542 Things.

Good morning, friends! I hope I can still call you all that... I haven't been a very good friend the past, oh, FIVE MONTHS or so! :/ I'm not gonna give excuses, though... just gonna do some quick updates and then hope to get back to my blogstalking that I enjoy oh-so-much! :-)

* This school year was TREMENDOUS. Seriously. For the first year in at least 5, my class never had to evacute our classroom due to an unsafe student situation. My kids were kind. They were incredibly smart. They had great senses of humor. It was such a fun year... but I was glad to see it end, naturally :-)

* I was happy to see it end b/c I get to spend all summer with this cute little man! Does life get any better?!?

Well, it'll be better now that we've gotten allergies, a hospital stay, a double ear infection, and Hand Foot Mouth out of the way. What a way to start off our summer

* It'll also be getting better... in September when Baby Boy #2 joins our family!! I can't wait to see if this little guy follows after his easy-going, sweet brother, or if we'll have a little spit fire on our hands ;)

* This school year will not only begin with maternity leave after only a couple weeks of school to get my routines established... but it'll also start at a NEW SCHOOL! My principal was asked to open up the new elementary in our district, and I was a lucky one to get my transfer approved to follow her there! The building I just spent 7+ years in is the oldest in the district with very outdated security, electrical problems, mold... you name it. It'll be SO NICE to get to start with a clean slate! Now we just need construction to finish so we can get in and get working....!!!

Ok... off I go now to check out the Monday Made-Its that I've missed out on. I have to see what the latest trends are so I can join in the fun during nap times!! :-)

It's nice to be back... however often that may be ;)

Help me with... Common Core WRITING!!

Ok... Eeek!!! We reported back today at school for a grades/teacher work day, and let's just say - knowing that I only have 5 more months to get my little ones where they need to be for 2nd grade kinda hit me H.A.R.D.!!

I was looking through my lack of plans for next week then the babies return, and realized... my writing time just isn't cutting it. No sirree. The writing basics taught in our basal series just aren't keeping up with the CCSS, so when we do our end of quarter writing pieces for their portfolios, I can totally see that these kids are lacking a lot of the skills they need to know!! :(

So, here's where your help will come in and be INVALUABLE :-)

The wonderful Deedee Wills and Deanna Jump have created some really great units (Writing Through the Year) for their lucky dog kinders. These units lay out daily lesson plans for writer's workshop, offer anchor charts, brainstorming pages... everything to make my lesson planning a cinch! Buuuut. They're really geared for kindergarten. Have any of you first grade teachers used these packs in your own classroom? Do they get "beefy" enough for our kids to be ready for 2nd grade writing?

OR...

Is there some genius first grade teacher/team that's put together something like these for us?!?! I have never taught writer's workshop before (I know, I know...), but seeing the success of D5, math workshop, intervention groups, etc, I think that's the direction I need to head for this semester with my class.

I'll gladly make my own plans and come up with something sort-of-fabulous for my kids. But, if it's already been done, I'd rather use a tried and true unit!! :-)

Leave me links to TpT/TN products that have been wonderful for your kids. Connect me with blog posts about how you run your writing time and give me some great pointers. I owe you. BIG TIME.

{Oh... and all of you still on Break... I'm.So.Jealous.}