tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48900759901688495472024-03-15T18:10:11.594-07:00Kindergarten PlanetSuzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02483448856689135522noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890075990168849547.post-55727109751364830902016-12-13T16:26:00.002-08:002016-12-13T16:26:29.581-08:00Christmas Goodies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zW-jxgvGW0M/WFBVR9QcHkI/AAAAAAAAB8Y/MeNIUfdjdvsMR78CAr3PjWWCD7OLkd7iACLcB/s1600/Christmas%2BGoodies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="494" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zW-jxgvGW0M/WFBVR9QcHkI/AAAAAAAAB8Y/MeNIUfdjdvsMR78CAr3PjWWCD7OLkd7iACLcB/s640/Christmas%2BGoodies.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
The winter season is upon us and the excitement of Christmas is in the air. We also just had two snow days in Oregon - well, one snow day and one ice day. But, it was a Thursday and a Friday and so that meant a surprise four day weekend for everyone! I actually caught a bit of a cold though so the time off of school was actually good timing for my health.<br />
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I will be ready for one more fun-filled week with my kinder kiddos before the winter break! We have our winter party on Thursday and I was so excited to receive the box from <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/holidays/christmas-a1-550904.fltr?categoryFromSearch=true&rd=christmas" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Oriental Trading Company</a> to help us celebrate! Have you seen the goodies they have for <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/holidays/christmas-a1-550904.fltr?categoryFromSearch=true&rd=christmas" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Christmas/winter</a>? They have so many wonderful choices and I can't wait to share with you what I have for my students. I am using most of these materials at our winter party on Thursday and on Friday before the winter break.<br />
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If your kiddos are anything like mine, they LOVE stickers! As we check their work together, we talk about it, and then they often get a sticker. They love seeing the different stickers I have and sometimes they will even ask for a certain sticker. I know they will totally dig these big and sparkly stickers! The great thing is, I can use the <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/teaching-supplies-and-stationery/stickers-and-labels/christmas-a1-551496+1240.fltr?categoryFromSearch=true&rd=christmas%20stickers" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">snowman and snowflake stickers</a> in January as well!</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nC3-gt2gJvo/WFBVnHw2RGI/AAAAAAAAB8o/q6GRtVMkFcc2V79XAxuiN0zZSoGjGSmTACEw/s1600/Stickers_KP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="494" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nC3-gt2gJvo/WFBVnHw2RGI/AAAAAAAAB8o/q6GRtVMkFcc2V79XAxuiN0zZSoGjGSmTACEw/s640/Stickers_KP.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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As my students walk into my room on Thursday morning, they will walk through this beautiful <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/web/search/searchMain?Ntt=snowflake%20decorations" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">snowflake door hanger</a>! It is cute and festive and will help jazz up our party! And, they will enjoy walking through it each time they enter or exit the classroom. Currently, I hung a few up in the window that looks out to the playground and they absolutely love it! This is not one long attached door hanger, but instead, individual snowflake lines and so this allows you to hang them in many different areas of your classroom or home. Isn't it so pretty? (FYI - this was taken about 8:30 AM. It still looks dark out still - welcome to Oregon!)</div>
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Another cute decoration I received are these beautiful hanging <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/web/search/searchMain?Ntt=Christmas%20hanging%20fans" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Christmas print fans</a> that are hung from our lights. They noticed these neat decorations right away! I decided to hang these up Monday morning to start our week off with a little extra pizazz. :) These also add a little more holiday cheer in our room! I hung them back to back because they only have color on one side. I added a little bit of tape once I closed them up on the back side to make sure there was not a gap in them and they are perfect!</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">I like to do centers at my winter party and the children love rotating around and completing each station. One of my stations is a cute, but simple station that can be run independently if I don't have parent help. The students will get these </span><a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/teaching-supplies-and-stationery/stickers-and-labels/christmas-a1-551496+1240.fltr?categoryFromSearch=true&rd=christmas%20stickers" rel="nofollow" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">gingerbread sticker scenes </a><span style="text-align: left;">and they will go crazy over these! The background is adorable and there are so many sticker choices and design possibilities that they will be engaged for quite awhile. The stickers are easy to peel and these are very kid friendly!</span></div>
