The Carnival Year!

        Each door seems to have its own energy, and as I look back and reflect on each door, I remember vivid memories of that particular year.  I wonder if I would have those memories without my photos and the recollection of all of the activities that my class and I shared together that went with that year's theme.  The carnival year was a particularly fun year, and the first week of school was chock full with one exciting activity after another!
        Looking back at the carnival door makes me smile.  It was the first year that my door went 3D.  I knew that I needed a circus tent, but I didn't want to go overboard.  I decided to create a small awning out of lightweight insulation board, and it made a great impact.  I painted it white and used red duct tape for the stripes.  It was easy, and the kids loved it!
     Another first for that year was adding the students' photos to the door.  That was difficult back then because we weren't computerized.  I actually had to find the pictures in each child's permanent record folder, take a picture of the picture, download it to my computer, enlarge it, print it and cut each one out.  It took forever!  It was all worth it when I saw the children's reactions on the first day of school when they saw our door and realized that they were on the roller coaster or sitting in the ferris wheel!
     It's in that very moment when you see a child's eyes come to life, that you realize that it's the little things that make all the difference.  They feel so very special.  They get incredibly excited.  It immediately sets a positive tone for the year- before they even step inside your classroom!

Notice the roller coaster is levitating!!!

Maggie the clown!