Taking a leap

 Teach with Tech Conference has inspired me to test my boundaries when it comes to tech integration. I made this newsletter in hopes it would reach my families and create a path for us to communicate. My bigger hope is for families to see the magic I see in my classroom and have a point of conversation with their child about what they are learning day to day. Fingers crossed it works.

2019 Annual Fishing Tournament

We are spoiled by our Coaches! Each year our school meets under the Dunlawton Bridge for some fishing, hot dog lunch and some fellowship outside school.  The Coaches use funds to purchase raffle prizes to include trophies, sporting equipment and hot dogs for everyone! The kids look forward to it every year and we grow numbers depending on the local sporting events.  Moms, dads, and even grandparents are baiting hooks and chatting away with one another along the dock. It is a fun time for everyone and the smiles are the best part.  The fish are caught and released right back into the river so no harm came to the fish caught.   Check out the smiles in this video of students, teacher and parents.

CTE-PLC

What is CTE? Career and Technical Education is a broad branch to cover all the technology courses and certifications in a district. Students in elementary are exposed to an introduction of technology to include basic operation functions, Microsoft Suite-in our district, and fundamentals of web browsers. I was blessed to find our elementary CTE-PLC group my second year into teaching STEM as a special area. What an amazing group of educators! I live for the meetings where we share curriculum ideas, websites, and ideas to implement to further our students in technology. Not every school has an introduction to technology course so we are a group of about 15 that regularly meet or even chat in Teams troubleshooting and sharing. Our leader is the famous Debra Dumas and she is a gem! We try to meet in one of our classrooms and that is amazing for photos and ideas. Yet with drive time we are sometimes on a short schedule so she found a neutral spot for us to meet-Dave & Buster's!!

YES you read that correctly. Did you know they have wifi and a small conference room where we are able to have a webinar with Animation-ish from Fable Vision? It was a perfect setting for a technology group.

The sound was great, food was available, and we were from all over the district in one room. If you need to have technology PD why not at Dave & Buster's.

Debra even had door prizes for us after our meeting.

Nurse Rhonda

We were blessed to have the same nurse at our school for 13 years and it was bittersweet to see her retire. Think about a person that touches the life of every single student at a school. Students on medication see her, students with diabetes talk to her each day to maintain levels, and every student with a bump or bruise ends up in her office. Nurse Rhonda provided comfort, kindness, and a safe place within her walls. That is one special role in a school. All of this and we are excited for our new nurse. Just a note Nurse Rhonda opened Cypress Creek way back and has seen several hundreds graduate over the 13 years. I often wonder of those hundreds how many can recall a specific memory of Nurse Rhonda? I bet most. Nurse Rhonda has no idea the impact she has had on all of these children over the years. We wish you well on your next adventure.

Wear a Cardigan Day-November 13

Have you ever heard of Wear a Cardigan Day? It is a tribute to the late Mr. Rogers from Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood to celebrate World Kindness Day. When I was a child I watched television and I remember Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. He taught us about careers, sang songs, and was a kind man. He is famous for "There is not person in the whole world like you, and I like you just the way you are." He died in 2003 but is remembered fo the way he talked to children about feelings and life events. Teachers through school wore their cardigans on November 13th. #worldkindnessday

Best People

Over my 26 years I have met hundreds of people, little friends, parents, teachers, and staff.  Sometimes we take a moment to say thank you to people we meet along the journey but far too often they leave and we missed the chance to say their presence is missed. They move on to the next chapter and we find the replacement  person is nice enough but just not them. I have met some pretty incredible people in my 26 years...

Debbie is in the black shirt and she was our registrar extraordinaire before her retirement. She was always willing to put in extra work to make sure the job got done and on time.  There were times we had to make sure grades were posted correctly when others made mistakes. She was resourceful and if she didn't know something she would research or call someone to learn.

 Our special area team with Debbie on her last day.

 Her last day at school with some of the fifth graders she had been photographing all year for their end of year slide show.

 Debbie's mom and dad at school on her last day of school-Happy retirement!! Her dad used to be our tax guy way back when. Small world! Enjoy every minute of it!

