Thank you for stopping by this year and your helpful comments.  Here's to an amazing 2013!

Tragedy in Newtown

To honor and remember all of the victims at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut I am participating in Teacher Bloggers Day of Silence.

Happy Thanksgiving

     Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I love this day because the anticipation of a bountiful dinner and being surrounded by family is always exciting.  A day to pause during midweek and break up the hectic busy-ness of a work or school week and relax and indulge in guilt free eating!! I am especially thankful that my sons are no longer abroad in the military missing this holiday with their families.  No one realizes how lucky they are to be surrounded by family on this day then a military family that has been through this experience.
      Here are a few pics of  our Thanksgiving celebration at school.  We set up a roll of orange paper down the hallways and served up pumpkin pie to each student.  A school wide Thanksgiving celebration!! I also posted a craft project we did thanks to First Grade Wow.  Love her blog!!  We do not have art in our building so my kids were in heaven creating this project!!
     Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

School wide Thanksgiving Dessert-Pie!

Pilgrim and Indian projects 

Veterans Day

Thank you to all our veterans who have served our country so faithfully and proudly.  I especially am grateful and proud of my own two sons who served our country in Iraq.  Thank you and so glad you're back home!!!

Blake and his wife Alisha

Mom, Barrett and Dad

Halloween Pumpkin with Mums

This is a another easy Halloween decor project I actually did last year but never posted.  One of my teacher made one last year for a party and it inspired me to create one too.  Here are the steps to the project. I purchased a small pumpkin and a 2 bouquets of yellow mums and cut off the flowers.  Used  my husband's drill with the smallest of drill bits.  Just drill and place flower in the hole to your liking and there you have instant decor!

Mums I bought at a local store

Use the smallest bit you can on the drill.

Such a happy color.  Makes me smile when it greets me on the kitchen table  as I grab my morning coffee!
Thanks for stopping by and Happy Halloween tomorrow!

Pumpkin Polka Dots

This was a pretty easy project.  You just need a pumpkin, round stickers ( I used some garage sale stickers I had laying around), and of course my favorite tool-SPRAY PAINT!  I carved my pumpkin first.  Then randomly placed stickers around the pumpkin.  Next, I spray painted in a glossy black.  After it dried, I peeled the stickers off.  Love polka dots, they make me happy!  I've been busy conferencing all week with my first grade parents.  Whew, it's over and I'm back on my blog!  My happy place.  Thanks for stopping by, come back and visit me again for some more Halloween ideas

Vote Yes on Proposal 2

If there is ANYTHING you need to vote on for the sake of US  government employees and especially us teachers is Proposal 2.  We are buried in mandates.   The ads to vote NO on Proposal 2 are deceiving!!!  We need a YES vote for Proposal 2!! No question about it!

Halloween Series

This is the beginning of the my week long series on Halloween activities for home and classroom.  Today I'm posting one of my all time favorite Big Books Five Little Bats Flying In The Night.  The books is a spin off of Five Little Monkeys  so we discussed the connection of text to text.  The book also is a good springboard into our subtraction unit we just started.  I highly recommend this book for any young learner!

Halloween Toilet Paper Roll

I'm getting ready for conferences this week so I've been a little swamped .  I  did want to post this Halloween pumpkin my daughter in law made.   She simply took a roll of toilet paper and some Halloween fabric she had leftover from another project.  She stuffed the material into the tube of the toilet paper and stuck a stick into the top.  That's it!  She said it probably took 3 minutes!!! That anybody can do if unless you're getting ready for conference week!!!  Have a good weekend everyone!

Listening Center

I upgraded my listening centers from an inspiration on Pinterest. It's my version of a Comfy Milk Crate Listening Center I had a couple of milk crates I used for book shelving in my room in a pale blue and I found a couple of orange ones in a pile at school that I knew would be perfect for this project.  

I spray painted these tired blue and previously orange crates to navy and red to go along with our school wide patriotic theme.

Did you know that Rust-oleum has spray paint for plastic now?  They have an array of colors to choose from.  Just my luck they had navy and an apple red I liked.

The hubster cut out plywood that would fit just inside the crate and on the lip of the inside.  I had some patriotic material in my material tub and some leftover foam from another project and staple gunned it over the plywood.

Finished product!  I made 4 of these and the kids really like them.

Each crate contains one cd player, a book, cd and a response sheet.
Except for the drying time of the paint this project took very little time to put together.  I love the portability of the centers and organization of the listening center components all in one place.   This is sooooo easy for my first graders to take care of when they are done.  Thanks for stopping by and maybe you'll want to try this project out and see for yourself!

