School Spirit

Last week we had our 2nd annual school basketball game. Our BHE staff vs. Irvin Elementary Staff. I served as a cheerleader. My students informed me that I was a better cheerleader at the game than the pep-rally at school. Haha! Cheerleading nor basketball were never my interest in high school!

GO GREEN!

Today we had a competition at school to see which grade level could wear the most green, which classroom and finally which teacher could wear the most green. I'm all about school spirit so of course I participated.... believe it or not I was not the teacher wearing the most green- although I was one of 5 finalists... that picture to come later.. for now here are a few...

 (I know you're impressed!)

All Eyes on Me!

"Give me 5". Above my door I have a huge hand plastered. The palm says "Give me 5". The fingers. Thumb "Feet on floor", Pointer "Sit up straight", Bird, "Hands on desk", Ring "Mouth closed", Pinky "Eyes on Me"... Eyes on me... don't ask for it if you don't want it! What you demand you'll get! 

I constantly have to remind myself that my students are very observant, they are sponges... they see and hear more than I realize. Sometimes they pay more attention to the implicit things than they do the explicit things I am trying to teach them.

Unfortunately I am a very black/white person... I tend to wear my feelings on my face. (Just last week a student commented on a "you're crazy! look" I made with my eyes)This is something I'm constantly having to work on. Today was a typical Monday. The continual rain made it even worse. Not wanting to deal with the rain- I pulled my hair up first thing- before I ever left the house. My students rarely see me with my hair pulled back- so of course they commented on that first thing. Then in a hurry to get ready I put on very little mascara- they noticed this too. "Miss Dancy! What's wrong? Are you sick? " Oh the quirks of being a teacher, especially a 5th grade teacher! You must be "on your game" 24/7... they don't let anything slip past you!

"Your actions speak louder than your words". "Your actions speak so loud, I can't hear a word you're saying."

Terrific Tuesday...

Well this morning I woke to my obnoxious alarm at 5 am. My left I was irritated and watering.... I HATE getting eyelashes in my eye! I was still in a sleep state- so I crawled back in bed.... my feet didn't officially hit the floor to start my day until 6 am. I never could get the eyelash out of my eye... I thought this would cause my day to start bad... BUT I'm happy to announce it didn't! You see last week one day after school I was craving Chick-Fil-A's waffle frieds and a coke. Leaving the drive through I spotted a small flag that said something about Free Breakfast Tuesdays. I decided I would see if there was any truth to this. This morning I pulled up to the drive through, ordered a chicken mini (MY FAV) for FREE! Yes! The month of March select Chick-Fil-A's are giving away free breakfast. Next week this Chick-Fil-A is giving away chicken biscuits! How cool is that?


Here are my school funnies for the day-

In reading we're reading a humourous ficition story where the Great Grandmother has alzheimers. Discussing the story today a student says with the most serious of tone, "I thought it was old-timers NOT alzheimers."

There were several comments made from students and teachers alike today re: my hair. "Did you get it cut?" "It looks pretty" etc... yep that's what happens when I take the time to fix it. Thank you hot rollers!

In Math we're reviewing Geometry basics- one of them being angles. I asked my students to look around the classroom for examples. "Miss Dancy, your nose is an obtuse angle". Gee- thanks!

"Miss Dancy- did you knows that Jacob is a twin?" "Oh well- I was just seeing if yous had good sense."

Monday's laughs!

Mondays are by far my least favorite day of the week. Not to mention- this morning I'm still adjusting to the hour time change. I do not like it being dark when I leave for work this morning. The one perk to my morning was that my students were unusually quite- they were half asleep. Well this morning we were working on persuasive essays. I was modeling an example of "Smoking cigarette's is not a good choice."

Well a student says, "But Miss Dancy! Nurse **** smokes cigarettes! You can smell it on her breath. Doesn't that make her a hippopotamus?" -Sweetie I think you mean hypocrite!

"Miss Dancy, do you know what the word ghetto means?"

Oh the Places You'll Go...

I have always been an independent natured person. It was nothing, for me as a child to spend weeks away from home during the summer. I L-O-V-E to travel! I think traveling provides many unique learning experiences. I hope that life affords me many opportunities for travel! Below are my "big trips" thus far...

In elementary school my family took a Fall Trip through the New England states, the whole east coast, in my parent's huge van. Some of the high lights of that trip were driving through Amish country, site seeing the beautiful fall foliage and Plymoth Plantation.

My first plane ride was a 9-hour plane ride from Atlanta to Paris- before flying south to Italy for a 15-day study abroad experience May of 2005.

My college roomates and I took a fall break trip to Washington, DC and New York City.

My college graduation present was a trip to the west coast June 2006. At the time my cousin Heather and her husband Dave were finishing their doctorates at Fuller Theological in Pasadena, CA. It is a whole 'nother world on the West Coast.

