Halloween Party!!!

   Halloween is my absolute favorite time of the year! I know as a Christian that sounds weird considering the holiday originated from Pagans but I don't celebrate what it means. I celebrate it as a time to reminisce my childhood. It's a day that I can act like a kid... be a fool... eat wayyyy too much candy.... and have a great time!
  So as has been the tradition for the past six years, a Halloween Party had to take place. So this past weekend, Kevin and I hosted a Halloween Party at our house. As usual, when our family and friends get together, it's a hilarious event! Watching everyone attempt to do Wipeout on the Kinect could just about have anyone fall on the floor laughing!
   But anyways, check out a few of the pictures from the night!

My First Trip to the State Fair

I FINALLY made it to the North Carolina State Fair... it only took me 22 years!

Coming from parents who "don't do rides", I never had the opportunity to go to the State fair. When I got to college one of my goals was to go to the fair but because it always occurred the week after the Dixie Classic Fair, I never ended up going because I couldn't see spending more money on pretty much the same rides and same food that I did the week before.

But this year, Kevin and his parents were determined that we go because I hadn't been before and Bryan's girlfriend, Brooke, had not been either. So yesterday, we all skipped church (bad, I know!) and took a trip to Raleigh. Thanks to my amazing navigation skills around NC State's campus, I got us there with some amazing parking spots (without lots of traffic!!!) and thank goodness because it was too hot to be walking two miles just to get there!

When we got through the gates, Kevin and I headed straight to the "Scrambler". It is the first ride we ever rode together so we try to ride that ride each time we go to a fair. Thankfully, going on a Sunday, it wasn't too packed even though it was the first weekend it was open so we didn't have to wait more than a few minutes.

After riding a few rides, we walked around and checked out some of the exhibits. When I discovered the butterfly garden I fell in love. We spent over an hour just walking around inside. It reminded me so much of the  park in Greenville, SC so needless to say, I felt like I was in heaven!

By that point, I was starving so we grabbed a funnel cake with extra confectionery sugar and warm sliced apples! Yummy, yummy! My stomach is growling just thinking of how good it tasted!

Before leaving, we rode the Ferris wheel (a must in my book!!!) and did the haunted trail (a waste, sad to say!). But overall, the day was amazing! I definitely can't wait till next year!

Carter- Finley Stadium from the Ferris Wheel

Kev & I on the Scrambler

Mike, Kev, & I in the Park

Mike, Janet, Brooke, & Bryan from the Ferris Wheel

On the Ferris Wheel <3

Reliving Our First Date

    In October of 2009, while sitting at Turks Sports Bar with Kevin, his softball team, and his cousin Cursty, Kevin asked me out on our first "real" date. I was so excited! We had all been sitting around the table talking about how the Dixie Classic Fair was in town and I mentioned that I loved going and I was going to have to get a group together when Kevin looked at me and said "why don't we go tomorrow?" I was like "huh?". We rarely did anything just the two of us... especially on a Friday night! I was like "Seriously? Just the two of us?" . And I can still see his face... that "duh Sara" look he gives me with his little smirk :P (I love it!!!). I laughed and said "Ok!". When I left him at Turks I was walking on cloud nine! For several years I had gone to the fair but I had never gone on a "date" there. I couldn't wait!

   The next day I was so anxious to get out of class. I felt like the clock was barely ticking. But as the time grew nearer, I grew more and more nervous. I didn't know what to expect. Kevin and I hung out all the time but this time would be different. I ended up making myself practically sick and chickened out and asked Kevin to invite his brother and his brother's girlfriend. So in the end, we all headed to Winston Salem together!

   When we got to the fair my stomach was in knots. I didn't know how to act! I can still remember laughing and carrying on with Brooke and Bryan so I could sort of avoid Kevin (weird huh?!). But as we were standing in the center of the fairgrounds, Kevin reached down and grabbed my hand. I remember that in that moment, the knots disappeared and the happiness set in. For the rest of the night, Kevin held my hand as we walked, as we rode each ride, and held my hand the entire way home. It was amazing.

    Because that was the first place we had a "real" date, Kevin and I make it a point each year to relive our first date. So yesterday, we went to the fair with Brooke & Bryan just like the first time and yes, he held my hand the entire time! And of course, we even took the same pictures (:  Here's a few!!!

What's Really in a Name?

Sara Holt.


