Tag: brinner

Posted in Kids, School

First Day of School

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

Well, we all survived the first day of school. Overall, I’d say it was a success.

While I’m always sad for summer break fo end, this was me by Tuesday evening:

On Monday, my district held a convocation at Rupp Arena. That meant that I had to be at school by 7:15 (earlier if I wanted the catered breakfast!) to board a yellow bus to Rupp. We were at convocation from 8:00 until about 1:00 and then we had time to work in our rooms. Then, on Tuesday, we had a faculty meeting and professional development from 8:30-1:00 with more time in our rooms in the afternoon.

Even though our county is in the “red” for Covid, we are still mask optional. The superintendent’s stance is that Covid is everchanging, and we’ll continue to navigate however we need to. The motto on wearing (or not wearing) masks is “Either way is ok.”

This summer felt so short, but it was great to finally see students on Wednesday.

Back to School Brinner:

We had our Back to School Brinner on Sunday. Hadley had dance late the two nights before school started, so I thought breakfast for dinner on Sunday would be good.

I pulled out my tub with supplies from last year (plus a couple of new additions), and set up the table.

I’ve used this same chalkboard since Kindergarten. 🙂

This year, I wrote a few things on the paper “runner” which I think the kids liked.

I picked the kids each up a book and a Bundt cake to add to their place settings. Otherwise, I used the same folder, plate, and napkins as in previous years.

Unfortunately, Travis was out of town, but I set a place for myself too!

I served fruit along with muffins and yogurt.

I also made Shay’s Bacon and Tot Casserole, and it hit the spot.

We all enjoyed dinner and chatted a bit about summer and the new school year. It’s a fun tradition that I hope the kids will let me do through high school!

First Day of School Photos:

We had a pretty easy breezy morning. I did wake the kids up a bit earlier than they will typically need to wake up, but I needed to get those first day of school photos.

This time last year, Hadley was a head taller than Hayden. He sure has caught up!

They both look like they are almost able to drive me to school.

I couldn’t resist Maddie’s (@maddiescookieco) Back to School cookies. I put them out for the kids to see in the morning.

Maddie’s Back to School “groovy” theme was so cute!

Travis got the kids off to school, and headed to school myself. Y’all, I can’t believe this is year 21 for me. Over the weekend, I cleaned out my bedside table (my final organizational task of the summer), and I found some old pictures…including this one of my first year teaching (2002-03). Check out that computer!

….and now!

Y’all, I was tired! Travis had been out of town since Saturday for work, so I was doing all the mom things + all the back to school teachers/mom things. Then, he got home home really late on Tuesday night (technically, Wednesday morning), so just didn’t get the best sleep. Truth be told, I always have trouble sleeping the night before school starts….back to school jitters, I guess.

Overall, it was a great day! It’s still weird for me not starting the year with classes full of students. Since I do intervention, teachers will start sending me students need week. That being said, I enjoyed helping students find their classes, passing out schedules, helping teachers, and whatever else needs to be done. It’s a great way to ease into the school year.

Back to School Interview:

I’m probably pressing my luck with the kids’ interviews, but here are the kids’ thoughts on heading back to school:

Hayden’s Thoughts:

  • As a 7th grader, I’m most excited about...being with my friends.
  • A goal I have this year is…to get all A’s.
  • I think my favorite subject will be…Social Studies
  • One thing I’d like to get better at this year…turning my work in on time.
  • The first day of school was... fun.

Hadley’s Thoughts:

  • As a 7th grader, I’m most excited about…being upstairs in the building.
  • A goal I have this year is….study for every test.
  • I think my favorite subject will be…math.
  • One thing I’d like to get better at this year…staying on top of my school work.
  • The first day of school was… chaotic and energetic.

The first day of school meant pjs as soon as I got home and an easy slow cooker dinner.

I hope everyone is having an easy transition back to school!

