Looking Back on Favorites ~ 2017 in Review!

Happy Boxing Day!  Today I'm linking up with Andrea of Momfessionals fame for:

All Time Favorite ~ January Currently Link-Up

I'm always on the lookout for a good link-up, and the one hosted by Anne In Residence is worth checking out!

In this post I talk about my annual resolution ~ keeping my desk neat at school.  Of course, I'll be making the same resolution again...

Next Up ~ The Commonwealth Museum = State Museum of Massachusetts!

Last year, the third graders at my school visited this amazing museum for free!

Most states have a state museum or historical society that could provide free field trips or resources for you and your students ~ check this out to make sure you're not missing out on any opportunities!

Read the original post here.

Happy Patriots' Day!

Just think ~ if you lived in Massachusetts or Maine, you would have an official Monday holiday to observe Patriots' Day to honor the first battles of the Revolutionary War.  In Wisconsin, schools are supposed to educate students about this important event in American history.  I'm feeling lucky to live in Massachusetts these days.

Thanks to my students who have their very own You Tube channels, I decided to investigate myself and came up this perfect video about the Boston Massacre:

Click here or on the picture to watch the video. 

It's really a great video if you're studying the Boston Massacre!  

Click here to read the whole post!

Favorite Conversations From The Classroom (a Collaborative Blog) Post

Last January, I wrote a post about National Braille Literacy Month!

In addition, I made the above graphic on Canva which is a perfect and easy to use site to make any type of graphic!

The Last Favorite Post Goes To Unicorn Day 

This fun post highlights one of my favorite poets - Doug Florian:

Going back to check out past blog posts was a perfect opportunity to look back over 2017 to see all the great activities and opportunities we had.  I hope you'll link-up or check out Andrea's Momfessionals blog and link-up!

What is a favorite memory you have from 2017?  Please let me know in the comments!

Thank you for visiting the blog today!

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Keeping Focused and On Course in December!

Hello there!  Thanks for visiting today!  Check out what we've been up to these days!

Holiday Concert = A Great Success

Our very talented Music teacher put together another delightful all-school holiday show!  Here are the third graders on the risers:

Thank you to Music Teacher, Ms. Newman, for preparing and practicing with our students for these concerts!

Contraction Action Morning Messages

Last week we learned about contractions for Spelling so I incorporated the theme into our Morning Messages:

More About the Boston Tea Party Reenactment

Part of the Boston Tea Party reenactment is having the opportunity to interact with the "colonists" who are dressed in period costume:

In addition, the Old South Meetinghouse has a museum with these artifacts:

Check out the vial of tea leaves in the upper left corner of the picture above.  These tea leaves are supposed to be the only remaining tea leaves from the original Boston Tea Party.  One of the participants had these tea leaves in his shoes, and he saved them.  Of course, if you want to see one of the two remaining tea chests from the Boston Tea Party, you can go to the Boston Tea Party Ship and Museum!

A.L.I.C.E. Training

A Woburn police officer came to speak to the kids about A.L.I.C.E. program (you can read more here.)  The day before, we watched the read-aloud of this book:

Click on book to read more at Amazon.

Here are some of the slides shown during the assembly:

The kids' favorite part was practicing afterwards:  the evacuation (with our coats on) and barricading the doors of the classroom.

Thank you for checking in today, and

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Delightful December Showing and Telling!

Happy Winter Solstice ~ Almost!  I love knowing that each day will have an extra minute or two of daylight!

Today I'm linking up with Stephanie from Forever in 5th Grade for:

 Boston Tea Party Reenactment

If you love history and want to participate in a reenactment, the Old South Meeting House recreates the December 16, 1773 meeting in which the decision was made to dispose of the tea on the three British ships in Boston Harbor.  Before the actual reenactment, many "colonists" mingle with the crowd:

 Here are some scenes during the reenactment:

 This is the second year I've attended the reenactment, and it is so much fun!  Of course, if you're ever in Boston, you can visit the Old South Meeting House ~ it's on the Freedom Trail. 

 Cara Cara Oranges & Good Luck

They're back!  Cara Cara oranges are finally back, and if you've never had one, please check them out!  Juicy Cara Cara oranges are pink inside.  These oranges were discovered in 1976 and weren't even available in the U.S. until the end of the 1980s.  I was so excited to find them over the weekend:

While purchasing my favorite oranges and other delicious fruit, my total purchase came to:

I'm always feeling lucky when my total purchase randomly comes to a number like this!

Gingerbread Exchange Fun

My students created the most amazing gingerbread and wrote letters chock full of Massachusetts history and information for our Gingerbread exchange.  Check out some of their creations:

I gave the kids two options:  a Celtics themed gingerbread or a baker with the state muffin and cookie.  Of course, I told them to feel free to create their own gingerbread people.  What a fun project this is!

Thank you so much for visiting my blog ~ it means so much to me!

Happy Holidays to you and your family!

 

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Currently ~ It's Beginning to Feel a Lot Like December!

Happy Thursday!  Welcome to another edition of Currently with Anne in Residence and her cohost Catherine of A Short Blonde for:

 




Lighting


I love my battery operated candles with a timer.  Once daylight savings time arrives, I make sure these candles turn on at 4:30 so there's still light in the house.  

Click here to check out some adorable candles with paw prints!




Spending

I've done a lot of shopping this year at J. Crew Factory - search for collector t-shirts.  I purchased this plaid elephant shirt:

Click here for men's t-shirts ~ there's just not as exciting as the women's version!




Choosing


Check out these most adorable Christmas stamps available at your local post office now:

The Snowy Day stamps are THE BEST!

Sending


OK ~ I'm sending a book recommendation that everyone should read because its message is so powerful and relevant:

Last week I learned an amazing fact about the Statue of Liberty in the book:

The Statue's right foot is raised to symbolize her walking away from unjust treatment and slavery.  WOW!  Every person who values freedom should read this book and learn the importance of Lady Liberty's right foot.



Singing

I LOVE the new song ~ Take It All Back ~ by Judah and the Lion.  Click here to check out the video on You Tube!

Have a wonderful weekend!

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Delightful December!

Welcome to December!  Time goes on, and it flies by even faster when you're learning and  having fun!

 Skill of the Week ~ Inferencing

I love when my Morning Messages reinforce what we're learning in class:

 Dinoman Assembly

 We had a most delightful and fun assembly with Dinoman who entertained and educated us with his wit and knowledge:

 My favorite part was the huge blow-up dinosaurs!

Interview Paragraph and Pictures

When the excitement of Halloween takes over, the kids interview each other and write a paragraph.  (Click here for a New Year's interview activity ~ just in case you need an engaging writing activity).  Check out some finished products:

Book Recommendation

If you love author Anita Shreve, you need to read her newest book:

In this book, the main character deals with major setbacks:  fires; abusive marriage;...  Read more details on Amazon.

J. Crew Factory Collector T-Shirts

If you need a last minute gift, check out these fun t-shirts on J. Crew Factory:

This penguin t-shirt is my favorite!

Enjoy your week, and thanks for visiting today!

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