Party Discussion

Please add any ideas you might have for our Christmas party. I am looking for ideas for food, games, movies, and anything else I haven't even considered. Come on--it's your party!

The Holiday Stretch

I trust that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I did not get a whole lot accomplished, but it was a nice break. I was able to spend time with my parents and Kaleb (and his parents, too). Here is one of his latest pictures. We all had a nice time. We did get a little snow on Thanksgiving!Now that we are back, we have four weeks to get much accomplished. There are some fun activities coming up like D.E.A.R. pajama day and our party, but to get to that point we have much to do. So, let's buckle down for the long haul. Just a reminder--with the cold weather settling in, remember SSA regulations. Remember sweaters cannot have hoods and must be a solid, school-approved color.

We have six days remaining in the Penny Harvest. Team 4 has done awesome and I am very proud of the four classes! If you were to walk through the school, you might notice that our team has a "secret" wave to show our unity! The Penny Harvest ends December 3.

Students who did not get a job in the first round may reapply this week. There are several opening still available.

As of our last day before Thanksgiving, we had no copy machine again. I would imagine very little has been done over the break to rectify that problem. I will send home papers and updates as soon as I have access to the copy machine.

Finally, students did very well on their presentations. My biggest criticism was not being able to hear some of them present. How can this group be so quiet?! We are going to go over the presentations again in class tomorrow and the grades will come home as soon as I have a copier.

Have a great week and happy shopping!

Thanksgiving--Counting My Blessings

I've been doing a lot of thinking over the past few weeks. (I know that immediately scares most of you, doesn't it?) For some reason, I have been much more contemplative than normal lately. I guess this time of year lends to that more so than other seasons, so I want to take a moment or two of your time and share with you just a few of the innumerable blessings that I too often take for granted in my life. Despite my gruffness and grumpiness, I do know how very and truly blessed I am.

1. Over the last few months I have been reminded of the value and importance of family. I am lucky enough to claim two parents who are happily married (to each other!) and devoted to their children and new grandchild. I know that I have gone a bit overboard with sharing my photos and stories of Kaleb here on the blog, but babies are such miracles and I am in awe of Kaleb and the infinite world he will grow into. Also, my dad has had some health scares of late, and as tough as it has been trying to deal with that from six hours away, I am reminded of the power of love and prayer.

2. Where would I be without my friends? When family is so far away, I realize that sometimes I have to count on my friends to help me get through some trying times. Lately I have really depended on them for so much. I am blessed to have amazing friends at church, home, and yes, especially at Jones that step up when needed without question, hesitation, or parameters. I am extremely grateful that so many amazing people allow me to share a part of their lives. (I am not going to mention specific names, because I don't want to put it in writing where she can use it against me!)

3. You know I wouldn't post on my Looper blog without mentioning those 25 amazing kids that I see each and every day. Within the past 16 months, I have seen such tremendous growth in my students and I am so proud of them--and please don't think I am patting myself on the back for that. Not at all! When a group has had such stellar K-2 teachers and awesome support at home, all I have to do is maintain. It is so much fun working with students who care about each other and not just themselves. It is also pretty cool that we can read each other's facial expressions, body language, and moods without speaking a word. I can't imagine another class anywhere in the world that can compare with my students. Yes, all teachers may say things like that, but I don't unless it is true.

4. I am also grateful for Jones and my job. I could be (and have been) in schools that are not happy places. I completely realize what an unbelievable situation I have at Jones. No matter where I end up down the road, Jones will always be a special place for me.

5. Finally, I am thankful for Mike Rowe, the host of the Discovery Channel's Dirty Jobs. If I may quote my class: "Hubba hubba!" Come on--you've got to give me at least one superficial blessing! If I can put my teacher hat back on for a second, I do highly recommend his show, although some episodes are not for those with weak stomachs.

