Spring Break!

It's amazing how quickly time flies.

Gets away from us.

Yet, we are often heard saying:

"How many days until break ?!?!?"

"I can't wait until summer break!"

"Is it Friday yet?"

And I get it - I'm right there with you! I'm often the one instigating the complaining!  Nonetheless, I woke up this morning realizing we had made it to the infamous
S P R I N G  B R E A K ! ! ! !

Where did the year go ???  I only have 2 months left with my kiddos! It's been *such* a fun year with them.  I can't believe how much fun we have had together.  And these last 2 months are going to be awesome.  Our IFL unit is on Oceans and Ocean Life.  Guess we know what I'll be up to over break . . . ;)

So, for the past few weeks, a lot has happened -

My sister was accepted into Rutgers' University Graduate School of Education! :)  So, she will have her undergraduate degree in Mathematics, then she'll continue straight for her Masters in Education. I'm so proud of her.  She has definitely come a long way, changing her major a few times.  I told her she can teach the Math and I'll teach the ELA/LAL. #twopeasinapod

                       

 Our district has us using PD360.  Our state is requiring us to do 20 hours of professional development a year, so our district helped us out with this program.  Any thoughts on it?  I've been using it here and there.  I enjoy the videos and the thoughts/ideas that are presented, whether is information from the actual videos or the classrooms in which the videos are filmed.  I just wish there were more videos on workshop models and those sorts of things that are taking over our classrooms - whole brain teaching, Daily 5, yah know. :)

I completed my first half marathon last week!  woo hoo !

Hadn't really trained for it.  Yes, I ran here and there, but nothing serious that would've really prepared me for running a continuous 13.1 miles for what felt like 5 hours. ;)

When my friend and I left on Saturday to pick up our packets, I said we would drop down to the 8k.  But then, we walked into the expo center and ... I saw my running bib.  Saw all the other people around.  Looked at where I was a year ago - standing around waiting to corral for our 8k.  And I realized, I needed to do this.  All of my stress, anxiety, grad school work, school work, cleaning - was never going to go away.  It will ALWAYS be there.  But the chance to do this for myself, doesn't come very often. .... plus, we had paid for this. -_-

Anyways, my friend came to pick me up Sunday morning for the race.  I got in the car and said, "We're doing the half.  Don't ask questions."

Off we went.

Then there I am a few hours later ... :)

 I think we had a visitor in our classroom ..... :(  How rude! Totally killed our aloe plant. </3

Oh, yes! And we won the Pennies for Patients contest!  Granted, this was a few weeks ago, if you keep up with me via Instagram. :)  Seriously, my class - I couldn't be prouder.  They are truly some of the funnest, loyalest kids a teacher could ask for.  After starting the first week of collections in fourth place, they came through and three weeks later we BEAT our class goal of $300.  We earned bragging rights, again for the year - after winning the Drug Awareness Week door contest back in October - and we also won a pizza party!! :D  One of my poor girls. :( She started crying because she can't have pizza.  </3 Of course, we will figure something out for her while we still wait for those pizza gift cards to come. Hmm...

 And last but most certainly not least ...

 NEW WHITEBOARDS!

I was fortunate enough to have 4 new whiteboards installed in my classroom.  The chalkboards are now all covered and the crummy old whiteboards that I once had were replaced with these beauties.. I couldn't wait to use all of these magnets because for whatever reason I'm obsessed with magnets!!  :D

I know - they look a little empty.  This was when I first got them and just threw some charts on the board as well as the calendar and our schedule/morning meeting stuff.  I had everything strewn about my green kidney table that it drove me bonkers and I just needed things OFF the table and my magnets needed to be utilized. :)

For now, I'm a happy little teacher on spring break for a few days.  Though spring breaks means grading, lesson planning for the rest of the year, andddd lifeguarding...