6:00 a.m. run to Meijers to get jelly beans for Pen Pal project and flowers for date with Andy.
6:30 a.m. at school separating jelly bean things and getting ready for the craziness ahead.
7:00 a.m. cutting the last few egg cartons for the afternoon art project
7:30 a.m. gather with staff to pray our daily lenten prayer together
7:40 a.m. fill up two water bottles (in case I don't get back to the drinking fountain)
7:45 a.m. greet Care Corner Kids and remind them to wear their mass crosses
7:50 a.m. Go thru notes, take attendance, and watch journalists hard at work
8:00 a.m. Journals are away and we are off to mass
8:50 a.m. Back from mass and a special announcement to thank them for their best mass behavior ever!
8:55 a.m. Bathroom breaks, hanging up mass crosses and passing out two sets of materials for bunny baskets with pen pals.
9:05 a.m. Pen pals come and we work on bunny project (I take the reading and spelling words off the board to prepare for tests and open certificates that parents sent in...see 10 a.m.).
9:30 a.m. Spelling tests
9:45 a.m. Reading tests
10:00 a.m. Celebrate Week of the Young Child and present surprise certificates their parents wrote for them to each child individually. Mrs. McKerr (super teacher aide) helped and it made the presentation extra special. We give them bunny marshmallows because they are "some bunny" special.
10:10 a.m. Show and tell. While they are showing and telling I hang their certificates from their cubbies to serve as a decoration for Week of the Young Child.
10:30 a.m. Lunch prayer and thank them for an amazing morning. Take them down to recess/lunch.
10:35 a.m. Talk with principal over next year's calendar and next week's meeting regarding one of my students.
10:50 a.m. Eat sandwich and applesauce (even on busy days I rarely miss a meal.)
11:10 a.m. Powder nose and go to cafeteria to sit with students for a few minutes.
11:15 a.m. Journal Catch Up time and I cut and prepare more egg cartons for art project this afternoon and put grass in the newly made bunny baskets.
11:30 a.m. Reader of the Day and Storytime. Our art project is Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper so I read the story of The Last Supper.
11:45 a.m. Storytime continues...Friday is Silly Story Day so we read "Do Not Open This Book!"
Noon: Do Religion page about Palm Sunday
12:05 p.m. Do the Jelly Bean Prayer, read it together and color jelly beans appropriate colors.
12:10 p.m. Pass out small bag of jelly beans and pray the Jelly Bean Prayer together as we place the jelly beans in our baskets. (We do not eat any of the jelly beans in honor of those who gave up candy for Lent.)
12:20 p.m. Add final coloring touches to Stations of the Cross book. (Take bathroom breaks and sharpen colored pencils by team.)
12:30 p.m. Stations of the Cross book goes carefully in their cubby to take home and teach their family.
12:35 p.m. Special World of Art project - making egg cartons into the table for The Last Supper, color table cloths and Jesus and his "friends" to place in the egg carton....errr to place around "the table".
12:55 p.m. Still coloring (Jesus had a lot of friends) and I try to correct spelling and reading tests while the super World of Art parents help the kids. (I only got 4 - out of 48 tests - done)
1:00 p.m. Still coloring but parents and teachers begin to tape the table cloths on the egg cartons and help kids glue Jesus and disciples. (I am putting the bunny baskets and jelly bean prayers in big baggies to take home today.)
1:10 p.m. Searching for lost disciples as we glue them on we realize some have left the dinner...or gone to another desk for dinner. 13 pieces are a lot for a first grader to keep track of.
1:15 p.m. Finish up The Last Supper projects and the kids LOVE them. Who knew a foamy egg carton and a pretend table cloth and paper people could muster up so much pride in their work. Thanks, WOA moms!!
1:20 p.m. Pass out popsicles to celebrate Leonardo da Vinci's birthday today. A little birthday party. The popsicles have melted a bit so while they are going back to their seats red (yes...RED) popsicle drips on our gathering rug. My great friend Chris stopped in to check on the cute project and she becomes the carpet cleaner.
1:30 p.m. We are off to gym class and I just know there won't be time to dip into the jelly beans.
1:35 p.m. Correct those spelling and reading tests. Record both sets in gradebook. Highlight our picnic date in May's calendar. The one sent home from the office had the wrong date. Put all 3 things in cubbies.
2:05 p.m. Sneak a few of those jelly beans.
2:10 p.m. Head to gym to pick up kids.
2:15 p.m. Back in the classroom and several moms and some teachers have joined us to do "Footloose".
We cranked that puppy up and rocked Care Corner. Everybody cut Footloose!!
2:20 p.m. Pack up to go home. Not easy with a bunny basket and an entire last supper.
2:25 p.m. Friendship circle...I wish them a Happy Palm Sunday, thank them for a great week and we do our sending prayer and sending song.
2:30 p.m. Bussers to the bus. Daycare kids to daycare. Car Riders make announcements (it's the kids' turn to share whatever stories or news they didn't get to share during the day.)
2:35 p.m. Take kids to the car line and hugs goodbye.
2:45 p.m. Back to classroom to straighten a bit (It will all be there tomorrow morning when I come in.)
3:00 p.m. Wish Harry (the hamster) a good night and grab the flowers and head to my weekly date with Andy.
3:05 p.m. Leaving early for me but it's been a long, busy day. Exhale.