Crochet Sheet Seat Cusion

Guest Post today.  This is Lisa Watson and she is my guest today.  She works as our librarian and computer lab guru in my school.  She came back from a camping trip in September and shared this crocheted seat cushion made of an old sheet with me.  It's amazing!   I asked her to be my guest today and share her project.  So, Lisa, take it away!!

Lisa Watson.  This started as a new craft....taught to a bunch of friends while on a recent camping outing.  We all brought an old sheet and a big crochet hook.  (available at any craft store or even Meijer.)   Take a full size sheet that is ripped into one long strip.  Starting at one end of a sheet and ripping across the sheet cut a little slit about 1 1/2 inches wide.  Rip the sheet  across until you get about an inch from the edge...then cut a slit 1 1/2 inches from that point and rip back across the sheet.  It is easiest if you have one person rolling the sheet into a great big yarn ball while you are ripping the sheet all the way to the end.  Once your ball is done, start chaining 6 chain stitches...then join the next stitch into the "first" chain to make a circle.  Continue to single crochet around the circle until you get to the desired size.  You could add other colors to the sheets if desired.  These could be used for rugs or seat cushions.

Thanks Lisa for stopping by today!  These are pretty cool!  Can't wait to try one myself!

Halloween Showcase

Here is the Halloween Showcase that my grade level was in charge to decorate for the month of October.  There are so many great Halloween books and props to use in this season.  This was a fun creation marrying literature and pure Halloween fun.  The kids LOVE to be greeted by this cherry and holiday display!

Tech Tuesday

This year at my school each teacher was issued an Ipad to use in the classroom.  We have all been scurrying to squeeze every chance we can to find apps that embellish our curriculum.   The BEST thing for most of us is You Tube!  There are many times we need to use a book for a lesson and our library doesn't have the title we need.  Not to fear-You Tube is here!  They have nearly any book we need at our fingertips.  LOVE it!  Below are a few apps that I will continually post on Tuesdays.  Please share any apps you have found to be helpful in your classroom!

Timed Reading k12- This is great for timed reading for every grade.  I really like this one for practicing fluency.

ABC Print- Kids use their fingers to trace letters.  Great visual and tactile sensory integration to writing!!

Math Drills-  This has all levels in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division for all grade levels.  Kids love this!

Glittery Spider Web

My grade level has been assigned to decorate our school showcase for the month of October.  Really, what a perfect month to blend some educational books with Halloween decor!  I spotted this glittery spider web idea on Censational Girl's blog this month. She made these webs to showcase her bookshelves.  They were super easy to make.  You need 3 things -wax paper, craft glue and black glitter.   I got the Martha Stewart glue and black glitter from Michael's.  I drew the pattern on wax paper with glue.  Sprinkle with black glitter.  Shake off excess.  I didn't have an exacto knife to cut out excess wax paper so I used a pair of super sharp and narrow nosed scissors I had.  Censational Girl used the exacto knife.  They turned out pretty cool and can't wait to put them in the showcase tomorrow for the kiddos to see!

Three project supplies, black glitter, craft glue and wax paper

Sprinkle black glitter onto the glue and let dry.

Cut our excess wax paper and ta-da!! Glittery spider!

Halloween Fairy

At two random times I have been surprised by Halloween decorations appearing in my yard while I'm at school during the day.  It's a lovely way to arrive home and have decorations appear in your front yard that you've never seen before and know YOU didn't plant there!  The last week in September I came home to two glittery Halloween spiders in my front yard under and in my maple tree.  Yesterday I came home to a black cauldron filled with large white mums and an orange Halloween ghost popping out of the top on my front porch.  I peered into the planter hoping to find a card but nope.  Nothing!  This is so sweet of someone who obviously knows my penchant for Halloween and cares enough to show their kindness.  I want to thank this do gooder!  Believe me, my curiousity to identify this person is definitely piqued.    So, the lesson here for me,  as I plow through this tough school year is to take time to smell the flowers.  Life's too short.  Pause and enjoy the beauty of this season.

Here are the three glittery spiders.  Cuter when the sun is shining on them because  they sparkle!
Halloween Fairy, come out, come out, whoever you are!!! I want to thank you for giving me a slice of happy pie!!

