Reading Marathon

Check out this AWESOME idea I just read on another blog!  I'm putting it in my lesson plans for the first week back from Christmas Break!

http://jessicaywinston.blogspot.com/2011/12/reading-marathon.html#comment-form

What'd ya get for Christmas?

I remember when I was younger and all of my cousins would get together at my Grandma's house for Christmas Day in the afternoon.  The first thing we did was compare what gifts we got at Christmas.  Shouts of, "What'd ya get for Christmas?" filled the living room and were followed by, "What was your favorite gift?"

I still enjoy getting gifts, but find joy in GIVING.  It's a challenge for me to find "just the perfect gift" for the ones I love and an even bigger challenge to keep it a secret until they open the gift.  I get SO excited!  *Do any of my blogger friends have suggestions as to how you can find "the perfect gift?"  Do you ask the person for a list?  Do you spy on them?  What do you do? * 

One of my favorite gifts this year was from Patrick.  A Fancy Nancy doll.  She is a character from children's books written by Jane O'Connor.  He worked to find a Fancy Nancy doll who has a purple skirt and is adorable.  He would ask me, "Is there a CERTAIN Fancy Nancy doll you want?"  Apparently, there are many to chose from along with many outfits.  Here's a picture of her with her Christmas book I purchased the day after Christmas at 50% off with a gift card from Barnes and Noble and a book that Patrick gave me.

So, the kid in me still wants to ask, "What'd ya get for Christmas?"  If you would like to share, please post a comment on here!  

I wish you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Reindeer Cam

Check this out!!  Pretty neat!  I would like to watch sometime during feeding time.  May have to just do this at school with my students so we can see feeding time. :)



ReindeerCam

Motivation? Is that something you can buy online?

I can hardly believe that today is December 8!  I should be grading papers right now, but can't seem to make myself do it.  I have been feeling somewhat....what's the word I am looking for....upset at all the time my job is taking.  I work nearly every night until 5 or 6pm and then still have papers to grade.  (Now, that's 2-3 hours per day "over time" without pay.)  One would think that after doing this job for 15+ years, I'd have a better system, right?  That's what my Dad thinks. I don't want to sound like I am just complaining, especially at this time of year.  I just can't seem to find the motivation to get it all done.  It's like I'm thinking, "Well, I've already worked 2 hours extra planning and preparing and getting things ready. I'm tired.  Why should I have to work more?"  Well, because there is more to get done!   Last night, I just enjoyed sitting in front of the TV for two hours, not thinking or worrying about everything that isn't getting done.  (sigh)

Well, maybe now that I've gotten that out of my system, I can get something done.  LOL

Fall Freak Attends Awesome Concert

This Fall Freak (me) was delighted when my dad told me that the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band was going to play a concert at the Bartlett Arboretum!  My parents, husband, and I purchased our tickets and awaited the special day.

The day was a simply beautiful day---crisp, Fall weather, but not TOO cold.  The Arb was at it's fall best---I don't think I've ever seen such beautiful trees!  I don't know what I was thinking when I did not take my "good" camera along with me, but was able to shoot a few shots with my little camera I carry in my purse.

Can you imagine living in this house?  With this scene as your "back yard?"  I'm SO jealous!

In this next shot, you can see just how low the pond is---Kansas has had a bad year for precipitation---we are in desperate need of rain.  Even so, it is still beautiful!

All four of us had a good time at the concert; I even caught my dad tapping his foot in time to the music once or twice.   Check out this link to see some better pictures and notes: http://bartlettarboretum.tumblr.com/ .

Bat Exchange, you know, like flying mammals!

Have you  heard of a poly com?  Well, I had not until very recently.  Essentially, it is similar to video chatting.  My school has a poly com system and one of our technology specialists in my district asked me if I would like to participate in a "Bat Exchange."  I said, "why not?"   So here's what we did:

1. My students constructed a bat using black construction paper, googly eyes, and their imaginations.
2. Each student then wrote a descriptive paragraph about his/her own bat.
3. Another 2nd grade classroom across town did the same thing.
4. Each teacher snail-mailed the bats to the other teacher.
5. We set up a date & time to poly com; we chose Halloween Day.
6. Each classroom took turns reading a description of a bat while the other room tried to find the bat based on the description.

It was such fun!  I let my district media department know about the exchange and I was visited by Susan Arnsemen who witnessed the event, took pictures, and put an article on the Wichita USD 259 website.  My class is "famous!"  Wichita Public Schools Newsroom Events

I hope that we can do similar events in the future as well as different poly com events.

Following is a picture of Ms. West's class's bats all laid out on the floor of my classroom.  As one of her students would read their description, we would find it.

Below is a picture of my SmartBoard where we could see the other classroom on the poly com.  It is super fun using technology in my classroom!

 

I got to fly the plane!

On Saturday, October 1, the Cessna Flying Club had an Open House for the employees and families of Cessna Aircraft.  Since Patrick is a Cessna employee, we attended the event with his mom and my parents.  Patrick and his mom had a "discovery flight" in a Cessna 172 and my mom and I had our "discovery flight" in a Cessna 206 (we got the bigger plane). 

My mom told our pilot it was my first flight (in a single engine plane) and he let me sit in the front and said he would let me fly the plane.  I was thinking, "Oh, ok, it will be like the time I was 10 years old on a riverboat in Waco, TX and they 'say' you can drive the boat, but you just get to put your hands on the wheel and it does nothing." 

The pilot introduced himself as Dale and said it was his first solo flight and he would try to get us up and back safely.  So I commented, "Well, since it's my first flight,  I'll try not to puke on your instrument panel."   We were off to a roaring start.    Dale mentioned that the little girl who had just gotten off the plane as I was boarding had just had her first flight and he was going to be in SO much trouble.  I asked him, "Why?"  He said that her mom doesn't like flying and her dad had brought her without mom's permission, then Dale let her fly the plane.  He says, "Now she'll never be able to keep that a secret!"

After we got up in the air and heading in the direction we wanted to go, Dale gave me some instructions, we adjusted my seat forward and said, "take over."  So I actually did get to fly the plane and made 3 left-hand turns in the air.  One of my turns was about 28 degrees and Patrick explained later that I had taken a pretty sharp turn, there.  :)  I LOVED it!  I may have the flying bug!  The first thing out of my mouth when I saw Patrick on land was, "When are you going to get your pilot's license?"  Followed by, "I wanna go again!!"

I was excited for about 2-3 days after the flight.  I told Patrick he'd better email Dale (who is really a test pilot and has had LOTS of flying experience) and explain JUST how much trouble he really is in!  Dale got two "little girls" hooked on flying in one day!

Pilot Kimberly