A Big Thank You!

Thank you so much for helping us get some great technology in the classroom!  We love our Kindles and are looking forward to really getting started with them.  

Happy Thanksgiving!

17 Little Ones We Are All Thankful For!

People Often Ask So This Is What I Know With 100% Certainty...

Do You REALLY Need A Reason To Dance?

I am not exactly sure why we had a pod dance party...either a school-wide A.R. reward party or a S.O.A.R. reward...  Doesn't really matter....it was time to DANCE!  The kids are surprisingly good at YMCA, the Chicken Dance, and a few other standards.  We still need to brush up on the Electric Slide but we can do a mean Macarena!  It was fun getting to see my "old" friends and share a dance with them as well!  My kids are so much fun and completely uninhibited when it comes to dancing - we do it every day! See?  I've said it before and I will say it over and over - I have the best job in the world!  I get to sing and dance with all my little friends!  LOVE THAT!

Halloween 2013

What a party!  Thank you to all of the families for pitching in with treats and helping out.  The kids played paste the face on the pumpkin, created a paper pumpkin lantern, decorated a sucker ghost and enjoyed cupcakes, fruit, rice crispy treats, juice and even a take home treat bag!  Thank you everyone!

Learning Addition

Kids In Camo!

Another theme day for Red Ribbon Week!  Lots of canned goods collected as well.  Thank you!

Monstrously Good Fun!

Fall Festival

We decorated a pumpkin this week to enter into the Fall Festival.  There were so many creative, interesting ones that any one of them will be a WINNER!

Fall Field Trip October 2013 Starring...Kindergarten Kiddos

A Little Here And A Little There...

I'm having a bit of trouble juggling my school pages AND the blog.  I am encouraged to share as much as possible through school however, I really can't let my hair down and give my personal viewpoint quite as easily as I can on the blog.  So, decision made....I am keep both.  I will do my best to post weekly a little nugget of some sort.  I am going to post a little slideshow that I made about our recent trip to Deanna Rose Farmstead & Pumpkin Hollow.

It was a beautiful crisp, fall morning and the farmstead was in tip top shape.  The kids enjoyed the goats, the pigs, and the bison.  The pedal tractors and the barn slide were favorites. After eating sack lunches in the corrals the afternoon warmed up at Pumpkin Hollow.  The children were able to choose a small pumpkin from the field, play games set up and ride a barrel train.  I know that they all enjoyed it but two afternoon favorites were the hay ride with those beautiful HUGE horses and the corn tubs.

The kids were wonderful, each and every one of them and the adults were so helpful.  I have put just a few of the pictures taken on our school page under Kindergarten.  You can get there from HERE.  Also don't forget to check out the slideshow.

Kindles For Kinders

I don't really enjoy asking for help and it is very hard for me to admit I might need it.  I am at a point in the classroom where I have to reach out to my school families and the Wellsville community because we are in such dire need for updated technology in the classrooms.  I have three classroom computers for the children to use and those are the imacs (you know, those turquoise ones) that I think might have been produced around the late 1990's.  They don't keep up with the internet and we have no programs that work with them.

Enough about the negatives....now for the positives!  I have created a "project" on Donor's Choose, a site that encourages donations to a specific project.  I wanted to start, modestly.  I requested 3 Kindle Fire HD's that the kids can use to access the internet and some of academic apps, listen to stories, watch demonstrations and videos, and of course, take pics or have "face time" with pen pals and family/friends.  I am super excited about it.

Please take a few minutes and check it out athttp://www.donorschoose.org/mminshull .

Thank you!

We Can't "Mask" Our Excitement!

The past seven and a half school days have been quite busy.  The children are beginning to settle in to our routines and our schedules. Now, WE are all still exhausted each evening.  Our days are full and expectations are high.  Things will get easier as they build up their stamina and the routines become more "natural".

I have 17 adorable little friends in class who have already made me laugh out loud with their own brand of humor.  I am going to learn as much from this year as they do.  Can't wait!

Our storybook friend Chester, from The Kissing Hand was our inspiration for the first of many 

headbands this year : )

"I'm so excited...and I just can't hide it!"

A new year and a new bunch of friends - parents and students!  I can't wait to meet all of my people who will be a huge part of my life this year.  Some will be eager, others hesitant...some of those younger and others older.  I may be blessed to have a child of a child.... (a former students child).  Doesn't really matter.  What matters is that each child will learn that they are accepted, challenged, and loved.  (I know, I know...I am sort of a dork but so passionate about what I do!).  I can't wait!  See all of my old buddies and my new friends very soon!

This is it kiddos!!!

Well it is time to let you guys move on to the wonderful first grade teachers who will love you like I do!  This note is for the families - the parents - as well as my kids.   To me, there is a bond that is created over the 9 months that will last a whole lifetime.  I hope that both parents and students know that they can come to me at any time for any reason and I will do my best to help!  Enjoy the last part of the summer and get ready for the hectic fall ahead!  Don't forget to check out the final summer skills packet link below!

Click HERE for the packet!

CELEBRATE!

Summer Packet #3

Click HERE for packet!

You Make Me Smile!

Classy Cleaners!

What an easy and exciting way to get our tables cleaned off! We loved drawing and writing in shaving cream!

Summer Skills Packet #2

CLICK HERE FOR PACKET!

These Will Be The Best Tasting Tomatoes I Have Ever Eaten...I Am Sure Of That!

I am so sorry that I am a little late posting some goodies. I will also post the new homework packet tonight. Let me show you what I have been up to. Now, if you know me, then you know that playing with my new toy is completely in character. What is a new interest of mine is my two tomato plants! Now all of you avid gardeners stop laughing at me! I can get a pretty flower to live but have never tried this! I worry myself sick over them! I think they look really healthy but can't really take all of the credit for that - HOME DEPOT did a good job getting them off to a nice start. Can't wait to let you know how they taste!

Some Summer Suggestions...

CLICK HERE FOR PACKET!

Summer Sites For Kids

Things are looking pretty strange around here....

THANK YOU FAMILIES FOR SUPPORTING OUR PTO!

Outta This World!

And It Continues...

Celebrating Earth Week 2013

We did a number of things to help us ALL become more conscious of the decisions we make when it comes to reducing, reusing, and recycling! Every station we worked on each day followed this theme, along with art projects, watching and documenting the lima bean sprouts, making and devouring our Dirt and Worms treat and planting real flower seeds with the help of Landmark Bank! Busy!

It is An Invasion...

The Kindergarten classroom has been invaded! We have aliens.....17 of them! STAY TUNED EACH DAY...

Celebration!

Just wanted to share a personal note! My son is getting married! I am completely thrilled, we absolutely love his fiance. Congrats Bob and Anjelica! Love you guys so much!

The Countdown Is On....

So hard to believe that we only have about 32 days left in the 2012-13 school year. Where did the time go? Yet, when I look out at the kids and see them "in action" they have come so far this year. I can't let myself get emotional right now, not yet, or I will be a mess for the remaining 32 days! I am attaching a few pics of spring fun... When it is 72 degrees and sunny out...hanging out with friends at the city park is the thing to do...unless you are working hard at home on your own landscaping or playing with a REALLY big kid at recess! Life is good!