Five for Friday (January 23, 2015)

Yay for time and energy and photos to post to my favorite Friday party. :)

We split up the K-1 students into 4, 4-H groups. Today we rotated groups in order to complete the Power Panther Pals curriculum. Mrs. Jones taught the "Play Hard" part. I taught the "Eat Smart" part. One other teacher made the snack with the kids, and the last teacher taught 4-H pig curriculum.

We celebrated a birthday, and I love this letter.

Mrs. Roux tried to teach me the difference between straw and hay. (I really know, but played along with her.)

Jenny (in the foreground) is back. She spent December and January back at her first home (she had a gig in a Living Nativity). 

And we were gifted another calf (background) today. She is pretty, not quite as tame, and will get named soon.

And the most meaningful photo. Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Roux in the barn. Taking care of business. I stayed outside. There was a dead mouse in there and Mrs. Jones tried to keep the information from me, so that I would not be freaked out and still go in the barn, but I heard her whisper the news to another. 

So, since there was a critter, I would not go in. Not sure they noticed me.

Now I'm creeped out again about going in the barn. 

I have a strict "don't ask, don't tell" policy about mice in the barn. But someone told. Aaaaaccckkkk.

Once, when Mrs. Roux was in the barn, standing, talking, watching kids work--a mouse fell from the rafters. RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER.

Now you understand. I am not going in. EVER AGAIN.

I have chores in March and need a really good friend to do them for me. Any takers?

Thanks Kacey @ Doodle Bugs Teaching for the party. I love it every week. Hop on over and find out what other friends of mine did today...

Celebrations in My Room

Day Nineteen and the Big Time Blogging Challenge. 

What holiday do I enjoy most celebrating with my students?

These past three years have been challenging, rewarding and full of celebrations. Each year the celebrations were different. Only one was consistent.

Birthdays!

I love celebrating birthdays! My birthday, the people in my family, my friends, my students.

Growing old is not a right. It is a privilege that not everyone gets and needs to be celebrated.

And at least once a year I want to feel like the sun really does revolve around me (and maybe some other grown ups and kids do also), so having a birthday celebration is a MUST.

Here's what we did last year (it has evolved a bit):

**We all joined at the front of the class, with the birthday child sitting in the middle on a chair.

**In our best singing voices we sing a sweet birthday song called On the Day You Were Born by Red Grammer, from the album Hello World! The song seriously brings tears to my eyes.

**The kids head to their seats and work on birthday cards. I use this fun printable from Christina Bainbridge. Birthday Book While they work I play the whole Hello World! album. They love singing along and they sound so lovely! 

**The birthday child passes out the treats.

**After every one has been served, the birthday kid has the first bite, and then we can all enjoy the treat.

**When all the birthday cards are written and colored, I put them into a keepsake book for the birthday child to take home. (A really fun cover comes with the PDF from Mrs. Bainbridge.)

That's it! A fun 1/2 hour. Now, I'm off to read what other celebrations my friends have written about.