SEUSSICAL!

By now, you all should know that tonight and tomorrow night the theater department will be presenting Seussical the Musical.  I know several of you have put in countless hours to make this show incredible.  I want to be on record as saying this is one of the BEST shows I have ever witnessed, and I've been around awhile!  Since Mallory is a Who, I have been able to witness several of the rehearsals this week including the preview on Wednesday.  I have been AMAZED by the talent and perseverance of our students!  Miss Toliver and I have laughed and cheered so much!  Brandon Smith is the ultimate Cat in the Hat, and who knew Phil Trent had such a wonderful voice, the perfect Horton?  My jaw really dropped when I heard Katie Ankenbauer as the kangaroo--holy cow what a voice!  I had a repeat jaw drop when I saw the fabulous Sydney Mann as the Amazing Mazie!  Lauren Sutherland is a perfect Gertrude, too!  From the band to the wonderful critters to the stage crew, you ALL are wonderful!  However, my favorite part is, of course, the Whoville citizens since my own little Who is part of that scene!  What a way to celebrate the talent of Goodpasture and recognize the classic Dr. Seuss!

As I've watched all of the performances this week and reflected on my favorites, I found myself thinking about all of the Dr. Seuss books my children and I have read.  What fun stuff that talented man was able to produce!  I think my favorite Dr. Seuss book is Oh, the Places You'll Go!  I've read it numerous times over the years and love the ideas he presents as he reminds us that life is not always going to be a cake walk, but it certainly will be interesting and rewarding.

Now, it's your turn! I want to hear your thoughts.  Type a 4-6 sentence, well-written response to BOTH parts of the following question.  Be sure you post your comment no later than Thursday, March 7, by 3:00 pm.  Here is your 2-part question:

After watching Seussical, what was your favorite part of the show and why?  Be specific!  Also, what was/is your favorite Dr. Seuss book and why? 

Where is the Snow?

I have a confession...I love snow!  The picture above was taken near my house two years ago, and it really makes me sad that we have not seen that kind of snow in two years.  Of course, we have had some warm days that were nice, but what in the world is winter for?  The answer is obviously SNOW!  For those of you like me, you need several days of colder temperatures to lessen the severity of spring allergies.  You also need colder temperatures so that we just might get out of school (yes, teachers like snow days, too!).  One of my favorite winter activities is bundling up everyone (that takes a while) and going outside to tackle the hill with our sled.  A few years ago, we tried using a plastic toybox lid since we never could remember to buy a sled.  Let me just say, that lid worked wonderfully--until little Mallory gained so much speed that she went over the back into the creek! Fortunately, she was saved from the icy water by a few trees that stopped her progress!  Now, the kids have learned how to jump off the sled if they are heading for the treacherous creek at the bottom of the hill.  IF we ever have enough snow to sled this year, it will be interesting to see how our crazy puppy (who weighs more than Mallory) will react since she already thinks Reece and Mallory are her personal chew toys!

Enough from me--you want extra credit.  So, here is your chance.  Tell me about a specific snow adventure you have had that either turned out great or not-so-much.  Dig around in your memory bank to see what's there.  Then, type a 4-6 WELL-WRITTEN summary of what happened to make it something you will never forget--good or bad :)  Post your excellent response no later than 4:00 on Friday, February 1.

Food Drive Awesomeness!

So, today was the end of a different but truly awesome week of food drive.  I know some of you have had opinions about the changes this year, but I want to make it clear that I have LOVED the service days and hanging out with the incredible Goodpasture students.  I also LOVE the way we have truly worked as a school to serve our community.  I LOVE the fact that the food drive was not about our rewards this year.  And I really LOVED the wonderful pep rally today.  Did you see the excitement in the elementary students?  Did you see that our precious kindergarten students had nearly $2,000 worth of food?  Did you see that those guys LOVED being in that gym and celebrating?  Did you see our teachers who were willing to be a bit awesomely foolish as we illustrated the read 12 Days of Christmas?  I know that all of you are jealous of my moves, ha-ha!  If I haven't said it lately, I want my students to know that I cannot think of anywhere else I'd rather be than Goodpasture.  Even after 20 years of teaching, I am so thankful to get to work at this school.  I know that God will continue to bless us as we serve Him by reaching out to others.

Sound off time!!!  If you want some extra credit, post your comment to the following question no later than Friday, December 14, by 3:00 pm.  Be sure you follow directions:)

What has been your favorite part of food drive this year?  Think about all of the activities we've done over the past two weeks.  Type a 4-5 sentence, well-written response with some commentary (why is that event your favorite) and post it on time.  

It's Almost Turkey Time!

The excitement is brewing...The air is filled with an intense longing...Yep, we are all thrilled that in just a few days we will have an entire week away from school.  Yes, teachers like breaks just as much as students do!  As I reflect upon activities my family will do next week, I want to do my best not to forget what the season is about.  Don't get me wrong, I love the food of Thanksgiving and the thrill of shopping for a deal on Black Friday, but I want to make sure I remember the blessings and the importance of family.  So, I plan to spend time next week hanging out with my precious grandmother.  The munchkins and I will also see a movie,  Then, the whole huge clan comes to our house for Thanksgiving dinner--all of my siblings and nieces and nephews and even great nephews!  Finally, I get to spend more time with my grandmother as we shop Friday morning.  We'll meet around 4:00 to shop then finish off with a Hardee's breakfast.  Loads of fun memories!

