December Currently!

Wow...I can't believe that I let October and November fly by without doing at least my minimum Currently link!

Well, let's see...what is new? I finished my radiation treatments in October. I had 20 treatments, every weekday. I was lucky...the radiation department worked late, so I was able to do most of them after school. I would teach for the day, then leave just at home time (my wonderful co-teacher would dismiss the kids) and drive into the city for my treatment. Things went pretty smoothly, all things considered!

I also survived report card and Parent-Teacher time! This was our first time using the new provincial report card, so it was a learning experience, but I think that it went fine. Probably the most difficult thing was the amount of comment writing there was, especially for EVERY subject. I'm sure that it will get easier each time.

And now, it is Christmas Concert time...Did I mention that I work in a small school? And besides teaching Grade 3/4, I am also the Music teacher? And I'm slightly crazy? lol...Oh well, everyone helps out, and it is so much fun when it all starts to fit together. Our school does a concert that includes everyone, from Kindergarten to Grade 8. The Kindergartens do a really cute welcome, the Grades 5 to 8 Band will perform a few songs, and then K to Grade 8 perform a Christmas musical. This year we are doing a cute production called "Surfin' Santa"! The Grade 7 and 8 students are the actors, and the rest of the kids are the chorus, with each class having their own moment up on stage, with some choreography for one of the songs. The art teacher does a great job with his students designing the backdrop, and decorating the gym as well. So...I`m sure that things will be fine.

Anyway, once again I am linking up with Farley`s Currently linky at Oh`Boy 4th Grade:

 



I think most of these are pretty easy to follow...I am definitely looking forward to the Christmas break, to just relax and spend some time with my super, wonderful hubby (did I forget to mention that he has been busy drilling holes in 24 glass blocks for me so that my kiddies can paint some cool presents for their parents?) and the rest of my family!

Well, I will leave you with one quick activity that I have been working on to use with one of my Math classes in the next few weeks. I experimented with making up some QR codes, each one linking up with a simple Math problem. The kiddies are going to be in partners, and use one of the iPads to scan the pictures of the codes that I have printed out. They can then solve the problem, then go onto the next code. I have never tried this before, so hopefully it goes well.

(this is the QR code on the front page of their booklet)

 

Anyway, if I don't "see" you before the holidays begin, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas or whatever holiday you celebrate!

 

 

Take care,

 

Tammy

September Currently! Let the Fun Begin!

Well, September flew in before I was even ready...but I'm sure I'll be fine...

On my good days, I spent time in my classroom, trying to organize it for the new school year. And, on those not-so-good days, I rested on the couch and did a bit of planning. Hopefully during the next few days or weeks, I can get some pictures up of my classroom!

Thank goodness for Farley and  her Currently linky over at Oh' Boy 4th Grade or I would never get to updating this blog these days! All I can hope is that once all the cancer treatments are done I will be able to make more time for all my little projects.

Listening - With the last few weeks of heat, I am extremely grateful for our air conditioning!

Loving - Since my diagnosis with breast cancer, I have been so fortunate that my family has taken over all the little (and many big) things that I have had to let go of...from cleaning to laundry to cooking...and so much more. Then there is the driving to appointments, chemo treatments and wherever else I have to go. I LOVE them to pieces!

Thinking - I have a lot of things to organize...not only am I teaching with a partner this year, but I also just found out that I will be starting my radiation treatment this month, which involves being away from my classroom every afternoon for a month. Throw this on top of all the follow-up appointments, my Herceptin treatments (every 3 weeks through my chemo port), and maybe even a few teacher-related inservices...and I will be so tired of making sub plans by the time this year is over!

Wanting - Well, I finished my last chemo treatment less than 2 weeks ago...and now I just have to wait for the hair to grow back! I've gotten used to being bald over the past few minutes...wearing scarves for much of May and June, and hats through the summer to avoid the sun. My kiddies at school have already known all about my battle with cancer, as I have worked throughout it, so I will probably stick to the bald look when school begins this week. However, one of the wonderful things that happened this summer is that my daughter got engaged!!! and I would really love to have hair when I go to her wedding next summer!

Needing - nothing more to add to this...  :)

Love Yourself Spot - I am trying to take better care of myself, especially after these past several months...I just need to rebuild my energy levels so that I can do it!

Well, that's it for my September Currently! I hope that your new school year is off to a great start, whether you have been back to work for weeks, or just heading back tomorrow, like me!

Take care,

Tammy

August Currently! Oh My Goodness...

