Ready for Summer

Are you ready for summer?  I am and I'm not.  I'm not ready in sense that I have way more work to complete than the 8 days I have left to complete it in.  Of course there are the typical grades, graphs and end of the year paperwork things.  Then there are the awards and end-of-the year projects.  I am also moving classrooms this year.  This may not seem like a big deal, but if you have seen my classroom, you know this is a huge deal!  I am a collector of stuff!  My fellow teachers joke about going "shopping" in my office for various things they may need.  The sad part is I usually have at least one if not two of what they are looking for.  I am always prepared, even over prepared when it comes to stuff!  Not to pack and move all this STUFF!

I am ready for the summer and the fun and extra time that comes with it.  As I write this post I am actually sitting on the dock enjoying the Suwannee River!  The town of Suwannee, where my family has a vacation home, is so laid back and relaxing.  It is like going back in time.  My girls are jumping off the dock having a fabulous time swimming.  They got to walk to the only store down here all by themselves and then for the ultimate fun they got to ride in the back of the truck.  These are all things I took for granted growing up.  With all that goes on today, most kids don't get to enjoy the simple pleasures.  I'm so happy my girls get to enjoy it once in a while. 

I was reading the latest Organized Classroom End of the Year e-magazine and saw an idea for the cutest writing.  (If you haven't discovered this e-magazine yet, make sure you check it out!)  I do several writings about what the kids want to do over the summer.  (Such as this Have a Ball freebie featured in the TpT 10 Free Downloads Newsletter today!)  I have never done a writing where I ask the kids what they think their teacher will be doing over the summer.  I can't wait to hear what they think.  From the reactions I get from my students when they see me at the grocery store, I think they believe I live at school.  Here is the writing paper I will have kids do this week.  You can grab it FREE here!

I am also happy to be the featured blogger on www.teachingblogroundup.com today.  Make sure to come by and read my post.  It features a Summer TIME freebie and information about several summer reading incentives.

Have a BALL this Summer!

I know I have been out of touch lately.  It is the crazy end of year stuff.  We just found out our grade assignments for next year.  I am staying in first grade again, I was kind of hoping to go to kindergarten again and loop up, but hopefully the following year.  I am a little (a lot) sad that my teaching partner is moving up to second grade.  I will miss her so much!  We were a phenomenal teaching duo.  I have been lucky enough to have had two great teaching partners, hopefully I will find another one next year.  One good thing to come next year is I get to move to a new classroom with windows!!!  I have been in a classroom for 2 years without an outside view.  I have a fake window in my room with a big sunshine, so it's always sunny in my room!  So now the dilemma is with a new room do I do a new theme?? (more on that to come...)

I plan to have a ball this Summer!  I am sure your kids are getting very excited about Summer too.  I think Summer fever is way worse than Spring fever!  I have a fun writing activity I am planning to do this week and thought I would share!

It is the new feature item in my TpT store or click here to download it directly.  This freebie and many more are featured on Classroom Freebies Manic Monday!