15 From 15...Reflections & Looking Forward!

I don't know about the rest of you, but I had some big goals over break...well here we are at the last day & many of those goals...let's just say, 'Maybe next time!'...I thought I would blog several times, but this is it!

I'm linking up with Kristin, Hadar, & Traci...late...Kristin has blogged SIX times since she posted her linky!  Oh well, better late than never!

15 from 15...

I began 2015 with choosing my One Little Word for the year it was...

This year's word is...

I took this picture about a month ago...it will remind me to FIND things to be in Awe of...this year I want to FIND hope...FIND what is really important...FIND ways to live my mission statement...FIND inspiring people, images, & words...I think I will FIND new connections to the word FIND in the next 12 months!...my verse with it is "So I say to you, keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will FIND. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you." Luke 11:9 HCSB

In 2015 my printers at both home & school died. My school printer was replaced with a black ink laser printer.  It is very nice, but I LOVE COLOR! When we looked at printers for home I learned about HP's Instant Ink program.  On some of their printers, you can sign up for Instant Ink, a program in which the printer communicates with HP & lets them know when you are running low on ink & it ships a new cartridge to your house!  The program charges by the copy, not by the amount of ink, & unused pages roll over to the next month!  I LOVE IT!!!

This year I discovered NexusFont & I love it!! If you have a PC & you love fonts...I am a Fontaholic...you really should look into this program!  I have a tutorial for it which you can view HERE.

In 2015 I learned a lot about Google Apps for Education~GAFE I was blessed enough to attend 2 Google Summits...I have learned so much, but have SO MUCH more to learn...I hope to become  a Google Certified Teacher in 2016.

In 2015 I also became active on Twitter {I learned about it as a Professional Development tool from the 1st conference mentioned in #4}

I love Twitter & I am currently following 1220; most who are in the field of education!...I have participated in quite a few Twitter Chats...a great way to connect & learn! My twitter name is @thankfulndw

 Since I am on Social Media, I started with Instagram or IG this summer...it is great because I am visual...I am connecting & learning there too...one aspect of the learning curve about using IG is what this song by Rhett & Link explains...{start at 2:00}...

My teenaged son introduced me to Rhett & Link & I must say they CRACK ME UP!!
My IG Name is @the.apple.basket.teacher

In March, this adorable bundle of joy, my grandson was born!  We enjoy every visit we get with him!

After our school chose to have AR at our school I updated my whole classroom  library & leveled all of the books...it was a huge task, but I a so glad that my students can easily find books in their reading range.

Our school became a Leader in Me, based on Stephen Covey's Seven Habits, in 2015...I am very glad we are taking this journey together!

 The 2nd TpT Conference was this summer, and I was blessed to be able to attend.  It was one of the highlights of my year!

 This summer I had a new logo made for a variety of reasons.  I really like it and feel happy that it is unique to me alone!

This fall I learned about Naeir.  If you have not checked into Naeir & have a love of school/office supplies, I suggest you check into them!  I stopped posting because guilt over this obsession interest was getting to me!

 GoNoodle has continued to be a favorite in my room...my students last year raised most of the money to upgrade to GoNoodle Plus!

Proud Mom is my #15...I have been so proud of my kids!  Good grades, dance, plays, trumpet, tuba, singing & more...so proud.

I will try to post on Wednesday & have a new product or 2 up this month! {This post has taken me hours...I am just too slow at blogging!}

Happy 2016 to all of you!!!

Currently September

Two days in a row of blogging! BIG smile from me 
:-D

Although it is already 6 days into September here is Currently {LOVE Farley & so glad I got to meet her this summer!}

Loving~I am so thrilled to be learning so many things this year!!  I have been learning from so many great sources as well~

I LOVE Twitter for connecting & learning...you can find me at @thankfulndw...I am learning more & more about Google, Google Classroom, & everything Google...here is my very first Google Slides presentation that I used this week for our Back to School Night~my daughter did all of the transitions & then taught me how to do it...




...Periscope has so many great tips & things that educators are sharing about...if you haven't found SimpleK12.com yet, go check it out!...they offer FREE webinars & I have learned so much from those webinars!...Instagram, yes Instagram>>that is where I found the GoNoodle poster that inspired me to make these posters for my room!...

