Al Otro Lado

Today while browsing through movies at Hollywood Video I cam across the movie Al Otro Lado. I have seen this movie advertised for what seems like more than a year on Univision, Telemundo and Telefutura. I broke down and decided to watch it to see what all of the hype was. I am so glad that I did.

This movie is such a touching story of immigration and the story of the people who are left behind, mostyly through the eyes of children. Al Otro Lado follows 3 different children, one in Mexico, one in Cuba and the last in Morocco. I don't want to give more of the movie away but just want to recommend it to all. I really enjoyed it and am glad that I finally broke down and watched it.

Dirt and Worms

Every year, in my ELD class I teach a farming/plant unit. It is a lot of fun. The academic focus of the unit is food vocabulary and basic sentence formation, both written and oral. It is a fun unit packed with lots of songs and chants as well as good fiction and non fiction paired readings in the texts. My favorite (and the kids' favorite) song is Dirt Made My Lunch by the Banana Slug String Band. On the last day of the unit I make Dirt and Worms with the kids. It is so much fun.

I bring in a bag of ground up Oreo's and tell the kids that I brought a sample of dirt from my house for an experiment. (I don't let them in on the fact that the "dirt" is really Oreo's) I pass the bag around for them to feel. Then we discuss all of the foods we eat and how they one way or the other come from the ground. Then I ask them that if food comes from the ground, then we should be able to eat dirt, right? They of course all say "no!" I then go on to say how I think they are right but my dirt is very clean. I then open up the bag and use a spoon to scoop up some "dirt" and eat a spoonful. They all groan and say "ewww!!!" I tell them that it is really quite tasty and ask for volunteers to taste my dirt. After about the 3rd volunteer it comes out that it is really cookies.

At this point, I pass out a recipe for Dirt and Worms. (I have to get to the standards somehow, right?) We read it, and plan out how we will prepare our snack. Then I pass out the ingredients and the kids "cook!" It is great fun and always fun to watch the kids. They always end up with chocolate pudding faces. How cute!

*******
Dirt and Worms:
1 cup of chocolate pudding
2 teaspoons of ground Oreo's
2 Gummi Worms

Directions:
1. Take cover off of pudding.
2. Mix in Oreo's.
3. Add worms.

Enjoy!!!

Viva Mexico

el 16 de septiembre

Rosh Hashana 2007

It's Rosh Hashana.

L'Shanah Tovah!

Happy New Year!

Parent Support

For the most part, my class is pretty good. Academically, this class is higher than most. Behaviorally, they are pretty decent. I have some squirrelly and talkative kids but nothing too serious. I do have one special needs kid who does take some time and special intervention, but for the most part, he is easy to deal with as well.

That being said, I do have the need to talk to parents from time to time regarding behavioral issues. I like to tell parents right away when there is a problem so that it can be dealt with and eliminated. (as mush as possible!) I try to catch parents as they pick up their kids or call as soon as school is over. The parents are usually very receptive, a bit embarrassed and very supportive.

This year I have two incidents with parents that have bothered me. Last week I had to talk to a parent about very rude behavior by her son towards my student teacher and to me. After several defiant comments and behaviors I told the boy that he would need to apologize or he would have to lose his recess and discuss his behavior with me. The boy refused and then went on to cry for a good 20 minutes and tantrum for an hour after that. I was able to miraculously get him back on track and his afternoon was fabulous. When I talked to his mom about it and asked for her help in this matter she said that he never behaves like this at home and that it must be me!!! I agreed that it must be me. I went on to tell her that I must be the only one making him accountable for his behavior and that I would continue to do just that with her son. (I know that is bold of me but come on, someone had to tell this lady that!) Once I told her that she went on to say well, he didn't sleep well the night before and that was why he acted like that. We went several rounds like this and I just told her that no matter what, her son will not be allowed to be rude and disrespectful to anyone at school, period. She said nothing. She wasn't upset with me at all but she just didn't understand that she needed to take this serious and work with her son on this.

Today, I had to talk with a different parent about her son's extreme disruptiveness in class. This boy talks out too much and often blurts out answers to show off what he knows and not let others answer. I had to stop class several times today and take the boy outside to have a talk with him. When I explained this to mom she said that it was because he had a fever on Friday. What??? I told her that his behavior had nothing to do with a fever and he is expected to follow all of the rules. Mom then turned to me and asked if I had seen a bracelet that belonged to her son. I was lost. She then went on to say that he lost it in my class. This lady could care less that her son was misbehaving in class!!! To make matters worse, she did all of this in front of her son sending him the message that it wasn't important to behave.

How frustrating!!!

Staff Development

Yesterday we had a district wide Buy Back Day. It was not so good. It was the first time in my 13 years with the district that we had a district wide day, Prek-12 including all support staff. The idea to have everyone together was a good idea. The idea to present a one size fits all professional development day didn't work out so well.

Here is a run down of the day:

8-10: Motivational Speaker on Universal Achievement:
We had to sit on bleachers in the gym. (ugh...my butt still hurts!) The acoustics were bad. The parts that I could hear addressed self esteem and how to make kids feel good about themselves. (Gee...I never would have known how to do that!) To make matters worse, the man never smiled and he kind of screamed/barked when he spoke. That wasn't so good for my self esteem!

10:00 - 11:30: Direct Instruction:
The presenters were fabulous BUT 4 of the schools in our district have had intensive training in this so it was a complete waste of our time.

11:30 - 12:00:Lunch
Lunch was provided so that they could keep us hostage. The food was free but it was horrible.

12:00 - 1:30 : English Learners
Hmm...the majority of the population at my school and 4 other school in town is comprised of English Learners. This is all we do. We have had intensive training in this are as well. We could have taught this class!

1:30 - 2:30: Meet with school sites to go over the day.
This was actually the best part of the day. For as much as some of my staff members can get on my nerves, after being around other teachers in the district I found a new appreciation in the teachers I work with.

One of the breakout sessions that I didn't go to was also a flop. A technology workshop that was held in the computer lab failed because the teachers couldn't use the computers in the lab!!! They had to watch the presenter's screen and write down all of the instructions on how to access and use the different websites shown. Ha!

Here is my biggest complaint of the day.
Why would the district want to invest so much money on a day for us teachers that was not educational for many of us? I realize that it is difficult to find something that is just right for all of us with the needs that we have at our respective campuses. However, isn't that what we teachers do in our classrooms? We differentiate our instruction to meet the needs of our learners. The district could have done so much more with their money for us. They could have taken us to a new educational plane by introducing something new to us or deepening our knowledge of something that is already familiar to us. What a wasted day.

2 Lessons I didn't plan on teaching

I work hard at lesson planning for my class. I don't use them so much throughout the week but the actual act of planning for the week helps guide my instruction.

Here are two items that I didn't pack into my weekly lesson plans but I had to run with because the need came up.

1) Fingers do not belong in noses. If your nose itches grab a kleenex and handle that situation. If necessary, wash with soap and water afterwards.

2) If you find that you need to go to the bathroom or that you have a funny gassy feeling in your tummy, go to the bathroom or ask to step outside for a few moments, don't let it go in class.

