A new class....a new year!  I'm back to experiencing the enjoyment of grade one! (and loving every minute of it!!!)  I love teaching beginning reading and writing.  When the light bulbs go off, you can often see them shining above the student's heads.  The smiles on their faces are priceless!  So are some of the writing samples that I have seen over the years....the invented spelling (yay for excellent risk taking and trying different sound combinations!)  and the words that end up on the page that somehow end up taking on a whole new meaning ;)  Grade 1 is truly a year of beginnings for these students.  A year to build foundations that will last them throughout their school careers!