All Good Things Come to an End

It's finally here! The last day before Christmas Break! It has been a fun filled day already. The elementary grades are showing movies throughout the day. Two grades at a time go to the auditorium, students are given a bag of popcorn and staff make a big deal out of it. One of our teachers is standing at the door reminding them to not talk, silence cell phones, not to put their feet on the seats, etc. just like a movie theatre. I LOVE it! I have been an elf all morning, delivering gifts all over campus to and from secret pals. I've sent several transcripts off to colleges and universities and am trying to think of those things scheduled for the first week we return that need attention now. We had an ugly sweater contest this morning. I'm not sure what happened, if everyone forgot, thought it was another day or just got busy and had no time, but we one had one participant (our JH/HS principal). We all got a great laugh out of his sweater, though and he still received the prize!Next year we will try to coincide with the actual Ugly Sweater Day (I didn't know there was such a day), and staff will have more time to plan. This was our first. We also have a Christmas door decorating competition. I'm posting those pictures plus a few more, just because they're all fun. The elementary winner is All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeth with the pictures of the toothless kids.The JH/HS winner is Down Through the Chimney.What you can't tell with this one is that the lights under the fire flickered, making it look a little more real. The winner of the Admin./Library/Counselor door is the Frozen Let it Go door. I love the 3-D snowflakes! Just as quickly as the first semester passed, so it will be with the second. I hope everyone enjoys their Christmas Break with lots of family, food and fun, along with the true meaning of CHRISTmas. Over the break I plan on just that, plus some research and planning for the rest of the school year, how I can reach more of the student body and make a more positive impact them. I've been asked to help with setting up of a scholarship so I will be gathering information for that as well. Merry Christmas! a

Gotta love it!

Last week's elementary lessons were the last ones for the semester in the building. I was able to make it to every classroom, PK-6th, even with technical difficulties and being gone one day. The elementary building didn't get to participate in the bullying assembly we had during the month of October. There was some discussion with the classes during each classroom lesson, but it just wasn't the same, full blown, bullying lesson as they would have received in the assembly. Plus, I'm sure I wasn't nearly as exciting during the classroom lessons as the group that conducted the assembly.

I used Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer as my lesson. I only pulled out certain scenes instead of showing the full movie.

Time wouldn't allow a showing of the full movie anyway. Some classes were combined and I had to put the classroom teachers to work, starting and stopping the movie, throughout the lesson. It all worked beautifully.

I found questions and worksheets that fit multiple grades. Though I didn't have them complete worksheets, I pulled questions from them so that I had something to ask the lower grades, as well as the upper grades. A couple of the sixth graders, who had never seen the 1960s version of Rudolph commented about the lameness of the movie (I was gone out of the room, but still within earshot). Everyone else commented positively.

It fit nicely for the different grades and this time of year. It also fit well with the amount of time I have with each class. I honestly didn't realize there was so much bullying going on in this movie! What a great tool for our students. I don't have time now to list the other blogs where I found the questions and scene numbers, but if you want to contact me I'll be glad to pass it along to you over Christmas break and you can plan it for next Christmas. I'm trying to think of something, now, for next Christmas. Maybe How the Grinch Stole Christmas will work! I've seen some things on Pinterest. You can bet I'll be researching that between now and then. This week we are wrapping up Winter testing sessions and the semester like everyone else. Our JH/HS is having a dress up spirit week. Each day is a different dress up day, like it would be for Homecoming week or Red Ribbon Week, though it is Christmas themed. We have a door decorating contest going on right now. The class that wins receives a pizza party upon returning to school in January. That will be judged sometime early the morning one day this week. Tomorrow, the administration (including me) will be hosting a breakfast for our entire staff at 7:30 a.m. (lots of cooking will be going on tonight in preparation for that). Friday we will have an ugly sweater contest with our teachers competing for a prize. I can't wait to get some pictures of that! Can the week be any busier? Gotta love it!

December Fun

It has been a fast paced week! With the new month here, it is time for new bulletin boards. I debated even doing them since we're just here three weeks and by the time I figured out something to do the week was 1/2 over.

I gave in and scrambled to get something up. I searched (thank you Pinterest) and did parts at home. Finally, I had one completed by Wednesday afternoon (Elf) and the border on the second one Thursday morning to complete it (Nativity).

I have been in a computer lab literally all week giving make up tests (I am DTC). Two days I had to take my lunch with me to the lab and one day I didn't have time for lunch. It is also college week. Trivia questions were posted all over school and students have been running in and out of my office or catching me coming and going in the hallway to give me answers. It's been great, really, and our most successful college week so far! The prize yesterday was a t-shirt. I gave them all out before school even started! Those that missed a shirt received candy, which they were happy about, too. Just another confirmation that most students will do anything for chocolate. Two things this week have really made me smile, reminding me why I love it here. The first is the December dress up calendar. It's really for the elementary, though our JH/HS staff get it, too. Each day of December everyone is to wear something different (holiday scarf and mittens one day, slippers another, warm up suit still another, and so it goes the entire month). Today is a Disney birthday to today is that theme.

The JH/HS staff doesn't really participate, but I love this each year I see it. The second is the chalk board on my door. This happened last year when I had one up at another school, so it's not specific to here, but I love I the same.

I love students leaving me notes here and there throughout the year. I leave notes on their lockers periodically (see last blog post), so they will occasionally write something for me. That chalk board will be a treasure to me at the end of the school year. I'm not sure what I will do for next school year (erase notes from this year and start over).