There are so many more things that I want to add here, but I have probably already gone on too long. This holiday season I hope you are able to take a moment and reflect on all of the blessings in your life. Thanks to you and unending thanks Him for the many blessings daily life brings. May you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

BIG, Busy Week Ahead!

We are five days away from Thanksgiving Break! Five Days! Does anyone else out there feel as if time is just flying by? Maybe I am just getting too old! (256 is getting up there, you know?) If I don't get a chance to send out an e-mail or note, I pray that everyone has a safe and relaxing Thanksgiving. For those of you travelling, may you get there and home without any difficulties.

What does this week hold for us? I am so glad you asked. Sit back, read on, and take notes.

• The Penny Harvest, for Common Cents, continues this week. Team 4 (us, along with Ms. Hunt, Mrs. Cuffman, and Mrs. Ward's classes) were in 1st place last week. GREAT JOB! Keep it up and send those pennies in. Every cent collected will be used to help out a need in our community as decided upon by our student council.
• The Scholastic Book Fair runs through Thursday of this week. During school hours Monday through Wednesday and all day Thursday until 7:30, the library is hosting the "Chill Out With a Good Book" book fair. Stop by and check it out!
• Tuesday is an SSA opt-out day. Students are encouraged to come to school dressed up as their favorite book character. (There will be NO parade.)
• Thursday is also an SSA opt-out day. Students are to come to school dressed for a blizzard to help remind them that it is the last day of the book fair. (Perfect for a 70 degree day, don't you think?)
• Thursday night is the PTO's chili supper along with the book fair. Reservations for the supper were due in by last week, but you can contact PTO to see if arrangements can still be made. The evening's festivities wrap up at 7:30.
• Friday is the presentations for our social studies trunk projects! That will begin at 12:30 if you would like to come.
• Friday also ends our class book orders. Have those orders turned in to me or online by 3:00.
• Midterm reports will also come home on Friday along with student work.

You then have all of next week to visit, eat, watch football, eat, nap, visit, and eat some more! Very soon after that we will have to start thinking about planning our Christmas/Holiday party. I have already had some parents eagerly anticipating this grand event. I am open for any thoughts and ideas you may have for the party. School-wide, we have "Pajama Day" set for Thursday, December 20--the last full day before Christmas Break. That will be a D.E.A.R. (drop everything and read) Day along with hot cocoa and watching The Polar Express. Would you want the party that day or wait until the half day on Friday? You let me know. While somewhat on the topic, I hope my request for no teacher gifts this year will not fall on deaf ears. After a year and a half together, I don't need gifts to know how dear each one of you is to me. It would mean a lot to me to know that instead of buying a gift for me, you go do something together as a family. I'll leave it at that. (I hope my name-sake is reading this!) Have a great week and enjoy Thanksgiving! Save a piece of pumpkin pie for me!

Moving Right Along

I can't believe how quickly the holidays are approaching. Last week was Halloween (thanks to everyone who sent in goodies!), next weekend begins our Thanksgiving break, and that means Christmas can't be too far away. Then we are in the second semester of school and that always seems to fly by. I am by no means wishing time away, but I am afraid that our looper experience will be over in just a blink of an eye.

I apologize if any of you tried to access the book orders online yesterday. I had to run out after school to get my flu shot. (Don't worry--I only cried a little bit!) They are now up and ready for you if you want to take advantage of it. If you would like to order books for Christmas presents, just send me a note and I will make sure they are kept secret. You can get to the order page by clicking HERE. (Class name: karraker --password: bookorder)

And speaking of books. . . next week Mrs. Sharp will be hosting the book fair! I am sending home information about this and the Chili supper (which is FREE this year!). Look for that information today!

Don't forget to save those pennies! Our team is in a highly competative race with the rest of the school to bring in the most pennies. It is still early, so we can take control! Send in the bags when you have collected up to the 5 pound mark. That is how the student council will be keeping track of what we have. I plan on bringing my pennies in on Fridays, but you can send them in as you fill the bags. Let's work together to help make a positive change in our community!