Deb"s count down to Freedom

[bababear_50]

Celebrate --celebrate --dance to the music

two more days-- two more days--- dance to the music

I still can't figure out how I gather so much "junk" ,,still cleaning and organizing.

Deb I asked the grade two teacher about a smart board --nope she said our school doesn't have one --do you use it alot with your kids??could you tell me alittle more about it?
Thanks Mel

 

[Debbie]

Yep, two more kid days. We went to one of the kid's houses today where two parents arranged lunch, snacks, and games (slip 'n' slide, water sponges, red rover), playing the in the treehouse, basketball, soccer etc. The backyard was shady and cool and all I had to do was sit in a chair and watch them slip 'n' slide!

Tomorrow will be the big clean out. Desks, books tidied. Shelves dusted. etc. And it WILL go slowly.

Ah....my SMARTboard. When the librarian got one in the library and went all ga-ga over it, I was . NOW, I get it! I do all of my lessons on it, and the kids are really engaged (gotta love the jargon!) BUT, they really are. Calendar alone covers so much! I use it for every subject! Shared reading is best, because they can manipulate the words, doing wordsorts. Everything on the internet is accessible for the kids to move as the mouse. I have been rejuvenated, which is great. My 85 factor came up this year, but with all of my debts (5 kids=no money), I won't be retiring for the next four to five years. I come home every night/weekend, and spend hours planning....not because I have to, but because it is FUN! You can actually download the software at home at Softtech.com and then check out the lessons (hundreds, but merely a drop with what is out there!) Right now, we are doing calendar (of course), a Canada unit for social studies, and "Mrs. Impossible" shared reading/probability. Did I mention that I love it?

Anyway, yep, two days! But who is counting??

 

[bababear_50]

Hey Deb thanks --no I'd never know that you LOVE your smart board,,I'll take some time this summer to research it.

I think it's great that you had the chance to visit the kids homes --nice way to spend some time

I'm moving classrooms this year --upstairs I go.

I don't know if I mentioned it but I'm not an actual teacher but an Educational Resource Staff-special needs. I get to work with primary children --most have the DX of Autism Spectrum.And computers are right up there with Mickey Mouse,,so I will look into the smart board. Very special group of kids but I reallyyyyyyyyyy
feel the need for a break this year, I also work partime as a support worker --group home -special needs adults,four gentlemen.. I will be working one day a week this summer there.

I know what it's like to have a house full--three sons here --do they ever move out?lol
Retirement???? No way your way to young for that,,Hugs to you!

Mel

 

[bababear_50]

YEAH !!!
One more day!!
Hugs to all the teachers and school staff out there.
Hugs Mel

 

[bababear_50]

Well I made it and so did the kids,,what a wonderful -special day,
lots of well wishes and tears --we had two staff members retiring -one a head secretary --25 years at our school, and a grade five teacher -at our school 34 years--the day started with them being picked up by a gold limo and dropped off at our parking lot where a bag piper piped them with the help of screaming kids ,staff and parents into our gym. We had an assembly and a dvd presentation
followed by a luncheon--hot-dog and veggie platter. The kids brought their favourite dessert to share. Seems grade 1/2 like chocolate,,lol
We watched their (kids) favourite movie this afternoon-Lady and the tramp and shared our memory books .
Almost finished --staff meeting and planning tomorrow --then hair cut and a little time in my garden.
Happy summer everyone !!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Diamondintheruff]

I barely made it through today. The heat (old building no AC) and the kid's excitement was overwhelming. To top it off we had our Volunteer Tea where all the parent and community helpers come and the kids put on a show for them. The Tea must have been on my day off last year.

To try to COOL them off today we did "Christmas in June" where I used some leftover worksheets I had and revisited our noel vocabulary. We also sang "vive le vent" which is jingle bells in french. Perhaps I should mention I teach core french to the juniors.

 

[bababear_50]

No A/C in our school either --like your idea of Christmas in June,,cute
maybe we could try that next year.
Soon as I left school I cranked up my A/C in the car and headed straight to Tim's --Ahhhhhhhhhhh--iced cap
Hugs Mel

 

[BitsnBearsMom]

Congrats - you all made it through another school year!!

We still have tomorrow to go for our kiddies but I can't wait until 3:20pm when they will be all mine for the summer!!

