Happy Back to School season! Are you feeling as busy as I am? I know many of you have been in school for a few weeks now, but here in the Pacific Northwest, we are just getting started. My summer was wonderful, but not exactly relaxing for we bought a new home, sold our townhouse, moved, and traveled to Hawaii and New York. Going back to work is getting me back on schedule!
I can't imagine going back to school without getting some new school supplies from the amazing Oriental Trading Company! I was so thrilled to find a box on my doorstep a few days ago! I brought it in and opened it right away, then rushed off to school with it. Since I don't have students yet, I will tell you how I am going to use the supplies this year.
These Classroom Small Square Storage Baskets are adorable!
They are so colorful, cute, and versatile. They are not huge, but they are just the right size for our purposes! I have so many thoughts about how to use them - putting them in my writing center to hold materials, using them to pass out to tables for art supplies, storing people colored crayons for each table group - but I think I will do something different. I teach in a school with MANY transitions and so my homeroom students are not necessarily my literacy, ELD, or intervention kiddos. I have supplies for my HR students, but need extra supplies for the students who come and go in my classroom. I was thinking that these are the perfect size to hold extra crayons and glue!
I do use glue sponges, but some of my students prefer the glue sticks and they are on our school supply list, so I have these out for options. I think these will be perfect for extra supplies for the students who come into my room for learning.
These colorful tubs also stack so neatly and easily that they do not take up much room on the shelf, and they will be easy for the children to pass out to the appropriate table groups.
Out of all the goodies I received though, I think the Plush Googly Eye Dry Erase Board Erasers are my favorite :) They are so gosh darn cute! I can't stand it! They are colorful, soft, sturdy, fluffy and erase a dry erase board like nobody's business. Ha! My kiddos will love using these and the great thing is, I have plenty so they can each use their own.
Look how cute these are!
The best part is they work really well. Going.....
Going.....
Gone!
Aren't those fun?
You know what else is fun? This Warm Fuzzies Set!
I have always adored the warm fuzzy feeling you get when students are complimented, make good choices, or show care and concern for one another. Now, I have an adorable classroom system to celebrate the warm fuzzies that happen throughout our day.
I bought this cute green jar at the Target Dollar Spot and I am going to add warm fuzzies from the plastic container to the green jar when something wonderful happens. It might be that my kiddos were excellent in PE, or a teacher compliments our line in the hall, or a friend helps another friend tie their shoelace - there are many, many reasons. Once the jar is full, we will celebrate or get some form of reward. I am so excited to get this started in my classroom!
The last back to school goodie I wanted to share is a page for my Star Student. It is technically a color your own all about me page :)
These posters will allow my students an opportunity to share some favorites, and information, and allow us to get to know each friend in class a little better. This is a cute poster that the children will color and fill out at home, then bring back to class. When the child brings the decorated paper back, we will go over the paper together and then I will hang it up on my Star Student board for a week.
I have the parents send in photos that I hang up on the board on the colorful stars. All of the students in my class will be the Star Student by the end of the year. We do a random drawing every Friday afternoon and it can be hard to wait if you are the last star student of the year!
Another new school year means new supplies and some fresh ideas. I am so glad that I am able to start off my school year with some goodies from Oriental Trading Company.
What are some new Back to School Goodies you love?
