Narwhals

Today was probably the calmest day in the classroom this week (and even so, it wasn't very calm). Everyone was freaking out about the big storm coming.  I have no clue what to believe anymore. Some say it was supposed to start at 1:00 (nope, no snow/rain yet). Some say at 6, or 8, or 9.  Or the worst is going to be from 8-10 tonight... or after 2:00am.

And the boys basketball team is in a tizzy. They've been calling Mr. E nonstop.  Some parents want to take their families up to the Cities tonight. Others are going to wait until tomorrow.  It sounds like the storm will be lower in MN than originally thought, so the Cities are not going to get much snow.  If people can get 40mi north of Courtland, they should have decent driving weather.  So.  We shall see what happens.

Not many people around here anticipate school tomorrow.  My plan is to hunker down and catch up on my InCoWriMo correspondence (and read books too!).  And correct papers. If I have to. I guess.  Mrs. B arranged to check out an internet hotspot from the library today and dropped it off at school so I'd be able to enter grades/have internet.  Hopefully I can figure out how to make it work!

Today I cracked down on the mean comments/retaliation that's been going on for far too long in my classroom.  I asked them what we could do to get the negativity to stop... their answer was 'to write sentences.' So the new rule is if someone says something mean or makes a mean comment back to someone, they get five sentences (a bible verse about being kind, etc.). If they say another thing, then it's ten sentences, then 15, then 20, and so on and so forth.  Only two kids had to write (so far).  It definitely made some kids think twice before speaking, which was my goal.

In Daily 5 this morning I did a bunch of book commercials for the books I checked out from the library.  The two graphic novels I'd grabbed got snatched up right away.  I previewed them last night and liked both well enough, although they won't become my new favorites.  My kiddos LOVED the Narwhal book.  It's about a narwhal and a jellyfish that become friends. They sing a song, they eat waffles, it's a bit ridiculous and I thought it was a bit lacking in the plot area.  Two 6th grade boys read it first. They were using crazy voices (a southern accent at one point), and the goofball of the class actually sang the narwhal's waffle song.  And he didn't sing quietly either.  Soon the whole class was listening whether they wanted to or not! Most of them couldn't help giggling.  And then there was a mad clamor over who got to read it next... and even a request that the 6th grader read the book aloud to our class!  He wasn't so keen on that idea.  Now they want me to buy the book for our class library.

Speaking of books to add to the library... one of the reluctant 5th grade readers popped onto the Bookmobile today to get a movie and ended up coming back with a book! The newest Bird and Squirrel graphic novel had come in and he's the first to get to read it.  He was so excited. He said he might even bring it home so he can read it on the way to the state basketball tournament.  Woo! Score one for books!  I'm a little sad because I ordered that book from the book order and had looked forward to surprising him with it, but oh well, he'll still be excited that he can read it whenever he wants to now.  And his classmates will want to read it too; an extra copy will be good to have around.