100TH DAY OF SCHOOL!!

Friday Feb. 7th was the 100th day of school.  All week I kept asking the kids to show me that they were 100 days smarter and better at doing the things we have been doing all year like lining up or calendar.  They were pretty good about it and really showed that they were smarter and learned something this year.

I also realized that I am 100 days smarter too. I am 100 days wiser when it comes to teaching and while that isn't that much at all in the scheme of things it still makes a difference.  I know more now than I did on the first day of school.  Am I perfect? Ha nope! But I'm learning and I hope I never stop learning.

Animals in Winter

We have been learning about animals in science for the past few weeks and this past week we learned how animals deal with changing climates, specifically during winter. We learned that animals migrate, hibernate or adapt to their surrounding during winter.  The kids got to act out each of these things throughout the week.

Monday was migration. We talked about how some animals move to a warmer place during winter to find food and stay warm.  So we "migrated" to Florida (kids picked it) aka the other side of the school.

We pretended we were birds

On Tuesday we talked about how some animals stay where they are and just adapt or change something about them to survive the winter.  We talked about how humans adapt but putting on coats and hats and gloves.

On Wednesday it was HIBERNATION DAYYYY! I made caves out of blankets and tables and the kids got to do all of their work in their caves.  Centers, reading, writing, snack time, all in the caves.  We talked about what hibernation was and how some animals slept through the winter until it was warm again.

 Reading in our caves.

 Centers in caves.

Watching a movie about animals and pretending to sleep.

I also dressed up as a frog on hibernation day which the kids found hilarious! 

It was a fun week and the kids really learned a lot about animals.  **Disclaimer: I would like to thank my student teaching mentor teacher Kisha Nichols for this idea. I stole it from her**

Weather...

It's been a few weeks since my last post but I've been busy getting back into my routine, dying slightly from the flu, sleeping etc.

What is up with this weather? Ohio is currently experiencing record lows with numbers in the negatives every day and even lower with the wind chill! Meanwhile up here the weather has ben above freezing! It reached 45 degrees one day last week! It is insane!! Everything is covered in ice! I need my skates to get anywhere. It is finally getting a little colder now thank god. I think its below freezing right now. I don't really mind. I've been walking to school in a sweatshirt and I think even short sleeves one day. It's been nice but I bought all these winter clothes and want to wear them.

Oh hey I adopted a cat too! Her name is Meeko like the raccoon in Pocahontas. She's adorable and really cuddly.

BREAKKKKK!

It is around 1am here I am currently sitting in the Anchorage airport waiting on my 6am flight to Bethel on my way back from Christmas Break. I am so not ready for break to be over (but I am so ready to be done traveling)

Christmas Break was...exciting? interesting? fun? stressful? So hard to describe in just one word.

It all started with a snow mobile. Instead of flying out of Napakiak like originally planned we all bundled up and took snow mobiles to Bethel. THEN I was the only one from my village who was actually able to get out of Bethel. I managed to make all my flights (thank god!) and arrived in Cleveland around 6:30 pm...almost exactly 24 hours since I started my journey.  My boyfriend Dan picked me up and I GOT TO EAT CHIPOTLE!!! Then it was finally time to go home.

Did I mention my mom thought I was still in Alaska? Oops. Yeah I lied to her.  She called me when I was in Denver and I told her I was still in my house in Napakiak.  I had been keeping my sister updated on my travel and was able to completely surprise my mom by knocking on the front door a whole day early! Thankfully her happiness over having me home made her anger about me lying go away. :)

The next week was a little crazy.  We had BOTH the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day family celebrations at our house this year (happens once every 6 years about) so things moved pretty fast! But it was great to see all of my aunts, uncles and cousins.  My family is loud and slightly obnoxious but very lovable.  And I missed them.

Then I got to go to the bowl game!! Bowling Green was playing in the Little Caesar's Bowl in Detroit, just a quick 3 hour drive away from Cleveland.  I dragged Dan with me (aka made him drive...but I don't think he minded).  It was a great game and the FMB was fantastic!!!! (I mean there never really was a doubt about that.) I got to see so many people at the game! Especially all of my active littles!! I only got a picture with my little sisters but I loved seeing everyone at the game!!!

 LITTLE SISTERS!!

 Dan and I at the game!

EVANNNN!!!

Ohio weather!!! OMG WHAT!?! Shoveling. Did not miss it at all! My driveway is weird and takes forever to shovel. Thank god Dan was around cause I made him help me :) even if he did push me into the snow (meanie :p ) Between 50 degrees when I came home and then the snow and then later the cold...I think I saw like three seasons while I was home. 

I welcomed in 2014 with Dan and wouldn't have it any other way.  2013 was a pretty good year and I know that 2014 will be even better.  I got to meet some more of his family christmas day and then also got to see some of my family make fools of themselves playing Cranium.  

January 2nd. Not such a good day. On the way to Columbus to see my cousin Katie and her family, my grandmother had a stroke in the car.  We got her to an emergency room and now things are better. That was a terrifying day though.  I do not want to repeat that. Ever. I'm so glad that Gram is doing better now. 

I tried to see as many people as possible over break and I was able to see most of them thankfully. If I didn't get to see you then I'll see you this summer! Only 4.5 months til I'm back in the 216 guys. You can survive!  I miss my family and I miss Dan. Saying good bye to them was hard but hopefully I'll have some visitors in the next few months!

Thanksgiving on the tundra

So I know it's been over a week since Thanksgiving but I've been busy.

