Ho Ho Ho Happy Halloween!!

Halloween paid us a visit in good old Wemindji last night and it was a slow-to-start success!! I have never given candy out at my house before, usually getting together as a group at someone else's house, so I wasn't sure what to expect.  I live in a pretty kid-filled neighborhood so I figured we'd get a steady flow. Since things get dark around here early now, the kids were also out early.  I got my first, a student of mine, at 4:30.  After that it was one or two maybe every 20 minutes.  After 7 it really began to pick up and we had lots of trick or treaters, even in cold and dreary weather!  As per typical Wemindji-style, it snowed - A LOT - on Friday and Saturday, requiring me to have to shovel a path on the driveway and my porch for the kids. Anyways, I had a few girlfriends over for a pizza dinner and to give out candy and then watch a spooky Halloween movie, Hocus Pocus.  It was a great night and I had a lot of fun.

Halloween week at school was as busy as ever!! I definitely planned too much but in the end, the kids had fun and that's what matters.  We planned how to carve a pumpkin and then carved one, read tons of Halloween stories and on Friday we watched a spooky Halloween movie, had our party and participated in the Halloween parade at school!  Very fun.  My kids went all out in dressing up and had a blast.

I decided to retire my Oompa Loompa costume as I could forsee the makeup being a hassle again so I went for a homemade "Money Flying Away" emoji costume (story of my life) which I think turned out pretty well but was incredibly inconvenient to wear.  I couldn't bend over, sit down OR walk through doors so I ended up taking it off in the classroom.  Friday night there was a teacher Halloween party which was so much fun.  After a long and very busy week it was a much deserved time to let loose and enjoy some kid-free time with great friends! My costume also had to go in the garbage as one of the wings caught fire on a tea light at the party.  Another very accurate representation of my life.

This week coming up is a short one with two PED days on Thursday and Friday.  We are getting some new training on assessment and I am really looking forward to what is has to offer.  That also means however that I am even more behind in the curriculum which brings a new added stress but I don't think the kids will mind doing late Halloween-themed activities that I meant to get to last week for the next couple of weeks....

I am also very happy to announce that I am getting my first student teacher in the winter! I am really excited and very honored to be trusted with this responsibility.  From what I can tell, my student teacher is already very nice and on the ball and I am excited to have her in the class.  Hopefully the kids will be respectful and treat her the same way they treat me.  I will be in the classroom all the time so I will definitely have to keep an eye on sass and craziness that I have grown accustomed to but otherwise I think it will be a really good experience for both of us.  I can't wait for January!