2.23.2012

far too long

Good news.
I had a fabulous long weekend with my amazing man!
My sweet friend with cancer has started her very own blog...a definite must read.
(I am still blogging...even though you see no proof of such a fact.)

Crazy news.
My sweet baby girl had the stomach bug...again!
(My student teacher is sick too.)
And we had conferences tonight and again on Monday.
So...needless to say...I've been consumed with much.

I have lots to share!
But I'm not sure anything I type tonight would make sense.
Check back this weekend for a recap on our data display progress, my circle lesson saga, a technology overhaul, and more!

Wish me luck...we are tackling circle graphs with M&Ms tomorrow. :)

Happy Friday Eve to YOU!
Enjoy...make it count!
Photobucket

2.16.2012

happy weekend to you

Life has been super speedy this week! Between lessons and curriculum meetings and working with a new intern...spinning in circles is a fair description of this short week. :)

I just wanted to check in before the weekend. I'm headed to three days without internet connection. It's hard to realize that actually exists, huh? It will be wonderful to relax and set school work aside for a few moments. The reality is that every item sitting undone by close of school tomorrow will still be there patiently waiting for me on Tuesday. What do you have planned for this weekend?!?

Have a fabulous weekend...make it count!

Photobucket

2.14.2012

happy valentine's day

I hope your day was full of lots of love and goodness all around! My hubby left a card in my Yukon that brought a smile to my face. And my precious Emma baked a chocolate cake just for me...I told her it looks just like the cakes they make on Cake Boss! :)

And I had a super fun happy mail day last week...it has been so hard to wait to share my "Be My Valentine" teacher gift exchange goodness. Earlier last week I received this amazing box of goodies from Colleen over at Patton's Patch...

It's such a fun mix of cute notepads, funky "T" letter stickers, adorable magnets (that I think she handcrafted!), chunky binder clips, an adorable bee pen, and a packet filled with scrapbook goodies! And my very favorite item of all...zebra buttons! I have a special project in mind for them...I'll let you know if it turns out as amazing in real life as it appears in my head. LOL! Thank YOU, Colleen...you totally deserve a gold star for your sweet generosity.

If you want to get in on the next round of teacher love...head on over to Teacher Blogger Exchange and subscribe to the new blog that Caitlin and Sarah have created just for these fun exchanges.

Hope your week is off to a great start...make it count!
Photobucket

2.13.2012

happy snow day

The magic call came at 5 am...the Bentonville Public Schools will be closed today due to inclement weather...to which I promptly reset the alarm and handed my phone to my sweet hubby. The Walmart home office never closes! :)

This is my sweet girl spending her 10 minutes in the snow...isn't she adorable?!? Yep. Even with all of those double layers (make note of the hats!) she tires of the cold as quickly as her mom. LOL!



We had a great day! We slept late and stayed in our jammies all day! We baked our traditional snow day pot of chili. The girls and I played games all afternoon. I worked on a geometry lesson for a little bit this morning. I missed two classes of geometry last week. And unfortunately we don't have a moment to spare...so I'm trying to guess where they landed without me. I'm working on a series of review slides to help me determine our next step. Here's the review slide of vocabulary...




I'll let you know how that shakes out tomorrow...that is IF by some amazing grace I survive the white that was rescheduled from today to tomorrow. ;)

Wishing you the joy of a 4-day week...make it count!

Photobucket

2.12.2012

winter white out

I am finally feeling better. Not fabulous. But better. At least I can talk above a whisper without feeling sharp pains in my throat. :) And my sweet friend (and favorite thirty-one consultant!) Cindy surprised me with an icee in the midst of my blah. I cannot begin to tell you how much that made my weekend!

And guess what else makes this a super Sunday?!? We're scheduled for snow tonight and tomorrow...and obviously hoping that translates to "snow day" for at least one of those days. Good gracious...we've had a winter weather advisory posted for this front since Thursday.




Our school has been planning a white out for tomorrow regardless of the real weather forecast. We play our across town rival in basketball tomorrow night. They're mascot is the leopards. And didn't you know that leopards can't survive in snow? That's why we've been working towards a white out for tomorrow for weeks! The halls are decked out in snowflakes. Students and faculty will be wearing white tomorrow. And our pep assembly will have some fun snow games to et the spirit raised! Go Wildcats!

