Currently Christmas Break Catch Up - Part III

Yes, I know....I am posting January's Currently and still catching up on my December posts...LOL.  I wouldn't be ME if I wasn't doing a mad dash catch up of some kind. Better late than never! 

So I will start this wonderfully spellbinding  ;) catch up with Farley's January Currently. Be sure to check out the biggest linky party in town...I know I say this all the time, but it bears repeating...There are so many amazing bloggers out there, and I have become a better teacher because of them. So remember the rule of three and get out there and mingle!

Most of my Currently stands on its own as usual...but this year's favorite memory is the time I spent with the hubby. My workaholic husband has spent most of our married life working the days leading up to Christmas, on Christmas, and on his birthday, the day after Christmas; however, his new position with the sheriff's department afforded him some rare and precious time off. I was a little nervous at first, LOL...having twenty years of managing the whole Christmas affair on my own, but as usual, the worry was all for naught. We had so much fun! Shopping with my crazy husband was fun and surprisingly relaxed. haha...the man still manages to surprise me!

Now on to catching up my kiddos and their families on our December fun.... it has become a tradition that our fourth grade kiddos celebrate our Christmas with a yummy breakfast party and stocking-stuffer gift exchange. We have the best parents ever! The kiddos definitely did NOT go hungry! 

Check out the fun...

 

 

 

Love these kiddos so much! 

Now for a quick picture book and great chapter book...

You may remember my post about the book Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano; check it out here: Turkeys and Reindeer. This year's kiddos loved it as much as last year's. Well, guess what.... Turkey is back! 

My friend, Sarah at Hungry While Teaching, shared this cute little follow up with me. Turkey Claus! Turkey managed to escape the Thanksgiving dinner table in Turkey Trouble, but will he manage to escape the Christmas dinner table? I love the repeating phrases in both books, and my kiddos always chime in as I read. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that! I know they are engaged as they read along with me, and they always giggle at Turkey's antics! So CUTE :)

As many of you know, I have challenged my kiddos to read 40 books this year. You may also remember that I told my kiddos if I expect them to read 40 books, well I would do the same. I am so glad that I made that challenge to all of us! The kiddos have opened themselves to so many great texts, and so have I! I am loving all of the reading I have done!

One of my faves this year is this beautiful story....

In Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver, we follow Liesl, a lonely girl locked in her attic by her stepmother, and Po, a ghost from the Other Side, on their journey into a new and complicated friendship with Will, the alchemist's apprentice. Will makes a very large mistake with a very important delivery and the consequences will change life (and death) as they all know it, forever! 

Such a sweet and moving fantasy! I truly loved everything about this story, and I cannot wait to share it with my kiddos.

Well...I am off to the school to get some planning and grading done...have to get ready for the real world now!

 Happy Reading, friends!

Christmas Break Catch Up - Part II

Still catching up!

Whew...it does not pay to get behind in blogging...

So many pictures to share! Let's start with our class Christmas tree.

A friend sent me a picture of something similar and recommended I try it for my class. I am sure it is a Pinterest find. This was our version. :)

I have so many favorite picture books. Well, at least that's what my kiddos tell me..."Mrs. Dunn you always say they're your favorite"...

This one is a classic, and by sharing it, I know that I am probably not sharing anything you haven't already taught with this a dozen times over.

But seriously, I just can't help myself. I LOVE Dr. Seuss! You are never too old for a good ol' life lesson wrapped up in some magical rhyming fun!

Now...around this time of year everyone pops out with their Elf on a Shelf craziness....I mean my kiddos come in every morning,"Mrs. Dunn last night my elf...."

I have never been an Elf on the Shelf kind of girl, but after reading How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, I had to pull out my Grinch.

Since my husband always calls me the Grinch of the family (long story there, probably something to do with ripping the Christmas tree out of the house each year on his birthday, the day after Christmas...;) ... I digress... since I am the Grinch of our family, I have a soft spot for the fuzzy green fellow. A couple of years ago, I picked up my very own Grinch from Kohl's. I just love the Kohl's Cares program, and if you have taken my class tour, you have no doubt seen the results all over the shelves.

Well....I pulled out our very own Grinch and mischief ensued!

 

The kiddos LOVED it, so I put up with the distraction for their sake. Those that know me closely know just how difficult of a task that was for me, but I have no doubt that Mr. Grinch will probably make an appearance next year. We had some great writing ideas for our notebook thanks to his crazy antics.