Here's your chance for some extra credit.  Tell me what your plans are for Thanksgiving break AND tell me what your favorite Thanksgiving food is.  Type a 4-5 sentence, well-written comment that addresses both parts.  Be sure to post your comment no later than Monday, November 19, by 4:00.

What a Great Night!

If you missed the game against Lipscomb last night, you really did miss out!  What a game!  I am so proud to be a Cougar!  Our volleyball team started off the eventful night with a big win over Macon County (there is no way I'd ever play against Macy--I think she'd kill me!).  Then, our football players made some incredible plays, especially the fabulous representatives of the junior class!  Our cheerleaders did a phenomenal job keeping the student section active.  Our students were rocking the neon (even though I am afraid some of that body paint probably will not wash off for several days--retreat-goers just might have a human nightlight!).  Our band members showcased a wonderful half-time performance.  God blessed us with weather that was perfect for football!  And my Mallory got to be on TV with Carter and several other Goodpasture students!  Even though my energy level is very low today, I am THRILLED I came to the games and watched them till the end.  I will admit I was a bit nervous during the football game when Lipscomb still had possession with a minute left on the clock.  However, our Cougars showed incredible determination and strength as they prevented a devastating touchdown.  What a nail-biter!  I think last night proved to everyone just how special our school is and how we can make it through difficult situations!

So, I know you all are looking at this blog just to get to the extra credit.  I would really hate to disappoint you. . . But I'm not sure I want to give you extra credit.  I mean, you really don't need it, do you?  You should be making wonderful grades without extra credit, right?  Just kidding--here is the topic!  Now that I've rambled about how much fun I had last night, I want you to share a memory of the best school event you have attended.  You can talk about a specific game or activity, or you can do something more general.  Your well-written post MUST be at least 5 GOOD sentences that explain what the event is and why it is so memorable to you, and you MUST post it no later than 3:30 on Friday, September 28.  Happy memories!

Muddy Mallory

A couple of weeks ago, my children and I were going for a bike ride.  As I waited at the end of the driveway, my three kids came trekking down the hill of our back yard, moving toward the driveway.  They were so excited!  The problem, though, is at the bottom of the hill, you have to turn left a bit to stay on the driveway--straight ahead is a shallow creek with a large drop-off.  I think you see where this is going!  Mallory was trying to keep up with her big brothers and totally forgot how to use the brakes on her bike.  Before I could stop her, she went headfirst straight into the creek and face-planted over the handlebars right into the muddy creek!  Being the mom I am who remembered my husband had just killed a copperhead in said creek the day before, I flew to the creek and grabbed Mallory (nearly falling down that drop-off myself).  Yes, she was crying.  Yes, she was being very dramatic, Yes, she was a muddy mess.  Yes, she has long hair that was caked in mud and small rocks.  Yes, she was scraped up.  And, yes, I took a picture!  When I realized she was fine except for some scratches, I knew she would one day laugh at herself for trying to keep up with her brothers.  So, I grabbed my not-so-smart phone and took a picture with its not-so-good camera.  This picture is the end result :)  Yes, she did laugh when she saw her face (before we washed her hair four different times!).

I'm sure most of you did something really stupid during your childhood--maybe something careless--but something that you now can laugh about.  Post a comment telling me about something careless or mindless you did as a child, but something that is actually funny although it may not have been very funny to you at the time.  Be sure your comment is well-written with at least 4 good sentences.  If you post an appropriate comment by Tuesday, September 18, at 4:00 pm, you will receive extra credit.  Happy memories!

Spring Break is ALMOST Here!

There is a certain madness in the air at Goodpasture as all of you a bit more squirrely than usual.  Some of you are no longer in the classroom even though your body is there.  You know what I'm talking about...Some of you are already on a beach somewhere because you just can't wait till SPRING BREAK!  Believe me, I'm counting down the days, too!  For me, Spring Break means all of the English III research papers are graded!  It also means play time at the Boyd house!  We don't have any great travel plans (we're going to Disney World when school is out, so I have to save some money), but we will do lots of fun things--yes, you can be jealous that we're going to the zoo and family fun center and Chuck E. Cheese!  However, I put the picture of my munchkins at the beach as a teaser...I'm sure some of you will be roasting on a beach very, very soon!  

So, I know you're looking for it...EXTRA CREDIT!  If you are interested in some extra credit, you have to type and post a response that answers BOTH questions:  1. what are your plans for this spring break?  and 2.  what is your most memorable spring break ever?  You need a GOOD, well-written response of at least 5 sentences!  This lovely response MUST be posted by Friday, March 16, at 3:00--the official beginning to Goodpasture's SPRING BREAK 2012!!!!