A BIG Change!!!

Wow, I would say I feel refreshed after our family vacations to the beach and then Disneyworld but I would have to say I am EXHAUSTED!!!

 

But many memories were made that I will never forget!!! It was such a blessing just having time to be with my family and see the excitement in the kids when they met Mickey for the first time...priceless.

So....my big news is that...I have accepted a position as a middle school counselor at a district closer to home. I loved where I was and I must say it was a dream counseling job but being closer to home is what is best for our family and you can't beat a 10 minute drive!!! The district I am going to is absolutely fabulous and I am sooo excited!!! A lot of people seem super surprised that I will be at the middle school level because if you knew me, I am just exploding with elementary cheerfulness but I just felt like this is where I needed to go and it all felt right. I will be doing 8th grade and I can't wait to meet those kiddos!!! 

I will still continue my blog and still keep blogging about elementary, as well. I will create elementary and secondary level units and items...so, no worries! I really enjoy doing that!!! So that is my big news. We came home from Disney World last night and  unpacked. We woke up this morning and took down and packed up my office and came home to grocery shop so I am pretty tired but I can't wait to show you my new space!!!! 

Before I go, I wanted to share some things that I am getting ready to order that are my must-haves for a new school year!!!!

I so can't wait until July 9th so I can order this new Vera Bradley laptop case!!! 

http://www.verabradley.com/product/Category/Tech-Cases/Neoprene-Laptop-Case/1002048/defaultColorVariantId/181920/pc/638/c/0/sc/821/p/1002048.uts

The second thing is, of course, the Erin Condren planner that I am in love with!! I use this for personal use and use the pages in between the months for work, meetings, and appointments. 

http://www.erincondren.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=1454_1455&products_id=4442 

 

And how cute is this? It will be perfect for my morning coffee or tea....

http://www.verabradley.com/product/Category/Home/Travel-Mug/1002030/defaultColorVariantId/181828/pc/638/c/0/sc/649/p/1002030.uts 

 

 And last, something to carry it all in....

http://www.etsy.com/listing/102178377/candy-pink-and-white-large-monogramed?ref=shop_home_feat 

I got this bag last year (different color and it says Mrs. Acker) and I love it!! It is huge and can hold everything I need!!!

    

I also have this new blackboard small group rules since blackboard/chalkboard seem to be the big thing this upcoming school year so feel free to check it out in my TPT store!!!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/BlackboardChalkboard-Small-Group-Rules-746786

Have a wonderful week!!! I hope to post some freebies soon!! What are some of your must-have school items???? Feel free to comment or link up below!

End of Year Fun!

I am literally counting down the days until summer! Our little family is heading to the beach and then Disney World and I can't contain my excitement. Don't get me wrong, I will totally miss my sweet students! Counseling won't be far from my mind though. I am sure I will be blogging away this summer when I complete all of the pinterest projects I have been saying I will do!!!

This past Monday, we had our awards ceremony. This was my first time to be in charge of it all and I was so stinkin' nervous. Luckily, one of our teacher' aides was awesome enough to help me out because I created, printed, and filled out all the certificates for the teachers. I love our teachers and like to spoil them...haha! Our amazing staff made it a wonderful experience!!! I had a folder for each teacher and me and Ms. K put the awards in alphabetical order. So, basically the teachers just had to come up to the podium and read their awards in order. We also had an amazing program in the Dallas area come out to help give out awards called Heroes, Cops, and Kids. Oh my word, it made it super cool!!! The kids were in awe!!! How cool is it for Batman, Green Lantern, Captain America, and Superman to give you an award?  Here are some pictures of the event:


The awards



All decorated and ready to go....we did a summer fun theme!



I was very safe that day and well protected! Haha!

If you would like your own copy of the awards, you can get them here: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/End-of-Year-Awards-716314
Here is a sneak peek.

I also worked on a calendar for next school year. I don't know about you but I am in love with the Erin Condren planners and you can purchase them now for next year's dates. Yay!! Even though I am crazy about that little bundle of planning goodness, I still like to have a big calendar page to plan out guidance and special events at our school such as Red Ribbon Week, Random Acts of Kindness, and Bully Free Week. I created a calendar for August 2013-June 2014. I made it with only 5 days so that I could have the maximum amount of space possible. This would also be great for students in an organization group for assignments. You can get yours here: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/2013-2014-Calendar-717126

And don't forget to order your Erin Condren planner here: http://www.erincondren.com/store/

And of course, I want to leave you with a little freebie. I don't ever want to seem like my blog is just an advertisement for my TPT store! I want to make sure you always walk away from my blog with either an idea or something you can use in your counseling program. This summer I hope to have A WHOLE LOTTA' resources that are free or things you can make and use!!

I use this check in scale bunches!!! Anytime, I see one of my regular kiddos they always know to check in because it is usually our springboard for our conversation. I even use this in groups and the kids will not let me forget to use it...they love it and I think it allows them to feel like they can tell me how they feel and why without them having to bring it up. Love it!!!

You can click here to download your own for FREE!!! http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Check-In-Scale-717486

I hope you all have a great rest of the week and are getting to spend quality time with all of your sweet students!!