Monday Memories ~A Daily Walk to the Park ~Weather Permitting

Jack’s house is close to a Park.

We walked there often, if the Spring weather cooperated.

Here’s Jack with his Uncle Jake.

Running up and down the ramps was perhaps

Jack’s favorite thing to do.

There he goes again!

The slides are fun with assistance from Mama...

...even better with Mama and Aunty Emily,

one on each side.

Just a quick walk to the park makes for 

plenty of great memories.

Stay safe and well, everyone.

Take care,

~Natalie

Happy Weekend ~Where the Week Went

It was a short work week for us...

however, it was packed full, and it was exhausting!

It started with one of my favorite holiday traditions...

watching the Rose Parade.

The Air Force band was quite impressive.

Since Monday was the last day of vacation,

I took the opportunity to relax with my favorite quilt,

a Hallmark movie, and Lucy.

(yes, we have an ironing board set up in our bedroom...

hubby and I press our clothing every single morning)

Tuesday was Back to School with Inservice Day.

Large Group Sessions.

Small Group Break-out Sessions.

So much to do...so little time.

We were happy to hear that the Christmas gifts 

that we sent across the pond

finally reached their destination.

Grades were due.

Who else remembers when report cards were written out by hand?

Yes, when I first started teaching, we teachers would make time before school, after school, and during our planning period to go to the office conference room and sort through the file box to write each student's grade on their report card.

Imagine how time consuming that was?!

Now, in our on-line gradebook, 

we just need to hit "POST GRADES".

With the beginning of a new term,

I met 113 new students.

Of course, there will be some challenges,

but I think I am going to like this group.

Hubby and I enjoyed our Friday night out with friends.

Yes, I ordered the shrimp!

Take care,

~Natalie

Teacher Appreciation Week Highlights ~Visit by Former Student ~Discussion with a Probation Officer ~Impromptu Fashion Class Selfie ~Beautiful Weather ~Turkey Day ~FACS

It was a pleasant surprise to meet Baby Lily Ann 

and visit with her Mommy.

Abby is one of our former students...

and I'm pretty sure she took every class that I teach!

(They were at school to be guest speakers in our Child Development/Parenting class.)

Another of my favorites is the day our Probation Officers visit 

with my CTE Personal Development  Class.

For two decades they have come into my classroom to visit with students about

choices & consequences, family environment, peer pressure, respect, and attitude.

Thank you Brock, Kevin, Tony and Mike.

You all have done so much for the youth of our community.

One of my students discovered my selfie stick.

Yes, I carry it in my computer bag, just in case.

"Oh...Okay, you can try it."

Part of my Fashion Class gathered for the photo shoot.

"Now...everyone back on task!"

We all know that Winter in the Dakotas lives well into April.

This week, we had days with temps in the upper 80s.

Since everyone had finished their work, 

we spent the last few minutes of class soaking up the warm sunshine.

And last but not least, Turkey Day.

Everyone steps it up a notch for this lab.

On pre-preparation day, students prepare desserts,

and get the turkeys ready and into the roasting bags.

I arrive early the next morning to put the turkeys in the oven.

After I'm sure the birds are roasting nicely, I head to the supermarket.

Did you notice I was the first one in the parking lot?

I stand by the tradition that it is a postion of honor to carve the turkey.

This term, our head principal and school resource officer performed the task.

The students are seated as each one delivers a brief message.

And then, dinner is served.

It is a lot of work, but it is so worth it.

Yes, the life of the FACS teacher is varied...

Child Development, Human Development,

Fashion and Foods.

There's never a dull moment.

Happy Weekend.

Take care,

~Natalie

What'cha Workin' On Wednesday ~ Question of the Day ~ and Sometimes I just Laugh Out Loud

Tomorrow = first term parent/teacher conferences.

This week students are checking grades and handing in missing assignments.

So, I am correcting and recording like crazy tonight!

In Basic Foods class we prepared our Homemade Pizza...

and again, the never-ending debate...

does the pepperoni go under or over the cheese?

I overheard one student say, 

You have to put the pepperoni on top, so the customer knows what kind of pizza it is.

Obviously, he works in a pizza place with a lunch buffet.

How do you all layer your homemade pizza?

My Etsy Team is preparing for the Winter Gift Giving Season with our

Warm Winter Wishes Celebration.

Check out my shop here

to see my latest batch of decorated tins.

Ok...back to correcting the test I gave today...

I just have to share this...

Now...Remember...I teach at the High School level...

Did you notice this message on the top paper of the stack of school work in the photo above?

Yup...you're reading that right...

"I am aware that I got many wrong.

May this picture of a Giraffe give me +1 :)"

In 3 years, he is going to be in college.

Maybe.

Take care,

~Natalie

What'cha Working on Wednesday...and Just An Old Fashioned...

...Gradebook!

Back to school this week...the beginning of a new term, with new classes and new students.

However, the grades for first semester are. due. tomorrow.

It seems that every time Lucy and I are correcting and calculating grades,

my old-fashioned red gradebook makes the picture...

