that any students who were held up by detours would not be marked late.

(In 10 years of teaching, I think I've only had two other days where school was cancelled or delayed due to flooding.  That was the year Hurricane Isabel hit the middle Atlantic states.  I lived in Baltimore at the time, and a good portion of the area near my school--including my husband's office--was flooded.  But here?  Definitely NOT your everyday occurrence!)

Anyhow, while I waited at home for the water to subside a bit (the rain finally stopped), no less than four tornado warnings crawled across the screen for surrounding counties.  I don't know how my county was missed, but I'm not complaining.

Okay, I get it.  Spring is here. 

It just needs to tone itself down a bit!

Day 150: Spring Has Sprung!

Tuesday, April 26, was Day 150.  First day back from Easter/Spring Break.  First day of what is yet to come.

The flowers are blooming, the bees are buzzing, the butterflies are fluttering...and the heat is returning.  The day's high temperature was 86 degrees.  I actually dressed in dress shorts, a sleeveless top, and sandals.  Why?  If you remember my post from the beginning of the year, I work in a building with no air conditioning.  My building also has a metal roof.  Oh, and my room faces the pavement on the bus loop.  Which means that if it is 86 degrees outside, it is 96 degrees in my room.  The ceiling fans succeed only in blowing the warm/hot air around.  So by the end of the day, my students and I are lumps of sweaty messes. 

The good news is that there are only 30 days left until the end of the school year, so we won't have to be sweaty messes for long! (At least during the summer we have the option of running to the local ice cream parlor.  I don't think field trip monies would cover that!)

Day 126: Spring Showers

So the warm weather didn't stick around long. Last night brought thunderstorms which faded down to a steady rain that held on until early this morning. Along with the rain came temps in the low 60s . I would like them to stay around, but we will be in the mid 40s by Friday. Still, better than the snow/sleet/ice we had just over a month ago!

Day 125: Beautiful Weather Has Arrived!

Friday (March 18) was a dream of a day.  I woke up to temperatures in the 50s(!) and ended the day in the very high 70s.  The day had a gentle breeze, daffodils were pushing through the soil, crocuses were in bloom, and the sun was shining brightly. 

The warm weather was a harbinger of spring...and the annual opening of some local frozen treat places, including Rita's Italian Ice.  (Love the mango and black cherry gelatis. Yum!)

Bring on spring!

Day 105: Spring Is In the Air

Today was a good day.  The temperature reached a high into the--gasp!--60s!  Oh, my lucky stars!  What have we done to deserve such a wonderful thing?!? 

The snow is (still) melting away, but the children had a chance to actually get out on the playground and PLAY!  In JACKETS!  No gloves or scarves or heavy winter coats today! No siree! No indoor recess or running haphazardly around the bus loop, either.  Not today.  Today there were swings, tricks on the climbing apparatus, jump rope, tag (with a cushion of tanbark to help break the fall), four square, basketball, and slides.  The children were in heaven.  So was I, for that matter, because they weren't inside the classroom competing for Loudest Playgroup. 

I can get used to more days like this.

Maybe Punxsutawney Phil does know what he's talking about.