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

Silence for Sandy Hook Elementary

 

Hugs,

Tammy





December Currently (Oh my...is it December already??)

Well, here is my second time to join up with Farley at Oh' Boy 4th Grade, with her monthly Currently...December is upon us and I'm sure most of you are feeling the same way as me...so much to do at school and home, and so little time to do it all!  Well, if I make myself get dressed this morning, perhaps I can get some of those little things accomplished today!  Wish me luck!



Well, it's December, which I LOVE!!! but with this wonderful month comes so much extra work. I seem to be working month to month this year, hoping to get through one set of stressors, then realizing that the next month has a whole new set! Oh well, that's why I love this job...it's never boring! lol  However, when you work in a very small school and wear so many hats (classroom teacher, music teacher, technology mentor...), it makes it difficult when those hats keep pulling you in totally opposite directions. I am super excited to be attending the TIES conference in Minneapolis in another week, to get lots of ideas about using technology at our school...but why does it have to be the week before our Christmas concert??? Hopefully, I will spend the next several days getting my kids ready before I leave, learning all the words to those songs. I'm sure it will all work out..........

Have I told you that I work with a great bunch of people? We have such a variety of teachers, from newbies with lots if enthusiasm and ideas, to some more veteran teachers (with lots of enthusiasm and ideas!). I truly enjoy going to work to spend time with everyone. So - I am on the hunt for a few more things to sneak into mailboxes (from Secret Santa) to let these people know they are thought of.

I am looking forward to December in my classroom. We are finishing up with our latest writing project, as well as our novels, so it will be fun to do some Christmas writing, pulling out all my Christmas picture books, and creating some awesome Christmas crafts! I am looking forward to posting about some of our December activities over the next few weeks.

I hope your December is off to a great start!

Take care!

Tammy

Remembrance Day Thoughts

I am slowly getting things ready for our school Remembrance Day service tomorrow...my classroom choir is performing a simple, but pretty song, "One Little Candle", my student leaders with the Student Council will be helping with the service either by reading a few poems, carrying the wreath or handing out programs, and I have the technology to set up in the morning for some of the videos we'll show and the sound system so we can be heard...throw in trying to complete the Grade Three Assessment that I was working on today, and the report cards that I have been obsessing over, and I am definitely looking forward to a weekend, even if the weatherman is trying to tell me that it's going to include a storm.

It has been an interesting week, with lots of good conversations about peace, war, and everything inbetween...I have included a few of our favourite books from this time of year:

This first book, "The Enemy", is a touching story about how both sides in a war are so much alike.

Reading this next book is always difficult, as it tells the true story of how a zoo is forced to destroy some of it's animals to prevent them from possibly escaping during the bombing of Tokyo.

This is a sweet story about a bear during war time.



This is a great book for young children, about feelings of and for those involved in the war.

(Click on the book pictures for links to the Chapters website.)

Anyway, have a great Friday! (and wow...that makes three posts this week...don't worry...I'm sure this burst of energy won't last for long...actually, I'm sure it's more of a method of procrastination until all the other stuff that I need to get done is finished!)

Take care,

Tammy

Gotta Love Technology!

Today was a busy day (I know what you're thinking..."Aren't they ALL busy days?"...and yes, it's true..they ARE all busy...)! Our principal brought in a guest for the day (as well as a few subs to cover some of our classes while we worked with our guest)...Our guest was  a teacher from another school division with a strong background in using technology in her school.  She worked with the middle years teachers on various websites and programs, and how to use them with our kiddies.  Then, she worked with us early years teachers on how to make the most of interactive whiteboards (mainly SmartBoards). We got a lot of fantastic ideas, but by the end of the day, I can honestly say that my head was full!

Technology has been a big part of our school life lately...even our S.A.G.E. day was used as a brainstorming day, with some of my colleagues sharing ideas on mimio activities, SmartBoard work, and hands-on iPad tips.

 



If you are starting to use an iPad, feel free to download my iPad tips by clicking {here}...this is not a list of apps, etc...it's simply some tips on how the iPad works.  I hope that it helps!

I'm still discovering how to fit technology into my classroom on a regular basis...the desktops, the mimio, the iPads...but the exploration is definitely fun!

Take care!

Tammy

November Currently

Wow!  I have never joined up with Farley at Oh' Boy 4th Grade, with her monthly Currently...but I thought maybe it would get me moving and add to my blog this week...

So..here goes!

Oh my! That was much harder than I thought! I seem to be fixated on time right now...or more accurately, a lack of time...lol...Well, I'm sure that will change after November is done...oh wait - after that, it's Christmas concert time...did I mention that I also am in charge of our music program, and planning all the concert stuff? That must mean that January will slow down then...or maybe February?...lol

I guess I can't complain too much about this past week...even with Halloween and a full moon, my kiddies were pretty good. We got our own version of a jack-o-lantern done, and the kids loved them...Unfortunately, I didn't remember to get pictures before they all went home...GRRR...however, I did find a picture I had taken from another year, to give you an idea...

 

These were jars that we covered with glue and pieces of orange tissue paper. For the next step, I found pictures of jack-o-lantern faces that I just photocopied so that my kiddies could design their own look. Then, we covered the entire outside with another coat of white glue to finish. The one improvement that we made this year was that we used green pipe cleaners to wrap around the mouth of the jars, then curled the left over end of the pipe cleaner to make part of it's vine!  When we turned on the battery-operated tealight candles inside each jack-o-lantern, and turned off the classroom lights, my kiddies were thrilled with how they turned out!

 

Well, I hope all of you survived your October, and that your November goes by as smoothly as possible!

 

Take care!

 

Tammy

October Fun

Wow! Time goes by sooo fast when you are having fun...and working hard...and going to workshops...and teaching...and marking...and planning...and I'm sure you get the idea...

In fact, I'm sure that most teachers know exactly what I am talking about. Last weekend, we made a point of going to the movies, to just get out of the house and do something that wasn't school-related. Who cares if it was to see "Hotel Transylvannia" ( an animated, kids' movie for those of you without little ones at home)...did I mention that it was with hubby, our 24 year old son and me? lol...I like being able to go to the movies and just have fun! Apparently most of the kids at our school saw it, too...all I heard this week was, "I do not say Blah, blah-blah"...

It seems like I have had a meeting, workshop or conference at least once a week for the last several weeks...I hate being away (even if the workshops were great!)...planning for someone else to be in my classroom is such a pain (and even if my main sub is often my mom!). The nice part though is that I know that her expectations of my kids' work will be high and she will get them done!

I left her a cute art project to do with my kids this week...while searching for some ideas, I found an image online (I couldn't find the original post for it...but was able to figure it out from the picture) and thought, "My kids could do this!" and I was right! They did a great job, and they looked even better once they were hung up! Halloween is one of my favourite days (did I mention that it is my birthday? lol), and there just doesn't seem to be enough time for doing all the Halloween-y things I'd love to do...

 

I hope that you are enjoying all the fun of October, and I'll try to get on here a little sooner than later...lol...take care!

Tammy