Last month, I was trying to figure out where the school year went...Now I'm trying to figure out where the summer went. Am I the only one who is getting confused this summer? If not, I will just blame it on my chemo brain...so there!  lol

Once again I am joining Farley through her Currently linky over at Oh' Boy 4th Grade.

 





Listening - Even though we have completely renovated our own home, we still spend a lot of time watching all the handyman shows...both of our kids are at that stage in their life where they are building/fixing up houses.

Loving - It seems like it has been a long road...although it really has only been 7 months so far...thankfully I have only have one more chemo treatment left! Of course, I still have radiation to start in the fall, as well as another drug treatment to do over the next year (still through my chemo port, ever 3 weeks)...and they say not as many side effects as the chemo. My big hope is that I will be able to continue to work throughout the next year.

Thinking - Well, despite spending most of July resting on the couch, it still flew by! The fun part was taking my '71 Beetle convertible down to Fargo, North Dakota for an awesome car show (and a bit of shopping...I had to make sure I picked up my 97 cent markers for my classroom...lol). It was our first, longer trip in the bug...so a great experience!

Wanting - Well, I think most teachers know this one...I just want more time to get into my classroom and get it looking "purdy" for the next year! Every year, hubby always says that I need a 12-step program to get out of school mode!

Needing - I think this is self-explanatory!  ;P

B2s - I'm sure that there are many more things that I could add to this list...but after spending some time in my classroom last month, I know that I am supposed to be downsizing, rather than adding more to the mess...lol

I hope that you enjoy the rest of your summer ( what little or lots you still have)...and have the time to rejuvenate yourself, so that you have the energy for a new school year!

Take care,

Tammy

July Currently! (Thank goodness for summer!)

I know that I am not the only one wondering where this past school year went...although I have to admit that after the year I had, I am not that upset that it is done. Don't get me wrong - I loved my class, and the colleagues I worked with. However, between my cancer diagnosis and the beginning of my treatment, the passing of my dad this spring, and the loss of several people at school (through retirements, transfers and cutbacks), it has been one of the most emotional years I have gone through in a long time!

It's a good thing that Farley gives me that push to at least blog once a month, through her Currently linky over at Oh' Boy 4th Grade.

 



I think most of these are pretty self-explanatory...but just in case you wanted to know about the car girl part of me, here's a picture of my "baby"!

 

Isn't she pretty?  :)  Unfortunately, I'm not sure how much time I will get to drive her around this summer with the top down...With my treatments, I am more susceptible to the sun. Oh well, maybe I will pull her out on cloudy days, and let the wind blow through my hair scarf  past my bald head...lol



As far as the rest of this summer is concerned, I still need to do some clean up in my classroom to find some space for another teacher to be able to co-teach in my room. I also have to figure out exactly what this co-teaching thing is going to look like. I will also be spending the next week at a conference, which will allow me to finish much of my Level 1: School Administrator's Certificate. Hopefully I can get most of these things done in the next 10 days or so, before the next chemo treatment (this will be a new chemo drug I'll be starting so I am hoping that I will make it through these final three treatments over the summer...). My goal will also include a huge stack of books to read through!

Anyway, I hope that your summer break is off to a great start, and that you are able to enjoy many of the things that there just doesn't seem to be time for during the rest of the school year!

Take care,

Tammy

June Currently...Wow!

Well, I'm not sure where May went...I guess that is a result of all of the health things I have been dealing with this year. As I mentioned in my April Currently, I was going to meet the oncologist to set up my radiation treatments, etc. I was partly right...I did meet her...lol...however, we didn't discus radiation (that will be later). Instead, she had a plan for me for another surgery, to implant a port in my chest so that I could begin chemo after that. Things seem to move very quickly in the cancer world, as I have since had the surgery, and already completed two rounds of chemo! I am happy to say that things haven't been too bad yet - I have been able to continue working so far...but I will be ready for the summer break to complete the treatments, and hopefully have some time to recuperate before the next school year begins!

Anyway, here is my June Currently...Thanks as always to Farley over at Oh' Boy 4th Grade, for this great linky!

 

I am hoping that June will involve sun and blue sky, compared to May ending with clouds and rain. It is amazing how much that little yellow ball in the sky can change your mood so easily! I hope that your June is off to a great start, and if you are already on vacation, have a wonderful summer! For those of you like me, that still have a month of work to get through, I hope your June goes by smoothly, and your vacation is here before you know it!

 

 

Take care,



Tammy

April Currently...and life updates!

It's April...did anyone else notice that the year is flying by and I can barely keep up?  lol  All I know is that my kiddies just arrived in my classroom a few days ago, and then I turned around and there are only 59 days left of classes...Oh my! I enjoyed my Spring Break last week, but it went by way too fast as well!