But I would hate to ruin our chances of a real snow day by not being ready for tomorrow. So I spent a couple of hours at school this evening going through the stash my sub left me from Thursday and Friday. I also reset my MATHercise tubs...we have a fun mental math game this week. Oh...and...I have an intern who starts her final rotation with me tomorrow. So I also rearranged my teacher desk corner a bit so I could add a space for her to call home. The only thing I need to finish is highlighting correctives so I can hold student conferences during our MATHercise time in the morning. I better log off of here and get that final detail done...let it snow!


Hope you have a fabulous week...make it count!

Photobucket

2.11.2012

valentine's day and box plots


Only a math teacher could connect Valentine's Day and box-and-whisker plots! :-) We will be testing on Tuesday; so when students finish they will be creating Valentine's hearts from a square and circle. (This lab was inspired by Judy Dunmire at UAFS.) This lab activity will build on their composite area and perimeter skills...plus we will gather data to use the next day in our box plots lesson. Love it! The activity bundle I just loaded to my TpT store includes everything you need for the lab activity as well as box-and-whisker plot vocabulary task cards and a build a box plot sorting activity. I will finish with an extension from the AIMS Are You Ideal? lesson to allow students to work independently in creating a box plot from start to finish.

ETA: Upon request, the Valentine's Day Hearts Composite Area & Perimeter Lab Activity has been added to my TpT store as a singleton item. Happy Valentine's Day to YOU!



I've also gathered my favorite activities from my Solving Equations unit. This bundle includes I have...Who has... Collecting Like Terms game, Find a Match Translating Expressions game, Alphametics Mind Workout, Build a Square Inequalities game, and Three Equations in a Row Tic-Tac-Toe game. I will be pulling the I have... Who has... cards for small group next week. A few of my transfer students need to improve their solving skills...particularly when it comes to collecting like terms! And this is just one example of why I love teaching with math centers.

Happy Saturday to YOU...make it count!

Photobucket

2.10.2012

order of operations

Good gracious...I have definitely been missing in action! Unfortunately, a visit to the doctor confirmed that I have strep. He spied without swabbing...if that's any indication of my condition. :( And I'm still in quite a bit of pain...apparently my new found allergy to penicillin requires an alternate medicine for treating strep...and minus the hives I'm beginning to believe penicillin is much more effective than my current meds. HA! I simply can't remember the last time I've missed two consecutive sick days. The worst part of being out yesterday and today is that we have a student teacher joining us on Monday! Lesson #1: How to regain control of middle school students after having two different substitutes before a weekend.

I have spent a portion of my sick days getting organized. We are in our final unit before state testing...that means it is time to solidify my method of test prep for this year. I am still torn between two different approaches. But I have started pulling activities from earlier in the year that we can revisit in small group. This is one of my faves!



This Order of Operations Activity Bundle is full of games that make student really think about the order of operations instead of just going through the motions. The dice game is a common game that I adapted to order of operations instead of simple addition. The tiling games are inspired by Marcy Cook. One of my teacher buddies introduced me to the idea of tiling through one of Marcy's sets and my students absolutely love the challenge of using each tile once to complete the number puzzle. And to all of my 5th and 6th grade friends...this content will be yours with Common Core. I've added this bundle to my TpT store if it's something your students need practice on as well.

Happy Friday to YOU! Enjoy your weekend...make it count!

Photobucket

2.08.2012

patty paper discoveries


My students always think I purchase patty paper from the local butcher. They make me smile! This is my first year to teach geometry in forever. And I can say forever because I'm old and gray. LOL! I just have to share with you all my new favorite book that I recently rediscovered. For those of you who know me well...I know...I know...I'll have a new favorite book in the very near future! But humor me! Truly...this book is amazing! Becky Bride has published a geometry book via Kagan.



The book is targeted for grades 8-12, but I have used several concepts with Kagan structures in my 7th grade math class too. And I'm even going to step out on a limb and say with the changes of Common Core some of these items could be used in the 5th and 6th grade.

I am currently leading my geometry students through a series of discoveries involving circles. My students use the patty paper to construct and compare properties of circles. Then they follow a Kagan structure or two to put their new knowledge to work. Tomorrow will be day three of circles and we should be able to summarize all of the properties from chords to tangents to sectors and everything in between.

If you teach high school geometry, this book is a "must have" on your list of resources. Enjoy!
And happy almost Friday Eve...make it count!

Photobucket

2.06.2012

currently


I'm linking up with Farley to share my life at the moment. There were lots of positives today...
*day one of five days of jeans...
*frost on the ground this morning...a small symbol that it could actually be winter eventually...
*my students rocked their review activity...
*a teacher friend surprised me with a Sonic iced tea...
*feeling a serious step of progress with some standards work...
And all of that for a Monday. :)

Hope your week is off to a great start...make it count!

