Jumping Into the School Year #365project

It's been a while since I posted. 61 days of highs over 100 degrees may have had something to do with it. Anyway we have jumped into the new school year at Steed and hit the ground running. I didn't actually take this photo, but I am in it. That's me on the right, with my principal, Title I teacher, and counselor, on our professional development day Tuesday.

Son's Afghan 149:2011 #365project #knitting

This March, my college-age son requested an afghan that had cable stitches in it. Never mind the fact that I had never knit cables! I let him pick the yarn and color for this afghan, which features the bubble cable. My daughter showed me how to do the cables. As it turns out, cables are easy and makes the knitting more interesting. He wants this afghan to be long enough to cover his feet and go up to his neck. Did I mention he's tall? Anyway, the afghan is over 5 feet long now and I think I'll go another 6-8 inches. I worked on this afghan a lot while my husband was in the hospital for his kidney transplant. Lots of nice memories are knitted into this afghan. The cat is my mom's. She likes yarn, and our couch.

- Posted using BlogPress

Lego Portrait 148:2011 #365project

As I was clearing out the photos on our iPod Touches for the summer, I ran across this fabulous portrait taken by one of our students. We have the Lego Photo app on our Touches and kids enjoy it a lot. I love the composition and colors in this picture. - Posted using BlogPress

Hands On 147:2011 Photo Friday #365project

I found this photo on one of our iPod Touches and just had to snag it for a Photo Friday post. One of our kindergarteners took the picture, and I love how her classmate's little hands are holding the Touch. I boosted the contrast of this photo using the PhotoShop Express app on my iPad.

- Posted using BlogPress

Water Towers 145:2011 #365project

I drive past Tinker Air Force Base on my way home from school. I like the landmark effect of these companion water towers and finally figured out how to get a picture without leaving the car. I was stopped at a red light, saw I had a clear shot, so I grabbed my camera, rolled down the window, and snapped this pic. No time for a second shot. I tweaked the picture in Instagram, using the Hefe filter.

- Posted using BlogPress

Shelf Marker Box 144:2011 #365project

What can you do when a great book gets damaged and can't be repaired? Make something from it. That's exactly what my colleague Kristi Hazelrigg and her sister/library assistant Denise are doing. Using pages from weeded children's books and a little Mod Podge, they have decorated birdhouses and boxes with the colorful illustrations. I commissioned a shelf-marker box with pictures from Jan Thomas' What Will Fat Cat Sit On? for my library. The kids will love it! I may have to come up with some animal-themed shelf markers to go in it.

I think I need more of these boxes!

- Posted using BlogPress

Devon Tower 141:2011 #365project

Still under construction, the Devon Tower is already the tallest building in Oklahoma City. We're watching the OKC Thunder play the Dallas Mavericks on TV tonight and saw a shot of the Devon Tower. I figured this would be my photo for today. I took this picture on Wednesday evening after leaving Coach's at the Bricktown Ballpark.

- Posted using BlogPress

Bricktown Bison 140:2011 #365project

This paint-splattered bison hangs out in Bricktown, near the Bricktown Ballpark.
- Posted using BlogPress

Bowling Lights Trio 139:2011 #365project

I loved this trio of overhead lights above us at the Redpin Bowling Alley in Bricktown, where our teachers went bowling yesterday to celebrate the end of the school year. - Posted using BlogPress

Nature Day 133:2011 #365project

Thursday was Nature Day for our 2nd graders. One of the teachers took this great photo with one of the school cameras. I just cropped and put a border on it with the Photoshop Express app. We got 14 cameras with our OETT technology grant, and the teachers have been borrowing them like crazy during these end-of-year activities. It's so easy to download the photos onto their laptops or the iMac in the library.

Hallway Flowers 130:2011

I love these cheery flowers on Mrs. Case's PreK bulletin board in the hall. Before too long, the decorations will be taken down and the bulletin boards will be bare for the summer.