Thanksgiving is the first holiday I've been away from my family and it was pretty hard...but thanks to the internet and the wonderful FaceTime I spent most of Thanksgiving talking to people in Ohio. Thank god for technology.  I had actual Thanksgiving dinner at my principals. No we did not eat moose. We had turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes and some gross veggies and stuff.

On Tuesday before everyone went home we had a school/community wide Thanksgiving feast. I got to eat with my kids and they made fun of me for mixing all my food together but it was fun. Now the countdown is going til Christmas!!

Busy, busy, BUSYYY!

Its been over two weeks since my last post. But hey! I've been busy.  And plus my last post was just so adorable I didn't think I could top it.

Not a lot of exciting things have happened since the last post but there have been a few.

1. WOOOOO BETHEL! We had yet another new teacher inservice but this time I got sushi and it was delicious! Plus I got to see people. And draw a zoo on post its (seriously don't give me paper and markers at the same time)

2. BOOOO FLUUUUU! I got a flu shot on Friday (on the run!! I was at the clinic and the school needed the car so one health aide was getting the band aid while another was getting the shot ready, no 1-2-3 just a stab while I was pulling on my boots and then I was running out the door to the Suburban so we could get back to the school to take the wrestlers to the airport) Unfortunately the shot made me sick (or a kid with the flu. who knows.) and I was sick for almost 4 days. I pretty much slept all the time but I missed four days of school.  Thank god I was supposed to go to Bethel because my sub plans were already written.  I didn't go to Bethel but writing sub plans as sick as I was would have been hell.

3. I had something else. But I forgot it. Oops.

Happy Halloween from K/1!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

We had most of a regular school day and then had a party after the fire people talked to us about staying safe. I made my kids spider cupcakes and my aide made jello. HELLO SUGAR!!

We started our party with our snack and finished up the snack while watching a Halloween Disney special I found online. After watching some of that we started our games. Musical chairs and when the kids were out they color Halloween pictures.  The winner got a reflector thing from the State troopers. After they colored a little bit we played "pin the smile on the jack-o-lantern" which is pretty much the same and "pin the tail on the donkey" It was pretty funny. I gave a prize to the person who was the closest and the person who ended up the farthest away.

Then it was time for the kindergarten kids to leave. They went home with no homework (it is a holiday after all) and the 10 first graders were the only ones left. They were coloring and got some popcorn and then I let them use my camera...

This was hilarious. They would tell the kids (and me) where to go and then take pictures of us. Some of the pictures are so funny and random! 

At the end of the day I was exhausted. The sugar high I had been on crashed and I was ready for a nap. It was like they killed me.

Napakiak is feeling a little more like home...

BECAUSE IT IS FLOODING!! Just like Valley View in the spring time. The slough started flooding early this morning. And then the river started flooding too. FLOODING ON BOTH SIDES!! When I walked to school at 8:20 there was some water on the ground outside my house, but really just puddles.  After making phone calls about a delayed start to school we looked outside again and uh oh! The water was now up to the second step of my stairs and up to the bottom of Kelly's house.

Long story short school was cancelled today and it became a teacher work day.  NYO here was cancelled here too. The Halloween Carnival (run by yours truly) is still on for tomorrow as of right now! 

HALFWAY THERE!!

Today marked the halfway point from when I came to Alaska to when I am coming home for Christmas. (well until I am done with school for Christmas but details...)  YAYYYYY!

I cannot wait to be home! There are so many things I want to do and people that I want to see!! I made a list but it has already been mailed to Dan in Cleveland.  The list is long but important to me. So many things to do and not nearly enough time. But WHO NEEDS SLEEP! SLEEP IS FOR LOSERS! And my internal clock will be all out of whack anyway.

Some things include:
     -go on a casino date with the lovely Jen <3
     -watch lots of movies
     -eat at Melt in January (its my favorite)
     -CHIPOTLE!!!! (burritooooooooooo)
     -consume adult beverages
     -snuggle with Remi
     -watch countless of episodes of Netflix in a row (not on the original list but being added)
     -and of course see everyone that I miss! (family, friends, etc.) **added**
     -so many more that I can't think of right now!

For some reasons it seems like I've been here way longer than I have left to go. I mean it's already halfway through October people!! That is just crazy to me. But there you have it.

I know that the countless hours on a plane will be terrible and I'll be antsy the entire time. But it will all be ok when my feet touch good ol' Ohio soil.

I've been busy...

...which isn't really an excuse but oh well.  I know I haven't updated in a while but it's been a little busy around here.

First off in case you didn't know I obviously take after my mother and cannot say no when asked to volunteer for something. Which is how I ended up being the advisor for student council.  This means that I was in charge of a dance from 7-midnight one Friday night, helping with everything from concessions to the door to filling out incident reports (thank you Hasting Water Works for the practice). It was a long night but it was fun.  Some of the student council kids "did" my hair.

We had a good time and all the proceeds from the door went towards student travel (which is a lot more expensive up here because you don't take a bus...you take a plane)  I am actually traveling with two students tomorrow to Bethel for two days! (yay sleeping on a gym floor)

We've also been busy in the classroom between AIMs Web testing and working hard on our letters and words first quarter has flown by! It ends Friday! crazy that the year is already 25% over. 

I had my latest new teacher inservice in Bethel this weekend (4 plane rides in less than 7 days) and it was great to see people again! Sleeping on a cot at District Office, not at fun but staying up ti 1am was! (thank god for Dr. Pepper in the morning.) And I got ice cream!! yummy! and a salad (never thought I would be that excited for fresh veggies) and of course a hamburger. and SUBWAYYY! gah food that I didn't have to cook!

On the way back to Napakiak I got to sit in the little seat in the back of the plane. Right next to all the stuff we were taking back. It was bumpy but we made it back just fine!