Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Staff Wearing Hats, Like a Well-Known Cat!


On Monday, we all dressed in black and white, donned tall stripped hats and greeted our students with  "Happy March is Reading Month"! The students were also informed of their reading challenge...they have to read 15,000 books by the end of the month! This has been raised by 5,000 due to our students' previous year's numbers. What their goal earns them has yet to be revealed! (Little hint: two principals, costumes and heights:-)


Fabulous in FIRST!
Teresa and Krissy

















 Our Awesome Custodian-Kiesha







Spectacular in SECOND!
Kris and Taneia







Have a great rest of your week!

Saturday, March 2, 2013

March Is Reading Month Has Arrived!

It has become tradition in our building that we (the teachers, paras, administrators, secretaries and day-shift custodians) stay late on the eve of March 1st, or the Friday evening closest to March 1st to decorate our ENTIRE building. We have six themes that we rotate through and we keep the year's theme a secret from the kids and parents until they walk in the door the following Monday morning. Now, our building is not a small building....it used to be a junior high! So when I say we stay late, I'm talking 11:00 PM after a full day of teaching. But the energy is unbelievable and our principals have become masters of creativity and organization. We actually broke a record last night and had the building done by 8:15! The pictures below walk you through the building, starting with the front doors and ending in our cafeteria. I'll add pics throughout the month, including the front windows, which are a large mural and the staff who will be in costume to greet the kiddos on Monday morning.

So, WELCOME TO SEUSSVILLE!

The Greeting Board outside the main office
Entrance Hallway outside of front doors
Entrance hallway
Entrance hallway
Outside 3rd grade pod
Outside 4th grade pod
 Outside of 2nd grade rooms
Thidwick the Big Hearted Moose..outside my room! I LOVE him!!!
Start of back hallway
 Back hallway
 Back hallway
Back hallway
 Back hallway
 Across from kindergarten
Kindergarten
 Kindergarten
Media Center windows...the Sneeches have invaded inside! 
 The tree goes to the ceiling of first grade...this team CLIMBED tall ladders in order
to get the tree and large book cover attached. The new "rookie" was the designated climber...good thing Mike isn't afraid of heights!
Thing 1 and Thing 2 greet the kiddos heading down the stairs.

 Trivia Fact...did you know Eastman studied under "Dr. Seuss" and that's how this book is in the "Seuss" Collection?
Hallway leading back to the office
Office hallway
The kids' reading challenge board...this is where we will track the reading progress...more about their challenge in posts to come!
Our cafeteria
The problem solving and collaboration that went into getting the trees to be free-standing was incredible...and incredibly hilarious! At one point we had plungers involved!

I hope you enjoyed your tour of our version of "Seussville". Stay tuned for future posts...including pics of the staff in costume on Monday morning!

Have a great weekend!