Book Shopping for Read-to-Self {Daily 5}

Happy Weekend!

I hope life in your neck of the woods is as good as it is in mine!  

We are currently working on building our reading stamina for read-to-self and have read for an outstanding 17 minutes!  {15 minutes was our BIG goal}

We like to set small goals for ourselves in Room 8.  One goal was to read for 10 minutes straight and they did it.  Their reward?  First, to feel really good about themselves as readers and second, BOOK NOOKS!  

We talked about where we like to read when we were at home.  Many of our favorite reading spots were in bed, on the couch, in a big chair, under a blanket - lots of cozy places.  So it just makes sense to try and replicate that my classroom.

Since we are reading all over the room it's important to have easy access to our books so that we can spend time reading not getting books.  In our classroom we keep our books in personal "book shelves".  Before we head off to our book nooks we grab our bookshelves and get started right away.

Each Friday we go "book shopping" so that our bookshelves are ready to go each Monday {We do Daily 4 Monday-Thursday and read-to-someone on Fridays; along with our book shopping}.  I've used this system for years and it works perfectly for me.

I've had some teachers ask what book shopping looks like in my classroom so I thought I'd take a minute to share that process.  I introduced it a couple of weeks ago and it's already going  WONDERFULLY!

I know that the whole idea of students finding just right books can be a hot topic but I feel pretty comfortable with how I approach this.  We talk about I-PICK before our first experience with book shopping.  I found a great anchor chart that I love to share with my students {here}.  After I feel like I've adequately modeled how to LOOK for books rather than just grabbing books -  I move on to the logistics of book shopping.

I have a certain area in my classroom that has my leveled books in it {it's the only part of my classroom library that is leveled - the rest of my library is organized by genre, author, theme, etc.}. Each basket is organized by Fountas and Pinell levels as well as reading recovery. Our lending library that we use for guided reading groups uses both levels on many books so I do too.

Each student in my class is assigned a number.  They use this number for everything: mailboxes, lining up, clip chart, etc.  They also have a numbered "book shelf" where they house a whisper phone, pencil, reading folder, handwriting workbook, writing journal, headphones and the books they read for read-to-self.

Here is our leveled library...

I have found each child instructional reading level and give them their "magic number/letter" which is two levels below their instructional level.  This ensures that they'll know 99 if not 100 percent of the words in the books they read during read-to-self.

Once everybody knows their magic number/letter, have their personal bookshelf and have learned about I-PICK - I talk with them about how book shopping looks.  Of course you have to do the whole incorrect/correct model.

Sometimes this process takes a couple of days sometimes it takes a week - it totally depends on the class.  Once all of the pieces are in place it's time to put it all together.

Here's what I do...

*I call one table at a time to get their bookshelf and bring it back to their table spot

*They pull out their five bookshelf books from the week and put them in a pile in front of them

*I pull the two baskets for each level {one at a time} and set them somewhere randomly in our room

*The students who shop from that basket carry their five books over and place them back in the basket

*They go back at get their bookshelf and bring it over to their leveled bins

*They use IPICK to choose 5 new books for the following week

*As they are shopping, I'm quietly saying reminders "I'm taking a picture walk, not reading", "I'm looking to see if I'm interested in this story", "I'm choosing books I think I will comprehend", etc.

{I also have my I-Pick poster up on the SmartBoard}

*After they have chosen their five books, they put their bookshelf back on the counter and find something smart/quiet to do at their tables - waiting for everyone to finish

Eventually, we'll talk about finding good fit books using the "five finger rule". I know that books are not always leveled {library, bookstore, etc.} so I do want my kiddos to have the opportunity to choose books that are at their reading level - so I will soon have them choose two "dessert books" from our un-leveled portion of our class library.  

I pinned a helpful {and cute} Five Finger Rule poster on my Daily 5 Pinterest Board

I've heard that book shopping can be chaotic and overwhelming for some teachers.  I hope this post helped - just keep in mind that how I do it may not work for you. Sometimes it's all trial and error and eventually you find what works.  Good luck and HAPPY SHOPPING!

Read-to-Someone Fridays and a Freebie!

I sure am happy that it's Friday!  I swear, I really, really do - that there was one of these...

...this week.  My first grade sweeties were barkin' at the moon this week.   One little guy said "We're really wild today, aren't we?" Uh, yup.