Photobucket

2.05.2012

prayers for janet

One of the sweetest ladies I know is in the midst of a storm. Janet is our youth pastor's assistant at FBC Bentonville. During a routine outpatient gall bladder surgery, Janet's doctor discovered that her intestines were adhered to the abdominal wall. The doctor also spied a cyst on one ovary and an overall abnormal look to that ovary. Needless to say the doctor was unable to reach her gall bladder. Additional tests have been run and Janet (along with her family) are awaiting results. They expect a phone call tomorrow that confirms ovarian cancer. I would love for you to add Janet to your prayer list. And please feel welcome to follow her story on Jenna's blog (her daughter-in-law).

And though my heart is heavy for this amazing family, life continues in the midst of this storm. I've been working on lesson plans this afternoon. We will finish our unit on geometric properties tomorrow and begin our testing cycle on Tuesday. I'll be back soon to share pics of our graphic organizers. And this is my new favorite activity for review day...


Students mix and pair to give one problem and get one problem. When students finish filling their page, they come to me to check for accuracy and receive their unit study guide. Hop on over to my TpT store to download a free copy of this activity.


Have a great week...and make it count!
Photobucket

2.04.2012

scale drawings

Our PLC is trying to transition to the Common Core State Standards. The state of Arkansas will fully implement grades 3-8 next year. So we are trying to teach a few lessons here and there to be ready. Here's one that I created for my classroom this past week.


My students entered my classroom spying furniture cards posted throughout the room. They were immediately intrigued. I told them we were going shopping! Our two-day lesson culminated with students creating a scale drawing of a bedroom from a house floor plan and selecting furniture to duplicate to their blueprint scale to decorate their room. Each team decided upon a scale that would work for their four bedrooms and created a team "house" poster to display their work.

Be sure to hop over to my store if you're interested in this lesson or other items I've created. I'm working on more Common Core State Standards projects as we speak...


Enjoy the rest of your weekend...and make it count!Photobucket

2.03.2012

tag...you're it!

Happy Friday to YOU!
I'm super excited that this week has come to a long awaited close.
Our week has been filled with meetings, appointments, and lots of learning!
Meanwhile...

I've been tagged! :)



Here are the rules...
1. You must post the rules.
2. Post 12 fun facts about yourself on the blog post.
3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create 12 new questions for the people you tagged.
4. Tag 12 people and link them on your post.
5. Let them know you've tagged them.

All About Me...
1. I'm a city girl who grew up in the country.

2. I'm the baby of four girls.
3. I started teaching high school math at age 20.

4. I absolutely love being a mom of daughters.
5. My hubby is an engineer and my students are convinced we only talk about math.
6. I very rarely cook...and if I do it's totally from a box.
7. It's been almost a year since I stopped drinking beverages with carbonation.
8. Scrapbooking is my favorite hobby.
9. My kitchen is lime green with black, white, and red accents. (I have this same color theme in my classroom!)

10. Sunday is my favorite day of the week...love to worship with my family!
11. My favorite course to teach is precalculus...the trigonometry is absolutely dreamy. :)
12. My toes are always painted...usually red...but sometimes hot pink.

The sweet Heather from
Loose Shoelaces tagged me with these fun questions...
1. What has been the most memorable lesson you have taught?
My first and last unprepared lesson! I walked into student teaching without a game plan for teaching systems of equations. It bombed! And my cooperating teacher didn't save me. It was the best thing she could have ever done for me. :) I vowed to never be unprepared again!2. What's a scent that triggers a memory for you?
apple pie...reminds me of my grandma
3. What's your favorite movie?
The Proposal
4. What's do you usually bring for lunch to school?
Smart Ones Teriyaki Chicken5. Do you prefer student led conferences or traditional parent teacher conferences?
traditional...I'm a bit of a control freak6. Do you drink Starbucks? What's your usual order?
pumpkin loaf and a venti ice water with extra ice
7. What's your cell phone ring tone?
Marimba
8. How often do you check your blogs that you follow?
at least weekly
9. What's your favorite recipe you like to bring to parties?
a Village Inn pie10. What's a TV show that you loved growing up?
Dukes of Hazard
11. Target or Walmart?
Walmart (they pay my bills...hubby works at the home office in produce replenishment)12. How many students do you have in your class?
I teach three sections...21, 24, and 17 students respectively...62 students total. ;)

The lovely Lauren from Life in Middle School tagged me with these fun questions...