 Amanda Serrano is a gem. I met her years ago when her mom was my assistant while I taught Vacation Bible School at South Daytona Baptist Church. That year her granddaughter was entering first grade and I was blessed to have this family cross my doorway. Amanda is a go getter. She is a worker. She wants to be the best in everything she does. She is about the kids always. They work hard but she has researched methods to have her students perform and if they have trouble she makes sure to enlist help. The coolest thing? She is bilingual and for our Spanish speaking children she teaches in both english and spanish?!? I am in amazement of her often.  She has a treasure chest where the students can make a deal with rewards earned throughout the week and year.

 My sweet friend has been saving tickets and wanted to spend them on me :( yes ugly cry it is! I am the proud owner of sunglasses and Play Dough thanks to Mason. Thank you Mason and Mrs. Serrano for making me feel like I am important.

 This is my principal, Mr. Bronson. I happened to be in the office one day when these 2nd graders were there to share their positive referrals from their teacher. Do you notice Mr. Bronson's pink shirt? Well I did and it means the world to me.  When I was diagnosed last year it there was worry on my part of how I would get through the treatments in front of the students. I honestly didn't know how I was going to make it and not effect the students.  Mr. Bronson did not hesitate with making sure I was taken care of from the start. Schedules and appointments were shifted to minimize disruption and there isn't a day that goes by that I am not thankful for the support of my administration.

Speaking of support and love-these are my cafeteria ladies or should I say-our cafeteria ladies!  Always a smile, nice word, and just a feel of support when you see them whether you are at school or out and around Port Orange. Love them and they make the BEST Thanksgiving dinner around!

 This is my special area team. We celebrate birthdays and meet weekly to talk over strategy and kids.  Even during our time with distance learning last year we still met on Zoom each week.  It was a highlight because these people lift you up. We laugh and joke but when it gets time to work we are all in for one another. My team helped pick up the slack when I needed them for appointments or just not feeling well. There were notes and flowers and just a place where I knew they had my back. Just some of the most important, best people around!

Years ago we started Parents Night Out, modeled after Port Orange Elementary.  One Friday a month parents would entrust us with their children from 5:30-8:30pm while they had a might out. It was a fundraiser and teachers volunteered to manage stations and supervision during centers, dinner and a movie.  Our local movie theater provided popcorn as our preferred business partner. Funds were used for technology, teachers to attend conferences, and other needed materials for school-wide-use. When I got sick last year these people here did not want me to work Parents Night Out.  They wanted me to be at home with my own children and husband to rest after working all week. They made sure the families that trusted us had teachers volunteer on those Friday nights. They made sure the show must still go on and I am forever grateful for them all!

These people are the BEST!! These are my marigolds. You have to find your people, your tribe, your ride or die. These ladies have made me a better person because of their friendship. After diagnosis there wasn't a week that went by without a note, flowers, inspiration, or laugh. If I could be half the person they were to me... They will never know how very much each and every one of them means to me.  Thank you for everything. I can never repay you. Love you all...

Various Lessons I Taught

Kinders have trouble with directions and steps so what better way to help than a partner? Botlogic is a website where children must use arrows to get a robot to the house.  As the levels progress there are a certain number of moves, a battery back that will give you extra moves, and even a button you must turn on and off to proceed. I usually model for students the buttons and the path or algorithm they create and special notes of the level before letting them partner up and making their way through the path.

Ozobots are robots that follow a color marker route where the combinations of colors tell the Ozobot certain directions pertaining to speed or direction.  The students brainstorm with partners the routes the Ozobot should take to meet the most houses for present drop off.  Here we have students demonstrating the route and timing their journey.

Dash and Dot robots from Wonder Workshop area great for a group to test an algorithm. Dash can do so many things from moving, turning, singing, lighting up...it is endless what the students can create.  They learn and collaborate together.

Laptops are a must tool for the students and there are so many websites to practice skills.

Nearpod is an excellent companion in the classroom for students to follow along and interact with a lesson planned in advance. 

One of my favorite features of Nearpod is when the students draw their answers I can put them up on the screen for everyone to see without anyone knowing who it belongs to.  We can discuss the pictures and rationale for their answer or why someone would agree or disagree with them. 