I have to share a couple of books for you, and then I am off to catch up on other all too often neglected tasks.

First is a throw-back to last year...

I want to revisit my ALL TIME favorite Christmas picture book, Red Ranger Came Calling by Berkeley Breathed.

Mr. Breathed has perfectly narrated the tale of his father ~ the self-proclaimed Red Ranger of Mars. This sour-faced little boy is sent to spend Christmas on the damp little island of Vashon were in the end the true meaning of Christmas and faith prevails over "promises hatched by those who weren't very good at keeping them..." and other such twaddle.

I just had to share a few more pics...my kiddos LOVED it!

Funny what belief in someone can do!

 

Red Ranger Came Calling, Berkeley Breathed

If you were to ask most anyone at our school what my favorite Christmas book is, I would not be surprised that they could tell you The Red Ranger Came Calling. They might even ask you a favor in return...to tell me to stop showing them my beloved book over and over again! Again, I just can't help myself!

Now for a great chapter book....

Last night I read a great little dystopian tale...

A friend of mine posted about this book on her Instagram, and I thought I would give it a try! Only $2.99 on Amazon Kindle...whoohoo...I am so glad that I did. 

In Stung by Bethany Wiggins, we follow Fiona as she struggles to come to terms with the foreign and shattered world she awakens in...When the honeybee population collapses, bio-engineered bees cause a worldwide pandemic, and a government botched cure shows that man should be careful how much it plays with mother nature. 

You must have noticed by now my weakness for a good dystopian book. This one was different from so many others that I have read, and I love it for that!

Well...with that ladies and gents...I will say goodbye for now....just until we play catch up again. ;)

Happy Reading, friends!

Dark Confessions

OK...I have to admit something. I almost hate to do so because I have no doubts that I will have some pretty discontented kiddos come Monday morning. I only admit it now half hoping to see how many of said kiddos will read this post and let me know all about it!

I know that I have mentioned that we have stolen a few minutes at the end of each day to enjoy a read aloud here and there. Our latest adventure has taken us into the Dark Life by Kat Falls.

Well, on to confessions...this was my first time to read it, and my kiddos have seemed to like that we were talking through and predicting events together. (Wow! Some deep conversations, for sure!) All the same, after reading it Friday afternoon, the story kept calling to me, and...well, you guessed it: I just could not help but to finish it.

Although my kiddos will probably let me know exactly what their thoughts are on this matter come next week, I can promise you it was worth whatever grief I just might face. I have fallen in love with Kat Falls, and the wonderful world she has created in Dark Life. I cannot wait to continue sharing it with my sweet and excited class! I have a few kiddos in mind that are chomping at the bit to see what will happen next, and they will not be disappointed!

Ok...now here are a few wonderful picture books for you!

The first book is not for the faint of heart, LOL....but it is most surely one to bring hoots of laughter from your kiddos ~ boys more than girls, of course! This new addition to our library was a gift from a student that told me as soon as she saw it, she knew it should be in my classroom. (Not exactly sure what that says about my classroom or my smelly kiddos, hehe)  Pee-ew! Is That you, Bertie? by David Roberts is a hysterical look at something no doubt encountered by all classroom teachers. It also doesn't hurt that it is crammed with (you won't be surprised I am sure) tons and tons of thoughtfully crafted onomatopoeia! Didn't take my kiddos long to notice that!

Looks like Bertie is not the only smelly one in the family!
I also have no doubts that most families have experienced the above. LOL

The next book I want to share is Fiona's Luck by Teresa Bateman. I couldn't tell you exactly why I love St. Patrick's Day or leprechaun books as much as I do, but these books are some of my favorites. Maybe it's because I love to try to throw out an Irish lilt here and there as I read, and while I am under no illusion that it is a good one, the kiddos don't seem to mind it. :) Fiona is a beautiful, smart, and sassy character, and I love that she doesn't wait to find luck but makes it for herself! It doesn't hurt that Kelly Murphy did a beautiful job with the illustrations!

Last, but not least, Our Children Can Soar by Michelle Cook is stunning look at history and perseverance.  I love the story and its message. Michelle Cook did a marvelous job of demonstrating what true inspiration, hard work, and determination can help others achieve. So beautiful!