Family 128:2011 #365project

Daughter graduated from college yesterday! Husband has a new kidney!
Son is taking college by storm! Best Mother's Day ever!

- Posted using BlogPress

Face Painting 123:2011 #365project

Face painting was popular at Tuesday morning's book fair family event, "Books and Breakfast." Second grade teacher Mrs. Brown and our principal, Mrs. Hamilton, decorated lots of cute faces with reading and school pride designs.

Book Fair 119:2011 #365project

Book Fair starts Monday! Also Teacher Appreciation Week, and a few other events. Standardized testing ended on Thursday. It feels like a celebration!

Worn Out Books 118:2011

These poor library books have been worn out from being read and loved to pieces. Many of the kids' favorites are in these stacks. No wonder the kids are asking where all the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books are. If they're not checked out, they're probably in these stacks.

The Dailyshoot assignment for today is a black and white photograph. In iPhoto, I made this photo B & W, then applied the Boost effect.

Kitty Cat Storytime 115:2011 #365project

Time for my favorite story time theme for the preschoolers--kitty cats! We started off with The Three Little Kittens, then we moved on to Denise Fleming's Mama Cat Has Three Kittens, followed by Jan Thomas' What Will Fat Cat Sit On? and finally, Eric Litwin's Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes. Props, nursery rhymes, songs, and stories = fun, fun, fun. I took this photo with a Canon 495, then tweaked it on my iPad's Photoshop app.

- Posted using BlogPress

QR Codes for Kindergarten 112:2011 Photo Friday

 Our kindergartners are using iPod Touches to scan QR codes in their literacy centers! Our kindergarten teachers have worked together on a center activity where kids write a word that ends in silent E. 

After they have used their new skills to write the word pictured on their paper, they check their results by scanning the QR code next to the same picture on a set of laminated cards. The QR code leads to a text message with the spelling of that word. We use the free app i-Inigma on our 4th generation iPod Touches. 

If you thought QR codes and scanning apps were too much for you, or your kids, to handle, think again! Miss Harrison, our first-year kindergarten teacher, spearheaded this activity and showed the other two K teachers how to make QR codes for this and other center activities. They used a QR code generator such as Kaywa to produce the codes and then saved them as .jpg image files.

Needless to say, the kids thought it was pretty cool to scan QR codes to check their work independently!

These Photo Friday pictures were taken by Miss Harrison on one of our school's new Canon A495 cameras.

Hello Kidney 106:2011

The day after I posted the "You Are Special" photo, my husband got THE CALL that there was a possible donor kidney for him. Our prayers were answered and Ted and the kidney were a great match. The transplant took place April 14. Everything is going wonderfully. One of the ladies working on his floor was wearing this Hello Kidney t-shirt. I asked her if I could take a picture of it, and she said yes. We are cat people, so this picture was quite a hoot for us. Now I'm going to update my bio. My husband no longer needs a kidney transplant. God is good, and one selfless person chose to donate her organs, thus giving my husband his Life 2.0.

You Are Special 102:2011

This photo is of a gift shop display at the hospital near our home. We were in the waiting room while my father-in-law had hip replacement surgery. I decided to take some photos and got out my camera. I snapped this picture then wanted to take some more of the beautiful sculptures in the lobby. An apologetic security guard came up beside me and said that people are not allowed to take photos in the hospital lobby; it might invade someone's privacy. So I put my camera away. I understand, but I also missed out on some fabulous photo opportunities. I'm special, but apparently not that special.

Clear Table, Clear Mind 93:2011 #365project

I love it when my dining table is clear of mail and clutter. I spent time this weekend tackling the paper demons. What a relief!

Black & White Kitty 87:2011

Today's DailyShoot assignment was to make a photo in black and white. This is the sweet black and white kitty who "adopted" us during our January blizzard. She hangs out on our patio and does a little hunting on the side. We want to catch her and take her to the vet for spaying and shots, but we can't even get close to her before she runs off. Hopefully, we'll be successful before she presents us with kittens.

