Five for Friday LINKY

Im going to celebrate today's linky with pictures!

 

 Tomorrow is 8 years strong! I love you Big Daddy! Xo

Yep, that really happened...

 Wrote in my year of dates...school, games, appointments. La sigh. Who doesn't love a good list?!

Screaming ensued when this mini beast made an appearance on the side of our house. Mom saved the day...again.

FINALLY posting our picture! What an incredibly rewarding experience, to meet with talented fellow   teachers from across the country! We are all one big family when it comes to what we do and why we do it! Make it count! 

Better to drink from the hose than the hydrant.

It has been SOOOO long since I have sat down to stop and chat!  I can't tell you just how many times I have glanced longingly at my Apple as I rushed off to capture the world...meaning my two children. But I am BACK old friend! Woot! Woot! I would love to catch up in one fell swoop, but it would be like getting a drink from a fire hydrant so I will keep it to a garden hose...I've got time. Right?

First off THIS may have just happened. I LOVE when I find great deals on back to school gifts for my kiddos! The lovely young lady at Bath and Body Works didn't even blink when I asked for twenty five of them. Something tells me she may have done this before.

This summer wrapped up with a trip to WDW to see everyone's favorite mouse. Especially the little one and cousin Serena! My handsome hubby and I took four lovely ladies to get our Magic on. Let's just say the Grey Stuff was delicious! We didn't get to see the Beast or Cindrella, but a lovely and generous couple gave us their family tickets to the Frozen VIP event in Hollywood Studios and it was amazing. The kindness of the human spirit will never cease to amaze me. So I have to send out a special "thank you" shout out to the lovely family that generously gave us the tickets they were unable to use. The memories we made were priceless, we can't thank you enough! 

Lots of laughs and learning at the Harbor Hotel in Watson Glen with this lovely lady. Yet another inspiring event for future leaders and President's. NYSUT had a terrific gathering. We ended our two day event with an amazing presentation by Chicago Teachers Association. Across the United States teachers have tolerated such slanderous and treacherous remarks, but we stand strong and proud with integrity and solidarity. One voice teachers! 

These little ladies just light up my life. My heart. In the all kinds of crazy that sometimes is my life, this is what brings me back to Zen. Choose love my teacher friends. 

Gearing up for serious writing!

We are ready to bring it in writer's workshop in room 103. My students have been collecting seed stories for weeks, learning about strong leads and story mountains. The most challenging skill for my students and most writers, besides writing, is revision!

"How can I see my story again Mrs. A!? I already wrote it!"

This is where our craft lessons come to fruition! I just posted lesson 1 in my Writer's Craft series! If you get a chance, check it out! In the mean time here is a little freebie to go along with lesson 1! ENJOY!

Click here to download! 

Five for Saturday?

Ok, so I am a bit late on this week...but better late than never! So here it goes!

Enjoyed watching the eldest play and get a Varsity goal under the lights then I prepped for open house, which was... Monday! Monday? Geeze, nothing like making more weekend work for a teacher!

I was inspired by Mrs. Lemon's place value centers and LOVED her place value pockets so much, designed a template you can print, fold and staple on card stock. Check them out here! They are the perfect size for "mini playing cards" found here for 5.99 a dozen at Party City or 4.00 a dozen at Oriental Trading. I tried the dollar store with no luck.

You can use those little cards with the Hat Trick Game too! My 2nd grade team said their kiddos LOVED it!  Here are the directions and link!

Tis the season here in upstate NY...for tart cider, powdery warm doughnuts, falling leaves, pumpkin soft serve and expanding waist lines. Oh so good, except for the waistline thing. La sigh...

Remind 101 app. LOVE it teacher friends! Send a quick text to your parents whenever you need! Support service is AWESOME, link it to your classroom site for parents to see your message banner and it is all free! Super convenient, and did I mention free? Totally anonymous numbers and parents sign up or remove themselves as they see fit. Check it out here! 

Well that's my 5, time to take 5! See you soon and have a great week everyone!

LINKY day!

Love linky days! There are so many fantastic education blogs out there! Great teachers with great ideas! I LOVE BEING A TEACHER and belonging to this fraternity of friends! So if you haven't blog hopped around a linky... now is the time! Check out what is going on in classrooms around this great big world and enjoy!

1. Words their way groups will be up and in full swing MONDAY! Yay! Still working on yours? Save time with FREEBIE assessment sheets here! 

2. The eldest had her first goal and assist of the season! Woot! Woot! All that hard work and conditioning has paid off! Love this little lady's hutspa! She's a great little snuggler too, but don't tell her I told you! 

3. Checked this amazing adventure off the bucket list...yep, The Eagles live, in concert! No words needed. 

4. Interactive math journals are a HIT! I am so pleased with the record of learning these little gems provide! A great resource for my kiddos to continually look back on when needed, parents love seeing a record of their child's learning and growth, awesome authentic assessment. Can you tell I am sold? 

5. Ready for reinforcing our learning with a "Hat trick!" Great little centers that can be used independently and in small groups. Materials? A deck of cards, a download, and a classroom of kiddos! 

Have a great weekend everyone! See you next linky! 

Vowel Sound Hound Freebie!

Life has been a whirlwind of second grade and soccer and professoring! Yes, I did just make up my own word! But I promised some freebies and I PROMISE I will be getting back into the blog of things...just gotta catch my breath! In the mean time, ENJOY this little freebie and have a great week!

Resting before the year begins!

Hi everyone! I am still around and well! My little family and I are getting our magic on in sunny Florida before the new year begins! I will be back next week to share some new freebies and new items! Sending sunny magic and dreams come true your way!