Snow Day 2014

Welcome Winter! Here in southwestern Georgia we got a very rare, unexpected day off on Wednesday. Many are calling it a "snow day," but I am just going to call it a "too cold for school kind of day." You see, in the South, when it is that cold and it mixes with rain, our bridges and back roads are just not prepared for the icy conditions. They felt it was better to keep people off of the roads than to risk it...I am thankful!

My daughter and I had a wonderful day of playing Connect Four, drinking hot chocolate, watching television while snuggling on the couch, and looking outside for the occasional snow flurry to float through the air. It was a wonderful day!

Here is a picture of our backyard. There is not much there, but our deck was frozen and I would not walk out on it for fear I would not stay upright. 

I know the weather in other parts was terrible and conditions were such administrators, teachers, and students were stranded in schools and some even on buses. I am thankful we did not see those conditions, but I pray for others who did to stay warm and get to their loved ones safely. 

Have you had a snow day this year? What is your favorite thing to do on a snow day? 

A Birthday Bash Giveaway

My friend Jamie over at Miss Math Dork hit a big milestone, and now she is celebrating! But we couldn't let her celebrate alone. If you head over to her blog, you have a chance to win over $200 worth of goodies from some blogging buddies who wanted to help her celebrate! It is easy to enter and well worth your time! Congratulations to Jamie! 

Go to the Giveaway

A Fresh Start

There will be no snow day for me today. It is cold, and I am typing this, the temperature is steadily dropping, but we will still have school. Today is a teacher workday, which is always good to have to get my mental focus prepared for the tasks I need to accomplish. 

As I begin the second half of this school year, I am blessed to work with such a wonderful faculty and staff. This year begin my journey as an Instructional Coordinator. While I honestly did not fully understand all the responsibilities this position would entail, I have learned a lot. And I mean a lot. I am thankful the faculty (and my dear friends) have been very patient with me on this journey. I know I still have a lot more to learn, but it has truly been a wonderful journey up to this point. 

In an earlier post I stated I would make my goals for this year public on this blog. I think I am ready to do just that...wait, am I? Didn't I say something about I was making them public so you would hold me accountable? Okay, that is your job. Hold me accountable this year. 

A New Year...A New Me

1. Be the best mommy ever...My little girl is five years old, and she is the best blessing I have received. In this fast-paced world, I tend to rush things, mainly her in the mornings when we are trying to get to school. I want to spend good, quality time with her...no television, computer, outside distractions...just our little family bonding and making memories. I don't want to miss out on anything. 

2. Be the best spouse I can be...We will celebrate our 8th Anniversary in April, and time surely does fly when you are having fun! I just need a reminder to be patient, kind, loving, and understanding. 

3. Be a good friend...In my walk of life I have made many acquaintances who have turned out to be some of the best friends anyone could ask for. I want to be a good friend and be there to listen (not talk...sometimes hard for me) whenever I am needed. 

4. Be the best at my job...I love education! I am constantly learning new things, and I try to broaden my experiences so I can be the best at what I do. Now, I know there is always someone who it better than me out there, but I want to learn from my mistakes and do what is the best thing for our students. 

5. Be healthier...I am not going to put a goal of how many times I want need to workout, but I am going to say I am going to make better decisions about what foods I eat. I am also going to exercise, even if it is just for a few minutes each time. 

I apologize for such a long post today! I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

If you have not already done so and you need a quick class starter, grab my It's a New Year Writing Activity...it's free! 

It's Giveaway Day!

Good morning! If you will head on over to our All Things Upper Elementary Blog, you can enter for a chance to win my January Writing Bundle. I will randomly select three lucky winners. All you have to do is leave your email address in the comment section of the post at ATUE. While you are there, you can also download a freebie from me to use in your classroom. Good luck and I hope you have a fabulous Friday!

Writing through January

I have done a complete overhaul on all of my monthly writing bundles...in fact, I have not uploaded all of the months yet because I am editing all of them. However, the January Writing Bundle is up and ready for you! I think you will find these bundles are wonderful resources to have in your possession. 

In each writing bundle, you will find 20 journal topics for the month. The journal topics come in two formats: (1) two journals per page complete with a journal cover page to make into a booklet or insert into a binder and (2) cut-and-paste topics to add into a notebook. You choose which format works best for your classroom!

Also included are three essay prompts. There is one informational prompt, one argumentative prompt, and one narrative prompt. You will get a writing prompt page with an organizer for the students to organize their thoughts, writing papers, and a scoring rubric. 

Below are some pics of what you might find in the writing bundle. I hope you will check it out!

 

Click HERE for the January Writing Bundle

Ringing in a New Year!

Wow! It is 2014 already! I simply cannot believe how quickly 2013 began and ended. There are many things that I would like to accomplish in 2014, but I am going to have to wait until a later post to outline those for you...I have to choose the ones that I know I can hold myself accountable for and accomplish. 

Since it is January 1st, it is time for Farley's Currently. 

Listening: Football, football, football...that is all you hear in our house right now (all day and probably night, too). I am disappointed the UGA Bulldogs lost today, but I am still proud to be a fan! 

Loving: I have truly enjoyed every second of this break. I love my little family and love spending time with them. 

Thinking: We are going to see Walking with Dinosaurs tomorrow. It is going to rain, so it will at least give us an fun outing. 

Wanting: I want my house cleaned. Period. 

Needing: Absolutely nothing! I am blessed beyond measure and cannot think of anything I need. 

Memory and/or Tradition: When I was a little girl, I remember baking cookies at Christmas. This is something I have carried over to my little family. My daughter and I love to bake (and eat) cookies. Then she gets to leave them out for Santa. 

I hope everyone has a joyful January!