Ms. Rachel's Room Giveaway

http://msrachelsroom.blogspot.com/

Please head over to one of my favorite blogs to enter her WONDERFUL giveaway. She has reached 60 followers and is being extremely generous ! She is a wonderful teacher!!!!

DonorsChoose.org Package

I was pleasantly surprised this morning when I opened my classroom door to see boxes of some of the items that arrived from my DonorsChoose.org project. I wanted to stop everything and put them together right then and there but, I had to teach the entire day before opening the boxes. It was like waiting to open presents that sit under your Christmas tree. I didn't get them all opened and put together yet but I am working on it! I feel so honored to have been chosen for my project to be funded and know that it will enrich the learning environment for my students. Just thought I would share some photos of what I have received so far!

Assessment Sheets

http://www.box.net/shared/vc2sf8x4cv9ggotjb0v0

http://www.box.net/shared/0528b4ydaz0fpsoiebpj

I just made up some assessment sheets for my SDC Kindergarten class.  They are not fancy but thought I would share with you anyways.  I need a way to track my student's progress at least 3 times per year and for IEP goals so thought I would make these and keep them in their cumulative folder.

Be Prepared!

As a special education teacher if I have learned one thing it is "Be prepared to be UNPREPARED".  My first 2 weeks of school have proven this theory.  I spent my whole summer preparing my WHOLE year's worth of lesson plans, wrote them, copied them, made all the worksheets that goes with them only to find out after meeting my special kinders that I clearly have to MODIFY, MODIFY, MODIFY everything I planned.  Oh, did I mention that MODIFY is also another word that is at the top of my teaching vocabulary? It is a good thing that I have learned to be flexible too! Okay, that is word #3 on my teaching vocab.  But, as a teacher I know that everyday is a learning day for me too!  We make the best of it, smile and remember tomorrow is always a new day!

Hope everyone is having a great school year so far!

First week almost over!

T.G.I.F. never sounded so good!  The first week has been very challenging to say the least.  The lack of communication from the transportation department is going to be the death of me.  I am actually screaming at the top of my lungs in my head right now.  Good thing this isn't hear-a-vision!  3 of my students were left on a bus for 40 minutes this morning.  We are not talking typical children either.  My students are 5 year olds with severe special needs.  I had called transportation 3 times asking where the bus was and was told that the bus will be there.  Well it was there alright.  Parked in front of the school for 40 minutes and NO ONE bothered to tell me.  (My students are dropped off in the back next to my classroom).  I was NOT a happy camper about that!  Then, this afternoon 2 buses were late.  The kids get out at 2:50 and one bus decides to show up at 3:20 and the other one shows up at 3:45.  Almost 1 hour late.  She tells me that she has 17 other students to pick up and take home before she can pick up ours.  ARE YOU SERIOUS?  Needless to say, I will be speaking to transportation tomorrow.  I usually do not complain about things but this was not a good way to start out the year.  I felt just horrible for my poor little guys sitting on a hot bus for 40 minutes.  We are in Northern California and our temperature this morning at 9 was already in the high 80's and this afternoon we stood out there and it was 101.  Maybe it was the heat that got me all steamed up!  Here's hoping tomorrow will be a "Cooler" day!

WOW!! My FIRST blog award! I am so HONORED!

Blog Award & 7 Things About Me

Rachel from Ms. Rachels Room honored me with my very first blog award. The award is the Versatile Blogger Award. What a truly fantastic birthday present!  Thank you Ms. Rachel.  You truly ROCK!

I am just so excited that those of you out there are reading what I post.  How exciting is that!!  Once I get into my groove, I will start making and posting some Freebies!

In order to accept this award you must follow these rules.  They are:

• Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post.
• Share 7 things about yourself
• Pass this award along to 15 recently discovered blogs.

Thank you Rachel from Ms. Rachel's Room for honoring me with this award.. please check her blog out at: 

http://msrachelsroom.blogspot.com

7 Things about me:

1.  I have been married to my best friend for 29 years.
2.  Diet Coke is my salvation!
3.  I LOVE pedicures (just had the toes done today)
4.  I love and adore my two precious children. (Daughter 25, Son 20)
5.  I grew up in Hawaii (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it there)
6.  I LOVE my job.
7.  I am a HUGE animal lover.