As a reward for successfully completing my first year of teaching my friend Jennifer and I took a cruise to the western Caribbean.

This summer I will day a 15 hour plane ride to Beijing, China for a mission trip.


Bucket List of Trips:
-Ghana, Africa
-Amsterdam (specifically the Anne Frank museum)
-San Fransico, CA (to ride a trolley cart)
-Gautamala, Central America
-Austrailia
-China (to adopt a baby girl)

-Jamestown, NY (Lucy Museum)

-Arizona (Grand Canyon)

-Nevada- Las Vegas

-Hawaii

Whose ya daddy?

So I have to be vulnerable and so that in resent weeks I have started to question the security of our government, particularly economically speaking. Now don't worry- I haven't lost any sleep... I'm thankful to say that I am not a worry wart. Ok- back to the point. In all serious.... where is our country headed?

One of my favorite things about teaching 5th grade is Social Studies. 5th grade Social Studies is the first introduction many students have to American History. Recently we have been learning about WWI and the Great Depression. The Great Depression study has sparked a curiosity in my students about the current recession. Its amazing to me the bits and pieces kids pick up from "the world" around them. It has been exciting to discuss with them yet a little sobering to face reality.

At our contemporary church service this evening PG's message was "God is still God in a Jacked-Up world".

-Whose voices are you letting lead you? the world's or God's?

-If God owns the cattle of a thousand hills, he owns our Government.

-God is ultimately in charge of our government, Obama is not. God will still be God if Obama succeeds or fails at his bail out plan.

-God's word speaks over and over of tithing and trusting the Lord. We as God's children should not hoard in fear but rather sew in faith.

-"What goes around, comes around...."- America hasn't been the best steward material wealth... you can't continue to "throw your seed to the wind" and not expect the reprocussions to follow...

So- when you start to worry about the state of our government- pull out the word and turn to Psalms 37. David's prayer spoke peace to my anxious heart.

BASKETBALL RIVALRY!

There is something about living in the great state of North Carolina and basketball. NC is home to some great basketball teams- particularly 2 at the top of the nation. My blood runs Carolina blue though and through. Although I didn't attend UNC- I lived vicariously through my brother and sister-in-law's college experiences. Most would scoff at the idea of college basketball and there being such a rivalry. I plead the quote, "don't knock it, til you try it"! There is some unexplainable passion inside every true basketball fan. Particularly the Carolina/Duke rivalry. The competition is always a step up because both teams excel in their game- there is never a dull moment watching the two teams compete. You're always on the edge of your game cheering your team to victory.

I remember learning this chant as an elementary student, "Duke is puke, Wake is fake, NC State is the team I hate! Can't get to heaven in a red canoe- 'cause God's favorite color is CAROLINA BLUE!"

My students know I am a die-hard Tarheel fan! I proudly wave my Tarheel pennett!
Last year I had a friendly rivalry with some equally die-hard Dookies! I miss those boys- this year the rivallary just isn't there with my students.

Tyler and Alison have a funny story. Alison grew up a die-hard Dookie but went to college at UNC. She proudly sported her Duke shirt (under her Carolina shirt) to the UNC-Duke games. Well as their wedding processional they chose to play the Tarheel fight song. Half-way down the aisle the pianist snuck in the Duke fight song as a sneaky grin framed Alison's face.


In honor of the Duke/Carolina game and upcomming ACC tournament I splurged on my first of the pedicure of the season...


We also dedicated our snowman last week to the ACC tournament

Perplexing Quote

So this quote from church Sunday resignated with me in a stricking way this week. I haven't been able to get it out of my mind and heart. Since words yet profound truth.

I think as Christians we sometimes become accustumed to Salvation Messages and don't use them as reality checks like we should.

"If you aren't saved the you are living the only heaven you'll ever experience. If you are saved this is the worst hell you'll ever experience...."

Blizzard of March 09

So lets start with Sunday afternoon. All weekend long it poured nothing but cold rain. It was depressing. The forecasters were calling for a snowy mix- but lets face it- who believes forecasters when they're wrong 95% of the time. The monsoon of rain was making me want some rain-boots. Around 5ish my dear friend Kendra calls and says she's bored. I mentioned that I wanted some boots. She suggested we go to Target. I picked her up and we headed in my car to Target. When we left it was misting snow flurries- nothing to scare us. We spent all of 20 minutes (a fast trip for me) in Target. I walked out the proud owner of the lovely boots shown below.


Literally in the 20 minutes we were in Target - the weather outside had turned into a blizzard. The parking lot was quickly turning into a slushy sheet of ice. We krept home in my car. Thank God Hundai's have automatic steering and traction control!!! I dropped Kendra off and then preceded home.

By the time I got home it was coming down!

I couldn't resist taking a picture of my new boots!