I wanted to share with you how I do Read-to-Someone {Partner Reading} in my classroom.  We do a modified version of Daily 5.  I've blogged about it a few times. Just search "Daily 5" on my blog to read about that.  

Monday through Thursday we do Daily 4 and save the 5th component, Read-to-Someone, for Friday. Something you might not know about me - I'm a recovering micro-manager.  Over the years, I've been letting certain things go that I wasn't always able to.  {It's OK if your water bottle isn't on the upper right corner of your desk}

Read-to-Someone when I'm trying to do guided reading groups?

Just can't do it.

I change everything up on Friday's and I love it!  I look forward to those days where the whole day just has a different flow to it. The kids love it too.

We start Read-to-Someone by me sharing my observations with the class from last week.  I write on two sides of the paper.  On one side I record what they've done well and on the other side I record what they might need to work on {I record those generically - I don't mention names}.  Really, I'm keeping notes because it keeps them focused and doing what they should.  My notes are mostly complimentary and are written knowing that I will be sharing them out loud and want to focus on behaviors {both reading behaviors and behavioral} that I want to see from everyone.  I do note other things that are more for me - I just don't share those with the kiddos.

Once I do that, I do a quick mini-lesson.  Mostly, these mini-lessons focus on comprehension, fluency & expression. One day we worked on how our voices should sound when we come to periods, question marks or exclamation marks.  Another day we talked about using a teaching voice when reading nonfiction. Today, our focus was retelling a nonfiction text.  They all go to their partnerships with a specific goal or task in mind.

I can't stand it, I have to come clean.  I told you I'm a recovering micro-manager.  I always pick my kids partners. I just can't bear the thought that somebody might not get picked or always be "the one" leftover. Oh that just tugs at my heartstrings.  I pick partnerships either with Stick Pick...

Or using my "old fashioned" {according to one of my kids} sticks.  Have you seen this trick?

That's a toilet paper roll!

Once they have their partners, they get their personal bookshelves - this is where they keep the books they've read all week during Read-to-Self...

...find a cozy place to read...

...and I walk around with my handy dandy clipboard, coffee in hand, taking notes.  You should hear my classroom - each. and. every. time.  Without fail, I can almost promise you, 100 percent of my students are on task and uber engaged.  It's magical.

I tried doing Read-to-Someone the other four days during the week - but I just couldn't manage it. Inevitably, they were too loud, too silly, or too whatever...but not too into what they were supposed to be doing.  I don't know - it might work for you, but this REALLY works for me.

We end each partner reading session with a compliment.  My first graders are really good at giving great, specific compliments.  We've practiced and practiced not just saying "I liked your reading" or "you did good".  We started off using prompts - but now they are great at coming up with their own.  Here are the prompts we used at the beginning.  If you grab it - leave a comment letting me know what you think.

Mini Anchor Chart 

Mini Anchor Cards - Pick both up by clicking on the picture

Once we've finished making each other's hearts sing - we get ready to "go shopping".  

I assign each student a "magic letter".  This ensures that they will fill {6 books} their personal bookshelves with books that are at their just right level.  Typically, their magic letter is a level or two below their instructional reading level.  I want these books to really fit them so that they can practice fluency, expression and comprehension throughout the week.  

I do, however, want my firsties to practice knowing how to choose a good fit book on their own.  After all, library books and bookstore books don't have your magic letters on them.  So, we talk about IPICK a lot and each student is able to pick two "dessert books".  These books are from anywhere in our classroom library.  

Chart from Cara Carroll @ The First Grade Parade

And there you have it!  If you're doing Daily 5 what do you do differently from The Sisters that just works for you?  

Happy weekend everybody!

Somebody is Still Going Strong...

...that somebody would be me!!!!  Yup, we're still at it here in Michigan!  I can't complain since we don't start until after Labor Day.  So, those of you who are all "You know it's summer when..." know exactly where I'm at right now.  Assessments, report cards, finishing up last minute units of study, casually tearing things down from around the room hoping nobody will notice...yup, that's where I'm at right now!

I wanted to share this activity a couple of weeks ago, but never got around to it.  You know how Reagan has nothing but awesome things to say about her super sweet, super creative media specialist?  Not to be confused with Kristin's super scary one!!!!!  I could brag a bit about mine too!  Actually, I was lucky x's two in this department.  {But believe me - I've paid my dues} A couple of years ago my school closed and I just knew there wasn't another librarian that could hold a candle to Ms. J. 

