Back to School! Currently and More...

Whoa! I have not blogged since March...

A lot has been going on since then, summer break (where did that go?...too short...) and now Back-to-School. I am teaching 2nd grade again in Northern Virginia. I used to loop, 1st to 2nd and back again, but this year my team has a changed a bit and we have stayed in 2nd grade. 

Today was the first day of school...and crazy enough, I did almost everything on my plans AND all my kiddos got on the right bus, home, safe and sound. MRS.OLES-1, 2015-16 FAILS-0...so far!

Here is a peek at my room set-up this year...

And here is my 1st GRADER! O.M.G. She is getting too grown up! I love that she attends my school and that I can be as much of a part of her education as possible. We started reading Junie B. Jones, Toothless Wonder last night and she is in LOVE with Junie! 

Here are my first week Visual Plans sharing with you through Mrs. Wills Peek at My Week...

and CURRENTLY, thanks to Farley over at Oh Boy Fourth Grade

Listening- My daughter is obsessed with this movie...so tonight we sat down to watch it together. It's cute!

Loving- I have a cute new group of 2nd graders...TONS of different personalities.

Thinking- Our 2nd grade is bursting at the seems! Our principal has told us we will be getting a 6th teacher soon. It will be great for numbers, but it'll be hard to move a few kiddos.

Wanting- Just posted a new Donors Choose project for mini iPads...hoping to get it funded soon! Feeling in the mood for giving...check it out

Needing- I am doing a 30 day challenge with some friends to eat clean...I'm trying my best! 

I hope to not go another 5 months before blogging again. Hope everyone is having a great start to the school year! Here is a little FREEBIE! 

March Currently

I cannot BELIEVE it is March already. Although we have had 7 snow days in the past 4 weeks and 9-10 2 hour delays...feels like we haven't been in school at all. I'm not going to complain about that! Love the snow days, but I am looking forward to warmer temps.

Linking up with Farley for the March Currently...

And now I leave you with something cute...Addyson started gymnastics yesterday and she LOVES it! 

February Currently and NEW TpT Product!

It's been a while since I have blogged...over two months! I have never missed a Currently, in the 18+ months that I have been blogging, but I did miss it for the start of the new year...whoops! We have been busy and I have been going going going with school, exercising, and entertaining friends and family. I sat down today, first time in almost a year, and created a new TpT product. Since we are learning about Famous Americans in social studies right now and my class has been loving task cards, I made just that...Famous American Task Cards.

Virginia SOLs are pretty specific when it comes to our social studies units and I have always found it a bit hard to find things to use, especially something that second graders would understand. So these cards go over VA SOL 2.11 and include task cards on George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Jackie Robinson, Helen Keller, Susan B. Anthony and Martin Luther King, Jr. These Americans are famous everywhere, not just in the state of Virginia, so although I made them for VA 2nd graders, they can be used in many different elementary grade classrooms across the country. 

Okay...on to CURRENTLY with Farley over at Oh Boy 4th Grade!

listening...My husband and I absolutely LOVE The Blacklist on NBC. It was actually last year on a snow day that we had that we sat down and watched 5-6 episodes and got hooked...Reddington better be her father or else I will be disappointed!

loving...We are forecasted to have 6-10 inches of snow tonight in NOVA. We have not had a good snow storm all winter, and being from upstate NY, where they have gotten a TON of snow lately, we were feeling like we were missing out. Crazy part is that 6-10 inches would cripple our area...probably 2 snow days if we get at least 6 inches, unless the sun comes out tomorrow and melts it all. I was off last Friday and today being President's Day, gave me a 4 day weekend...I wouldn't mind a few more!

thinking...I LOVE my Fit Bit! I got the Charge for Christmas from my mother in law and I have been OCD about meeting my goals (10,000 steps, 5 miles, 2, 570 calories, and 10 flights of stairs). I have lost almost 10 pounds since New Year's and I owe a lot of it to my Fit Bit.

wanting... The week off...'nuff said!

needing...To keep up my motivation! The Fit Bit helps so much. I also signed up for 10K in the end of April and I have made it to 4 miles without stopping! I did a 5.5 miler last weekend, but had to stop and walk a few times. My husband and parents went in on a treadmill for me for Christmas and it has definitely been used this last 6 weeks. I try to run 3 times a week and then all other nights at least get to my 10,000 steps and walk on the treadmill while I watch a DVR show. 

pageant name...This was tough, but I have a very OCD, ready to go, always willing to do something type of personality. I do my job and I am always prepared for the week ahead...so therefore...Mrs. Always Prepared is what I came up with. 

Well...now, time to enjoy being lazy...already have 12,510 steps for the day since I ran this morning so it's time to watch the snow fall and wait for the snow day call! If you are in the path of Winter Storm Octavia...stay safe and enjoy the snow!

December Currently

Well, I totally forgot about Currently this month with Oh Boy Fourth Grade...it's already the 13th of the month, whoops!

