published authors...part 2

Here is the story I promised...Mallory got back from her Disney Thanksgiving trip and made her neat copy...love!

I would like it known that I NEVER taught the cousin who spit in her eye...rather, I taught the cousin who does his homework...the end!

published authors

We have been working on our writing skills for 68 "glorious"  days...and it's a process!   This exercise started out with the idea of TOPICS...mainly staying ON topic and after a couple of weeks of reading stories, figuring out the topics and picking three topics of our own...we whittled it down to the topic they felt comfortable writing about.  The kids, armed with their personal dictionaries and sharpened pencils, started off on their "sloppy copies".  After much consulting with Mrs. Allspaw and I and plenty of editing, we finished our works.  Please enjoy the following five stories by Audrey, Simeon, Ella, Lauren and Makenna.


Note: You can enlarge these by clicking on the picture of the story.

Thank you Margaret Zore for getting pregnant and making
this all possible!

Mrs. Kappel allows running in the house ...wow!

Contractions fascinate Makenna...you gotta love this kid or worry...not for sure which!

Mrs. Allspaw verified that Lauren's brother does eat this
many popsicles a day...????

As a cat lover this one just tickles me as I've played the
same game with my cat...just never gave it a name.

There is one more I am dying to share but Mallory didn't get to her finished copy today as she had to jet off to Disney World for Thanksgiving.  It's title is...wait for it..................
My Boring Cousin and My Fun Cousin.    It's a classic!

just when you think you've seen it all...

...Daniel Boone shows up!

...and in a Boy's Scout outfit no less.

I just had an overwhelming
urge to YANK!

Emalie and Noah are
digging the look!

hats of st. christopher...part 3

We continue to "bring it" with new hats daily...and NO repeats...where do these people shop? 

I love how Molly is looking
over her glasses...a Mrs.
Connor trick?  Also love her
puppy hat.

Monkey business for Ella!

       Sweetness personified!!                                                            

the mitten tree

My daughter, the photog, stopped by my room last week and saw a copy of the letter that I was sending home to all the St. Chris families regarding our Advent Mitten Tree...today she got busy in her home studio and came up with a creative picture for my blog...she is the best... no matter what I might sometimes mutter under my breath!  Plus she's donating all her mitten props to the Mitten Tree...


Free plug: a link to her website is on the right side of my blog!

               The Mitten Tree

November 2011

Dear St. Christopher Parents and Children,

Last year we instituted an Advent Project that I hope will become an annual tradition here at school.  After reading the year long series in the Indianapolis Star regarding local public schools whose children and families struggle for even the most basic of needs, we were inspired to “walk the walk” of our Catholic faith.  This took form by collecting mittens, scarves and hats which we donated to P.S. 61, a westside school that was featured prominently in the newspaper articles.  The result was amazing and we were able to donate hundreds of these items.  Mr. Schurger delivered the bags the day before our vacation break and was both humbled and proud as he watched the distribution process.  Hopefully this year, some of our students can take part in the delivery of our bounty!

We were also able to stock Mrs. Guenin’s office so that some of our own children could also benefit and we were able to make a healthy donation of mittens to our St. Chris food pantry.

Please be generous again this year and start sending in the mittens, gloves and hats.  Each class will have their own collection center and we will display our collection on the large bulletin boards in the main hallway.  You constantly continue to amaze us with your generosity and I know this will be the case again this year.

The Advent Committee: Susan Connor, Chris Evans and Norma Stefanciosa

our university friends

We have been so lucky this year to pair up as pen pals with a group of Marian University "future teachers".  The kids have really been working on their letter writing skills and eagerly await mail delivery from the "big" students.  Amber Owens, a St. Chris grad and an "almost" student teacher here, has speared-headed this endeavor and she organized a get together for us on Friday, November 18th.

Group pic of us and our pen pals...Amber is on the far left standing.

Several of our "pals" had to work or were in class so we did
some pairing up!  This gal was a hit...she has a BUNNY!

The Marian students brought a favorite book from their
childhood to read to the children...thought that was such
a fabulous idea!

We even got a pic of our very own Mama Drake who was
there working on auction stuff!

The Marian "kids" brought cookies and drink pouches...I mean, a good
book, good company, good food and good drink...it doesn't get much better
than that at St. Chris at 2:00 on a Friday afternoon.

These Marian students were soooo good at engaging
my kids...this is why Marian University turns out so many
excellent teachers including many on our own staff.

