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Celebrating Fresh Starts


Thank you to Ruth Ayres for the opportunity to focus on celebrations every week! Please join us!

First quarter ended yesterday. I love that we get opportunities to start fresh a few times each year. We end our nine weeks of hard work with a reading celebration called the Zone Day. 



We bring lots of books to read. We stretch out on desks and pillows. We settle in and read. It's heavenly! We spent some time reading our read aloud book too. 

 Yesterday I read Karen Harrington's new book, Mayday. It's not released until May, but I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy. 

I gobbled it up in one day! It's full of drama...about a boy named Wayne who is struggling to figure out who he is supposed to be. This is happening as he survives a plane crash and learns to deal with his family and friends. Wayne is such a likable character! Karen Harrington, the author, writes tragedy so well. She communicates the layers of life...everything isn't all good or all bad, and she steers her characters through the messiness of life. I LOVE her books! I celebrate good authors and the chance to read their writing! Look for Mayday this spring!

I celebrate trust. By the end of the first quarter, I see the trust that's been developed between me and my students. It's something I work hard at and continue to develop throughout the school year. My students continue inspire me with their willingness to take risks in their writing and to push themselves to become better readers.

I celebrate life. It's messy and sad. It's beautiful and miraculous. I learn everyday that life isn't all bad or all good. I learn everyday that people aren't all bad or all good. I remind myself that everyone has a story and is doing the best they can.

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  1. BernadetteOctober 31, 2015 at 8:24 AM

    Great pictures. I really like how Walterlogue allows a peak into lives but still keeps everything private. Maya Angelou was filled with so much wisdom. Thanks for sharing that quote.

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  2. Linda BOctober 31, 2015 at 8:50 AM

    I always love your quotes, Michelle. This is a wonderful one from Maya Angelou. We used to have a 'reading day' too, so much fun. Kids would bring in sleeping bags, etc. and crawl under tables. Love that you do that. And agree, "trust" is everything. Good for you for building that. Have a wonderful weekend, Halloween too!

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  3. JulieanneOctober 31, 2015 at 10:42 AM

    Wow wow! Michelle, what a wonderful ending/beginning. Your students look so at home. Exactly what we want in our classrooms. Thank you so much enlightening me on the Karen Harrington book. Can't wait to read it! Love the quote!

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  4. Terje October 31, 2015 at 12:26 PM

    Hurray to reading! Having a Zone Day sounds absolutely wonderful.

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  5. Holly MuellerOctober 31, 2015 at 12:53 PM

    I celebrated silent reading this week, too. It IS heavenly! I finished two books. Ha. Love that Maya Angelou. Her wisdom is missed!

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  6. Karen HarringtonOctober 31, 2015 at 1:43 PM

    Thanks so much for such nice comments about Wayne and MAYDAY!

    ReplyDelete
  7. CrystalOctober 31, 2015 at 4:31 PM

    When I was a classroom teacher I always loved those days when we celebrated by reading. Reading days are wonderful. That quote is one of my favorites. :)

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  8. Jen VincentOctober 31, 2015 at 5:50 PM

    I love this Maya Angelou quote! I remind teachers of it all the time. Too many people feel guilty when they realize they can do better...but you can't feel guilty for something you didn't know or realize. And then I also remind them that know that they think about how to do something more effectively, it's time to do it. Such a great reminder to be more gentle with ourselves.

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  9. RamonaOctober 31, 2015 at 7:45 PM

    Love these pics of your kids in the Reading Zone. Such a fun way to celebrate the end of the first nine weeks. Great quote, new to me, putting it in my writer's notebook. It's so true that life is messy and sad, beautiful and miraculous! Thanks for the reminder.

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  10. Leigh Anne EckOctober 31, 2015 at 8:29 PM

    Love the quote and love the reading celebration! I will be looking for that book. Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete

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