Back to School Supplies

This bag was free!  I am not kidding!  Staples is running a free backpack rebate.  Buy a bag this week, send away for a Staples card in the amount you pay for the backpack.  I got this one for Ella for $25.  Oh- if you need paper, stock up on these packs for one cent.  Yes 1 cent!

This may complete my back to school shopping.  I do think most everything I purchased was on sale and I did it in two or three trips over a few weeks.  Watch the sales circulars or check them online and always be on the lookout for in store specials.  Target really rocked the specials this year.

I also happen to LOVE LOVE LOVE back to school shopping.  Perhaps a bit too much.  So having a list and sticking to it is of vital necessity for me.  Otherwise I end up taking tons of stuff to my classroom and giving it away to the kids.  I do not need to do this and I am showing good constraint this summer! (so far....)

Letter to my Little Girl

Ella,

These are the best times. Your innocent times. Time to live. Time to grow. To take the time to enjoy the sights and sounds of life. To be fascinated by the world around you. A time of few worries and few judgements. A time when you are able to find some good in everyone and everything around you. Hopefully you take your love of others, love of self and love for life with you forever.

Your spirit is awesome. I am in awe of you. You choose to be you, not concerned of what others think. Always wanting to experience the new, not afraid of the challenges that have been placed before you. I was so honored to walk with you today on your first day of school. You gave me strength during that walk. All of my doubts and fears washed away by your confidence. Oh what confidence! Soon that confidence will take you on to big things and ultimately away from me. Hopefully you will cherish these days and remember the times like this morning when you have moved on, or are feeling down, or think that I am the worst person in the world, which you will.

You were named for two very strong women, I see that strength in you today. I hope you forever remember that I will always be there for you, to fight for you, to support you, to hug you, to love you. You are a blessing. You are a joy. Set your sights high and then blow them out of the water. Most importantly, be you and hold on to this spirit that you have been blessed with forever!

One day, if you choose to get married, I hope that I will get the honor to take you on another big walk. And hopefully you will once again give me the strength that you gave me today. I am honored to be able to watch you grow up and see you face down the challenges in your life. Hopefully in some little way, through the days of your life, I will be able to give you a fraction of the strength that you have given me. Remember that I will always be there for you and will always love you forever.

You will always be my little girl.

Love,
Daddy

**Guest blogger today!
(I am crying!)

Last Day of Amana Preschool

Preschool Graduation

Here is our preschool graduate! Ella, age 4, missing one tooth and one loose. She was a rip roaring singing preschooler for one last time. I am finding it hard to believe she will be in kindergarten in a few short months. When did this all happen?

Regardless, last night was Kleinschule's Preschool Graduation ceremony. Getting there was a bit of a chore. She was upset because we were not going out to eat. Then her shoes became an issue. She wanted the sandals and I wanted solver shoes. Finally she decided silver shoes becasue the sandals wer too dirty. I wondered if she was going to wear a robe and she cried because she did not want to cover up her pretty dress from Uncle Brian and Aunt Amy. (We had many compliments BTW!) Her nails were bothering her on the way and she just decided Daddy was weird! It was quite the getting ready but once there she was excited and as proud as could be!


Ella joined her friends and donned her adorable white cap. We seated ourselves in the gym and the children filed in with their partners with a slow walk and graduation music as they were introduced. Ella was mentioned for wanting to learn how to cut in kindergarten. I thought she knew how but perhaps she is hoping that her teacher has more tricks for her poor little lefty brain than her slightly frustrated mother.

Once everyone was on the risers, they sang several preschool classics:

• The Wheels on the Bus
• Days of the Week
• Five Green & Speckled Frogs
• Rules of the Classroom
• Down by the Bay

We were very happy that Karin and her daughter Miranda were able to come to see Ella's big event! Following the graduation everyone met in the cafeteria for cookies and juice. Ella had her picture taken with Oliver, a boy from Williamsburg, who seems to love Ella quite a bit. Ella is more jaded of their relationship as she thinks he is a boy and likes ninjas.

Ella was presented with a big kindergarten workbook from Karin which we will definitely work on this summer! The preschool also made a book with items from all year for Ella to keep. It is adorable and sure to make it into her memory box!

Cookies anyone?


Karin & Ella- hugs and weird grins


Ella & Oliver. How cute are they?
I think Ella & Oliver sounds like a clothing line!

Outside the school- Ella & Lars.
Lars figured out after 2 minutes how to really ring the bell! Sigh...

This is a terrible video clip, but a clip of the kids singing , Goodbye preschool, Kindergarten Here We Come!" Just the tail end! Ella is on middle in the top row- you really can't see her in this video.

Applique Project...

I am almost done taking a class called Contemporary School Leadership, which has been a year long class where I have discuss current issues regarding leadership and innovations within the education system. We discuss how rapidly the system in which we work is has changing needs that we honestly are not keeping up with. It is a very eye opening class as well as a challenging and thoughtful experience. I have met many great people as well! I highly recommend this class for anyone who is involved in education. It may possibly be one of the best professional development courses I have ever been through.

