SUPER Happy :)

I am so excited to show off my first CUSTOM blog design (other than the designs I do for myself). A very sweet, Kristin, from Of Primary Importance - NOW --  I�: Imagine. Inspire. Innovate. allowed me to custom design (makeover) her blog, as she is changing grade levels:) I was super excited that she allowed me to do this for her. PLUS, she was AWESOME to work with!! Please, please go check out her site!! She will be moving to the new STEM initiative, so she wanted something with an engineering and industrial touch. Please click the image to view her page.

THANK you Kristin for allowing me to work with you!!!

Also, I just finished my first Predesigned Blogger Template, so if you need anything PLEASE let me know.

Black Polka Dots (your name choice, of course) $20.00

Jump on over to my new site for more details (please keep in mind that I am just putting items on there...lol):

 

 

June Currently

Linking up with Farley @ Oh Boy 4th Grade. Please link up!

Cannot believe it is already June... where does time go?

 

Listening: My daughter adores playing with her Littlest Pet Shop (LPS) toys and now realizes their is a cartoon to go along with it. She also enjoys watching (You Tube) and creating videos (personal only) of the LPS toys interacting in different ways... pretty creative for a 7-year-old!!!

 

(couldn't find the pic I have of my daughter playing with hers... takes up the entire living room!!!)

 

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Loving: Summer time and relaxation!!!

 

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Thinking: We began painting my classroom Friday evening & BOY did it take longer than I thought!! My body was sore, so we took a day off to rest...LOL! Here is a little collage of my helpers! We are going back tomorrow to finish with the lilac walls...

Wanting: I cannot wait to get together with my new 5th grade team!! We are going to go ahead and get our 1st unit complete, so we can work on the others and refine them throughout the school year!!


Needing: I am on chapter 10 of Kisses from Katie, but I have neglected it due to being so busy! Also, I have gotten on a TERRIBLE summer sleeping schedule already... eek!!! NOT good, considering I have some professional learning to get up early for M, T, & W...LOL! A team of us will be creating benchmarks based on our CCGPS standards... should be interesting!

Teacher Feedback from Students ...aka Teacher Report Card

Each quarter, I would like for my students to assess me, so I can grow and get better. I am excited to see their responses and hope they take it seriously (and be truthful with me). Click below for a copy of the Teacher Report Card:

You can get these here!

Five for Friday...

Linking up with DoodleBugs:

Not too much going on lately, but trying to get 5 things on here...LOL:

 

 

Begin painting my new 5th grade classroom TODAY!! My daughter and I went yesterday to scrape the walls of all the blah... that has been caked on for about 7 years...LOL! Here are the before pics - such a mess & a lot to do:

 

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Been making some 5th grade items: Student Data sheets, Teacher Feedback form from Students, etc.

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Look in my 5th grade Freebies Section for each:):)

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Playing a LOT of games with my little squirt:

Still reading... (REALLY recommend this book - such encouraging words & shows you that GOD should always be your focus!!!)

 

So happy that I have been reading my bible each morning - has been a goal for me - need to spend as much time reading His word and talking with Him (praying), as much as possible!! Love, love, love this APP, as I do not like writing in and highlighting in my personal bible... Here, I can write notes and highlight passages...

 

 

 

 

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Tracking Student Data

Here are a few sheets that I plan on having my 5th graders use to set goals and track their progress in reading and writing. In this set, they can track which genres they are reading (so they can read a variety), their comprehension (based on AR tests), their Lexile reading level (which was one of our school goals last year), and their scores on the 6 traits of writing. Hope this is helpful to someone else!

You can get these here!

Reading Genre Posters (Chevron Pattern)

Made some "up-to-date" reading genre posters. I tried to include well-known titles, as well as those we will be reading in class this coming year. I also incorporated my new color scheme.

You can get these here!

Summer Bucket List 2013

Linking up with A Cupcake for the Teacher:

I do not have too much to accomplish, but relaxing is one of my TOP priorities, as the school year always has me very busy with committees and what-not!

First on the list for next week is to paint my new classroom - this will be the first time I have tackled this job, and hope it goes smoothly. I wanted some calming colors, so I chose the colors below (wanted a blue color, but my colleagues have blue & I did not want to kiddos to see blue all day, as we switch classes). The green is for calming & the lilac is for creativity (is what some research suggested) for writing. Hopefully, this will give me calm & creative thinkers...haha!

Mesquite Mist

Morning Lilac ?

Next on the list is to take my daughter to soccer camp for a week - each day from 9-4.

 

During this time, I plan on reading ALL the 5th grade novels for next year:

 

 

All throughout the summer, I plan on creating some items for 5th grade... here is a work in progress (trying to incorporate my new wall colors, plus some blue):

 

 

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Some time this summer, my daughter wanted she, daddy, and myself to go to Six Flags. She earned a free ticket through a reading program they have :)

 

 

 

The rest of the summer is up in the air at this point, as I live with the NON-PLANNER of a husband...lol. On occasion during the summer, we will just wake up and go somewhere. Last year, it was Savannah & Tybee Island...LOL! Who knows... I do like that our life is an ADVENTURE!!!