These past few months have been pretty crazy and hectic at school, but I was fortunate enough to have an amazing student teacher. Her last day was on Friday and I am going miss her when I go to school on Monday. She always helped me remember all the millions of things that I would say out loud that I needed to do. She would put a ziplock bag in my school bag with a note reminding me that I need more k cups at school for my afternoon coffee (which I would not be happy about missing!). I couldn't figure out what to get her as a parting gift, so since it is the holidays, I gave her a $100 Visa card and hoped that it would help her out with whatever she needed. 
As for the other Currently items...a personal chef would make my live so much easier! I do not like grocery shopping so my husband does that and has for a long time. But I would love it for someone to make my meals and tell me what is healthy to eat. I try my best to make healthy meals (which brings me to the next item)...starting to eat clean again. I want to completely cut wheat out of my diet and processed foods. We were really good at it in the beginning of the school year but then our week in the hospital threw us a curve ball. I got a treadmill as part of my Christmas gift from my parents and my husband...so I have been trying to get on that when we get home from school at least 3 nights a week. I just get so tired being at school all day...I have to find a balance!
It's perfect that the last item for this months Currently is giving...my daughter and I just finished packing three boxes of her toys that she hasn't played with in a long time to give a family at my school. I was pretty proud of her with how cool she was about giving so much away. And tomorrow we are going to make cookies with family and I plan on making little bins up for my office ladies, the custodians, and others. I don't get my nails or hair done regularly, but we do have a cleaning lady, so we will be leaving her some extra cash as well. 
And here are a few of my holiday products on TpT...head on over to check them out! My Polar Express packet has been popular the past two years. 

         

         

Happy Holidays!

November Currently...Make way for the Holiday Season!

It is my MOST favorite time of the year! Once Halloween has past, I really get into the holiday mood...which includes making sure that I have all my favorite Hallmark movies set to record on my DVR. The end of the first marking quarter was on Friday...cannot believe that 1/4 of the year is over already...and that I only have my student teacher for another 6 weeks! Friday wasn't only the end of the marking quarter, but also Storybook Character day and the 2nd grade team dressed up like crayons from The Day the Crayons Quit!

And my spunky little 5 year old was Elsa by day and then Aurora by night!

Now for my favorite part of the month: CURRENTLY! I have been bad about blogging this school year except, I never forget a Currently. 

November only has 15 school days for us here in NOVA. This coming week we only have the kiddos for 3 days due to a teacher workday and election day. Followed by Veteran's Day and the Thanksgiving break. If you are in need of some holiday inspired activities, take a look at some of my TpT items!

October Currently...A TREAT for FALL!

Not sure how it is October already...September went by so fast! Especially since we went a week of it in the hospital with our daughter. She had a respiratory virus that sent her into an awful asthma attack. It was the scariest thing I've ever dealt with in my life. My girl had to work so hard to breathe and had to spent 2 days in ICU before we were moved into a regular PEDS room. But, she is healthy now and the virus just had to run its course.

My classroom, on the third week of school, might have been a mess, if it weren't for my amazing student teacher! She took over with a sub being in the room and made it so much easier not having to worry about school. 

So here we go...my monthly blog...and what always gets me to finally do it? CURRENTLY!

TREAT time! This is one of my favorite books to read during the holidays. It is perfect for teaching sequencing. Enjoy the I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie for free by clicking on the cover page. 

Not only did we spend the week in the hospital, but on Saturday, I figured out that my external hard drive crashed...done...couldn't even back up any of my files! I thought I was going to cry. But fortunately enough, I backed up most of my files back in the spring and the only files I lost were my newest for this year, but most are on google drive! Phew! Good thing I backed all my TpT items up in the spring, or else I wouldn't have a TREAT for you! 

ENJOY!

September CURRENTLY, Visual Plans and My Chairless Classroom...Back to School!

I'm not even sure how I am awake to write this post, but I hate to miss a CURRENTLY!!!

...I started this post a couple of days ago but then realized that I had no pictures of my room! You all have to see my chair-less classroom. I am still working out some of the kinks, but it is pretty cool.

As you can see, there are different types of seating available in my classroom including bean bag chairs, bucket seats, stability balls, a lowered table for sitting on pillows at the floor and desks that have been raised for students seating on stools or that like to stand. My theme thing year is black and white chevron and owls...if you like it, head on over to TpT to buy my theme bundle...

First Day of School... Addy- K, Mommy- 2nd and Daddy- 4th (at a different school)

Crazy enough, my daughter Addyson also started kindergarten this year! And she is attending my school. She did really well the first day, but they had some meltdowns later this week. It was really hard for her to see me in the halls and at lunch and not be able to run and give me a hug. With a little time, I am sure she will adapt just fine. 

And I leave you with my first two weeks of lesson plans! I have a student teacher this year, so I have to be on top on my planning! Good thing I use visual plans along and link up with Mrs. Laffin Mrs. Wills! 

Week 1

Week 2

Looking forward to a year with my second graders!