Two days until break!

It is hard to believe that Christmas break is in two days. This semester started out SLOW, but has really picked up speed. I can't wait until break. Plus, it just might start a bit early. Looks like bad weather Thursday night into Friday morning. Are we doing the "snow day" dance? :-)

Christmas means a lot of different things to many different people. This year is especially hard! So...my question to you is not what is your favorite present that you have every received, but what is the most memorable present that you GAVE someone. This could be something you did, not necessarily an actual present. This is a tough question. Most of us just like to think about ourselves...me included! I think my favorite gift is when I fill the boxes for A Christmas Child. These boxes are filled with lots of goodies and sent overseas to kids that don't get any presents. They are fun to fill and I get a good feeling as I fill the boxes and wrap them up.

In your own blog this week, please let me know something really cool you plan to do this break. Anything out of the ordinary? How about something cool that you do every year. My break is going to be fantastic because my daughters will be home. They both have moved kind of far away and I am looking forward to having them around.

Have a great break! Don't eat too much and be kind to others. Enjoy the snow! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all :-)

Vacation here we come!

Can you believe that it is almost Thanksgiving? Where has the year gone to?? I am looking forward to having a bit of time off. I will probably be doing either Sand Creek school stuff or my EMU class work, but at least I can sleep in. This is always a plus. In your reply to me today, please tell me the best and worst thing about Thanksgiving Day. Do you eat too much? Is there enough football on? Do you like or not like going to visit relatives? You get the picture. Let us all know how you feel about this holiday.

Now on to your individual blogs this week. We are winding down our trip project and I would like some feedback. I am actually using this project for an assignment in my EMU class that I am taking online. What I need from you (and should be included in your blog) is the following:

1. List three things you LIKED about this assignment. Come up with something!! Be thorough in your comments.
2. List three things you would have CHANGED about this assignment. Not what you didn't like, but what you would have changed.
3. Give three statements about the entire process and project in general.

I don't want to hear you whine! Be mature and let me know. I really like this project, but every assignment can be improved. So...let me know!! Thanks

So, have a terrific turkey day!

Vote Today

History will be made today. We will either have the first female vice president or the first black president. Very monumental if ask anyone. But don't ask me! Seriously, if you could vote today, who would you vote for? I can guess what 99.9% of you will say. But do you really KNOW why you are voting for that individual? Give me three GOOD reasons why you chose that person. Don't say ANYTHING about the current president, because really the new one has a hard enough job. Not all that is wrong with today's society is because of our current president. How will the new president affect your life?

I am voting for...well you will just have to guess because I really don't have to tell you. I am not really a big voter, but I will do my civic duty today and stand in line forever and place my vote. Hopefully, someone day you will do the same. "They say" it does have an impact on the actual race! Have a great week.

Halloween - Yuck :-(

So, this Friday is Halloween. I am not a fan of this event (it really isn't a holiday). But every year it comes around. My loathing of this day comes, I suspect, from my experiences as a youth. Not the greatest as I remember. I really only remember the bad times I had trick-or-treating. There are no memories of the "good times." It also has a lot to do with individuals that go trick-or-treating that are WAY too old. My kids only went out until the fifth grade. I know you all will call me a "meany", but I really don't care. But really, does that kid in a stroller really need a piece of chocolate? And those that are older...well are just too old. Then add to the mix that in my neighborhood they bring the kids in by the car loads from who knows where. I have always run out of candy after the first hour and that is having seen over a hundred individuals. CRAZY!!

My question to you is, what is your favorite Halloween memory? Also, when is it too old to go trick-or-treating? When should you start trick-or-treating? I mean you are going to strangers' houses and asking for something. Weren't we taught to avoid strangers??? Would you rather have a fantastic Halloween party or go trick-or-treating. I am up for the party! Have a great week!!

Can it be October

I'll be completely honest...I really don't like parent-teacher conferences. There...I said it. I am not really sure why. I do remember the time a parent accused me of something not so nice, but that isn't really it. Perhaps it is just that they next two days will be VERY long for me. It is kind of great for you guys, though. Well, in that you get to have a half day (sorry Tech Center people!). I don't suppose it is the greatest if you aren't doing well and your parents go to the conferences. Which brings me to another thought...ALL parents should go to parent teacher conferences...all of them!! No excuses in my book. Do your parents go to conferences?

It just can't be mid way through October, can it? Where is the year going to? What is your favorite activity in October? I just love to look at the trees...they are beautiful. My street looks great. It has a canopy of trees that change..very nice. I really should get out and use my new camera and take some fancy pictures. Will the leaves still look great this weekend?

