Would you believe I was awarded one hundred dollars from Wal*Mart because I am the most excellent teacher and they wanted to award me?!?
Well, would you believe that my little elementary school was chosen by the local Wal*Mart as a most excellent school and they gave m $100.00 because I'm the single best teacher there?!?
Well, would you believe that my little elementary school was chosen to be recognized with a thousand dollars in Wally gift cards and that my name was one of 10 pulled out of a hat?!?
Yeah, that one.
And Wal*Mart sent over 500 cupcakes -- one for each child. It was a great assembly for the kids. But, gee, I do hate Wal*Mart. Guess it won't take long to spend the money on classroom supplies -- I won't have to go there too often.
But, just in case you don't get over often enough, I send you this link to a site of photos of "People of Walmart". I laughed and laughed sooooo much.
I went over to look for a photo to post to entice you, but ... couldn't choose just one. I promise you ... you won't be able to stop looking!
.... and .... yesterday was the first day of fall and it was 102 degrees. Hotter today.
I hate being hot -- I don't know why I live here!
I'm putting the thermostat down as far as it goes tonight & getting myself a blanket!
Where IS that ice hotel????? I need to go there!!!
Feeling somewhat amazed ... today one of my students (Kindergarten, 5 years old) invited me to be his friend on MySpace. Told me all about how to find him and what kinds of music and photos he has posted.
Not me .... I don't even have a MySpace account ... I'll have to tell him about FaceBook, I guess, MySpace is soooo last year.
Spent
time reading a Holy Bible Cookbook to kindergartners today. Geared towards little kids, with brightly colored pictures, it wasn't religiously obnoxious and I'll pretty much read any book a child brings in to share.
(I successfully kept my very clever and witty sarcastic comments to myself.)
The book showed it's own clever wit with recipes such as: "the coat of many colors parfait" "angel cupcakes w/wings and strawberry heads", biscuits shaped like a cross (which we called lower case "t", being that we're academics) lion and
zebra cookies -- two by two, "Daniel and the lion" lion cookies -- all fun etc
but kids were adamant that they would never be able to crunch into a "Baby Moses" cookie even if it were in a chocolate basket. (not cannibalistic, my little guys)
(I successfully kept my very clever and witty sarcastic comments to myself.)
The book showed it's own clever wit with recipes such as: "the coat of many colors parfait" "angel cupcakes w/wings and strawberry heads", biscuits shaped like a cross (which we called lower case "t", being that we're academics) lion and zebra cookies -- two by two, "Daniel and the lion" lion cookies -- all fun etc but kids were adamant that they would never be able to crunch into a "Baby Moses" cookie even if it were in a chocolate basket. (not cannibalistic, my little guys)
Just finished the fourth week of teaching this year & things are running quite smoothly. I had 27 kids until the end of the 2nd week when the school added another Kindergarten teacher so now we have four. So now I have 20 kids which is our legal maximum under California's "Class Size Reduction" program. We used to have 32 and grades 4 and up have 32 or 34 or more.
Anyway, it's nice to know that these are mine and we're doing pretty well now.
Just a couple stories -- the other day I'm teaching them to play a board game (rolling a die, moving the piece around the path, saying letter names) When Liana has her turn to roll, she cups the die in her little hand, blows on it and says, "Come on, papa needs a new pair of shoes!"
I love a family that plays board games at home!
Little Jimmie tells me every few days about the fight his mom and dad had the day before. He tells about lying in his bed hearing them yell. He tells about the mornings when his daddy tells his mom he will never be mean to her again. Jimmie's behavior in the classroom is absolutely awful -- he rarely stops poking, touching, taking things or making strange noises.
Nicholas' parents brought his lizard, Spike, to show the kids. And a paper bag full of live crickets. When the daddy put those crickets into the cage so Spike could start eating them, Danny jumped up ("aaaiiieeee") and danced backwards, arms held high, to the other end of the classroom.
At least 3 times a day Pablo pipes up, "Am I doing great, Teacher?" or "I'm doing great, huh?"