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Another sticker scene I will have my students work on is this adorable <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/teaching-supplies-and-stationery/stickers-and-labels/christmas-a1-551496+1240.fltr?categoryFromSearch=true&rd=christmas%20stickers" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Christmas Train Sticker Scene</a>. I will give this to my students on Friday afternoon as a calming activity just hours before winter break begins. These will be so fun!!!!</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IyGGgKzQHxo/WFBrxNzfuKI/AAAAAAAAB9A/gQPNAZutWa4uu6XrMsc-4SGpJraZrnlQwCLcB/s1600/Christmas%2BTrain_KP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="494" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IyGGgKzQHxo/WFBrxNzfuKI/AAAAAAAAB9A/gQPNAZutWa4uu6XrMsc-4SGpJraZrnlQwCLcB/s640/Christmas%2BTrain_KP.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
I also got these super cute foam <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/web/search/searchMain?Ntt=gingerbread" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">gingerbread house magnets</a>. I will let the students pick which one they want to decorate, and then they can be creative! Each gingerbread house comes in an individual baggie so all of the supplies to create it are right there. And, the project is also self sticking so it is super easy for the kiddos to decorate! You will see one project out of the bag with directions, and then the others are in bags with different color gingerbread houses.<br />
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I always have an <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/MM-Holiday-Sorting-and-Counting-1606659" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">M&M sorting station</a> and I use a packet from my TpT store that you can find at the link. Normally, I just pour a small handful on the table and have the students sort and count. This year though, I have these adorable <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/web/browse/processProductsCatalog?sku=13711150" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Santa's Suit cupcake holders</a>! I will have the M&M's already poured into the cupcake holder. This makes for a cute, and fast set up for this center! After the math portion is finished, the students will then put the Santa Suit cupcake holder with M&M's on their party plate which can be eaten during the food portion of the party. I can't get enough of these!<br />
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While I adore all of the goodies I received, I think my favorite item is the <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/web/search/searchMain?Ntt=holiday%20photo%20props" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">elf photo booth props</a>! I seriously can't wait to share these with my kiddos! They will go crazy over these! I have a parent who is a photographer and she is going to come in and take some photos for us - she has a backdrop and everything :) These will make great photo ops and fun memories. I will have some of the pictures printed so that each child has a photo to take home. <br />
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And..........I couldn't help but pose to try out the props! Teehee.<br />
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Do you give your students a Christmas gift? I always buy a book from Scholastic for $1.00. I never wrap them though. I usually just tie yarn in a bow around them, but I am super excited to have this <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/web/search/searchMain?Ntt=bakers%20twine" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">cute twine</a> and cute <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/web/search/searchMain?Ntt=CHristmas%20Gift%20Tags" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Christmas gift tags</a>. They will really jazz up my students gifts this year. I will pass these out at the end of our winter party.<br />
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This year is going to be extra special with all of these fun goodies from OTC! Thanks so much for stopping by and reading about the treats my students will enjoy this week. What special things do you do with your students?<br />
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Have a great week with your kiddos and enjoy a well-deserved winter break!<br />
