Five for Friday Weekly Linky Party - With President's Day Activities

This was a very long week - our first full week since coming back from winter break (too many days off due to snow days)!  I thought it would never end.  Here are some of our fun activities along with some whining on my part (sorry).  Five for Friday, here we go!

1

I don't know about anyone else, but I am really susceptible to the power of suggestion.  One of my darlings came to school with ringworm on her face.  Another student was itching and thought she had lice (she didn't, just a drama queen).  Of course, I got completely grossed out.  After many showers later and washing all of my clothes (I thought that burning them went too far), I finally feel better.  

2

For our Fun Friday activity this week, I focused on President's Day.  For our big activity, we made Abraham Lincoln's log cabin.  I had students save their empty milk cartons.  They spread peanut butter on each side and put pretzels on it.  They had a lot of fun, and the log cabins came out so cute.

These are much cuter in person.  The picture doesn't really capture the actual "log cabin."  I am just glad there are no peanut allergies in my class.  I am also super excited that I can have food in my class.  My school has not jumped on the anti-food bandwagon.

3

The second activity was an interactive tour of the White House.  This website allows students to view different areas of the White House.  There are videos for the students to watch too.  I recommend putting the website in yourself.  I can't confirm this, but I did hear www.whitehouse.com is a porn website.  Three little letters can make a huge difference (www.whitehouse.gov)!

Just one of the many pictures that the students can see on their "tour."

4

We have been working on the 12 Powerful Words by Larry Bell this year.  This came in handy when we were doing our PARCC prep today.  The title was Analyze Literature.  One student immediately said that we have to break it down.  Other students wanted me to take a picture and send it to Larry Bell (once they realized that he was still was alive)!  Sometimes, my students amaze me.

5

Here goes my whining.  I got a new student yesterday.  She was awful!  I started off feeling badly for her as she told me she didn't know how to read - until she told me that her teacher before didn't teach her because she was mean and ugly.  

By lunch, I was ready to chuck her out the window.  Normally I do not like to flip cards of students on their first day, but I could not take it anymore.  I am not the only one to think poorly of her.  Our Dean of Discipline had issues with her at lunch.  Apparently she wanted to fight with people who had the nerve to ask her name or just look at her.  As one teacher told me, her mom must have been anxious to get her out of the house to have her first day be one that had 4-7 inches of snow.  The rest of the year is going to be a long one!