June 2015

Last Day of School

summer Wednesday, June 24, 2015

The last day of school is always bitter sweet.
I have seen these children for 180 days (plus or minus a few). We have laughed, cried, been frustrated, celebrated, every emotion you can think of, we've had it in our classroom.

I'm going to be honest. :)
This year has been a rough one for me. It's been the first I have actively looked for another job. It's the first I have not wanted to go into school. Don't get me wrong, I love these children, but haven't you ever had a year when all the children together have not meshed the right way? You think to yourself, how on earth did they think that these children should be together? Well, that was my year.

So, now what? I say goodbye to these babies that came in the first day all "doe eyed" and innocent. They have all grown tremendously. It is amazing to see the results. They come in to first grade, some of them reading, some of them not, and all of them come out reading at higher levels than they ever thought they could. Their math skills are out of this world. From counting on their fingers to 10 to adding numbers to 120 in their heads. Don't get me wrong, all of them are not doing it and it is not just me. I have to thank the amazing staff that I work with. If not for them, I would have left.

So, thanks for a year where we have all grown. I am looking back on this year with sincere gratitude. We cannot learn without trying new things.

I have said it before, I thank all of you bloggers that have had a positive influence on me. It's all of you who have aided in me not going over to the "dark side".

Here's to summer vacation, renewing my spirit, and recharging.

PS. I found this frog in my pool yesterday!!! This about sums up my year! Survival!

Have a wonderful day!

Dare to Dream Week 2 TpT Seller Challenge

#tptsellerchallenge Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Dare to Dream

I am linking up again with these fabulous bloggers.

What do you hope to do with your TpT income?

College Tuition: My middle child is going to school this fall. Our oldest will be a junior in college and our youngest will be a junior in high school. We haven't had a break from looking at or choosing colleges for four years, so far, and now we are beginning the search again. My husband and I were very fortunate to not have any student loans after college. I know that is not very common. I would love to be able to help my children out with their loans they are going to be facing when they are done with school.

Photography: I have a photography business on the side. Right now I am very happy with all that I do. It keeps me very busy. I would love to be able to purchase a few more lenses and some external flashes. :)

Travel: Last year, my husband and I were able to go to Paris. I have the travel bug! I want to go EVERYWHERE!!!

Retirement Fund: Who doesn't need more for this?

What are your dreams?

Have a wonderful day!

NonProfits Working in the Education Field

NonProfits Monday, June 22, 2015

We are a small community, but we have a lot of help from companies and businesses around our area. One of ours is Project Cafe. It has a board consisting of community members. Some adults, but mostly teens. They run the show.

Project Cafe is a student-directed non-profit organization promoting drug and alcohol free activities, music, art, community service, and scholarship in the Cazenovia area.

With strong community support and a wide array of programs involving youths and adults, Project Cafe is committed to improving the quality of life throughout the Cazenovia area in many unique ways.

Art: Our Art Committee puts together displays of a variety of local artists' work. Each display last 1-3 months and helps showcase local talent. It also helps to adorn the walls of Common Grounds

Community Service: Community Service is an important part of Project Cafe. Members and friends have helped organized and participated in many activities including:

The Christmas Walk
The Chilly Chili Run
Halloween Cleanup
Halloween Costume Exchange
The Christmas Toy Shoppe
Veterans' Day visit with veterans
The Bridge Cleanup
9/11 Ceremony
Crop Walk for Hunger
Shoe Collection for Afganistan
The Trail Cleanup

Entertainment: Our Entertainment Committee provides events to bring the community together.

Some of these events include:

   Talent Night at Common Grounds
   Movies at the Park
   Friday Night Bands at Common Grounds
   Concerts in the Park
I like Oreos

Environment: This Committee is focused on creating programs that help the environment.

We are currently running two programs:

Ink Cartridge Recycling: DON'T THROW YOUR CARTRIDGES AWAY! We have recycling drop boxes located in each school (Burton Street, Green Street and the High School).

Reusable Water Bottles: Made of stainless steel, our water bottles are perfect for your sports teams or yourself. They are just $5.00 and can help save the planet! Contact Project Cafe for more information on how to order.

Mentoring:

Friend to Friend Student Youth Mentoring Program

Encouraging physical and emotional growth among a network of students through stable and trusting friendships

Project CAFE’s Friend to Friend Mentoring Program has taken off with tremendous success! This mentoring program, started and run primarily by high school students involved with Project CAFE is focused on providing friendship, teaching leadership and promoting character in all students participating in the program. This year the high school students serving as mentors are each paired with a student in fourth grade and are planning and enjoying activities individually as pairs and occasionally within a whole group setting. Most recently, the entire group spent an afternoon together working on their own self portraits which include many details that tell about their individual dreams and interests. All works of art will be on display at Common Grounds in the upcoming weeks. If you are interested in being a part of the mentoring program you can email Project CAFE at projectcafe.caz@gmail.com.

