Ah, November, and a Throwback Freebie

I don't know about you, but for me the beginning of the school year is harder than the end of the year, I think. Although both periods of time are overflowing with things that must be done, not yet knowing the kids, or the parents, or my own schedule for the year; having to incorporate the constant changes in curriculum, at school, and in the district; getting the physical space set up and organized; doing biggies like curriculum night and parent-teacher conferences, along with the other 2.2 million things on the to-do list really stretches me to the limit in the first months of school.

I find that some things just have to go, and usually that means my blogroll reading and my own blog writing. Well... that's not exactly true, as I've been writing posts continually. in. my. head. Until I get to the keyboard and get them on the screen, though, they don't do anybody any good. So today I'm gonna share something timely for this week and a throwback from last year, in case you missed it.

As you put up your November calendar and get ready to teach about the change in month and season, have a little discussion about what happens in November, or maybe about what no longer can happen. Your discussion can be guided by this poem that I think has been around enough to be called traditional:

NOvember
No green grass
No blue sky
No bare feet going by
No frogs
No bees
No more leaves on the trees
NOvember

Each November I help my kiddos make a long list of the changes that have happened around them since we started school at the end of the summer. We then take our list and turn it into a simple book called The NOvember book.

Then at the end of the month, we give November a more positive spin and discuss all the things that CAN now happen because it is colder, and we call it The YESember Book.

You can also see a few samples of last year's November Book here. I can't show you any from this year because we are going to work on it this coming week.

I have the poem in pocket chart form and a template for the November and Yesember books as a little autumn FREEBIE for you. You can access the freebie by clicking on the image below. Hope you and your kiddos enjoy it.

Our district teachers have a report card writing day on Monday, so kids won't be in school. And then we have a district PD day on Tuesday. We won't see kids again until Wednesday, when they should be over their Halloween late night sugar blitz. Was that good timing on the part of the district calendar developers or what!!

Hope you enjoy the book and these crisp days of autumn. Thanks for stopping by.