I know...EWWW...gross! Let me tell you, it has been a stinky funky place in my room these last few days.

Unlike the items in my daily lesson plans, these two necessary lessons were not based on the California Teaching Standards for second grade. They are however crucial to the cleanliness and sanity of my well being and that of the rest of the kids in my class. Let's hope that I get
100 % proficiency in these areas and I don't have to go back and re-teach. (crossing my fingers!)

Green With Envy!

Today I went to see a friend of mine at school and brag about my AMAZING seat at the Alejandro Fernandez concert. After I told her about my experience at the Sacramento concert I asked her how the Fresno performance was that she went to. She just smiled and then told me that when they arrived at the concert she saw an old friend of hers driving up. It turns out that he works for Corona and was promoting the concert. She got to go backstage, meet A.F., take pictures with him, talk with him, hug him and get kissed by him, twice! Oh yeah...A.F.'s photographer was there and he took pictures of them to add to his website.

That is what I get for bragging!

It Has Been So Hot

It's been so hot around here that when I checked today's forecast and saw that it is for 90 degrees, I giggled with glee. Yeah, it is still hot but 90 is a whole different thing than 100-103.

Woo-Hoo!

I think it is pretty close...

I found this link over at Hydrangea's are Pretty. Thanks Shelli!

My Liberal Identity:

You are a Peace Patroller, also known as an anti-war liberal or neo-hippie. You believe in putting an end to American imperial conquest, stopping wars that have already been lost, and supporting our troops by bringing them home.

Take the quiz at www.FightConservatives.com

Alejandro Fernandez Concert

Last night I went to the AF concert. It was incredible. I liked it so much more than the last one. He sang well, was funny and of course, he looked great! Next time I want to take my mom and Sabina. The whole time I was there I was thinking about how much they would have enjoyed it.

One of the highlights of the concert was that I got to meet Susana from The Journey Continues. I was so excited that I forgot to take a picture!!! Oh well...next time!

Here are some concert pics:

The new look:

Another shot:


Best of all: Vestido de Charro

All About Teaching

Igot this from Dree at Chalkdust. Happy Back to School to all of you teachers!!!

I am a good teacher because... I treat my students as individuals. I really try to do what is right for each student. It really burns me up when I see other teachers force their styles on their studnets even if it doesn't work for the child.


If I weren’t a teacher, I would be... a children’s librarian OR a children's bookstore owner. I love books and reading and love to share that joy with others. (I used to think I wanted to be a chef but after watching all of the chef reality shows on tv I realized that I am much too picky of an eater to have that job!)

My teaching style is... energetic, comical, flexible, compassionate, fun, and sometimes noisy.

My classroom is... my other home. Sometimes it can get a little disorderly but I can tell you where anything is at anytime. I fell that it is homey and inviting for me and my students.

My lesson plans are... lesson plans??? Just kidding... My lesson plans are a loose guide of what I teach. They help me to set a focus for the week, month and year but are not fine tuned. The state standards guide my lesson plans and I throw in the CORE texts when they align to the standards. (you would be surprised at how much they are not aligned.)

One of my teaching goals is... to turn my students who are disinterested in school into disciplined and focused learners. This can be very tricky when they don't have the support at home. My other goal is to make my students lovers of books.

The toughest part of teaching is... I can't control many elements that I would like to be able to control. One of these items is silly mandates from NCLB and testing demands. Another big one is home environments. I have to remember that I can only focus on the areas that I can control and not let the other areas eat me up.

The thing I love most about teaching is... the smile on a student's face when they "get it" when I teach something. I also love the genuine appreciation that the students give me. That is priceless.

A common misconception about teaching is... ( I am stealing this answer from Dree because she nailed it on the head!) that anyone can do it. I’d gladly hand over my classroom and all its responsibilities for one day to any non-teacher, just to see what would happen. Another misconception is that teachers get nights, weekends, and summers off. Some people don’t realize the long days and late nights we have with things like Open House and Back to School Night and parent conferences. And they don’t know that we spend our nights writing lesson plans and grading papers and worrying about the one student who doesn’t quite seem to be on level with the rest of the class.

The most important thing I’ve learned since I started teaching is... I have great power over students and I need to use it wisely. Students, for the most part, worship and mimic their teachers. Whatever I do and say is watched carefully by students. If I say I like or don't like something, the students adopt that idea too. I want my students to become independent thinkers so I really try to foster that by not giving my opinions and trying to help students form their own thoughts and learn how to express them.

Happy Teaching All!!

Nine is Fine!

Sabi will be nine tomorrow morning. Time has flown!

Then...

Now...

So Much For Trying to Make A Connection

This school year I wanted to start the year out right. When I opened the door in the morning to let the kids in, I shook everyone's hands. When the kids went home, I had them shake my hands as well. I really liked the tone that it set. The kids knew that I respected them and they were learning a new way to show respect for me and other adults. The eye and hand contact were so important.

Well, that is over now. I am now trying to recover from a nasty virus. I have been sick since Wednesday. My attempt at connecting with my students drove me straight to getting sick despite my efforts to wash my hands after every hand shaking event.

I will have to think of something just as good but with no body contact!

Sabi's New School

Sabi will be starting a new school tomorrow. So far I am happy about everything regarding her new school with the exception of the dress code. There are no uniforms at her new school...YIKES!

I have been shopping here and there all summer long trying to find decent clothing for her to wear to school. Aside from the fact that she is a hard girl to fit, the clothes out there are just plain trashy!!! It is hard to find pants with out words or butterflies on the butt and shirts that are solid or print without sassy sayings on them or without cleavage!

Anyway...tomorrow is the big day. Sabina will come with me to school and then pick up the bus at my school to go to her school. The thought of taking the bus excites her to no end!

Fourth grade ... where did my baby go???

First Day of School

Today was pretty good as far as first days go. The kids were ok and my new student teacher seems great.

The best part of though came about 2 hours after school. I was walking down one of the school hallways in front of the after school tutoring program. One of my new students was being picked up by her dad. She peeked over at me, gave me a HUGE smile and waved. She then turned to her dad and said in a most proud voice...'that's MY teacher!"

That was pretty cool!

Now...I Can Breathe!

This past week has really been rough with school prep. Why must I always insist on rearranging my room each year? My room gets worse before it gets better when I do this. I spent almost the entire week and weekend at school redoing the room, cleaning and trying to do a bit of prep. When I left school yesterday I felt ok but not great about the room.

Today, my student teacher came. She helped me with the final touches on the room. Luckily I made a check off list on the board and as we started crossing off completed tasks, I was feeling much better about life. At the end of our list the custodial crew came in and took away the mounds of garbage that I had accumulated and vacuumed. Bless them! My room looked great with those final touches.

As far as prep goes, I haven't looked at the CORE curriculum yet but I do have the first several days planned out. I also have my Parent Handbook ready (recently updated) for Back to School Night which will be on Wednesday!

I was so impressed with myself and my student teacher. We left school around 3:30 today and I was elated to be leaving at that time. I felt a bit giddy when I looked at the parking lot and I saw almost all of my colleagues were still there working hard to prepare for our first day tomorrow and I was happily jumping in my car. Oh...what a feeling!!!