Have a great week!

Live without WHAT!

Lucky for you guys, I forgot to blog last night. So here I sit in my office hurrying to blog just for you! Aren't you just so excited!!?!? Life has gotten a bit different for me. My daughter has just accepted a teaching job in Arizona. Yup! She is moving very far away. This makes me very sad. Don't get me wrong, I am very happy that she has a teaching job...but Arizona! Fortunately, my brother and family live in Arizona. Plus two of her cousins live in Tucson, right where she will be. So at least there will be family around for her.

This brings to mind a question that I would like to ask you all...what, in your life, could you live without? Think hard and be serious. Could you move far away? Could you throw your phone away or that Ipod? How about your car or your favorite shoes? Could you live without football (I could!). So, tell me...what could you give up today??

Have a great week. Enjoy the cooler weather.

Fall already!

Well, you made it through Week 1 of blogging. You guys did a pretty good job. Do try and spell correctly and use capital letters. I am not grading down, but this is for school!! Sorry about the trouble getting started. Yikes, did I forget things or what.

Can it really be fall. At around 11:00 a.m. today fall began. What happened to summer. I was totally enjoying summer, when BANG fall hits us. I do love the fall colors and the cooler weather, but I could do without the allergies. Anyone else having difficulty this time of year?? What is the BEST thing about fall for you? I hope I can get out and take some pictures. I got a really cool new camera, but haven't taken full advantage of it yet.

Be sure to comment on my blog with more than just one word (Taylor!!). Answer my questions and give some thought to fall. Also, don't forget to blog at your site and you must also comment on three blogs from our class. Have fun!!

We begin a new year!

Welcome to blogging! I will write a message every week and you will respond to my blog! You will also post a message of your own at your own blog. This is easy and hopefully you will enjoy this. You can say whatever you want in your blog and you should answer any questions that I might ask in your response to my blog.

So...let us begin a new school year. Happy blogging!

Fog?!?!?

So, who cheered today that we had a fog delay? It should have only been the seniors. The rest of us will have to pay. Yikes! I was told awhile ago that any more delays would add a day. Are we looking at ending on June 12 now? I graduated from high school on June 12 and that was about my last day of school. Back in those dark ages we went to school right up to graduation. None of this ending early business. Actually, if my memory is correct I didn't have to go to the last couple of days. You see we got out of taking finals only the last semester of our senior year. Guess that was our reward! That was nice since our exams took several days. We had "real" exams then not these 50 minutes numbers we have today.

Some have accused me of having long blogs. But isn't that what is suppose to happen? Isn't this my creative outlet? Can't I talk on and on if I want too? Some of you seem to think one sentence is your creative outlet, mine is a bit more.

This is the seniors' last blog. Did I just hear a round of applause? Or perhaps a collective sigh! Finally!! Many of you have been ready to move on for some time now, some of you haven't figured out what being a mature adult is all about. I am wishing all of you great success and happy times. Enjoy life, but don't be a burden. Get out there and live your life to the fullest without depending on someone else all the time.

Juniors grin and bear it...your time will come soon. In another week you will be top dogs around here!! You, of course, will have to blog a few more times. Let us enjoy these last few weeks!

The home stretch

Well, not for most of us, but a for a few, it is the "home stretch." Why is it that the year seems to drag on and on and then all of a sudden it is over. For a few of you anyway. I was calculating weeks this weekend and realized that the seniors have two more weeks, but we have around six. How can that be?? I suppose it is really five and a half, but it still seems like way too many. Anyone, besides me, feel like the seniors get out a bit early. Adrian High School changed their graduation date a few years back to coincide better with our later day of ending school. But, not Sand Creek! So, be happy you seniors, who knows what another year will bring. Truthfully, I don't think that they will change graduation from Memorial Day weekend. Somethings around here just never change, even some things that should be changing.

Another fabulous weekend, don't you think? How was prom, for those that went? It seemed like most were having a great time while I was there. I really don't have fond memories of my prom and actually don't care for the entire event. But I know that you guys (well actually the gals) really enjoy the whole thing. But is it the preparation and excitement or the actual event that you enjoy? As an adult, it just seems like a lot of money spent. I sure hope you all had fun. We could use some pictures for the web page, if you have any.

It was stated on Channel One last week that blogging can make you smarter. It is a creative outlet for the blogger. That was my intention when I started this. I feel that perhaps we have failed in our blogging. I don't see anyone really blogging, unless I have told them they had to. No one has invited people to look at our blogs and no one has really blogged at different times than once a week in school. Some haven't even blogged for some time (Kevin!!). Why is it that you guys can write forever on MySpace, but Blogger holds no interest? Perhaps someone should not have mentioned that it can be educationally helpful.

