Monday Funday :)

It is an absolutely beautiful day here in Florida!! I woke up to a chilly (but awesome) 40-something degrees. The high -73, right now all me windows are open and - it's a tad chilly.  Usually at the end of April we are sweating already. It wont last - but it's fabulous!!

Other than that, I am finishing up my Community Helpers unit.  I am using the Pearson Opening the World of Learning (OWL) PreK curriculum.  The program is great!! One of my favorite parts of the curriculum - concept cards - that are on card stock, as well as on the computer - and they are interactive!! SO I pop in the cdrom and the kids and I chat about the picture, then listen to the explanation of the picture.  Some of our words this theme were: library, post office, street, hospital, house (essential question- what is in our community); doctor, policeman, postal worker, job, teacher (EQ - what do workers in our community do?); and gym, mall, supermarket, restaurant, movie theater (EQ - what can we do in our community?).  By talking about and listening to the descriptions, the kids are really developing and understanding of our theme (as evidenced by answers to my questions).
Next week - we begin the next theme - the Farm!!

stuck in our room

So this week has been hectic, but not exciting or inspirational - so I am not exactly sure what to post about.  Due to the fact that statewide testing for 3-5 graders is all this week and a big part of next, our day is very different.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, no recess and we are doing a modified center time in our small portable.  Needless to say, the kids energy is high, their physical outlet is not there.  So I am praying for a dry Friday - no puddles on the playground (of course we had rain today).
Hopefully next week will be less restrictive as only makeups and 5th grade are involved.

On a side note - we had a long singing time today.  I had bought a bunch of powerpoints for some of my favorite songs off TPT (Dr. Jean, Shari Sloane and Jack Hartmann songs).  It was great.  Even at lunch I had 4 year olds singing Shari's "Vowel Bat" - and it was only our second time ever singing it.  I just love singing with kids!!

Jillian Michaels Body Revolution - update

I thought I would update readers about my newest fitness program.  I wrote a few weeks ago about purchasing a new 90 DVD fitness program.  I have completed "1 week" of the program so far  - over the last 8 days.  The metabolic circuits are doable.  Jillian's cuing is EXCELLENT and she is really good about giving possibilities to make it harder if you want to push yourself.  The cardio is harder than I thought it would be, based on how Jillian referred to phase 1 being "low impact".  Even though it was not easy - the cardio could also be modified by a beginner. The moves are done for 1 minute each in a circuit - repeated 3 times.  
I will check in next week when I complete DVDs 3/4 - the circuits change the last 2 weeks of the month.

As for school - testing - UGH!! - for totally selfish reasons.  No recess for us today and for the next 3 days we wont have recess or be able to go to our center room (they use it for accommodations). 7+ hours a day in a room with nineteen 3-6 year olds. I just love state testing - not!!  :(

I survived :)

Today is done - aaahhhhhhh.
Sitting here on my couch, relaxing after our busy, busy day.  We walked to the library - and to my surprise, they did great!! I took us 22 minutes door to door - so we had time to play at the public park next door, before our official visit to the library.  The librarian talked about summer fun at the library and read 3 books.  We all got library cards (me, too!)  and a tour of the library, including all the offices where the "important people" work.  The kids had fun and were able to check out 2 books each.  We had a picnic lunch at the park and then walked back to school, where they rested while I attended a 4 hour ESE teacher meeting.

So glad tomorrow is Friday !!!

A very adventurous undertaking...

So we are learning about community helpers and things in a community.  I got a little ahead of myself and planned a walking field trip to the public library.  It's at least 1 mile - mostly uphill (really, I'm not kidding).  I have 17  4 and 5 year olds.
What was I thinking??? LOL

If I make it - I will check in tomorrow with all the details.

I've been tagged - for the first time ever!!

So Erin, my blog design buddy has tagged me.  I've yet to be tagged in blogville, so I hope I do this right!!

My questions and responses:
1. Meals or snacks?
snacks -  I like to make meals out of snacks (LOL)
2. Soda or water?
Water, no soda since 2005
3. Mountains or beaches?
neither, I'm NOT a nature girl (can you say air conditioning)
4. Cats or dogs?
dogs
5. Chocolate or Vanilla?
chocolate
6. Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts?
DD - but for the donuts, I don't even drink coffee
7. Movie theater or renting?
renting
8. Pool or ocean?
if I had to choose, pool
9. Car or SUV?
car - something small and sporty, hopefully red!!
10. Early bird or Night Owl?
I'm up before the early bird every day!

My 10 questions...
1. What grade do you teach?
2. What was your first job ever?
3. Favorite TV show right now?
4. Favorite theme to teach?
5. If I won $1000, I would ...
6. What are your summer 2012 plans?
7. Casual or dress clothes for work-school?
8. Favorite go to meal at a restaurant?
9. What's for dinner tonight?
10. Name 2 blogs you love right now

Okay so my ten tags:
1. Creating and teaching
2. Loving and Learning
3. Miss Chamblees kinderfriends
4. Kindergarten Kronicles
5. Kreative in Kinder
6. Miss Plants Press
7. Mrs. Albanese's Kindergarten  Class
8. Can do Kinders
9. Ms. McBee's Kinderbugs
10. Under the Alphabet Tree

Thanks for including me in the fun!!

My other obsession :)

So I was thinking - while this is my teacher blog, and my life mostly centers around all things school, there is another part of me I figured I could sidebar blog about as well.  OCD number 2 - fitness.  I never did anything team sport wise, or any sport -wise.  In high school I had to take gym every semester. After the first semester of big group gym, I took yoga for 3 1/2 years. I stretched...barely
Anyway - fast forward to 1996. I went to a step class with my sister in law. Holy cow - it was awesome. The 2 day a week class was great, but I bought a step and some dvd's and a fitness fanatic was born (doing a step tape 7 days a week).  Now it's 2012 and I still work out 7 days a week - sometimes 2X a day.  My newest fitness regime is by Jillian Michaels, her new Body Revolution 90 day system.  I have 3 friends at work willing to do it with me (30 minutes a day, 6 days a week) - we took measurements today and I look forward to seeing some positive 90 days results!!  I will update as the weeks go on.


Anyone else have an awesome fitness program they love?? I am always up for something different.