Appreciation

This past week, at our school, was Teacher Appreciation week! 
We were mega spoiled! 

Everyday our wonderful, talented, PTA furnished lunch or breakfast for everyone who works at the school!  Local businesses donated gifts of every kind.  Donuts, muffins, candy, boxes of cookies or crackers, gift certificates, and make-up were all part of the fare.  (After all the goodies we ate, we could have used passes to the local gym!)

The teachers were amazed at the outpouring of gratitude.  Teachers were spotted walking down the hall with smiles on their faces!  It was a boost everyone needed to get through the last month of school. 

Everyone likes to feel appreciated!    

sidenote - One student gave me a Reeses peanut butter cup with this note attached:
There are many "Reese"-ons I'm glad you're my teacher.  Change the wording and it would be a cute handout for VT or any other "reese"-on!

Check the Backpack!

Working in a transitional kindergarten class brings many joys, frustrations, and surprises!  These children come in to our classroom at the beginning of the school year as "babies", and leave at the end, not just 9 months older, but advanced in leaps and bounds; academically,  emotionally and socially.  It gives us teachers a real sense of accomplishment.

Routine is an important part of the day for these children.  It starts with disembarking from the bus, entering the classroom and hanging up backpacks and coats.  The teachers then check each back pack to see if the child has brought homework, signed notes, or anything else needed for school.

We have found some interesting things in backpacks. 

Here are just a few of the items we've discovered during our searches:

Prescription pills (not sure of the street value)

K-Y Jelly

Week-old hard-boiled Easter egg (We sniffed that one out!)

Weapons (usually toys)

I'm sure parents are horrified when they discover what their child has brought to school!

We always want the parents to check for important papers when their child comes home from school.  It would be a good idea for them to check backpacks BEFORE the children leave for school!

I'm grateful I don't work in a secondary school and have to check backpacks.  I suspect I'd find the same types of contraband but instead of coming from the parent's drawers, medicine cabinet, and toy box, it would be the student's own stash! 

What's in your backpack?

Out of the "Mouths" of Babes

"S" was in our kindergarten class last year.  This year she's in first grade and is one of our speech students. After displaying anger toward a technician in her class, she was asked to write a letter of apology.  She has demonstrated considerable progress in her expressive language, sincerity, spelling and in her penmanship. 

Now, if she could just learn to spell "Snotty"

Tomorrow is the last day for my anniversary giveaway!  You don't even have to spell correctly to sign up!