Chapter 16: Franklin's Finale

Well, we made it!  We have officially reached our half-way point in the school year.  I really can not believe how fast this semester has gone.  So many milestones and memories - I am blessed.

We spent this past week reviewing all of the elements we have learned since the first week of school.  In reviewing and discussing everything with the students, I realized just how much they have already learned!  My little darlings are getting smarter every day.  I am excited to see how much more growth and success they achieve by the end of May!

I know you are anxiously awaiting the Franklin update - so here you go!

I guess Franklin had a busy weekend at the North Pole, because when we got to school Monday he had dumped the books out of our Blue Book Bucket and was enjoying a nice warm bubble bath.

On Tuesday, Franklin barricaded our classroom door...
We had to climb through the yarn rope to get in.
When the kids walked in, they looked at me like "what is going on? how do I get in?!"  One of my friends decided to slide his little body underneath the rope!  They had fun with this!

Franklin brought "Magic Quiet Dust" from Santa on Wednesday.
(which consisted of glitter thrown all over the tables)
Our school also had a special visit from Santa on Wednesday, too!

Thursday was The Polar Express day!  We started our day by playing in classroom snow! (I simply used white shaving cream on the tables!)  We made snowmen and wrote our names and spelling words, all while giving our tables a good, deep cleaning.  After lunch we watched the movie, in our pj's, with the classroom chairs set up like a train.  I also served everyone a cup of hot chocolate (made in the crock-pot) with marshmallows!

Franklin decided that he would play "I Spy with My Little Eyes the Good Girls and Boys" on Thursday!

Friday was a 60% day for the students, and also the day of our Class Holiday Party!  So many fun things happened on Friday!  I don't know who had more fun - the teacher or the kids.  HA!
After our brunch, which was really lunch at breakfast time, we set up the classroom for our party!  The kids were munching away on a few snacks, including some reindeer cookies made by yours truly, when we received a special delivery.
Here's a picture of the reindeer cookies:

Two large bags from our Secret Pen Pal arrived just in time!  Each student got a letter and a wrapped box of fun toys.  The kids loved that special surprise!  I hope their Secret Pen Pal realizes how special my students felt when they opened their present - it was a moment of joy I will never forget.  :)

After the Secret Pen Pal presents were opened, I let them open their gifts from me.  They were so sweet and thankful for their gift.  "Mih Lemon, we love you.  You are the best teacher in the whole world!  You are just so awesome!"  I  so enjoyed watching them open presents and scream in excitement - that's what Christmas is all about.

Franklin really decided to go out with a "bang" on Friday...
(I have to give props to my Pop for this fantastic idea!)
Pop found a popcorn machine for a very reasonable price that he just insisted on me purchasing.  He told me to set the popcorn machine to a timer and have it go off one day, to make it like Franklin turned it on....
It was perfect!
I set the timer for 11:00am.  It went off a few minutes early, approx 10:45am, right in the middle of our party. As soon as it clicked on, PANIC struck.  The machine makes a loud humming noise when it's warming up, and the kids really freaked out...  A few of them walked closer to the machine to check it out.  After about 30 seconds, BAM!  Popcorn started flying everywhere...literally everywhere!  I thought they screamed when they opened presents, but no, this experience called for many screams and looks of shock and laughter.  They could not understand how Franklin turned that machine on - or if Santa knew what Franklin had done.
Here's Franklin before the explosion:

 And here he is after...

(there was popcorn all over the floor, too!)
"Oh my gaahhh, Mih Lemon, Franklin is real!!!!!!!  Aahh!!  How he do that?"

As busy and stressful and tiring as this past week has been, I am truly grateful for the opportunity to share this experience of Christmas magic with my sweet 1st graders.  Franklin has been such a wonderful addition to our classroom!  The innocence of a little mind wondering and imagining the magic of Santa and his elves is beyond amazing.  I pray for my students every day and night - and I have been saying extra prayers for them during this special Christmas season.  I pray especially for their health and happiness.  I hope they enjoy their Christmas and break from school as much as I plan to do - but I'm anxious to see them again soon!

I'll leave you in 2011 with this picture:
I had the students helping me clean the classroom before leaving school on Friday.  This little fellow wanted to clean the pig that we put our trash can in - so I let him go for it!  I turned around and found this...

Please keep in mind that he did this to himself!  HA!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from "Ms. Lemon's" 1st Grade Class!
See you in 2012!

Chapter 15: Franklin Fun

Here is an update from this past week in 1st Grade!

