Contractions Anchor Chart Freebie

Hi everyone! Gosh, tomorrow is Friday! Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? Are you an "early" shopper or a "last minute" shopper? We try to finish our shopping early, but it's always fun to run out and look for that last minute gift or two.

We have been learning about contractions in class this week. I decided to make some anchor charts to use on a "Contraction Word Wall." 

Here is a picture. Click below to print them yourself.

Click here to download and print.

Christmas Freebies

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend! Well, actually it is almost over! I have had 4 whole days of enjoying family and relaxation. Time to try to drag myself back into the real world! 

How was your weekend? I hope you had a chance to slow down and take a breath . . .

Here are a couple of fun freebies as we get ready to head into December.

Click here to download and print

Click here to download and print

Christmas Clip Art by Laura Strickland at  My Cute Graphics. She has a supportive and generous Terms of Use policy for teachers!

Little Elf Craftivity Freebie {and Word Art!}

Hi everyone! Can you believe it is Thanksgiving week?! Do you have school this week? We had school today and will tomorrow, but are off after that. I hope you have fun plans for the holiday weekend. Are you planning to brave any Black Friday (or Thursday Night) Sales? I am glad that the couple of objects we are going for are actually offered Thursday night so that we don't have to get up so early! Yay!

I have a Little Elf Craftivity Freebie for you tonight as we gear up for December. . .

Click here to download

I also have some Christmas Word Art that you can print and frame for your house if you would like



. . .click HERE to print it from my other blog.

off to watch Dancing With The Stars :)

Class Emergency Kit

Ok, I have spent about a week thinking about this.

We were all pretty shook up by the fact that we were expected to keep our little ones safe with no power, the very real possibility of no lunch, and to keep them safe. I think we have all spent some time trying to decide what we could do beyond our typical "extra recess" strategy. On this last day of no power the weather had decided to turn nasty, so "extra recess" was out of the question especially since we had no heat and keeping them warm would be a disaster.

So, with my principals permission I decided to make a class emergency kit. I had no idea of what I should put in it, but after some dedicated time on google I discovered that in some schools having students provide items for an emergency kit was required! That won't be possible for me, so I am counting on my parents being willing to donate the supplies for their child and hoping that a few will be willing to help out my little ones who are unable to provide a kit for themselves.

This is what I came up with:

 

I am still trying to think of worthwhile activities that the kids can do while the power is out, especially in the winter when we can't open our doors for extra light. If you happen to have any marvelous ideas please let me know. Remembering that the activities need to be applicable for any time of the year (big challenge, I know).

When I get it put together, I will share some pictures. I know that I can visualize how I want things to look much easier when I can see how someone else has done it already.

Classroom Ear bud storage, Readers Theater Headband

Hi everyone! Happy Thursday! One week until Thanksgiving, WOW. Time does fly by. A while ago I shared an idea for crayon storage: 

Well, as you know, "Necessity is the Mother of Invention." I recently had to re purpose my shoe organizer because I needed a way to neatly store the children's ear buds that they use  for  "Listen to Reading".

This is what I did:

Each child is assigned a "classroom number" that we use for a lot of things. I put their classroom number on the ear buds and on a pocket in the shoe organizer. This keeps them all in a nice tidy place that is safe and easily accessible. 

I also have a freebie for you. I have a group of kids doing a little Thanksgiving Readers Theater next week to introduce Common Core RL 1.6. I made these cute badges that we are going to staple on a headband for each child in the play.

Click here to print

Writing 'Menu" Display

Hi gang! I mentioned in an earlier post that I had my eye on this from Lori Rosenberg

Well, I purchased it over the weekend, printed it and went straight out to my classroom on Saturday evening to set it up! This is a picture of my bulletin board

and a partial picture of my baskets underneath

I made number tags so that it would be easy for the kids to match up the item on the "writing Menu" with the basket that contains the appropriate writing template. I am introducing the menu items one at a item and showing how to match with the correct basket. So far, it has been a big hit! They love it!

Click here to print number cards

Click here to see it at Lori Rosenberg's TpT Store.

Hope you all had a good day!

No Power

Friday morning was the second time this school year we spent a significant part of our school day without power. It was more of a challenge this time, mostly because for some silly reason winter has decided to visit here in Cedar. It was rainy and cold. There was no way we could extend recess! We were forced to scramble to figure out our entire day. I think our biggest challenge was the bathroom. No windows, no skylights. Super scary! Our lovely PTA volunteers saved the day with some lanterns, I have purchased one for my classroom on Saturday.

The whole experience got me thinking, I know how to put together an emergency kit for my home (in the process of doing so in fact), but what would I need to do for my classroom? What would I need? Do any of you have something put together for emergencies, or know have some ideas of what we could do?

Hopefully we will never need to use any kind of emergency kit for our little ones at school, but I believe that I just prepare now I won't have to worry about it again.

Animal Characteristics

We have been studying animals and their groups.  This was my culminating activity.  First I made six copies of the sentences.  Then I cut out all of the sentences and put them in envelopes.  I divided the class into 6 groups and gave each group an envelope and poster.  To make the poster I cut out the animal group words and glued them at the top of a 12"x18" piece of white construction paper.  Then each group had to read the sentences and glue on the correct ones for their group.  When they were finished, I had them draw pictures of the animals that could be in their group.  It was a very fun activity!

Here's the finished product:

Poster Headers
Sentences

Just went crazy in Rachelle's TpT Store!

Hi everyone! How is your week going? The weather here is beautiful but is going to turn very cold in a few days! Brrrrrr. I am watching an old Jerry Lewis/Dean Martin movie on Netflix. So funny. :) I am also  shopping on Teachers Pay Teachers. I just went crazy in Rachelle's {What the Teacher Wants!} store and bought these . . .

In self defense, I think I should be able to blame part of it on her for having such cute and timely stuff!! Thanks Rachelle! Here is the link to her store if you want to peek for yourself.

I also have my eye on this from Lori Rosenberg's TpT Store . . .

Thanks ladies for all of your amazing work!

Hugs,

New blog design on my personal blog! Love it! By Honey Bunch Blog Design

November Currently!

Happy Sunday! Here is my November Currently! I am Linking UP with Oh Boy 4th Grade!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyIMpqTHMjs&sns=fb

I know, I know, I am such a mom to include the YouTube link to the music video that my son is in! I can't help it, they are awesome! Great example of hard working and talented college kids.