Have another fabulous week and enjoy the springtime. Happy blogging

I "heart" Spring!!

The weather is finally FANTASTIC! Don't you just love it. Of course, it does make it even harder for us to concentrate, but we will manage...right? Last week you were to put a picture directly into you blog. A few of you did...thanks. Of these few, some seemed to have place the picture incorrectly. Some of the pictures I can click on to see a bigger picture. You shouldn't be able to do that. So...I took a point off your grade from last week if I could click on your picture. Prove to me that you placed it correctly and I will give you your point.

What is the best and worst thing about spring? That is my question for this blog. I love the warmer, but not too hot, weather. I love sitting outside and taking my dog for a walk. But I hate the "blooming" trees. This is because I am allergic to them and usually spend most of the spring feeling not so great. Hopefully, nothing as bad as I did this past March. I think I was feeling sick for almost all of that month. Usually, the feeling of warmer weather helps with the allergies this time of year.

I am hoping that this week everyone blogs. There are a few that haven't blogged since March. To help with this, I will bring in two dozen donuts on Monday if everyone comments on my blog (something more than just one word Justin) AND they give me a nice blog at their site. Be thoughtful and give me a GOOD comment and blog. I just wonder if I will be out a few bucks on Monday or not. I am hoping for yes, but predicting not.

Have a wonderful week. The weather is suppose to be great all week. Enjoy!!

Entering the home stretch

It always feels like we are crusing to the finish once we get back from senior trip/spring break. Does anyone else feel like that? I know that the seniors are coasting to the finish. This last nine weeks just zips by. Not that I am complaining (!!), but just an observation.

We had a fantastic week in Florida. Sure hope you all had a great time on your spring breaks. The weather wasn't that great for a couple of days, but all in all, we had a good time. But I was SO tired when I got home that I took a four hour nap. Crazy!! Things are back to normal these days. Let me know how your breaks were. Also, did you guys have fun on mini trips. I hear that the Ren-Cen was pretty good. Something about unusual candy?!?!? Which was your favorite day? Senior trippers...which was your favorite activity? Not to leave you out juniors, what part of spring break was the greatest???

A challenge this week. I would like you to include a picture from your spring break in your blog. If you don't have a picture then find one that depicts your feelings or something you did on break. Happy blogging....here is my picture...

Less than a week until break!

I will not complain...I will not complain...I will not complain! That is what I wish many of you would say before you speak. But I truly think that complaining is what teenagers know best. I am trying to shut it out and just ignore all of the complaining! It is what it is. Rudeness from teenagers also comes to mind. But that is for another blog. Thank you to all who try not to complain and are not rude!!!

So, I am assuming that everyone is getting excited for break. Only 3 and 1/2 days. My break isn't that exciting. I am not going anywhere but good 'ole Adrian. Very exciting. Maybe the weather will be warmer...we can always hope. Are you going anywhere cool? I guess I can't forget that at the end of the week I will be in Florida. But is that truly a vacation...I don't think so. I will enjoy the warm weather and all that we do, but no a vacation.

I have had complaints about me "forcing" you to blog about a particular topic. I have only been giving you a topic to include with whatever you want to blog about. Many in the class seem to be blog-blocked when they start their blogs. I was only trying to help. So, this week you bloggers, go ahead and blog on whatever topic you choose. I had better see some great blogs this week.

Happy Blogging!

Spring starts this week!

So...I finally got around to blogging. Isn't that what you guys are saying? I mean it is Monday. I am very excited that spring arrives this week. Just wish it would get warm and stay warm. What do you like best about spring? I really like fall the best, but spring rates right up there. I don't like the rain and mud, but the warmer temperatures, flowers, and sunshine are my favorite.

Not much to say today. I feel like I have been sick forever. I think I am finally getting better, but who really knows. At least now I don't cough constantly and my head only hurts a little bit. Have any of you stayed healthy all winter? I think it has been a bad winter for colds and such. Don't you agree?

Easter is just around the corner too. Has this day become more commercial too? When you hear the word Easter, what is the first thing to come to mind. Tell me in your blog this week...OK? I bet many of you think of bunnies and candy!!

So, have a fabulous last week of the nine weeks. Only one more to go seniors.

A New Month

So, March is finally here. Wonder if the weather will get any better. I know you snowpeople have just loved this winter, but I am getting pretty sick of cold and snow. As a matter of fact, I think I am actually sick. Grrr! But never fear, I won't miss school, we have parent teacher conferences tomorrow!!

