Awards, Anchors, and a Freebie!

This week has been an absolute whirlwind of activity and for that I'm so, SO grateful.  Without a few activities outside of our normal routine, I might not have crossed the finish line Friday afternoon!  

 You see, we're down to 12.5 school days remaining and while I don't advertise that fact in my classroom, my kiddos instinctively know it's close!  They're beginning to ricochet off the walls, bounce down the hall, roll on the floor, shout in the restroom, and vibrate during their center time.  It's not a pretty picture, I tell ya. 

Anywho... this is a snapshot of my week.

 This process began 3 years ago and we just completed it this week with a thorough visit from members of the Blue Ribbon team.  

If you're not familiar with this award, it recognizes both public and private schools where students perform at very high levels or where significant improvements are being made in student achievement. 

I've always known I worked at a fabulous school and

we'll soon have a plaque to prove it!

Secondly, I've been busy teaching antonyms, synonyms, and homonyms.

 I created these anchor charts while watching my favorite program, Hoarders.  

(Yeah, it's strange and relaxing at the same time.)

 Can you tell my other passion is clipart?

And finally,

I whipped up a quick set of oi/oy activities for centers this week.

Two freebies are up for grabs. 

After that, it's available here.

Just leave a comment (and your email address, of course!).

I mean, how else would I know where to send it?

Enjoy your weekend, folks!   

 

It's Friday...

 and I'm so pleased to join in the fun with my second linky!  

I must apologize in advance, though.  

This won't be a Five for Friday at all.  

It's more like Three with a Twist of Lime. 

 

First up!

My first graders are preparing for our school's annual event called Art Under the Stars.  Each grade level studies the work of a famous painter and we recreate his work...

  first grade style! 

  Our students' artwork fills every square inch of space, 

from the ceiling to the tile floors.

A variety of musicians play softly at all the hallway intersections and the hallways are lit with dainty lights.  It's also not unusual for hundreds upon hundreds of people to visit.  

It's simply magical, I tell ya!

Here's an example of a first grade project.  

This is Monet's Impression, Sunrise.

   and this is Mary Katherine's interpretation:

So lovely, isn't it?!

Next up...

we field-tripped (yeah, it's a verb, too) to a neighboring town where we enjoyed a play performed by high school kids. Then we headed over to the local park where we enjoyed a yummy sack lunch complete with ham 
 sandwiches (96% bread), graham crackers and my favorite, gummies.  
All washed down with a strawberry milk.
Life just doesn't get any better than that. 

I've been a bit misty-eyed this week, too.
My youngest will soon go away to college and
while she'll be entering one of the most wonderful stages of life,

I'll be closing the door to one of mine.

   Enough of that or the water works will start again. *Sigh*

 And finally, on a much, MUCH happier note...

 I also created a new screensaver for my smartboard this week.  

We were all so, SO bored with the old one.

It was cute, yes... but I wanted just one more opportunity

to place TEXT in front of my friends' faces.

So this idea was born...
To say that my friends had a case of the giggles would be slightly understated.  
Enjoy your weekend!
graphics by letteringdelights.com 

"Toad"ally Adjectives

We've been neck deep in our study of adjectives. 

Not knee deep.  I said neck deep.  

I'm told there's a slight difference.

In any case, I whipped up these 3 adjective activities 

for the following reasons...

#1 - My spring break officially ends tonight (insert sad face) and I wanted to go out the same way I went in...

 thinking about school stuff.

#2 - I find JOY in creating things for my classroom.

and finally...

#3 because one or two of my sweet friends need more practice.

Here's a sneak peek at 2 of the 3 games.

It's super cute and very inviting!

Your friends will think they're simply having fun!

Want a freebie?

Be 1 of the first 4 to leave a comment and it's yours!

(You might want to follow my blog, too... just saying!    

You can also find this collection here.

 

  

Jump, Frog ... What?

