Happy Chinese New Year!

My little sister, Tabbi, spent the last 7+ months in Asia, teaching English in Taiwan, and doing some awesome traveling (that I'm SUPER jealous of!) Chinese New Year was on February 14th this year, and she just moved back to Utah, so I asked her to come in and teach my students about it. It was so fun to see her interact with the kids, they loved her in return and had some pretty funny comments and responses to her questions. They really loved practicing writing and counting to 10 in Chinese, learning about Chinese New Year customs, and the most popular event of all, learning how to use chopsticks! Several of them even took them home that night to eat dinner with them! Thanks Tabbi, for sharing your time and talents with my class. I love you!

First Grade Adventures...

My friend, Tori, is a dental hygienist, and she came and taught my class, and Jackie's class, about how to take care of your teeth. She did such a great job!

Tori showing my students how to floss their teeth by having two of my students be "teeth."

I had my students write a letter to Tori, thanking her for coming in. This one was my fave! (Notice the rock she glued onto the letter...)

Some of my students posing in their pajamas. We had a pajama Christmas party!

My students dancing with Corby the Cougar, our school mascot.

Aren't they so cute?!

My students do what I call "work stations" with a buddy, while I do reading groups. Here are some pictures of just a few of my work stations. My students love to read the Holiday joke books together at the library work station. They especially love reading to my stuffed animals in the big maroon reading chair.

Game work station-really teaches my students how to get along with others, and solve conflicts.

Overhead work station-another favorite of my students! This is where they can practice rereading poems, circling words they know, and practice their handwriting by writing word wall words, spelling words, or a story that they make up!

Buddy reading work station

Word study work station-they build word wall or spelling words using beads, magnet letters, stamps, etc.


Below are pictures from the First Grade Music Program that was on my birthday this year. The whole school came, along with parents, and before the program could start, my students had to make sure that everyone sang happy birthday to me. It made my day!!

A few of my students had speaking parts in the program. Again, aren't they so cute?! It brings me pure joy to teach these young but vibrant minds. It's amazing how eager and ready they are to learn, and how quickly they catch onto concepts. So rewarding to teach them on a daily basis!

I got this picture from Facebook, one of the mom's of my students took it. So cute!

Sledding with my nieces and nephews on Christmas Eve

Funnest I've had in a while! Unfortunately, I was only able to go down once. My niece, Liberty, was with me on the tube and we ran into the tree. Scary sight! So the rest of the time I was able to watch my nieces and nephews enjoy themselves on the beautiful day before Christmas! After we enjoyed lunch at Frederico's. Yummy! Thanks mom and dad for that!

Shout out to Brooke

I've had a few comments on how cute my new blog design is. And I totally, 100 percent agree on how adorable it is, I love it! But of course, I'm not the one that designed it (only in my dreams..). My good friend, Brooke Merrell Banta, designed it for me. Head on over to this website: http://www.babblingbrookedesigns.blogspot.com/ to get a sneak peek at what she does, and have her design your blog. Thanks Brooke, for making mine super cute. I sure love you, Marva!

I Love...

Can I just say that I love the month of February for so many reasons?! First of all, it's the month where I was born, so that gives me a lot to celebrate and be thankful for. But it's also the month after January, the worst month of the year, so it's kind of an awakening for me, and it is the month where we celebrate Love on Valentine's Day. This means PARTAY in elementary school terms. I received the cutest valentine's from my students, along with a lot of chocolate, candy shaped as flowers, AND a Jonas Brothers' poster. What more could make a girl happier?! That's all the love I need, is from children! I can also celebrate loving my family, my friends, and people who are most important to me. I can get kind of cheesy and sentimental, but who doesn't love a good dose of cheese once in a while?!

February is also the month when my favorite president, George Washington, was born. I reflect a lot at this time how amazing our country is, how it was founded, and where it is today. I truly love George, and can't wait until the day comes where I can meet him. I might scream and giggle like a little school girl, but hey, he's not my favorite historical figure for nothing!

And for this year, in the month of the Febs, we get the 2010 Winter Olympics! I absolutely love the Olympics. Watching them since I was a little girl has been a favorite activity of mine. I'm always in awe at the athletes' abilities, and always feel a new sense of motivation to challenge myself physically after watching them. I also feel a sense of pride in being a citizen of the United States of America. I love when someone from the USA wins a medal, and they play the National Anthem at the medal ceremony. Go team USA!

So here's to February, for being a new start, and for bringing us closer to Spring. I'm so done with Winter!!!