Monday, April 15, 2013

This and That

Hey y'all! Hope everyone is doing great!

I apologize for my absense in blog land! I am been working on getting my Lollipops and Lemondrops business up and running! :) I am working on an Etsy shop and hope to have everything ready this summer!! :)



Everyone is knee deep in testing preparations in our neck of the woods! I am SO HAPPY that first grade does not particpate in stadardized testing in Alabama. When I taught first grade in Georgia, we did the CRCT....I believe they have changed that in the 5 years since I moved. Georgia peeps, is that right??? 
Do any of you participate in standardized testing in 1st? Or heaven forbid, K????? It makes me shudder! It also makes me shudder to think of my lack of specials during testing, but I would prefer that over testing HANDS DOWN! Are you with me?

Look at this cute testing bulletin board from a 4th grade teacher at my school. So cute for you upper grade friends!
I love the whole mustache craze! Makes me laugh!!! :)




We are also gearing up for a new reading series next year. We are adopting the Wonders series from McGraw Hill. Does anyone have that now?? or is getting it next year?? Would love to hear some feedback from peeps that use it!



Coming soon:
This summer, I have two big goals!

A...1 A {BEACH FRONT AVENUE} - Vanilla Ice, anyone?.. is to create/update my Word Work units so that I have a unit for each and every phonics skill. I have some cute themes and graphics up my sleeve! ;) I love teaching phonics with a theme - makes it a little bit more fun!

B - The other is to host a blog series, complete with linky parties!! I will tell you more about it very soon! :)

Countdown to summer is ON - only 6 weeks left for us! 
Have a super week! :)

6 comments:

amosbar11 said...

Marion County, Fl. is also getting the Wonders reading series next year. I am glad to see other states adopting it also so that we can all share ideas. Here in Marion County our 1st and 2nd graders use to take the SAT 10 but when all the budget cuts started 4-5 years ago now we take a district created test. I liked giving the SAT 10 because I felt that at the end of the year I was able to see how my kids were doing compared to kids the same grade in other states. I really hope the the new PARC assessment will do the same thing. Also, due to the performance pay here in FL it seems only right for it to be a test created by people that know how to write test and what is expected.

Rie said...

In GA, only 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade take the CRCT. The other grades don't take the test anymore.
Rie

hiphophurrayreading@gmail.com

Hip, Hop Hurray! Tales in an Artroom

Unknown said...

This year, I have to test my first graders and my Kinders. Our test is in two weeks, and I am NOT looking forward to it at all! Testing little ones is sooooooooo invalid (unless you pull the child in an isolated room - one on one!)
Pending district approval, we are adopting Wonders for next year, too. As far as I know, they haven't even completed the series yet. The copyright on our testing materials says 2014, so we will all be learning this new series together!
I am very happy with this choice because Dr. Timothy Shanahan is one of the contributing authors. I am so sick of different people giving me their "interpretations" of CCSS. This guy knows his Common Core.
Btw, I LOVE the name of your new shop. Very cute!
~Andi

Miss Cosby said...

We are adopting a new reading series next school year. I cast my vote for Wonders but another series came through. It'll be my first reading adoption where I can prep over the summer. I'm hoping to be very productive!

Good luck! I'll be following to see how closely our skills match and because I really wanted some of those stories!


Brenda

You Might Be a First Grader...

Lisa said...

Sarasota County, FL is also doing Wonders beginning next year.

Mrs. Wathen said...

Lake County, FL has also adopted Wonders for next, year.

Tammy
The Resourceful Apple

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