Then I met Mrs. K.  They are two peas in a pod. Cut from the same mold.  Both great at what they do.  I loved the activity my kiddos were doing in Media and asked if I could share it with all of you.  Funny thing, my current Media gal teamed up with my "old" one and they came up with this great activity.  Both said "Yes, yes, yes - please share!!!!" 

I know most of you are spending your mornings sleeping in, watching Ellen, and then crafting the day away.  If that's the case, pin it, download and save it - whatever you've got to do, but it's something you'll want to do at some point next school year!!!!

Once our kiddos are readers, true readers that have a great sight word base and strong decoding skills - it's time to really beef up that fluency.  This activity is great for just that. 

The kicker?  If you click on the picture below it will take you to...

Wait for it...

MY TPT STORE!

No kidding.  Some blogging friends talked me into it.  You'll have to use that term "store" loosely at the moment as I'm just not ready to go whole hog and actually sell anything.  So at this point, everything will be FREE.  So come one, come all.  Follow me and everything that us blogger people do.  I haven't created a summer bucket list, but if I had - creating some cool stuff that is worthy of selling is on the top...okay middle....{Slow mornings, chai teas and Ellen will trump school once I'm out!} of that list.

I really have to hunker down and get things done this weekend for school.  If I could get my report cards done, I'd be the talk of the town, the one to envy, on top of the world.  Yeah, that probably won't happen.  One can always dream.

Happy weekend {even to my friends who can't remember what day of the week it is...because it doesn't matter!!!}!

Today In Pictures {Daily 5 Version} etc....

Oh my gosh, I need to go to bed. I was SNORING on the couch just five minutes ago.  Woke myself up with my loudish snorts and realized I wanted to blog tonight.  You've gotta call this dedication...right?

Thanks so much for the good vibes for hubby.  He has two herniated discs.  Lots of PT, cortisone shots and time weren't doing the trick so he had an MRI. They found bone fragments that need to be "shaved down" {ouch}, so the surgery is scheduled for next week.  Yikes.  Just can't wait to get my healthy, happy hubsy back.

Here was my morning this morning...

Daily 5 in Room 8

Roll and Write {Thanks Barb} Word Work

More Word Work With Pipecleaners

Work on Writing

More Work on Writing

Read to Self

Read to Self - I Love This One!

One More Word Work

Listen To Reading - Starfall

Today was one of those magical days where every....single....kid was so into what they were doing.  Not one of them was off-task {this is not an every day occurrence}.  I ran and grabbed my camera and HAD to document this gloriousness!!!!!!

This was me during Word Study...Look familiar?

Now I'm off to saw more logs....

Daily 5 Update and OLW *Freebies for Both*

Oh. My. Goodness. Gracious.

Wow.

I'm tired.  My legs are tired.  My brain is tired. 

My kids WEREN'T tired.  I thought they would be, but they weren't.  They entered Room 8 rarin' and ready to go.  I quickly aborted my word study plans and went over our class rules and expectations instead.  We read our class pledge and then on a whim {because you know that's how I roll} I pulled out my Mimio and typed in the middle "I will do my best" and had each kid come up and write their name {for practice - it was the first time any of them had worked with an interactive whiteboard}. I wish I could say the rest of our day was blissfully calm....

They were just so darn excited about their trips to Grandma's, playing with cousins, opening up a 3D Nintendo DS...how could I hold it against them?

Tomorrow?  The bear is comin' out of the cave...

Daily 5 is still going really well.  I love how I'm managing it and thank my friend....{can you guess?}...Barb and her colleagues for helping me out with this.  Not sure if you remember, but I don't ring bells or keep track of time {Other than what time we start and what time we end}. I really have taught my kids to listen to their "body signals" and when they get ansty, start fidgeting, "pretending to read" it's time to make a different choice.  I don't know if all groups of first graders could handle this or if it's because this group is so awesome they really take ownership and do such an amazing job switching when their body tells them to. 

One "bump" in the road I encountered was that, while I released some of my "inner-control-freak" by letting them make choices at will, I still found myself wondering where they have been and what they've done on a particular day. 

