Happy Friday!!

I'm super excited!!
Yes, today is Friday. AAAAAAhhhhhh.

But, I also received a totally cool email today. The title of the email "Good News".  It was from the school board head of reading-language arts.  She went on to tell me I was selected to serve on the county's Reading Curriculum Adoption Committee.

Wow-zers, I am psyched!!
What an opportunity!
The first step is a 2 day meeting to see the various curriculum's the publishers are offering. Then the committee narrows those selections down to 2 choices, which are sent to each school for teacher vote.  Ideally this will be fairly completed by Spring Break so an order can be placed and teachers can get their teacher editions BEFORE we let out for summer.

I'm thrilled to know that the plan is to purchase a curriculum that has a prek component.  This would really help the transition from prek to K.

Well that's my news.
What would you look for in a curriculum? I'd love to hear your thoughts :)

Chart storage ideas

I start back on Monday with a teacher workday. Woo-Hoo- I LOVE workdays, I get so much done

Anyway, I am posting asking for advice/thoughts.
I have been making tons of charts/posters this year.  I upgraded to manila tag chart paper, much nicer.  I am trying to laminate and save the basic chart, then I can add specifics with kids, but not have to remake chart each year.
My problem, I have no place to put the.  I am in a portable, so no closets.
How do you guys store your charts? (without rolling them, I'm way too OCD for that)
Thanks in advance for the help :)

Starting back Monday

Wow- 2013.
I hope with all my being that 2013 is good to me, because 2012, wasn't the best. Certainly not the worst, but I feel perpetually beat down.
Any way... 2 weeks off.  Lots done.  So much buying (TPT), printing, cutting, gluing on cardstock, laminating and cutting once more.  Sounds like fun, huh??  But, there is a weird sense of pleasure to see bunches of games/units all done and organized.  I am so bad about taking pictures.
I threw away about 30 charts that I did with the kids - dumb!! At the least, I should've taken pics. UGH!!!!

Well, guess I have a resolution for 2013, beginning Monday. TAKE PICTURES.  (I seriously need to make a laminated poster that says "take pictures"now, LOL) 
Hopefully  pics to come real soon  
Happy New Year!!!

Whew - I'm beat!

Okay -so it's been quite a while since my last post.  SOOO much has happened. Spent way too much money on TPT for the cyber Monday sale (but I got really amazing stuff!), attended Fl Kindergarten teacher conference - I spent 2 days listening to and learning from Heidi (of Heidisongs fame) and the one and only Deanna Jump (I so want to steal her- for like a year or two!! AH-MA-ZING!!!!) We had our elf, Buddy, come to our class. the kid love it. I bought a regular house mailbox from Lowe's, added a Christmas bow and VOILA!! an instant delivery system for our daily letters.  the kids have sent things to the North Pole though the mailbox, too.
I bought the Elf on the Shelf super-pack from Jennifer Drake - she has the best idea - elf seeds. We are planting ours tomorrow - I'm so psyched!!
I even put the"snow" (confectioners sugar) in the freezer, so it looks and feels like snow!
We are winding down, 3 early release days left. Then 2 weeks of break - I have lots of planning, printing and laminating to do :)
January brings our new themes of snowmen (about 2-3 weeks) and penguins-polar animals (2-3 weeks).
I hope everybody has a rested, happy and healthy Christmas and holiday break!!

TpT Sale - WOOHOO!!!!!

While my blogging is limited and, honestly, kinda sad... my ability to spend at TPT is never in question.  My purchases - um. like 20+ pages (seriously!).
I know many people are posting their cart for the big sale.  Well, right now my cart has 60+ items - a pre-sale total of over $300.00
Since I am not very technologically smart - here are some of the titles I am planning on getting.
Kindergals - snowman surprise, ocean animals, frogs and butterflies, comprehension pack, numbers 1-10, units 3-5 readers workshop (I have 1, waiting on 2), science blasters (zoo unit)
Jamie Mayas - polar express. pocket charts all year, faces at the zoo (I have everything else!!)
Deeanna Golden - plant unit, under the sea unit, counting and cardinality,  common core math
Greg Smedley - measuring packs (turkeys, gingerbread, Christmas and winter)
Kindertrips - growing and changing units, garden units, construction unit 
and a few other items
We'll see if I need to add anything else before Monday morning.
Happy Shopping!!

Youtube - GRRRRRR

I've seen pinterest pins and links for really cute, awesome youtube videos.
My school system blocks ALL things youtube.  I've checked schooltube - not as much stuff is there.
How do you guys get stuff from youtube? Does it get past your schools security?  Is there a way to download (at home) and save on flash drive?

Thanks in advance for the advie :)

My Library

A while back I posted a question regarding an online catalog of teacher read alouds. Today - on my day off- I decided to re-explore my choices.  Low and behold...I already had a lifetime (paid) account with librarything.com (started back in 2007).  SO I added in about 100 books today -and ordered the cue-cat scanner to add in the rest of my books.  Isn't it cool when something unexpected (like an already paid in full account) arises :)

Happy Veterans Day
I Love our troops!!