Why read FREEBIE!

I'm drowning and I can't see the top of the water! Do you feel like that? Why do we do this to ourselves?

We . . . (no, I'm not going to drag you into this. . . ) I have to learn to tell myself no more often.

Monday night the board meeting is being held at my school. That's always fun to be sure that our school is all cutsified and that we will impress the board members. ..  but in reality it seems like they just whip right through the front door and down to the gym to get the meeting underway. So maybe it's the front door that needs to be cutsified because that may be the only thing they really look at!

Truthfully, there will be other issues on their minds this week. We are having a controversy in our town and it has really gotten the community up in arms.

(What does that mean? Up in Arms? Why does that mean in a tizzy! Who thought of that one?. . . oh well. . . )

While I shouldn't go into details here, I will just tell you that something went wrong between a coach, a  parent, and the superintendent. The whole deal is a mess and it was not handled right. That's all I can say.

On Monday we also start our RTI (Response to Intervention) time. We divide all the first and second graders into ability groups for 25 minutes. Each classroom does something that fits the needs of these students. This is where all of you come in handy. I get to use all the activities that you've shared or I have purchased from you. I will have only 8 first graders and that will be fun to work with them in small groups.

I have a freebie to share with you. Do your kids ever whine about wanting to skip reading at home? Do your parents ever act like it's not important to read each night? Maybe if you copy this off and share it with them, they will understand better. My teaching pal Cathie created this. (She loves to dig up math data, but then all that she teaches is math.)

Now I have a confession to make. I promised Maribel Sheehan that I would blog about her Christopher Columbus packet and well. . . I forgot. . . I think I got so wrapped up in other things, that it just flipped by me. I feel so bad. And even though Chris's Day is gone for this year, maybe I can still share with you about it, and then you can go and grab it so you'll have it ready for next year.  You can check it out at her site, Learning in Wonderland. 

This packet had many activities in it that are great for 2nd and 3rd graders. There is even a picture of him. My kids really studied him and thought he looked pretty different! The thinking maps help the kids sort through the information, plus there is also some vocabulary words that can be sorted into nouns. There's a Venn Diagram to compare traveling now and then and Christopher Columbus and the student. She also included facts and writing paper to create stories on. Please venture on over the rough seas of blogging to her Wonderful Blog. She's getting close to 200 followers, so maybe you could follow her and help her get to 200!

And . . . one more thing. . . . You haven't seen my granddaughter since she was born. . . Look at her now. . . She's 4 months old. . . Is she not the cutest! And check out that blanket she's on. My mathematical pal, Cathie made this for me. . . "I love Gramma!" It's the best!

Patty