This is not my newly tiled bathroom:
The paint color is called "Swamp Water"
I only have three little words to post about my first day back to work ...
- TWENTY
- SEVEN
- KINDERGARTENERS
- !!!!!
Unhealthy Drink
Here's #1 on the list of 10 unhealthiest drinks in America.
Baskin-Robbins Large Chocolate Oreo Shake
- 2,600 calories
- 135 g fat (59 g saturated fat, 2.5 g trans fat)
- 263 g sugars
- 1,700 mg sodium
This drink packs more sugar than 29 Fudgsicles, as much fat as a stick and a half of butter, more calories than 48 actual Oreos, three days' worth of saturated fat, and as much salt as you'll find in 9 bags of Lay's Classic potato chips.
I've never had one of these -- I am feeling simultaneously totally disgusted by this 'treat' and wanting one really bad. But I think I'd much rather have the 9 bags of chips. Yum to mega doses of salt and grease!
My bathroom is getting re-done. I bought this house
the winter of 1989 and it was 10 or 11 years old then.
So... yeah, it's about time for some cleaning up and tightening up and all.
Kelley has torn everything out except the tub/shower. I don't have another one in this house, so he is waiting until everything for the new one is ready ... so I don't have to scurry across the street to my neighbor's to shower too many times.
This is what I faced first thing this morning -- going in to take my last shower with the old system. Pretty tacky, strange feeling and the room was full of echo.
One more day before the tub comes out and the new shower pan goes in. Everything looks worse, but the tub and floor are clean and a bath (a non-splashy bath) can be taken in the morning.
hhhhhhhmmmmmmmm
It's that time again & I've been going up to the classroom
and spending a couple/few hours cleaning and organizing. As much as I hate to see this peacefull annual summer un-paid layoff coming to an end, it always feels exciting to start getting ready for a new group of kids.
Our school, like so many, has gone through many changes. Plenty of different people now teaching different things in different rooms. This week I met the new first grade teacher and the new Special Day Teacher.
But mostly I just clean, sort and move things from one end of the classroom to the other.
The custodian piles everything in the room up to the ceiling, mostly on the rug, and waxes the floor. (can you imagine doing that by yourself?) The floor looks very good - unless I move the rug (which I did) exposing the line of stain between the waxed and the unwaxed.
Then he puts things back, according to a map I leave. He does the best possible job, but ... it's a map "I" left, so only practically perfect. I always get vibrant black and blue lines on my legs just below hip level from bumping the tables into a better place.
It's all going to be so nice when it's done.
Today I washed all the plastic food. Maybe 100 plastic fruits and vegies -- I wish I'd taken photos of the yellow mound of mac and cheese. Or the hard spring rolls that look a lot like the hard plastic burritos. My favorite has to be the hot dog and bun that pop apart. No, my favorite has to be the chicken drumstick that changes as you twirl the bone part so that it looks like a bite has been taken out. Teeth marks!
The plastic spaghetti with red sauce might make you swear to never eat again!
The cardboard boxes are mostly full of math worksheets. The pink and blue paper goes on the bulletin boards.
The telephone falls down a lot when I try to use it.
Those black plastic drawers go in the corner and are working well for filing things that come in packs of 20+. I use that C shaped table for small group teaching -- so I can sit in the center and lean into each child's personal space (smile).
Yes, I use most of those books on the wall, and yes I've bought most of them myself.
The blue paper up above the bookcase is to keep the sun out. Once a child cried on seeing the shadows of birds outside. Scared her.
That's it for today. Any questions?
Good night and have a pleasant tomorrow ... from your favorite kindergarten teacher.
Recent Comments
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Dancing Bear said:
Yay! It all helps doesn't it. I want 500 cupcakes and a gift card. I may be one of those... read more
on $100.00 -
Country By Design said:
Every little bit helps. Glad I didn't have to help make those cupcakes! read more
on $100.00
the main/original ice hotel is built in Sweden. But they have them in a bunch of places now (I believe... read more
on solstice