Oops :)

Sorry about my absence last week...I got locked out of my account!  When I couldn't log in, I worried that something had happened to my account, started wondering if I would need to make another blog, fretted about falling behind...and then I realized I wasn't using the correct password to sign in!  Lol.  Duh, Mrs. B!

I took several pictures from around my classroom yesterday so that I can put them up here.  That way, you can see what we've been up to!

Our 100th Day of school was a success, and the kids had a blast counting all day.  Only in Kindergarten is that still fascinating enough to keep them interested for hours :)

The next big thing we will be getting ready for is Dr. Suess's birthday.  Does anyone have fun craft ideas?

Chinese New Year is bigger around here than Valentine's Day was!  Out of my 10 Kinders, 7 of them are Chinese.  One family brought me a gift bag on Friday with Chinese treats and a beautiful card for me detailing the importance of this holiday to them.  Another mom came in on Friday and enthralled the kids with the story of the first Chinese New Year.  She gave each of them a gorgeous red envelope with golden Chinese characters and "lucky money" inside.  She taught them how to say "gōng xǐ," meaning "congratulations, we made it another year!"  She also told them that most of them were probably born in the Year of the Sheep, so they should all be quiet like sheep in class! :)

This was my first year, and I really had no idea what an important holiday Chinese New Year around here.  Heck, I grew up in "Little Mexico," practically, and didn't even remember that the Chinese celebrate the New Year at a different time than we do!  Next year, I will plan a much bigger celebration, and focus more on the traditions of the culture for that week, including traditional food, dress, and art work.  I am thankful that the parents are so involved and were happy to come in and teach the children about their important traditions!