marga-read-itville

I love the weekends - seems like the older I get the more fun I have when the weekend rolls around. Don’t get me wrong - I like my job, but I have become very possesive of my Saturdays and Sundays. The spur of the moment trips seem to be the most memorable - and this is hard for me because I tend to be an overplanner and not at all a “spur of the moment” kind of person. Ted and I took a little break from redoing our kitchen and took a road trip to our lot in White County on Center Hill lake. We ended up having a dinner that was right out of a Southern Living magazine, smoked pork butt, ribs, potatoe salad, cole slaw, and the best carrott cake ever. The dinner was a combination Labor Day celebration and birthday bash. I think it was the combination of the food, candles, wine, and the great company that made it just a plain ole nice time. After the dinner we headed down to Chattanooga to go white water rafting down the Ocoee the next day. It was fabulous! After all this dry, no rain weather in Clarksville, the river was a cool 75 degrees. We even got to jump out and do a little floating, between “riding the rapids”. We spotted a couple of eagles circling the trees, and everything seemed so green compared to home. On the way home we found another Tennessee winery, did a little tasting and bought a bottle of red and one of white all made with Tennessee grapes. Yeah, it was hard to go back to work - but like I said, I love the weekends.

I don’t admit to many people, and about the only people that know, that I am a reality- junk TV fan is my family. I guess I am embarrased to admit that I am hooked on certain TV shows. About the only time I get to watch them are during the summer. My all time favorite is Kathy Griffin My life on the D list. Love that show. I am totatlly excited about getting tickets to see her in Nashville at TPAC. My daughter, Meredith, got me started watching Kathy during the first season and I caught every episode this summer. Love that show. It was even better than FEAR FACTOR. Oh well - here to life on the D list.

LIFE COMES AT YOU FAST-Wasn’t it just yesterday that school was GETING OUT! I have spent this past week attending inservices and trying to get in my mind what I need to focus on this year in the library. I guess my first goal is to collaborate even more with my teachers and become even more visible- Advocacy - the new buzz word.
After meeting with all my grade levels except kindergarten (ran out of time) I have a good idea of what they need based on a lot of things like…. benchmarks, curriculum standards, new reading series and information from the end of the year data chats.
I went to my 5th grade teachers first, because I feel those students haven’t been using the library as much as I wanted them to, and I wanted to get the teachers “take” on this. They agreed! They felt the problem was getting the students motivated to read - I was surprised to hear this - but we came up with some things that they felt the kids would get excited over - One was blogging and using that as a literacy center. We are going to be working with our literacy coach to help us set up a rigorous center and I will show them how to set up a blog- well as much as I know about one - which isn’t much. It will be based on “stuff” that they are reading. Also we are going to do live book reviews on the TV news that we broadcast throughout the school. The teachers wanted to do some blogging using the Volunteers Book - so we are going to think on that and see what we can do. I have met with our computer teacher and we are going to have a podcasting club after school and it will be on book reviews also.
With the 4th grade teachers, they requested I spend some time with the students on author’s purpose. So this is a start - 3rd grade teachers really wanted some help with the standards that dealt with the parts of the book and reference materials.
My second grade teachers are really into AR and all the book clubs that we have at the school - Newbery Book Club, Caldecott Book Club, Century Book Club, Volunteer Book Club, and our AR WALL OF FAME. So they want me to continue to encourage the students to become members of all the clubs.
First grade teachers took a look at the new reading series and came up with a list of enrichment materials - book that they never get enough time to do - so I will be reading those and working it in with first grade accomplishments.
So I have an idea about what I need to do to get started and I really feel good about meeting with all the teachers formally. Usually it has been on an informal basis- in the hall, parking lot or bathroom. This year my schedule is fixed, but I will be able to meet with each grade level when they have their collaboration planning and when they have their data chats. Yes, it will really cut into my processing time, but something has to give you know -
One great thing about meeting with all the teachers, is that I hear some great ideas - Jessica, my 4th rubrics queen - helped me put together this great rubrics for checking out books - She suggested that after I go over it with the older students, give them a copy and a highlighter and have them check out books using the rubrics and grade themselves using the highlighter - highlighting the squares on the rubric. She said she does this in her class and the kids do a good job “self assessing” - what a great everyday skill. So I am going to try that -
Well I have to go fix roast and get ready for the work week - LIFE COMES AT YOU FAST!

I admitt - I am a latte addict. Every morning on my way to school I have to stop by my favorite coffee shop Cafe Paradiso. I was a regular, so my coffee was made just at the time I pulled up - Do you know how great it is to walk in, half asleep and have a steaming latte put in your hand and then sent out the door, by two great baristas/therapists - that listened to all my griping every morning!! - But now Cafe Paridiso has closed and I am a lost latte soul!
So my husband and I went and bought our own expresso maker and we didn’t have to spend $800.00 to do it. It cost about 179.00 and I am slowly learning all the nuances of making a great expresso and latte. My husband has it down pat, but I am struggling - my latte tends to taste bitter while his is smooooooth. I do get my beans ground at the coffee shop we go to now in Nashville, and as soon as I get the latte thing down, I am going to start grinding my own beans.

I am making myself do this - I am not the type of person that just sends out random messages to unknown people out there - but I want to start using this in my school and I need to figure out how– and what better way than to get started and do it myself.

I have been inspired to set up my own blog while currently reading the book - Julie & Julia my year of cooking dangerously by Julie Powell. Julie has set about trying to cook every single recipe in Julia Child’s recipe book - Mastering the Art of French Cooking. While doing this she set up a blog detailing her highs and lows. Pretty funny stuff.

I am curious to see what happens and what will all come from blogging. So here it goes.