Allmayer Still Fighting

As some of you know, Ms. Allmayer was diagnosed with cancer last year. Unfortunately, cancer cells were discovered earlier this year and Ms. Allmayer has had surgery. She is at home recovering and will be having chemotherapy soon. Unofficially, she won't be here to teach for most of the summer 09 semester. So, a few courses will still be held with a different instructor and some courses will be cancelled. Keep your eyes open for an official announcement and updates on course changes. Feel free to send your e-mails or cards to Ms. Allmayer. :)

Basket of Easter Ideas

It's Easter Time! What a great way to get inspired for your classroom.
There are heaps of hopping good activities, games, crafts for you to use. It only takes a few minutes of looking to discover them. I have personally come to love the crafts and ideas they've got at Kaboose. A to Z Teacher has a list of resource links. If you're looking for a way to incorporate more religious information, you may want to check out Telling the Easter Story on Suite 101.

St. Patty's Day!

It's almost Saint Patrick's Day! St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17th. It's one of the most famous holidays celebrated in the United States. To learn more about St. Patrick and how St. Patrick's day is celebrated in the U.S., visit The History Channel. You can find fantastic crafts and activities at Kaboose. There are hundreds of classroom ideas, too. Check out 123child or teach-nology for a list of great ideas in different subjects like art and math. Oh, and remember to wear a bit of green so you don't get pinched and have a great St. Patrick's Day!

National Grammar Day!

Happy National Grammar Day!
I know some of you will smirk at this, but here's the truth: grammar can be interesting and fun! Okay, sure, learning grammar can be a little frustrating in the beginning. You're always asking yourself "why is it this and not this?" or simply shouting "why, oh, why?!" But, let's get down to it. When you understand something better, isn't it just cool! I mean, sentence structure, word order, verb tense, adverbs, gerunds, all of that can be so fascinating and, as I said a second ago, FUN. Stop rolling your eyes and give it a try. Visit the National Grammar Day website for a list of grammar and language blogs. Check out some really cool grammar game sites like the ones on BBC Skillswise. And there's Grammar Girl to help answer all your grammar questions. So, get out and celebrate! It's National Grammar Day!

Word of the Day

Improve your vocab with the Word of the Day.
Sign-up at a dictionary website like Merriam-Webster to get the Word of the Day delivered to your e-mail box every day! It's an easy way to start improving your vocabulary. What are you waiting for? Sign-up today!

Fantastic February

It's February and there's a lot to celebrate in February. For one thing, it's Black History Month. There are so many amazing people and events that have shaped the US and the world! Check out The History Channel to learn about the Underground Railroad, The Harlem Rennaisance, and famous people like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Jackie Robinson.
Let's not forget, Valentine's Day is right around the corner. For fun activities to use in your classroom and at home, check out Kaboose.
There are also lots of good President's Day activities on Kaboose and Enchanted Learning.
Happy February!

Grammar Questions?

Have you got questions about English grammar? If so, then visit Grammar Girl! Check out the cool podcasts! One you might want to listen to is "Do you overuse 'of'?" on the main page. If you want to read the transcript, use the search function. Type the title in the search box, click search, and it should be the first result. Spend a few minutes exploring the site-there's some good stuff on it!