Celebration Saturday

 

I love linking up to a wonderful celebratory community, inspired by Ruth Ayres, every Saturday!

 

     I realized the last time I wrote a Celebration Saturday post was in August!!  I need to get back to celebrating the good stuff because sometimes the negative can take over, and that's not good!  There are a lot of wonderful things happening.  Here are some things to celebrate:

 

     1.  Monday night I hosted a Parent/Student Book Club over our 5th grade common read, Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper with the help of my assistant principal, another ELA colleague, and our elementary curriculum director.  It was wonderful to have their support!  We started the book club in September with blog discussions, and then culminated the conversations at the face-to-face meeting.  We had 18 parents and students come.  At first, I was a little disappointed with the turnout, but then I realized how many things are going on with sports, homework, activities, etc. and realized 18 was a good number.  I loved how insightful the 5th graders' comments were and how parents and kids interacted - so positive!  I also loved that parents said they enjoyed reading and discussing the book as a family.   They were ready to read another one together right away!  Books, families, and great conversations - it doesn't get better than that!

 

 

     2.  I got three new students this week in one of my 6th grade classes.  They're awesome, and I've been so impressed at how seamlessly they transitioned. 

 

     3.  After a rainy day on Wednesday, I was a little grumpy.  Plus it was Halloween dress up day for staff - yes, that would be a celebration for most people, but for me it's torture.   Read why in this Slice of Life I wrote last year.  Anyway, I was on my way to Wednesday night church, and this amazing rainbow appeared - I pulled over in my neighborhood and took a picture!

 

 

     4.  Last weekend we attended a Chi Omega Parent Tailgate event at Ohio State University to fundraise for the sorority's charity, Make-a-Wish.  My daughter, Katie, loves her sorority and was involved in the planning of the event.  We had a great time getting a behind-the-scenes look at The Shoe (the OSU stadium), eating a yummy tailgate dinner, participating in raffles, and spending time with Katie and our other daughter, Libby, and our son-in-law Jamie.  Libby and Jamie are both living in Columbus now, too, so it's fun to spend time with all three of them when we go up there.  Libby works at Nationwide Insurance and Jamie goes to the OSU law school. 

 

 

 

 

Standing on the stadium field and making candles at The Candle Lab.

 

     5.  I received an ARC of The Seventh Wish from Kate Messner and Bloomsbury Publishing and finished it this week.  Wow - what a powerful story.  It's such a privilege to get to receive these books early so I can celebrate great children's literature!  My Halloween treat to my classes was to give them the full class time to read.  I love that they respond to that gift with cheers!  I read along with them, and that's when I finished this amazing book.  Interestingly enough, it was Red Ribbon Week at my school and just when I got to the end, a member of the National Guard's Counter Drug Program came into my class to pass out red ribbons to my students.  I was able to share a little about this book while he was passing them out.  Great timing!

 

 

It feels good to celebrate again!!