Back to School

The summer is basically over for me, and it went by way too quickly! Now, I am not happy that we had 1 1/2 weeks of snow days that took away our days out in June (however, I was thrilled in January when I got to be home!). Arden went back to preschool full-time this week for the first time after being out for seven weeks, so I was a bit anxious about her adjustment. She returned to the same school with the same kids and staff, so it has seemed to be an easy switch for her. She hasn't had any bad mornings getting up yet, but we will have to get up even earlier next week when I have meetings to get to and the boys to drop off too. She only cried a little this morning when I left her, but she stopped after a minute. She has also worn her "big girl" underwear to school all day this week, and she hasn't had a single accident this week! Yea! Once I switched her to regular underwear, she has pretty much been using the potty on her own without me prompting her and never has accidents at home. I'm only using Pull Ups for naps and overnight now.

The boys start Adventure Club at their elementary school this Friday through August 17 while I'm at a conference and in teacher inservice meetings prior to the students' first day. They will be at their local elementary school with teachers who plan a full-time program of activities for them. Hopefully, they will have some of the same teachers and friends attending as last year, and I hope it is still a fun time for them that feels more like vacation than school. They return to regular school on August 19 for the first student day. Both boys got the teachers that I requested for them (district employees can make teacher preferences for their own children in most buildings in our district), so I hope that it will be a good fit and strong year for each of them.

I have taken the boys up to my school for two half days this week (4 hours yesterday and 3 hours today) to work on unpacking and decorating my classroom. We had to pack up every single item before we left for the summer and box it all. Teachers had to empty bookshelves, take all posters down, empty our teacher desk, etc. since the entire school was being painted. Luckily, this shouldn't happen next year, but I returned this year with just as much to do in my room as a new teacher all over again! I am in the same classroom, and I bought some new posters, a used bookcase, and had a student paint a 5 foot canvas mural for a large wall. So, I am happy with how it is looking! I'm not an elementary teacher who has to cover every surface from ceiling to floor and do elaborate bulletin boards, but I do like a "themed" room with cuteness. My theme is "Life is a Highway" and I had the mural done with that saying and a landscape of a car driving down the highway into the sunset. Then, I found a lot of highway themed posters ("U turn in homework, U get good grades," "Learning Zone," "0 excuse limit," "Stop and Read" etc.) I also put a large bulletin board lined with maps that is titled, "Travel through plot" with the plot diagram and literary terms on it. I brought in an old area rug I had in my attic, some discarded faux greenery, and I rescued an old maple drop leaf table from another teacher who didn't want it. Overall, it feels a lot more like "my" room this year! Usually, I would decorate during the work day next week, but I am missing it due to a pre-AP teacher's conference that I have to attend for two days in Fayetteville since I am required to get 12 hours of professional development in gifted/talented in order to be the team leader for that specialty on my campus.

I am finishing up appointments and haircuts with the boys on Thursday and mainly staying home to rest. My first full day of meetings is Friday.

It's been around 102 degrees here this week, and it's sooooo hot! I'm glad the earlier part of the summer was cooler, but I hope I don't begin the school year with outside lunch or bus duty, or I might faint in the heat!