We are required to do a final project, our choice. I lamented for some time thinking I would do come kind of movie or slide show....but one day it hit me. I wanted a reminder as to what my learning was at this class. If I did a project then the learning likely would get put away. I instead wanted something I could hang and display as a reminder to me as to what some of the key learnings, phrases or quotes were from my experiences & classes. So the idea of a quilt/ wall hanging was born. I am pretty sure no one else will do anything quite like this project. I am thrilled with the results too! I recently got my sewing machine back from the shop and I must say all the stitches work great! I particularly love how the apple turned out!

As for the words, I used printable fabric. You run it right through your printer then you can iron it on. I of course, appliqued around the edges to ensure nothing would come up. This turned a bit into a mind of sampler of all my different applique stitches. I really enjoyed this! The biggest frustration for me was making the quilt- as I had never done that before! The front I got done while Lars napped on Friday. It was beautiful weather out and I missed it as I was too engrossed on my project. I will have to see how my presentation of this goes on Thursday! I think it will look great in my new classroom next year!

Next year I am thinking about taking a class dealing with technology in the classroom! I think I need this class!

Poems about Students

For Summer
I hear the chant, "I like Fridays."
Over
and
over.

Whispers and talking
to avoid the task
at
hand.

Fascination and laughter
of a life, I call my own.
Why can't I be interesting too?



For Trever
Food, food, food
on my mind.

Thinking of what is to come.
Popcorn,
apples,
pears,
egg,
juice,
granola bar,
fruit roll up....

How will I ever decide?
I may need to think some more.

For All Kids
Eyes following me
as I walk across the room

Eyes avoiding me
as I try to stare them down

Eyes watching me
as I sneeze
repeatedly.

Eyes sneaking glances
and secrets across the room.

Kindergarten Round Up

We were on our way......

Ella showed me her true colors at the kindergarten round up at Shimek Elementary. Bret and I went proud of our little girls really big milestone. She was a little nervous but not too much. When we entered the school, she began telling me the names of all the places- lunchroom or gym, office, library...on and on. Then we followed the blue crayons to the kindergarten room in the back of the building. We were greeted by her teacher who was sweet as can be. Ella could not find her name tag as it was written with another name...Emma. We found the teacher and she found me a marker and I made a new name tag quick as can be. Bret sat right in the front and we followed. Nervous children and parents seemed to keep streaming in. I knew a few parents and children by acquaintance from the neighborhood and Iowa City.

After a brief introduction, the kids were taken to the library for a book and activity. Ella may have been one of the first out the door. I literally think she bounced out the doorway! She was so excited to be in her kindergarten round up! She was a little sad she did not get to go to the Amana round up earlier in the week with some of her friends. One parent did tell me later that Ella seemed very confident and sure of herself. I tried explaining that she is just very comfortable in school settings. The parent was in a bit disbelief when I told her that she would not be 5 until July. Her height and self definitely lead people to think she is older. She is not, however, the tallest person in her class. That honor goes to the Hansen boy, whose dad is like 6 1/2 feet tall.

While the children were wisked away, us parents were left to look around the room and make up stories about each other in our heads while the teachers droned on about ways to help your child in readiness in mathematics and literacy skills. I felt a little like a student in a Charlie Brown cartoon. I did half listen to see if anything alerted me, but Shimek is a great school and all involved had great things to say.

A few concerns noted were the fact Iowa City does not have a set start time. Whaaaat? Hope they figure this out soon. Also ; it is a peanut free zone. I heard Bret groan in his head at this statement. I know it is not a big deal but something to deal with.

The other was class numbers. They are a small school, so they are planning on one section. Twenty kids showed for the open house. Charlie Towers, the new principal, informed the somewhat interested group that 25 is the magic number for two sections. Call me crazy,but I strongly think 22 is way too many for a KG classroom even with the help of an associate. Anything over 19 makes me nervous! I think the teacher is fantastic but small numbers is a good thing!

On a plus side, I am pleasantly surprised at the diversity in her classroom! I really hope this is a tight group and she can get to know the kids well in and out of school!

I am Ella and I am ready for kindergarten!

Sisterly Love

Today at preschool Ella and Lars were excited about the upcoming valentine's day party. Lars told me as I picked him up that he was sad today. I asked if he cried and he told me that he did. He was sad when they watched a movie and he could not have popcorn. I guess you have to be 3 to have popcorn and he about 2 weeks from three years old. So they told him that he could not have any popcorn. I really wonder how badly he handled this news since popcorn night is one of his favorites her in our house. (Bad parents!) So the best part of the story was when Ella revealed that she decided to secretly sneak him some popcorn. Lars was happy about his triumphant ruse on the preschool teachers and most of all happy that his sissy decided to include him in her evil plans. Let's hope they continue to develop this ability to work together in other ways than to get things they aren't supposed to have. But I guess it has to start somewhere, right?