Seesaw is an app we use to create or show our learning and hand in on the iPad.  Here these kinders are telling a little about themselves using emjois. The might not be able to spell out the words but they can find a picture to let you know their thoughts.

The pink journey...

First came the lumpectomy and it wasn't as bad as you might think. First let me explain. The breast cancer was closer to my chest wall and since I crossfit 5-7 days a week for about 6 years my body fat percentage is not too high which translates into not very large chest.  The scar was about 2 1/2 inches and within a few days looking alright.  Maybe the worst part was the removal of lymph nodes.  Dr. Wilkie took 9 lymph nodes to test and cutting those nerves in my arm pit made it feel numb and that continues to a little bit today and this surgery was back in November. No working out, nothing over head, nothing heavy, and rest were Doctor's orders.  The lymph nodes were sent off for Oncotype testing.  Waiting for the results would determine if there was to be chemo but radiation was a definite go.

Thanksgiving holiday leads into Christmas and still no test results.  I call and no one seems to be able to give a date for the test results to be in so let's go ahead and start radiation.  20 treatments over the month of January. The radiologist and the technicians are so nice and 10-15 minutes a day seems to go fast.  I will have to say I was still getting up at 4am to workout at 5:30 teaching my full day until 2:30 and then receiving radiation.  I will also tell you I was in bed around 4:30-5 each afternoon because I was tired.  Thank goodness Kaile and Carson were able to drive themselves to school, work, make dinners and help out around the house.  Tim went to every single appointment and treatment. We would talk all the way there, while we waited in the waiting room and all the way home.  He was my rock! Then as I was getting ready to meet with the radiation oncologist the nurse says yay we have your results today. What oh good-everyone has said all along don't worry your score should be below 26 you are so healthy, eat right and exercise. Dr. gives us the paper and right smack in the middle is 28. What does that mean? Chemo? for how long? chance of reoccurrence? would it make a difference? is the breast cancer going to come back? We are filled with questions and  when is someone going to tell me I don't have to go through chemotherapy.

I call my Breast Navigator to talk. She tells me there is a weekly meeting and all the doctors will meet and talk over the score to recommend should we or should we not. Time is standing still until this meeting.  Every doctor at the meeting recommends chemotherapy because they would have been happier with an Onkatype score of 16 because of my age-great 48 but if I were 50 then maybe no chemotherapy.

Recommendations are 4 treatments of 2 cocktails every 3 weeks. Yes all chemotherapy for breast cancer makes you lose your hair. What am I going to tell the kids at school? We had a teacher pass this year and I am not sure how I can do this at school. What about Kaile and Carson? Am I going to be sick all the time? Tim helps to calm me down and gets me to take one moment at a time. He reminds me I will get through this, like the surgery, the radiation, the Murph each year, and 12 weeks will go by in a flash. "1becomes 2, 2 becomes, 5 and before you know it you have 10 pull-ups." I replay it over and over in my mind.  Now I have to call my mom and dad and tell them our next step is chemotherapy.

Before chemotherapy a port must be put in and that ends up falling to the day before my first chemo treatment.  The first chemo treatment is long like 9-2:30 long but I feel alright.  The nurses are so helpful. I hear it is the shot the next day that will take it out of me. Make sure to take Claratin before and during the first few days to help.

World wind of appointments...

They don't tell you all the appointments you will then have to attend. MRI is first and that is what I got on my 48th birthday.  It wasn't too bad. Just hearing them tell you if you move we will have to restart the test and then might be later today or maybe next week...I was still for the whole time.  By the way there are no earplugs or earphones you listen to the thumping and pounding the whole time.  It wasn't that bad and over before you know i, if you close your eyes like I do.

Next you meet with the surgeon and Dr. Wilkey in Daytona Beach, Fl is amazing.  She was so thorough with her explanation and answered every question I had written down in my pink cancer notebook. We were hoping for a lumpectomy but there was the genetic testing and what happens if it is in my lymph nodes? All the uncertain means you take precautions and meet with everyone you MIGHT need to have on your team to fight cancer.

Then there is the radiation oncologist meeting and he was super nice and helpful. Dr. Factor explained it would be a routine once we found out about the tumor and what it contained.  Almost equated it to a bad sunburn but to make sure the area was taken care of and kill any remaining cells where the tumor was in my body.

