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If you haven't figured it out yet, I love linking up with Doodle Bugs for her Five for Friday linky party! It is truly one of my favorites. 
I started this week under the weather. Well, more like death warmed over, but my sweet kiddos and teammates nursed me through Monday. Tuesday...I stayed home in bed to try to nurse myself.
While I was coughing away at home, my sweet Katie Byrd dropped by school to give me a late Valentine gift. She wasn't expecting me to be home in bed, so she made her drive in from Conway to Cabot for nothing. Although, she did get to visit with Mrs. Whitt.
Good thing Vilonia is on her way home! The new addition to our Flamingo collection. :) Thank you, Katie Byrd!
I just have to share the sweet, sweet sunshine and the warmth it brought with it this week, but I'll let the pictures do all the sharing for me!
We are a Responsive Classroom! And I LOVE that we are a Responsive Classroom!
A small piece of Responsive Classroom is our Morning Meeting. Each Morning Meeting consists of a greeting, a share, an activity, and a morning message.
Even though we were graced with sunshine and warmth, my kiddos were begging me for a snowball fight. This is one of their favorite activities!
We write our names on a blank piece of paper...wad it up....then Ready, Set, Fire! Snowballs are flying! We laugh (and control the uproar as much as possible) until I call time.
When I call time, kiddos grab the nearest snowball and find the person to match the name written on it. Sometimes we simply greet each other, and other times I include a share. It may be something as simple as name your favorite book, or something more content driven.
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| Lots of movement in this activity! |
We had a very rare visit by my Justin this week. He had an appointment in Cabot, so I asked him to stop by to say hello to the kiddos. Because they all hear so much about all my own kids, they usually love meeting them.
It didn't take me long to put him to work! Here he is working with a word study group!
Then later, I put him to work for me, labeling all our new books.
How about some true randomness for you.....
These cute temporary tattoos came in our book order with the book Who Would Win? Rhino vs Hippo....so funny...
Fourth grade birthdays on Friday are always interesting but yummy!
Cleaning up my yard this afternoon, I found this big old girl. Boy did she startle me! I couldn't believe she was still out and about in February. She was easily the biggest black widow I have ever seen. I am sure that's not saying much since I have only personally seen a handful...three of them this year, but still she was honking huge, people!!
Now...let us get bookish!
You all know by now how much I enjoy sharing my love of all things BOOKS!
Well...I got to thinking....why am I hogging all the book love? I mean the people I really want to share all the love are my kiddos.
So I have decided that each week one or two of my lovely book lovers will share their own thoughts about their own reading in our very own Critic's Corner!
I know...what took so long, right?!
Here's to our first critics....
Critic's Corner
My sweet dystopian fan has much to share about The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau.
"In City of Ember, we meet a girl named Lina Mayfleet and her friend, Doon Harrow. Both try to save their dying city, Ember. My favorite character was Lina Mayfleet, an energetic 12 year old girl who cares for and dearly loves her city. I liked this book because it is a fast paced book that keeps you turning pages as Lina and Doon keep discovering shocking and surprising things. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a fast paced, adventurous story. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars!" ~ Georgia
This horror fiction lover is a true fan of Mary Downing Hahn. She tells everyone she sees that she loves Deep and Dark and Dangerous!
"In Deep and Dark and Dangerous, we meet Ali. She is going on a trip with her aunt and her cousin, Emma. They go to a cabin to spend the summer, but when she meets Sissy, her summer changes. My favorite character in the book is Ali because she is always questioning and wanting new information, but she always seems clueless. I liked this book because it inspired me to read horror fiction, and I would definitely recommend it to my brother, Austin, just to scare him! I give this book 5 out of 5 stars" ~ Emma
Moving on...how about some picture book love....
We celebrated President's Day with a reading of So You Want to Be President by Judith St. George. I know this is a true blue classic that has not escaped many of you, so I am sure I am not sharing anything awfully new here. But....ahem....look at the illustrator here... Yes, that would be one Mr. David Small of past posts...including last week's post, and here and here. Hmmm....have you noticed a pattern? I do love this illustrator, and his images and illustrations always carry the story even further!
We read this beautiful and informative story, giggled here and there, and then wrote all about.."If I were president for the day, I would...." Very cute stuff...of course the number one thing all of our precious fourth graders would do is get rid of or close school. Not much job security for me there. :)
Since all the fourth graders want to close the school house down, maybe I should give it a shot as president and tell them school for always!
My Teacher for President by Kay Winters is a cutie patootie! Sure makes me think I have what it takes!
My latest chapter book venture has been a precious little fantasy fiction by Kathi Appelt. I actually picked this one up for a former student because I knew that Ms. Appelt was one of her favorite authors. Then I picked it up for myself and started reading... The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp, and I am so glad that I did. This is the colorful story of the myths and legends of Sugar Man Swamp and its true blue scouts, raccoons Bingo and J'miah. Lots of beautiful language in this beauty!
With this one, I have well passed my goal to read the forty books I asked my kiddos to read this year, and honestly, so are many of them. But we all continue to spend our days surrounded by amazing books and the sweet students that love to share them! That makes for one happy teacher!
With that....I will say goodnight, friends. I am oh so tired and up way past my bedtime, and I am thinking I am really not sure that I can consider this published on Friday since it is just after 12... oh well
Happy Reading, friends!
