Back at it with a new reading system

Well hello everyone! I am back after a very long time. Sorry I haven’t been around. Last year I started at new school and had planned to blog all about it, but ended up getting wrapped up in learning all the new things that the school had to offer and time got away from me. It was an interesting year and I learned a lot. I have the best teaching partner and I am so excited to get to work with her again this year.

This year my county is starting a new reading program. We are taking on American Reading Company otherwise known as ARC. This new system has changed a lot for our reading program so far and it’s only week 2! This program has kids reading books all the time. We are reading a core novel, a core nonfiction text and the students are reading books they are interested in. Kids actually seem excited about reading, which is so exciting! We have also started our new reading assessments. Before we did mClass and I was never really a huge fan. This new assessment is very different and I feel it will show us different things to help us help our readers. I have done just a few so far and already have a better understanding of what I need to work on with my kids. I am super excited to get more into it and really build readers this year!

Last year, my group of kids acted much older than I felt 4^th graders should. They were very interesting and tried to be very grown. This new group does not seem this way. Both groups bring something interesting to the classroom. I am excited to watch this new group grow and see how they are similar and different from my kidos last year. So far they are a very sweet group and I am enjoying them so much. I have loved getting to know them as people and as readers so far!

This is going to be a great year and I am so excited to do better about sharing my journey with my new 4^th graders and with ARC this year. Hope you all have a great week!

Week 2 This or That

Welcome to August friends!

I am linking up with The Tattooed Teacher for week 2 of Assess Me! This week it is all about this or that!

I am going to talk about a few but not all. Homebody or busy bee- It really depends on my mood so that is why I circled both. About half the time I just want to hang out at home and relax and the other half of the time I want to go out and be busy. Next, tea or coffee- I am a southern girl and I LOVE my tea, but I really like my coffee too! I just don't think I could choose one or the other. I am really enjoying these Assess Me. It is fun learning about everyone and getting to share! So why do you go link up and tell us about your this or that.

~*~Lena~*~

Assess Me!

So one of my good friends Mrs. Ashline posted one of these great new linky parties called Assess Me! I thought it looked for and decide to play too!!!

Go link up!

~*~Lena~*~

Five for Friday

Hey everyone!!!

I am linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday today!

So, let's get started!!

I had to figure out where my girls were going to go for after school care. My best friend, Jana, and I decide on the YMCA. With this we each got a family membership. So, since I had it I decide to take a class this week. On Monday I did Turbo Kick! It was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed it and cannot wait to go back this coming up Monday. Now, I just have to drag Jana up there with me!

I love my dear, sweet husband! Today he completes his first full week of work since he finished school. I am so proud of him. Two years ago when we switched places and I went to work and he went to school I was not sure if we would survive, money wise. Well we did and he graduated in May at the very top of his class! He got a job last Thursday and seems to be finding his groove. I know he is glad to be back at work bringing money in since he has been working since he was like 16. It also means our family will be free to do more things together!

These little guys will have a home in my new Erin Condren planner soon. It went from in production to in process. I figure that means it will be shipping soon. I cannot wait to get it in my hands!

Tomorrow, I am trusting my amazing hair stylist with my hair. Normally this is not a big deal for me. I love Jessica and she is amazing at what she does. However, we are going to be brave and do something a little different tomorrow. I will edit this post with a before and after picture tomorrow! So, come back to see what we did and let me know what you think!


****Edit*****
Here are some pics on my hair!!!

Last but not least I will be doing a night, foam glow, 5K tomorrow! I am very excited. Also check back for some pictures from that!
****EDIT****

Here are some pics from the run!

 

So, what 5 things do you want to share this week?

~*~Lena~*~

Monday Made It!!!

Good morning!!!

I am linking up with 4th Grade Frolics for Monday Made It. This is my first one of the summer and I am super excited about it.

So, made it number 1- I found these little chalk boards attached to close pins at Target. *I love Target* I picked up like 40, I will probably need a couple more packs before all is said and done. I got to looking at the little chalk boards and thought they are so cute but they are boring.

See, boring right? Well I could not leave them this way. They just need to be cute. So I found some different types of Duct Tape and got to work!

I am not done will all 40 yet but these are some I have finished so far. I think they are much cuter now. I will write the kids numbers on them and then hang their work with them. I think it will look super cute and it will make changing the kids work out super easy!

This next project I saw another teacher do on their blog. I can't remember where I saw it but thank you for the great idea.

