Do you know the Christmas song, “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas?” The singer proclaims that only a hippopotamus will do—not a crocodile or rhinoceros. Well, I couldn’t find a hippo, but I did find an adorable rhino decked out in a winter scarf that I’m pretty sure will do for this month’s First Friday…
I can never resist articles with titles like “The 10 Most Unusual Hotels in the World” or “12 Quirky Vacation Spots for Your Bucket List.” So it’s no wonder the new book Hotel Fantastic (Kids Can Press) grabbed my attention. Now this is a one-of-a-kind! Submit a comment to this blog and let us know the…
Today, July 20, is National Moon Day. Just to be perfectly clear, I’m talking about the earth’s natural satellite. One of my kooky colleagues gave me a funny look when I declared it was National Moon Day. I have a sneaky suspicion we had different “moons” in mind! National Moon Day commemorates the day in…
What? That was my response too! Well, it’s a fact. Crayola recently launched a line of Crayola beauty products that includes face, cheek, lip, and highlighter crayons, mascaras, and eyeshadows. As far as I can tell, the product line includes 56 items. Most items look like crayons and have fun crayon names that include Mango…
Do you know whose words these are? • Anyone who does anything to help a child in his life is a hero to me. • There are three ways to ultimate success: The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind. • When…
Doesn’t this photograph bring a sense of calm? It sure does for me. I love summertime reading and if I can be reading at the beach, I am in paradise! I recently ran across a fun readers survey (with the help of my blogger pal, Karen) compiled by Thriftbooks, a large web-based book seller. If…
I was so tickled when I read that May 14-June 14 is National Smile Month. It seemed a perfect fit for this time of the school year. Teachers and students have only a few days or weeks left in the year and while some tears may be shed, there will be plenty of smiles too….
Will you have a glass eye? Will you have amnesia? Can you see me now? These are a few of the questions students asked my best friend, who teaches fourth grade, when she told the group she would be having eye surgery. As teachers, we know children’s questions can range from absurd to thought-provoking. Check…
Every year the PDK (Phi Delta Kappa—a professional organization for educators) polls Americans to capture their current views about public education. The most recent poll is the 49th. Check out these results: Only 42% of the respondents feel performance on standardized tests is a highly important indicator of school quality. A whopping 82% of the…
Hooray, yippee-skippee, and bravo! It’s holiday break which means it’s okay to let your hair down! You know, flop down on the couch and not feel guilty. Join your friends for lunch in a real restaurant. Oh, and hang up (or bury) that teacher bag. The bag is off limits for at least a week….