Happy Friday all! It was a close one, I wasn’t sure we were going to make it but here we are, ready to kick our feet up and relax! This week was busy, exciting, and full of activities. I hope everyone had a wonderful Teacher Appreciation Week. Our PTA spoiled us rotten and I had some very sweet families who made me feel so appreciated and loved. We capped off our week with a wonderful Mother’s Day celebration in the classroom. There were some messy moments BUT we made it to the end of the week and are here to tell the tale! Thanks so much to Kacey at Doodle Bugs Teaching for hosting this fantastic linky every week! Let’s get started.
Our PTA did an amazing job showering teachers with treats all week long. Our theme this year was “How Sweet It Is To Be Taught By You.” Every year, our class moms create posters with our students pictures on them telling us why we’re great teachers. My personal favorites this year were that I am a genius (take that freshman geometry) and that I tell stories with really funny voices! A genius and a comedian..what more can you ask for?!
This happened on Thursday. The end of the year madness (despite the fact that I have a little more than a month left, yikes) has caused me to adopt the “throw and go,” strategy of cleaning up at the end of the day. I have been throwing everything inside of my closet on top of things that should’ve been thrown away years ago.
I was having guests into the classroom on Friday and the idea of someone opening that closet to get something filled me with intense panic and embarrassment. So, on Thursday I stayed late at work and dumped the saddest stack of old faded paper and other unnecessary things into the garbage. The closet’s still not organized how I want it but it’s ten times better than it was. I’m hoping to get plastic containers with lids and labels on them to easily see what’s inside. I kept finding things I had completely forgotten I had. Hot Dots, score! A new packet of construction paper, Oh yeah! Five containers of seasonal stickers, really?! I hope it stays like this for the rest of the year!
Last week I told the embarrassing truth that I had completely missed the boat on National Poetry Month in April. Life got in the way and our Opinion Writing unit took longer than expected, so we were unable to start poetry when we planned. This week, we finally started! We listened to some great read alouds, wrote a few acrostic poems for Mother’s Day, and finally pulled out the iPads to listen to poems on highlightskids.com. We used a recording sheet from my Sweet Sweet Poetreat unit on TpT to write down the title of our favorite poem, our favorite line, and illustration. My kiddos really enjoyed this activity!
Today we got to celebrate all of the lovely ladies in our lives at the Lovely Ladies’ Cafe! I set up our classroom like a restaurant with menus on the tables, an ordering form, and a word search for students to work on with their lovely ladies until everyone arrived.
Also on our place settings we had painted floral frames that have students’ pictures in them as well as various gifts in our carry out bags. Some of the other gifts besides the frames that we put together were coupon books, a simile book about our moms, and an adorable accordion mom card from Oriental Trading. My students were so excited to have their moms or other special ladies in their lives come visit, they were so careful to keep the room neat!
Once our lovely ladies arrived, my special helpers (students who did not have women who were able to attend) handed out flowers as they entered the room and welcomed them to the cafe. Once the moms started to trickle in, they sat next to their child and worked on a word search on their tables while they perused the menu.
On the menu the lovely ladies and their kids were able to choose an appetizer (math game) and a side dish (activity to correspond with a book they chose to read).
Once their order forms were completed, my helpers and I worked to collect the materials to pass out to the customers.
My students were so excited to play the math games with their mothers. There was a lot of I beat you! being shouted across the room. For the main course, each one of my students chose a beloved book that they wanted to show off their reading skills and share with their mothers. After reading, they completed their side dish character activity that they had chosen earlier off of the menu.
What would a party be without dessert?! As the lovely ladies and kids snacked on real sweet treats, my firsties read an acrostic poem they had created all about their moms.
It was a very special time for the lovely ladies in our lives to spend some care free time one-on-one with their children.
All of these amazing activities and wonderful ideas can be found in Second Grade Sensation’s TpT store here!
Even though I’m not a mother, my students reassured me that I am a puppy mom to my little guy Roger, I’m not one to be left out on all the fun! So, every year I have my mom came into the classroom and spend time reading and working with my littles whose mothers can’t make it to our celebration. I love when she can come visit my classroom and meet my firsties! They always find it fascinating to meet her! It’s precious! She is one fabulous mom after all!
I think that’s all there is to share for this week! I am currently writing this lying down on my couch! After this busy week, Lovely Ladies’ Cafe today, and my first run of the season outside (yay!) I’m officially done for the night! I’ll leave you with a few of my favorite shots of the NYC skyline that I passed on my run along the Hudson River tonight. I love my little city overlooking Manhattan.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! To all the moms out there (puppy moms included) I hope you have a wonderful Mother’s Day with your family and loved ones!
8 Comments
The Lovely Ladies Cafe sounds like exactly that – lovely! I especially love that you had special helpers (I'm sure it made them feel appreciated and kept them from dwelling on the fact that their lovely lady was unable to join in). The scenes from your run are spectacular! I'd be more motivated to run if I could look at that while I did it, ha!
I'm your newest follower! š Happy Friday!
Sarah Beth
Miss White's Classroom
Hi Sarah! Thank you so much for stopping by my blog and following. My special helpers took their jobs very seriously during the celebration! They were so excited and I'm glad that it took their mind off of their lovely ladies not being there. I hope you have a great weekend!
I loved reading about The Lovely Ladies Cafe. What a wonderful idea! I especially like the menu and that your mom came.
KaSandra
MemoriesMadeinFirst
Thank you so much KaSandra for stopping by and your kind words. My kids loved the Lovely Ladies' Cafe and so did my mom. She loves getting to know my students. I hope you have a great weekend!
Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! I miss those days at my old school. š
Fishing for Education Blog
Thanks for stopping by Stephanie! I hope you have a great weekend. You're appreciated every day by your students I'm sure =)
Nice job organizing your closet! I did that to some of mine at the beginning of the school year and need to finish a few for the end. We shall see. I also love that you called your Mother's Day event a (lovely ladies cafe) so that the little kiddo who don't have a mom in their lives don't feel left out. Great idea!
Suzanne
Kindergarten Planet
Thanks so much Suzanne! It was a long overdue activity that needed to happen. Thanks for your kind words, my students had a great time celebrating all the lovely ladies in their lives. I hope you have a great weekend!