Five for Friday!

Well hello there, Friday!  Boy, am I glad to see you!
I am linking up with Doodle Bugs for Five for Friday!

I love this linky party because it's fun to look back over my week, show you what I have been up to, and get to see other teachers' amazing blogs!

I live in Texas, and our state standardized test is called the STAAR. (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness)  In 4th grade, students begin taking the Writing portion of that test.  We took it on Tuesday. I decided to grab some cute pencils from Mardel's for the kids to use during the test to remind them that I love them!

What do you do on testing days to make your students feel special?  My team and I have BIG plans for May when they take the Reading and Math STAAR tests!  Check back to see some blackmail-worthy photos!  Let's just say, they will be regal...

Last week I FINALLY got to redeem my gift certificates at the spa I received from my awesome classroom parents!  I got a massage AND a pedicure on the same day.  I felt like a new girl by the time I left!
What is the best gift you've ever received from a parent?

 

The Easter Bunny visited our house this Sunday!  He left the twins and their cousin some goodies and delectable treats!  He also left an empty egg in their baskets to symbolize the empty tomb.  When Mary Magdalene, Mary the Mother of James, and Salome went to the tomb, they found the stone rolled away, and it was empty.  He had come back, just as he had told his disciples! 

What sort of special traditions do you do with your family over Easter?

 

We dye eggs every Easter! It is a tradition I have done since I was a little girl!  I still remember going to church on Easter Sunday with stained fingers from dyeing eggs the night before!  

If you find any of these cups on clearance from PAAS, I suggest getting them!  They are perfect for egg dyeing, and even have measurement lines on them so you know exactly how much water to add!

 

I want to share with you this sweet notecard a student gave me.  She and her family are Persian and she is always telling me neat things about their culture.  She has sung Happy Birthday to me in Persian, told me all about their New Year's (which just passed), tells me about visiting her family over seas, and tries to get me to say words in her language - which I promptly butcher.

Last week, she wanted to teach me to say, "I love you," in Persian, so she wrote it down for me, and then spelled it phonetically as best she could.  I told her I will keep practicing and maybe one day I can get down the dialect!

Teacher Appreciation Week is right around the corner.  The official day is May 3rd this year.  I have a cute, easy to fill out, teacher survey FREEBIE in my store for you!  I used it last year for my twins' preschool teachers.  It's nice to get things you can use and appreciate.  Feel free to download it to use with your children's teachers, OR, get it and fill out for yourself!  Our PTA asks us for a list of things we would like and they distribute them to our parents!  It's nice to give and receive thoughtful gifts, and this makes it super simple!  Click here or click on the picture below to get this FREEBIE! 

Thanks for stopping by!  I'd sure love to read your comments!  Don't forget to post below!