If someone asked me, "What's your favorite concept

to teach in math?" I would likely respond with "telling time."

For certain you would NEVER hear me say measurement.

Not quite sure what I dislike about it.  

It's just not my favorite.

Then a friend across the hall happened along this 

idea she copied from a professional magazine long, LONG ago. It's a simple activity to reinforce measuring with nonstandard units.

(Sadly, her copy did not reveal the publication's name or I'd be giving proper credit about now.)

In any case, I took the basic idea and gave it a spin of my own.

My kids absolutely loved it and could not have possibly been more engaged, unless...
 I brought in a fuzzy puppy for show and tell.

 (and good luck with THAT happening this side of eternity!) 

To recreate this activity for your own classroom, you'll need to first locate this book on your shelf.  
It might need a light dusting.

Share it with your class and invite your kiddos to guess-timate  how far they believe they can jump from a standing position.

 Create the measuring tool using frog clipart. 

(I attached each picture to the other using postage tape. A bit of space was left between each square so it would fold nicely when we were done. The color copies cost about $1.25 at my local copy shop.)

Place it on the floor and add a tiny bit of masking tape to mark the standing position. 

Select your first kid to broad jump and 

everyone else will be begging to be next in line!

 Once every last kiddo has had a turn, create a class book

with the results.  

Here are two examples from our own book...

 

Precious work, huh?

If you're interested in a copy of the class booklet,

leave a comment and I'll send it right along!  

 

Seussed Up or Seussed Out?

We're three days into our Dr. Seuss celebration and I must say, it's been fun.

We've enjoyed a flexible schedule and created an art project or two.

However... today was off the charts.

 Seriously... we took a  wrong turn just prior to 7:45 this morning. 

Here I thought we were going to have your basic Read Across America kind of day.

Apparently, it's not that simple.  

Someone decided a Dr. Seuss cake in the lunchroom would not be sufficient.

Oh, no!  

Let's step it up a notch!

Let's toss in...

one announcement that we would practice our fire/tornado drills,

a crazy sock wearing day in support of Dr. Seuss,

the arrival of our Dr. Seuss hats/shirts,

pictures being made,

guest readers,

important post tests,

one book fair in the library,

and music class.

Will Friday actually arrive on schedule this week?

Or is someone playing a mean joke on me?

In any case,  here are two more door decorations for your files.

The one on the left is my own.  

(Several years ago, I submitted this idea to a well-known teachers' magazine and 

it was actually accepted for publication!  

The Lorax door was created by one of the K teachers on my hallway.  

I adore this door!

So... how is your week progressing?

Do you look forward to special occasions at school or do you appreciate the "regular schedule" more?

"Seuss"ing It Up!

This week we're celebrating all things related to Dr. Seuss 

(along with a few end-of-the-grading period tests). 

After all, it IS school and we gotta keep it real.

In any case, the door decorating contest is in full swing, especially since our lovely PTO ladies have agreed to award the top 3 doors with cash prizes.  

This competition is always incredibly tough so you must be prepared to be the most creative.

Here are a few entries from my hallway...

I think they're all simply beautiful!  

It's a blessing to work with such talented teachers.

Later this week we'll have guest readers and birthday cake served at lunch and those are just a FEW of the activities we'll enjoy.

How does your school celebrate?

An Excuse

Where does the time go?  

One of my resolutions was to post more frequently on this lonely blog and it seems I've failed, once again... miserably.  Does it count that my dear hubby has been blessed with another grandchild and we have two teenagers preparing for college in less than a year?  Life is busy... can you relate?

In any case, I just wanted to tell you about my latest project that I just posted to TPT.

  

 It's an extreme collection of greater than 10+ place value activities that can be utilized in your classroom in a variety of different ways.  Whole/small groups, independent work, centers - they are all included!  If you're a first grade teacher, go check it out!

I'm giving two away for free!  Leave a comment and your email address and I'll send one in your direction!