 

 

Thank goodness for Farley over at Oh' Boy 4th Grade, or I swear that I would never get my blog updated this year...here is my April Currently...

 

 



 



I think all of these are pretty self-explanatory...although maybe my advice doesn't really fit the category...However, this seems to be my mantra right now. Since my diagnosis of breast cancer on January 31st, I have undergone a lumpectomy, as well as a sentinel node biopsy (to remove some of the lymph nodes). This week I will be meeting my oncologist to figure out when my radiation treatments will begin, to see about some further tests to make sure my heart is healthy, and to see if I will need to add chemo to the plan. I have been fortunate that I have only had to miss seven days of work so far, between the two surgeries...but I'm not sure how the treatment will affect my work situation. Who knows? Maybe it will make me stay home and rest (or give me some extra time to actually work on my blog...lol).

 

Anyway, April is going to be a busy month at school.  We have so many activities planned throughout the month...Portfolio Night, Earth Day, "Wear Pink" Day, Neon/60's Day, "We Are Silent" Day...just to name a few...and somehow, I still need to teach Math, ELA, Art, Music, etc.

 

Well, I hope your April is off to a great start!

 

Take care,

 

Tammy

March Curently..."I Love to Read" Month...and updates

Wow! It just seems a few days ago and I was doing the February Currently...and now it is March! So, once again I am linking up with Farley at Oh' Boy 4th Grade!

 

 

The house is definitely quiet and peaceful tonight...hubby had a busy week, between work, looking after me, and running school things around for me. My son just returned from a work trip, and I forgot how much I mis the little things like the sound of him working on his computer in the family room!

 

I am so glad that it is Friday! It was my first full week back since my lumpectomy three weeks ago (last week was only 3 days, with a holiday and a storm day thrown in), so I was definitely tired by the time I got home today. Throw in a quick birthday party for Dr. Seuss (he was the theme of our "I Love to Read" month, so why wouldn't I decide to bake cupcakes for the whole school?), our last skating day for this year, spelling tests...well,  you get the idea...TGIF!

 

The next few all fit together...I know I have to get my report cards done before Tuesday, but I would much prefer spending this weekend curled up on the couch with some hot chocolate, my cat cuddled beside me, and a good book to fill my time. Unfortunately, the reality will be many hours curled up with my laptop, typing out reports. However, I know that I need some serious rest...I am not feeling too bad since the surgery...but (shh...don't telly hubby...), I have definitely been overdoing things, trying to get everything done at work, and my body is telling me that I need to slow down. Maybe, when report cards are done...

 

Like? Technology is certainly an important part of my job, with working with my students, mentoring my fellow teachers, and just playing around with it at home. Love? I love traveling, especially now that the kids are grown up, and we can afford to do a little more of this...I'm just not sure when or where we will head to next. I'm not sure when my radiation treatments will begin, so Spring Break will probably be out for this year. Oh well, that just gives us more time to plan the next trip! Hate? Well, I can't seem to avoid trouble...whether it is with a student, a parent, or even the occasional colleague...but I try. I am learning to let go of the little things, and not worry about the things that I can't control...

 

As I mentioned above, our "I Love to Read" month was based on Dr. Seuss. Who doesn't love a good Seuss book? We ran a different activity each week, based on one of the books:

Week 1 - "The Cat in the Hat" - We dressed in stripes (or red and white).

Week 2 - "I Am Not Going to Get Up Today!" - Pajama Day (My kiddies were concerned for me that I was not going to get pajama day at school seeing as I was going to be off work, but I promised that I would be wearing my pajamas at home that day!)

Week 3 - "Wacky Wednesday" - Wacky Hair Day

Week 4 - "If I Ran the Circus" - We dressed up as someone or something from the circus.

"Happy Birthday to You" - To end our theme off, we had a Dr. Seuss birthday party, complete with cupcakes set up to resemble that famous red and white hat! Our kids are so easy to please...we sang 'Happy Birthday' and got cake..."It's the best day ever" a few had to say!  lol

 

Well, those report cards aren't going to get done by themselves...so off I go. Happy March, everyone! Good luck to all those who are getting ready to work on your reports as well!

 

Take care,

 

Tammy

February Currently...and a long day.

How did February get here so quickly? It's a new month, and time to link up with Farley at Oh' Boy 4th Grade!

