Busy Busy Busy!

There are lots of times that I think about getting on here and writing a quick post but it doesn't happen near as often as I would like.  I have lots of new things to share but I think I'm just going to do some quick summaries!

**Fire Prevention Week**
We had the opportunity to walk to the fire station and take a close up look of all of the trucks and see a completely dressed fireman.  They loved this!!  I have spent quite a bit of time this week on reviewing different fire safety things as I feel it is pretty important!  I integrated it into just about every part of the day.  We are even going to write the firemen a thank-you note tomorrow during our writing time.  All of the Sumner families were invited to participate in Operation EDITH tonight to review their escape plan in case of a fire.  They are to bring back a signed form for a chance to enter a drawing for a ride in a FIRE TRUCK to or home from school!  How sweet would that be?!?!

**Living Things**
Our current science unit is called Living Things.  It has been fun to take a look at all of the different living things that are in the world around us.  Each student planted some beans a week or so ago as well in a little cup and boy do we have some plants growing.  Unfortunately I have some busy hands and several have been snapped off because my students are so excited about looking at them.  Looking takes a new meaning to 6-7 year olds and normally includes the use of little fingers.  Today we separated the plants and placed some in the dark, labeled some to not be watered, and took some out of the dirt and laid them on a paper towel.  Which ones do you think will grow? :-)

**Blending Letters**
Many of my students still sound out letters individually so we are working hard at chunking letters together or "blending" them.  This week's letter has been the "l" at the beginning or words.  It is awesome to see the light bulbs click on when they figure out they know words without having to sound them out.  We also spend a lot of time making words.  I give them a word and then we change the beginning, middle, or ending sound.  This is great until they change it to a letter that spells an inappropriate word.  I try to discretely guide them to a different letter.  Some times it works, sometimes it doesn't.  The best part is that they often don't even know it is a bad word but I don't need them going home and telling their parents the words they spelled with me.  For example, we had the word slot today and we pulled the Change the Middle Sound card.  Pick a vowel, any vowel.......what do you spell?!

**Homecoming**
Last Friday was super fun but super busy!  We weren't in my room at all except for to eat our sack lunches and watch a little bit of the movie Horton Hears a Who.  We had a carnival in the morning at the high school.  My class was paired with the one and only Jamison Steege (Gavin's little brother)!  He was our HS guide from each activity.  He did great and my kids LOVED the fact that he was Gavin's brother.  It was absolutely freezing but my kids still had fun and I didn't lose any of them in the chaos!! Whoop whoop!  I had a dream nightmare the night before that I had to call a parent to tell her that I lost her kid while we were walking to the high school.  To say the least, our first walk up there I was a little paranoid.  After lunch, we walked back up and then walked a 1K for Live Healthy Iowa with the whole elementary.  The rest of our afternoon consisted of the prep rally, parade, and all school recess.  A day full of Cougar Pride!  Gavin and I went and froze our behinds off to watch Jamison play that night.  The Cougars pulled of an impressive win over the Denver Cyclones!

**What's Next?!**
I am getting more and more nervous for the upcoming week and a half.  We have CONFERENCES!! Yikes!  I am prepared and ready to go but there is something about talking to adults that makes me nervous, extremely sweaty, and scatter brained!  I am sure they will go fine but not something I am totally comfortable with!

**Have a great Friday**

**Toodles**

MY BEST FRIEND IS GETTING MARRIED!!!

Leslie got engaged yesterday to her lover, Justin!!    She has been my best friend since forever and I consider her a sister.  I couldn't be more excited for them!  They are absolutely perfect for each other and I love seeing her so happy.  I knew they had looked at rings a while back but was super shocked and totally ecstatic when I heard the news.

To make it even better, Justin proposed in the middle of a sunflower field in Gays Mills, WI.  They were their with their families doing the whole apple orchard thing.  Just melts my heart.

 Congrats to you two!! Love you both!

And check out her ring!! Absolutely gorgeous!!! Way to go Justin!

Hallelujah!

My room is the new holder of a projector and document camera!!  Whoop whoop!!  Learning to teach with these things and then not having them is/ has been a struggle.  When our tech guy rolled into my room at 10:50 this morning, he was instantly my favorite person of the day.  He got everything installed on my computer and set up on a cart so it was functional.  We messed around with it for a couple of minutes and I was feeling pretty good about it! 

I feel as if I am normally a tech savvy person and can figure things out.  Low and behold, when I go to use these awesome pieces of technology during math, I can't get our math book to show up without a huge glare!!  Of course, I was being evaluated at the time and had to ditch the situation and move on.  Gosh darn it!!

After school, it worked just fine.  The first time. I didn't do anything different...I don't think!  Grrr!  I did have to give my students a spiel about how these things are very expensive and they are not allowed to touch any of it.  If they do, they will have to stand along the wall at recess.  That is the last thing I need, my document camera laying on the floor on pieces....

Now that I have these things though, they want to see more pictures of the puppies!  I'm not sure if I ever mentioned that Gavin brought the puppies to my classroom the day before they all went to their new homes!  It was super cute and Gavin has a new appreciation for teachers!  I'm off to get some pictures uploaded!

Have a great night and an even better Tuesday!

~Toodles!