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<span style="line-height: 28.8px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>**The reviews of any products in this post are based strictly on my own opinion. Others may have a different experience or opinion about the products listed above. I was provided the products free of charge by Oriental Trading Company, and after using the products, I provided my honest opinion. No other type of compensation was received for this review. </i></span></span>Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02483448856689135522noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890075990168849547.post-70019641556032963742016-11-16T03:00:00.000-08:002016-11-16T06:47:53.113-08:00"Decorate a Tree" Math GameThe holiday season is here again! Yahoo :) All of a sudden, Christmas has shown up everywhere in the stores. As I wondered through the Target Dollar Spot and saw some red, white, and green pom poms, an idea came to me. I thought that it would be fun to create a game for my students that involved winter, holiday fun, and math. <br />
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Currently, and throughout the year actually, kindergarten students need to work on one:one correspondence. And, what better way to practice this but with a fun holiday themed dice game! The students will roll the dice, count how many pips, and then carefully add that many pom poms to the tree. </div>
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(Did you know the dots on dice/dominoes are called pips?)</div>
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I have pom poms, but these were already sorted in holiday colors for me and I couldn't resist buying these from Target when I saw them. </div>
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I also found this bucket that had the cutest design and was the perfect accompanying size for this game.</div>
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This will be such a popular station in my room and my kiddos will want to play it often. The great thing about this game is that it is so easy to differentiate. And, if you don't want to buy anything to set this up in your own classroom, you probably have lots of materials already that you can use.</div>
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Here are some variations to the game, and suggestions for using different supplies:</div>
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*Some students will get one die to practice counting 1-6 and make sure that they are successful in their counting. You can also you beads - you probably have beads socked away somewhere in your room, right?</div>
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*You may give students two dice for those students who are ready for counting one:one up to twelve. </div>
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*You can mix it up and use dice that have numbers, versus the pips. This example also uses beads. </div>
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*The kiddos will have fun rolling numbered dice and counting out the correct number of glass beads to decorate the tree.</div>
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*For a nice challenge, hand some students three dice and mix up the combination of dice - numbers and pips. Shown below are sequins for the counters.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9uhu5dc1igU/WCankFN0RrI/AAAAAAAAB5g/ahIbQ6f-Lmw8p1lcLyQ8TXTnjh38Un_ugCEw/s1600/KP_3%2Bdice%2Band%2Bsequin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9uhu5dc1igU/WCankFN0RrI/AAAAAAAAB5g/ahIbQ6f-Lmw8p1lcLyQ8TXTnjh38Un_ugCEw/s640/KP_3%2Bdice%2Band%2Bsequin.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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*Another variation is to have students play each other. You can have the students in partners and each child rolls their own dice and decorates their tree. Then, they will verify that each one has the correct amount and determine which one is greater than, less than, or equal to each other? Here you see foam snowflakes for the counters. </div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q87CIdC7EMU/WCanlPdngqI/AAAAAAAAB5g/zxpNqYbcmSsFeIur3eMyLausfO4vgyBKwCEw/s1600/KP_two%2Bplayer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q87CIdC7EMU/WCanlPdngqI/AAAAAAAAB5g/zxpNqYbcmSsFeIur3eMyLausfO4vgyBKwCEw/s640/KP_two%2Bplayer.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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*I don't have a picture of it, but students can also use a domino as another manipulative to count.</div>
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I hope you are able to use these game boards and make learning engaging and fun-filled, as well as provide individualized math games for each student so s/he is challenged and accountable.</div>
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If you are looking for another holiday math game, you might want to check out my packet of <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/MM-Holiday-Sorting-and-Counting-1606659" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">M&M Holiday Sorting and Counting</a>. We do this every year as one of our stations at our winter party and it is quite fun! There are different versions for you to pick the right math skill for your class, individual student or small group. </div>