**note - please remind me of this statement in 2 weeks time when I'm climbing the walls to avoid the fighting and the 'I'm bored' insert whine there!

 

[Debbie]

See the class.
See the class jumping with excitement.
Jump, class, jump.


See the teacher.
See the teacher laugh.
Laugh, teacher, laugh.


See the teacher.
See the teacher sleep.
Sleep, teacher, sleep.


See the classroom on tomorrow's PD Day.
See the teacher clean tomorrow.
Or not.


We don't get gifts at our school. I figured the picnic was gift enough, but one of the kidlets gave me lemonade mix , and TWO Disney jibbitz for my shoes. Luckily, I was wearing them today, and could immediately add Daisy and Pluto to my Crocs. One more day of meetings and cleanings....and lunch without duty.

 

[Starr_DJ]

NO MORE KIDS! NO MORE KIDS! CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL WHO SURVIVED!!!

Don't get me wrong, I love teaching and I love the kids, but at this time of year, it's just nice to get to the end. Thank goodness for new school and AC.

Debbie - I've worn my Crocs to school a few times this year and the kids are always telling me I need jibbitz for them. Well today I got 7 jibbitz (from 4 different kids), including 2 Mickeys!!! I forgot to wear my Crocs this morning so I had to run home on my prep and grab them! Luckily I only live 2 minutes away.

One more day of "meetings" and cleaning, then it's relaxation time!

 

[Diamondintheruff]

Yeah! I made it.

Today I have to go tidy up my desk and attend the staff meeting at 1:30pm.

After our housekeeping stuff our Reading specialist is going to explain everything she has learnt up at the board. It would really hold our attention so much better in September. Besides as I mentioned I teach core french. It's not all that relevent to me. And being part-time I don't work fridays. This will be me after about 30 minutes.

 

[retiredkid]

Teacher! Teacher!!!!!
Diamond is sneaking OOOOOUUUUUUTTTTT!!!!!

 

[shaycamp21]

I'm DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Diamondintheruff]

No jail break for me at my staff meeting after all!

My principal came down hard on anyone missing any meetings (again it was my day off so really if she wanted me there I should have been paid for it, I had to pay a babysitter). We weren't dismissed until 4:15 pm.

 

[Debbie]

Oh my gosh! That's so unfair! At our school, if someone is part time, they are asked to be at meetings, but I remember one teacher who never came because she only worked mornings. Our EA's don't get paid for the last PD day, so they were not in.

We had a staff meeting on Thursday (done by 11:00), lunch at 11:45, and were pretty much gone by 3:15 or so, although I worked until we were kicked out at 4:00.

I was back yesterday 9-12 (school hours, kicked out) and will return on Tuesday at 8:00.

 

[Debbie]

Ooooh. Gotta share.

Our kids were out Wednesday at 3:30.

School was open and I was there on Thursday 8:00-4:00: staff meeting, paperwork, filing, etc

I was there yesterday 9:00-12:00 cleaning until the custodian kicked us out.

At 2:30 yesterday, I got a phone call at home from a (very apologetic) parent, who had to remember that I don't live in the city, and which little village I do live in. Why?
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.
wait for it
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her child had not brought home a report card. I reassured her that he had been given one. Was it in one of the bags of work that he took home? No. I told her that I knew that it was not visible in the classroom,-remember, I'd just spent a day and a half working/cleaning. Apparently, she thinks he might have put it into his (empty) desk. You know, the one that we checked not 3 minutes before?

I told her to pop in on Tuesday, and we'll either find it, or photocopy one for her. Not really a problem....but........don't you think that you'd know on WEDNESDAY, not FRIDAY AFTERNOON, that your kid hadn't brought home a report card? (I had written on the last Friday newsletter that we'd get them at 3:30 Wednesday, so the "I didn't know that they were getting a report card" excuse can't be used.)

Ah. The joys of teaching the little ones! Never a dull moment!

 

[Starr_DJ]

That's insane! Don't parents realize that they should never call teachers at home? What do they think, we work 24/7?

I feel sorry for all of you that had such a long day on Thursday. We had a staff meeting at 9am that lasted all of 20 minutes! We only had to stay in the school until after lunch, then we went to a colleague's house and partied! We were actually ordered in the staff meeting to be there by 1:30pm, so of course we HAD to leave the school - I wouldn't want to be accused of not following orders...

SUMMER HAS BEGUN!!!