This evening I spent about an hour here and there getting some last minute stuff done but I really had a super family night. My mom prepared a great dinner and we all just sat around hanging out with each other. Who could ask for more?

I feel so relieved of stress right now...relaxed and ready to greet the new school year.

YAY!

Busy MOnth

School starts on Tuesday. My room is still not ready. I have bulletin boards to do and messes to clean up. On top of that, I have to do some planning and prep for Back to School night which happens on Wednesday. To add to the school stress, I have to get some extra prep done because will have a student teacher.

Outside of school, I am trying to focus on planning for Sabi's birthday party. Since she is going to start a new school this year this year I thought it would be nice to plan a party that all of her new classmates could attend. The party is in 3 weeks so I have to get busy!

The highlights of this month will be:
1) My dad's visit.
2) Going to Monterey next weekend.
3) A Big birthday bash for my brother, aunt, and dad next week
4) Sabi's 9th b-day
5) A Bar Mitzvah

and to finish off the month with a bang...

6) Going to the Alejandro Fernandez concert!

Shameless Sabi Plug

Sabi wants ideas for stories to write about on her blog.

She also wrote a Harry Potter Review.

Check it out!

(Not that I'm counting or anything...)

HP 7...the end...No Spoilers Here

I finished book this morning around 10:00.

I thought that I would be really sad at reading this last in the series of HP books but as it turns out, I am not sad. JK Rowling has left me completely satisfied. The book was wonderful. It was a bit more difficult to read for me in the sense that I really had to think while reading this time. I also think that it was written at a higher level of difficulty, not your usual fiction easy read. Yes, there were some tragedies but I think those could not have been avoided. The story and all of its many elements were neatly wrapped up. I think one more book might be overkill.

I am left feeling fulfilled and eager to re-read the book out loud with Sabina to help her along the way so she too can enjoy this last book and so that I can get a deeper meaning out of the book.

What a great read!

Preparing

So tonight is the big Harry Potter night. This morning Sabi was looking all over the house for her Gryfindor tie. We looked everywhere trying to find that darn tie for her Hermione Granger outfit. I remembered that we put it away somewhere safe but couldn't recall where that somewhere safe was. Then it hit me...the Halloween closet. We ran to the closet and there it was!!!

After we got the outfit settled we went out on the town to find a wand. We found a great wand at Barnes and Noble. Sabi was flicking it all over town afterwards.

For lunch we went to La Morenita. Sabi went outside of her food zone (chicken nuggets) and LOVED her burrito de queso y frijoles. Wow! I had a good caldo de res con arroz. Yum!

After that we returned home and tried to get in some sleep since we will be up LATE tonight at the HP party.

Tomorrow (or whenever I finish the book) I will post pics of the party.

It's almost here!!!!

Get this and other HP countdowns at LeakyNews.com

Cookie Monsters

This month has been cookie month around our house. We have made several batches of cookies to bring to different events. They are yummy.

The recipe for the cookies I got from a friend. She told me that the recipe comes right off of Wilton cookie cutters. I visited the website but I can't find this recipe listed in their recipe box. It appears to be a cross between the sugar cookie and shortbread recipe. I am still crediting Wilton for this recipe though until proven otherwise.

I like this recipe because it is easy to make and use. You simply mix the ingredients and then roll, cut and bake. There is no need to refrigerate the dough. My twist on the recipe is to add lemon juice to the mix to give a better taste to the cookies.

Once the cookies have cooled, I use two different types of icingss to frost the cookies. The icings I get at the cake decorating store. One of them is a glaze. The glaze can be poured over the cookies. It is very liquidy and it coats the cookie almost on its own. The second icing is a drizzle. The drizzle I pour into a disposable pastry bag and then pipe over the ccokie in the patterns I like. After the icings dry, I then use the fun colored icings from the grocery store that come in tiny tubes to add the final detailed, colored touches to the cookies.

Here is the recipe. Enjoy!

Wilton Roll Out Cookies
1 cup butter 1 cup sugar
1 large egg 1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. baking powder 3 cups flour
lemon juice - about 1 tablespoon or so

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix butter and sugar. Beat in egg, lemon juice and vanilla. Mix in baking powder and flour, adding in one cup of flour at a time. The dough will be stiff. (If the dough gets too stiff, add one teaspoon at a time) Roll dough and cut with cookie cutters. Bake until lightly browned

Woo-Hoo

I got my tickets!

August 31

Arco Arena

Main Floor

Row E

Seats 3 &4

38 is great!

Happy B-Day to me! Thank you Uncle Alan and Sabi for my concert a few weeks earlier!

How to Excite a Teacher...

A SALE on school supplies!!!

WE teachers spend a HUGE amount of money on school supplies each year. Back to School time can be the worst time of the year. Most primary teachers purchase pencil boxes and all of the goodies to fill the pencil boxes in addition to other BTS items such as books, borders, etc.

Target has been wonderful with their BTS $1 Spot sales. I went by Target on this weekend and picked up some pocket charts, bathroom passes and a few other items all for $10. I was pretty proud of that.

Today, I beat that deal. Staples had an AMAZING sale, the 1 cent sale. Seriously, the items cost 1 cent! I bought 25 pencil boxes, 60 2 pocket folders, 3 cases of pencils and 6 pencil sharpeners. I almost passed out when the cashier told me, "that will be 99 cents!" My jaw dropped on the ground, I think because she then said "I know, I am robbing you blind!" 99 cents...WOW! I was almost too embarrassed to ask for change from a $5 bill! The cashier was so friendly and pleasant and reminded me to come back for Teacher Appreciation Day where teachers will get presents as they walk through the door!

As soon as I got in my car, I called every teacher friend I know. After all, when you spot a deal, you have to share.

SICKO

Go see the movie!

8 Things About Me

I have seen this meme around a lot lately. Here is my installment:

1) I am SO excited about the Harry Potter movie and book release this month. Sabi, my mom and I have been re-reading the books and will have a movie marathon in preparation. We will wait until my birthday on Friday to see the movie so that we will miss some of the crowd on Wednesday's release date. I will be taking Sabi to the Midnight Potter Fest at Border's and that thrills me just to think about it. It will be her first, and last, Potter Fest. How exciting for her. (And me!)

2) I collect cookie cutters. I especially love copper cookie cutters. They rock! Last weekend I made some sugar cookies (Wilton recipe) and decorated them with a cookie glaze and decorative frosting. I have been dreaming about those yummy cookies. I did think about taking pictures and posting them but we ate them too fast! I will be making more next weekend so I will try and contain myself long enough to snap a few shots.

3) I need to exercise more. I hate to exercise but I know it is the best thing for me. The thing is, I really don't mind it as long as I have someone to workout with. I am a social person and I need the motivation of someone else there to help me along.

4) I went back to WW and I have lost 5 lbs thus far! (probably would have been more if I hadn't eaten those sugar cookies!)

5) This one everyone know but I am a fan of this guy. He is going to be in concert in Fresno in September. I need to get tickets... Who wants to go?