Two four-letter words. These two words stalk me. They are everywhere. I open my mailbox and there they are on a bright white envelope. I walk into my classroom and there they are on my classroom door written in black block print. I swipe my debit card and there they are, written in silver on a shiny turquoise-colored plastic. I send an email and there they are in the signature line in a Lucinda Handwriting. And I don't just see them, I hear them too. I walk down the hallway and I hear someone shouting them. I answer the phone and I hear someone on the other end of the line asking for them. Two simple words. My name. 


But what is really in a name? Why do I even have it?


A name is defined by dictionary.com as "a word or a combination of words by which a person, place, or thing; a body or class; or any object of thought is designated, called, or known." Therefore, the simple purpose of a name is to set someone apart from among the rest. It is not who I am as a person, but who I am as a person is in my name. 


Sara Holt is not me. Sara Holt is what represents me. It is my substitute. If I can not be somewhere, it stands in for me. It allows people to recognize who I am. My name tells them that I am the daughter of Ted & Linda Moore. I am the sister to Andrew Moore & Misty Gibson. I am Kevin Holt's wife. I am one of the Quad Pod's sisters. I am a 3rd grade teacher to 26 amazing kids. I am a child of Christ. These are who I am. These are the things that are in my name. Therefore, my name is extremely important. It is the two words that sums up my being. Those two words can be run through the dirt and tarnished or they can be praised and upheld until they are golden. Either way, it is who I am as a person that distinguishes how those two simple four-letter words will stand in and represent me.


What is really in your name and what does it say about who you are?

1,620

Twenty-six third graders walk into your classroom on the first day of school. They come in anxious, nervous, excited, sad, tired, angry, etc. You greet them at the door and tell them to find a seat and that their assignment is on the board. As the students file in one by one they all sit looking around, taking in their surroundings, checking out who is and who is not in their classroom. Once all students have been greeted, seated, and the bell rings, you as the teacher walk to the front of the room. The students stare you up and down. They immediately size you up by your appearance. The only thing that is going to make or break the impression they have just formed of you is what you say. First impressions are everything... even to a group of 9 year olds. 

You step to the front of the class and you say, "Good morning Citizens". Not students, friends, boys and girls, class, or the variety of other boring terms they have heard over and over again. Instead you come up with something fresh. You greet them as citizens because you know that your goal as an educator is to create productive citizens for society. You call them citizens because you know that you will succeed in your mission. 

You continue with the following:

"Welcome to your first day at Central Elementary. This is a big, big day for you. It is your fourth first day of school. You now have at least nine first days of school left. Hopefully, in nine years from now you will graduate from high school. I know that sounds like forever from now, but I can promise you... it will come faster than you think. It was only 14 years ago that I was sitting where you are now. In twelve years, you will have learned how to write 5 page essays. And how to solve math problems with numbers and letters in them. You will even learn how to spell the word..... utilitarianism." You pause and allow them their moment of brief denial. Then you continue. "When you graduate from high school, most of you will have a part time job and will be able to drive a car. You will be ready to take your place in the world. You will be ready to travel across the country or even go to another country. Some of you may choose to continue with school and go to college to study to be a doctor, astronaut, or scientist. It will be a wonderful adventure. That adventure began in kindergarten and it will continue here. Right now. Today. It will be a journey and an adventure of many days.". 

You walk to the board and say, "How many days?" You wait for the students to shout out numbers but never says a word. You step over to your Active board and write the numbers 180. You then say, "That is the number of school days we are required to have each school year". You write x9. "That is the number of years you have left to attend school". You then multiply the two numbers on the Active board; writing each number very slowly. Once the problem is solved, you point to the bottom number. 1620. "There it is", you say. "One thousand six hundred twenty. This is how many days left in your journey. This is how long your journey will last. Every one of those days will be an opportunity to learn something new. Just imagine how much you can learn in one thousand six hundred twenty days". You pause for students to imagine. "One thousand six hundred twenty adventures. One thousand six hundred twenty opportunities to become whatever you want to become."

You stand there looking at the students astonished faces. Then you look at the clock and tell all those little citizens that time has flown by and before you know it they will be on day one thousand six hundred nineteen so they must begin their day. 

Throughout the year, you remind your students that each day is a new adventure. It is a day for new opportunities. A new day to try to be who you want to be. It is a day to try something new. This is their day. They choose how it goes be it good or bad. 

This is how my classroom is ran thanks to an amazing story that I read to my students and was inspired to adapt as my own. The story is entitled Loser and was written by Jerry Spinelli. Now, tell me how you run your classroom?