Then the plastic surgeon in case of a mastectomy, which we needed to wait to hear back from the genetic test.  At one point during the reconstructive talk I had to have him stop because it was not a breast enhancement procedure it is a reconstructive where they go in and add a little each time until the achieved result. Oh my goodness women who go through this have to be the strongest women of all time.  I could barely talk about it without tearing up.

Then there is the medical oncologist meeting, Dr. Chew. I of course said all my doctors are not thinking I will have to go through chemotherapy so this meeting was merely a formality.  He was pleasant and our children are in band together.  We will wait for testing the Oncotype-DX of the tumor but everything will be fine.

The whole month of October it was one meeting after another but I have to give it to Florida Health Care the appointments were planned and moving right along to prepare for a lumpectomy the first week of November.  I had all of the prerequisites in place so we could tackle this breast cancer and come out on the other side.  Family was informed and questions were asked and we felt like we were as prepared as anyone could be facing the circumstances.

A little Disney magic...

So Dr. lets us collect ourselves and then meets us in the office.  We get a pink notebook where we are to write down all of our questions.  Where do I even start? Next step is an MRI so we can locate the exact location of the tumor. We need more information: how big, what stage, is it in the lymph nodes, how do we collect all this information?  I am trusting these doctors and I have faith there is a reason for all this, what can it be?

We leave with our heads spinning and Kaile is texting and Carson and how am I going to tell them?  We say we will talk about it when we get to the house and they know. It was a quiet ride home and we will face it all head on.  We will go to the doctor appointments, listen to the advice, and come out on the other end a stronger family.  We tell the kids and Kaile goes WIDE right, from 0 to 80, and there is nothing I can do as her mom to comfort her through this news. Carson is hearing the news but is he listening? I want to go to Disney. I know it sounds crazy but we got the news and really what am I going to do sit around and cry all day or worse reading on the internet? No I want to go to Disney World Hollywood Studios.  I want to ride my favorite rides. I want to walk with my family. I want to feel that Disney Magic. We get in the car and drive over and it is a quiet ride.  We get there and ride Toy Story Mania. I lose of course and the thoughts of cancer are there but I just can't explain it. I needed this time away with the ones I love the most.  We ate at Sci-Fi Theater and it was great! Luckily we got to sit in the car and watch old black and white movies while eating cheeseburgers and drink milkshakes. We spend the day at Hollywood Studios and then back home.  I tell them this was not how they wanted to spend their day but Thank you because it was how I needed to spend my day.  I love my family and for them I would do anything.  We will get through this together as a family.

Seriously I will schedule time to blog...

I have let life get in the way and days turn into weeks into months into years, well no longer here we go back to blogging and sharing my journey with the world.

This is my 4th year as the STEM special area teacher at Cypress Creek Elementary and it has grown in so many ways.  I can't wait to share with all of you and brag on these students and teachers here in Port Orange.  Before I get to that I am also getting back into blogging for a selfish reason to share my story, my why as Tech Ninja Todd would say.  You might not know him as Tech Ninja Todd but Todd Nesloney. He will always be a hero to me from way back to the Miami Device days.  He now podcasts Tell Your Story and you should subscribe it you don't already. I could listen to him all day.

My story changed in September when I was diagnosed with breast cancer 3 days before my 48th birthday.  I went in August for my annual mammogram and then they asked me back for a 2nd one.  I thought it was odd but alright they error on the side of caution right?  I was sitting there in the pink gown along with 2 other ladies waiting to hear if we needed an ultrasound next.  The nurse walks over to the first lady and tells her they are alright and will monitor at the next mammogram. Another nurse walks over to the second lady and tells her the same thing. In my mind I said oh great I am going to be the 1 in 3 that needs an ultrasound. Sure enough I get called back for an ultrasound, a closer look, still believing oh it will be fine.  I ask if my husband can go in with me and was told no so I had to lay on that table by myself. It was so scary and of course the technician cannot tell ou a thing but they click and click away taking images. Finally the radiologist comes in and says we are sending you in for a biopsy. I remember it is alright and make sure to breathe.

