My Son

A simple conversation with my son, Braxtyn (6 years old):

Braxtyn: Mom, I've been thinking about who I will marry.

Me: Really? Because I think you are a little young!

Braxtyn: How do I choose?

Me: One day you will know who to marry.  Only God knows right now.  Mom, Dad, and God just want it to be a good Christian girl.

Braxtyn: A Good Christian Girl that is beautiful!

Long pause....

Braxtyn: And if she is rich, then that is even better!

What am I up to these days?

Besides running crazy all over the place???

&&& looking like this!

From the "Desk" of Mrs. Harrell:

ARD Meetings

504 Testing

504 Meetings

Gifted and Talented Testing

Counseling (when there is time)

Dual Credit Applications finished for Spring

PLAN Testing FINISHED!

Husband's Birthday

Halloween

TAKS retesting

PSAT Testing FINISHED!

ACT Testing

Workshop

Workshop

STAAR Accommodations lined out...

Mail Senior Applications and Transcripts

Deal with a small crisis

Return phone calls

Meet with FASFA rep.

Mail transcripts of past graduates

&&& Getting ready to pack for the

Texas School Counselors Professional Growth Conference!

&&& beginning to look more like this!

The week of a counselor!  Nothing too crazy or anything!

Right?!?!?!

Pumpkin Time

A few pictures of our annual Pumpkin Carving Night

with Dad!

This year the kids decided to have a vampire design!

{Feeding dad pumpkin}

Braxtyn refused to touch the slime and seeds this year.

Miss Addisyn helped to clean it out!

Lots of Fall Fun!

Pumpkin Feelings

This past week my Kindergarten student's talked about feelings.

I read the book

By Janan Cain {Amazon Link}

We discussed feelings we have when we are Bucket Fillers and Bucket Dippers.

Students then created a Pumpkin Feeling Book.

Here is the link I found from jmeacham.com

of a cute

Pumpkin Book perfect for Kindergarteners!

{counselor 2 counselor}

Fins Up

My husband and I had a weekend away in Las Vegas!

We went to see Jimmy Buffett's concert and just grab a little R&R.

Fins Up!

Viva Las Vegas!

Bucket Filling

This school year I have been diligently teaching Bucket Filling to my elementary students.  I have been amazed at how my teachers have incorporated it into their classrooms, and how the students are using Bucket Filling Language.

EVERYTHING I have used can be found on my Pinterest Board!

I created a cute little bucket to start my first lesson with, that I saw on Pinterest.  I asked students, "what are things you can fill a bucket with?"

{Of course they had no prior knowledge of "Bucket Filling" so they said things like seashells, sand, eggs, etc.}

Then, I read the Bucket Filling book.  We then went back to my first question....
But changed it to, "what are ways we can fill each others buckets?"

I really believe the most helpful creation from Pinterest was taking a poster board and having students sit in a circle and create a list of Bucket Fillers and Bucket Dippers. 

We have tied Bucket Filling into our bullying lessons also.

I printed posters to place around campus and for every teacher to have in their classroom of the bucket pledge and "Have you filled a bucket today?" sign.  Found on Pinterest!

I ended the lesson with students doing a Diversity lesson.  I had students get together in groups of 3 or 4.  I then asked them why they chose the students in their group.  Of course, they said "that's my friends!"

I then, counted them off, and had them recreate their groups.  I told them I "Diversified" their groups.  They are now mixed up!  Each student wrote their name on a slip of paper.  Then, they had to give their paper to another person in their group.  The paper said,

"I would like to fill your bucket my saying....."

I told students they were not allowed to say "I don't have anything to write, I don't know that person, etc."  {or that would be bucket dipping!}

I reminded them that they have had the same class with that person for 6-weeks and should know something GREAT about everyone in their class.

This lesson went great

&&&

I had to share!

Good luck and have fun!

{counselor 2 counselor}

School Assembly

Do you ever try to think of fun and creative school assemblies?
Especially on the first day of school?

I stumbled upon this....
&&& had to share!

http://youtu.be/4WJIT9b69D0

Sweetwater's staff did a Flash Mob for their first day of school assembly.

Super cute and I love the shirts!