The 12 Sides to a Great School Year!

I like to do things a little differently. Most people like to make memory booklets, writing assignments, or other more traditional formats to help their students remember the school year. Not me, people. Not me.

I wanted something that would be spectacular and eye-catching. Setting to work, I came up with a project that would require my 60 writing students to really think back over their year and make an effort to recall ALL the aspects of their learning.

I decided to ask students questions like: "What are three pieces of advice would you give to next year's class?" I like how this forces students to think about what they did well, and where they had struggles.

Not only did they enjoy reflecting on the year, they had a blast reliving our field trip, and many other silly and serious events that had happened over the past year. It wasn't a silent work time by any stretch of the imagination, but it was a learning-loud experience.

As you can see, the kids made their pieces colorful and and informative!

Then we began the assembling stage. That was an event. But 6 staplers and 30 minutes later, we had nearly all 60 dodecahedrons completed! Phew!

I love the display that is hanging in my room. To hang them, I used my mini-clothespin and hooked them to a long string that winds around my classroom. They are going to be awesome for our academic fair tonight. WAHOO!

If you would like to take a peek at this kit, you can click HERE.

Enjoy your day and Happy End-of-the-Year!!!

Cheers!

-Mr. Hughes

A Trip Down Memory Lane

I had an idea. Now, if you know anything about me, you know right now this wasn't any small project. Two days later, and thanks to my amazing wife whom the entire project was turned over to, I now have a very neat bulletin board. It was a bit overwhelming to see my entire life plastered on a wall. But it was also very cool to sit and look at all the picture and have memories flood back to me. Thanks babe, you did a great job.


I am also showing my elementary class pictures here. I found these in our copy room and knew that I needed to scan them so I would have a copy. Trying to find these pictures again would be near impossible. So enjoy my elementary years (in reverse). I have copied and pasted the narrative I wrote for a wiki we made for the parents of upper grade students. Click HERE to see the page on the original site.

My last year in elementary school was spent with Miss Zwahlen (she is currently still teaching and I see her all the time). This was the year I remember doing many things I currently do with my 6th grade classes. We had a bank system, read books by Gordon Korman (No Coins, Please! was one of my very favorites and I usually read it to my students), and sat in table groups most of the time. We did amazing art projects and did a fun activity where we each sent 10 letters to other 6th grades around the county to see which student could get the most responses. I remember that almost ALL of my letters were returned as undeliverable. That was depressing. Oh well. What a great way to end the elementary experience.

5th grade was one of my most favorite years in elementary school. Mrs. Carol Durrant was my teacher. That was an awesome year. We had a pond in the middle of the room, fish tanks around the edges, and lots of books to read. We did an awesome ancient Egypt activity where we made headpieces, jewelry, and other items including an Egyptian outfit. Then on the designated day, students and teachers (4th,5h, and 6th) dressed up and spent the day doing tons of activities. I also remember from this year reading several books with our teacher. It seemed every bookorder she would buy everyone a book and we would read along with her. I remember reading White Fang, Island of the Blue Dolphins, Julie of the Wolves, and others. We also kept journals everyday. I loved 5th grade.
In 4th grade, I had my first male teacher. Mr. Bruce Nelson. This was the year that I stopped being bullied. I was bullied starting in about 3rd grade. Everyday classmates would chase me, hit me, tease me, and call me names. Towards the end of the year, one of the major bullies pushed me too far. We had a HUGE fistfight. I gave him a black eye and a sore face. The next day he sent a peace delegation (some of his buddies) to tell me that he wanted to talk to me. When I got there he told me he wanted to be friends and that he was sorry. For that point forward I was rarely picked on or bullied. While fighting is NOT the solution, in this one instance it worked. I also remember that in 4th grade the school got their first computer lab. We had 25 or so TRS-80s made by Radio Shack. (I have one in my classroom.) I thought they were the coolest things ever made. We were able to type out stories and print them out. The computers printed everything in capital letters and the games we were able to play were very basic, but it was a computer and it was neat.

Mrs. Olive Anderson was my 3rd grade teacher. I remember her for the musical we did. We worked for weeks and weeks to learn our parts, make sets, color program covers, and memorize songs. We preformed Disney's Bambi. I wanted to be Bambi or the Owl so bad. But it wasn't meant to be. Instead I had 2 lines and was the Stag (Bambi's dad). I was very disappointed. I think it was because I was so tall and big. I do, however, remember during one rehearsal we were practicing a song where Bambi gets up for the first time. The student stood up and then passed out cold, landing on top of another student who wasn't paying attention. It was quite funny, at least I remember it being funny.

In 2nd grade I was taught my Mrs. Pat Quarnberg. I loved being up in the loft or under it watching the fish. I remember reading groups and I also remember enjoying listening to her read James and Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator. I also have a vivid memory of a event that happened that got me into a lot of trouble. Being a big kid for my age, I was able to do things other kids in the class couldn't. One day at recess (back then we had a morning recess, long lunch recess, and an afternoon recess- I don't know how we had time to actually learn anything!) I was swinging classmates around by their ankles. They loved it and I thought it was fun- and it was until I was swinging a girl and she came around and smacked heads with a boy who was watching. The sound they made when they hit heads was terrible. I felt SO bad. Both were fine, and needless to say I don't swing people around by their feet anymore! I also remember that if we got 100% on our mad minute, we would get one of the little pumpkin candies with the little green stems. Every time I eat those I think of 2nd grade and the mad-minute! It is amazing what she could get us to do for a piece of candy.