Posted in School

All the First Day of 6th Grade Things:

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Happy Wednesday! Well, the 2021-22 school year is officially underway. We all had a great first day of school yesterday. While I always am sad to see summer wrap up, it’s always good for us to get back into a routine. Also, I was kind of ready to get the kids off to school just because this is a new phase for us with a new routine and a few nerves! I knew we’d all feel better after getting the first day under our belts.

Today, I’m sharing all the back to school things: our traditional brinner, first day of school photos, and a back to school interview with the kids.

Back to School Brinner:

Since Kindergarten, I’ve always set up the Back to School Breakfast for the kids.

With the transition to middle school, I thought I’d change things up a bit and have a Back to School Brinner. We had the brinner on Tuesday night to kick off the first day of school on Wednesday. Who doesn’t love breakfast for dinner?

I used all my usual supplies that I keep organized in a bin.

Per tradition, I ordered a book for each of them and then picked up a mini bundt cake for dessert. (Red velvet for Hadley and lemon for Hayden.)

I kept it simple for mine and Trav’s place setting just using the napkins I already had and writing our names on a name tag.

I baked the same muffins from a mix that I typically make, put out yogurt and fruit and baked one of my favorite breakfast casseroles.

Hadley helped me roll out the parchment paper that I use to wrap presents, and it can also double as a runner for the kitchen table. I meant to write a few quotes, sayings, and other school related ideas, but I forgot!

We all love breakfast for dinner, and I don’t make it enough! It’s so easy, and we had the leftover casserole for dinner last night!

First Day of School Photos:

Middle school starts way later than elementary school in our district, so it’s going to take us a few days to get the hang of “how late can we actually sleep in?” On the first day, we definitely didn’t want to run late, so the kids were up and at ’em and ready to start the day.

They had breakfast, got dressed, did their hair, (and Hayden officially has the hang of putting in his contacts on his own…just in time!), and then obliged me with a few photos.

I can’t get over how much older they look!

They both were really excited and didn’t seem nervous at all. (Also, I almost mentioned that they were unknowingly #twinning with their outfits, but I knew Hayden would change if I did mention it!)

After the photos, they grabbed their backpacks and masks, and they were ready to start the day!

I thought about them all day long. Hadley sent me an email when she was in math class. I love my emails from Hadley! For them, I was the most nervous for lunch. I remember that feeling of looking around the cafeteria and wanting to find someone you know to sit with at lunch. Obviously, they know many kids from elementary school, but a lot of their friends are on the other 6th grade team. They reported back that they have to sit with their class at lunch (for Covid tracing), and that it worked out okay.

Back to School Interview:

Hayden’s Thoughts:

  • This year, I’m excited about: having in person school.
  • By the end of the year, I want to: earn straight A’s.
  • My favorite subject is: social studies.
  • I love learning about: history.
  • I’m great at: reading.
  • My favorite school cafeteria food is: nachos.
  • If I was the principal for the day, I would: let kids do whatever they want.
  • When I grow up, I want to be: undecided.
  • The best thing about school is: lunch.
  • My first day of school was: good.

Bonus: One thing I’m looking forward to in middle school is: sports.

Hadley’s Thoughts:

  • This year, I’m excited about: changing classes during the day.
  • By the end of the year, I want to: have good grades and know my way around the school.
  • My favorite subject is: Language Arts.
  • I love learning about: foods from different cultures.
  • I’m great at: being organized.
  • My favorite school cafeteria food is: spaghetti and nachos.
  • If I was the principal for the day, I would: let the students be in charge.
  • When I grow up, I want to be: an elementary teacher.
  • The best thing about school is: meeting new friends.
  • My first day of school was: awesome.

Bonus: One thing I’m looking forward to in middle school is: having more freedom than I did in elementary school

I’m so pleased that they had a great first day, and I hope it continues for the entire year. I know middle school can provide some tough years, and I’m thankful they have each other…even if they don’t realize how lucky they are!

See you back here tomorrow for this week’s Friday Favorites.