So, as I said, March is here and it is an exciting month for education. For extra credit, write on a piece of paper what education is celebrating this month and for more extra credit, what do we celebrate on March 3? This is a pretty easy one, so I should have lots of slips of paper with answers on them. I need this answer by Friday for credit.

Another uneventful weekend at the Chambers household. We did go see a movie, but it wasn't that good. We saw Penelope. Gals, it is a cute movie, but really not worth the $20 I paid for the ticket (that doesn't count the food we bought). I think my husband was one of three guys in the theater!! It is definitely a chick flick. I really want to see The Other Bolyen Girl, but it wasn't playing. So, here is your blog topic for the week...what is the BEST movie that you have seen in the past year? Give me three good reasons why it is the best movie. If you can't think of a movie from the past year, how about of all time. Then, if you could make a movie, what would it be about? Let me know in your blog this week.

Happy blogging!

Are you a gambler?

Well I must admit that my husband and I purchased Mega-Millions lotto tickets last Friday. Now, that is like throwing money in the trash. I mean you have a 1 in a very large number of actually winning. So, why do we purchase tickets? Would you if you could? The jackpot was $270 million. Wow!! If you took the full cash at one time, you got somewhere between $100 and $160 million. That is a very large sum of money. If I am correct, someone actually won last Friday. Wonder what they will do with that money. In your blog (not answering my blog) this week, tell me what you would do with a million dollars. Be serious! I know that I would give to my church, take a vacation, remodel my house, and probably not be a teacher any more!! :-)

So, no procastination this week, I am blogging on time. Did you know that our blogging routine counts for state credit of having online time in the classroom? All students must have x-amount of hours of online instruction during their high school career. This applies to the ninth graders and younger, not you guys. But I didn't realize that having blogging time would count. Of course, I believe that you should be blogging about certain topics and commenting more to your fellow students. You know, make it educational.

If you can believe it, we have a full week of school this week. Provided that we don't have any snow days. Can you guys come to school every day all day for a week? Just checking!! We have a new photography project this week. Some of you need to get busy taking pictures! Have a fabulous week!

Late again!

I am unclear as to how I keep forgetting to blog. Perhaps you guys can inform me how you forget to blog!! :-) I think my problem is that I leave it to the last thing at the end of Sunday and for the past two Sundays I have finished my work early and not gotten back to blogging. Not a good excuse, but it is a reason. Guess I should start blogging first on Sundays.

So, how is the photography going these days? Have you been enjoying taking pictures? Please enjoy these assignments! Have fun! Some of you are great at taking pictures, keep up the great work.

So today is Presidents' Day. Aren't you so excited? Are we celebrating all presidents or just the few that were born in February? I have a hard time celebrating all presidents. Some of them haven't been that good...don't you think so? How many presidents can you actually list?

I would like you to include in your blog this week the answer to the following question...If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be and why? Don't write about this in the answer to my blog, but in your personal blog. Got it?

Have a great week!

Way too cold!

So deduct points from me, I forgot to blog yesterday. Not sure how that happened, but I graded your blogs and must have thought I blogged too. It wasn't as if my weekend was full of exciting things. Dinner at the Outback on Saturday was pretty great. Have you ever had those cheese fries. They are fabulous!

Can it get any colder outside. How many of you kept hoping that they would have a delay so that we could stay in a warm bed just a little longer? I sure did. But, alas, here we are at school. Very exciting.

Let us make it a great week and have everyone blog and do their work without complaining. Why do teenagers complain all the time? Do you know that things really don't get better, just different, after high school? College is great! Much better than high school, but you will have to work and no one will be there to listen to your complaining.

A little extra credit this week. Write on a piece of paper five facts about the origins of Valentine's Day. Have a great Valentine's Day.

More winter?

So, I guess the Ground Hog saw his shadow. Now this means six more weeks of winter. But, of course, if he hadn't seen his shadow, it would be only six weeks until spring. Does this not sound the same? Oh well, I hate winter any way you look at it.

Can we now finally end discussions about football? The Superbowl is currently underway in my house. But, I am doing my work instead. I try, really, I try, but football just doesn't hold much of my interest. I am glad that a lot of you love it! But what will you talk about now? Is it basketball, hockey...what is it going to be?

As you can imagine, I am mixed up with having two days off last week. But we will regroup and go forth. This week should be more about Photoshop with you guys taking pictures outside of class. Be sure to take the time to take pictures. Have fun with it!!