6) A new school year starts in 3 weeks. I have done something COMPLETELY out of character for me this summer. I have not been in my room to prep yet. Usually I am back at school the next Monday after we leave to clean up and I spend my entire vacation time cleaning and prepping. This summer I just couldn't get myself to go in yet. Twice last week I got in my car ready to go in and I just couldn't do it.

7) I think roundabouts on streets are stupid. My city is putting them in all over the place and I try to avoid those areas as much as possible. They are accidents waiting to happen.

8) My favorite summer dish comes from the Farmer's Market. Here is the recipe:
Ingredients:
Ear of corn Basil - chopped
Small Red onion chopped or sliced Tomatoes - chopped or sliced
Olive oil and Red Wine Vinegar to taste Salt to taste

I Schiacciata Roll
**************
Cut the kernels off of the ear of corn. Add the kernels and the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Mix.

Enjoy salad with your schicciata. The two are a perfect compliment. I will try and take a picture of it next week. It is my Saturday morning meal!

Wallflower Girl

One of the people I went to HS with was a girl named "E." E was a wallflower girl. She was as timid as a mouse. I was probably one of her best friends and she had a hard time just hanging out and loosening up around me. I run into E about 3-4 times a year. Well, I really don't run into her, I see her and try to avoid her. Let me explain...

When I think of my friendship with E in HS, I am at first inclined to say that we were very good friends. We called each other and hung out together pretty regularly at some point or time during the school day. When I try to think about even more details of our friendship though I am at a loss. E was the girl who looked like she had a ROUGH home life. She seemed like someone who was either raised by a single mom or and abused mom, most likely the latter. She was always a bit nervous and walked around like she was walking on eggshells. I don't know that any of this is true , I am just making assumptions based on her behavior. The sad thing though is that I was supposed to be her friend. Why didn't I know what was going on and why didn't I try to see if I could help? I wonder if I even realized that there might be problems in her home life when I was her friend, way back in HS. Now, as a teacher, I am very tuned into those signs now, I didn't know any of that then. After HS, I lost contact with E. She didn't call me and I didn't call her...how sad.

As I mentioned before, E lives in town and I see her every now and then. She looks even worse than she did in HS. We are the same age but E looks like she has at least 15 years on me. By her appearance, she still looks timid and scared of her own shadow. I can't really quite describe her facial expression but it looks about 30 seconds away from a meltdown or a hard cry. I wonder if she has followed into her mom's footsteps? I saw E this morning on my way to to the Farmer's Market. She was walking in her lost manner holding a baby no more than a year old in her arms. I couldn't help but wonder if this baby was going to follow in E's nervous footsteps as well.

So why don't I talk to E? I probably should but I don't know what I would say to her. I think that seeing me might embarrass her. I would love to just give her a hug because she looks like she REALLY, REALLY needs one. I don't feel like I have that familiarity with her anymore though. I was tempted to stop today and try to break the ice by informing her of the coming reunion. I then remembered that the reunion costs $50 to go and she just didn't look like she had $50 to spend so frivolously.

I know that I might be totally wrong about E. She could be a very happy individual. I don't know. All I know is that she has been on my mind today. I hope that she is doing well. If she isn't, I hope that she can find some peace and happiness.

Reunion Musings

My 20th year high school reunion is coming up in August. I have decided to go. Upon making this decision, I started to think about the people who might show up. I am really not too excited to see very many people. High school was not necessarily a great time for me. It wasn't unpleasant, it was just awkward. My brother has many friends who he still talks to and hangs out with from his HS days. I only have one, Lisie. I don't include her in that group though since she left my HS in her soph year. She has been my friend since jr. h.s - 22 years...WOW!

In HS, I had interesting groups of friends. I was in the advanced classes, so I hung out with the "smarties." I never felt smart enough though so I didn't really feel like I belonged. Around my sophomore year, I got tired of the smarties and I asked to move to regular Social Studies. (I stayed in adv. English because that was just too interesting for me!) When I went to regular SS, I started to hang out with the jocks and cheerleaders. I also didn't feel like I belonged there because I knew that I wasn't cool enough. The third group I hung out with throughout HS was the wallflower group. These girls were nice, but simple. I don't mean this in a negative way. They were quiet, dressed in plain clothes and never stood out in a crowd for anything. I really didn't feel like I belonged with this group either. They were nice, they treated me well, but they weren't go getters or risk takers. I felt a bit stifled with them.

I moved in and out of these 3 groups and I felt like I was 3 different people depending on which group I was with. I had no peer pressure to do this, I guess I just felt that I had to be this way for some reason.

I went to my 15th year reunion and it was weird. The social groups were all represented and guess what? They sat in their separate groups...no mingling! I cruised by each group for a few minutes and then decided to leave.

So, why am I going back to the 20th reunion? I don't know. I think I want to see what people are up to and I am not busy that night!

Not that I Am Promoting Greasy Foods But...

Wendy's Kid's Meal now comes with books on CD instead of a toy. The 4 listening library books are The Magic Tree House: Dinosaurs Before Dark, Geronimo Stilton: The Curse of the Cheese Pyramid, Arthur's Mystery Envelope and Junie B. Jones Has a Monster Under Her Bed.

I know that the food is unhealthy...every once in a while is ok though, right? Especially if it comes with a book on CD,

It's all in the name

I just went online and saw my new class list for the coming school year. I will have a Damian and a Giovani. Teachers...you know what this usually means....

I might need therapy!

Don't Get ANy Ideas Now People!

$6025.00The Cadaver Calculator - Find out how much your body is worth

Thanks to Random Thoughts for the link!

Loving Life

Vacation is wonderful. I have had no schedule and that suits me perfectly. Sabi, my mom and I have been enjoying leisurely time around the house doing whatever suits us. Last night we spent the evening on our newly fixed up patio (thanks to Uncle Alan!) playing Spellbound and Scrabble.

Today my plan includes clean up and then possibly painting my bedroom. We will most likely go to the gym and swim because it will be HOT today.

Tomorrow we will be in Berkeley celebrating Inter-Dependence Day with NSP at Tilden park. I hope it is cooler there than it is here.

Happy First week of July to all!

That sounds about right!

72%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

I found this over on Literanista's site. How addicted are you???

Gender Roles

On the last day of school I showed the movie March of the Penguins to my class. I wanted to make sure they understood the movie so at different times throughout the movie, I paused to ask comprehension questions and make sure they were grasping the content.

When we got to the part where the daddy penguins are the ones who primarily care for the eggs, I checked for understanding. Here is how it went:

Me: "Who takes care of the baby penguin?"

Kid 1: "The daddy!"

Kid 2: "The daddy? What about the mommy?"

Me: "The mommy has to go for a long, cold walk and get food."

Kid 2: "Oh, so it is kind of like she had to go out and get the groceries?"

Me: "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

This was of course funny but it struck me as interesting as well. The student who made the grocery store comment is the brightest of the bunch in the class. She is very independent and is a great thinker. Her tone and mannerisms were not what I expected from her. She was thrown by the role reversal and was not ok until she rationalized why the mommy would not be with the baby. It was too far of a stretch for her.