 

Happy Summer to you all!

 

Please consider linking up below with your end-of-year reflections (looking back at the year & forward into next year):

 

 

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On that Same Night, Lord Jesus

On That Same Night, Lord Jesus

by George West Frazer

click here to hear the tune we use

click here for the music we use

click here for a another tune along with its music

On that same night, Lord Jesus,
  When all around Thee joined

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11:23 (KJV) For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

To cast its darkest shadow
  Across Thy holy mind,

Of Jesus in Luke 22:44 And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.

We hear Thy voice, blest Savior,
  "This do, remember me",
With grateful hearts responding,
  We do remember Thee.

Jesus says in Luke 22:19 And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 

The depth of all Thy suffering
  No heart could e'er conceive,

Of the Messiah in Isaiah 52:14 Just as many were astonished at you, My people, So His appearance was marred more than any man And His form more than the sons of men.

The cup of wrath o'erflowing
  For us Thou didst receive;

Matthew 26:42 He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, "My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done."

And, oh, of God forsaken
  On the accursed tree;

Mark 15:34 At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which is translated, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?"

Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us - for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"- 

With grateful hearts, Lord Jesus,
  We now remember Thee.

2 Timothy 2:8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel,

We think of all the darkness
  Which round Thy spirit pressed,

Matthew 27:45 Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour.

Of all those waves and billows,
  Which rolled across Thy breast.

Of the Messiah in Psalm 69:1-2 Save me, O God, For the waters have threatened my life. I have sunk in deep mire, and there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and a flood overflows me.

Oh, there Thy grace unbounded
  And perfect love we see;

Ephesians 2:7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 3:19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

With joy and sorrow mingling,
  We would remember Thee.

1 Corinthians 11:24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me."

We know Thee now as risen,
  The Firstborn from the dead;
We see Thee now ascended,
  The Church's glorious Head.

Colossians 1:18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.

In Thee by grace accepted,
  The heart and mind set free

Ephesians 1:6 (KJV) To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

To think of all Thy sorrow,
  And thus remember Thee.

1 Corinthians 11:25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."

Till Thou shalt come in glory,
  And call us hence away,

Matthew 16:27 "For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds."

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

To rest in all the brightness
  Of that unclouded day,

Revelation 22:5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

We show Thy death, Lord Jesus,
  And here would seek to be

1 Corinthians 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

More to Thy death conformed,
  While we remember Thee.

Philippians 3:10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;

Back to making teacher goodies...

I have spent the past few days working on my new adventure, but time to take a break with that and get back to my real love... creating teaching items!! Next year, I want my students to keep track of the types of texts they are reading. Why? It is important that students read a wide-variety of material, especially some material that is sometimes a little more challenging, like informational/non-fiction texts. With this goal/tally sheet, they can set their goal each quarter and work toward meeting that goal. Setting goals and self-assessing is also one of the Assessment for Learning strategies that I have and continue working on with my students.

You can get these here!

Link Up - End of the Year reflections...

Would love for you to link up. Would love to see how you reflect upon your year... :) & what is in store for you next year!!

Desktop Icons... blah!! Want to change yours?

I get so tired of looking at my ugly ol' desktop icons:

Ugly, right?

Want to change it to look like this?:

 

 

 

Hop on over to Digital Doodle Designs to pick up some FREE desktop folder icons. Click image below:

 

 

Not sure how to use them? Follow the tutorial below:

 

How do I change my desktop icon on my MAC?

First, save the new image you want.

Next, open that image and a screen like below will show up. Once in this screen, go to Edit at the top of your computer, then Select All in the drop down bar.

 

 

Once it is selected. Press the command key and �C� at the same time. This will copy the image.

 

Now, go to the file folder that you want to change the image for, and press CONTROL and click on the keypad (at the same time). Once you do this, select GET INFO(see below).

 

Once you select GET INFO, this window will pop up:

 

 

 

Click once on the little folder icon on the upper left corner. It will highlight blue around it when you click on it. Once highlighted around the edges (as show), press COMMAND key and �V� at the same time to PASTE the new image. Now, you should see your new image. J

 

How do I change my desktop icon on my PC Windows 7?

(Note: This will not change the folder, but it will show this image at the first image in the file regardless of the arrangement of files in the folder)

First, save the new image you want.

Then, right click on the file image you want to change and go to PROPERTIES. A new window will pop up. Click on the CUSTOMIZE tab..

 

 

 

Look for �Folder Pictures� and click on CHOOSE FILE. Find the image you want to insert. Click on that image & then press APPLY at the bottom of the window.