As I am riding home with my hubby all I can think about is how and what are we going to tell the kids.  Kaile is 18 and Carson is soon to be 16.  Kaile's best friend recently had a mom pass from breast cancer and another friend's mom was stage 3 rare strain and given 6-12 months to live.  She is my heart for sure, my first born, the strong young lady changing her college plans, another story another day. We are  going to tell them the truth and it will be fine.  We are doing what the doctors think is best and really I am healthy, work out daily, eat right, don't drink, and don't smoke so we will be fine.

Back at it again...

Well fast forward to 2019 and here we are in Port Orange teaching STEM at Cypress Creek Elementary.  I wanted to write about a situation that occurred a few weeks ago and has me thinking.

I prepped the STEM classroom with Lego WeDo sets ready on the tables, objectives posted, calming music playing while the 4th graders walked in and then I heard it, "Oh I already know how to do this. I know what we are doing. I can do it." It struck me right in the heart. Legos, how in the world could you already possible know what we are going to do-Legos have a million and one in possibilities. How can anyone else get a word in if you already know and are you going to let me do anything?

How many of us walk in to any number of situations and think yay I know this. Then it came to me, if you walk in to a situation and think you know it all, you won't learn a thing.  Seriously, take a minute to let that sink in. I talked to the class and shared my thoughts.  We talked a few minutes about learning new things and I pointed out their teacher talks about the growth mindset in class.

Maybe just maybe we can take a moment and not know everything.  After 25 years of teaching I am amazed at how I learn from students every day and even teachers.  I recently attended the Get Your Teach On conference in Orlando.  Saving that one for another blog post but let's just say I am still learning.

The Chairs are Here

The chairs are here! I really like the blue and lime green color.  With teaching STEM special area and seeing the whole school we had to make a decision on chairs.  We decided to go with the medium size chairs.  I have to say it is a bit funny when the 3rd graders come in and say they are little chairs.  I think they are just right.

Check out the new chairs with the desks. I really think the classroom is coming together. 

Of course you need to see the classroom from both views.

But the smile on their faces, I think these kids like the new chairs.  

First thing first is digital citizenship and the best app to showcase work while showing responsibility is Seesaw.  The primary students used Draw & Tell to complete a directed drawing of a school bus.  In Seesaw we recorded their favorite part of the school day.  It was too cute.  I love how directed drawings turn out to be such unique pieces of art!

Big smiles after finishing the project.

Everyone is so engaged and really making the effort to design wonderful pictures.

Intermediate students explored the capabilities of Buncee. Bungee is a more friendly version to showcase presentations with amazing fonts, animated pictures, and a library of visuals that will have you creating for hours!

Alexa wanted an otter since it is our school mascot.  We tweeted out a request and do you know that within 12 hours there were 3 newly added otter pictures/animations for students to use! Seriously Buncee is a company that listens to their users and it taught these children a very powerful lesson on social media.

Bungee fans are seriously engaged in finding just the right element to add to the page.

I have to say seeing the whole school every 6 days is quite a feat and I have really found the students to be so many things whether it is sporty, kind, or funny.  I think each and every one of them is amazing and I am hoping to showcase their talents throughout the year here on this blog and throughout the school year.

Reflections on the last day of 2015...

The last day of 2015... there was so much to be #thankful for this past year.  I have a Top 10 list:

10.  #miamidevice was amazing and this time I had 7 other friends learning right along side me.  I can't wait for all of us to share and take 2016 to new levels remember #youmatter and our very own #ottersmatter My BFF at school was a part of this group and we are working along with our team to share and collaborate, even more to come in 2016...

9.  Finally made the trip to Georgia to see Aunt Alice and Uncle Gene.  They were our neighbors when I was a baby in Taiwan and helped my parents with everything and anything for a young couple.  They were there when I took my 1st steps and took me to the deep end of the pool.  They are my family.  Uncle Gene broke his leg last year so I didn't get to visit.  Aunt Alice needed back surgery so we didn't visit this summer.  It was almost 3 years since our last visit so with our Christmas break we took a few days to make the trip to Georgia.  I am so thankful I got to see them, hug them, and listen to stories about my life.  They are 83 and I don't know hoe many more years I will get to see them but I made sure to tell them how much I love them!  

