Here's the quick list:
- Spring Break -- Quiet, relaxing, over
- Days Left -- 39 student days, 41 teacher days
- Things Left to Do -- Innumerable!
- Field Trips Next Month -- Two, and they're five days apart!
- Our Current Read Aloud -- A Nest for Celeste by Henry Cole
My friends in Alabama are enjoying their spring break this week. Mine was last week. Luckily, the weather was tolerable on some days and beautiful on others. I remember last year's weather was cold and rainy. No complaints about the weather. I didn't do much, but that was my plan. I needed peace and quiet and no time constraints. Nailed it!
I cannot believe that we have 39 days left. When I mentioned this to my students, they actually said, "Awww," with a tone of sadness. That made me sigh, and it warmed my heart. I adore this class, as I have said before, but the idea of a seemingly endless summer is beginning to tease me.
About those innumerable things that remain to be done...
Report cards went home today. The next time I'll do report cards will be the final time for this class. Yikes! There are class lists for our team to set up, a volunteer breakfast, talent show, yearbook signing day, field day, a classroom visit by our area math coaches, and those two field trips. No matter how prepared I think I am, I just can't shake that panicky feeling that creeps up at some point in the last weeks of school. You'd think that after 21 school endings, I'd have the jitters under control. Not true.
I'm excited about our field trips. The first is to see Bears by Disneynature. I think the children will soak up every detail. As field trips go, it's an easy one. We'll get on a bus, get off at the theater, get back on the bus, and be back at school around lunchtime. We'll wrap up our morning with lunch in the classroom, which is always a hit with the children.
Photo Credit: Bears by Disneynature
The second trip is to the Tennessee State Museum. This trip correlates with our social studies standards for the fourth quarter. We'll be learning about the cultures and history of Tennessee and how our state has changed over time. I've been working on study materials and activities for this unit. It's growing on a daily basis! I hope to get it finished this weekend.
A student gifted A Nest for Celeste by Henry Cole to our classroom library. I've been reading it aloud to the class. Celeste is sweet, but lonely, timid mouse who encounters several different frights and makes some interesting friends. One friend is Joseph, the assistant to John James Audubon. Audubon has come to Oakley Plantation to research and paint birds and foliage in the area.
Cole has included many pencil drawings in the text, which adds to the charm of the book. My kiddos really like it. I'm not crazy about it, but I can't put my finger on why, yet. We're halfway through it, so maybe I'll be swayed in a more definite direction when we finish it.
What are YOU doing? How was your spring break? Have you started your countdown?
No comments: