2 More to Go

As I write this Kelly and I have two days let with our kids.  Tuesday will be our last day of school with our kids and then we have two teacher days of PD.

Here's a glimpse of what has been going on in our classrooms...

That's me on a surf board of a first graders poster

Our Fun Day theme was "Jersey Strong" 

One of the SWEETEST yearbook signings from one of my LOVES.

Fun Day Beach Relay

Moving through Fun Day

 As one of my end of the year gifts I make my students personalized Wordles using wordle.net.  The Wordles contain classroom themes, memories, events, and then I add in some personalized words or phrases for each kid.  I put them in a frame and wrap them with cellophane, tissue paper, and ribbon.  

Take a look!

Putting my wordles together

Final Product: Wrapped in my classroom colors

  We also held a Reading Buddy Scavenger Hunt outside.  It was such a stressful event because we haven't done it before and we had no idea how we were going to set it up or how it was going to go.  IT WAS A BLAST and the kids had a great time!

Setting up that morning!

Station Number 3: Shoot five basketball hopes!

Station 9: Add a picture to our chalk mural

2 more days to go for these Buddies!
-Damien and Kelly

And we are Moving...Down? Grade level change for 1 buddy!

Hello Buddies-

If I recall accurately, it was around this time last year that Kelly announced that she was going to be moving up from First Grade to Second Grade.  

Well the changes just keep coming!

Next year, after 7 years teaching Fifth Grade, I will be moving down to Fourth Grade.  

This year's fifth grade is a bubble year (we have four sections of the grade level instead of our usual four).  When this year began we knew someone from Fifth Grade was "getting the boot" for lack of a better phrase only to have someone added to Fifth Grade next year as this year's third grade is another bubble year (ya follow me?).  

I have always been interested in looping so I went to my principal and the discussion began.  Next year I will be a fourth grade looping teacher.  I'm not sure if the term is universal but for us, looping means I will have the same set of students for both their Fourth Grade and Fifth Grade year. 

Me and them 360 days!

To say I'm a little nervous is downplaying things a bit. The letters notifying my future students, and most importantly their parents, of my grade level change went home TODAY!  I am concerned about not liking the recommended books for the grade level (already eliminated two), finding new books and the time to properly prepare them to be taught, new Science and Social Studies standards, and most importantly having the same kids for two years.  We've all been there, the year we can't wait for it to end and those special years where we would happily teach that group for YEARS (through college even!)

So I am asking my blog buddies for some help.

-Have you ever looped?
                  -What were the pros?
                                             -What were the cons?
                                                                         -Any surprises?

Thanks friends and if you are still in school remember, we are in the home stretch so hang in there, make some memories, and HAVE FUN!

-Damien