No extra credit this week. Really, not very many people take the time anyway. I'll give more at a later date. By the way, Friday was American Heart Association "Go Red for Women" celebration. It was a day to become more aware about heart disease in women. You were to wear red. Only one of you got the event correct!!

Have a great week and enjoy homecoming on Friday. Wonder how many will actually dressup this week (besides on Monday!). I usually get into this dressing-up stuff, but we will just have to see how the week goes. Have school spirit and at least wear green/white on Friday!

Where did January go to?

Can it really be the last week of January? I know you are all anxious for the year to end (especially you seniors), but really time seems to be flying right by. We will soon be going on senior trip...crazy!

It seems like most of you are having the winter blues these days. Is that true? What can we do about that one? Got any "great" ideas?

So, here is the challenge this week...can you tell me what we are celebrating on Friday? Don't say it here, write it down and give it to me. I'll give you extra credit if you can tell me what we are celebrating and if you wear the correct color on Friday (that is kind of a hint as to what day it is...well maybe a hint).

Have a great week and keep up the blogging. We got a few more this week which is terrific, but some of you are still forgetting to blog. I want to see more comments this week. I'll be looking for everyone to have commented on at least two other blogs besides mine. Happy blogging!

A new semester!

So, here I sit in my "den" (which is really an added room on the side of my house) feeling very cold. This room just doesn't keep up with the heat situation! I am also wondering why it is that I live in Michigan??? I truly hate cold weather.

So, Tuesday we start a new semester. The last one for many of you. How does that sound? We are also starting a new unit (along with Photoshop) about digital photography. But, my dilemma is what do you guys want to know? I have some ideas, but I would like to hear from you. We will talk about how to take a picture, what makes a good picture, and how to use your point-shoot cameras and our cool SLR school camera. I am excited and anxious at the same time. Let's make this a cool unit...ok? I'll listen to any ideas that you have.

Not much else to say this week except I am not really looking forward to tomorrow, like you guys are. I "get" to sit in meetings all day, but at least I can go home at 2:00 p.m. That is a good thing. Enjoy MLK day and remember why it is that we have this day off. I will give 5 extra points to anyone who responds to my blog with answers to the following questions:

When and where was Martin Luther King born and when and where did he die?
What is the name of his famous speech?
When and where did he deliver this speech?
What was his actual profession (the one he got a degree for and worked as)?
Approximately how many times was he arrested?
Why do you think he is an important figure in American history?

Have a great week and remember to blog!! I am bumping up the points: 4 points when you answer my blog and 6 points when you blog yourself.

The importance of exams!

So, we start exam week. I suspect that it is a very good week for most students at Sand Creek High School. I find our policy of no exams very disturbing. Of course, you guys do not. But are you truly prepared for a college exam? I think not. For those of you that do plan to go to college, be prepared! There are mid-term exams and final exams. How many of you have actually taken an exam in high school? Even those that have, you aren't really taking a final exam. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to give you an exam that covers the entire semester in only 50 minutes. I hear that the chemistry exam will come close because it is going to be two days! Kudos for Mr. Frasle!!

So, this is a short week, but you guys still have to blog. I am thinking of making blogging 10 points per week next semester to up the entries. You guys couldn't even get the class to blog last week when candy was involved. No keyboarding this week, so you should have time to blog. Give your opinion on exams and our attendance policy. I am always curious to hear from the other side. If you do have five days off next weekend...enjoy! I do not, but that is what it means to be a grownup and I can handle it. Have a great week.

Survived another holiday

So, it seems appropriate to ask all of you how your holiday was. So...how was it? Mine was just fine. But truly not terrific. I always feel rushed and pulled in many directions. As a "kid" I suppose you do not feel this. But it gets very tiring to make sure that you spend the appropriate amount of time with all of the visiting relatives. My children were home, which was the highlight of my time off.

Did you get what you asked for? I never ask for anything and am always very happily surprised with what I get. This year was a fantastic gift...a new SLR digital camera, a Nikon D40. You know that camera that they gave to some city for everyone to try out? I love it!! I am going tomorrow to take a free class to learn more. Be prepared...we will be using cameras this year in class. Got any cool ideas? I have a few which I think you will all like. We will probably wait until after the semester break to get started on the camera work.

We (really meaning you) need to get back into the blogging mode. I feel that many of you aren't putting out the effort as you did in the beginning. Here is your challenge. If I get a comment on my from blog from everyone (a serious comment) and everyone does their own blog that is more than a couple of words and really has some thought, I will bring candy next Monday. So...happy blogging. Have a fantastic week.