Last Day of School Letter

Dear Fourth Grade Class of 2013-2014,

Well, we made it. No one died. I didn't lose anyone, well for very long. We laughed. We cried. We all learned at least something. It was a crazy ride and now it is over.

Some of my favorite memories are:

• Literacy lunch- thanks for making that successful 
• Watching you problem solve
• Snow shoeing in Rocky Mountain National Park
• Trying out a new writing program with you
• Reading The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane to you and seeing your reaction and passion for the story
• Introducing you to Billy, Old Dan and Little Ann
• The challenge that you gave me each and every day
• Teaching you the "old way" of doing multiplication and division
• Getting letters from you each month
• The first ever Slice of Life Challenge

I am excited to see what life has for you all. I hope to see several of you on the stage, court and field. You have so much potential, each and everyone of you. Thank you for allowing me to have a small hand in this.

Love,

Ms. Wilson

Success

I did it! I delivered my speech to the graduating fifth grade class! I think it went delightfully well I must say so myself! The kids laughed and I was told that a few even almost cried! Nailed it!

I also reached 10,000 page views today on my blog! On the 30th of April I celebrated my blogiversary, but was so wrapped up in life that I didn't get a blog post up. I did have a little private celebration while waiting for Kris to show up and devour some breakfast burritos with me!

I tried to find a cupcake, but it turns out that you can't buy just a single cupcake. Maybe next year. Anyway, happy one year *heart flutters*

On Friday, I will have successfully completed my eighth year of teaching. It is hard to believe that I have been at it that long. I have truly enjoyed the ride and tonight was a great reason why. It was such an honor to speak at the continuation and see such a great group of students. Before I know it, they will be walking across the high school graduation stage.

What have been some of your successes lately?

Snow, Coffee and Encouragement

One week of school left. Five days, well four now as I write this. I think everyone is ready.

This is what we woke up to this morning. Heavy, wet snow covered just about everything. No Chacos for this girl today. I am once again house sitting and Ted had to sit out all night. We aren't used to having to clean him off in the mornings. Crazy Colorado weather!

With staying in the big city of Fort Morgan, I was able to swing by and pick up some of these for my team teacher and myself. Liquid heaven.

And now I have finished putting the finishing touches on my speech for tomorrow night while listening to Jason Mraz instructing us to "live in the moment." Not a bad day.

Wish me luck for tomorrow and check back for a copy of my two cents I dispensed to the adventurous fifth graders.

2014 Ms. Wilson Award

Every year I have a Newbery contest in my classroom. Students read Newbery books all year long and get credit for them. The student who reads the most wins at the end of the year. They did recognized at the end of the year awards ceremony and their name goes up in the hall of fame. You can read about last years winners here.

The other day we were sitting around (what else do you do with eight days of school left?) talking about books and a few students thought that we should start our own list of "award" books. The books in the running would be the books that I read to them out loud during read aloud. Ok I am game!

Today was the day we voted. Oh how they whined when I told them they had to pick just one!

We had five to choose from:

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
Dog's Don't Tell Jokes by Louis Sachar
Soup on Ice by Robert Newton Peck
Where the Red Fern Grows by  Wilson Rawls
A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd

I wanted them to pick a book and then give me three reasons why they wanted that book to win. It took them about five minutes and the votes were in.

The winner is....... click here to find out!

Have you read any of these books? Which one would you have picked to win the award?

We Pick YOU Ms. Wilson!

Well hello! It has been almost a month since I last posted and I have had a few requests to post. I have often had plans the last month to sit down and write, but something always came up. So now here I am.

I am in the middle of a *heart flutter* as we speak (or is it write/read?) It is raining, I have the window open and have a cup of chai tea sitting next to me. *sigh* This feels good!

School is coming to a close and everyone knows it and is counting down. With school ending I am thinking about next year. Sounds weird right? We haven't even finished this one and summer is coming, why would I think about next year? I guess this is kind of normal. What really is happening is looking back at this year and reflecting on what went well and what didn't. What I want to do next year and what I know I don't want to do. So I am not really thinking about next year, but kind of am.

Anyway, with school ending, we have some pretty excited fifth graders that will be leaving our building this year and traveling to the middle school and they are going to have a continuation ceremony complete with a speaker! They voted me to be that speaker. GULP. I have to give a motivational speech!

I am thankful for the honor, but also a little nervous and worried. The last time I was supposed to give a speech, I didn't do a fantastic job. This is my chance to redeem myself!

Once I am finished with this blog post, I am going to reach into the depths of my memory and think of things that happened last school year to pull from. Also some wisdom is hopefully in there somewhere. Wish me luck!

Do you have any advice for soon to be middle schoolers?

*Heart Flutter* Letters

Dear Knowledge Bound, you are filled with endless inspiration and dreams. Thank you for your new words, resources and Peanuts lesson plan book. I can't wait to get started on planning for next year. Also, thanks for having the coolest pens every, even though I don't need one. more. pen.

Dear Shutts Family, using your Netflix account made my day and kept me from losing it on a windy day. One and a half disc of Elliot down, a thousand more to go.

Dear Scotti, three months without seeing you is way too long. Tell Kansas that I want you back and Oklahoma can't have you.

Dear Kitchen, You are squeaky clean, newly organized and ready for some adventure. This may just be me finding my way around you, but I am willing to give it a go, if you are.

Dear Bedroom, I woke up this morning wondering if you really were new and improved. I am one lucky girl!

Dear Dawnelle, I honestly could not have done it without you. You have given me an amazing gift and I am very thankful. Let me know when you want to tackle the rest of the house.

Dear Keason, I am sorry that you didn't find Narnia. Keep trying.

Dear Wyoming, I may be coming to visit, but that doesn't mean that I like you. You better bring your A game.

Back In Time

"If I could go back in time..."

I have been thinking of this FTSF for some time now and what I was going to do with it. I had many different ideas, but it seemed that I always came back to one certain topic. I was set to write about it, but as I sit here looking at the screen, my body is freaking out. I apparently have some anxiety on the issue that I wasn't aware of. 

I don't have any regrets in life. I feel that everything in life happens for a reason and they shape you into what you are now, good or bad. I have things that I wish were different, but not regrets.

My sophomore year of college I met a guy. He knocked on the door to my dorm room one morning and it was all down hill from there. I am not thinking I am going to share much of our story here, but it had it's ups and downs. It probably had more downs then ups. 

This was my first experience with what I thought could have been a fairy tale ending, but I was lacking in knowledge and experience. I made a lot of mistakes and caused myself (and probably him) a lot of pain.

Our story ended almost nine years ago. It ended with lessons learned, wounds that would eventually become scars that would remind us both of our journey, but it didn't end with regrets.

If I could go back in time, I would go back to our story. I would write it differently. I wouldn't write it to where Prince Charming rides off with Sleeping Beauty, but I would rewrite it to where I wouldn't have spent so much of my time, energy and being on our relationship. I often wonder what I missed out on while being so enthralled in this story that I wanted so badly. What story did I keep him from? I know that I missed out on times with my friends because I was crying in my room, refusing to go out. Or spent more time worrying about what was going on with him instead of studying or preparing for class. There is so much more that I can't even fathom that I could have missed out on.

I will never get these chances back to see what I missed, but I do keep this story in mind as I write current stories. How do I want these stories to go? Will I look back ten years from now and be happy with the way I wrote my side of the story?

I wouldn't change our story for anything, and now look at my scars with fondness and strength.

What would you do if you could go back in time?