Son's Knit Afghan 86:2011

I've started a new project, a knitted afghan for my son, who goes to college out of state. After several crochet projects, I felt the need to knit, in a big way! My son's only request was that his afghan be "cable-rific" and washable. This afghan pattern has cables, and my daughter had to teach me how. The needles are size 13, and the wool is Lion Brand Wool-Ease Chunky in Willow. The pattern calls it a "quick knit." We'll see. I anticipate it taking a few months to complete. I'm enjoying the yarn and the pattern. Hopefully I can get it done before the heat of summer.

Tree Buds 84:2011

I often park next to this tree at school. It is now bursting forth with buds and I just love these colors! While I was taking pictures after school, some 3rd graders rode up to me on their bikes. It was a beautiful Friday afternoon, about 70 degrees, and they were so excited to see to see a teacher outside of school. We hugged and I took several pictures of them, too.
I took this picture with one of our new school cameras, the Canon A495. I don't know what kind of tree this is, but it is rather small and produces berries.

Daffodil 75:2011

Just had to capture one of the happy daffodils in my mom's backyard.

Trio 74:2011

I love the detail of these candlesticks on the hearth at my mom's house. As I do my 365 Project, I find that I really love capturing the close-ups.

Calico on Calico 73:2011

Helena is one of my mother's two calico cats. How she ever jumped up on to this bed is a mystery. She's quite the hefty girl.

Gazing Ball 72:2011

I was wearing an orange shirt when I took this photo of the gazing ball in my mother's back yard. Can you tell? It is Spring Break, and I am playing catch up with my 365 Project.

Bradford Pear Blooms 71:2011

The Bradford Pear trees at Steed Elementary were in bloom last week. While I'm not a big fan of the trees themselves, their blooms are very pretty. The accompanying pollen wreaks havoc with everyone's allergies, however. I had to hold my breath while taking these photos. I used one of our new school cameras, a Canon A495.

Seussical Second Graders 70:2011

Our 2nd graders put on a great Dr. Seuss music program last night. They had so much energy and joy all week long. I loved the Green Eggs and Ham song the best, and so did they. Our music student teacher, Miss Jackson, directed the program with Mrs. Dunaway, and it was so cute!

Swingin' Art 69:2011 #365project

This happy sculpture is one of two that brighten up the exterior of our library. I don't know who made it or how long it's been there. I'll have to investigate! Anyway it's a nice little surprise when you take a shortcut around the library. I think I love the wild hair the most!

Smiles 65:2011 #365project

The boy loves his aunt! We enjoyed visiting our college son and my sister-in-law's family this weekend. We're lucky that our son can go to school out of state and still have family close by. Today's DailyShoot assignment was a smile. =) Taken with iPod Touch.

I Can Read With My Eyes Shut 63:2011

On Monday, I read Dr. Seuss' I Can Read With My Eyes Shut! to PreK classes. We shut our eyes tight, to see if we could read with our eyes shut, or if it made our eyebrows too hot. The DailyShoot assignment for today is something amusing. I think the kids' scrunched up expressions are a hoot!

After the Bus Leaves 62:2011

I do bus duty after school every day. This bench seems so lonely after the bus arrives to take kids home. Today it was very windy, and the Bradford Pear trees were starting to bloom, so everyone's allergies were acting up. The DailyShoot assignment for today was to capture shadows.

Foot Book 60:2011

The March bulletin boards are already going up! Here's one from Mrs. Johnson, based on Dr. Seuss' The Foot Book. Kinders made opposite pairs to go up on the big foot outside one of the room's (unused) doors. Mrs. Johnson has such great ideas! We just need a larger laminator, one wide enough to handle all her creations.

Our Hearts Belong to Books 57:2011

One of our student teachers put this bulletin board together for the month of February. First graders wrote about their favorite book and had their picture taken showing how much they love their book.

