Snack Time Linky Party

I'm linking up with Mrs. Bainbridge for a "Tasty Linky Party"in order to discuss how we handle snack in our different classrooms.

Snack Time at my school is pretty much set for us.  We eat lunch at 10 am...so we have snack later in the day, before the kids get ready for home- My kids go out in the hallway, sit together, and eat their snack which they bring from home.  We also have snack machines and kids can purchase snacks from them or milk from the  office if they choose.   I allow it to just be a social time for them.   I don't necessarily think what we do is the best option...I've seen several posts regarding healthy snacks during Daily 5 and that sounds awesome...but I am going to be new to the 5 this year...so 

we'll start off slow =)  Baby steps...baby steps...lol

O-Fish-Ally a Freebie

I found the cutest idea on Pinterest...big surprise, right?  It was linked back to 

There's a 1st for Everything Blog...check it out!  Anyway, I knew since I was doing a Pirate/Ocean theme...I *had* to do this for Meet the Teacher Night!  Check it out:

Click the picture for your own copy of the first grade page!  Other grades are direct links below! =)

 Second Grade

Kindergarten

Christmas in July Picture Book & Activity Exchange!

Ho, Ho, Ho!...Merry Christmas...in July!  I joined in the book exchanging fun hosted by How About them Apples, First Grade O.W.L.S, and Here we Go Loopty Loo!  

I mailed my new holiday friend, Mrs Kincaid, from Mrs. Kincaid's First Grade, a copy of 

A House for Hermit Crab, by Eric Carle...I also sent her my lit and math unit that goes along with the book.  But just for you guys, here is a one page activity from that unit:

Click on the picture to go to google docs and pick up your activity!

Pet Peeve Linky Party

I thought I would join the fun linky party hosted by The Bubbly Blonde about our pet peeves.

hmmm...tough one, I have SO many..lol

1.  Humming/tapping pencils

2.  Someone calling me 'teacher' after the first week of school

3.  When kids use WAY TOO MUCH glue.. and it pours all over the place!

4.  When kids get up forty times to get a new pencil, because the "other one broke"

There you have it...My Pet Peeves!!

What I've been doing

My crab picture in the hallway outside my room =)

 Burlap fish...so easy and cute.

 Pictures I painted for outside the boys and girls' restrooms....

ALIEN vs Real Words NWF Fun and a SALE

I have a new listing to help with that pesky Nonsense Word Fluency!  I've listed it on Teacher's Notebook...where, by the way, I am having a Back To School SAle!!

Click the picture to check it out!

CHeck out this!

Here is a link to an awesome Bulletin Board Idea Hot Spot!!  They just happened to have featured one of my boards...lol =)

Teacher's Notebook Back to School Sale!

Everything in my shop is on sale!!!  If you have any of my items saved in your fav list, now is the time to stock up for school!!

KISSING HAND LINKY PARTY

KINDER EAGLES IS HAVING A LITTLE KISSING HAND LINKY PARTY FOR BACK TO SCHOOL...AND SINCE I HAVE A HUGE FREE TPT PACK, I COULDN'T RESIST JOINING HER PARTY!

HERE IS HER PARTY:
http://mrspereasclass.blogspot.com/2011/07/kissing-hand-linky-party.html

AND HERE IS MY FREE KISSING HAND PACK POST IN CASE YOU MISSED IT THE FIRST TIME AROUND:
http://firstgradeblueskies.blogspot.com/2011/06/kissing-hand-freebie.html

New School Year Resolutions

Clutter-Free Classroom is having a New School Year Resolution Linky Party....I had to join.

1.  I will be positive.

2.  I will resist the urge to get involved in gossip.

3.  I will remember that these kids I am about to get are just babies...new from Kindergarten, and that they are not torturing me on purpose.  They genuinely have forgotten where the restroom is...and how to get their lunch, and what their bus number is.   I WILL BE PATIENT.

4.  I will do my best to balance my own children (who were also NOT sent to torture me on purpose), my husband, my career, and my sanity...and not lose any of them.