The kids brought their folders with all the letters they are accumulating this
year and I saw lots of them rehashing old letters with their pen pals.

I want Makayla's  pen pal's purse!  Next time we meet
we will read to them!

The Marian students also brought gift bags to our kids
with chips, notepads, pencils, etc.  The way to a kid's
heart is definitely through gift bags!

Amber directing and organizing...she is so ready to be a teacher and she made it such a laid back experience for me and
for that I thank her immensely!

What an experience for our kids!

The Marian kids walked my kids back to their room at the end of our day and got to see Malcolm and their "digs".  When I told my kids that we would be writing our thank you letters on Monday the enthusiasm was just so great!

Thank you Amber and all the Marian University students...you were fabulous!

the shame of tardiness

OK...I admit it...I don't wake up easily.  Over the years I have invested in more alarm clocks than I can count.  I NEED to be up at 5:00 a.m. five days a week because...I NEED my coffee, the dogs NEED to be walked and fed, I NEED to read the newspaper, I NEED to check Facebook and I NEED to be clean.  That being said ...my body and brain don't WANT to get up until 9 a.m.  I AM THE DEEPEST SLEEPER IN THE WORLD!!!!!  I used to have "Clockie".  Clockie was an alarm clock on wheels.  You could hit the snooze button ONCE and then the next time Clockie would take off running on the wheels, jump off the night stand and proceed to run all over the room buzzing hysterically...I loved Clockie because he did his job well but I discovered Clockie could only sustain so many instances of throwing himself off the night stand before..well, you get the picture.

However, this year I have met the love of my life:
             The Sweetheart Sonic Alert Alarm

She looks all pink and cute and precious...but she has an accelerating high pitched siren and bells alarm with...wait for it...an attached BED SHAKER.  This my friends, is the best purchase I have ever made in my life.  However, this morning I discovered she doesn't set herself and yes, I had to make the walk of tardy shame into my classroom at 8:05...bummer!

hats of st. christopher...part 2

I knew there would be more today...because that's how we roll!!

Front

Back

wise young owlet

I need one of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel...keep your eyes open for one of those!? !

You've heard of the bells of st. mary's...

...how about the hats of St. Christopher's?


Thanks to Mrs. Allspaw for this clever blog post idea and I bet there will be a part 2 coming as more and more of these adorable hats show up (everyone will want in on the act)!

Goofy kids

Pretty panda?

Glamour puss?
There's always one in every crowd!

Toothless koala?

Sweet penguin?

Scary bull?

Angry Bird?

Christmas 2010

Every year the first grade class is responsible for the last Mass before Christmas vacation.  This has become a huge St. Christopher tradition (at least in MY mind) and every year it is a chore, a challenge and a joy to honor the coming arrival of the Christ Child.  Please enjoy last year's first grade rendition of The Little Drummer Boy (filmed by Celeste Guenin Ballou, solo by Aiden Ballou and guest performance by Jack Ramos on the drum).



Aiden...you and all the performers were ROCK STARS...in a Catholic kind of way!!

making of a music video with the "cool kids"

It's that time of year when all of St. Christopher's  focus and energy goes into getting ready for this year's auction.  Part of the first grade package is an electric guitar made by Makenna Drake's grandfather (and Andy Drake's father).  In preparation, we made a music video today of the kids being cool beyond belief and then progressing into their best air guitar mode.  Several may need trips to the chiropractor with all the head whipping that was going on!  Enjoy...

Too cool for school!

I would not want to meet any of
them in a dark alley.

Fierce

Some might be napping behind those glasses.

The "Sharks" and the "Jets"

I don't even know what to say about this pic.

air guitar-ing!
"I whip my hair back and forth"

Somehow the cool factor isn't that impressive when the shoelaces
are untied and the girls are wearing fashion boots...just saying!

busy bees making busy bees

Definitely a classic!

We don't get much time during the week to do fun art projects so the week of fall break seemed like a good time to give Phonics and Vocabulary words a rest and pull out the scissors and glue.  Our project coincided with a story on honey bees...see us work and play!

Johnny, of course,  took the opportunity to make a moustache...
because...he's a boy

Lauren was concentrating soooo hard that her tongue
was hanging out...until I snapped a picture and then all
I got was the "giggles".

At the beginning of the project the headband was in the
right place...lots of brow furrowing

Taa daa!

Emalie with her finished project