Relay for Life and One More Day!! {freebie!!}

 

I am so excited to say that my little school raised $14,000 for Relay for Life this year!! It's exciting how much can be done when we all work together. The picture above is from survivor's lap during our Relay event we had Friday. That is a time for us to remember those who have passed with cancer and those who have fought cancer. It's awesome to have a principal who has such a wonderful vision for our school that far exceeds anything that I could even dream for our school.

 

This was a great 2nd to last day.

And that means tomorrow is our last day of school! I have no idea how it passed by so quickly!!

 

One thing that I like to give my students at the end of each year is a book of their writing. Each month I collect at least one writing sample, date stamp it and file it away. This really comes in hand during parent conferences to show growth and how the child is currently doing. At the end of the year, I print of my "Tales of Kindergarten" book cover on color paper, pull each child's writing samples and staple to create their book. I write their name on the front in Sharpie and place their picture on the front cover. They LOVE looking through their book and seeing how their writing has improved over the year {especially the ones who couldn't write their name at the beginning}.

 

Click on the picture or here to snag the book covers from my little TpT store for free. I have them for K, 1st and 2nd and a generic one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Discovered Something New!

Hello friends! We are in the final countdown in my little kindergarten class. We only have 6 days left! I've been looking for activities that will be meaningful and fun for these last few days. We are finally going to be able to work on my Frog Life Cycle unit.

And today I discovered this from The Primary Techie.

I absolutely cannot wait to try it out!!

It will be an awesome interactive way to review teen numbers before my kinders go on to 1st and it has dance breaks!! The best part of all is she has over 50 Move It units! I just added many to my wishlist {shhhhh, don't tell my husband because I already got a lot of goodies during the sale}. Click on either picture to check it out!

 

Teacher Appreciation Sale and Linky Party

Hello friends! It's time for teacher appreciation week! It seems fitting that it is at the end of the year when we are at the end of our rope working hard to fit in last minute meaningful fun. Teachers Pay Teachers is hosting a TeacherAppreciation Sale May 7th and 8th where you can get up to 28% off of your favorite items you've been staring at on your wishlist. {Confession...my wishlist is pretty huge.}

{graphic courtesy of Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Designs}

 

Join the linky party by posting fun new products you have created or items on your wishlist!

 

Here are some fun summery end of year packets you may be able to use!

 

 

Currently

I'm linking up with Farley for this month's currently.





 

 

Listening....to the TV. It's on pretty much all the time.

Loving...that we only have 11 more days left! How has this year flown by so fast!?!?!

Thinking..about what to get the hubby for his birthday, other than the cookie cake that I will eat half of.

Wanting...speaking of cookie cake, I'd really like something with chocolate. But, I'm trying to do better. I had such will power at the grocery store and only bought good snacks that I want nothing to do with now.

Needing...to work in my flower beds. Those weeds grow in overnight!

Summer Bucke List...to enjoy every day of it!!!

Creating Class Books and a Peek at Some Number Sense

Do you create class books to put in you library? Whenever we work on a writing project, I usually make 2 copies. One will go in the student's writing file (which I compile at the end of the year and send home with their year's worth of writing) and the other will be used to make a class book. Our class books are very simple. Just construction paper stapled on the front and back and a handwritten front page with the title, author and date. Here's a look at some of our books!

Here is my favorite one from this year. Who doesn't love Mrs. Wishy Washy?!

 Very simple front cover.

 (Worms are not supposed to have a dog.)

This little writer has come such a long way!

These books are in a basket and stay in our reading center. When they get damaged, packing tape fixes them right up and they will survive the whole year through. By the end of the year we have enough so every student will get to take one home. I will draw names and each child will get a class book.

Now, on to some number sense. We only have 16 days left of school and of that only 9 will not be interrupted by an end of year activity, field trip, etc. So I  have decided to go completely hands on in math and work on number sense. My kiddos that I know have number sense will work on addition facts, but my other little cuties will be working on this to build on their number sense:

 

This packet if 40% off in my little TpT store until I remember to take it off sale. Be sure to check it out!

The 1st 2 followers to leave a comment with their email will get this little packet for free!  The 1st 2 have already commented.

How This Kindergarten Class is Going To Survive State Testing {with a freebie!}

Hello friends. This week every class in K-5 is taking their state test at my school. This will be the first time that kindergarten has joined in. To be entirely honest, I'm not sure how it's going to go. They seriously have to bubble in their own answers on the test (and some of my sweeties don't quite have the motor skills to color in that tiny circle). But, anywho, we are going to rock that test and show what we know. I figure fun activities in the afternoon would be a huge plus.

We are going to read one of my favorites, "Alexander and the Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" and do fun writing and crafitivities.

Here's a picture from last year's craftivity.

 

 We will learn about Australian animals since that's where Alexander wants to go.

And, we will do lots of writing!

{Be sure to grab this little freebie!}

Another fun activity in the afternoon with be our seasonal scavenger hunt. Students will walk around the school in a line and we will look and observe the signs of spring all around us!

 

And it wouldn't be fun activities without using paint in at least one thing. From An Interesting Mix, I found this cute activity. I think I might leave the Mother's day part out and let them give it to someone special instead since a lot of my kiddos don't necessarily live with their mom.

 

 

And this from Kristen Clements would be fun.

 

Happy testing!

 

 



Product Swap

It's time for another product swap! This time I have swapped with the awesome Aussie teacher, Brooke Benyon.

 

 

 

You should check out and follow her blog if you don't already!

Her teacher tip Thursdays are awesome!

 

Now...on to the product I picked from her store {there were so many good ones it was hard to pick!}.

 

 

This unit is packed FULL of fun activities for when you work with plants!

We planted beans because I was pretty sure I could keep them alive and we documented the growth.

My favorite activity (one of those where you take the picture with your phone, yet somehow it's not on your phone...) was where students wrote and drew what they thought our bean would end up looking like.

Below are some pictures from this super fun unit:

 

 One of my student's parents so thoughtfully provided the items for us to make "dirt" for a special snack.

Helping another open the pudding.

Double thumbs up good!

Now you can hop on over to her blog to check out her product review on something from my little store (which is now 20% off!!)

And be sure to click on the product swap button at the top to see all the product swap reviews!