happy halloween

Happy Halloween from 1st Grade! 

motley crew 1

motley crew 2

motley crew 3

Actually St. Mother Theodore Guerin does not belong in this group...oops!

report card central

The only thing missing is the candle burning at both ends...couldn't find one!!

paper products unplugged

Some years ago the paper towel dispensers were removed from the bathrooms at St. Chris...scandalous, I know.  The thinking was... there was tooooo much paper "mess"...hello...200+ kids doing what they are supposed to be doing...washing and drying hands...at least that's what all the signs on the walls told the kids to do.  The dispensers were replaced with two hand dryers per bathroom so now we have 200+ kids and two pitiful dryers (not the kind at the movie theaters that make your skin quiver...love those).  With teachers telling the kids to hurry in there, kids did what kids do...they skipped the washing and drying step...appalling!  So...in the interest of trying to keep kids healthy (and me from catching all their germs) I started buying my own darn paper towels!

Next thing I did was to put out an SOS plea to my parents for help and the paper towels came rolling in (literally).  So far this year only a few parents have heeded the same call and I am scouring the stores for paper towel "deals".  

Thomas and Noah

Canann and Makayla

Today we conducted a little hand drying test and the results were as follows:

2 kids=50 seconds at the dryers

25 kids=7 minutes per bathroom break

5 "official" breaks a day=35 minutes a day

AND that's just drying time AND that's if NO other class is in the restrooms at the same time and that NEVER happens!  

So...for the sake of good hygiene,  your child's educational time and my pocketbook PLEASE help!  Should your kids have to bring paper towels to school...no!  But I really am at a loss for a better solution and I want everyone to stay healthy!

when did grandparents become my "peeps"?

I started teaching at St. Chris when I was in my 30's (VERY late 30's I will admit), and have continued through my 40's and 50's AND I still thought of all these people who showed up for Grandparent's Day as kind of me versus them. However, now that I've crept into my 60's, as I looked over the crowd Monday, the reality of it hit me...THESE ARE MY PEOPLE!!!!  Whoa...and just when did that happen?                                                                  

Here we are practicing for our big "gig" for Grandparent's Day...excuse the fact that I had to push Mrs. Allspaw out of the picture in order to get everyone in!

Next year I think I am going to volunteer to "MC" Grandparent's Day because...after all...THESE ARE MY PEOPLE!!!

aliens?

 This picture cracks me up!!!!

It's a bird, it's a plane...no it's the Speedway Fire Department!

Educating!

Voting on whether Mr. Van Vertloo should go up in the bucket next?                                                                                       

What do you suppose these two are talking about?
"Want to be a fireman when you grow up?"
"Are you crazy?"

Fireman Dan

In full dress!

i was frustrated after the first one...

...and then by the 5th one I thought...blog opportunity!

Five no names...just stab me in the heart!!!
Especially because everytime I give out a paper I say, "PUT. YOUR. NAME. AND. NUMBER."
Note: Yes, we are learning multiplication in first grade because we are rock stars...except for the name thing!

dogs, horses, lizards, bunnies, turtles...oh my! part 2

...and of course what would a St. Chris Pet Blessing be without the beloved class pets of St. Christopher School?

Along with Fr. Mike and Mr. Schurger (principal) these "representatives" are shown with the following class pets:
Cole Treado (Mrs. McKee 2nd grade) with Otis, the very shivering lizard (of some kind...if they aren't furry and  cuddly      I don't get too excited!), Lucas Cesnik (Mrs. Evans 2nd grade) with Luke "Seawalker", turtle (once again not furry and
not cuddly) and future 1st grader  Emily Cesnik with Malcolm (Mrs. Connor 1st grade), the black lop-eared bunny...
both extremely furry and extremely cuddly).  Thanks Mrs. Treado for the name cards...FANCY!

This is a repeat of yesterday's blog but with a better shot of Natalie Kutcher and Nellie looking at Ava and Emalie...more
flattering of Natalie...not as cute of Nellie (who's thinking "LOOK AT ME!).

Vince and Beth Shurger with their beautifully groomed Sheltie and nicely put together children.

and just when you think you've seen it all...a horse of course!

dogs, horses, lizards, bunnies, turtles...oh my! part 1

This past Saturday, St. Christopher Parish had their annual Pet Blessing with "officiating" by Fr. Mike.  I love this day for numerous reasons (mainly because I have such cute dogs) plus I love seeing other people's pets...especially my students' pets!  Photography by Mike Van Vertloo-Bossing around by Susan Connor
                     

This is Maggie...and Mallory and Mackenzie Grzegorzewski (yes, I know it's a mouthful)!
Now Maggie looks like a perfect little lady but check out what she's doing in the next pic....
RUDE!

My beautiful babies (and Maggie!!!!!!!!)  I'm telling Lily to just rise above it.

This is Natalie (ex-student), Emalie (present student) and Ava (future student).
Natalie brought her two pet crabs but we didn't get them captured on film..rest
assured...they were darling!  They all were hanging with my Nellie who doesn't realize
she CAN jump down...hence the name "Duh".

Lauren Mertz with Emma (a gentle giant and perfect lady...hear that Maggie?)
Don't you just want to eat her up?

Stay tuned for my next blog with the horse, bunny, lizard and turtle!

a perfect jack-o-lantern?

I have the most incredible urge to dress Audrey in orange, hand her a lighted candle and set her on a chair outside my door on Halloween night...I can't figure it out!

My nickname for her is "Jack" after all!