Skippyjon Jones Returns! 56:2011

Yay! Skippyjon Jones returned to the library after a mysterious disappearance. Ms. Angela, our custodian, rescued him from the Lost and Found this morning. Rumor has it that Mr. S. Jones had some sort of wild adventure in the school cafeteria. He promises to be good and stay in the library, but you never know with that little rascal. I hope Pete the Cat will help him to stay in line. How did Pete the Cat handle his friend's disappearance? Sources say he kept walking along, singing his song. Perhaps Pete was already aware of Skippyjon's secret adventure. Hmmm... I must watch those two more closely.

Caught Reading 55:2011

Ms. Worth's second grade students came to the library today and read quietly after checking out books. It was so nice and peaceful. Even a table of four active boys were caught reading Jumanji, No David, and Michelle Obama. One boy said that the First Lady looks WAY too young to be in her 40s.

New Cameras for Steed 53:365

Smile! Our digital cameras finally arrived! We purchased 14 Canon PowerShot A495 digital cameras as part of our Oklahoma Educational Technology Trust grant. I have spent much of the day getting them ready for students and teachers to use. Three are already being used in a 3rd grade class. The teacher wanted 6 but I couldn't get them ready fast enough. I took this picture with one of the new cameras, and it is really sharp!

Name That Relic 47:2011 #365project

We still have this our library storage room, but I don't think it has been used since I've been there. Our younger teachers don't recognize what it is. It's actually newer than the ones at my previous libraries. These contraptions were high tech when I was in elementary school many years ago. Hint: it was useful for making bulletin boards.

- Posted using BlogPress

Blue Sky 44:2011 #365project

Looking up at the sky outside my front door, around 6:15 p.m. We've had a lovely warm day which has helped to melt a lot of the snow from earlier in the week. The blue of this sky reminds me of my mother's husband's sparkling blue eyes. he passed away Thursday morning and will be greatly missed. He was a dear, sweet man and loved my mother very much.

- Posted using BlogPress

Pile of Snow 42:2011 #365project

We had school today after yet another snowstorm. The district cleared all the parking lots, leaving huge piles of snow. I parked next to this particular pile, which was taller than me. By the way, we are having a candy bar fundraiser. I took this picture with the iPod Touch.

Louvers Again 40:2011 #365project

I posted an Instagram version of this picture on Wednesday but it didn't come through on BlogPress, so I'm giving it another try. These are some of the louvered room dividers in the Cox Convention Center in OKC. I took the picture at an angle with the iPod Touch.

Cox Center Louvers

I took this photo of the louvered lobby dividers at the Cox Center yesterday while I was attending the Oklahoma Technology Administrators conference. Actually, the louvers are horizontal, with two diagonal crossbeams. They are a great favorite of mine. I like the way they looked in this vertical orientation, though. I took the picture with the iPod Touch and tweaked it in the Instagram app, using the Hefe filter, on the iPad. The DailyShoot assignment for today is to post a picture with a diagonal leading line.

- Posted using BlogPress

Out the Window 39:365:2011

I'm at the Oklahoma Technology Administrators Conference today. This is my view out the window of the 2nd floor of the Cox Convention Center. The Devon Tower will be the tallest building in Oklahoma City when it is completed. The cranes were swinging today!

- Posted using BlogPress

Buried in Snow 35:365:2011

This snowdrift in front of our home is about 4 feet high. We had 12" of blowing snow on Tuesday, yet there are some areas where the grass is bare. I can just imagine the slushy mud when this mass of snow melts. And of course, it snowed some more today.

Snow Circles 34:365:2011

Today I ventured out in the snow and cold to take some photos. After taking pictures of 3-ft high snow drifts, I came back and noticed our patio table was covered in snow, except for this centerpiece. After taking a regular photo, I tried taking one from above. I love the concentric circles.