Five for Friday

The sun is shinning and my friend's pool is open. Let me tell you that I cannot be happier. I am linking up again with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday. Don't mind that it is Sunday. :)

1. New Stuff

The end of the year is fast approaching and I do what I do every year...hoard my classroom budget until the end. I am always afraid that something earth shattering will come up and I will have to use all of my budget on it. Next year, I will try to be better. Anyway...

I got this new tabletop easel that I am so excited about using for reading groups. I also like that it is magnetic. Now I am just waiting on my magnetic letters. :)

The reading program at my previous school had a song that went with the weekly phonics skill. The kids could sing the songs and find the weekly phonics skill in the words. They loved to circle the words, frame the words with wickie sticks, and my personal favorite, tickle the word with a feather. My new program however does not have phonics songs. I found myself really missing the songs so I found these gems on Scholastic. Can't wait to add them in!

2. Eric Carle Inspired Plant Art.

I absolutely love Eric Carle's artwork. I try to do something Eric Carle inspired every year and this year it is plants. We have been learning a lot about plants so the students had the job of either describing a plant or telling how a plant grows.

We are still missing a few but I love how the board looks already.

I love the roots on this tomato plant. So creative!



3. Living Things

Our butterflies are in their chrysalises and I can't wait for them to come out. Our silkworms and mealworms just arrived as well.

We make these seed packs every year and I think they are the coolest. It is amazing what a lima bean, a wet paper towel and plastic bag can produce.

4. Non-fiction Literature

I picked up these books from scholastic as well. First let me start by saying I love anything about the ocean but I was so impressed with the pictures and information in these books. They would a great little series for introducing non-fiction literature. I also love that they use headings and have an index in the back on each book.

The sea turtle book also gives a fun fact about how sea turtles can be as long a small child. Guess what we will be making out of butcher paper for next year's ocean unit?

 

5. Art for Adults

 

Our fabulous art teacher put together an Art of Adults course for the teachers on Friday after school. It was just like one of those Art and Cocktails classes, minus the cocktails. When we got to her room,  she had all of the canvases up on easels and we each received our own paint palette and new brushes. I instantly felt like Bob Ross. I just wanted to paint "happy little trees" everywhere. She walked us through how to paint a beach scene. It was too much fun. When I retrieve my canvas back from the art room, I'll take a pic and post it. I'm hoping we do this again.

 



 Priscilla

Five for Friday

I"m so happy to be linked up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday. Don't mind that it is a little past Friday. :)

 

1. 100 Days of School
This is a little belated but I wanted to brag show you my kiddos fabulous projects. They had to come to school with a collection of 100 things. They could arrange the 100 collection any way they wanted. I was amazed with the creativity!

Here is the view of my back counter. During the 100th Day, first and second grade went to every classroom and took a look at all of the projects. The kids loved it and it was so much fun to see all of the great ideas.

This is a llama made out of 100 bottle caps.



This is a comic man made out of 100 marshmallows.

100 eyeballs! I loved the way they carved out the number 100.

Cars! All of the Cars stickers are attached to 100 pennies.

I just love these caterpillars!



2. Snow Baby...Snow
Denver finally got some snow on Tuesday evening. All I could think was snow, snow, SNOW! I really never thought I would miss it so much. Now don't get me wrong, I secretly prayed for a Snow Day, didn't happen, but I was okay with just getting snow.

One issue that is hard with snow is how the kiddos react.When the first flake falls, it's like a barrel of monkeys is released into the classroom. Well, I have the saying, "That if you can't beat them, join them." When it snows, we sing one of the two songs; sometimes both.  The songs seem to value the kids excitement and it is a great way to have fun with the snowfall.

This one my class wrote in the style of Five Little Pumpkins. My kids just loved our Halloween songs and couldn't get past wanting to sing them in November and December and January so I said let's make a winter version. :)

3. First Unit
I have started creating my first sight word packet. I found that I wanted more of a challenging sight word practice for my kiddos who really needed explicit sight word instruction, sounds, and sentence writing. Here is a sneak peek of just a few of the pages. The whole set has the entire word list for the Preprimer Dolch words. Just about 40 words. I'm pretty excited.

 I have started using some of the pages with two of my groups and I am seeing some great things. They are getting more comfortable with the sight words, their sounds, and they are able to tell me vowels and consonants. I'm so proud of them.

4. Dr. Seuss
I can't wait to get done with American Symbols so my class can start learning about the wonderful world of Dr. Seuss. I found this picture from a couple of Halloweens ago and it put me in a Seussical mood. :)

5. 47 Cent Jeans!
No, you did not read that title wrong. I went to Old Navy and was scanning the clearance rack when I found a pair of Tall Old Navy jeans in my size. It was like the clouds parted. They fit great and gasp, I could where heels with them. I thought $15.00 dollars was a steal and when I went to cashier, she announced that the jeans were actually ringing in at 47 CENTS! Best shopping day ever!

Priscilla