Sweet Monday? On most Mondays I’d say putting these two words side by side is a perfect example of an oxymoron. But not today! Today has truly been sweet! Remember, this is the day my colleagues and I are celebrating “No, It’s Not Really National Chocolate Day.” (See “Fooled on a Friday!”) Enthusiasm has been high, though this afternoon things have gotten pretty quiet. I’m guessing several of us are slowly (and quietly) slipping into what I like to call a “shoocoma,” otherwise known as the downside of too much sugar. Be sure to check out the fun photos. I’ve also included a few brownie-baking tips for you to try.

When’s the last time you had a bit of fun with your colleagues? The school year just started, so perhaps it’s too soon to ask. Yet maybe you’ve been able to squeeze in an afterschool snack with colleagues, a spontaneous hallway gathering of teachers, or a good laugh with a coworker. You know, students like to see their teachers having fun! It makes them feel happy too!

I’m stuffing all kinds of sweet wishes for a wonderful week into this blog post. Sure hope you get them!

Smiles,
Diane

One hour later…	Lunchtime
There’s never too much chocolate for Lynn and Nishant!	Rachael deserves chocolate after editing the blog for Diane!
There’s still some left…	Maybe too much chocolate isn’t such a good thing. Sorry, Brenda!

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I may have been fooled this morning, but like any good sport I’m going to make the most of it! Our local paper announced that this coming Monday is National Chocolate Day. Okay, stop for a minute. You know how much I like chocolate, right? I was ecstatic. I decided I would make brownies for work, take pictures of my chocolate-crazed coworkers, and then post the pictures on the blog along with a serving of sweet wishes for a terrific week. But not so fast! When I went to verify this extra special date, I discovered that National Chocolate Day is actually in October! My elation quickly plummeted to total despair. Luckily, that didn’t last for long. Why? Because I’ve decided to celebrate “No, It’s Not Really National Chocolate Day” instead! So be sure to check back on Monday to see chocolate-related photos, a recipe or two, and plenty of sweet wishes. Speaking of sweet (actually, this is totally heartwarming), please take a minute to read the “Making Friends” comment from “Mom.” Kudos to her son’s teacher and to every one of you for choosing to be teachers! And one last note: remember that all counts for our giveaway (see “Ready to Count?”) must be in by the end of Sunday, September 12. Have a great weekend! Diane

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I don’t know about you, but when I read that something is ready-to-use, the corners of my mouth start to creep upward into a smile. The less prep time needed, the more gleeful I feel. I’m guessing you feel similarly?

Did you know The Mailbox magazine includes ready-to-use items? Of course there’s always the easy-to-spot centerfold, which is a fun surprise! Each issue has other ready-to-use stuff too. To prove my point, I’ve planned a little giveaway! Grab your copy of The Mailbox October/November 2010 magazine and count the total number of ready-to-use items inside. Send us the correct count and you’ll be entered in a drawing to win a $20 gift certificate to The Mailbox. Be sure to name the grade level of your magazine (preschool, grade K, grade 1, grades 2-3, or intermediate) when you submit your count.

Now, here’s how I define ready-to-use: 1) I can use it right now, straight from the magazine, without doing anything extra. 2) I can make copies and use it right now. 3) I can pull it out of my magazine and put it in front of students for them to use right now!

Happy counting!

Diane
PS: One more tiny detail! We need to hear from you before the end of Sunday, September 12!

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Are you planning to squeeze in a special activity or two for National Grandparents Day? This year’s date is Sunday, September 12 (the first Sunday after Labor Day). Because this holiday falls so close to the start of school, I always scampered to include a project. I often resorted to a card-making center or a letter-writing activity that invited my third graders to honor a grandparent or a special senior friend. I made sure to provide plenty of extra materials so a student who wished to complete the project more than once could easily do so. I’d love to hear what you’ve got planned. Maybe your plans will inspire a colleague who is nearby or faraway to incorporate National Grandparents Day into her busy schedule too. Thanks for sharing!

Happily,

Diane

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Here’s a whopper of a wonder for the Tuesday following a wonderful three-day weekend! How do you help your students make new friends? Granted, “forming friendships” probably doesn’t appear in many district or state standards. However, the teacher in each of us understands the straight-as-an-arrow connection between learning and self-esteem.

Would you agree that younger students make friends faster? My theory is that little ones don’t get bogged down with likes and dislikes as much—they simply want to have fun. Hmmm, makes me think of my pooch, Lexie. After a quick how-do-you-do, she’s ready to romp! Maybe we could learn a little something from our canine buddies?

Yikes! Get me back on point! See what happens when I get a day off? In all seriousness, the start of the school year is an awesome time for forming friendships. I’d sure like to learn how you encourage friendships in your classroom!

Your friend,

Diane

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Hey, did you know The Mailbox has a book called Calendar Time for Little Learners? Since today’s the first day of September, I thought I’d share a little ditty from the book with you. Here we go—sing along to the chorus of “Jingle Bells.”

September, September,
September’s here, hooray!
I’m at school
To make new friends
And to listen, learn, and play! Hey!

How fun was that? Okay, we have time for one more. La, la, la, la! This time the tune is “Three Blind Mice.”

September! September!
School has begun. We’re having fun!
Let’s look for today on the calendar.
Find the day and the date on the calendar.
Who is ready to come to the calendar?
Please raise your hand.

Yep! That’s also from the coolest calendar time book on the planet. Check it out! And if you have a favorite September song or activity you’d like to share, the stage is all yours.

Happy September to all!

Diane

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