1. Favorite Color?
lime green

2. Favorite School Subject?
math (of course!)
3. Favorite Classroom Management Technique?
proximity
4. Favorite School Lesson?
Law of Sines
5. Least favorite school "chore"
lunch duty
6. Apple or Android
apple (I tried Android and failed miserably!)
7. Money not being an object... Dream Car?
any Toyota SUV
8. Favorite restaurant to eat a fancy dinner at?
Ruth's Chris (salmon, please!)

Questions for my blog friends...1. How long have you been teaching?
2. What is your favorite grade to teach?
3. Favorite quote?

4. What's on your playlist?
5. Favorite clothing store?
6. Shoes...cute, comfort, or both?
7. Mountains or beach?

8. Coffee or tea?
9. How do you spend the summer vacation?
10. Most recent addiction?
11. Does your classroom have a theme?
12. What's your favorite technology item in your classroom?



I can't wait to read fun facts from the following bloggers...
Middle School Math Rules

The Resource(ful) Room

Heather's Heart

Runde's Room

Secondary Solutions

Algebra, Essentially

For the Love of Teaching Math

One Extra Degree

Hope you have a fabulous weekend...make it count!

Photobucket

1.29.2012

congruent and similar figures

Oh goodness...where has this weekend gone?!? Both girls have projects due this week...needless to say there are craft supplies all over the house. Hopefully they can finish tomorrow and get things cleaned up before we gear up for a new week.

My 7th grade math classes
 will be finishing our geometric properties unit this week. The lessons will include congruent and similar figures and transformations. So we will review these topics in our MATHercise routine the following week. I created this game from a recent Pinterest inspiration and added it to my store...




It's a good thing that a picture is worth a thousand words! Because I certainly cannot read a single word from this awesome blog! Thanks to Kate for posting pics of her counting game...



I also found a fun poem online this weekend. It will be a perfect journal prompt for my students to show understanding of transformations. I need to do a little sleuthing before sharing...I want to be sure I'm giving proper credit. ;)

Have a great week...and make it count!
Photobucket

1.27.2012

algebraic manipulatives

I attended a workshop yesterday. The topic was algebraic manipulatives. I have spied and/or used most of these manipulatives in the past. But it was a nice refresher...plus the time away from the trenches really got me thinking. As the Common Core State Standards move algebraic concepts to younger students, it is going to be crucial that we provide concrete connections to these abstract concepts. And as we provide the concrete connections we still must transition the students to the algorithm as well. I'm curious if we're ready. Getting ready? Thinking about getting ready?

Here are some of the manipulatives we used and carried home...
AngLegs
(my personal favorite)
I have used AngLegs for triangle inequality, interior angle sum, converse of the Pythagorean Theorem, special angle relationships in parallel lines cut by a transversal, and to model the ambiguous case for the Law of Sines. These are always a huge hit with my students!

Algebra Tiles
(oldie but goodie)

I love using algebra tiles for factoring and completing the square. Now...I will use them for collecting like terms and solving equations. But I absolutely must determine a method for keeping up with these tiny pieces from student to student use. Any suggestions?!?

GeoLegs
(not my fave)






I'm not sure I will ever use these. Actually, I gave my set to my teacher friend who attended the workshop with me! I struggled with the protractor piece...the oddly numbered circle piece that contaings the "golden circle." I just don't see the advantage to the GeoLegs over the safety compass and protractor tool that I use in geometry. However, we did construct an equilateral triangle, square, regular hexagon, and a regular octagon. Fun! We had a small debate about the standards that these constructions truly align with in CCSS...but let's not start that again. :)

So...do tell...what are your favorite manipulatives? Are you a fan of discovery activities or lab activities of sorts? What are you and/or your district/building doing to prepare for the transition to Common Core?

I hope your week was productive and your weekend proves to be relaxing...make it count!

Photobucket

1.23.2012

geometric solids

Happy Monday to YOU! I hope your week is off to a fabulous start. :)

We worked on Venn diagrams today...specifically to compare and contrast different polygons. I still want to adapt Kate's super creative foldables to this lesson. Perhaps I can accomplish that in time for small group next week. We played Go Fish! in small group today. You should have been a fly on the wall...I love the math discussions that came from a simple card game!