 

I think most of this is self-explanatory....I'm sure many of you feel the same way about time. Unfortunately, my concerns are not for the same reason...I just got a diagnosis for breast cancer yesterday. My form is non-invasive, Stage 0...but I have surgery in a week, and will have to be off for a bit of time after that. Hmm...what to prepare for a week or two? Then, there is the radiation treatment a few months after that. This just doesn't fit into my schedule right now!!! I think the nurse was patronizing me, too, when she was setting up my surgery date. When I tried to push it back to a "more favourable school day", she told me that she had a brother who was a teacher so she "kind of got it"...which meant that she totally DID NOT GET IT! But I have lots of support, and things will be fine, so - happy thoughts, everyone!

 

Anyway, it's hard to believe that the school year is officially half over already! This past week has been incredibly busy (not even counting my personal, health stuff).

 

We had a Community Relations afternoon, with activities being held all over the school. Kids signed up for their top choices, and got to try three different things. A few community members, and all of our teachers and support staff helped to offer things like: baking, bubble activities, making friendship bracelets, paper airplanes, Zumba dancing, a music jam session, wild animal crafts, yoga, innukshuk building, snowshoeing, playing chess & checkers, and making balloon animals. Some parents came in to follow their children around as well. It was so much fun, watching multi-age groups of kids (from Grade 1 to 8) try something new, or enjoy an old favourite!

 

We also had two Divisional Curriculum Focus Days. The first day was more school-directed, with some work on assessment methods and a look at the upcoming, new report card coming in September. The second day was teacher-directed, with available sessions for teachers to attend, as well as the opportunity to do our own thing in our school and classrooms. Some of us spent time brainstorming for upcoming themes and activities, as well as working on some units for our own classes. It was definitely a worthwhile day!

 

Well, I hope that everyone has a great, relaxing weekend! I'm looking forward to my daughter coming for a visit tomorrow (although hubby likes to complain that we can't let go of the teacher conversations, as she is a Grade 1 teacher...lol). That's OK...SHE more than kind of gets me!

 

Take care!

 

Tammy

January Currently...and So Long to 2012!

Well, it's a new year, a new month, and time to link up once again with Farley at Oh' Boy 4th Grade for the January Currently. It is hard to believe that the new year has already arrived! This school year has been flying by so quickly that I just hope that I can cover everything that I need to get done...lol



 

I don't know if it's just because I live in constant noise and chaos at school...lol...but the T.V. or radio always seems to be on, just to have the noise in the house.

I love when the Christmas break starts with Christmas right at the beginning, so that we have a week after New Year's before it's time to head back to work.

I have been spending lots of time over the holidays reading blogs, checking out Pinterest, and re-reading some of my own files to plan what I want to do with my kiddies for January.

My goal every year is to get the Christmas decorations down and packed away before I head back to school. I have a few days yet...but it would be awesome if the housecleaning fairy came along and decided to treat me and do it for me...sigh

The last day of school in December is always crazy. Our Christmas concert was the night before, so we had all the clean up to do with all the concert stuff. Plus, we always do a school assembly in the morning to end the year with a Christmas carol sing along, and our principal's reading of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". Then, we have one of the most amazing traditions ever! Our PAC (Parent Advisory Council) organizes a complete turkey dinner with all the trimmings for our entire school (all the teachers, students, support staff, bus drivers, volunteers and upper admin.) at the hall down the road! It is such a wonderful way to end the year - and our parents have been doing this for the entire 14 years I have worked at this school (and many more before that). Then, it's time to head back to the school to relax with a movie and activities. We also end the day with our staff Christmas party, once the school day is finished.
*Now, this is a great day...lol...but by the time it ends, I can't even remember what my desk looks like, did I take down the Christmas bulletin boards, and how much junk is hanging out of my staff mailbox. So, I need to get my butt in gear, get to school for a day (or two), and put 2012 away so that I can start 2013 with a clean slate!

My one little word this year is family...I thought this was important because I want to make more time with my own family (even though my own kids are all grown up and doing their own things). Then, I want to remember my other "family" - the people I work with, and the kiddies I have in my classroom. Also, this year, we have created multi-age "families" with all of our students, Kindergarten to Grade 8, and have been planning activities that these groups can do together to build the sense of family within our school.  So far, we have built scarecrows, designed posters to 'Stomp Out Bullying' (with feet painting to walk across our creations), and led the singing of our favourite Christmas songs.

 





Before I sign off of here, I thought I would share a few of our Christmas art projects that we ended December with. These are my samples...the kiddies' versions were even cuter! I'm not sure where the ideas all came from...although, most likely, I saw them on a Pinterest post ages ago.

Thumbprint Reindeer              Fancy Paperclip Angel

 

Anyway, I hope that the new year is off to a great start for you! I wish you all the best for 2013!

 

Take care!

 

Tammy