Interesting...

Last night we went to Border's for another Harry Potter night. Last night's activity was making a Marauder's Map/ I was so surprised to hear Sabi and the other kids talking about their predictions for Book 7. They shocked me because they remembered things that I didn't and had great ideas. I must be getting old...

The clerk who was running the activity had the coolest Sorting Hat. I want one. She also had a Time Turner - WAY Cool!!!

21 more days...

Reflection

I have 5 more days to go with my current group of students. Some years I am sad to see the kids leave and others, I can't wait to shut the door and get a fresh group. This year, I can't decide how I feel. I am am somewhat in between.

This group has been challenging but fun at the same time. There are some very sweet and hard working students in my room. One student in particular just amazes me. She came in pretty low and with very limited English. She has worked herself as hard as possible and is not at grade level, in English. She ROCKS! (That is her favorite phrase.)

Other students just suck the life out of me. Overall, I have a young group. Age really makes a difference in second grade. I had so many students who started as 6 year olds! Because of this, I had to deal with a lot of immaturity - tattle telling, silly spats, not self motivated and in need of lots of material rewards. I have 3 students who also challenge me with their behavior. One in particular that exhausts me just by thinking about her.

This last week will be filled with lots of activity. Monday we are in class with centers all day long. Tuesday is field trip day to the park. Wednesday is a Read In. Thursday is Field Day and Friday, a minimum day will be spent doing our favorite things - a student request day. The students get to do what they want - their favorite games, centers and art actvities.

5 more days...

Sabina's meme

Sabina wrote out her own meme. I found it on her page and decided to do it too. Who do I tag...you!!!

********************

Kind
Enthusiastic
Like to laugh
Love coffee
Yes! I am doing another meme!

---------------------------------------
Favorite Color:Orange
Favorite Authors:J.K.Rowling, Richard Patterson, Jonathan Kellerman, Janet Evanovich, Harper Lee
Favorite Book: To Kill a Mockingbird
Favorite Book Series: Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, Harry Potter
Favorite Animal: Cat
Favorite Saying: "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." - Dr. Seuss

---------------------------------
"Where did you get your name? My parents named me after their landlady, Mrs. Kelly.
Who from your family lives in your hometown Mom, Ruben, Grandmother and my Bina!

New Week, New Perspective

In my last post I complained about how bad it is at school. Today, life was much better. The kids were fine and we made it through the day just fine. It probably didn't hurt that I told them that if they were good they could participate in a paint activity in the afternoon. I started a color investigation unit with the students. I taught them primary colors and secondary colors. We made a color wheel and we mixed colors. It was fun. I wish I had taken pictures of it.

After art, we went out to recess/P.E. I spent some time talking to a fellow teacher who is suffering this week as I was last week. It was so bad that she cried when she vented with me. She told me that she would be ok and that she realizes that things get crazy at the end of the year but it was just too overwhelming her today. I can totally sympathize.

On a side note, Sabina came to school with me today to help out. She was excited to learn that I was going to have her run a Scrabble Jr. center. She got everything all set up and was raring to go. After the 3rd rotation, she came over to my table and looked pretty ragged. I asked what was going on and she said "these kids are driving me crazy, I don't know how you do it!" All I could do was hug her and kiss her forehead. I know the pain!!! :-)

I'm Dying Here Folks

School is hell right now.

The kids are still restless. Every five minutes (or less) I have someone running up to me to say "Ms. V so and so ___________" etc. Tattle- tale patrol is killing me. I can't take it. It is so bad right now. The only way to avoid conflict right now is to keep the kids entertained. In order for that to happen I have to be on my toes running non stop from one activity to the next with no breathing room in between. I am exhausted by 9:00 am!

The kids were so nutty today that I finally broke down this afternoon and told kids to work out their problems for themselves...OUTSIDE. I told them to come right back in when they resolved their problems and wrote out a plan of action or an agreement between themselves. Did I mention that it was 102 today? Have I also mentioned that I have no shade in front of my room? Damn if those kids didn't work out their problems like Dr. Phil himself.

10 more days...

Testing and the end of the School Year

I have always disliked that we test our students on the state test WAY before the end of the school year. My two biggest complaints are that the students haven't even had time to learn all of the material that they will be tested on and the time that we have after the test is WAY too long

The state test supposedly measures what the child has learned that year. However, it is given about 80% of the way through the year. Next year the window will change to the 85% of the year but it is still problematic. It really isn't fair to students and teachers. In second grade for example, division and multiplication come at the end of the year mathematically. There is good reasoning behind this too. Children have to be developmentally ready for this and really need to have a good foundation in addition and subtraction. I always end up cramming in these two subjects right before the test. Why? The kids really aren't ready for it but I just don't feel that it is fair to let them take a test and not been given the chance to practice the material, or at least have seen the material ahead of time.

The time we have after the testing window is painfully long. We finished testing around the 20th or so of May. We are in school until June 29th. That is a month and a half that we could have had to extend our teaching cycle in preparation for the test. It is NUTS!

I guess that the one thing I have to be happy for is that my grade, second, will no longer be testing students! Thank goodness for small favors!!!

Numbers

1) 11 days left of school

2) 101 - today's projected temperature

3) 1-0 Score of yesterday's Gold Cup game - rats!

Gold Cup Continued

Ok...the Cuba Panama game was a tie.

The next game I am watching is on Wednesday night. Panama is playing Mexico. I am still rooting for Panama. Who do YOU think will win?

Panama - Cuba

My Money is on Panamá!

Garden Ballads

What is it with love songs and ballads? I heard two oldies but goodies today that made me ponder this question. What do you think?

Example A: En El Jardin - Alejandro Fernandez y Gloria Estefan

Example B: The Secret Garden - Quincy Jones featuring Al B. Sure, James Ingram, El DeBarge and Barry White

End of the Year Restlessness

When I went to pick up my students after lunch yesterday I knew instantly that something was wrong because half of the class ran from the line to tell me about several incidents of fighting between the classmates. I hate when that happens. I told the kids to get back in line and we would deal with it when we returned to class.

One of the incidents involved a student who supposedly hit two other classmates. When we debriefed, it turns out that she bumped into the other kids in line and really didn't maliciously hit her peers. That was easy!

The other incident was different. There was some name calling between two boys. I wanted to handle their incident in private, outside. When we got outside I asked the boys what happened. Here is a recap of that scenario:

Boy 1: "Ms. V. he said that I was a Cheerio."

Me: What?

Boy 2: "I didn't say that you look like a Cheerio. I said that you looked like one when you were a baby!"

Me: "What? A Cheerio? What is this Cheerio phrase ... what does it mean? Is it some new word that is supposed to mean something mean...tell me about this Cheerio word."

Boy 2: "It's just a joke?"

Me: "What? A joke?"

Boy 2: "Yeah, it is supposed to be funny?"

Me: "Really, funny, huh? Do I look like I am amused? Does your best friend look like he is laughing?