And I'm super excited about tomorrow's lesson. We are building solids and then completing a viewing guide as a rotating station activity. Two years ago we built with marshmallows and straws. I know...call me crazy! No matter how hard we scrubbed, our desks were sticky for a week. LOL! Last year we used coffee stirrers and pipe cleaners...clean and sturdy! I'll try to grab a few photos tomorrow. ;)

Next week we will review the characteristics of geometric solids with this matching game...



My students traditionally struggle with problems like "name a pyramid with 5 faces" because they want to say pentagonal pyramid. We talk about subtracting the base from the total number of faces to determine the number of sides on the base itself...which determines the name (rectangular pyramid). Whew! I'm hoping this game helps connect the numerical process with the visual solid. I just loaded it to my TpT store. I'll keep you posted how it goes in the classroom.

Have a great week...make it count!

Photobucket

1.21.2012

integer activity bundle and a freebie

It's only January, but I'm already thinking about our Benchmark exam in April. And then when we finish Benchmark on a Friday, my geometry students turn around and take their end-of-course exam on the following Tuesday. I spend the majority of my time focusing on the day-to-day lessons because I know that's what counts the most when it comes time for testing. However, I do have a routine for review as well...more on that later. ;)

Another reason I love my MATHercise tubs...I have an abundance of review centers at my disposal. So today I gathered my favorite integer activities...


 

If you are hunting for a variety of integer games, then hop over to my TpT store. The integer bundle above includes tips on teaching integer operation rules through storytelling and modeling as well as seven engaging activities to support the lesson. Enjoy!

I'm also working on a mind workout tiling activity. Wanna see a sample?!?



Is this something you can use in your math class?

Classify Coordinate Figures Mind Workout Tiling 

Is it part of your curriculum or is it something you could use as an extension to challenge students? I'm going to use this one in my MATHercise tubs this week...can't wait to see how it goes...my students give great feedback!

Hope you're enjoying the weekend! Our house was filled with friends and science fair today. And my hubby went on a cleaning spree as well...I may not be able to find a thing in the kitchen or the bathroom. LOL!

Happy Sunday to YOU...make it count!

Photobucket

1.20.2012

weekend plans

I hope you had a fabulous week!
I...for one...am thrilled that it's Friday. :-)
We have a few things we could do this weekend, but we haven't committed to a single thing! And not a soul in the Tilmon house needs an alarm set for Saturday morning. Woohoo! It's the little things in life...

I've been browsing blogs this evening. Wow! I continue to be amazed by the awesome teacher blogs. Kudos to you for sharing! And I'm a little late to Farley's party over at Oh Boy Fourth Grade. But I really couldn't resist posting my "currently" for January...


I have a few errands to run tomorrow...groceries, supplies from Staples, and walking shoes from Rush Running. I have a few games and activities on my list to make this weekend. Plus it's time to finalize the next assessment for geometry. So what are you up to this weekend?!?

Hope you have a great one...make it count!
Photobucket

1.18.2012

a day in my shoes

Hop over to link up for the "A Day in My Shoes" blog party!
Thanks to Katie for hosting such a fun party!

So here's a snapshot of a day in my life...
Tuesday, January 17, 2012


6:00 am
Alarm sounds. I sneak out of bed and wake the girls. Shower, hair, makeup, get dressed, etc. Meanwhile I check on the girls in between drying, spritzing, and straightening my hair. And somewhere towards the end of this process my hubby hops out of bed and is ready to drive out of the garage in 15 minutes. If it weren't for the amazing chunky necklaces that my girly girl self sports each day, I could be seriously jealous of my sweet hubby!

7:00 am
I'm very spoiled because my hubby takes our youngest girly to school each day. So they leave at 7:00 on the dot and I start gathering...my work bag, ipad, and SmartOnes frozen lunch. Our oldest daughter heads to school with me. We try to leave the house no later than 7:15 am.

7:30 am
Arrive at school. My teacher friend texted me that she is out sick today. I printed her lesson plans and sent them to the office.

7:45 am
My weekly duty is to monitor detention on Tuesday mornings. The students report to my room. Once I get everyone situated, I am able to write the objectives and agenda on the board.

8:25 am
Detention students are released, and I turn records in to the office. I have ten minutes before class begins. I greet my students at the door. And then during announceents I check in with those who sneak by me in the hall. ;)

8:35 am
School begins. I start each morning with the sweetest group of 7th graders (count: 21)! They spend 15-20 minutes on their MATHercise while I check attendance, conference with low quiz score kiddos, and pull students with missing assignments. Then we all switch gears to today's lesson. We created a mind map to summarize the Angle Relationships unit we've been working on for the past two weeks. Finally, the students begin working on their study guide for the test coming tomorrow. We worked one competency and then paused to check for accuracy and ask questions...repeat until the end of class.

