Classroom Management

Fran ett infoblad som delades ut Filips forsta skoldag:


In our classroom we use a "Ticket System". Students will each receive a bank and each Monday they will get three tickets. Each day throughout the week the students can earn tickets by having good behaviour. If the students are doing anything inappropriate, tickets will be taken away from them. on Friday afternoons we will have a class store where the students can use their tickets to purchase small prizes at different prices. If your child has a good day they will get a stamp on their hand at the end of the day, that way you can see how their day went when they get home.


Detta ar bara ett av manga system som finns pa skolan, alla lararna anvander det efter eget tycke och smak. I en klass borjar eleverna dagen med grona skyltar efter hand kan dessa bytas ut mot gula(en varning) sedan mot rod om de ligger risigt till.



Denna veckan hade Filip skrapat ihop atta tickets vilket han var valdigt stolt over.

Nasta barn nasta skola

I onsdags kvall var vi foraldrar inbjudna till en Orientation infor skolstarten pa Jamestown Presbytarian, Sixtens skola. Eftersom Henrik var pa avtackningbaluns med jobbet hyrde vi till barnens stora lycka in dem hos familjen Grufstedt.

Vi samlades i kyrksalen; alla nya foraldrar, alla rutinerade foraldrar och alla froknar. Preschool Director Ms Cash borjade med att beklaga varmen och sedan presenterades alla froknar. Efter samlingen fick vi besoka barnens klassrum dar 'vara' froknar vantade. De blir atta barn i Mrs Quinn och Mrs Weavers klass(3 pojkar och 5 flickor).

Sixten kommer ga tre dagar i veckan mellan 9 och 12. Schemat for en vanlig dag ser ut sa har:
9-9.50 Play/Craft
9.30-10 Chapel every 2nd Friday
9.50-10.15 Monday -Music, Wednesday-Creative enrichment
10.15-10.35 Snack
10.35-11 Gym/Playground
11-11.30 Play/Clean up
11.30-11.45 Read a book
11.45-12 Ready to go home

Idag var barnen valkomna till skolan for att halsa pa sina froknar och bekanta sig med sitt klassrum. Sixten hittade tagbanan(BRIO naturligtvis) och var sedan ganska nojd.

Pa vagen ut sprang jag pa den alltid lika kramgoa fru Gimbro och hennes Klara. Happ sa var vi medbjudna pa SWEAs morgonkaffe. En trevlig stund dar diskussionerna tackte in allt fran barnuppfostran till presidentvalet och svenskarns stravan efter individualism som far alla att kla sig likadant.

Hamtade en glad Filip fran skolan som glatt visade upp sin nyinkopta leksak (mer om det i nasta inlagg). Hem och packade ihop badvaskan och sedan upp till poolen. Som var stangd. Nu i slutet av sasongen oppnar de inte forran kl 16 pa vardagar. Vi akte istallet till McD och barnen fick ata glass och rusa av sig en stund.

Poolkvallen var harlig men vi var alla ratt sa trotta efter en intensiv vecka att vi packade ihop oss tidigt. Henrik spelade tennis medan vi andra tre akte hem till film och popcorn.

vi hade i alla fall otur med vadret

Det har regnat i mer an ett dygn ny. Det ar efterslangarna av Fay som drabbade Florida forra veckan som nu har hittat upp till oss. Med regn och instabila vadersystem sa kommer alla tornado watches och warnings. Aven idag.
Min taktik for dagen var att komma tidigare for hamtning och pa sa satt slippa koa lika lange. Kom nasta anda fram till skolans uppfart innan kon borjade idag sa det verkade lovande. Sen vantade vi och vantade och ingenting hande. Inga bussar korde ivag och inga barn syntes till. Plotsligt dyker en av skolans anstallda upp och gar fran bil till bil for att meddela att det ar utlyst tornado watch for Guilford county och det innebar att de inte far slappa ut barnen. Jahapp.
Nagra vander bilarna och kor darifran jag med manga andra stannar kvar for att jag kan inte komma pa nagot battre att gora. Efter ytterligare en kvart borjar bilar rulla framat och jag ar snart framme vid skolan. Vi far da parkera och ga in och hamta vara barn sjalva. De har gatt ur sina klassrum och sitter i korridoren.

Nu kommer dock det riktigt intressanta...

Nar jag tar med mig Filip darifran ser jag hur en tjej i hans klass vinkar lite blyg till honom och han vinkar lite generat tillbaka.
Jag:-Vem var det?
F:- Asch det ar bara en ny tjej som ar kar i mig
Jag:-Aha vad heter hon?
F:- Vet inte, men nu vet jag inte hur jag skall gora med sa manga flickor som alskar mig. Jag menar VEM skall jag gifta mig med?

Lite senare under kvallen nar Filip berattar for Henrik om sin nya karlek.
F:-...och sa sa hon I love you och da pekade jag pa an annan kille men da sa hon No, I love you och sa pekade hon pa mig.

