Quick update

Sra Rodriguez @ 5:15 pm

There was a change of plans. Sra. Rodriguez should now be scheduled to read at Barnes & Noble at 5:15 pm. See you there tonight.
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Riverview Elementary School FUNdraiser on Thursday

Thursday, February 26
5 pm - 9pm

Thanks to Cold Stone Creamery and Barnes & Noble for their support of Riverview Elementary School. It's going to be a tasty good.

The kids will enjoy meeting Clifford the Big Red Dog and listening the special guest speakers, like Sra. Rodriquez at 5:45 pm, at the Barnes & Noble's Pajama-rama! They'll also have information about teacher's wish lists for anyone who might be able to help out there as well.

Cold Stone Creamery will be donating 20% of the sales towards this fundraiser, so please don't forget your flyer. Cold Stone will also be be offering fundraiser ticket specials. Filled with great things like free products, the tickets are valued at $38, on sale for $20, and they'll give $10 to the school for each one sold! They make great gifts too.

Can't make it? No problem! You can call Cold Stone Creamery at 619-449-0808 and place an order up to 2 month in advance of when you'll need it, and if you mention the fundraiser, the order will count towards the total sales. Check out Cold Stone's Cake Menu to get an idea of what sort of super yummy teats they have to offer, and don't forget to tell your friends and family about the fundraisers as well.

You are going to LOVE the Love of Reading Week (Feb 23-27)

The activities planned for the Love of Reading Week will be fun and motivating for the kids. Visit Wednesday's guest author and illustrator, David Hoobler's website for his bio, and to download some great coloring pages!

Don't forget that Thursday is Pajama Day, followed by that night's fundraiser at Cold Stone Creamery and Barnes & Noble from 5 to 8. Everything will be topped off with Grandparents Day on Friday!
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Some Valentine's Love for Everyone

Here are a couple fun facts...
1. In the Middle Ages, both men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear the names on their sleeves for a week. Now, to wear your heart on your sleeve means others can easily see your feelings.

2. Lovers are often unaware that the XXX kisses on cards goes back to early Christianity. In the days when few people could sign their name, a X was a legally binding signature. To emphasize their commitment to an agreement, people would kiss the X, similar to kissing the bible after swearing on oath.

~ While I've got your attention... please forgive my typos and the flawed grammar that you will certainly find within this blog. I'm often trying to type fast and family life doesn't always give me the chance to proof like I should before I publish. Please don't let that keep you from being a part of this blog, posting your thoughts, and sharing it with others. Hope you have a Happy Valentine's Day! ~ XXX

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Performance Night ~ The Excitment of It All

What a blast it was watching all those little ones on Performance Night. I'm sitting here smiling just thinking about it. I can tell you that my little guy spent more time on stage waving at me than singing, but it made my day. Hats off again for Sra. Rodriguiz for pulling the kids together in such a short amount of time. I know that there were more than a few kids who were nervous about the idea of getting on stage, but you couldn't tell by looking at them all. What a great group of kids we have!!!

Speaking of Sra. Rodriguiz, does anyone know if there is a Medal of Honor for teachers? The military awards the medal "for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life, above and beyond the call of duty," and I think with having to evacuate her home in the early morning hours before the first day of EAK, and than being caught up in a car accident on Performance Night, she qualifies. If there is such a medal for teachers, I'd like to nominate her.

Thankfully, no one involved with the accident was seriously hurt but what a scary event and it could have been very different. Past and present staff and families at the school have shared with me their fear and anxiety of the traffic on Winter Gardens. I'm confident that others may have worked to get a traffic signal put up in front of the school. If someone out there knows what the hurdles they've faced have been, and what steps can begin working together on, we can help make the school safer.

Don't forget to share your thoughts and stories.

"This one step -- choosing a goal and sticking to it -- changes everything."
Scott Reed

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Happy Birhday Rosa Parks!

Rosa Louise Parks was nationally recognized as the "mother of the modern day civil rights movement" in America, and today is her birthday.Born Rosa Louise McCauley on February 4, 1913 in Tuskegee, Alabama. She refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a segregated bus on December 1, 1955 and was arrested, and this is her mugshot. She died October 24, 2005 at the age of 92.

February is Black History Month, and here are a couple great sites I found with information and even some activities for the kiddos.

Kaboose

RosaParks.org

African American History For Kids

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
-Martin Luther King, Jr.