This Week's Newsletter

Check out what's happened this week in our newsletter by clicking HERE!

1st Newsletter of the New Year!

It is ALMOST the end of our 1st week together.  I have to tell you that I haven't slept the way I should this week and I also haven't eaten or exercised the way I should.  I've been trying to make sure that all the things I have planned for in the classroom are ready each day....  Honestly the days have run themselves just fine.  The class has "won" all 3 days so far.  I have complete faith that next week will be much more "routine".  We will be starting our 1st reading unit, working on spelling words, starting our math book, and beginning a mystery science unit.  Great things are going to happen!

If you would like to know more about what happened this week or what's ahead, please read our newsletter!

All the BEST things

Today was full of all the best things.  It helped that I got a great night's sleep and had planned out my clothes last night.  

When I got to school this morning, I could feel all the fabulous.  The excitement of the first day is just so hard to explain.  You really just have to feel it!  Since you might not have been there with us, please enjoy some of our pictures:

The morning message told the students to create something using their play doh that could tell about a summer memory.  WOW ---I've got some creative thinkers.  I saw a baseball bat and a real bat along with a baseball, a dolphin, and a hot dog from just one student!  There were some amazing creations.

Then we moved to the carpet to share class rules.  We also did a little corner activity to write about expectations.

We read Miss Mingo and the 1st Day of School, too.  It was time for lunch before we knew it.  By the time lunch was over, we had specials and a PBIS assembly.  By 3:15 when all the kids were heading out the door, I was still in awe of all the amazingness that I get to spend this year with!  Keep checking in on us to find out more about what's happening as we continue to go Running Through 4th Grade!

It's almost TIME!!!!

I've been working in the classroom and things are starting to come together!  The new school year begins for me on Monday.   I'm excited about all the ways that our room is looking ready.  Our class schedule is set, too:

8:00 - 8:20   Morning Meeting

8:20 - 9:00 Whole Group Reading

9:00 - 9:45 Small Group Reading

9:45 - 10:15 Reading WIN

10:15 - 10:30 Recess

10:30 - 11:05 Writing/Grammar/ or Math WIN

11:05 - 11:35 Keyboarding (Days 1 and 4), Guidance (Day 5), Science/Social Studies (Days 2,3, and 6)

11:35 - 11:45 Read Aloud

11:45 - 12:45 Recess and Lunch

12:45 - 1:55 Math

2:00 - 3:00 Specials

3:00 - 3:15 Assignment notebooks and Exit Slips / Dismissal

I'll be posting more updates as the week goes. See you at Open House on Thursday, August 31!

Our Final Newsletter of the 2016-2017 School Year

J I find myself wishing for a little more time (Maybe even A LOT more time).  I want more time to work on our writing.  I’d love more time to sit down one on one with each 4^th grader and work to perfect their animal report.  I want  more time for reading so that we could read one more novel together (although finishing the year with The Westing Game was pretty fantastic!).  I want more time to truly watch the 4^th graders master their multiplication facts.  I have come to the conclusion (once again) that no matter how I plan out the year there will always be “one more thing”.  Again, I thank you for allowing me this wonderful opportunity of working with your child and family this year.  I truly have been blessed by the year we’ve spent together.  J

Here is a link to this final NEWSLETTER.

Wrapping up the week

We were able to get 2 FORWARD tests in this week along with the Pioneer Farm Field Trip and a virtual field trip to Wolf Farms.

As if that wasn't enough we enjoyed animal visits with Braxton's dogs and Leah's rabbits!

Enjoy the long weekend.  If you are looking for the latest newsletter or spelling list, click HERE.

#27

WARNING---This post is not related to school At All!

Saturday I ran 1/2 marathon #27 in my quest to finish 30 before my 40th year is over.  First of all I have to say that 13.1 miles is no small feat.  Anyone who takes it on is brave.  While I had 3 goals set (A, B, and C), for this race, I was too scared to really share those goals out loud with anyone except for Roger.  This race was the Parkinson's Half Marathon in Cottage Grove.  I was excited about so many things that went along with this event.  I was excited because it was for a cause.  All the proceeds benefit Parkinson's research.  I was excited because I knew many people that were running and I was looking forward to meeting up with them.  I was excited because my kids were running
the 5k and that meant we'd get to enjoy some hotel time/pool relaxing on Friday night.  I could continue this list....I was excited.