Let me start by saying that I am horrible about keeping up with a planner. With everything I have going on between, school, my girls, my husband and myself I really need to keep up with it better. Well, I started looking around trying to find something that will help keep me using my planner. One thing I came across was paper clips with tassels!  I loved the idea!!! They were super cute, I could personalize them, and they will help make my planner my own.

I started with these paper clips that I found at Michael's. They were different and just made me happy. I then found some cute fabric for the tassel part. I then cute the fabric into strips. Put a couple of strips together and put them through the middle of the circle.

Then, I put the two sides together and sewed them.

They ended up like this! I think they are quite cute. I can't wait for my planner to get here so I can use these. I might use them on other things than just my planner too!

What things did you have time to make this week?

~*~Lena~*~




 

Sunday Scoop

Good Sunday Morning Friends!
I am linking up this morning with Teaching Trio for Sunday Scoop!

 3 Things I have to do...
1) Take my oldest Madison to camp. This is her first time going to camp and I will drop her off around 2:30 today and pick her up at around 10:30 on Saturday. She is so excited and I am to. I am just have a mommy moment because I did not think she would ever be old enough to go to camp and now she is. I am so glad one of her best friends is going with her and I know they will have so much fun and make a lot of new friends. They will have a lot to share on the trip home!

2) I have not done much for school this summer. One thing I know I need to do is print out task cards and get them ready. I am going to try to get my self in gear and get those done.

3) Finish organizing my teaching stuff. I have been working on that since I brought it all home. I don't think it will ever be completely organized till I get back in my room and get it where it needs to go.

2 Things I hope to do....
 1) Read some more professional development books. Again I have been slack about teaching stuff this summer. I have started Learn Like a Pirate and I am enjoying it but binge watching certain t.v. shows and playing in the pool have kind of taken over my life. I want to get some more reading done and hopefully I can this week!

2) I have seen some people having their hair done with what I call the peek-a-boo color on the underneath of the hair. I think I want to be bold and do this! I am hoping to figure out 100% what I want and get in to see my amazing hair dresser! Hopefully I can do it in the next week or so and I will post some pictures!

1 Thing I am happy to do....
Well since Madison and her best friend Chandler will be gone to camp for the week I will just have my youngest Lacie and Jana's youngest Allen. We have plans to do some really fun stuff because the two of them are sad they aren't old enough for camp. Hopefully I can keep their minds off that fact this week! It will be fun with just the two of them though and I am looking forward to it!

I hope everyone has a great Sunday and an awesome week!

~*~Lena~*~

July Currently

Good Morning dear friends!

I am linking up with Farley for July Currently! I am sad it is already July. It doesn’t seem like we have been out that long but we will be going back soon! I will be sharing a lot in the next few weeks so keep an eye out for new post. Let’s get started!

Listening- Again this summer I have my two girls and my friend’s daughter and son. It proves to be very helpful because they keep each other busy. It is becoming an everyday thing for them to play Skylanders first thing in the morning. I don’t mind so much and listening to them talk about what they need to do and have to do can be very funny!

Loving- I am loving the sunshine and the pool! Some of my parents gave me Target gift cards this year and I finally put them to good use and bought myself a lounge chair. I love it and it has been nice to have somewhere to lay out during the day. Jana’s dad was nice enough to help us out with a pool for the kids. It is a great size for the kids and they have loved having it. I have even gotten in and played with them!

Thinking- As my husband says, I am so a teacher! I have been looking at Pinterest and browsing blogs looking for new ideas for my classroom. I can’t wait to really get to working on it. I know I need to print stuff such as task cards to get ready. It just seems like the days are slipping by and I am getting nothing done.

Wanting and Needing- My wanting and needing are one in the same. I need/want to get in a routine for working out and use my Dailyburn. This is a tough thing for me because I like results and I get discouraged about this type of thing very easily. I just need to start doing it and just make that my result, that I did it for the day, instead of how much weight have I lost. Has anyone found anything for weight loss that they really like?

All Star- Allen (Jana’s 5 year old son) hates green beans. I mean he really hates them! It has been a fight to even get him to eat a couple. Both our families are firm believers in you have to eat a couple even if you think you don’t like it. Well I have grown to like green beans more as I have gotten older but I prefer French cut of other types. I gave Allen some French cut ones at lunch the other day with some ketchup and he ate them without any fuss. We tried again last night, with cut green beans and he ate them again. Now I know we would all rather not have him dip them in ketchup but let’s fight one battle at a time.

I know July is going to be filled with a lot of wonderful things! I can’t wait to see what is in store. I hope you all have a great first day of July!

~*~Lena~*~