Favorite Restaurant: Kibberia

The first embarrassing thing I need to admit is that I've only been to this restaurant once...this past week...and it's a favorite now!  I had recently visited a middle-eastern restaurant with my boyfriend and his parents and tried things I've never had before.  Falafel...wow! so good!  I can't believe I've been missing out on all this for all this time.  I'm really glad that I'm trying new foods, because it makes traveling around the world a lot easier when you're open to different cuisines.

We went to Kibberia in Danbury, CT.  We sampled many different dishes, and I have to say that everything was good and fresh.  The restaurant has Panera style ordering, where you order at the counter, grab a number and choose your own table.  The food is brought out to you, and you sit and feast for as long as you'd like.  The wait staff is super friendly and accommodating.  Make sure to save room for dessert, because their bakery and coffee bar is incredible!

If you're open to trying new foods, or if you love middle eastern food and you're in the Danbury area, I suggest you check out Kibberia!

A Must-Read for Kids: WONDER and the Julian Chapter

I've blogged about the amazing story Wonder before. If you still haven't read it, please make sure it's on your to-be-read summer list. It's a story that will truly touch your life. I love this review from our favorite author, Emily Giffin:

After reading the story, many kids (and adults) asked the author, R.J. Palacio, why she didn't include a chapter on Julian's perspective (the school bully). Her response (seen on her website) is that it just didn't fit the book; the story would have went in a totally different direction. But... in May, R. J. Palacio decided to release an e-book "chapter" based on Julian's thoughts. 

Here's the Barnes & Noble overview:

Now readers will have a chance to hear from the book's most controversial character—Julian. 

From the very first day Auggie and Julian met in the pages of the #1 New York Times bestseller Wonder, it was clear they were never going to be friends, with Julian treating Auggie like he had the plague. And while Wonder told Auggie's story through six different viewpoints, Julian's perspective was never shared. Readers could only guess what he was thinking.

Until now. The Julian Chapter will finally reveal the bully's side of the story. Why is Julian so unkind to Auggie? And does he have a chance for redemption?

I downloaded it this past week and you definitely need to read it after reading Wonder. I wanted to share the "chapter" with my students this week, but ran out of time. Be sure to add this to your summer reading list! 

High Five for Friday: Oh, Hello Summer!

What a special High Five for Friday... the FIRST official Friday of Summer! The last week of school is always bittersweet. It's always chaotic, hot, and sweaty. And of course, it's always surreal. Did we really make it? Is the end of year really here?

A few highlights from my week: 

1. Last Saturday we spent the day at the Harbor. It was an unexpected visit and I felt like I was in heaven. I love being by the ocean.  The smell of salt water in the air is my favorite. Watching the boats sail by as the grass tickled my toes was pure bliss. Heaven. Absolute heaven.

2. End of Year Celebration. We spent a few hours at the bowling alley on Monday. Our kids love this end-of-year celebration. It's air conditioned, there's music and disco lights, food, and bowling! Monday was our last full day of school and we love spending it this way! 

3. Meeting Amanda for dinner. It was so great to finally catch up for a quick dinner. We're both so excited for our busy summer plans!

4. Surviving the cleaning of my classroom. I spent all week cleaning my classroom little by little. I love the idea of starting fresh in September, so I try to pack up enough stuff to make the fresh start possible. I'm excited to revamp my classroom library in September.

5. Ending the week with my family. No better way to launch the summer! :-)

Today we're linking up with Lauren Elizabeth. The ladies over at 5 on Friday are taking a summer break from their link party. I decided that I might take a break from my "High Five for Friday's" too. I'm not 100% sure yet, though. We'll see what happens! :)

High Five for Friday....SUMMER!!!

The past few weeks have been absolutely INSANE with school work, packing to move, planning our trip to Europe this summer...and planning Disney for December!  I have been working at what feels like 130% and it has definitely taken a toll on blogging each day.  I apologize to all our readers who have seen silence on here for the past week or so, but I promise, I'll be back on track soon enough!  

Here's how the week went!

1. Ancient Greek Olympics at School

Over the past few weeks, my students have been learning about Ancient Greece and Rome.  We've learned about the Gods and Goddesses, as well as what life was like in these ancient civilizations.  (Do I dare admit that this is something I liked about Common Core??? EEK!)  We had a ball, and ended the unit with a review of ELA and math skills students had learned all year.  Our literacy and math coaches helped us put on an amazing day for the kids to have fun reviewing these concepts dressed in togas!  If it wasn't for the coaches or our parent volunteers, this day wouldn't have been possible!

