First Day of School!

          It's amazing how quickly the first day of school snuck right up.  It was a marathon trying to get everything set up, but by Tuesday night, the room was all ready for Open House.  This Open House was so great because I knew all of the students (besides two) and their parents, so it was nice to see everyone again and hear how their summers were.  

          Wednesday was the first day, and it was fantastic.  Looping is such an amazing thing, and I hope I have the opportunity to do it more.  I know my students, so on the first day, we were all comfortable and ready to get back to work.  Of course there were first day things that needed to be taken care of, but because I know the kids from last year, I know what they can and can't do, what accommodations help them work best, and how to keep the ones in line who need help making the right choices.  One of my paras worked in the room last year, so that is great, too.

          5th grade is very different from 4th grade, and requires the students to really step up and take on more responsibility.  I am so impressed with how the kids have stepped up to the plate and really taken on the role of 5th graders.  They have lockers, they are in charge of writing their homework assignments down, they switch classes, and are given more freedoms.  They have done a great job transitioning out of the elementary part of the school and into the middle school side.

          I absolutely love my job.  Although there are some days that are better or worse than others, I feel so lucky to be able to hang out with kids all day.  I like them and they like me and we all work well together.  The two new students are transitioning well into the new school and are a great fit for our class.  I am so happy the first day, and the first week, went well.  I makes me look forward to the 176 days we have left together!  I look back fondly on all of my classes, and I feel very fortunate to have this class a second year in a row.  It's fantastic!

          Here are some pictures of the room right before Open House.  The papers on the desks are parent info sheets, and the things on the back table are their name plates for them to pick their seats.