We've been learning about:
-complete subject
-complete predicate
-composing simple sentences
-complete sentence vs. fragment
-addition & subtraction through 20
-motivation is necessary to make it to Christmas
-our elf is very entertaining!

Franklin, our class elf, has been up to some mischief this week...

Franklin obviously had fun playing with Mr. Bojangles & Snoop Frog over the weekend, because when we got to school Monday here's what we found!

On Tuesday, Franklin brought a Special Delivery from our Secret Pen Pal!

Franklin brought snow on Wednesday!

(not only was his "special" snow all over our classroom, there was real snow falling outside!)

We have been decorating our classroom for Christmas, and Franklin decided he needed to help, too.  Here's what we found on Thursday...

And finally, on Friday, Franklin decided he needed to relax with a Diet Coke and some good books!

The kids really love Franklin!  They are precious when they walk in every morning - it's like a frantic search for Franklin!  I have noticed them looking at him during the day to make sure he's still watching.  I think they are a bit freaked out by the whole idea of this little guy playing tricks on them, though.

Everyone wrote a letter to Santa, some of which will be printed in the area newspapers, and they were hysterical!
"I really want to meet your Fs."
"I have ben haf good and haf bad but I promis to be good next yer."
"I love you Santa.  Please bring me some good toys.  I will be sure to have you some cookies.  If I forget just come wake me up and I will bake you some."

This is our last week of school for the year 2011!
I'm sure Franklin will be up to more adventures, so stay tuned to see what happens!
Please pray for strength and patience to make it through Friday...

Chapter 14: Meet Franklin

Sorry it has been a while - it is hard finding time to sit down and write these days.  I updated you before Thanksgiving, but lots has happened since then!

What we are learning in 1st Grade:
-prepositions
-object of prepositions
-complete subject
-complete predicate
-making a simple sentence
-adding and subtracting to 20
-weather/clouds
-life as a scientist
-frogs are a lot of work...
-Santa's elf is watching us!

                                 Here is picture of my November door:

The little feathers are part of our "Turkey Teacher" fundraiser.  The teacher with the most feathers won a turkey & the class received a party.  Sadly, my class did not win.  But, we had fun participating!

I had to take the frogs, Mr. Bojangles and Snoop Frog, home during Thanksgiving break...
A very helpful Petsmart employee informed me that the frogs would not live for 9 days without being fed...Yay.  So, they traveled far and wide.  I'm not sure if it was more traumatic for them or for me.  They survived - and are still alive and well.  They will be traveling again during Christmas break.  Anyone want to frog-sit?  :)

Santa Clause has sent an Elf to our classroom!  His name is Franklin.
The kids LOVE Franklin - a lot!
Franklin has been up to some mischief, though.

Franklin arrived on Monday, November 28th.
When we arrived at school on Tuesday, Franklin had put everyone's behavior chart on RED face. (red face is not good) He was hiding on top of our storage cabinet looking down at the behavior chart...

After everyone was back from breakfast and the morning announcements were over, I closed the door and panic struck...
"Mih Lemon, what has happened?  Why is we all on red?  We ain't done nothin' bad; we just got to school!  Mih Lemon, what is we gonna do?"

On Wednesday, Franklin decided he liked the Reading Spot lamp...

On Thursday, Franklin decided to zip line across our Promethean Board...

Friday was School Picture Day, and Franklin wanted to participate, too!
(He took pictures of himself on the copy machine and hung them all around our classroom!)

I am looking forward to what Franklin gets in to this week!

1st Grade Funnies:
From another 1st Grade class - As a review, the teacher asked the students, "What are clouds made of?"
Student response, "Milk."

One of our journal prompts this week was "Yucky Foods."
One of my girls wrote, "I am alerjik to white milk."  I was not aware of this allergy, so I asked her what she drinks at lunch if she can't drink white milk.  She said "chocolate milk."
Has anyone ever heard of being allergic to white milk, but not chocolate milk, before?!

Another student wrote that a yucky food was "skotch potatoes."
It took us a few minutes of conversation for me to realize that he was trying to write "scalloped potatoes."

One student came in Friday morning and did not go to breakfast.
Me: "Don't you want to go to breakfast?"
Student: "No ma'am.  I ate at home."
Me: "What did you eat?"
Student: "Some serious."
Me: "Serious?  What is that?"
Student: "You know, serious, that stuff you put in milk and eat..."
Me: "Oh, cereal?!  You mean cereal?"
Student: "Yeah, that's what I said!"

We have been working hard this week - and we only have 2 more weeks until Christmas Break.
I really can't believe that we are almost half way done with this school year!

Stay tuned for more Franklin fun!