Friday, August 31, 2007

The Chets Creek Way

If you have never experienced a Kindergarten class at Chets Creek Elementary then you have never experienced teaching at its best. I love to be in an environment where the teachers are excited and truly love working with children. Yes, it is only the second week of school but this group of teachers are this way all year. Each day we take our kids out for car rider dismissal and get an opportunity to chat while we are there. Each day we get to share the great things we did in our class with each other. Each day we get new ideas from one another. Each day we get to share the funniest things our kids did in class. In Kindergarten something funny happens every day. It is here that we close our day on a positive note no matter what type of chaotic day is was with the children (as it is with all Kindergarteners in the second week).We too live by the thought that each day you start as a new day. Sometimes we forget how important support amongst our colleagues is. I am blessed to be a part of this community of teachers and live THE CHETS CREEK WAY!

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Our Magical Week


It was first week of Kindergarten and what a busy week it was. Twenty-six little prince and princess begin their life long journey as learners as they walk into our castle every day. How fortunate are we as educators to help determine the fate of these little ones. This week we began to set the rituals and routines of our class. By the third day of school they were already working on phonemic awareness with our Star Students, learning during Reader's and Writer's Workshop, completing our new Math Counts in our Math Workshop, and hearing lots of great new stories. Check out our class blog under favorite links to see what each child thought about the first week of school. I can tell that the magic is just beginning!

Monday, August 20, 2007

It's A Small World After All....



The first day of school has come and gone with 25 new little smiling faces. How exciting it must be to come to your first day of school where everything is decorated as a magic kingdom.



Our students were enchanted as they watched a magic show, had pictures taken around the school, and wore themselves out on the bounce house. In the morning we read A Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn. It is one of my favorite stories. During lunch, Chester Raccoon snuck into our room and left us a note with a list of clues. We used these clues to find important places around the school such as the office, the music room, and art. At the end of the hunt, we found a box of popsicles left for us by Chester. The kids had a wonderful time as they learned about all the great things at our school and had fun at the same time. For 25 little prince and princesses of Chets Creek - dreams really do come true.

Friday, August 10, 2007

A Trip To Hawaii

Hawaii...a vacation in paradise. After two weeks we have come back exhausted and loaded with memories (just in time to prepare for school). The weather was perfect, the scenery was beautiful, and the people were welcoming. We were able to visit the whole island of Ohau and almost all of The Big Island. What fun we had getting to see famous places such as The North Shore, Waikiki Beach, Diamond Head, and Volcano National Park. Here is a glimpse into trip...

Hawaii