Passing along the award to:

Little Miss Kindergarten
http://www.littlemisskindergarten.blogspot.com/

Can Do Kinders
http://www.candokinders.blogspot.com/

The Polka Dot Patch
http://www.thekinderpolkadotpatch.com/

A Teeny Tiny Teacher
http://ateenytinyteacher.blogspot.com/

Lil'Country Kindergarten (Marlana is the sweetest blogger EVER!)
http://lilcountrykindergarten.blogspot.com/

Precious Perks
http://perciousperks.blogspot.com/

From Kindergarten with Love
http://fromkindergartenwithlove.blogspot.com/

Learning with Mrs. Parker
http://learningwithmrsparker.blogspot.com/

Live, Love, Laugh Everyday
http://livelovelaughkindergarten.blogspot.com/

miss kindergarten
http://misskindergartenlove.blogspot.com/

Kindergarten Hoppenings
http://kinder-pond.blogspot.com/

A Special Kind of Class
http://aspecialkindofclass.blogspot.com/

A Teacher's Touch
http://ateacherstouch.blogspot.com/

Doodle Bugs Teaching
http://doodlebugsteaching.blogspot.com/

The Wonderful World of Kindergarten
http://thewonderfulworldofkindergarten.blogspot.com/

Wow... That was hard!  There are so many wonderful blogs that I have found, stalked and admired, everyone deserves an award!  So thank you for all your ideas and inspirations.

Look Who Arrived At My House On Saturday!

I was so excited to get my Pete the Cat.  I opened him and set him out on my kitchen island and then my husband and I left to spend the weekend with some friends in Reno.  My darling son's girlfriend sent me pictures of Pete over the weekend with the cutest captions.  Thought I would share one with you.  Here is Pete sitting with a beverage from our favorite sandwich shop and her caption was, "Pete the Cat was rockin his "Beach Hut" soda".  When she sent this to me, I laughed so hard.  Pete had a great weekend!  :-)

Finally Finished!

                                                              Before picture of Chairs

             After picture of chairs.  Painted them brown and Lime Green to go with my room color theme!

              All about Me! door.  Will add poster of my "Marvelous Student" of the week in the frame.

        Birthday banner that I made... A Pinterest inspiration!  Made the cupcake birthday monkey's too...

                  I love how my reading area turned out.  I love the bright colors of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom!
                                             Rain gutter book trays... another pinterest find! :-)

                               Front of my room.  My Math Board, and Song selection icon board.

                                                                       Calendar area.

           My desk.  I love it there with the backyard and great light.  I get to watch the squirrels go up the trees!
 

                                                  My back door with little porch off the back....

 LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my Common Core Standards sheets.  Thank you to Deanna Jump at mrsjumpsclass.blogspot.com for these wonderful Common Core Standards.  Please go to her TPT store and buy them.  They are such a great way to make sure our kinders are on track.  (Also it is a great cheat sheet for me too!)

                  I found Pete the Cat this summer and CANNOT wait to read him to my class next week!  Just                                                           bought the stuffed Pete and cannot wait to get him in the mail!

                                                               Yep, I LOVE LABELS!!!

                                                     Sign in table and homework folders

I finally got my room pretty close to being done (except for the few items I have to take down due to Fire Marshall visit :-( ).  I am really liking how it has come together and cannot wait to add my dramatic play station once it arrives from DonorsChoose.org.  Thought I would share my photo's!

Back to School

Yesterday was the teacher's first day back and we sat in meetings all day yesterday and today.  Kiddo's don't start until Tuesday of next week but I still feel so unprepared and my room just isn't coming together how I wished.  We are so limited on what we can do in our room because of the Fire Marshall's rules.  I was just told today that the cute curtains that I put up on the door are not allowed, the paper I put on the door is not allowed and I cannot have any thing within 24" from the doors.  Also, nothing hanging from the ceilings, only 20% of our room can have paper on the walls and we cannot have any thing within 2 feet from the ceilings.  So now I have to take all my stuff down and start over.  I am so very sad! :-(  I am envious of those that can make their rooms look so colorful and fancy.  At least I can look at all of your rooms and smile!  :-)

Hope everyone has a wonderful and safe Labor Day weekend!