Boy 2: "Um, no"

Me: "I think that you should really think about the things you say to others. Words can be very hurtful. You should also remember that good friends are hard to come by and you need to treat your friends with the utmost respect. Now let's go back inside and I hope that you can figure out how to rework your friendship."

We then went on to take a math test. After Boy 2 finished his test he asked if he could have a piece of paper to write an apology letter. I of course said yes. He returned about 5 minutes letter with one of the sweetest apology letters ever. I was so shocked to see the letter because this boy hates to write. I guess that he had good motivation though in wanting to make peace with his buddy.

By the time we went to P.E. the boys were friends again.

Such is life in second grade when you are getting towards the end of the school year.

15 more days to go....

Blast From the Past

Today a tall High Schooler came by to see me after school. He said "Remember me Ms. V?" I did not but didn't want to tell him no. I paused for a minute trying to remember. He then took off his hat and rearranged his hair and it hit me...Jorge!!!

I didn't recognize jorge at first because not only has he transformed into a tall man, (ok..almost a man) but he was dressed so differently. The Jorge I remembered was a perfectly dressed, uniform wearing kid. He always had his hair combed and his clothing was immaculate down to the tucked in and buttoned all the way up, crisp, white shirt. Today he was sporting Dickies and an oversized t-shirt. (not tucked in btw)

What didn't change about Jorge was his great sense of humor and his kindness. He came to give me a hug and tell me he was doing well.

What a treat!!!

Breaking News - F.Y.I.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is opening earlier than scheduled. It is now scheduled to open on July 11.

Who wants to go see it with me???

That's all folks!

Random Notes

1) The internet is SO cool. Today I received an e-mail from a former exchange student from England that stayed with us when I was in high school. She found me via the internet a few years ago but then we lost e-mail addresses and fell out of contact again. I tried to find her again on the internet but no luck. She reconnected with me by pure luck. She was apparently reading random blogs and ran across my brother's blog. Through his blog, she found me and voila! Our British friend is engaged and will wed in Greece in October. How cool. Congratulations long lost friend!

2) My baby is now a third grade graduate and will start 4th grade in the fall. I took a half day off from school this afternoon and picked her up and celebrated her great report card and successful year at Dairy Queen. YUM!

3) Shelli over at Hydrangeas Are Pretty made my day yesterday when she reported that a Harry Potter Theme Park will be built and ready to go in the summer of 2009. WHOOPEE!!!

4) 39 Days until my birthday AND the opening of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix! I get excited every time I check out the trailer. Yay!

5) I am still in love with XM radio. BBC news and CNN en espanol are awesome. I have also been enjoying the 80's and 90's rap/hip-hop hits. This is quite embarrassing for Sabina. She shrivels up in her seat and tries to hide when I get carried away and start dancing in my seat to tunes from Kid-n-Play, De La Soul, Run DMC and others. Too funny!

Ice Cream Recipes

Does anyone have any ice cream recipes that they would like to share? Do you have any "light" recipes? Do you know if I can substitute Splenda instead of sugar or a low fat cream in the recipes and have it turn out halfway decent?
Thanks!

Coming to an End

The school year is coming to an end.

Sabi has 3 days left as a third grader. This means that I will have a soon to be fourth grader round the house. She is growing up so fast! I have talked about doing a California Mission Tour with my mom and Sabina to help better understand what she will be learning in fourth grade. As of yet, we have not visited one. I need to map out those missions and get on it! Any ideas???

I still have 24 days left but it will be over before I know it. We have Open House in a week, an Art Show, a Science Fair, Field Day, an awards assembly and more to pack in to that short time.

Summer is here!

SOOOOOOOOO Ready for the Weekend

Today was rotten.

The kids were fidgety all morning long. It was like watching a pot boil knowing that sometime soon, the lid would come off and madness would flow all over.

After lunch, the kids got a bad case of "potty-itis." EVERYONE needed to go to the bathroom. I started out by telling them no but then they started in with the potty-dance and I sent them one by one just in case. (I didn't want any accidents in the room!) The last two boys I sent within 5 minuted of each other. I staggered their departure from the room thinking that this way they wouldn't overlap and play in the bathroom. WRONG!

When they didn't return 10 minutes later, I gathered up my class and went on a trip to find these little guys. Guess where they were? They were whooping it up in the bathroom flushing and re-flushing the toilets to make them overflow. Let me tell you, I was MAD!

I marched them up to the office but the principals weren't there. I then sent my boys to a 6th grade teacher for counseling. When they returned, they had to call their parents in front of me and tell them what happened. After school, I walked them over to meet our custodian who had to clean up after them.

I covered all of the bases but I am still enraged. Why? After all I did with these boys, they had not one word or look of remorse. They were sorry that they were caught but I am sure that they will try it again. No respect.

It is such a good thing that I have a 3 day weekend becauseI need a break.

A Field Trip I Can Enjoy!

Normally, when I hear the words "field trip" I cringe. I hate the responsibility, the money collection, the prep and the anxiety. I also hate the big, yellow, bumpy, uncomfortable school bus.

So why am I so happy? Tomorrow I am accompanying Sabi's class on a field trip to the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. I am taking a personal day away from my classroom and going as a parent volunteer. Whoopee!!! I will have a total of 4 kids to watch over and explore this cool museum with. To make life sweeter, I am not going to ride along in the bus...I am driving in my new, comfy, XM radio equipped car! Life is grand.

Yay!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

My aunt sent me a great e-mail today. I copied it and pasted it below in honor of Mother's Day.

Happy Mother's Day to all and let there be peace on earth!

******************

In honor of Mothers' Day, here is Julia Ward Howe's proclamation. Julia was a suffragist, abolitionist, Unitarian, pacifist, advocate for prison reform and children's welfare, and writer of The Battle Hymn of the Republic. She pushed for a Mother's Day for Peace, now more the domain of Hallmark cards. Happy Mother's Day to my wonderful women friends and peacemakers.

--Aunt Margie

Mother's Day Proclamation - 1870

Julia Ward Howe

Arise then...women of this day!
Arise, all women who have hearts!
Whether your baptism be of water or of tears!
Say firmly:
"We will not have questions answered by irrelevant agencies,
Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage,
For caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
We, the women of one country,
Will be too tender of those of another country
To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs."

From the voice of a devastated Earth a voice goes up with
Our own. It says: "Disarm! Disarm!
The sword of murder is not the balance of justice."
Blood does not wipe our dishonor,
Nor violence indicate possession.
As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil
At the summons of war,
Let women now leave all that may be left of home
For a great and earnest day of counsel.
Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means
Whereby the great human family can live in peace...
Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar,
But of God -
In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask
That a general congress of women without limit of nationality,
May be appointed and held at someplace deemed most convenient
And the earliest period consistent with its objects,
To promote the alliance of the different nationalities,
The amicable settlement of international questions,
The great and general interests of peace.

A "Peace"-ful Mother's Day

Tomorrow we will celebrate Mother's Day in Monterey. My grandmother, mother, daughter and two brothers will be there so we will have a total of 3 mothers present in our group, a great grandmother, a grandmother and a mother. We don't have any set plans as to how we will spend the day with the exception of our 12:00 plans. We will join thousands of women (and their loved ones) in the International Peace Event organized by Standing Women. We are not sure yet where we will stand tomorrow, it will either be at Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey or close by in Pacific Grove. If you are interested in joining this event, visit the website and find the event closest to you. So far there are there are 3038 events listed in 73 nations!!!