5. I will have a good great year..and so will my students!

I CAN DO THIS! 

Join the fun:

Have you seen this guy?

He's pretty cute, right?  

Well, years ago, I saw this idea done by Angela Wynn (fabulous teacher)...and having done it myself for several years now, I am always asked (after folks visit my class site)"How do you make those Grassheads?"  Soo...I decided to create an activity pack that includes written and full color photo directions along with writing activities, journal prompts, class graph, nameplates, a recording journal and more!

Check it out on Teacher's Notebook 

 and at TPT!

Hope you love them!

Pinterest Linky Party!

Michelle's Math in the Middle is having a Pinterest Linky Party!

Join in the fun!

Follow me at:

Facebook Mixer Linky Party

Kinder Fun is having a Facebook Mixer Linky Party!  Come join the fun!

Here I am on Facebook in case the link to the side is acting crazy...lol

 Like me on Facebook!

Join the fun and link up over at Kinder Fun!!

Bossy-Magical e Activity

56 cvc words ready to have themselves transformed into new words with the magical stroke of the bossy e wand!  Can be used as literacy mats or with a pocket chart...or if you prefer, nix the wand and just use a letter tile if magic isn't your thing! lol

On Teacher's Notebook

and also TPT

Have you seen?

The new bedding and bath collection at Pottery Barn Kids?

The towels, rug, and sheets are just adorable.  They even have some Halloween stuff!  I need it. lol

A Good Day (and why I love my job)

I went and ate lunch today with a girl I taught my first year of teaching.  It was Kindergarten and a stressful year to say the least, but they were an *awesome* group of kids.  

Of course I was pink slipped and didn't get to return to the school....but such is the life of teacher. 

Anyway, my former student is now a student at Georgetown.  I couldn't be more proud =)  

Isn't she cute? (and smart!)

Question

I am wondering what you guys think about class websites.  Do you use blogger for yours or do you use a pay site...or something different?  Our school doesn't provide any sort of space to create a class website for parents.   I have used mine in the past with great success (parents *love* it)...but I have always  used Teacher Web, which costs $40 a year.  I like it, but am wondering if I could accomplish the same stuff with blogger?    There is a link to the side if you want to visit my class website to see what I have now...  I'm thinking I could just do posts instead of new pages.  I started a blogger class site today just in case I decide to go that route (so it will be ready and I won't have to deal with setting it up when school starts.)

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated!

New Blog Design and Celebration Freebie!

As some of you have already noticed, (Erin and Tammy !!! =) I have an incredible new layout...I scrimped and saved my earnings so far from my Teacher's Notebook Store (don't you just LOVE their immediate pay and zero fees???)  ANYWAY...Here is a peek at my header in case you're seeing this post through Google Reader...

 My beautiful design was created by DreamLike Magic...she did an awesome job!  She was fast and easy to work with...and I *love* her designs!!  If you need a blog design...she's your girl!

Now...onto the celebration freebie!  Click below to grab this fun activity to do with your kids after the first week of school- they write/draw what they have leaned so far!  There is one for K, 1st, 2nd, and just a generic school one(you can always share the extras with your other grade levels)...and then there is a page for the kids to draw their awesome classmates.  

Hope you like it!

A House for Hermit Crab and Freebie

 

I have a new 33 pg listing for a Literacy and Math Pack based upon the Eric Carle book, A House for Hermit Crab.   It is listed at Teacher's Notebook with the first link.  (There are two separate listings: one for k-1 and another for 2-3 with different level math station activities.) 

Hope, Hope, Hope you love it as much as I enjoyed making it!  

 

There are a TON of activities included in the pack...

The link below will take you to the TPT listing where you can click the

"download preview" button to get your free page shown below!!

 

What are you in love with? Linky Party

Am I the only one who is in love with CTP's Dots on Turquoise?  I am just smitten!

So I thought I would host my first linky party below in case anyone wanted to show what they are wanting/wishing to get for school this year...what are you in love with?  