The first day of school

Remember this? One of the first days of preschool almost a year ago.

Well now it was time to enter the big world of kindergarten at Pilot Elementary. Henrik took Filip to school at 7.30am, didn't want to risk being late on the first day of school. Filip just settled in right away. Sat down at his place starting coloring and couldn't care less when daddy left.



The school is out at 2.25 pm and the children will make their way home in different ways. We have got the walkers(whose parents parked their cars a block away and walked to pick up their kids, it was raining), the yellow bus riders, the children going into after school activities picked up by different buses and finally the car riders. I stood in a never ending queue for 35 minutes before pulling up next to Filip's class. I haven't decided whether it is better to be there really early hoping to be in front of the queue or just wait at home until it all have calmed down. The plan is to have Filip ride the bus in a few weeks so I might just have to put up with the queue for now.

Filip had had a great first day of school. He had learnt how to drive a car, what to do if you were caught in a thunderstorm in the forest and how to play basketball. Sounds like an interesting school doesn't it.

The children can choose from either buying lunch in the school cafeteria or bring their own lunch box. The lunch sold in the cafeteria is no fun for example this week they serve pizza dippers, chicken nuggets and corn dogs. So now I have to come up with 5 snacks and 5 lunches every week.

This weeks menu:
Grapes and crackers Pasta, ham and cucumber
Nectarine and crackers Smoothie, sandwich, carrots and a Babybel
Kiwi and crackers Pancakes, red pepper and ham
Pear and crackers Tortilla wraps with cheese, cucumber, ham and nachos

Different levels of fun

Who needs a PSP, X-box, Nintendo or you name it. Just roll down the car windows and enjoy life.

Det skall borjas i tid

For ett tag sedan anmalde vi Filip till hostens soccer-sasong. Forhoppningen var att han och kompisarna Jonathan och Gustav skulle aterigen hamna i samma lag. Vid registreringen blev vi informerade om att det skulle hallas Skills tests innan laguppdelingen gjordes.
Detta ar alltsa 6-7aringar vi pratar om men visst okej det kan val vara bra om inte alla vingfotter hamnar i samma lag.
I sondags akte vi till Jamestown athletic centre for testerna. Vi visste inte riktigt vad vi hade att vanta oss men sjalvklart vad det ett hyperarrangemang. Barnen skulle registreras och tilldelas ett nummer, indelas i grupper och radas upp. Runt alla barn hoovrade 8 stycken coacher utrustade med nitiska ogon och vassa pennor for att betygsatta barnen. Jojo har pratar vi Bantam boys 6-7 ar med overgangssummor i klassen av en pase chips.

Forsta uppgiften var att springa zigzag mellan koner fram och tillbaka. Sedan samma bana denna gang dribblandes en boll. Slutligen en 4*4 match dar agnarna skulle sallas fran vetet.

Pa mandag kvall skall alla coacher traffas for att ga igenom resultaten och sedan ar det dags for draften. Ja mina vanner ni laste ratt: draften. Da skall de sitta och turas om att plocka en spelare i taget till lagen.

Tyckte att jag sag en talangscout fran Inter smyga i buskarna.

Point of no return

I tend to rather take a step back than take the leap over the edge. Exploring new territories can be left for those who take interest in that. I can happily read about it later. But once in a while things happen and I close my eyes an jump.

Sounds dramatic? Well how often have YOU accepted to play competitive tennis, bearing in mind I have never played a proper match before? Huh! I am joining the div 4 team and we will be starting with team clinic on Monday 25th and our first game on Sept 3.

Kom alla mina sma kycklingar

Nu borjar de svenska familjer som semestrat i Sverige trilla in en efter en. Filip ar sa lycklig over att fa tillbaka sina lekkamrater och jag har antligen nagra att snacka med vid poolen igen.

Den 26 augusti borjar Filip i Kindergarten. Vi fick ett brev fran hans blivande froken Ms Boyd att hon halsade honom valkommen till klassrum 204. Den 24 august skall vi ga till skolan pa oppet hus och far da traffa de blivande klasskamraterna. Filip ar enormt taggad over skolstarten.

Sixten borjar pa sin preschool den 3 september och han langtar. Var gang vi kor forbi hans blivande skola ropar han: ''Titta dar ar MIN skola''. Skall bli intressant att se hur han hantarar omstallningen fran lallande hemmaliv med mamsen till ordning och reda i engelsksprakig skola.

Min Lattjolajbanslåda

Vem ar Svarte Petter i Familjen Golf?

Why not or more actually WHY?

We had breakfast at Cracker Barrel today. It was a nice sunny morning and it felt like a proper summers day. Walked through the store to the front desk and I noticed something sparkly and glittery. Christmas decorations and a proper (plastic) fully decorated tree. In August. My oh my.

