Field Day

Do you remember having field day as a kid? I LOVED field day when I was little. It was one of the year's most highly anticipated activities. We would go to the high school across the street (literally) and do track and field events all day. Looking back, I'm not sure what made it the most fun day of the year because by the end of the day you are hot, tired and dehydrated. But hopefully you have the blue ribbon in horseshoes or bocci ball that makes the whole day worthwhile.
Today was field day at CHS. As a teacher, I had the honor to be in charge of one of the stations. I was in charge of the obstacle course, the one activity that no matter how coordinated or talented you are, there is at least one part of the obstacle course that you are absolutely horrible at. This obstacle course entailed three major things (it was a small course)...running, stepping quickly through hoola hoops on the ground....running....crawling under ropes...with a potato sack race to finish it off. Up until today, I thought watching grown men spin around with their heads on a baseball bat and then trying to run in a straight line could be the funniest thing I've ever seen. Now I know this is not true. The funniest thing I've ever seen is now watching kindergartners run in potato sacks. No words can actually describe what it was like to watch these little five and six year olds struggle to make it to that finish line. I don't think one made it without falling at least once...it was amazing. I know I shouldn't laugh at kids who are still developing basic coordination but as a teacher I reserve the right to laugh at the funny things kids do. Now the older kids should be pretty well coordinated by now right? Absolutely not! It wasn't so much the potato sacks that got to them...it was the stepping through hoola hoops that they just couldn't quite get. I have to say, despite the 90 degree weather, it was a great field day. It's nice to have field day to look forward to again after all these years. Only 1/2 a day to go!

A Note Home...

So we're in class and I'm teaching. And I see "Bobby" hit "Joe" on the head. I say, "Bobby, why did you just hit Joe?" He just shuts down and refuses to answer. Well, I figure it had to be on purpose and just to be mean. So I send a note home. The note reads...
"I regret to inform you that your child exhibited the following misbehavior during music class
today: was discouteous to others. Comments: Bobby hit Joe in the head and would not say
why."

The note comes back signed by a parent and this is what they wrote: Bobby stated he wanted to talk during instruction time with Joe and Joe didn't talk back so Bobby slapped Joe on the top of the head to get his attention."

Well...that explains it all! Forgive me for sending a note home, I didn't realize it was all because he wanted to talk during instruction time!!! Parents...sigh.

This is my niece Alison at her first music program in Mexico. Her blonde hair is like having a spotlight on her...she's a natural born star! 

Here are three of my sweet kindergartners! 

Looking back on the year, I realize that I have not posted any pics of my students! Here are the 1st graders performing "The Penguin Polka!" 

FYI...

I changed my blog settings so everyone can post comments on my blog. So feel free to share any and all comments on my site! Have a fantastick day!!

My big brother and I with the Hollywood sign...that's right the sign is covered with clouds! He will be back in Iraq next month so please keep him in your prayers! 

Random Retirement Home Comment

I love people who say the most random things...I have an 11th grader who hasn't much tact and is one of the most random people I know. As you can imagine, this provides much entertainment (and frustration) to my life.
On the way to the retirement home, she was riding with one of my colleagues. As they pulled up to the home, Lori (the teacher) remarked that it was a very nice facility. And my 11th grader says, "Yeah, I would put my old person here." She was so serious! HA! I laughed so hard when Lori told me!

A Field Trip to the Retirement Home

I believe it's important to give my students as many performance opportunities as possible in as many different places as possible. For this reason, I took them on a field trip to a local retirement home. Now I've sung at a lot of retirement homes and not one of those experiences was like this one.
We arrived and there was a grueling tournament of Dominoes going on. This presented a problem because no one wanted to leave their game so we sang an entire concert to two people, one of which had no idea what was going on! One lady rolled her wheelchair up to the choir and started talking to the students in the middle of one of our songs! They didn't know what to do. Then this same lady took one of my girls' water bottle and began drinking out of it!

After our concert, we decided to take a break and wait for the dominoes to end and then sing a couple of our songs again once we had an actual audience. Well during our break, two ladies began arguing with one another and one of them grabbed my music stand and tried to push the other lady with it!

Another lady was yelling obscenities across the room.

Then, finally, we were singing again and one lady started yelling at one of our teachers thinking she was someone else. From across the room she yelled "Sharon go get the car...can you hear me? Are you listening to me?" Over and over.

It was quite the experience for my students. Most of them have not been in a situation like this. I explained that it was important that we visit these places because if we can make one person's day then it's worth it. It was a stressful experience but it was well worth it, and we'll go back again...hopefully when there is not a serious game of Dominoes going on!

Ameteur vs. Mature

So yesterday in third grade we were reading about Franz Liszt's life. The biography stated that his father was a skilled ameteur cellist. I asked the kids what the word "ameteur" meant. Jennifer raises her hand and says, "Ameteur is kind of like mature. People who are ameteur think they are mature and that they know everything, but they don't!" I was like, "that was an excellent guess, it does sound like mature doesn't it?" She was so sure of its meaning and said everything so "matter of fact." It was great!

WARNING!!

I've just been informed that I will be chaperoning the high school end of year trip to Colorado. I just want to give all my loyal readers that I am sure to have a bunch of amazingly funny stories when I get back! Just imagine...me, 20 crazy high schoolers, white water rafting, camping, repelling and hiking...it's sure to be a good time for all involved! HA! Stay tuned...

I'm Not Too Old to Be Single...At Least I Thought I Wasn't!

So I'm sitting in study hall explaining I can't set the alarm for their fifteen minutes of reading because I left my cell phone at home and one girl is like "you mean you couldn't call your boyfriend today?" And for about the thousandth time I was like "I don't have a boyfriend" (just so you know, there's nothing quite like arguing or pleading your case with a 1st grader). Then the second graders got involved and said "Miss Stephens you really need to find someone to go on a date with!" I was like "thanks a lot girls!" Then one says quite desperately, "you need to get married, have kids...be a grandma!" I was like "whoa, I'm not old enough to be a grandma" and they ask "how old are you?" I say "24 next month," they say, "MISS STEPHENS YOU REALLY NEED TO GET MARRIED!" While my sweet 1st grade boy yells over everyone, "Be quiet! Be nice to Miss Stephens!!" This is the same boy who said I had nice teeth (see previous post). It's so nice to have someone on my side!!