Five for Friday

{I'm late.  Forgive me.}  

I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs for the Five for Friday post.  This week was crazy-busy... and fun too!

Have you heard of The SLANT Box exchange?  It's a monthly gift exchange for teachers hosted by Lessons with Coffee.  I sent my SLANT box out to my new teaching friend, Katie.  It was filled with jungle themed items for her classroom.  

I ran in my first obstacle race, The Washington DC Diva Dash.  We jumped hay bails, climbed over mountains of tires, scaled wooden walls, hopped logs, and more - all while running a 5K.  It was super fun!

I returned home from the race EXHAUSTED (I had trouble sleeping the night before) to find my own SLANT box had arrived!  It was filled with sweet treats like a peppermint Smencil, chocolate scented erasers, and a light up stapler.  Thanks, Sarah!  She even made a fancy pen just for me.  :) 

We finished up our beginning-of-the-year benchmark assessments, reviewed the data, and held a ton of meetings to determine candidates for intervention.  Monday will be my first day of reading classes with all the new students that were added.  I can't wait to meet them! 

This past summer we offered a BINGO reading and writing challenge to all of our students.  This week we rewarded the students who earned "Blackout" on their bingo cards with a field trip to a local park for "Reading in the Park".  Don't they look adorable?  They picked the most clever spots to read!

Have a great week!

   

I Want My Hat Back

Story Summary:
Bear can’t find his hat, and he really wants it back.  So he sets off on a journey to ask animals along his path if they have seen it.  None of the animals admits to seeing the hat.  Bear is ready to give up, when he suddenly remembers where his hat might be. 

My Thoughts:

I love that this story is told entirely through dialogue.  The illustrations add to the humor of the story. You may be caught off guard by the surprise ending, but your kids will love it!   

Ways I Use The Book:

This is a great book to launch a discussion during writers' workshop about the use of dialogue in stories.  

During reading workshop, it could be used to point out how a reader needs to examine the pictures carefully for more information about the story.  Without the pictures, students might miss the humor of this story.  

And finally, I love to read this book just for fun, especially on Hat Day. Sometimes I even pair it up with Caps For Sale for double the laughter. 

If you are looking for more picture book recommendations, hop on over to Paula's Place for her Storybook Link-Up.

September Currently

Hello September! You've crept up on me once again.  

I've been so focused on returning to school that I totally forgot about September rolling in.  And you know what that means...

It's time for Farley's Currently.  Yay!

Listening:  My morning routine...coffee, computer, and GMA.

Loving:  Labor Day weekend...four days of family, football, friends, parties, picnics, and a little bit of adventure.

 

Thinking:  I love, love, love my family and friends.  My heart is happy and life is good.  :)

Wanting:  I need more hours in a day.  There's too much to squeeze into a 24 hour day.  Need.  More. Time.

Needing:  Say a little prayer for pleasant weather today.  We are floating on the river and the forecast is calling for possible thunderstorms.  I'm hoping it will hold off until we are on solid ground again.  

Personal Goals:  

• My first goal is to live in the moment and be truly present for my family. I'm often distracted by school work, my laptop, the phone, the TV, etc. 

• I also plan to run three times each week.  I'm running in the Diva Dash this month, so I must get ready.

• Lastly,  I want to eat healthier.  I feel better when I eat better, so I want to eliminate the junk and embrace clean eating. 

So what's up with you, currently?  Link up with Farley and share.