...I am learning from podcasts...& always find great ideas on Pinterest....in addition to the things in the collage, I am learning how to use our new interactive projector, more about Symbaloo {working on becoming a Certified Symbaloo Educator}, want to learn about Plickers {I have printed the cards out & have the app}

Thinking~how very blessed I am by the people in my community...our area frequently gets a bad rap...I live in the High Desert in Southern California...but the people here are wonderful!!

5 years ago a local business www.victorvillemotors.com started a program to encourage attendance at school...they gave away a car to a high school student who had perfect attendance...every year they have increased the program...Year 1~1 car to a high school student with perfect attendance; Year 2~2 cars to 2 high school students with perfect attendance;Year 3~same as before plus they paid tax & license for the students & added a car for a teacher!; Year 4~added a 2nd teacher car; Year 5~now they have added It's a Gas to Support Class & are giving a car to a classified employee!!  

WOW!!! They have many other businesses that help support the program too...they give LOTS of other prizes away too!!!  How totally AWESOME to have a community so vested in our schools & making a REAL difference in the lives of our young people!!! Just look at the stats from the different years of their program!!!!

I think the other things on Currently speak for themselves, so off to link up!!

Happy Easter! 5 for Frunday & Currently~April

Well, I missed the last 2 Five for Fridays...so I am doing a 5 for Frunday & Currently April...here's the latest...

1st Happy Resurrection Sunday~Happy Easter!!!

{Created by Darcy Baldwin(posted with permission)...click on print to go to her site & download it too!}

This sweet little boy was born just a week and a half ago...I was able to see him the within the first hour of him being born...only his mommy could hold him for the first hour...tomorrow my hubby & I get to go  & hold him (for our first time!) & take lots of pictures! :-D ...can't wait!!!{I took the picture on the right, his mommy took the picture on the left, she had been trying to catch a picture of him smiling...success!}

Last Friday I spent the day with my almost 16 year old son Andrew looking at his first choice college, California Baptist College...we had a great day & it just make him want to go there even more!...his homework from Mom, start reading 

On April 1st we had some fun...I showed the class my email on my doc cam...

... they read the subject line and groaned!! {if you have never been to GoNoodle this may confuse you, if you have you are probably giggling right now!}...then I opened the email...

there were cheers & laughter... right after that we made our April Fool's glasses & invited the principal to drop by our room...{hearts are added in Picmonkey...glasses are made my them!}

It is SPRING BREAK!!!!

April Currently...

EGGS-plain your name~Well...it goes back quite a few years...I had a brand new teacher next door to me several years ago and she created a classroom blog... www.hopintoroom14.blogspot.com ...it was frog themed...her classroom was referred to as 'The Pond'...frogs everywhere~supper cute..I remembered thinking that I would never have a theme in my classroom...a while later I came across all of my apple things...rugs, knickknacks, clock, wall hangings, etc...in my garage {they had been bumped from our home office to make room for my husband's business}...& I thought I could do an apple themed classroom...when I learned from my friend how to make a classroom blog in May of 2010 I titled it "The Apple Basket"...once I discovered the wonderful world of teacher blogging & decided to create one of my own it made sense to me to become 'The Apple Basket Teacher'

UPDATED!

I forgot when I originally posted this to include one topic I was to share with you...I have shared more than once here about the Block family who live in Guatemala...they live at Village of Hope which has this on their website:

GIVING FAITH, FAMILY AND A FUTURE TO ORPHANS WITH SPECIAL
NEEDS IN GUATEMALA WHILE MINISTERING TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY

They received a precious little abandoned baby girl Lizzy, just 10 days old...she was in desperate need of surgery & God provided for her surgery...the first picture on the upper right was the first one the Block's shared, the second when poor little Lizzy was hurting with her IV...they sent out a request for prayers & the next picture shows her sleeping peacefully..Praise God!..the next two are just such adorable pictures of Lizzy!

{I couldn't add my watermark...these were their 

pictures I just put them together}

"They are saying that she has about 10% of her

 brain.  That there will be no quality of life. That she

 will only have reflexes... And yet she knows Addisyn 

Block voice. She calms when she holds her. She is 

comforted by her touch. She knows SHE is loved. 

And that, that simple thing- is really all any of us 

ever need- to be loved." This quote was shared on 

their facebook page {italics mine for emphasis}  

The bond between these two is evident in the 

pictures...I am so glad God put them together! 

Please pray for the healing & growth of Lizzy's

 brain...our God is the God of miracles, just look at

 what  today is RESURRECTION SUNDAY!!