Happy Saturday!
Murphie and I went on lots of walks over Thanksgiving break. We usually head out the back pedestrian gate of our neighborhood and end our walk by coming through the front gates. I was so happy to see that our association had put up the front entrance’s decorations!
It is beautiful at night and all of the palm trees are wrapped in lights. It makes me so happy to come home!
Steve and I meant to decorate the house for Christmas last weekend. But stuff kept getting in the way so by the time Sunday rolled around and he said do you want to decorate today, I had no choice but to say absolutely not, this is my last day of freedom and I’m going to spend it on the couch, thankyouverymuch.
But we are decorating today! Which is late! Which means I can keep it up until mid January! Or February! 🙂
We reviewed adjectives this week and I decided on a whim that I would give each table group a picture card (like the cows on the card above in the bottom left picture or the jeep in the top right picture) and have them write as many adjectives as they could about the picture.
Each group got to present at the end and the kids LOVED this. I put all of our adjective picture cards on the rug at the front of the room in case anyone felt like they needed some ideas. Each group sent a scout and reported back. It was hilarious!
I love that the group with the cows used the word stinky. 😉 Ha!
We had Secret Santa this week and our Kinder and First Grade Teachers were in charge of the Breakfast Reveal. I would love to say I drew that wonderful picture on the staff lounge whiteboard, but I didn’t. That was a kinder teacher.
I would also love to say I hung the decorations from the ceiling. But I didn’t. That was a teammate of mine.
I helped tape some paper down.
I know. I’m talented.
I also volunteered to bring the donuts. And I’m not kidding when I say that I had 9 donut holes throughout the course of the day, plus grapes for lunch, and that is all I ate until dinner.
I know. I have issues.
We played Kathy Law’s Gingerbread Bump game this week and HAD A BALL! This was also on a whim and I didn’t really have time to prep anything so I kind of cheated and took a short cut.
I’m not usually the on a whim type of teacher but something had gotten into me, and I am just chalking it up to donut holes. And cookies. And maybe some pie.
Kathy’s game comes with game cards that you print out. Then you cut them out. And then the kids turn one over at a time to see what their number is. Each board also has a different skill, such as add one more, add two more, etc. It’s perfect for counting on!
I didn’t have time for that, what with all of the donuts, so I just gave each pair of students a pair of dice. We rolled the dice, added one more, and that was the number we had to cover up.
THIS WAS A HIT! Oh my word. I loved it. I also loved using the dice because my kids who struggle with addition had a visual (the spots on the dice) so everyone was successful. I’m on a mission to prep these games over winter break (with the cards as they are intended). My kids are begging me to do this every day!
I was teaching one morning when I looked out my windows and saw a group of moms decorating Jon Jon’s tree.
My heart swelled up.
I love love love that the ornaments are gold.
Later that day, I saw our custodian move a couple of the ornaments, and stand back and look at the tree to make sure it was just right.
And it is. It’s perfect.
My heart has been heavy as I think about Jon’s family at this time of the year. I pray for his family every single day and when I drive by his house (every single school day) and my heart just aches for them.
Please keep his family in your prayers, especially during the holidays.
And hug your loved ones close.
I am so bad at getting my Christmas decorations up early. Definitely guilty of leaving them up until mid January or February. Ha!
I love that adjective activity! My class needs a lot more practice with adjectives, so I might have to steal that idea. Thanks for sharing!
Kristi
Teaching in the Tropics
Love your crazy sense of humor!
Love your crazy sense of humor!