Thank goodness for colleagues because those girlies {Barb's teamies} created a handy-dandy graph {that I tweaked} to have the kids use to record what they've done in Daily 5 for one week.  Each day, I have the kids pull out their graphs before making a Daily 5 choice day.  We talked about making sure our graph is "balanced" so if we have already done one of the activities one day, the next day we'll want to find something different. 

You'll notice that this graph does not have read-to-someone on it.  I wrote about that {HERE} in case you're interested in knowing why.

Pick up your copy of the graph by clicking on the picture below...

Clipart:  Scrappin Doodles

Helllllllooooo......I'm way down here!!!  I tried putting two graphs on one page and for some reason I could not make that happen.  Strange.  Word was being all glitchy {or maybe it was me and my tired self}.  Sorry!

On a different note...

OLW went so well today!!!!!  I'm pleased as punch to read your comments about it!!!!  My firsties got into it and one girl knew her word right away and almost gasped when it came to her.  So darn powerful!!! 

Barb {I think you probably feel like you "know" her by now} is doing this activity with her first graders too and did her own bit of tweaking of my desk tags and plans on sending the extras home. I loved that she's not only going to have them put them on their desks, but by their coat hooks out in the hallway too {So it's one of the first things they see each morning - clever!!!!!}. 

Okay, I did get awarded the Versatile Blogger Award by Lisa over at A Teacher's Bag of Tricks, which makes me one happy blogger-girl, but I'm going to have to fulfill those duties attached to getting such a prestigious award another day.  I'm barely hangin' on and I've GOT to get to reading just a few more chapters so I can head over to The Best Endings to blog about that!

Oh good golly I just noticed that I have 250 followers!!!!!!  Which means....it's time for another giveaway {as promised}.  Darn, how the heck am I going to sleep tonight - my wheels are going to be turning trying to think of what to do.  Will have to get back to you on that one...hang tight!

Over and out...

10-4 Good Buddy...

Peace!

Oh, one more thing {shoot} if you leave a comment, you'll notice that the pesky "word verifier" is gone...poof!  Thanks to Rachelle over at What the Teacher Wants.  Click {HERE} if you'd like to get rid of yours.  She promises  thinks it will get more friends to comment on your blog.  Let's see if it works...

Holly

Zangle Report Cards, Procrastination and a Freebie {or two}

Good Gravy...

I should be doing report cards - but I'm here instead. Isn't that how it works for you?  My house has never been cleaner.  I'm being even more of a procrastinator because of the new program they have us using.  In the end, it's going to be sweeeeeet, but wrapping my brain around it is going to take some time.  Do any of you use Zangle for report cards?  If you do - any tips or tricks?  If you aren't familiar with it - it's a computerized report card.  We've been doing computerized report cards for some time but they were in Microsoft Word. Now, it's a program full of tabs and various areas...so many different areas, I'm afraid I'm going to forget one.  The best part though {Well, I happen to think it's awesome- but I've heard people grumbling about it} is there are a whole slew of canned comments to choose from.  I used to write a novel.  I mean, I didn't leave a thing to the imagination.  I personalized them, I spent hours upon hours upon hours on my report cards especially the comments.  Once I get used to the whole system I just KNOW I'm going to love it.  It's going to cut time spent on cards in half...at least.  Another plus?  I don't have to print out the cards.  They are available online for parents to print out.  Woo hoo!!!!!!!!!!! No more printer jams, mixed up papers, collating, folding, stapling, signing{Another MAJOR time saver - not to mention major paper-saver}.

More time to create...right!?!

Here's something I made for a friend whose class needs to memorize their lunch pins.  She's going to have the kids write their names on the sheet once they have their lunch pin numbers memorized.  Thought somebody else out there may find it useful.  Luckily, we don't have to memorize ours.

Clipart: Scrappin Doodles

Here's a word work activity for Daily 5:

That's all I've got - not a brain cell left.  I'm hungry - it's late.  I shouldn't eat but I've got some peanut lovers chex mix just SCREAMING my name... but... I looked at a  picture on facebook of a friend who just ran her bajillionth marathon and she weighs two pounds. 

Shut the cupboard door...

* Daily 5 * Work With Words * FREEBIE *

Hey Sweet Peas,

Hope you are all feeling bright eyed and bushy tailed after your time off! {Or maybe you're too pooped to pop, like me!} Man, it's really hard to get to gettin' when you have to roll out of bed at 5:30.  I was so enjoying life on the couch, with my chai tea watching Kelly {Her sit-ins just aren't the same, are they?!}.  Thank goodness Ellen was her same funny self.  Isn't she good for the soul? There aren't many shows that can send me into a fit of giggles...but she sure can!

