Last Day! Freebie to prepare below!

Well, today was the last day with the kiddos.  It felt weird.  They came and went in a blink of an eye.  (We had an early dismissal at 10:45...)  A few of my firsties were sick :(  and one was on vacation.

Tomorrow is a staff day and Wednesday I have an in-service.  Then it's time for summer!  I'm also trying to plan a big "reveal" to my kids about our disney trip that is coming up QUICKLY!  I finally decided on having some kind of scavenger hunt around the house, right before we leave for the airport (to stay over night...) that will end with my oldest finding a Mickey Mouse watch (thank you Kohls and the 30% off and free shipping!!) with a note that says "It's TIME to go to Disney!"  I just need to think of the rest of the hunt.  Any ideas??????

I finished my September math stations.  I wanted to finish before the end of school, so that I could get copies made before leaving for the summer.  I finished it, but didn't get to the copies yet.  Guess that's better than nothing?!

While cleaning my room today, I found so many things that I have accumulated throughout the last 10+ years.  I found some GREAT stuff that I will be adding into my working with words station next year!  I also decided to redo my word wall.  So, here's a preview to what my words will look like:

The file is incredibly big, with 70+ pages and is taking forever to print.....  What I did is went through the Common Core High Frequency Words listed in the flip book that my school got us.  Each "level" is a different color of the rainbow starting with red.  I don't think the kids will notice it, but it will help me focus on the words they need to know, etc.  I'm all about color!   (the above words are from the last level of words)

I still can't believe the feedback for my Common Core Checklists!  THANK YOU!  It has really made my day/end of year, knowing that I've helped out so many!  I've now completed grades K-3!

Here's a little something that you may have not got from me in the past.  This is a free math game for you to use with your kiddos to help them understand the concept of the equal sign!  Click on the picture to take you to my TPT store to download a copy if you haven't done so already!  You can get it ready for next year!!!! :)

My Spectacular Camping Day!

I think I have blogged too much about this camping day I was going to have.  I can't even think of a good title!  lol  Anyway, I had such a wonderful day with my kiddos today---it was great to hear the giggles and watch them just have a blast.  I'll try to be short, in my long winded ways!

My room:  I hung bulletin board paper from the ceiling!  Next year, I plan to tie a string along the beam up there and drape the paper over it for "ease" of setting up.

Next up-we made "s'mores."  Since we can't have food----I remembered my son's preschool craft of s'mores.  I cut 3in squares out of a cardboard box (it worked in the paper cutter!!!), brown squares out of construction paper a little bit bigger and I gave the kids 4-5 cotton balls.  BUT FIRST!  As I was passing out the cotton ball marshmallows......  the thought came to me!  ROAST them!  I had a campfire at each table.  We took the cotton ball and attached it to our pencil points and "roasted!"

 The giggles were priceless!
Then we did a few pages from my camping IN unit (on TPT)

I did NOT have "how to make s'mores" because I wasn't planning on making them.  Click on the pic to grab yourself a copy!

We continued with more from my unit and they kept these in their "camping folders" (brown construction paper folded).  We took another break to read some Charlotte and came back to our seats to make binoculars!  I L.O.V.E. the duck tape that's out there!  We decorated toilet paper rolls with DUCK TAPE!!!  I am SO mad that I did not get a close up of THAT cuteness!  You'll have to scroll down a little to see how we used them in the afternoon-and you can see how cute they were!  ;)

Then the kiddos took a break to read.  We spread out over the room on blankets and sleeping bags, turned out the lights and they read with flashlights!

Then we had our normal, recess/lunch/specials time....

In the afternoon we took a "nature" hike around school looking for the ABC's of nature!  We of course couldn't do this without our binoculars!

We had such a great day!  I'm a little sad that I'm out tomorrow for an all day long writing meeting.  I planned Charlotte's Web stuff.  I uploaded what I made to TPT also, if you are in need of some quick things to do for a day (or longer) with it!  Click on the picture to read about it!

Also-I just wanted to let you know that I broke up my Common Core Checklists by Language Arts and Math, incase you were interested in only part of it because you only teach a certain subject.  I had a request to make 3rd grade so I will be looking to do that in the near future too!  As of right now I have Kindergarten, First and Second Grades posted!  Thanks for the great feedback so far!

 

Have a great week!

Checklists!

We still have a week and a half day of school left, and this is the time of year that I am already in gear for next year.  I'm reflecting on what is working and what needs fixed.  As you may know from my earlier posts, we started grouping our firsties by ability for Math and for Reading.  I have the advanced group for both.  I found it hard this year to do what I have always done, since they were advanced.  I relied heavily on the common core, which hasn't been integrated into our curriculum yet (next school year it will).  I have this wonderful flip book that my district bought us that I relied on, but I still felt like I could use a little more to help me make sure that I'm covering the standards.  It was also a request of many of my coworkers too, so I started brainstorming ways to make my own. 

And so.... my Super Heroes Checklist was born!  Of course, this is something that I'll check off, not on my computer, but it'll be something that I can record to make sure that I'm hitting the standards.  I'll have documentation (since that is HUGE at my school).  After completion, I am VERY excited to give this a try next year!  I just love the superhero graphics too---I do wish they would have a GIRL super hero too!!  Ah, until they do, the boy will do.  Once they do, I'll be updating with some girl power! ;)

Check out my checklist on my Teachers Pay Teachers site!  I pinned it last night and it was repinned more than 100 times in less than an hour!  I felt like I was going viral! lol  I just love when I can help out others and make life easier, all at the same time!

