vomit.

Anytime someone throws up in the lunchroom, its one of my students.

EVERY TIME.

So I wasn't surprised when I walked in to pick my kids up today and saw the janitor sprinkling that magic puke powder on the floor.

My students quickly reassured me that yes, one of our friends had thrown up on the floor.

Surprise surprise.

What did surprise me however, was that the nurse walked this little girl back to class a few minutes later and told me she wasn't going home.

"Do you know why she threw up? Because (student who will not be named) convinced her to swallow her peaches whole."

I saw the peaches the kids were eating at lunch.

These were peach HALVES people.

So, (student who will not be named) talked my poor puker into swallowing it whole, which the puker did because she's 5, she choked, and then proceeded to throw up that peach half (still whole) all over the floor.

I was livid! I pulled (student who will not be named) aside and said,

"Do you realize she could have gotten seriously hurt?"

When that didn't get much of a reaction, I said,

"Do you realize she could have DIED today?"

That got the reaction that I wanted. Instant terror and tears.

This is serious stuff.

I know they're in kindergarten, but still. They know better than to tell their friends to swallow food without chewing!

And its not like I can trust that our "lunch staff" (i.e. the woman who stands around and yells at the kids to quit talking during lunch) would be capable of reviving a choking student, and delivering her back to me in one living piece.

Needless to say, after the LONG talk we had, I have a feeling that (student who will not be named) will be encouraging everyone else to chew their food into mush before swallowing from now on.

moments from this week

The following are some of the moments I feel blessed to have experienced this week at work:

A student's grandmother came to my room before school just to thank me and tell me what a good job I've done with getting her granddaughter to read so well.

After a bullying incident (which has been frequent in kindergarten lately), a student made an apology card for a friend. "i sory. i wil be nise to you form now on."

After I was gone for a couple hours directing the school play, I was greeted by hugs, and exclamations of, "Yay, Mrs. Miller's back!" and "I missed you so much!"

One of my students drawing me a picture of me, her, and her soon-to-be-born baby brother. "You and my baby brother are my two favoritest people!...You're the one in the dress."

I gave one of my higher readers her very first chapter book this week. The fear that was initially on her face was instantly replaced with immense pride when I told her I knew she could handle it. She not only finished it, but also comprehended everything she read!

Being told, "I love you so much, Mrs. Miller," about 50 times a day. It will never, ever get old.

Being asked if "asthma" is a bad word.

Finalizing 3rd quarter grades, I was taken back by just how much my kinders have grown throughout the year. They're not  the 4 year-old babies they were when they came to me anymore. They're becoming independent individuals who can read, write, and add.

I've realized this week that even though there are countless instances throughout a week that can make me want to pull my hair out, reflecting on all of the positive, endearing moments can really rejuvenate me, and I realize just how awesome these little babies big kids are!



bad word.

Last week, I taught my Kinders about the -SH sound.

And we took our spelling test on Friday.

I laughed out loud when I was grading this one...check out #7.

Oopsy!

I drew a little smiley face next to it for Mom, and wrote that the word was SUPPOSED to be "shot."

At the end of the day, students were packing up to go, and this little girl came up to me, held out her test, and with downcast eyes, said, "I changed my answer."

I said, "We've talked about this before...after I grade your paper, you can't erase your answer and change it."

To which she replied, "I know. But I sounded out what word I wrote down, and it was a bad word!"

This is how I know my students are growing up...they go back and try to sound out the words they missed to see what mistake they made :)