The kids and I had planned to leave Lancaster as soon as I got home from school.  The bags were packed and I just needed to run in, grab everything, and we would be off.  It was a little later than I had hoped but we were on the road by 4:00.  The sweaty hands, sweaty back, nervousness that I get before races set in as we were driving.  I don't know if that feeling will ever stop.  Smooth travels got us into Cottage Grove for Packet Pick Up by about 6:15.  Just minutes away was our hotel.  Check in went easily and the kids were ready for the pool by 7.

The rest of the running crew arrived a little after 8 and pizza delivery was ordered.  It was nearly 10 pm when we settled in for pizza in hotel room and then we were quickly catching a few zzzzzs.  We watched the weather and then turned on some Friends reruns.  Felt almost like home except that there were no cuddly black cats crawling on the bed and I didn't have the 6 billion pillows and blankets that I usually sleep with!  I was out in no time but it didn't last long.  I woke up about 1 am thinking it was time to get up.  I woke up about 2 am to check on Will and see if he was warm enough since he had no blanket.  I woke up about 3 am to go to the bathroom.  My alarm went off at 5 am to get ready.

By 6 am we were downstairs having a warm pre-race breakfast.  Mmmmm.  Oatmeal.  Perfect race day fuel.

We were going to need a late check out since the race didn't start until 8 and we didn't want to miss any of the after race fun.  The lady at the desk assured me that if I just let them know in the morning, it would be no problem....well, it was a problem.  I talked to the gentleman at the desk and he said there was no way that he could approve a late check out for us.  Panic feeling filled my whole body.  What would do?  We were leaving in minutes and we were not prepared to take everything with us.  We had hoped to return to the hotel to shower after the race.


Attempting to get the late check out was frustrating to me.  They were very unwilling to really budge about giving us time.  The best we could get was noon.  Frustration seemed to continue as we prepared to leave...As we got outside there was a layer of frost on my car--no scraper so I used a knife I found in my glovebox.  The key turned in the ignition and instantly the low fuel ding ding ding began to sound.  There wasn't going to be time to get gas before the race....I just hoped I would have enough gas to get to the race!

We made it to the start of the race with time to spare.  We got an awesome parking spot super close to the start/finish line.  As we walked over to the start I ate a UCAN breakfast bar.  While I do think it helped me never have stomach issues while I ran, I am not sure if I really liked it.

Headed over to the port a potties and found my long-time virtual friend who had "told" me about this race!  

With the release of the balloons and the singing of The Star Spangled Banner by Mariah Carey (a recording), I was off and running!

This girl amazes me!  She ran her 1st ever 1/2 on Saturday and never walked a step.
She is super fit but hadn't run more than a couple of miles at a time
since our 10 mile race in October 2016.  She is a ROCKSTAR!

 These cool cats did the 5k that started a 1/2 hour later and then they watched and cheered for the 1/2 marathon finishers.

I was just slightly excited to see them 

as I crossed the finish line!

A PB was set by this great runner on Saturday, too!  

Love getting to see running friends! 

 We truly are #fiercelyunited!

I was able to complete #27 with a better time than any of my 2016 halves....In 2016, I never beat 2:13.   This season started out with a 2:05:05.    What a great way to kick off the 2017 running season.  What did I do well leading up to the race?  WATER.  I still had my diet Orange Sunkist but every day the week before the race I drank 80 plus ounces of water.  Decent diet.  I was eating cereal every day for breakfast, yogurt and apples for lunch and a pretty balanced dinner.   The only day that I strayed from this was Thursday of race week.  What can I improve on?  My running miles.  I'd like to run more double digit runs.  A PR might not happen in Nashville, but I know that if I work at it, I can PR before the end of my 40th year!  I will definitely be planning to run this race again in 2018.