Back to business...

I am really loving Daily 5 and Daily Cafe.  We really have our groove and I'm not bragging or anything but it is going SOOOOO well.  Do you want to know my favorite part?  The sharing I'm finally able to fit in at the end.  I love to have my kids share out and discuss what they accomplished during that time.  I could never fit this in before - but now, my day just flows.  I don't really know why it's different this year from others - but it works {...and I thought I was going to HATE that 10:45 brunch - you can't call it lunch when it's at that hour!}.

Here's a new Work With Words activity I plan on introducing next week.  Thought maybe you could use it too! Click {HERE} to download.

{No worries I have some "winter fun" to share with you soon!}

Holly {Pretend like that's a cute little siggy...because that's another bit of technology I cannot master - no matter how hard I try}

Daily 5 and Turkey Flake Directions

Happy Saturday Girls!

This morning I found myself thinking about Daily 5 and where I'm at with that.  If you remember this is my first year trying to fully implement it. I've done bits and pieces in the past, but have just wrapped my brain around the whole idea this year...

I'm really a chef surprise kinda girl and can't think of a time I've taken a "program" and didn't tweak it to personalize it and make it mine {I'm sure we all do that}.  It seems that almost any classroom you walk into in my school district is doing the exact same things at the exact same time.  I know this is common practice in a lot of schools but we were always given a lot of wiggle room in the past and we've become more "cohesive", I suppose you could say, but this definitely leaves me feeling like a Stepford Wife.  That's why I tweak.

So, my invisible friend Barb and I had a TNO {Teachers Night Out} a couple of weeks ago.  We started in my classroom.  Looked around, talked about what I was doing, shared a few ideas and then moved to her classroom in her school.  Can I just tell you one of my most favorite things in the world is to look around another person's classroom {and around their school}?!  I'm so bad - I'll even take my boys to play on different playgrounds in our community so I can peek inside the windows while my boys play.  I keep waiting for somebody to call the po-po.  Back to Barb's classroom - she and I are both implementing Daily 5, all of our conversations and sharing of materials has made the whole thing so much fun!!!!!

I was struggling with the whole management piece.  I'm not a person who likes to have tons of management dealies going on.  Flip this card, move this clip, make this choice....ahhhh, drives me bonkers and makes me twitch.  Instead, after some prodding from dear 'ol Babsy, I decided to let them make their choices at will.  We all start with Read-to-Self and I've told them to just listen to their body signals.  When they start fidgeting, or "pretending" to read, or chatting with a friend it's probably time for them to make a switch.  They can make any Daily 5 choice {Read-to-Someone is reserved for Fridays...remember, I tweak} they want as long as there are enough materials.

I also do Book Nooks - click {HERE} to see what cozy places my kiddos can read or work during Daily 5.  During our TNO I was working through how to manage everybody wanting a certain Book Nook {the long striped pillows are a hot commodity} or Daily 5 choice {Listen-to-Reading with the Netbooks are a class favorite}.  One of Barb's teaching pals calls a table at a time to make their choices and has a "schedule" for how she calls those tables.  To ensure everbody gets a chance to make their Daily 5 choices first I have this schedule: Monday - Table A, Tuesday - Table B, Wednesday - Table C and Thursday - Table D.  {I only do Daily 5 with guided reading groups M-TR so this schedule works perfectly}.  If you have chosen Listen- to-Reading {Netbook} since there's a lot of set-up involved: get the Netbook, turn it on, log in, get your headphones, open Tumblebooks or Starfall {Our two current listen to reading choices} you have the option of keeping it for the entire Reader's Workshop. 

Some other things the kiddos need to consider when making a Book Nook choice:

*What's your plan?
        *If you choose Listen-to-Reading you must sit at a desk
        *If you want to use clay during Word Work you won't want to choose a pillow
        *If you to sit at your desk you can do any of the Daily 5 choices

   
Honestly, it sounds like a recipe for disaster, but this group of kids do an amazing job being self-directed.  They stick with a choice {most of them} for a healthy amount of time and switch when they are ready.  No time keeping on my part, no record keeping for them or me, just a natural flow. 

