Welcome September!

Hi Friends,

I don't know about you, but I am loving this weather! The color of the sky lately has been mesmerizing! As I was at my dad's house today, I glanced at his front porch. From the time I was little, I was a decorator; not a professional or maybe not even tasteful, but a decorator none the less. Every fall my parents allowed me to decorate their front porch. My dad would buy me at least two hay bales, and my mom would get together some old clothes for me to conjure up a scarecrow or two. I would rake leaves to fill up Mr. and Mrs. Scarecrow, only to be raking hours later because I loved jumping into my mountainous piles. Let's not forget the pumpkin. I would tell my dad about the design I wanted for this year's jack-o-lantern, and he would do the carving. Even though I'm grown now, I still like to decorate my front porch. Sometimes I even recruit a few Neal boys to help with the decorating. If you have never been much of a front porch decorator, start a new tradition with your family this year. I promise you will enjoy it, and you will make some memories that will last a lifetime.

Last week we discussed integration stations. Stations are a great way of reinforcing the standards in each grade level. It provides time for students to practice what they are learning. When planning stations, keep the end result in mind. What do I want my students to learn from this station? What do I want reinforced? Stations also allow time for students to get away from their desks/tables. The management for station activity can vary from five days a week to one day a week. Remember to start small. Give yourself and your students time to get accustomed to this new activity in the classroom. Check out books in the Huddle Room by Debbie Diller to help you get started.

I hope everyone has a super week. Let me know if you need anything.

Your friend,

Karen:)