Here are some national nonprofit organizations.

What's in your area?

What does your community do/rely on for some extra help?

Nonprofit Supported: ARC

Individual or Organization: Gary Lipsky & Brad Lupien

Founded by Gary Lipsky and Brad Lupien in order to foster learning in an out-of-school environment.
ARC is based in Southern California, and focuses on what they call “experiential learning”.

This method of education is taught by getting outside and learning by doing things.

This initiative tries to introduce the participants and students to a world that they may not be accustomed with.

For More Information: http://arc-experience.com/

Nonprofit Supported: Adler Planetarium: Girls Do Hack

Individual or Organization: Misha Malyshev,Teza Technologies

This initiative targets young women who are not always considered for roles in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) industries.
With the help of Misha Malyshev, in association with the Adler Planetarium, Girls Do Hack gives young women a safe space to discover and be encouraged to learn and find their skills in these fields.

This event allows girls with shared interests to come together to learn outside of the classroom to enhance their curiosity in these fields.

For More Information: http://girlsdohack.adlerplanetarium.org/

Nonprofit Supported: 826 National

Individual or Organization: Dave Eggers & Ninive Calegari

This nonprofit focuses on the literacy and learning issues of students
826 National was founded by author Dave Eggers and educator Ninive Calegari

This nonprofit is currently ran by Gerlald Richards

Their centers offer free programs including:

after school tutoring
field trips
creative workshops

For More Information: http://826national.org

Though these are nationally recognized organizations, I would love to learn about local organizations in conjunction with these efforts. Nonprofits targeting the education system allow for continued growth and provide a competitive advantage for students.

Have a wonderful day!

Makeover Madness #tptsellerchallenge

#tptsellerchallenge, Back to School, makeover Wednesday, June 17, 2015

My first challenge.
Wow! Did this need a makeover!
You know those products that did well when you first posted them and now you don't see any traffic on them....well, this is one.
I can't remember when I created this. (yes, it's been that long since I have revisited it) :)

Here's the old cover.

Here's the new cover.

What I changed:

New fonts

New graphics

Easier to read

The fonts were fun, but a little difficult to read. I made the cards bigger and easier to cut out by putting them closer together. The response sheets are more kid friendly too.

It's on sale until Friday!

I am so excited that this was the first challenge.

I'm going back to look at all of my products this summer. :)

TPT Seller Challenge

#tptsellerchallenge

Oh! I am so excited! This is what I needed!!! Some challenges and getting organized!
Woo Hoo!
I am linking up with these wonderful bloggers.

Here are the beginning stats of my social media.

I am so excited!!!

Giveaway: Gumdrop GlassTech Case for Microsoft Surface Pro and Surface Pro 3

Giveaways Friday, June 12, 2015

Giveaway: Gumdrop GlassTech Case for Microsoft Surface Pro and Surface Pro 3

Taming My Flock of Firsties is giving away a GlassTech case for the Microsoft Surface Pro and Surface Pro 3 on behalf of Gumdrop Cases! The Gumdrop Cases GlassTech for Microsoft Surface features:

Ruggedized, impact-resistant skin - perfect for accident-prone kids and families
Tempered glass screen protector for ultimate touch sensitivity, with a special smudge-free coating
Fully compatible with the Microsoft Surface keyboard and kickstand

Learn more about the GlassTech for Microsoft Surface 3 here, and the GlassTech for Microsoft Surface Pro 3 here. The cases are available in Green, Black and Red, and start at $59.

Enter to win a case by using the giveaway form below, which is good for anyone in the US. Let me know why you think you should win the case in the comments along with you color preference. Thanks for your participation!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

14 Days and Counting

Community Field Trip, end of the year Friday, June 5, 2015

Hello All!
14 Days!
I know some of you are already out! Grrrr...
Just kidding. :) We have two full weeks and a few of those silly half days. I love what I did for the past few years, but I am looking to add some more this year. We did a countdown with balloons and without balloons (one of my firsts was obsessed and there is no way we would have made it through the day with balloons).
I want to do sidewalk chalk, bubbles, frisbees, and some other things. Any ideas would be so helpful. My class is VERY active!!!

We had a FUN FUN FUN field trip yesterday. After studying our community, we went for a "little" walk around town. We visited the Police Station, Court House, Fire Station, and Library. My firsties were AMAZING!!!