Itching to get into my rooms!

I don't have to tell you all that I am beyond ready to get into my classrooms!!  Oh, I love our custodial staff (and will be making them some little treats!) and I want to shout "FINISH MY ROOM NEXT!"  I can't do that!  I AM going to sit back and be patient and wait...so while I wait, tomorrow, I am taking my kiddos to the mall that has the teacher store!  I told them that we are going to play putt-putt at the NASCAR speedpark so they'll hopefully let me shop some first!

Tonight, I had a GRAND thought while I was sitting in the drive-thru line at the golden arches...since I have to be away from my classes for the first week and a half, why not VIDEOtape myself talking to them.  Then, that takes a little pressure off the sub to make sure they cover EVERYTHING I want covered on our first class meetings.  Wow, wow, wow!  Now, I'm even MORE excited and ready to get my rooms set up so I can call "ACTION!"

The drive-thru line was CRAZY, so I pulled up Evernote on my phone (lifesaver that app is - I tell ya!  If you don't use it, you totally should!) and I started typing out a script for my back to school video lessons.  So excited, I am beyond words!  Now, if only I had an iPad, then I could do my video without having to use my phone...sigh, and dream a little dream.  Okay, I'm back!

Here's my awesome find from the music teacher blog-o-sphere!  Mrs. Swedburg at Made for Music Teachers has created some awesome funky Bach chickens and they are so going to go outside my door at the 3rd-5th grade school!  Here's a link and here idea came from Mrs. King at www.musicbulletinboards.net (Mrs. King has some awesome things on her blog and site also!)  I think that's all I have time for tonight - HUGE storm booming outside!

Happy shopping to me tomorrow!  Yay!

Give with Target

Have you heard?!?  Target is giving schools $25 gift cards for every 25 votes they get via Facebook.  Find out more and vote for a school near you at Facebook.com/Target.  You can vote 1 time each week.  So, spread the word and get votes for your school!  I think this is so awesome!

If you're looking for a school to support - Pageland Elementary or Petersburg Primary in Pageland, SC would LOVE your votes!!

This week

Monday, I spent the day working on things around my house.  HOW do we get laundry done and keep the chores taken care of during the school year?!?  Seems like that's all I spend time doing during the summer!  Tuesday was spent stalking watching the Olympics and Wednesday was spent signing the contract in my new district.

So, today and the rest of the week I'm going to be creating games, planning classroom set up (can't get into my rooms yet) and planning some lessons.  Working on a Prezi (www.prezi.com) to use the first classes with my upper grades.  I'll post that when I get it finished.

Pinterest has been a HUGE help in my finding games and activities I can incoporate into my teaching.  What are some of your favorite games/activities/lessons?  I didn't do much with "Star Spangled Banner" last year, so I am looking to do more with that in grades 3-5.  Mostly, I am really looking forward to setting up my rooms and making them my own!  I have some barred Orff instruments, but DonorsChoose is going to be used to help me get more.  Most of what is at both schools is old, broken or doesn't sound good.

Oh I just can't wait to get started!!  Don't think I've been this excited about the start of a school year since my first year teaching!  LOVE!

Big News!!!

Hi friends and family!  I've had some big news that I've had to sit on for a while, but...I am making a job change.  Yep, 2 weeks before workdays start and I'm going to change states (again!).  I am going back to my Chesterfield County roots to teach in Pageland at both Petersburg Primary and Pageland Elementary!!!  The building that now homes PES is the former location of Pageland Middle School, where I spent my first year teaching band!  AND Petersburg is where I spent 5 years as the media specialist.  I totally feel like I am going home!  and it's a super wonderful feeling.  BUT, am I stressed!?!  YES!!!

I have 2 classrooms to set up, that haven't been cleaned, so I can't get in them.  AND, I'm going to have to spend a least part of the workdays and some of the student days in Charlotte.  WOWZER!  3 classrooms to set up and lesson plans to prepare for me to use and a sub to use maybe...who knows!!!  However, the end result with my being back in Pageland is sooo worth it!!  I will be spending the next few weeks squeezing the last moments of summer fun in with my babies and working on lots of projects!

Ahhh only 2 weeks!!!!!

Headed Home :(

Kinda sad today, we're on our way home from the beach.  I LOVE the beach!  Would move here in a skinny minute if hubby would...ahhh, but neither of us are keen on trying to sell our house, find new jobs, move with the kiddos in tow.  So, for now I will dream beachy dreams for retirement!  :)

Having some time to rest and recharge has me pumped up to get started on some plans for this year!  I am most excited about the dice games I mentioned in my last post and I've come up with some other ideas I can't wait to share!

One thing I am super pumped about is using "Mallet Madness" with our kinders and firsties from the get-go.  Not using barred instruments, but tambourines, triangles, rhythm sticks and hand drums.  If you haven't used Mallet Madness before, it is really fun and I highly recommend it!  I used a few bits at both schools last year and am looking forward to impelmenting more!

Look for more to come in the next few weeks!

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Inspired!

While looking through some files I downloaded during Teacher Appreciation week, I was struck by inspiration!  Lacey at Wild About Teaching had her dice games pack as a free download so I snagged it!  :)  Here's the link to the pack in her store on TpT.  Her games for using dice in math are AWESOME!  And I thought, hey, why not do some music games using music dice.  So, I will be working on that project soon.  I'll let you know when it's ready to go.  Do you have music dice in your classroom?  I don't but will be looking for some blank wooden cubes to use.

Anyone else finding it hard to believe that it's almost the end of July?!?  Really. Can't. Believe. It!!!  As I work through items on the to-do list, I think of more items that need to be added to the list!  Grrr!!  But, I want to get it all taken care of now and not right when school starts!

Happy Friday!  Enjoy you're weekend!

1st Quarter Assessments Ready!

I just uploaded today's project to TpT!!  Here's the LINK - please check it out!  I created assessments for each grade level K-5th to use at the beginning and end of the first quarter.  I pulled out 4 standards for each grade to focus on this quarter and built the assessments around them.

As North Carolina moves toward an EOG type assessment for the arts, I want to start getting prepared and ensuring that my students are prepared.  Haven't heard anything lately about the progress of said assessments, but I'd rather be safe than sorry!

I hope that you find the assessments useful.  I am getting the hang of creating fun stuff and can't wait to do more things!!  :-)