8.  Twitter yes Twitter.  Anyone that knows me knows I work-A LOT and on Twitter I have found my people!  I read the best blog posts, gather the best ideas to use in my classroom, and have the best PLN to grow as a global teacher.  I am connected to teachers all over the world and share the message-use Twitter.  Still working on furthering that message. 

7.  Volusia County Schools where my daughter started Spruce Creek High School and our son is enrolled in 7th grade at Creekside Middle.  Kaile ran Cross Country and I cheered as she practiced day after day to see that mile time come down and her 1 mile PR is lower than mine.  Guess I will be working on that time in 2016.  Carson played the saxophone and right before Christmas took on the bassoon.  I am thankful for a school system that offers extra curricular activities to enhance education.

6.  Apple yes, tech Apple because I use it daily in so many ways.  YIPPEE I got an Apple watch and it is a game changer people, trust me ask and I will let you know why-I am sold!  Apple also offers schools a discount when you buy in packs of 10 and thankfully we have had grants and Parents Night Out to grow our iPad program at school.  We are changing education for students throughout Cypress Creek Elementary.

5.  Disney World-what?!? We bought annual passes last Christmas to share with our kids.  See Kaile is 14 and pretty soon she will be driving and not hanging out with us:( We went to all the Disney parks and made a total of 25 trips.  25 times I couldn't wipe the smile off my face, hug my kids a little tighter and see pure enjoyment on some faces during our trips.  We rented a camper for Spring Break and even stayed at the Boardwalk-thanks Uncle Randy.  It truly was a gift to our family that kept on giving all year long. I took more pictures than you could imagine and I will have them forever. :)

4.  Crossfit Diehard where I push myself everyday to be better than the day before.  I finally learned to do rope climbs with confidence and overcome my fear.  I can record my progress and see the results.  I choose to eat healthier, get to workout with Tim at least 3 times a week, and together talk to our kids about a healthier lifestyle.

3.  My firstie class because they keep me on my toes.  I celebrated my 23 years on December 17 and I can honestly say I enjoy going to work every day to interact with the future.  I have a class of 18 amazing kids that make me smile, challenge me to create interactive lessons, and show that I make a difference in their thinking, reading, writing and ways to see math in the real world. I just love them!

2.  My parents and Sunday night dinner.  My dad and I try to outdo one another each Sunday with a dessert war comparable to Top Chef.  It fills my heart with joy to have our children laughing and talking with the whole family over dinner.  Sunday might be the best day of the week.

1. My family because without Tim, Kaile, and Carson where would I be? Truly I am blessed beyond words to share this life with this crew. Love them more than I could ever tell them. We are thankful God has blessed us with one another.

Well that is really just the tip of the iceberg and I could go on an on but I am hoping you get a sampling of the things I find making me a better person and I can't wait for 2016 and what is in store for me.

50s day

Every year I look forward to the 50th day of school.  9 years ago my Aunt Alice made a pink poodle skirt and I bought a pair of saddle shoes so every year around this time I get to go to the back of my closet and pull those gems out.  I love counting those days with the kids and Zero the Hero, then the BIG day arrives.  We talk about clothes, cars, and other things from the past and now.  The wheels start turning for parents and how to dress them up.  By the picture below you will see they did not disappoint.

My fabulous 50s firsties.

We rotate through the other 1st grade classrooms for a variety of activities.  Here we are getting ready for some root beer floats and we got to watch the chocolate factory episode of I Love Lucy.  Can you believe these kids hadn't ever seen a black & white TV show.  We laughed and laughed.

Get ready for some drag racing!  Here we used our breathing power to race those cars. Can we get a cheer for these kids?!?

Some of us really get into our work right?  Who could blame him he was having a ball!

Who remembers coloring contests?  These kids are getting their creations ready for the judge!

What 50s day wouldn't be complete without a hula hoop contest?  

The firsties had to come up with their favorite parts to an amazing day and we used ChatterPix to tell you all about it.  Watch and see all the fun we had main it to the 50s day of school.

This is our crew and they are amazing!