Last Day of Summer Vacation

School starts tomorrow!  Supplies have been bought, backpacks have been stuffed and lunches have been packed.

 In what has become my bizarre end of summer tradition, I went out in the woods behind our house and gathered termites.  I've gotten much better at finding them than last year.  Look at all those little guys!  I do a lab with my AP class and we talk about emergent properties and levels of organization.  Did you know that termites will follow ink trails left by certain brands of pens but not others?  Fun fact of the day, and you thought this blog was all about quilting.

 I also washed a bucket of rocks for my other bio kids.  I used to do this really cool lesson with a peanut on the first day of school.  Everyone grabs one on the way in and then studies it while I talk dramatically about observation and the scientific method.  Then they all put their peanuts back in a bowl where they get mixed up and then they have to find them again.  About 10 years ago, I brought up observation again about halfway through the year, and Susie remarked that it was just like the peanuts from the first day.  I got very emotional that she had made such a meaningful connection when she pulled her peanut out of her backpack.  Just as I was about really to loose it, several other kids all pulled out their peanuts while the rest told me where they kept theirs at home.  Those are the moments that make you remember why you teach.
Well, peanuts are now totally taboo.  I have one student who will react so strongly to peanuts that I can't touch them and then grade papers.  I tried it with apples one year, and that was nice, but expensive.  So this time I'm going to try rocks.  Maybe they will want to have a pet rock when we are done?

I just took the last stitch in the periodic table quilt so that I can get it hung up for the first day.  Kurt bought a big long piece on conduit for a hanging rod and some hooks.  So I guess those are odd preparations for the first day of school, but it looks like I'm are just about ready for students.  

Back to School Sewing

I bought some periodic table fabric from Spoonflower ages ago.  I got intimidated though, when I realized that most of the rare earth elements (the yellow ones at the bottom) needed to be individually pieced together.  I didn't have any wall space to hang it in my classroom anyway, and so it got saved.  After moving a few things around at the end of last year, I found some space that might work and thought about giving the periodic table quilt a try again.

So I took a deep breath and started cutting the elements out with a quarter in seam allowance.  I still need a small white border on the right and bottom.  Maybe I can get it quilted this weekend.
The first two days of preplanning went well.  They are trying hard to give us more planning time this year.  After losing a planning period last year, everyone is desperate for more time to get things done.  Maybe someone is finally hearing us, because so far we've only had two hours of meetings each day.  Unheard of!  Usually it is at least 4 hours of sitting in meeting each day while making a list of all the things you are hoping to get done before the kids show up bright and shiny.  Monday is the big day for the kids.  Registration is tomorrow, so we'll start seeing their happy faces again soon.