Mrs. Hannon's First Grade Fly on the Wall 

I don’t think I have ever had a class full of children who greet me the way this year’s class does, and it was not anything in particular I said or did to make this happen….BUT I LOVE IT! I have many who say “Good morning!” as soon as they step foot in the door. This morning, Isaac came up very close to me as I sat at my desk preparing and just gave me a huge smile. I said “What is it, Isaac? Do you need something?” He just said “I am just showing you my smile!” I LOVE IT! I had him reenact it for me as soon as I got my phone camera ready.

In addition to Isaac’s smile, I am receiving many daily greetings and hugs. It starts my day out on a very happy note!

I have purchased packing boxes from Walmart which I will have Mr. Hannon cut to use as privacy folders. I bought them last week and it still hasn’t happen. I keep promising the students they will be here soon. Today one of my students gave me a great idea. “Mrs. Hannon, I think you should tell Mr. Hannon that he won’t get dinner until he cuts those boxes!” 🙂 (I am going to try this tonight!) I will let you know how things turn out!

The first three or four weeks of school can be overwhelming for students and teachers! We are there! We have made it. Not that we won’t have to continue practicing routines, but I know that I feel very comfortable with my students and I hope they feel comfortable with me. These sweet little campers are already expressing their uniqueness as God’s children in so many wonderful ways. I am sooooo excited about our year together in our beautiful new surroundings.

Here we are taking a brain break. We need a lot of those, as the days seem long to six and seven year olds (as well as fifty something year olds!). We are dancing to the disco tune Celebration. This was during the first few days. One little face looked up at me as we were dancing and said “I NEVER want to leave this class.” Ahhh…music to my ears! Now, just to get them to think that way when I am nagging them to stop talking! 🙂

Here we are practicing our Rocket Math routine. This is fairly new but they are getting the hang of it.

Just this past week, we learned about the Blessed Trinity, and naturally used the Shamrock as a way of reminding us of the three in one, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We love hands on learning!

Finally, do you remember seeing this outside my room during back-to-school night?

Well those empty tents are now full. Using my and Mrs. Waning’s pictures as examples, I have taken photos of each of my students, cut around them, and glued them into the tents. It gives the illusion that they are on their stomachs peeking out of their tents. They are so cute! Come by and see them one day if you are able. Eventually these will come home for you, at least by the end of the year in the students’ portfolios, if not before. Scrapbook ready!

 

September has arrived! What a whirlwind June-August have been. Before I get started on this year’s Camp Care-A-Lot, I thought I’d give you a peek into my summer which will in turn tell you a bit about me. It was busy! How ’bout yours?

I played with my pets. My students will soon know if they don’t already that I am animal crazy. I have always loved animals, but I know what it is like to be a young mother and my pets weren’t such a highlight in my life when I was busy raising my four daughters. Maybe it is the result of having an empty nest.  First, this is Daisy who was a summer visitor. She belongs to my daughter Erin who was home temporarily. After you meet the rest of the gang, you will realize that yes, Mrs. Hannon ran a zoo over the summer. Daisy is 120 lb. St. Bernard/Great Pyrenees mix. Some name…a petite flower Daisy is not (even though she thinks she is).

 Next meet the “regulars.” They are Roxie (my Goldendoodle), Captain (my Mini-Schnauzer), and more recent additions I adopted from the Humane Society, Bonnie (my question mark kitty…I may explain that later), and Clyde (my lion king). They all get along quite well and provide me with lots of entertainment.

No this is not staged, and no this is not my underwear, but I WAS folding laundry and Clyde (like most cats) likes warm clothes right out of the dryer. He did this all by himself! Priceless!

Although I was trying to clean, Bonnie was determined she needed my attention more than the house.

I took a real vacation to Florida.

 After losing my father in March of last year, Ed and I took my mother to Florida with us, along with three of our four girls; only one wasn’t able to make it. Accomplishing family vacations becomes more challenging when your children grow up, so it was wonderful having almost everyone together.

I attacked my classroom! In addition to taking two professional workshops and tutoring all summer, I attacked my new classroom the remainder of the summer, went to a couple of baseballs games of last year’s students, did a little gardening, and did a little reading. It was busy and exhausting, but good exhaustion. Putting my classroom together was very exciting and fun, but my feet hurt a lot!

A blessed event. One last highlight of my summer was being privileged to act as the “on call” person for the mother of a former student who was expecting her third child this summer. With no family in town, I volunteered to help out should they need to run to the hospital before grandparents could arrive. I got a call one morning around 4:30 a.m. with dad telling me maybe to show up around 7. Being a mother and knowing how dads operate (and this being the third child), I went ahead and got ready to go. Good thing, since dad called me back and told me I should probably come right away (which I had already figured out on my own). Good thing too, since sweet baby Faye Anne Elyse arrived about 40 minutes after they got to the hospital. While I didn’t want to invade this special time, dad insisted I come to the hospital with Fay’s older siblings to meet this sweet sweet blessing. I am still on cloud nine. I sort of feel like a grandma. Pictures were taken and are being posted with permission. I imagine some of you know my special friends.

 

Well, that was my summer in a nutshell and it feels like eons ago in a way, and just like yesterday in others.  I am not ready to get going on my new school year. This is going to be fun!