I need it all:

Click the picture of the Awesome Dots on Turquoise to see it for yourself!

(Please consider joining the party! =)

Favorite Back to School Activity

Fun in First Grade is having a linky party about our favorite Back to School Activity.  Of course, the first thing I do is take a picture of each child...and then we do the pages (under my freebies) about how did they get to school, a self portrait..etc.  But I also read "Sam's Sandwich"...by David Pelham. 

 Here is a review:
http://mymamasgoodnight.wordpress.com/2011/01/27/thursday-sams-sandwich/

Anyway, it is a hilarious book about a naughty little brother, Sam, who adds "things" (gross) to the sandwich he "kindly" is making his sister, Samantha (one of a series of funny books)...they are styled so that the kids have to guess what he has put in there by the rhyme...and then you fold it out- and there it is!  At the end it makes a big sandwich!  There is a rhythm to the book and the kids *love* it!  I heard it for the first time from my college reading teacher (she'd bring a children's book each time we met for class) I've read it so many times  I know it by heart (first day of every year I have taught..)  It sort of breaks the ice and lets the kids know they shouldn't be scared...that I can be fun =)  They remember it all year...repeatedly beg to hear it again and again....no matter what the age!
Here is a little Freebie I created just in case you get or have the book.

Here is the bulletin board again that I did one year (with third grade).

Sharing Ideas!

What have I been up to?  umm...working in my classroom...what else? lol
As I worked, I pondered what eazy peazy things around my room could I share to help with your coming school year decorating.  Here are some ideas!

First up, modge podge is my very good friend.  And although I love my desk (it is awesome)...I wanted to add something new:

I added paper to the squares...in case you didn't notice.... here is a pic of before:

Even if you don't have a desk which has the cutouts...I can still see where something like this would be a way to add some flair. 

Next up...curtain rods...cheaper, the better.  The kids you can hot glue to the wall.  It is an inexpensive way to use fabric scraps to decorate over a door

or over a chart

here's a close up of the kind I am talking about:

And another use...if you have an old, worn door...to perhaps a bathroom that no one is allowed to use, oh wait, that's me...anyway, if you wanted to hide it in such a way that it is cute, but not use paper...
here's what I cam up with.  Curtain rod at the bottom and the top, so that it doesn't move or get pulled...
(ignore the over-full trashcan)

And just one more...my bucket list board- that isn't original...but the burlap on the board is kinda fun, right?  You'll see a small wipe off board on the side...that's what I use a lot in my room for management.  The kids and I get points for good/poor behavior.  If they end the day (most always they do, even if it is close) with the most points, they get a large pompom in the bucket.  At the end of the week, if they have a over a certain number, or whatever I ask of them...they get something like extra free time...

The other (last) thing I have been working on is my homage to Deanna Jump...her pirate ship (click to see hers- it is FABuloUS!).  One of those projects that seemed like a Gilligan cruise...so simple...like a three hour tour....but then it all went terribly wrong- however, I finished it (for now)..I still need to add the skull to the top and am thinking of adding something to the sail...maybe a red "w"??  Here it is:

Mine is kinda sad compared to the one in my mind (and Deanna's)... but maybe when I get the other stuff on there?  Anyway, on one side I am thinking of doing an attendance thing for the kids to use and then on the other maybe a yes/no morning routine question thing.  (as you can see, I am really on top of my ideas...lol)  Do you have any ideas you'd like to share...please do!!

Curtains Away...We have a Winner!!

Don't forget my Watermelon Unit is on sale right now!!

100th Day Celebration and Linky Party with TBA

TBA is having a 100th Day Linky Party and even though I am at home and don't have access to all my 100th Day pics, I couldn't resist joining!  Visit my class website and see a couple of fun photos. Anyway, I decided to create a few freebies based on what I can remember I do (lol- my memory is failing this Sunday morning!)  Hope you enjoy!

Click the picture  get your downloads! 

Also,don't forget to visit TBA for the rest of the party links!