Congrats Mrs. Ward!!

It is official!!

Mrs. Ward has been honored by being selected Jones Paideia's

Teacher of the Year!

Congratulations!!

All of the teachers were asked to choose one experienced teacher in our building who best serves the children, and Mrs. Ward was that person this year! We are all very proud of her! She takes over from Ms. Bell who won last year. I know that all of my students love Mrs. Ward, and so I wanted to be sure you all knew about this great honor. I am very lucky to work with such an outstanding teacher each day, and your children will forever be blessed by their time with her! This is an honor well deserved!

Big Changes

I am sure that most of you have either read or seen the news that our district is in the midst of change. I am not sure how I feel about everything that has happened lately, but I am not about to get into the name-calling and finger-pointing I have seen in the newspaper comments and editorials. Many people seem to think one person, one board member, one administrator, or whomever can accept all the blame for any given problem. Things just don't work that way in real life, as easy as it may be to jump on a bandwagon.

For one, I see our school and class as an exception to many of the problems and complaints throughout the district. We have parents who are invested and involved in the lives of their children. (Some of you feel you are too involved, but consider the alternative.) Parents who care make choices that are in the best interest of their children. You have chosen our school as the best fit for your child. Some of you drive all over town to get your children to school each day. (I will refrain from commenting on tardies at this time! ;-) ) I truly believe that if more parents were like you, teachers, administrators, and schools would have no other choice than to get themselves into gear. I'll step off of my soapbox now.

I just have to point out the fact that the Patriots are headed to the Super Bowl. As much as that tears up a couple of my students, it is amazing to see history being made. Sorry Bubblez! I am disappointed that Brett Favre is done for the season. We agree on that!

Announcements:

• No school tomorrow--Martin Luther King Jr. Day If you are headed for the parade, dress warmly!
• Don't forget that the first installment payment for the LCO is due no later than January 31.
• Book orders are due this Wednesday. You can order online by clicking HERE. Remember that our class username is: karraker and the password is: bookorder.
• Math problem solving assessment is this week.
• Little Bear basketball at TSU is coming up soon. Look for more information.

When Does it Slow Down?

I always thought that after Christmas and the other holidays passed, things slow back down, yet I don't feel as if that is happening. How sad is it to admit that I longingly look at the extended weather forecast each day? Shame on me! I guess the drudgery of the spring semester has hit early. I will do my best not to take it out on the children. (Well, at least not on most of them. Some deserve it, don't you think?)

I'll stop moping for a bit to share a few items of note with you. Tomorrow, January 15, students will come home with the School Mall postcard books. We did this last year, so it might look familiar to you. Just fill in the addresses of people who might shop online. Our school receives a percentage of total purchases from numerous online stores when people register with this program. It is a simple, FREE way of earning money for Jones.

Report cards came home today. Please review those, sign them, and send them back to school. If you have questions, concerns, comments, etc please don't hesitate to contact me.

On today's newsletter, I included a great game in the "Website of the Week" section. I have also added it to the blog in the Favorites section. Maybe next week I'll share the website with cheats showing how to beat each level (not that I have used it or anything)! I also hope you enjoy the music link on the blog. I have asked the students to submit songs, but have not yet gotten much response. Do you have any favorites you would like me to add to the playlist? Finetune is a great website. You might want to check it out!

The response for the LCO was phenomenal! Thank you so much for getting the confirmation notes in. Between the two classes, we have 42 students attending! I just have a feeling that this will be an awesome way to spend our last few days of elementary school. Thank you so much for allowing your child to participate and share this time with Mrs. Ward and me! (And speaking of the fabulous Mrs. Ward, you might want to visit her blog and "encourage" [harass] her to update it more often!)

Don't forget that next Monday is a holiday honoring Dr. King.

It seems like there is something else I am supposed to mention. It will come to me later, I'm sure. I've given you plenty for now. Have a great week!

Predictions for 2008!

We are back to school and the work has already begun! The students were asked to think about what might happen in this new year to them, our communities, and our world. Click on the comments button below to see what our fourth graders predict for 2008. You won't believe what 2008 might hold!

It's 2008!

We made it. Albeit a little bit tired today, I was very happy to see 2007 turn over to a new and hopefully better year! Last year was a rough one in many respects, but filled with numerous blessings, too. I really shouldn't and can't complain too much. Although my family has had some health issues, we were all able to be together for a good Christmas. And to think that at this time last year, we had no idea that there would be one more joining us for Christmas this year. I think it is safe to say that Kaleb had a good Christmas and made all of ours brighter! Here are a few more photos of the guest(s) of honor. (Thanks to new-mommy Mrs. Cooper for the Santa hat!)

Oliver just had to show off his holiday attire! He was initially very jealous; he would whimper and cry every time I was holding the baby, but eventually he was able to sniff, smell, and meet Kaleb and so I think they will be good buddies.

Anyhow, we will back in the final stretch of things all too soon. Just a few school reminders--next Friday is the LCO commitment date. Mrs. Ward and I are asking for parents to decide whether or not their child will participate in May. A note will come home with your child on Tuesday. Look for it. Other than that, enjoy this last week. Don't think about school one bit, and get as much out of these last few days as you can.

Happy 2008!