Nurse Note

Sometimes it's easiest to communicate with the school nurse via a note.  Here is an easy checklist to use.  It's quick and it will give her a heads-up as to what you're thinking.  As soon as I figure out how to post a PDF, I'll post it that way.  

Birding

This pileated woodpecker is a regular at our feeder.  Through our Endowment Grant Foundation we have since purchased a better feeder that has a wooden board for the woodpecker to rest its tail.

Conference Night Ideas

On conference night I go over test scores, percentages, progress charts and all the rest, but what parents really want to walk away with is knowing that their child is valued and that the teacher has noticed good things about him/her.  They also want down-to-earth suggestions for things to continue to work on at home.

My students take a short survey to give me a snapshot of how they're feeling about school.  I ask them to be very honest and assure them they will not hurt my feelings.  I also invite them to add other concerns, worries, or comments on the back.  First graders dictate their answers to me or to a volunteer.  Parents like to see this too.  It's a good ice breaker at the beginning of the conference and it can also be used to stretch the conference if you've summed things up and still have a few minutes.  

Snow Suit Selfies

This was a two-day project.  I drew a circle on the paper with pencil so the kids had a starting point.  A wonderful parent volunteer came in and spent the morning with small groups so they could take their time and do their best with tempra paint.  Everyone loves to paint.

Today we outlined them with black marker.  Then we added details with marker and crayon.  We used pink chalk on a tissue to rub on for rosy cheeks.  Finally we cut them out.....carefully.

We pinned them up just in time for conferences next week.

Happy kids!

Waiting for a snow day!

Handy Holders

In my classroom I use old stoneware butter crocks to hold all the misc. stuff.  Ink Joy pens (this year's pen of choice) are easy to grab from a vintage flower frog.

January Learning in the School Forest

We had a discovery lesson about animal camouflage.  I set the parameters and told them that I was the predator.  If I spotted them, they were devoured.  I told them to run, then freeze, then hide while I had my eyes closed.  A few I spotted right away.   

Some were not so obvious!  In the end they came to these conclusions:

• The "animals" with the brightest snowsuits were spotted first.
• The ones who moved were spotted next.
• The ones who stayed still, low, and had neutral colors stayed safe.

They loved this activity and asked to do it again and again.  Their favorite comment today was, "We're going off trail.  She said we could go off trail!"

We stopped at the beaver pond to see if there were any tracks or if we could hear them again.  Well, there were only deer tracks, and no sounds or vibrations from the beavers. (Which will lead to a great discussion next week speculating why we heard the beavers earlier in the winter and not now.) The kids were so disappointed.  I turned around to hike out, only to discover half the class had lain down and put their ears to the ice to listen.  Fabulous!

Conference Idea

Parents have hectic schedules and sometimes forget about conferences.  As kids leave for home on their scheduled conference day, I have them stick a label on their shirts as a reminder.  Quick, easy, and much appreciated by parents.  

The Flu - Be Prepared

Wow, the flu has hit me twice in the last month.  Begrudgingly, I stayed late one evening in October and set up my sub boxes. Sooooo....  I was ready when the dreaded chills and fever arrived.

There is no worse feeling than to lay in bed all night wondering, "Am I really that sick?  Should I try to make it through the day?  How can I communicate with the sub all the things I need to tell him/her?  Where will she find the math papers, the science materials, the social studies maps?" 
  
Just bite the bullet and organize the sub boxes.  Include emergency information, a class list for attendance, a daily schedule, medical information that's pertinent (peanut allergies, etc.), seatwork, and a note telling her to continue on with the lessons in reading, math, s.s., and science from where we left off the day before.  Also, include bus information for dismissal time.

Let the secretary or a fellow teacher know where you keep the sub boxes.

Then take care of yourself.  Go back to bed.

Go With the Flow

We all know that teacher's need to be flexible, but.....
Today was the first day back from break.  Our classrooms were 55 degrees due to a broken boiler.  Because the boiler was off, the pipes cracked.  Yup, cold classrooms and no water. No flushing, really.  Around 11:00 the custodian brought in bottled water.  The principal ordered pizza for all the kids since there was no water to prepare food or clean up.  The pizza was over an hour late.  Calgon, take me away!