Sweet Goodbye

Today we celebrated bittersweetly, the last day of my two favorite kindergarten teacher friends.  Celebrating with the current staff and retirees of years gone by made me realize how far the three of us  together have gone  in our careers in education.We have gone through many cycles and changes in curriculum, state regulations, and administration changes. We have learned to rise above together and become more than we thought we could be.  In life we are handed challenges.  We either succumb and become a tumbleweed that lands wherever they are blown or ingest a dose of drive and carve a new pathway that is more authentic.  That is exactly what my two friends did.  They started consulting area programs in kindergarten readiness and started putting their combined 50 years teaching materials and are selling them on Teachers Pay Teachers.  They have found a niche in education and are going to pursue their new adventure full time.  They found a need and are filling it with full out authenticity!!! They are the spark plug of our school and we are feeling a little "unplugged".  On the other hand we are happy for their new adventure and wish them the best of luck in their next chapter.  Here are a few celebration pictures.

Two Best Friends Jodie and Marsha

Jodie and her Dad and Mom

Marsha and her teaching partner when she first started teaching, Sharon Vinstra

                         Good luck and much happiness creating your new brand -KBound!

Closet Door Remake

I inherited a classroom that I have been in for 20 years.  The closet doors are close to my entry and are so old the varnish has peeled in strips.   I am also lacking in bulletin board space. What to do?  I had just seen a post on Sew Many Ways blog about covering cork board squares for cupboards.  Went to Michael's and bought some cork board squares and covered them with material and glue gunned onto the doors.  Now I have extra bulletin board space and a decorative  door that seems homey for not just me but my kiddos.

Stars & Stripes

Our school wide theme was "United We Learn".   The colors red, white and blue permeate our hallways and classrooms.  I did a lot of window shopping to research some inspiration pieces.  Found quite a few fun items at Hobby Lobby but whew, prices were over $40.! I came up with a couple of lamp projects.  The lamps were already  in my classroom but I change the covers every year. Check them out.

Less than a yard of leftover jean fabric and stick on stars purchased at Hobby Lobby made this  twinkle lam

Took off an old lamp cover and used fabric glue to wind red, white and blue yarn around the shade.  Easy peasy.  My advice would be to place the yarn closer together and give it a tighter look.  But I really like the light that reflect from the shade.  Fun project!

Patriotic Bulletin Board

Our school wide theme this year is United We Learn.  Red, white and blue colors permeate our hallways and classroom.  Here is a bulletin board that I use monthly to change out each of my students work I got colored red and blue scrapbooking paper and glued iridescent  stars at the bottom.  I cut 6 inch squares out of balsa wood and spray painted with chalkboard paint.  I used a white liquid pend to write each student's name on.  Then I glue gunned a clothespin to the back of their name and then glued a push pin to the clothespin.  Then voila -Star Spangled Work!

Pinterest Inspiration

Check out my new reading box for my first graders to keep their AR folders and books in!  I checked out Pinterest and of course, I found something I could improvise and remix a little. The project listed products purchased at Michael's.  Teachers get a 15% off with their ID so picked up my ID and headed to the store.  Basket was $16.99.  I have a affinity for glitter so I found some cool letters at Michael's for $1.29 each.  Scrapbooking paper was a mere .$59.  My ribbon was actually some Christmas ribbon with red glitter found also at Michael's.   With a trusty glue gun I was able to put this project together speedy quick!  Kids love it!!

Ocean/Beach Classroom Theme

This  is a picture of an Ocean/Beach themed classroom I did a couple of years ago.  As you walk into the room you see this focal wall, where children also sit and read or listen to books on CD's.  Each  canvas  tote holds a  listening center book on tape or on a CD player player. The canvas totes were purchased at Target.   The baskets on the bookshelf beside it hold baskets of themed Junie B. Jones, Clifford, Berenstein Bears, Mercer Mayer and Arthur books.

I had this boat bumper from out lake cottage for ocean decor.  The plastic flags I bought at a party store for 2.99.  I wrote each student's name on each flag.

The life ring was purchased also at a local party store for $1.50.  I put self sticking letters from Michael's on in S. S. Davidson.

This bulletin board displays student's written work.  The background is fadeless ocean bulletin board
  paper purchased at our local Teacher Center Store.  I bought the fish net at the same party store I as the other ocean themed products.  The fish are cut-outs bought at the Teacher Center glued on to clothespins.  Each student's name is on a fish, so I can display their writing work monthly.

Our computer cove.   Palm trees hung above and around the room were purchased through Oriental Trading.  We used the Rainbow Fish stories and art projects to begin the year and help decorate the room as seen above the bulletin board.  I was able to keep this theme going all year!