Five for Fraturday

Happy Happy Happy Saturday!  After a week of conferences, I am more than ready for this weekend.

Due to all the late night conferences, I was unable to blog this week and I hope you all are fine with that because it’s a little late to do anything about it now.  😉

 

It was Red Ribbon this week, as I’m sure all of you already know.  So while our kids dressed up in the “outfit of the day”, I wore my very best clothes and tried to look professional in front of the parents.

And, no, I did not wear heels.  Of any kind.  Nor did I wear a blazer.

I mean, I had to teach all day first (okay, half a day) so wearing heels and a blazer would be kind of dumb when I teach first grade, and sit on the floor, and paint, and walk to and fro and to and fro, and here and there and here and there, and only sit down occasionally, and that’s mostly when I’m going to the bathroom.  And that’s rare so there you go.  No heels.  No blazer.

Any who, this video that was making the rounds on Facebook regarding Red Ribbon Week CRACKED ME RIGHT UP!

I am now a fan of Melissa Radke, let me tell you.

So Monday morning, on the first day of parent teacher conferences, I had a dress ironed (I know!), sandals (the flat kind), and jewelry all picked out to wear.  I washed my hair all good (no dry shampoo that day!) and looked the best I’ve looked since the first day of school (if you don’t mind me saying so).  It wasn’t a blazer and heels, but it was NICE.

There was a 15% chance of rain.  It actually rained the night before.  There was lightning and crazy loud thunder, too.  One crack of thunder was so loud and rumbled for so long that Murphie ran upstairs faster than you can say let’s play ball and nothing scares her!

But a 15% chance of rain?

That is NOTHING.

NOTHING.

It never rains here, even when they say there’s an 80% chance.

Seriously.

Well, as I put on my dress and my sandals and my jewelry, the sky opened up and it POURED.

And there was more lightning and more thunder and I ended up changing into jeans (hello?! It was pouring) and my Hunter rain boots and this top that I swear does not wrinkle EVER which means it was just ready to go!  (If you get this, you need to wear a cami underneath unless you like a deep V neck that shows your cleavage or lack there-of.  This is just a public service announcement but it’s in parentheses so it’s not uber important.)

Anyways, thank goodness it was a minimum day (the kids went home at 12:30) because the rain, thunder, and lightning was pretty much all we wanted to see, do, and talk about.

I taught my kids how to count One Mississippi, Two Mississippi after they saw lightning . . . and to stop when they heard the thunder.  They thought that was the coolest thing and that I was the coolest thing!

Rain in California with a 15% chance . . . who knew?  It rained ALL THAT DAY AND ALL NIGHT.

For the first time EVER, even with all the rain, I had zero no-shows!  ZERO!  And no one had to reschedule.

WHAT?!

It was unbelievable.  Everyone showed up when they said they would!  It was FABULOUS!

One thing I think I need to work on is being deliberately clear about how a student is doing.  I mean, I’m always honest when a student is below grade level or struggling in something, but I also like to deliver it with a soft cushion.  Pad it a little.  Offer a little ice cream.

You know.

I’m not mean about it.

I think it’s all in the delivery.

For example, two different teachers could say the exact same sentence But your child is below grade level and have it come out in two completely different ways.

It’s all in the delivery.

Teacher One:  But . . . (tilt head, look sad) your child is below grade level.

Teacher Two:  But your child is below grade level!

I’m the first teacher.  And I always follow it up with how I’m going to help that child and how the parent can help that child and how much progress I’m sure I’ll see, etc, etc, etc.

So yeah . . . maybe a little less cushion?

Or no?

 

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this.

It was Center time and these two girls were practicing their fluency with one of our Fall Partner Plays.  I love how comfy and relaxed they are.  Two boys to the left are also practicing, but they’re sitting side by side in an elbow to elbow, knee to knee type of way.

It’s so funny because every class is different and you never know what they’ll come up with . . . this particular class has a fascination with either being the first to perform (the two sets of kids come up in front of the class really quick after centers) or the last ones to perform.  They now ask me can we be the Opening Act or can we be the Grand Finale?

Ha!

I haven’t introduced Murphie and Milo plays to this class yet because only a couple of us were ready.  But I think it’s about time!  A lot of us made huge strides in our reading this trimester and I think this class will love Murphie and Milo!

Every class, every year, loves these plays.  But this class?  They want to do them for Fun Friday!

YAY!

So so so true!  This is from Jenn at Crayons and Cuties in Kindergarten.

Okay, so Halloween on a Monday should always always always be a holiday, as should The Day After Halloween, also known as The Kids Are Going To Be All Jazzed Up From The Sugar And/Or Falling Asleep And/Or Experiencing Both Symptoms Intermittently.

My friends and I were talking and we are seriously thinking of a way to get Halloween (from here on and forevermore) moved to the last Saturday in October.  I mean, like we are serious about getting it on a ballot somewhere.  This is the kind of politics I can get behind, people.  And I will be vocal about it.  And I will not be afraid to stand up for myself regarding this measure, either.

I can even see myself picketing.

Maybe I will be the Picket Leader!!

Hey Ho, We Won’t Go . . . To School If Halloween Falls On A Weekday.  Hear Hear!

Who’s with me??!