Yay for back to school…………. Woo hoo for back to school……….. Ok, I know it doesn’t have the wonderful ring to it that all parents love to hear towards the end of summer. With everything going on, parents are faced with some really big decisions when it comes to education. Face-to- face, virtual school, homeschooling, other online options. That’s just the start of everything that we, as parents, have been dealing with since all of this started at the end of last school year. BUT don’t worry parents, there’s hope because our children are in good hands with all the wonderful teachers out there! Keep reading to see how things turned out for us & how you can nominate your kids’ teachers this back-to-school season for over $30,000 in prizes!
Towards the end of school last year, Grace was in the home stretch of Kindergarten. Any of my teacher friends will tell you, I’m kind of a harsh critic when it comes to my kids’ teachers. Not just because I have 11 years of teaching experience but because I just want the best for my kids. Come on……don’t we all!
I was so excited when Grace got Mrs. Ralph as her Kindergarten teacher! She was the PERFECT mix of sweet, caring, smart, funny, fun, loving and patient – the kind of Kindergarten teacher people dream of. Let me tell you. As the year went on she did not disappoint! Grace was absolutely loving school and learning so much. I was also so happy I got to spend time volunteering in the classroom and watch the magic happen as all the kids in Grace’s class just blossomed into amazing little students.
Then……….the virus hit and our world was turned upside down. It all happened so fast. I feel like one minute I was getting Grace and Madelyn (my youngest who was going to a 3 year old class a few days a week for some much needed social time) ready for school and the next minute I was reading on Facebook that the schools were closing. At that point I had no idea what was going to happen. We had about 2 months left until the end of the school year.
All I have to say is………MRS. RALPH TO THE RESCUE! Right away Grace’s teacher sprang into action! I started getting emails about her new website and distance learning. I kept thinking to myself “If I was teaching at the moment, this is exactly how I would have handled the situation.” She was organized and had everything we needed to finish out the school year, but most importantly, she made it fun and as always had a beautiful positive attitude. I really don’t think we would have made it through the school year without her. I think I remember trying to beg her to move up to 1st grade so Grace could have her again…….lol.
(Mrs. Ralph made herself into flat Mrs. Ralph and sent this to all her students so she could still be with them during distance learning.)
Mrs. Ralph, like so many other teachers, went above and beyond last year to help their students navigate the craziness. So, when I found out that Juicy Juice, our favorite kids’ drink, was hosting a contest to thank and honor teachers for all their hard work and dedication…………… I knew I had to be part of that! I think we can all agree that with everything teachers do and continue to do for our children, they are amazing people that we can all be #100thankful for! I know you have your favorites so here’s all the information you need for a chance for them to win.
Juicy Juice 100% Thankful Teacher Contest
Juicy Juice is giving away over $30,000 in prizes to set hard working and dedicated teachers up for the best school year yet. Michaels is also partnering with Juicy Juice to provide gift cards for the winners to help foster creativity in kids. Throughout August, parents can nominate the superhero teachers who have made school special for their kids, whether in-person or through virtual learning.
Entrants can go to juicyjuice.com/thankful to nominate teachers from now through August 31. 20 teachers will win an assortment of prizes with 2 grand prize-winning teachers each receiving $10,000 and others winning Juicy Juice and a Michaels gift card.
I personally can’t wait to see who wins. I know there are so many teachers out there that truly deserve it and are working so hard to make this school year awesome. I kinda thought this whole thing would be over by now and things could go back to normal. My husband and I probably spent weeks talking about what we were going to do this school year. It was such a difficult decision and definitely not one we took lightly.
We actually decided to do a combination of virtual school (using the curriculum from the state) and homeschool for both the girls. So, for the last week I’ve been running around like a crazy person writing lesson plans for Grace for 1st grade and Madelyn for preschool. I’m trying to get everything together to make this transition as easy as possible for them and me….lol. I know that sounds weird but years ago I thought this school year I would be spending my days drinking frozen drinks while the girls were in school. Let’s just say, that dream is dead…….at least for now.
The hardest thing about all of this is trying to find some kind of normality for the girls. So, I’ve been transforming my office into a classroom and gathering lots of the same activities that Grace loved when she was in Kindergarten. I’m gonna run things just like I was teaching at a regular school. I’ll also make sure to keep all their favorite school activities like recess, snack time and lunch. I’m even gonna pack them actual lunches and include their favorites like Juicy Juice juice boxes. I’ve been giving them Juicy Juice forever so I know continuing to give it to them will absolutely help them feel like a few things are still normal when it comes to school this year.
I’m excited and a little nervous to start this new journey with my girls but I know one thing for sure. It’s definitely gonna be an adventure.