1st grade I was taught my Ms. Krouse. I don't remember much of that year either. I do remember having to stand in the corner a lot because I was a talkative person. (I didn't mind though because I was able to watch my older brother play kickball out the window). I also remember being in the school's choir. I had to audition to be in it. One winter day, two students decided to stay outside and play in the snow after the bell rang. For a reason I can not explain or remember I stayed with them. I finally felt so guilty, I went back to class. Boy was I in trouble. I had to miss choir practice that day, but Ms. Krouse did let me go to the Book Mobile (the book Mobile was a library in a big truck that would come once a week so we could check out books. There was NO school library at that time!!!)

When I turned 6 I headed to Book Cliff Elementary School to attend kindergarten. Mrs. Judy Evans was my teacher. I had a pretty big class at the time (20 I think). I don't have many memories of that year. (No Picture was Available)


I hope you enjoyed this trip down MY memory lane.

Later...

To The Memory of A Best Friend

This post is dedicated to the memory of one of my best friends, if not my best friend. He left the world over 3 years ago, and I still think about him almost daily. Billy (above with my oldest son) and I became friends at CEU (College of Eastern Utah). We had choir together. He was fun and funny to hang around. After we both graduated we kept in contact. He would come to Grand Junction, Co. to hang out with me and my roommate. We would always have a laugh and spend hours talking about what we wanted from life. Billy had lots of issues that he was working through, and I was his sanity point. The thing I never told him was that he was mine more than he ever knew.

I will never forget the day I found out. We had missed a call the night before from Billy. We hadn't noticed until the next day on caller I.D. I almost ALWAYS called him back to see what was up and try to get him to come and stay at our house in Orem. My wife was good friend with him too. He would show up and stay for a few days and then head out again. We figured he was calling to let us know he wanted to come and stay. That morning I got a call from my sister. She wanted to know if I was okay. I was confused. She said something about, well I was worried about you when I found out Billy was dead. I nearly fell down. I remember it perfectly. I was out in our garden in Orem watering the plants. It was a cool summer morning and I was excited for the day. When she said that I freaked out. My wife came outside to see what the matter was. I told her that Billy was dead. She cried and I was too shocked to even move. That was a long week. My wife had lost her Grandpa unexpectedly the same week. Both funerals were for the same day and I had committed to sing a song at her grandfather's funeral. Nichole's husband came to the rescue. He drove me to Billy's funeral right after I sang. That was very generous of him, and I still admire and appreciate him for the act of service.

Billy was such a great friend. We had some fun times together. My favorite is when we were in a CEU van driving down a main street in Orem. We had stopped at a stop light and were talking. We looked up and noticed that there were two pieces of trellis in the road ahead. We looked at each other and knew what we were going to do. Billy slowed down the van and I opened the door and leaned over and grabbed the trellis. We still have it in our shed. I cut my forehead open getting it in the car. Man we laughed and laughed. What a great memory.

Maybe later I will go into how he died and my feelings around that as well. This is a reminder to make sure you let your true friends know how much you love and appreciate them. Thanks for listening!

10am and still 80degrees F

Howdy,
Last night was long, hot, and miserable. The temperature never dipped below 80. That is a killer. Usually we get down into the 60's, so that was a huge difference. I am outside fighting the gnats and watering out flowerbeds. The sun was behind clouds for about 2 hours, but now it is starting to sneak out. I know, I know. In 6 months I am going to wish that it was summer again. My favorite seasons are Spring and Fall. I love it when the temperature is perfect, the bugs are gone, and it gets dark at a reasonable time. The colors are just starting and it is so peaceful. Makes me remember growing up and loving it when the trees lost their leaves so we could rake them up and jump in them.

I can't believe that tomorrow is Sunday already. We are heading out again tomorrow after Church, back to the Salt Lake area. I have three presentations this week and my wife's reunion (which I have mentioned ALOT in past posts) to enjoy. It should be really fun. I can't say as I will get to do much blogging during that time, but you never know. Our van will hopefully make it where we need to go. I wish the mechanic could just figure it out. Hopefully this $70 sensor we are putting in will fix it.

Oh, yes. I must tell you about the mouse last night. We have had mice in our heating ducts. So I pulled out some old glue traps from when we lived up North. I put one in both kitchen vents since that is where they tend to congregate. We have already caught 2, and I was thinking that maybe we were all done. Last night we are watching TV and we hear this frantic screeching. I looked at my wife and said, "Another Mouse!". I just went back to watching TV for a while. I decided I had better take care of it before we went to bed so I open the vent and low and behold, the glue trap is gone! Uh Oh! (As my baby would say).
To Be Continued...