What are your Mother's Day plans???

Testing Question

In my last post regarding testing, Julissa asked my opinion on what should be done about students that are below grade level or that are English Learners with regard to testing.

What are your thoughts on this subject? What do you think about testing in general? If you were in charge, how would you change out testing system?

The Day is Coming...

We start testing on Tuesday. I am just dreading every minute of it. This test will not show the amazing growth the my students have made this year.

Here are a few examples of won't the test won't show:

Student 1 has traumatic brain injury. When he came to me in August he was pretty much a wild child. He ran through class, yelled and pushed others. Academically, he had nothing. Since August has transformed into quite the gentleman. When I greet him in the morning I say "Good morning, how are you?" He responds with "I'm fine thank you and you?" He also raises his hanhe thanks me for giving him work to do and tells me "You are the goodest teacher I ever haded." (the best teacher I ever had) Academically, he now knows almost all of his alphabet letter names and sounds, can decode a level 2 book (no comprehension yet), can identify numbers correctly to 30 and can add and subtract single digit numbers. This student has made an incredible journey in second grade but will just show up as a failure on the test.

Student 2 came from Oaxaca mid year. She has been in several different homes since both of her parents have died. While in Oaxaca, she didn't go to school due to the teacher strike. When she began, she had no English and didn't even have the basic skills in literacy or math in Spanish down. In the past few months this child can respond and act to most of my directions in English, can speak with friends on the playground in limited English and attempts to ask my questions in English. (ie: May I jreenk el agua-ter.... May I drink water?) Academically, she now knows her alphabet and can add and subtract single and double digit numbers without regrouping. That being said, this one will also show up as a failure.

Student 3 started below grade level due to her limited knowledge of English at the beginning of the year. She is really motivated though so she has worked VERY hard this year. In math, she is at the top of the class. In language arts, everything just recently started to come together for her. She decided that she loved A.R. and wanted to challenge herself in A.R. when she saw her computer printou that said she failed a test. She now reads about 10 books a week and then takes the correspoding test on the computer and passes them all, at a beginning of second grade level. This little girl will most likely score in the basic range in reading which is equivalent of a "C" but due to the way California scores these tests, she too will be considered as a failure.

I have many more of these stories but they all come down to about the same thing. My students have so much to celebrate with regard to their growth this year. Sadly this test won't show that. When we are done with testing, I will have to figure out something to do to showcase the talents that they do have so they can truly understand what gains they have made and how proud I am of them.

Lost and found

This morning as the three of us were rushing around trying to get out of the door I stopped suddenly and asked "Where is Sagwa?" We usually are greeted by our cat as soon as soon as we wake up. He jumps at us and nips at our ankles to go downstairs and open up the back door so he can go out and roam for a bit before we leave for the day. Today, there was no Sagwa to be found. Sabi and I did a quick sweep of the house but then had to leave as we were running late.

When we came home, the three of us went from room to room looking for Sagwa again. Sagwa is an indoor cat with the exception of the early morning and late evening jaunts outdoors. We couldn't figure out where he could have gone. We then searched the neighborhood going house to house to see if Sagwa visited the neighbors. No luck. I then came home and placed a "lost" ad on the animal control's website. Right before Sabi went to bed, we went out in the back yard to talk about the day and hang out for a few minutes. As we were talking, I heard a "meow." Sagwa!!! He was at the neighbor's house. I quickly slipped on my shoes and took off to get my cat. I was a little embarrassed to knock at their house at 8:30 but when I did, the door opened immediately and I was rushed to their back porch. They were waiting for me!!! Apparently Sagwa had been there all day but wouldn't let them get close to him. I was so happy to see Sagwa but he was quite frightened and wouldn't let me catch him. He was very scared. He ran away from me and went over the fence. Luckily, the fence he went over was ours. He realized that he was home and went right back inside of our house.

When I came returned to the house he was still a bit scared and needed some space. After about 10 minutes though he found me and jumped into my lap. He wanted to be held, scratched and loved. It was quite clear that he was a bit stressed out because his heart was racing and his claws were digging into my arms! He couldn't relax. Later on he chilled out and wanted to rub his nose/face against my neck as if to say "I am glad to be back home where I belong!"

Sagwa has not let me out of his sight since he has been back. (Right now, he is sitting on my lap as I type!)

Welcome back home Sagwita. We missed you!

Why do we all have guns?

Last week there was a shooting across the street from our kinder classrooms about 30 minutes after school. Last night there was a gang related shooting in front of our school close to midnight.

It is just plain madness. When will it all stop?

Walk Down Memory Lane

For the past several months, my brother Aaron has been working on a HUGE project in his spare time. He has been scanning our old slides and transferring them onto CD's for us. I am having so much fun going over the old slides and remembering the past. I am going to try and transfer all of the files on CD over to FLICKR so that I can have back up, online copy of the pictures.

Thank you Aaron!

Feliz Cumpleaños

It is also my friend Laurie's birthday. She doesn't not have a video available so I will link to a clip from something she loves...musicals!

¡Me Encanta Esta Novela!

The more I watch this show, the more I like it. Here is a video clip of the song and the show.

Note: potentially NSFW!

A GREAT conference

Yesterday a parent came in to talk to me after school. He is actually a guardian (uncle) for my student from Oaxaca. It was hands down the best conference I have ever had with a guardian/parent.

The uncle came in and asked me excellent questions about the progress of his niece as well as suggestions for how he and his wife could help her out at home. He apologized many times and told me that he didn't have a good education and he wanted to make sure that his niece had the best possible opportunities in life.

I was so impressed by his questions and his commitment to his niece. She will certainly go far with someone as dedicated as her uncle to help her along the way.

I felt so wonderful for this little girl after our meeting. (very hopeful) I don't usually get to end the day on quite so great of a moment. That meeting made the rest of my afternoon and evening. I wish I (and my students) could have more of those days.

Too Many Choices

My new car rocks in the listening department. It has a great sound system and makes anything I listen to sound better. In my new car, I have the choice of listening to the radio and CD's BUT I also have the awesome ability to listen to XM radio as well as plugging in my iPod directly to the sound system. WOW! I have been on an audio overload these past few days just trying to figure out what I want to listen to.

XM is so very cool. In addition to being able to listen to Air America, BBC News and CNN in the car, I have also enjoyed the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's channels, the Showtunes and Soundtrack channels, the musica latina channels as well as the E! True Hollywood stories channel. (shh...don't tell anyone about that last one.) I should also add that Sabina absolutely loves the Radio Disney channel for kids.

My biggest problem now is that I don't want to leave the car because I am enjoying what I am listening to so much!

Maya Angelou and the Power of Words

Thank You Fightin' Mad Chicano Liberal for bringing this link to my attention.

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=2685404n

Ok...I Can't Hold it in Any Longer!