10:02 am
The end of first hour with five minutes to switch classes. I have another great group of 7th graders (count: 24) coming for math. Same general plan...although our summary discussion runs quite differently. Monitor and adjust. :) A few minutes before the end of class, I get a phone call from my daughter's school nurse. My sweet girly has the stomach bug. I call my hubby, and he is  available to head home for the afternoon.

11:27 am
The end of first hour with five minutes to switch classes. I have planning period with lunch included in the mix. Today my 7th grade PLC is meeting during our prep. We meet to set common grading for the next unit we start later this week.

12:30 pm
I should be eating lunch...but a few emails need returned first...and I need to add a couple of discussion slides to my geometry PowerPoint...so I opt to eat my turkey sandwich and pringles at my desk while I work.

1:25 pm
Seminar. I have a group of 7th graders (count: 26) gathering in my room for RED (Read Every Day) time and study hall. Our study hall is unique in that it allows students to travel to other teachers for tutoring and/or assessments. I have several students travel to the Library and computer lab while others come to see me for help with their math review and one geoemtry student comes to make up a missed quiz from his absence.

2:10 pm
Seminar ends and students have five mintues to switch classes. I have an amazing group of 8th graders (count: 17) coming for preAP geometry. I check homework while my students work to find the area of a regular polygon with a known side length. Since four out of five teams are on track, we check their homework for accuracy and answer questions. Next we review characteristics of quadratic functions and lead the discussion to deriving an equation of a parabola in terms of the focus and directrix. We close with a Showdown activity to ensure they can put their new knowledge to work.

3:35 pm
School ends. My daughter helps me clean desktops. We have a birthday celebration in my room for one of our math teachers. Fun! I pack some lesson planning items, change clothes, and leave the birthday fun early.

4:15 pm
I have physical therapy for my heel. Unfortunately, I've been battling plantar fasciitis for over a year. But physical therapy is working! My oldest daughter is with me and claims it appears that I'm paying big money for a foot massage. LOL!

5:30 pm
We grab take-out and head home for dinner and homework. My oldest daughter provided the entertainment at the dinner table by sharing several of her QuickWrites from first semester. She loves to write! After the girls finish baths and head to bed, I create a couple of items for a future MATHercise tub and watch a TV show with my hubby.

11:30 pm
Lights out!
Thanks for reading! Be sure to link up and read other snapshots...it's always fun to here about the lives of other teachers.

Enjoy the rest of your week...make it count!
Photobucket

1.16.2012

be my valentine exchange



Be My Valentine


How fun is this?!? Caitlin and Sarah have a lot of Valentine's Day fun in store for this exchange. So hop on over and sign up today!

And here's what I have been working on today...


(click on the picture to visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store to purchase this game)

We will be starting a new unit later this week...geometric properties. The first competency involves plotting vertices of a polygon and classifying the polygon by type, convex/concave, and regular/irregular. This card game allows student to practice the classification task of the standard. The game is designed to be played as either Go Fish or Old Maid. Enjoy!

Have a great week...and make it count!


Photobucket

1.15.2012

bigger than the storm

In May 2011 a tornado devastated Joplin, MO. The town is located 1.5 hours north of us. Our church youth group went on mission to help with disaster relief efforts. My sweet Taylor spent a few hot summer days sorting clothing, toiletries, and canned goods in giant outdoor tents filled with donations. The students sported grey t-shirts that said, "God is greater than the storm. Psalm 31.24" Time has passed, but many still face the devastation each day. And a special request has been made by a teacher from Joplin.



Erica, a Joplin kindergarten teacher, is looking for support for their teachers. She wrote this:


I teach in Joplin, which made worldwide news last May when our town was cut in half by an F5 tornado. Many of our elementary schools were destroyed or damaged, and as teachers, we have had a roller coaster year. I came from a meeting yesterday where many are struggling with the weight of all we are dealing with. My request is this: would you be willing to donate a created pack of your choosing to give away at a drawing at our upcoming district Kindergarten grade level meeting? The meeting is Monday and I am sorry for the short notice but I did not realize until the meeting how down everyone is feeling.
I emailed this integers activity for middle school math teachers to Erica:

Help spread the love! Hop over to Mrs. Wills Kindergarten to help the Joplin teachers!
Photobucket