Five for Friday

What a fun week it has been. I can say that even though I spent an "extra" day at school this week. The Snow Days finally caught up with me and I had to put in some time. I should have been able to sleep in and spend the day with my Cranky Bear and chickens. I was happy to spend Good Friday making it meaningful and full of meaning! 

My students loved making "Resurrection Gardens" I hope the grass grows for them before Sunday. One of my Lego maniacs snuck some pieces in to decorate their garden. It cracked me up when I checked and watered the gardens after school and found the Lego angel, soldier and bones scattered around the garden. 

I went to THIS web-site for help on making this project!

Number 2 is my new found love for chickens! I had to bring two chicks home until they are big enough to live without a light. They are just about ready to go  to their permanent home. Until they do I will enjoy every possible moment with them. My cat is totally fascinated with them. Can you think of a caption for this picture?

Click HERE to see them as babies!

Number 3...Did I mention I love chick(en)s? Here are the ones I made to use in the classroom. We toss them back and forth to each other and skip count. They are great tools to use for brain breaks and I'm sure glad I saw Red Ted's tutorial to make these cute chicks!

Number 4! Did you know it was Palindrome week? Each day this week the date was the same forward as backwards. Yikes...How fun is that? Not quite as much fun as this book! It is full of palindromes and just a  lot of fun!
Number 5....This is my favorite! We made these beautiful stain glass windows to celebrate Good Friday. I had a hard time sending these home. They are beautiful. 

Contact paper and a silhouette make for a beautiful project!

Happy or hoppy Easter! This year I have only one third of my children to celebrate with. For the first time ever we are going out for brunch instead of cooking our own fancy dinner. I can't wait to link up with Doodle Bugs for the first time in a  loooong time to share my five for Friday!

This Joyful Eastertide!

Music has always had an incredible presence in my life.  My father, whom I adored, was church organist and choir director.  He loved music and our house always reverberated with sounds from Bach to James Taylor.  The love of music was passed on to all six of his children and we all think of him any time we hear the song "Leader of the Band" by Dan Fogelberg.  Easter was a big time for a church musician and he loved the hymns of Easter.  All morning I have been humming a favorite hymn of his and I can almost hear his voice singing...

This Joyful Eastertide

This joyful Eastertide,

Away with sin and sorrow!

My love, the Crucified, 

Has sprung to life this morrow:

Had Christ, who once was slain,

Not burst his three-day prison,

Our faith had been in vain:

But now has Christ arisen, 

arisen, arisen:

But now has Christ arisen!

My dad died almost eighteen years ago, but sometimes it seems as if I saw him yesterday because of the love and memories he and my mother gave to us.  Because of Easter, I know I'll see him again.

My students made Easter eggs before spring break which, sadly, is coming to an end.  I asked them to write a psalm of praise for Easter.  Many of them turned them into letters, but their messages to Him are what I was hoping for.  I can't say I have a favorite because each child worked so hard and really put their hearts into the project.  I'll share a couple with you!

I love that she tells Jesus about how her dogs died.

Amen!

I didn't ask her to include me...but I was touched she did!

I wish you a joyful Eastertide!  May all your Easter bunnies be dark chocolate!!

Jenny

Sixteen Hours!

This chick is really excited about Spring Break!
I love KPM Doodles!

Sixteen. More. Hours!  I think I can...I think I can...I think I can!  Sixteen more hours until Spring Break.  I could use a break.  I was feeling a little grouchy today and apologized to one of my students about being not so cheerful.  He said he hadn't noticed; bless his heart!  I was trying to cover my lack of patience, and it must have worked.  Writing their own Psalms, three children included me as something they praised God for.  When I explained to the class that I was looking forward to having a bit of a vacation. One little girl looked shocked and said, "But Mrs. Reck won't you miss us?"  I assured her I would, but that I was looking forward to sleeping in, staying up late playing board games with my children and reading 11/22/63 by Stephen King,  not to mention all the birding and shopping I'll be able to squeeze in.  Yes!  I am looking forward to Spring Break.  I admit I'll miss my Firsties and probably spend more than a few hours blog hopping and checking on Pintrest for new and exciting ways to catch their attention and make learning fun over the break!

Eggs loaded and ready to be hidden!

Family, do you remember how much I loved hunting for Easter Eggs?  I still do!!

A up and coming young reader!

Today we did have fun.  I got this great idea from  First Upon a Time.  Before class I made tiny sentence strips.  Each strip had two sentences on it.  One of the sentences stated something they had and the next asked who had something else. ( "I have tent.  Who has went?")  The sentences were placed inside plastic eggs so that the sentence showed.  Inside the egg I had also placed a foil wrapped chocolate egg.  I hid the eggs around the room, making sure that there was one egg for each student.  When they had found an egg, they waited on the Carpet Corner until  everyone was there.  I numbered only one strip with the number one so that we knew where to start.  It took a bit of practice, but when the class was able to read the entire group of sentences under one minute, we followed the directions of the last egg that read,  "I have an egg.  You have an egg.  Now open it and find the surprise."  They asked to do it again, so, after re-stuffing the egg with the candy and sentence strip, I hid them while they waited on the carpet with their eyes "closed"!  I noticed several closed eyes following me around the room!  It is a great game to build attention span, sight vocabulary and even fluency!  It could be played with numbers, too!  "I have 345.  Who has 278?"

I have Spring Break.  Who has already had their Spring Break?  (Sorry!)

Thanks for stopping by. Owl love reading your comments!

The Way of the Cross

My friend, "Susan" is an inspiration to me.  She sees each day as an adventure.  If I could trade places with anyone's life, it might be hers.  Like Paul, "I am learning to be content in all circumstances." (Philippians 4:12)  My life has quite enough adventure for me!  "Susan" has lived in Kuwait and is now living in Mali. Did you know that there is a military coup going on there?  She is pretty much a prisoner in her home with five children under ten years of age! Though she's running out of milk and eggs,  she's designing t-shirts that say "I survived a coup Mali 2012".  Makes life seem pretty easy doesn't it?  She's running out of milk and I have the luxury of driving past Walmart to go to Meijers instead!  I'm praying for this family and I wish you would, too.

The mini-book I'm giving you a link to is dedicated to "Susan" and her family.  It was illustrated by my son (GoodGraphicsDan - Youtube!) and husband.  We had fun working on it together.  Sharing time with family is important to me and to "Susan", too!  You may not be able to use this book in your classroom...for obvious reasons!  Perhaps you can use it with your own family!  The Way of the Cross - a book for Holy Week...The Way of the Cross
My friend's name is not "Susan"...I changed it because I don't want any harm to come to her or her family!
"Susan", I hope this book might give you something to do for a couple minutes with your family. I wish I could bring dinner over! You are loved and surrounded by many prayers!

Jenny