And, since I do have those advanced firsties------I worked on the Second Grade one tonight so that I will have that handy too (I don't have a flip book for second grade).

Click on the pictures to take a peek!

I'll be back on Monday with a fun activity I did with my math group on their last day with me today.  I started out with a plan, but abandoned ship half-way and they had such a great time with it!!!!  I can't wait to share it with you BUT I left my camera at school.  We had a retirement social after school and there was also a storm/tornado watch/warning that was going to start right after---and there's not much that I hate more than picking up my kids in torrential downpours..... buckling in the 2 year old while the backside is getting soaked... not my idea of fun! :P  Luckily I made it there and it was just scattered rain---nothing drastic yet.  Have a wonderful weekend.  For those of you already celebrating your summer-----lucky you!  Those ending this week---hope you have a great week.  I can't wait to join you for some extra special family time. 

More camping...

I really think I have A.D.D. like many kiddos out there...  I can't keep my thoughts on track and get anything done!  When I come up with an idea-I run with it.  In the process, many other ideas pop in there too....  I think that's why I don't sleep.  I used to L.O.V.E. sleeping.  Now-I can't.  Of course, my 2 kids have trained me well for no sleeping.  :)  My first one slept through the night at around 4 weeks---BUT he was an EARLY riser... I'm talking 5am...  5am in the summer makes a day DRAG.  Once he turned 3, I bought him a clock and he learned the numbers 7:00.  He was not allowed out if it said anything other than 7:xx.  Now he's 6 and can tell time beautifully! ;P  (I also had some bribes in there that if he did sleep past that, he wouldn't have to take a nap, etc..)  My second son.... didn't sleep through the night till he was around18-20 months!   AND he still is up often at 26 months... ugh.

See-I'm off track!  lol  I was thinking more about our upcoming camping day and how I'm going to lay the day out.  I have lots of "paper" activities that I'm using that they'll keep in a camp "log" (just a folded construction paper folder-nothing fancy).  We were cleaning out my 6 year old's desk this weekend and I found his s'more that he made in preschool.  It was 2 cardboard box squares, black construction paper and a bunch of cotton balls.  We are totally doing that since we are not allowed to have food in school at. all.  My teammate is also making toilet paper tube binoculars.  If I get enough of those we will too.  She's having her kiddos paint them, I am in L.O.V.E. with duck tape!  We are going to make fashionable binoculars with the duck tape I bought that we made mother's day pens with!  (which I realize I did not share those beauties!!).  Then we'll take a stroll outside to "look" at nature. 

In the midst of thinking about all that, I realized I need a little movement in the morning and I thought back to my "Leap Day" activity where the kiddos jumped from letter to letter to spell words.  And that's where my "Campfire Hop" was born!  It's the same concept as the Leap Day activity, only the word is obviously "campfires."  I'm going to play it off as they need to spell the words quickly because they don't want to burn their feet!  They will play in teams and only record on one paper together.  I'll set the timer for 5-10 minutes, depending on how well they are doing/not doing...  and then we'll compare our words at the end!  Click on the picture below to grab yourself a copy!  (it's on my TPT store because of licensing)

(I was in the middle of making my September Math games when this popped in my head...  so I'm headed back to working on that now!)  Thanks for sticking with me!  Hope you can use this activity!

Here's my Camping IN packet that you can find on TPT if you are looking for more things to go with it.  I like to think that my games and activities are fun but also still very educational and engaging! ;)  I'm not sure how this group of firsties will do with just cleaning and doing things that are out of our "routine" during the last week which is why I have more structured things we'll be doing.

1000 and counting! (& a thank you sale!)

Wow.  I started this journey on a whim in January.  I'd give it a try to see how it would go, and wasn't too sure that I had anything to offer that anyone would want to read, let alone follow!  Here I am today-with 200+ followers on my blog, 250+ followers at my Teachers Pay Teachers store and getting closer to 100 each day on my new facebook page.  It has actually motivated me to be a better teacher.  Yesterday I hit a milestone that I didn't even imagine or even have set for myself starting out.  I had my 1000th sale on TPT!  My 1000th sale was actually from a person that has bought many things from me and has always written very nice, motivating feedback.  I would love to thank this person by giving her my September Math Unit (whenever it's done--I just started), but am not sure how to contact her.  So, if you are Jenny that has bought many things from me, leave me a comment with you email and I will send you it as soon as I get it done!  I want to THANK YOU!  =)  (OR-send me a comment/question on TPT with your email-which I can verify that it's you much quicker) ;)

I want to thank the rest of my new fans and old fans too----I know everyone else is having sales this weekend too---which kinda takes away the uniqueness of it, but I'm going to have my store on sale today only anyway!  Happy shopping and thank you for stopping by!  I'm looking forward to creating things for the first half of the year now!  (And, I did mention, I'm working on my September Math unit--I'm going to try to get it done in the next 9 days or so, so that I can get it ready for September before I leave school.  Sorry that I couldn't get it done for those of you already out---you lucky ducks!  And I'm adding black and white pics as well as color for recording sheets this time for an added option!)

Hope you have a great Memorial day.  Here's a little picture preview of my September Math games!   Click on it to take you to my store.