(google image)

...and I usually get one...or maybe three comments about how I am still using one.

You must let me explain...

We are not that backwards in South Dakota,

(despite the fact that we are 51st in the nation for teacher pay).

I do still use my red grade book

• to take attendance when we attend an assembly in the arena or a class meeting in the theatre.
• to record scores when I correct papers while traveling in the car.
• to organize the students scores by section, in alphabetical order, to make it easier and faster to enter them into my electronic gradebook.

Would you like to see what else we are using?

This is how we take attendance.

(See the P=present; A=absent; T=tardy)

This is how teachers enter assignments into the Lesson Planner.

This screen shows how we enter the scores for each student, for each assignment.

I cropped out their names for confidentiality reasons, and to preserve their dignity.

Do you notice that not everyone is passing our "Fitness for Life" class.

I mean...seriously??

This could be a serious problem for them someday.

Teachers and parents have access to their student's records here on this screen.

Pretty nice, right?

Anyway...a teacher's work is never done.

One just needs to decide when to stop!

Have a wonderful Wednesday evening.

Take care,

~Natalie

Special on Saturday

My hubby worked in Rapid City and the Black Hills this past week. For those of you not familiar with SD that is the opposite side of the state. When he got home last night he brought me a new mug for my collection...and I am feeling pretty special drinking my morning coffee today.

Also, making my day...my package of wool squares came from Cathy at Tolentreasures. Yes, I won another blog give-away. They are cut perfectly and neatly secured with a strip of wool. A sweet note adds such a personal touch. Don't

these colors look rich and delicious? I am pondering what to make with these special squares. All of your suggestions will be taken into careful consideration.

And last, but not least, I discovered my prim wood angel in a treasury, created by my OFG friend Doris. Check it out here http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=33780

What'cha Workin' On Wednesday?

Tonight I am updating my seriously neglected Etsy Shop. It had been a couple of weeks since my last listing. When it first opened, I was listing something new every day. But in the summer, I was a WAHM! December was nuts with holiday preparations, the end of one school term and planning for a new school term.
My family showed their support and confidence in my shop at Christmas. My daughter special ordered these sweet notepads. They are printed with a prim snowman, our shop name and subtitle. The package was secured with this grossgrain ribbon bow...almost too pretty to use! Thanks, honey. I received this postal scale from my hubby. It will be great for calculating postage!

I'm also working on grades, as they are due tomorrow... and my hubby is trying out his Christmas presents...Here he is sanitizing bottles and drying them on his bottle tree.

This is the batch he brewed with Brandon.

Scrabble or Bust

We were up till well past 2 a.m. playing Scrabble. This was my Grandma Hilda's (see her picture at the bottom of my blog) favorite game. I have warm memories of going into town to visit her and playing Scrabble with her and my mom in the evening. Then, when my daughters were growing up, we played with my mom...their grandma. And, it seemed like the grandma always won. If I'm ever going to play Scrabble with grandchildren someday, I definately need to sharpen my skills!

Earlier in the evening, we invited my husband's mom and sister over for Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup and to watch 'Mamma Mia'. Meryl Streep is quite entertaining...and I'm sure to be humming those tunes all day today...
...but, sad to say... Holiday fun has come to a screeching halt. I just pulled the contents of my book bag out onto my dining room table. The Term 2 grades are due Thursday, but my goal is to have all these final projects, tests and make up work entered before Monday, as we start all new classes. And I definately do not want to start the new year feeling like I'm behind.

Things in my House Thursday?

Can't show you my house today cause it is a disorganized disaster...a result of my "What'cha working on Wednesday"...
...which was preparing for Parent/Teacher Conferences...so today is the day we teach all day and then meet with parents from 5-9...I have papers, projects, and computer gradebook on living room floor, ready to pack up and go to school.
...and also preparing for Winterfest, our local arts festival. Set up is tomorrow after work...I have projects, pricetags, display items in kitchen, dining room and living room, ready to pack up and move to the civic arena.
So...I am looking forward to a busy, and enjoyable, next few days!

Whatcha workin' on Wednesday? End of Term Chaos

What would I rather be working on? My Pilgrims...
What am I actually working on? Well, 1st term ended today...2nd term starts tomorrow...
Imagine, this could make any teacher crazy!

So today, I brought closure to my current classes. I accepted makeup work from students who had been gone taking the psat, and playing volleyball, football, cross country and soccer; I checked in 120 textbooks; I had the final buffet with my fitness students and their final evaluations were written and handed in; the personal development final projects are due; and those students' journals were handed in. I took down posters from the walls and put away files and resources used to teach those two classes.

Also today, I prepared for new classes that start tomorrow.
I printed new class lists; ran off copies of course outlines/classroom expectations; organized introductory activites for new classes; checkout out the necessary video from the library; and made sure my classroom was tidy...well, as tidy as possible!

Tonight I am entering test and project grades from my old fashioned gradebook into my online gradebook.

And why do we end the term in the middle of the week? I guess every career job will have days that are more stressful than others...

The calendar is set up so that each of the four terms is equal in length...and I do appreciate that!