Yesterday my brother came by the house and said "Let's go get you a new car." I just smiled at him and told him that I wasn't ready yet. I have been thinking about getting a new car but I still had to clean my old car out and get some brake work done. He just said to clean it out and take it to the car wash and go!

While I was busy getting the car ready Ruben called all over the Central Valley and Bay Area and even L.A. to see where he could get the best price on the car. Let me just say that my brother is SO very skilled in this area. He was using both the house phone and his cell phone sometimes both at the same time! He found the best price at a dealership in Tracy so we headed over there to check it out. The time at the dealership was so hassle free. We were in and out of the place in 2 hours. 1/3rd of that time was spent just waiting for the car to be gassed up and detailed. The price quoted to my brother was the same price that was offered when we showed up. I also got a lot of money for my trade in Corolla. WAY more than I ever thought I would get. With my trade in and my down payment, my monthly payments are under $250 a month- yippee!

Sabi likes the car too. Check out her post about the car here.

So...what car did I get??? Here it is people:

My 2007 Honda Element 2WD EX

I HAVE A SURPRISE!

Check back soon and I will tell you what it is!
:-)

Because I Have Nothing Better to Post

I found the link to this over at cracked Chancla's blog. I don't know about the dicatator bit, the color gray or the perfectionist bit. I have to admit that I do like control and check marks! *********** Your Birthdate: July 13

You're dominant and powerful. You always need to be in charge. While others respect your competence, you can be a bit of a dictator. Hard working and serious, you never let yourself down. You are exact and accurate - and you expect others to be the same way. Your strength: You always get the job done Your weakness: You're a perfectionist to a fault Your power color: Gray Your power symbol: Checkmark Your power month: April

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

FREE Books for kids!

I found this info over on Literanista's site. Thanks for the heads up! :-)

*******

Attention Kids and Parents!

You have just entered the Indiana Pacers' Locker Room Library, where you can receive a free book! The goal of Locker Room Library is to provide children the opportunity to establish their own home libraries and to embrace the love of reading.

Here's how it works:

1. Select Your Book
Check out the hundreds of books available at Locker Room Library and select your top three favorites (quantities of some titles are limited and therefore subject to availability).

2. Complete Request Form
Once you select your favorites, simply click on this link and print out the form. Make sure to complete the form in its entirety and let us know your top three favorite books available at our library.

3. Return Request Form
After completing the Request Form, mail it to:
Indiana Pacers
Locker Room Library
125 S. Pennsylvania Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204

Your free book will be mailed to you within 4-6 weeks of receiving your Request Form. Remember, you will only receive one book per Request Form, but you can submit as many Request Forms as you want!

We hope you enjoy your visit to the Pacers' Locker Room Library and return often!

Locker Room Library is part of the Pacers Read to Achieve program presented by Chase.

**********
Sabina and I will try it out. Looks good...

Flowers from the garden

Flowers from the garden
Originally uploaded by msabcmom.

Happy Spring!

Multiplication Madness

We are in multiplication hell around here.

Sabi does very well academically in all subjects. The one area she needs some extra assistance in though is in memorization of her multiplication tables. Sabina can multiply correctly when given time but she doesn't know her facts to automaticity. She knows how to get to the answer though. She will either just keep adding to find the answer or she will do little "what if" math scenarios to figure it out. Take 8 x 3 for example. Instead of simply memorizing the answer, 24, she says "Ok, if 4 x 3 is 12 and 4 is half of 8 then 12 doubled is 24." Man! That is just too much work! Thank goodness for the fact that she talks her problems out, out loud so I can peek into that brain of hers to help her out.

I have been trying to impress upon Sabina that memorization of the multiplication facts is SO much simpler and quicker. I bought some flash cards for us to practice with around the house and in the car. This has only brought tears to our lives. Each time Sabina gets one wrong, or doesn't say it in 10 seconds, the tears flow. It didn't matter to her that she had 146 right out of 169. She wanted to get them all right. This brings up another little problem. Sabina wants to have perfection but she really doesn't want to put the effort into it.

What to do??? Any great ideas?

Yesterday

Yesterday was a LONG day. We started out at 2 am by taking my mom to the airport. She is on her Spring Break and headed for Panamá! We arrived back home at 5:30 am and slept for about 2 hours. We then got ready and headed out the door, back to the Bay Area to make a trip to IKEA. WOW! I love that store. We were there for about 2-3 hours. I bought WAY too much stuff. We headed back home around 1:30 or so. It took us about 3 and a half hours to come back though due to VERY HEAVY traffic. It was nuts!

We were home at about 4:00 and we crashed for about 2 hours and then we started washing linens and working on our bedrooms. I told Sabi that if we can clean our rooms and fold all of the clothes we might consider painting our rooms this weekend. Let's see what will become of these plans...

Late April Fool's

Oh my goodness. Look what I found on You Tube. HILARIOUS!!!

First Week Back at School

I tracked back on for the last trimester on Monday. Monday was a minimum day since it was a track on day and Wednesday was a minimum day because all Wednesday are minimum days for prep time. It was a very sweet set up 2 regular days and 2 minimum days. Why then did this week seem like it was 14 days long????

Here are a few reasons:

1) I got a new student on Monday. He is a sweet kid and he is working at grade level. This week has been busy though trying to figure out his academic placement as well as work out his bus schedule and figure out custody issues.

2) Monday night was the first night of Passover. After school my mom and I had to rush home to prepare the meal before my brothers and my grandmother arrived at 6:30. It was a race against the clock but we did it. Thank goodness that my mom cooked the brisket the night before. I was also happy to sit for a while during the Seder just to have a chance to relax!

3) A student who left in December FINALLY returned on Monday. THANK GOODNESS that I didn't delete her grades file! I found out some interesting information when we walked around the track this week during PE time. I am not sure why they stayed in Mexico for so long but I do know that her mom couldn't come back with them because "si viene con nosotros en la troca la van a meter en la carcel!" (if she came with us in our truck they would put her in jail!) Ay! Pobrecita.

4) One of my students had a rotten day on Tuesday. I talked to his mom about it and she said
"yeah well we are moving." I asked when that would be and she said that it they were moving on Friday. (this Friday!) I didn't ask why but I think that there is/was a problem with his parents. I was busy prepping his things for him to go and then the next day, when I called to tell mom that his day was MUCH better, she said "oh yeah, we aren't moving anymore. We worked things out. That is probably why his day was better." Poor guy!

5) Tuesday night we had to race home from school to make it to our community Seder at the synagogue. We were running very late but we ended up making it just in time. The Seder was great, the food was good, Sabi found the first Afikomen BUT the Seder was LONG!!! We got home very late.

6) We found out that our vice principal is moving to another school. He has only been with us for a year and we really like him! :-(

7) The Superintendent of my school district showed up in my room today. I signed up for a Rotary Club reader to read to my class. Guess who came??? I was a little stressed out but the kids were excellent and enjoyed the visit.

I am looking forward to this three day weekend.

Matzah Man

Click here for a good laugh!

Happy Passover

Afikomen
Originally uploaded by msabcmom.

Manischewitzville