At the end of workshop we share.  I'll ask kids who I have noticed that morning made some nice choices; with variety, to share with us what they did so they model for my "readers" {you know, the kids who hold onto a book the whole time and really do nothing at all} what smart choices are during Daily 5 and how they help them grow as a reader.

Honestly, I haven't felt this good about reading in a long time. There's a hum in my classroom.  I'm seeing kids writing songs in their writing notebooks during Work-on-Writing, I'm watching kids make word wall words with their clay and reading them {That's a big ah-ha for me this year - they MUST read the words they make and if they can't read what they made they must ask a friend...what good is making the words if you don't know what word you made?}, and I even see kids doing Read-to-Self the entire time and they REALLY are reading...the. whole. entire. time.

There was a anecdote Debbie Miller once shared and it stuck with me. How many of you are snug in your bed with a good book, come to the end and roll over to your husband and ask him for a shoebox, scissors and glue so you can work on your diorama?!?  I try to emulate real life as best I can within a classroom setting.  I'm hoping, by encouraging them to listen to their own needs as a reader, to create life-long lovers of words....rather than those who read and write on schedule as I dictate.  Do I really care if they've never done work on words?  My goal is to encourage a love for reading.  I consider one more word read, one more page turned or one more letter written a step in the right direction {We do word study and writer's workshop at other times during the day  - so I consider what they do during Daily 5 dessert}.

On a different note...

I actually had a couple of questions about something on my blog...glory be that made my day!!!!!  Here are step by step directions on how to do the turkey flakes.  Sorry, I don't have a pattern - but maybe you can free hand one by looking at the close-ups?  SORRY!

Fold a large piece of construction paper in 1/2 the hamburger way



Paper clip 1/2 turkey tracer on the fold of your construction paper (paper clips prevents slippage)



After you trace, keep paper folded and cut

Make your turkey kick its head - fold feet up to head

Draw shapes on fold line

Cut the shapes out - you'll need your finger muscles for this

Voila!

Use paper scraps to make the beak and waddle - or can draw.

 Hope that helps! 

Kids are going to Granny Camp today and spending the night...can't wait!!!!!!!

Daily 5 Bumps and Bruises

Hi Girlies,
I think I did something wrong - my post is gone from my own dashboard but I see it when I check from hubbies...  Anyhoo...sorry if this is a double post, but I can't even find it in my posts.  Strange!

I really like Daily 5...do you ever worry that you're becoming one of "those" teachers?  You know, the ones that are stuck in their ways and don't want to try new things?  I was doing Book Nooks/Literacy Centers and was really happy with them...after joining the blogging world, I was inspired...I've been inspired in SO many ways.

I'm a chef's surprise kinda girl..I like to take a little bit of this and a little bit of that....tweak it to make it mine and call her a day.  So, while I say I'm doing Daily 5...I am, sorta, kinda, pretty much...

So far we're up to 13 minutes during read-to-self...woot woot!  I added Book Nooks and I tell you, my pokers, touchers, talkers have magically stopped their prodding and nudging and are really reading those books.  Phew (we went from 10 minutes to 13 in one session)!

One of my tweaks is read-to-someone - I do this on Fridays, I like it there...it feels right.  I love walking around the room, venti nonfat chai in hand, and record all of the great things I see and hear on my clipboard. The kids can't wait for me  to "report out" my observations.  One of my most favorite days of the week. (Okay, truth be told, I'm afraid of the management piece if I put it in my Daily 5...that, and I can't walk around with my Starbucks...with my jeans...and my tennies, I'm only allowed that on Fridays!!!!)

Today, I introduced our writing notebook (you can download my cover if you want) and am so excited to do more than just Lucy each day.  I just know my kids are going to like writing lists, poems, short stories...tomorrow they will start writing in them.

I haven't introduced working with words - but plan on doing that next week....ahhhh, I'm overwhelmed thinking of how it will all fit together and WHEN!?!?

Here's my quandary - I'm feeling a little behind.  Am I?  Do you think I need to pick up the pace? My pace feels good and I'm really trying to make "start slow so you can move fast later" my mantra....but I'm easily swayed when I see reading groups in full tilt across the hall.

Where are my teacher-friends who started school after Labor Day?  Am I way behind you?

Thanks bunches!

Here's a copy of my cover....