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Wednesday, April 26, 2017

End of the Year is Near and Puppy News!

Does it feel as if the year is winding down for you?  I'm always amazed how once standardized testing is complete, it seems as if there is a collective "sigh of relief" and the light can be seen at the end of the tunnel. Our final day with students is May 25th and our last day is the 26th. That's one month to go.  My mom used to say, the older you get the faster time goes and she was certainly right about that.

So are you looking to find a fun end of the year treat for your students?  They are all over Pinterest for you to pick. I have used this one by Falling into First a few times and it's always fun for my primary students.  They are simple to prep and very low cost.  You can always find multi-packs of bubbles at this time of the year at the Dollar Store, Christmas Tree Shoppe, or Target.


Another fun option, which is incredibly inexpensive are these adorable door hangers. My students will get these too.  The fun graphics make these door hangers so festive. Simply print on card stock, cut out, and your students will love them. There are five different versions, the one pictured below plus four others with adorable summer boys and girls on them.  Just click on the link below and you can take a closer look at them.



Some of my TPT friends will be posting some great end of the year items for you to peek at below.  As for me, it is 3:30 a.m. on a weeknight and I'm heading back to sleep. I awoke thinking of our new puppy, which will be coming home this weekend.  Perhaps I'm trying to get used to sleepless nights again. It's been 17 years since I have had a puppy and the Hubs definitely doesn't know what he is in for!  How can we resist this adorable face. WISH US LUCK and check out Instagram and Facebook this weekend for the big adventure. I'm sure I will post a ton of cuteness.


Until Next Time,




Thursday, April 20, 2017

A Lot of Sunshine for My Colleagues

I have mentioned before that I am in charge of the Sunshine Committee at my school.  We have just finished our state testing as well as MAP testing and we are all simply EXHAUSTED!  As chair of the committee, I love looking for ways for our staff to come together for fun, put a smile on their faces, and spread some sunshine.  So for the first time ever, I hosted a "Salad Bar Luncheon" for staff. Let me explain!



I printed and posted the above sign in key locations around our building to talk this activity up in order to maximize participation.  Next I posted a sign up in the office as I knew I couldn't do this alone, nor could the committee afford the whole luncheon. In order to dine, staff members had to bring in a salad ingredient.  My sign up sheet included various veggies, proteins, pasta salads, Ramen Noodle salads, Caprese salads, fun toppings, beverages, and crackers.  That way, staff members had the option of making it as easy or complicated as they wished.


Lettuces, salad dressings, plates, utensils, and napkins were all purchased with Sunshine Funds. (That was my job.)  I purchased my lettuce in bulk from Gordon Food Service, as well as some large bowls and utensils, so we could use them again in the future.

Upon arrival at school, staff members brought their veggies, toppings, beverages, and salads to the staff lounge where we loaded everything onto a cart.  All items were wheeled into our walk in refrigerator in the kitchen in order to keep chilled until lunch time.


In our building, our lunch times vary so lunch is served for various staff members anytime 10:45-2:00.  I staggered the times that food went out twice in hopes that things remained fresh and cold. And here is what our spread looked like! All staff members were encouraged to eat in the common staff lounge as opposed to isolated with their grade levels, and most did just that.  It was great to see everyone chatting, mingling, eating, and smiling.


And the best part....there are still leftovers for Friday's lunch.  Food is truly the way to make our staff members smile.  We are all so tired this time of the year, and it's always so well received and appreciated. So you may want to consider doing this at your school.  This truly is the time of year when we simply can not eat one more turkey sandwich.  A fresh, beautiful salad fueled everyone up for an afternoon of fun and learning.  Perhaps you will try this in your own building!

Until Next Time,





Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Mr. Purple is the Winner

I have to say that I am slightly distracted these days.  Finally the Hubs and I got to pick out our new puppy this past weekend.  We lost our dog, Izzy this past Labor Day weekend.  Izzy was my dog before the Hubs and I got married. I brought Izzy home just a few weeks before school began in 2000, and had no idea what I was in for in regards to puppy training.  I swore right then, if I ever got another dog, it would be at the beginning of the summer, not the end. So that was my mission, to find another West Highland White Terrier as close to the end of the school year as I could. Also, you know that emptiness in the house when you take your dog to be groomed and things just don't seem quite right? We haven't gotten used to that emptiness feeling and so we decided now is the right time to get another dog.

We plan on getting another male puppy.  We were able to have first choice of the three males in the seven puppy litter. So we went this past weekend to have a look. The three males were roaming around the breeder's kitchen and all had a different color collar on...yellow, orange, and purple. All along I said, the first to come up to me would be our puppy.  That was Mr. Yellow. He was friendly, inquisitive, and social.  Mr. Purple was shaking like a leaf and we decided he was a bit too skittish.  And Mr. Orange was chewing on everything, including our shoelaces, shoes, and pant legs.  He was a little devil!  So we ruled him out but it certainly wasn't because of his looks.  Then Mr. Purple jumped into my lap, fell asleep for about 20 minutes, and stopped shaking. I started to have a change of heart at that point.  My Hubs said, "Well our wedding flowers were purple so maybe it's a sign." So now Mr. Purple is coming home with us in a few short weeks.

While it is not exactly the very end of school, we can make do for a few weeks with some excellent organization and helpers.  Then it will be "training camp" for Mr. Purple.  The easiest part is falling in love with these cute little puppies...the hardest part is finding a name that fits Mr. Purple's personality. That is to be determined.  So stop back for the big announcement soon.  But in the meantime, take a peek at this cutie patootie!  You will understand my total distraction once you see him.





Until Next Time,



Wednesday, April 5, 2017

High Stakes Testing in Ohio and Linky



Happy Wednesday to you.  Here in Ohio, it is AIR testing week(s).  As an intervention teacher, I get to test students on 504's in small group, while putting my regular intervention groups on hold.  I always feel the pressure of not being with my regular caseload students. But, that is not to be while my 3rd and 4th graders are testing.

In the meantime, a most exciting time of the year follows testing.  While we just moved into the fourth quarter of the year, the light at the end of the tunnel has come into view.  Many fun activities have been planned for this time of the year. And as teachers, we can appreciate that the great push to testing season has passed, we can let out a joint "sigh of relief" and we can sit back for a moment, reap the benefit of our hard work, and have some extra fun with our students.

Below are some seasonal and timely products posted by my TPT author friends.  They just might allow you to have some extra fun as you plan for the end of the school year. Do take a peek and stock up on some great goodies.

I hope you have a great week. And for those of you testing this week, breathe and know that you have done an excellent job with your kiddos this school year.

Until Next Time,