Dr. Seuss's Birthday!

Today was Dr. Suess's birthday! With parades, stories, rhymes, movies, games, crafts, and costumes, we celebrated this day like no other! The only down side of letting the kids have a time of their life was how exhausting it was for the teachers...but hey, they had fun and that's what counts. Before the event even started, I found myself marveling at the sheer talent of this one tailor we know. I wanted to dress up like "Daisy-Head Mayzie" yet didn't have time to go get any of the fabric or make detailed measurements. I simply printed a picture and said I wanted the same thing. I could not believe how accurate it was! Take a look...

The only down side is that it is still winter here...transporting through the hallways was a bit frigid.

Good friends of mine (Rachael and Amber) dressed up as Thing 1 and Thing 2. Don't they look awesome?

"I'm inferring..."

I love when little kids use big words. It's an added bonus when they even use it in the proper context. Throughout the year as I have been teaching different comprehension strategies, several "big" words kept popping up...prediction, connection, schema, mental image, stamina, etc. The new 1st grade word is "inference" (basically giving clues and facts to a prediction). The hysterical part is how much my students get into it. One of them even said "Mrs. Evans! It's like a math problem! Your schema + clues in the story = an inference!" They use it all day long now..."Mrs. Evans, I'm inferring that we are going to put a new poem in our journals because my schema tells me we do it every Tuesday, and I see the clue on my desk!" What a group worth teaching to, huh?

On one of our doors, we have started an "inferring challenge". I have put a bunch of riddles on the door, and they have to "infer" what animal is, and then tell me why. It has been simply precious to see what they have already put.

We won't reveal them all until the challenge is over!

"I'm inferring it is a platypus. Something tells me it is a platypus (I don't know what it is)"

"I'm inferring it is an octopus. I think it's a octopus because of my schema"

I wish I could post actual pictures of my kids...I captured them at random times throughout the day going over to that door to "make an inference". Love love love this job...

The beauty of Northern China...in winter.

This past weekend, Dave and I said goodbye to each other at 7:00am and didn't reunite until 6:00ish. I must say it was a bit wierd knowing that we were both in Shenyang, just doing different things. I was helping my good friend Julie with the "Treasure Island" play coming up this weekend while Dave explored the mountains with some friends. Little did he know that in February there would still be massive waterfalls that were frozen all the way through...how beautiful! A friend of his was able to capture the beauty that they saw on their hike...simply breathtaking.

As Josh would say... "Big Dave"

"Medium Dave"

"Little Dave" and HUGE waterfall!

While we do enjoy the winter, I am seriously looking for flowers to bloom and the green grass to come through the frozen ground.

It all goes downhill from here...

So I'm officially in my "hobby" groove. Buttons...check. Zippers...check. Thread...check. Sewing tools...check. Lots and lots of fabric...check. Looks like I'm ready to go! This past weekend, I searched through all of the piles of scraps searching for assorted fabrics I could use for future projects (shirts, skirts, bags, who knows?). For less than $15 dollars I got over 20 pieces of fabric to work with! Now I just have to choose one and go with it....that's the hardest part...so many to choose from.

I felt like it was one big joyous pile of leaves...I worked hard to get that all together!

My new little sewing area...and my organized fabrics.

Dave went out and helped me get a collapsable work table. It's just perfect!

Trying to scrunch/ruffle this fabric.....it's tricker than it looks.

Wish me luck with some more sewing endeavors! Thank you for all of you who have been cheering me on ;)

A new hobby

As the cold temperatures kept us inside for most of the winter, Dave and I quickly realized a void we needed to fill.....a hobby. As we were currently filling the void with TV shows and more planning for school, an idea popped into my head. "Why not bring up an old skill that has been dormant for about 10 years?" Sewing! Back when I was in middle school I used to sew things for home economics (gym bags, aprons, etc.) so I was already familiar all of the sewing machine lingo. While yes it was a bit impulsive to just go an buy a sewing machine, I was amazed at how fast I was able to pick it up! Here are some pictures of the first thing I made just hours after bringing my new toy home:

This adorable little machine has kept me quite entertained all weekend!

Realizing that the only scraps in my house were from school decorations (curtains and chair bags), I decided to work with it and see what I could come up with. Why not make a bag? Who couldn't use another bag?

With the denim on the outside, I can wear it with more outfits!

The next morning when I looked at it, I felt like it was missing something. I decided to cut and handstitch a flower to the front. I guess I'll have to rock the denim/rough fabric look.

Ever since this new machine has entered my house it has began a world of innovation! The next day I created a matching wallet and started on re-fashioning some old t-shirts. Crazy to think that I could pick this up that fast. I guess it's like riding a bike...once you have the basics, you will always be able to pick it up. I'll have to keep you updated with some of my new creations :)

Showing love in the Phillipines

As most of you already know and have heard, Dave has been in the Phillipines with a group of high schoolers and 3 other adults for the past week and a half. The amount of work that they have been able to accomplish is mindblowing, and it just breaks my heart for how much the students are pouring out their hearts to these people. They have been showing His love as they play with orphans, visit refugee camps, feed the hungry, and build for the homeless.

You can follow what they have been doing at syisteam.livejournal.com. They have lots of pictures as well as comments from students and how their hearts have changed from this experience...it is well worth a read.

While I am so happy and proud of their hard work, I think it is time to bring my husband back.......

The Writer's Suitcase

I hope I don't throw my students off by how many new things will be up and running after break. Looks like I'm going to have to give another tour around our classroom, yet instead of it in September, it's in February! With new mini lesson materials, guided reading area, literacy work stations, post-it questions for Mrs. Evans, and now our "Writer's Suitcase", their heads are going to be spinning!

I formulated my latest idea from collaborating with my good friends in the elementary department. Some of them have instilled the idea of sending a stuffed animal and journal home every weekend with a special student. After they return with the journal, they get to share it with the class. I took this idea and changed it up a bit to fit the needs of my classroom and now we have the "Writer's Suitcase". I found this antique looking suitcase/briefcase at on of the local markets and filled it with different writing tools (pencils, little dictionary, editing pencil, a shared journal, whisper phone to read their writing, etc.). Every weekend, one of the students will be able to take it home and write about any topic that fits their interest - a favorite memory, cool recipe, how to directions for their favorite game, or a funny story. Hopefully this will work collaboratively with the parents to become a part of their learning in a way that is exciting and effective. When the special student returns on Monday, he/she get to display their writing along with a bio about themselves for they will be the "Author of the week".

Isn't this little suitcase so adorable? They are going to be so cute going home with it each weekend.

It works out perfectly that our display for each author is right where we all stand to line up. It will always be in sight for everyone in the class! Why not add a comments jar for friends to share what they like about the writing?

The "Writer's Suitcase" display :)