HI FROM THE WINDY CITY!!!!

Ok first off, I LOVE THIS BLOG THING! BEST NEWS OF THE WEEK! Sorry I haven't written sooner but I changed e-mail to zitronam@gmail.com and stopped checking MSU very often :( so i missed a few days. KATE, I am so glad that you got put to just one grade, it will be a little easier to handle. Adia what is the deal that your room has the gym equipment? IS IT THAT BIG? Is special ed really that secondary??? Its lansing, i don't know what i was expecting! LOL! I MISS YOU ALL SO MUCH!

NEWS FROM HOME: The apartment is getting more and more put together. We officially have a dining room table and a couch. ALL OF WHICH ARE COVERED IN TEACHER STUFF! (would it be home w/o it?) Living with my sister is going well so far. It is really easy to go food shopping and having her come with me to set up at school. Its a good thing we will not be getting up together in the morning, because the bathroom isn't big enough for the 2 of us at the same time!

NEWS FROM SCHOOL: Last week was new teacher induction week, where we learned all about the district and the teachers union etc. I was never meant to sit in a chair that long for a week! It felt like being in classes again. This week I have been setting up my office. YES all Student Services Teachers have offices not classrooms, because of the push for inclusion. My school is Aldrin Elementary and it is in Schaumburg, IL. The commute sucks, it is between 45 min and 1 hour 30 depending on traffic each way. I figure if I love where i work and teach i should be good. There is one other SST (that is what we are called) and i have to be careful because she is already coming to me to complain about people! Everyone seems nice but I miss having you all their. My office is much cuter now that there is stuff in it I have a reading, writing, and math walls. The reading is great, It is called reading road and all of the signs are road signs like plot twist ahead, etc. I went to the dollar store and got toy cars and stuck them on the wall with the signs. For writing i just have typical stuff like types, markings, and types of words. For math I got some great signs with PEMDAS and parts of an equation, multiplication chart, etc. Then I turned my chalk board (yes we still have some) into a bulletin board. My rules, and tools to being a good student are up there (it is fun w/ saying related to building and construction). Then of course I had to bring FROGS in some how. My incentives wall says leap into learning and all the kids have lilypads with their names, i will write their goals on it, and that will be their incentives tracker. Outside my door is a huge frog saying welcome and my name with the room number on the lily pad. This week has been a world win. I started out with 10 on my caseload, working with 3 teachers, all 6th grade. But after reading all the IEPs i learned one moved so I am down to 9. (PS. CA60s are huge by 6th grade! ) I wrote and sent out parent and student notes today on top of reading all the files. ALL you old pros at upper EL give me some good books and resources to work with my kids. Reading levels are from 4th-6th grade mostly.

Okay, I think that is it for now! BRI thanks for letting me stay for the wedding I was so happy to see you! Kate, i wish you were closer, I miss you so much! Adia, you have to find a weekend and the three of you should come up to visit for the weekend! (PS i don't think i have seen anything accept the local walgreens since I have been here! LOL!

ENOUGH OF THE ENCYCLOPEDIA! TO BED!!!

LOTS OF LOVE,
THE FROG LADY