SOL- Day 4 - And the winner is...

Cowboy hats, jeans and boots to match...students, teachers and administrators were dressed in their festive Rodeo day attire. This is quite a normal tradition in our Texas schools...when the rodeo rolls into town you know Go Rodeo Day will be coming soon.

This year, I was in for a treat though...something I had never experienced in any of the 9 schools or 3 districts I have previously taught in. A staff Chili Cook-off! I have to admit that when I first heard this was a well-loved tradition at my new school, I was underwhelmed. All of this happening 3 weeks before STAAR felt like one more thing to do. So, to be honest...I opted to pay money, bring in some crackers and leave the creativity and cooking to the rest of my team.

I was not prepared for the excitement in the air this morning. Every one was decorating and preparing and looking forward to the upcoming chili tastings later in the day. I also got really excited once I saw what my team had come up with for decorations. Our chili name was, "Time out for Chili." Our table had a sports theme with a referee in the back with a whistle around the neck. So creative!

I also enjoyed the camaraderie it provided. At lunch times, teachers ate together in the library...trying all the different chili's and catching up on personal lives. We don't ever get the time to do that it seems! I was impressed with how much creativity there is in my school and how much pride these teams took in their concoctions.

And to top it off, at the end of the day our principal got on the loudspeaker and announced to the entire school... Best Decorations goes to... Mamacitas Just a Chili'n (that's my team by the way!) AND...drum roll please......... The Golden Spoon Award for Best Chili goes to.... yep, you guessed it!

I might not have had much to do with this chili day but I'm still part of the team! I sure am lucky to have surrounded myself with such creative and hard working people!