But the ornaments were very pretty and didn't cost much so I bought...No actually I didn't buy anything. I can't buy a pair of canvas shoes and a Christmas ornament on the same day.

Preordered reincarnation

On our way home from the park we see a large flock of geese on a field.
Filip: What do birds eat?
Me: Well, worms, bugs, bread that we throw them in the pond, seeds and things like that.

Few minutes later we drive by several bundles of straw

Filip: Do birds eat straw?
Me: No, I don't think it tastes very good and it is a bit coarse for a bird.
Filip: Do birds eat things that they don't like?
Me: No they don't.
Filip: So unfair, why do I have to taste all different things that I don't like.

I should have seen it coming...

The first day

Today is the first day of the Wyndham Championship golf Tournament. Henrik signed up for volunteering months ago and now after days of training (carrying a sign) it is time for the real thing.
He got dressed in all his new gear just like a kid for the first day in school. Hope the other volunteers are nice to him though.

Sol vind och vatten

I mandags foljde vi med Henrik upp till kontoret i Virginia. Vi hade en trevlig dag hos Jennie och barnen med lek, bad och prat. Sixten var lite tveksam till att ga ur bilen eftersom det blaste ganska friskt uppe i bergen. Han har inte upplevt Goteborgsvadret ordentligt den lille stackaren.

Jag hade hoppats att jag och Jennie skulle fa en kvall pa stan men med en man i tjottaheiti och en som arbetade till 23.45 sa blev det inget av det.

Idag hade vi planerat att traffa Mia med sina smakillar Filip, Gustav och Svante. Se ar alldeles nya har i stan och vi ar sa glada for fler lekkamrater till stora som sma. Tyvarr sa regnade det MEN vi tog fram var ursvenska mentalitet 'inget daligt vader bara bla bla bla'. Packade pannkakor med tillbehor, regnjackor och dricka i bilen sedan korde vi till City Lake park i Jamestown. Barnen hade det urkul och brydde sig inte namnvart om att de var blota in pa skinnet.

So unfair!

On the top shelf of our hallway shoe cabinet stands a box. This box contains a bracelet from Tiffany & Co. It is not my bracelet. I am just taking care of the box until its rightful owner shows up.

It is not fair.

Give me an I, give me a K...

Just a short (40 minutes hey this is a big country) drive from Henriks hotel you can find a piece of heaven. The Swedish kind of heaven that is.
IKEA

He has bought crayfish. Can yo believe it we can have a proper crayfish party. We brought the hats and bibs with us from Sweden and the rest that is needed can be easily found here. Now we just need to beam over J and N from Sweden so we can keep the tradition going.

Struggling with my conscious here if I should post a picture from an party some 8 years ago...

What do you think?

When tha cat is away..

Henrik is off on a business trip up north and we are making the best of the situation. It is very warm and muggy outside still no blue skies that makes us want to go to the pool.

Filip came up with the brilliant idea of us going bowling. So yesterday afternoon we went to Gate City bowling alley. The times we have been there before it has been very noisy and crowded but not this time. Just us and some bowling nerd(sorry if you are one of them). We had a great time playing and goofing around.

Filip got to choose a place to have dinner and after subtly steering him away from the pizza place we ended up at RedRobin. No surprises there, the kids had their usual chicken tenders and I enjoyed my Sicilian burger. Sixten took his time eating and Filip was getting a bit annoyed cause he wanted to go playing. I tried to encourage Sixten to eat a bit faster and take a big dinosaur bite from his chicken. No luck with that one. Told him that he couldn't play with Filip if he didn't finish his dinner(no best mum points for that one I know). Sixten doesn't even look at me saying: Jag vet det, lilla vän.

A question

Filip: Why don't adults have blankets and cuddly animals?

Hmm

A tip

Photo from Zac Brown Band website

It started out as the song I giggled at when played on the radio. I tried to translate it to Swedish and it sounded oh so corny. Asked Henrik if he had heard The song but no. Couldn't find it on iTunes either but finally I found a clip on YT.

Now we are hooked. Zac Brown band is our new favourites. They sum up, in one song, what it is all about to live in the south.

Enjoy your Chicken fried

He did it!

After practicing for many many days now, he finally did it. Filip had a goal for the summer and that was to learn to swim across the shallow part of the pool. It measures approx 20 meters.

Today he finally managed to swim across, freestyle of course, without putting down his feet once.

He was proud. We were proud. Sixten then did the same thing but with his floaties on of course. No biggie he thought.

Tax free weekend

This is another big shopping weekend. This time we don't have to pay sales tax (approx 6.75%) on a numerous things.
It is time to stock up for school start and for that people should buy apparels, stationary supplies, computers and sports equipment.

Another sales tax weekend is coming up in the beginning of November. That time we are supposed to exchange all our kitchen appliances.