What I Did Today & Student Gifts

Today I spent a good portion of the day in the hospital surgery waiting room with my Dad and Sister... We were waiting for Mom to get her brand new hip.  It had been exactly 3 months 5 days since I had sat in that same waiting room, while she was going in for #1.  I'm happy for her - thrilled for her - but it was still nerve wracking waiting... and waiting... hoping/praying/wishing for news.  Every time she goes in for a surgery - there have been a lot with her heart issues - there have been complications.  This time around (totally thanking God for it) there were none AND they started her on Physical Therapy this afternoon.  At this point she should be home in 3 or 4 days.  :)    

My dad and sister

While at the hospital I brought school stuff to keep me occupied.  My sister drove, and I worked on stuff in the car... writing 32 Christmas cards out for my students.  In the past couple of years I have just clicked print to write them a note, this year I wanted to make it a little more personalized for them.  I bought cards after Christmas last year when they were super cheap (75% off) and have stored them.  At the hospital, I turned around on the bench, and used the window sill to write them out.  

I got really into alliterations when writing - a fantastic fun filled family vacation...  I also had to include a note about seeing them next year...  :)  I still remember my 4th grade teacher telling us that we wouldn't have any more homework for the remainder of the year (it was at Christmas time) - I got really excited for a moment, and then realized she wasn't talking about the school year...

As for my student gifts this year, well the other night I brought my big box of stuff to my parents for our big family dinner.  Mom was a teacher for 37 years before she retired, so I can still talk her into helping with the assembly line.  You might have seen it over on IG.

What's included this year:

Frindle book - got it for $1 back in September

Packet Instant Hot Chocolate Mix

Multiplication Fact Pencil (used bonus points)

Silly eraser (Dollar Store)

Applebee's Super Reader (free kid's meal) - these were a donation from the restaurant.

Hope this gives you some ideas!  

Linking up with 3rd Grade Thoughts linky party!  

Motivation: 10 Minute Filler

I have this time during the day that I have a lot of kids gone from the classroom.  Some of them are still in pull out music, some of them are still in ELL pull out, some are still shopping in the Holiday Shop, then there are the random children that are at "emergency status" for the bathroom/nurse/office…  

This year I am all about having them make up words during that time.  It's a competition, a challenge, and they love working together in groups.  

I write up random words or a phrase onto the whiteboard… such as "Winter Wonderland" or "Sneaky Tiny Elf", "Silly Snowman", etc. and then announce it's Word Time!  They rush to grab binder paper (easier to count their words), and start making up words with the letters.  

Somedays it's only 10 minutes, somedays I can give them a full 20 minutes.  They love it though!   

These were a brainstorm for Winter Wonderland.

Just sharing in case you need a little filler during these crazy busy hectic days!  Linking up with Joanne and her Saturday Spark Student Motivation linky.

   

5 Random Moments

5 random moments of this week…

Here are my boys with Mr. and Mrs. Claus.  It's the official picture… We used to get them all dressed up, but over the years we are lucky to not be in the picture with them.  I've been photographed so many times with Santa in an orange shirt (totally clashes), or holding a screaming child - that this year I don't care that my children are wearing their clothes from school, or that Mrs. Claus is holding my youngest in place so he doesn't dart out of the scene.  I'M NOT IN THE PICTURE - and for that I'm doing the happy dance!

Okay - here's something school related.  We sent home progress reports on Friday.  Since the progress reports are really just a print out of the online grade book for parents to look at, I like to add a little more information on a half sheet of piece of paper.  Just more of their recent assessments - district tests and the reading unit tests.  First trimester I pull the kids over one by one to go over their grade print out, this time around I passed them out and went through the different areas to look at.  Both times the kids made up a goal of an area to work on, and wrote something they were proud of.  This half sheet of paper was stapled on top of their academic grades.  I had a request for the sheet - it's over on Google Docs in a powerpoint format.

I love my kid so much - This week I went back to school to sit through a beginning violin concert in order to hear his guitar group perform.  Let me say that again.. beginning violins…  Oy!

My older boys were also in the children's musical at church.  They both were in the choir, and then my oldest had a speaking part.  He isn't afraid of the microphone like his mommy!

Okay - last random thing… I uploaded a freebie early this morning as a surprise for my students this coming week.  We are starting the unit on prime and composite numbers (even though we have been practicing with it for the past 1 1/2 months in Morning Math Meeting) - I wanted to change it up to being a special Holiday version of our normal headings.  Every day the kids sort random numbers under the correct headings - so why not make it fun!  

Linking up with Doodlebugs!  :)  Hope something in my rambling helps you!