2. An Afternoon Out on Wednesday with Co-Workers

My assistant principal is moving up to Principal at the middle school.  Many staff members came out to support his new endeavor, and it was really nice to chat and catch up with so many people we work with day in and day out.  As busy as this week was, I'm really glad we all got together to stop and celebrate a little!

3. Meeting Dawn for Dinner

Time has been flying this year, and Dawn and I haven't been able to get together as often as we used to!  Now that summer was coming, I insisted we get together, and it was so much fun chatting and catching up.  Friends who you can just "pick right back up with" are the best kinds of friends!

4. The LAST day of school!

School ended yesterday, and It couldn't have come sooner!  We had 4 full school days this week, and the kids and the teachers were so ready for the big wave goodbye!

5. Today, I was able to sleep in and begin to pack things up! My mom came to visit and helped me pack.  We were able to have some really good conversations.  I'm really thankful that I have her in my life to see me through all these big moments in life.  I'm onto the next chapter of life with Marc, and I have to admit, I'm really excited!

Happy Weekend!

Hip, Hip Hooray! Today's the LAST DAY!

YAY! Hip, Hip Hooray! Today's the LAST DAY! It's finally here! School's out... Summer has officially arrived! 

Our last day of school is always a special one because we gather together outside (students, parents, faculty, staff) underneath a huge, white tent and watch the 8th graders graduate. The kids enjoy watching their peers graduate and teachers reminisce and get teary-eyed.  The graduation takes up most of our morning, which leaves us just a little bit of time to say our goodbyes before the buses roll in. 

This was me running out of school:

I'm welcoming summer with a busy weekend ahead, but really looking forward to:

-Lunch with my mom and sister on Friday!

-Pool day with my mom and sister on Friday! 

-Celebrating my husband's birthday on Saturday & Sunday! 

Happy Summer, Everyone! :-)

A question for teachers....

I have a question for all teachers out there: 

Do you unplug, turn the teacher in you off, and try to relax all summer, or even just a month, to recharge your brain?  

OR 

Do you begin working on next year's curriculum, plan out your classroom routines and space as soon as the kids walk out the door in June?

Marc and I had this discussion last week.  He's a high school history teacher and I'm a third grade elementary school teacher.  He stopped teaching two weeks prior to the end of school to give final exams and regents exams.  I taught up until the very last day at 3pm.  I was feeling burnt out and he was feeling excited to begin something new.  

I usually feel like I need a few weeks to clear my head and recharge a little bit before I begin thinking about September and a new school year.  I feel like I give every ounce of myself every day of the school year, usually sacrificing socialization with friends (ever feel like you only see your teacher friends in the summer?).  I feel like we all go into hibernation mode during the school year, so once school is out, I like to do things that I don't normally get to do when school is in session.  

When August usually rolls around, I feel like my head has been cleared enough to begin to prepare for a new school year that's filled with fresh ideas and new and exciting lessons.  

SO...which teacher are you? One who needs a break, or one who can't turn your brain off?!  

Comment below!

Home Base Binder

I've blogged about my love for Emily Ley before and here I go again!

Emily Ley is a designer who has created paper stationery goods. She helps women focus on what matters most by bringing joy and simplicity into their lives. She's well-known for her Simplified Planner- an amazing monthly/weekly/daily planner! Her 2015 planners will be available on September 3rd. I can't wait to order one! Click here for more information!

Besides the Simplified Planner, I"m truly in love with the Home Base Binder. This binder is perfect to manage home, family, and everything in between. Emily includes 82 pages inside, along with 6 gold foil detailed, colorful dividers for these sections: 

Section 1: Family - Perpetual calendar, Emergency information
 
Section 2: Contacts - Home & repair contacts, Family & friends contacts
 
Section 3: Projects - Planning pages (12 - one for each month)
 
Section 4: Meal Plan - Weekly meal planning / grocery shopping pages (52 - one for each week of the year)
 
Section 5: Finances - Monthly spending plan pages (12 - one for each month)
 
Section 6: Heart - Family bucket list (This is also a great section to house other special documents - including our favorite, Lara Casey's PowerSheets) 

I love the idea of keeping this in my kitchen and having shared access to everything at all times. We typically have lists and receipts everywhere. This would make life a lot easier! 

Emily explains the basics of the Home Base Binder perfectly here: 

Do you have an Emily Ley planner? If you don't, what kind of planner do you use?