Updates!

I know I've been an awful blogger lately, so sorry!!  Last week a lot of co-workers (including myself) found out that we won't have a contract for next school year.  Our district said that it's possible jobs will "become available" over the summer, but we should definitely look into other districts.  I'm trying to not stress since it's something that I can't control.  I'm also trying to stay positive!  At least I'm able to apply to any other jobs, right?  Now I'm just waiting anxiously for jobs to post!  I'm very thankful to have an amazing principal who is really pulling for me.  He already has called two other districts in our area to get my name out there.  So thankful for him!


As far as my health issues, I haven't really gotten any answers but my blood pressure is back to normal with some new medication I'm taking!  As much as I don't like taking pills, it's nice to know that one (low-dose) pill a day can control my hypertension!  I got an ultrasound of my kidneys ($$$$) and also an echocardiogram (ultrasound of my heart).  The kidney scan was normal (yay!), but I don't have the results of the echo yet....thinking positive thoughts.  No news is good news, right?!


Other than that, no news around here.  We have 3 weeks of school left and I have a feeling they're going to go quickly!  It will be a bittersweet end to my first year since I may be saying goodbye to my students and co-workers for good. 

Wordless Wednesday....

....just joking!  It would be really hard for me to post something without any words.  I just was too lazy wasn't feeling creative enough to make a fun post title today.

I'm super excited to announce that I won an awesome giveaway that was hosted by Diane and Kelly over at Made for 1st Grade!  I was the first winner of this giveaway so I was able to choose from 3 great Primary Concepts products.  I chose the Word Ladders and I can't wait to use it with my kiddos!  Thank you, ladies!

Most of my third grade students are reading fairly fluently as far as WCPM so we have been working mostly on expression, intonation, etc.  Basically we are "making our reading sound interesting"!  However, I do have a few kiddos who have painfully very slow reading rates so we have been doing weekly fluency checks so that the students can self-monitor their rate.  I have found this to be informational to me, but also motivational for the students!  I got all of my [1-minute] fluency checks from EasyCBM.  I put them in a binder with the student copy on top and assessor copies underneath (in plastic sleeves).  This makes for easy access if we ever have an extra minute or two to do the check!  Eventually I'll probably add other grade levels to this binder, but for now, I only needed the third grade forms.  If you haven't checked out this site, I highly recommend it!  It has a lot of quick checks for literacy as well as math and best of all: it's totally FREE!  :)  What do you all do to help improve your students' reading rates?

I have had a bad cold that first graced me with his presence last Thursday.  Luckily the worst of it seemed to hit me over the weekend.  (Is it sad that I felt lucky to get sick on the weekend so I wouldn't have to miss school?!)  Either way, I'm finally starting to feel better, but my neck has been crazy sore.  So much so that I can barely turn my head or look up and down.  I feel like a zombie or something (not sure why).  I already had a doctor appointment scheduled for tomorrow to check up on my hypertension so I'm holding out for a solution until then.  In the mean time, I'm sporting a new accessory to help my neck until I get to the doctor.  Don't be too jealous.....

Bad qualtiy pic but it's hard to take it backwards!

Speaking of health, a quick update on my high blood pressure sitch: I got an ultrasound last week on my kidneys.  Results: healthy kidneys, yay!  So now my doctor is puzzled (never a good thing) and I'm headed to see her tomorrow to see if she has any other ideas or solutions.  Wish me luck!

Hyper-what?

I have hypertension.  At 25.  So my mom has this blood pressure machine at her house to monitor her blood pressure. I decided to test it out one day and my blood pressure was above normal....by quite a bit.  I figured the machine was messed up and tried again later.  Still high!  Let me start out by saying that I'm not overweight, I don't sit on my bum all day, and I don't have a sodium loaded diet (I like to think I eat somewhat healthy....ish).

Anyway, my mom got worried and sent the machine home with me.  It's kind of cute so I wasn't mad.  I was on strict mom orders to take my blood pressure every day and record it in a journal.  I did this and noticed that it was high on a very consistent basis.  I actually never got a "normal" reading.  I decided (after mom's persuasion) to call the doctor and ask if I should make an appointment.  The nurse said definitely so off to the doctor I went.

I was expecting to have a brief chat and leave with some advice on lifestyle changes or something....maybe more leafy greens, more exercise?!  Instead, I left with less blood (can't remember what they're testing it for) and a referral to get an ultrasound on my kidneys.  Oh yea, I also got a spur of the moment EKG.  It doesn't hurt and it didn't cost me extra (hopefully a bill doesn't show up in the mail), but it wasn't expected so it made me nervous!  There were so many cords attached to me with little shiny stickers....

Yuck.  I don't like going to the doctor and neither does my wallet!  Let's hope I have two healthy kidneys!  The specialist called the other day so I'll be headed to the hospital to get my ultrasound the Tuesday after we get back from Florida.  The thing I'm most worried about is drinking 32oz of water beforehand and NOT using the restroom!  I will die.