Fun December Happenings...

Hey everyone! We have officially been on Christmas break for almost a week now and it has been AWESOME!!! Nothing like a couple weeks off to rejuvenate for the New Year...Can you believe it is almost 2011??I have been enjoying having my own class more than words can say. One week in and I cannot believe how fortunate I am to be back in the classroom. I have spent 3 of my vacation days at work organizing and lesson planning. Ryan has accompanied me and has been working diligently on creating a Syllabus so that he can teach AP Physics next year. Here is a shot of my room and yes, I have an Interactive whiteboard~ I LOVE it!!! The school district I currently work in is very much about student ownership and authenticity. To go along with this way of thinking, I decided to give up "some" control (which was HARD for me people!!!) and let the kids create their own borders to decorate the room. I spent 4.95 on adding machine receipt tape and let the kids go to town. They turned out great!!! Here are a few of my faves...

My students absolutely LOVED this activity and it really does make the room so much more reflective of their cultures and interests. Plus, it was soooooo inexpensive!!! I will NEVER buy borders again!!! Those teacher stores are highway robbery!

Isn't this one adorable???

Kid generated art is the BEST!!!

I also had them help create and write out our rules...One of our district's main initiatives is Project-Based learning. Along with the basics- Reading, Writing and Math~ It is an expectation that students learn through discovery and real-world field study. This area of our room is our art studio. Students have to create representations in project work and engage in other cooperative learning activities.

My low-rider table...Like my pillows??? Dollar Tree people!!! I am going to have soooooo much fun the rest of this school year!!! I cannot wait to tell you more about all the cool things we will be doing~ Stay tuned... Last weekend, our friends Tiffany and Josh had a Christmas Pajama Party. It was a BLAST!!! Everyone came dressed in their jammies, ready to P-A-R-T-Y... This is Elise~ Eric and Liz's little doll. She is getting so big, huh? She is just adorable... Ryan and I decided to represent Southern California in our Angel's Baseball PJ's and Santa Hats... Our friends, Brad (Tiffany's brother) and his wife Julie (yes Brad is in an adult footed-pajamas with clouds and stars on them). Zach being, well....ummmm...to know him is to love him! Tiffany and Josh's little girl Kenzie and Elise catching up on a little baby gossip... Girlie girls~ You know our neighbors Liz, Tiff and Sabrina. Allison in the purple is our neighbor also. The other gals are Tiff's friends... Liz tickling the ivories, as Tiff cracks up about something inappropriate I'm sure... The guys... What a cutie~ Just like her mama!!! Love you girlies!!! Sabrina and me... Like our glasses??? We painted them!!! Mine is the one with the Gingerbread Man... White Elephant fun... On Sunday of last week, I was fortunate enough to get to chaperone 26 kiddos from my school on a field trip to the Colts/Jaguars game! I have been to 3 Colts games since moving here and this one was by far the BEST!!! Here I am with Angela, my school's Assistant Principal. It was a GREAT game...We won~ which means we still have a chance!!! Now we have to beat the Raiders on Sunday!!!Every year, Ryan and I host the neighborhood New Year's Eve Party. This year the theme is prom. The guys have to come dressed in a shirt and tie and the girls have to wear an old prom or bridesmaid dress. Last night, Liz, Tiff and I painted posters displaying everyone's high school, graduation year, mascot and school colors...Here I am hard at work...we even made posters for my brother, sister and brother-in-law who are flying out next week to join in the festivities. I can't wait!!!! New Year's will be a blast!!!! I LOVE my neighbors. They are our family out here!!! We have been so blessed! Merry Christmas to all!!! We are supposed to get 3-5 inches of snow Christmas Eve through Christmas morning...Our first "White Christmas" in Indiana!!!

Until next time...xo

Catching Everyone Up!!!

Hello there! Sorry it has taken soooooo long to write, but we had a little problem with our computer the last month and a half due to a VIRUS!!! Our computer is back in commission and I am ready to catch everyone up! Lots of exciting things have happened these past few weeks. Starting tomorrow, I will be back in the regular classroom teaching 3rd grade!!! Yep, you heard me right~ One of the teachers at my school took a job at the district office and they needed someone to fill her position. I have been wanting to go back into general education for awhile and jumped at the opportunity to have my own class again. These pictures are from my last and final ESL family night in early November...

Me and Amanda...

I am glad I had the opportunity to teach English as a Second Language. It taught me a lot about support staff and the roles they play in providing additional services to teachers and students. I feel like I helped our school build stronger relationships with our families and was able to share effective instructional strategies with teachers. I am thankful to have had this role in my school, but know 100% that my heart belongs in the classroom and that I am going to be happier in my new position. I will post pics of my new class soon!!!This year for Halloween, Ryan and I had to dress up as movie characters for Lisa and Steave's Halloween party. We decided to go as Captain Hook and Tinkerbell...

Girls just wanna have fun! Ryan singing karaoke...Steave, me and Tiff...Sabrina, Chris, Brian and Zach...Robyn, Kristin and Sabrina... I love our neighbors. We always have fun together. We are so lucky to be surrounded by such fun-loving friends!!!Mom and my step-dad Larry flew out here in November to spend Thanksgiving Break with us...Me and Ry on Thanksgiving Day...Preparing our delicious feast with our friend, Taylor...Mmmmmmmm....
Our Thanksgiving table...

Ryan and Sofia~ Isn't she a cutie? She is our friend Nathan's little girl. Nathan went to high school with us. He and his wife recently relocated to Chicago for work and drove down to spend Turkey day with us :)

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

When mom and Larry were here, we went to the Colts/Chargers game...Inside Lucas Oil Stadium...

Warming up...

Colts got their butts beat, but I know two people who were very happy about that...

I love my mom so much!!! I am so glad she came out and we were able to spend quality time together.

Okay, so moving on to Christmas! We have the whole casa representing the spirit of joy! This is our new, big, pre-lit tree with matching ornaments!!! Yep, Ryan and I have"officially" made it to adulthood. I have wanted a tree like this for soooooooo long...

We didn't forget about our little "Hodge Podge" tree. It is brightly lit and spreading the Christmas spirit in our dining room...

A table just wouldn't be a table without Grandma Genie's handmade placemats, napkins and centerpiece. I love you, Grandma! xo

Snow village...

Stocking hung by the chimney with care...

Will it be a "White Christmas?" I think possibly so. We have had quite a bit a snowfall in the past 2 weeks...

I LOVE the snow, but I HATE driving in it...

Frodie prefers to stay inside...

Sammy prefers to "run a muck" in the white stuff, but will settle for his spot on the sofa. It's a rough life he leads...

We love and miss you all. I will be blogging more now that I am able to upload pictures again!!! Thank goodness!!! I was having photo withdrawals!!! One of these days I will break down and buy a Mac.Until next time...xo