I think the best thing about having our classroom pet is that it brings other children into the classroom.   I have met so many kids across grade level that have just come in to say hi and take a look at Cornelius.   That is cool.   It's been a busy week.   Curriculum Night was Tuesday and I spent a good part of last weekend getting ready for the parents as well as trying to figure out how to change my desks so that I could keep the noise level down.   ( I did change them but I"m not sure it made a difference)  I think I just have a group of very chatty kids and I'm ok with that.  Today they amazed me during our Math Workshop.  All of them were working in groups doing some really cool activities.  I saw letters, dragonflies and a beautiful peach made from pattern blocks.  I saw kids building a city with unifix cubes and I saw a group of girls set out to make a very long snake from unifix cubes.   Eventually the snake spilled out into the hall and  most of the kids started measuring it with their own feet.   It was long - our best estimate was that it was somewhere between 60 and 80 feet. :)  But remember they have very small feet.  Small feet and Huge Hearts.    

It's Monday.  And I have to admit that I was a little bit leary about our first full week of school.  After all, there is so MUCH to do.   So MUCH we have to learn, so MUCH we still don't know about each other.   I got to school really early and started working on plans for the week - today's the day we kick off our Reading and Writing Workshops.  It was also our first Monday morning meeting - the first time to come together as a school community.  What a great way to begin each week.   Mr. Elliott made us all feel welcome, new students and new teachers.  We celebrated birthdays and had a moment of silence in remembrance of all that happenned ten years ago on September 11th.  The ten year anniversary was hard - so much was lost that day.  But I am lucky, I have children in my life.  My own are 11 and 14 and I know they have the power to change the world.  My class is filled with six and seven year old's and I know that they have promise as well.  I am so lucky to do what I do because children are incredible teachers  and they are full of love, hope and possibilites.  So yes, it is Monday, and it's the first of many Monday's this school year.  I can't wait for each and every one! 

I am so excited to start my first blog as a teacher at Queen Anne Elementary School in Seattle, Washington.  This is my first year at Queen Anne and today was our first day in the new site on Queen Anne Hill.  I always am nervous about the first day of school but for some reason I calmed down rather quickly.  Maybe it was the ribbon cutting ceremony where students, parents, teachers and staff celebrated a new beginning.  Maybe it was that goofy song we sang to the beat of the old Flinstone theme song or just maybe it's that I have found myself teaching in an amazing place were teachers can collaborate and share, where every voice is valued and where kids come first!  Speaking of Kids - I think I have 24 of the smartest and kindest first graders in the world!   We are just starting to get to know each other but I left today believing that I made some great friends and that together we are going to have the best year!