Saturday, December 7, 2013

Celebrating a new trimester and winter's early arrival!

                            So excited to join Saturday Celebrations with Ruth Ayres!
                It is fun to live my week thinking about what I will celebrate on Saturday!
Discover. Play. Build.
Posting a bit late this week, but I continue to discover that paying attention means I find much to celebrate each week. 

One - My students finished their first trimester, and I finished posting grades and comments on Friday.  Woo Hoo!
Two - We didn't get a snow day this past week, but my snowman collection is out for the winter.  My good friend Shelly offered her creative eye and wonderful flair for decorating on the eve of her own travel. I'm always happy that my snowmen/women continue to brighten the dark days of winter long after the Christmas decorations are put away and stashed for next year.  We also put up the Christmas tin collection in the kitchen.  My husband threatens to streamline my stash of tins, but I love each and every one of them.  
Three - My students started a WebQuest for Social Studies on Thursday.  It was great fun to see their collaboration and engagement as they began 2nd trimester and this project with a new shoulder partner. 
Four - We had our first WOW (word of the week) party this last week during lunch.  When students find one of our words in outside reading, they post the example to our discussion thread, and join me for lunch, a game of Catch Phrase and cookie bars.  We had some lively phrases flying around the room as we worked to elicit the exact phrase from our teammates before the beeper stopped!  If you've never played Catch Phrase, it's a great game for all ages.
Five - If our cold weather continues, I'll read a favorite picture book, Winter is the Warmest Season.   Even though winter doesn't officially arrive until we're out for winter break, I've discovered that sometimes our coldest weather arrives in early December.  You've got to celebrate cold weather when it's here!

8 comments:

  1. I love that book! Then we always follow up with a discussion how summer is the coolest season. I've never been in a school on a trimester, so I don't know how I'd like that. Love the snowmen collection! I also have quite a few Christmas tins, but they don't get to appear very often anymore.

    ReplyDelete
  2. WOW party--what a great idea! I'll have to think if I could do something similar with my students.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love the idea of a WOW party. I need to do that!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sounds like your life is a celebration. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I wish I had known you collected tins; I sold most of my collection in my sale, Ramona. I have lots of snow people too-out on the landing of my stairs. I love seeing yours! Glad to hear all about your classroom, too-love that WOW party you give! Happy holidays!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I have a snowman collection too, that comes out in December and stays out until March. :) I love the idea of the WOW party. (Maybe I just like parties and a reason to celebrate). And, now I'm off to check into the book you mentioned. I don't know that one. Happy winter!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Love the snowman collection! Also, congratulations on finishing the first trimester. It is so nice to have report cards finished and to start fresh with the new trimester.

    ReplyDelete