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Here are some pictures from our winter party using this packet.</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bsNtNeEmnsU/WCq0OOdjTMI/AAAAAAAAB6g/y5vYDqg99gUYCmDvlwon6Ow-0znY24GpACLcB/s1600/Slide15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bsNtNeEmnsU/WCq0OOdjTMI/AAAAAAAAB6g/y5vYDqg99gUYCmDvlwon6Ow-0znY24GpACLcB/s640/Slide15.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Want other great ideas to make learning engaging this time of year? Make sure to hop to my friend's blogs for some fun freebies and holiday game ideas, but don't forget to snag "Decorate a Tree" below. </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TXSe8ZZxXcA/WCq3qe385bI/AAAAAAAAB6s/Cvn8BnG2DC4EfHIO8459fvHKXTKr8WWjwCLcB/s1600/christmas%2Bprintables%2Bcollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TXSe8ZZxXcA/WCq3qe385bI/AAAAAAAAB6s/Cvn8BnG2DC4EfHIO8459fvHKXTKr8WWjwCLcB/s640/christmas%2Bprintables%2Bcollage.jpg" width="422" /></a></div>
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<strong>From Left to Right:</strong></div>
Have the Target Christmas erasers? Have fun counting to 20 with these <a href="http://thekindergartenconnection.com/christmas-eraser-counting-cards/" target="_blank">Christmas Eraser Counting Cards</a> from The Kindergarten Connection.<br />
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Have a blast with blends with these <a href="http://www.adabofgluewilldo.com/christmas-tree-blend-puzzles/" target="_blank">Christmas Tree Blends Puzzles</a> from A Dab of Glue Will Do.<br />
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Don't put those erasers away yet! Spin and graph with this fun <a href="http://www.recipeforteaching.com/2016/11/winter-race-math-game.html" target="_blank">Winter Race game</a> from Recipe for Teaching.<br />
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Grab some dice to roll and dazzle your friends with this fun <a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2016/11/decorate-tree-math-game.html" target="_blank">Decorate a Tree activity </a>from Kindergarten Planet.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Make sure you download <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bz83v3DQiOu6R0M4ZXVXcnBkVzQ/view?usp=sharing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Decorate a Tree" here</a>!</span><br />
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Thanks for stopping by :)Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02483448856689135522noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890075990168849547.post-85911957320908814622016-10-10T16:00:00.000-07:002016-10-10T16:19:56.535-07:00Treats for Teachers!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v2PYVYq0lgc/V_kz0u9HmAI/AAAAAAAAB2c/c5q0sR4d1Zw2pBvj8KkcNCxFYkAmQJSUgCLcB/s640/Treats%2Bfor%2Bteachers%2Bkfriends.jpg" width="584" /></div>
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Happy Autumn! October is always a welcomed month in teaching. By now, the children *mostly* know the routines and the newness of back to school has worn off. It's official! The school year is going strong. My district also has parent teacher conferences this month. Just when the beginning of school craziness slows down, a new thing pops up so it stays busy. Isn't that how education seems to work?</div>
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October is the month of autumn, pumpkins, and Halloween. Trick-or-Treaters will be coming to houses everywhere for treats. Can you believe Halloween is on a Monday this year? Yikes!</div>
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October is also the month that Starbucks gets their seasonal drinks back. What is your favorite? Mine is the salted caramel mocha! I love it so much I posted about it on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kindergarten_planet/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram.</a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--QMSFBrPMcQ/V_qJmj4_CKI/AAAAAAAAB20/K96IFIyXrug9pCfgUu_9y6slOvkXvqujQCLcB/s1600/Slide1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--QMSFBrPMcQ/V_qJmj4_CKI/AAAAAAAAB20/K96IFIyXrug9pCfgUu_9y6slOvkXvqujQCLcB/s640/Slide1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The Kinder Friends and I want to treat all of you! This is no trick, just good treats coming your way. There are a lot of treats in this blog hop so I hope you stick around and enter to try and win some good prizes! The giveaway starts now, and goes until Oct. 15th at 12:00AM. Good luck to you!</div>
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I have two things that I am giving away: </div>
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1) I am giving you one product from my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kindergarten-Planet" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kindergarten Planet TpT Store</a>. You can have ANY product you want! I want you to pick a product that currently fits your needs.</div>
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2) I am giving away a $25.00 Starbucks gift card. You can get all the seasonal drinks you want, or black coffee, or coffee cake, or anything your little heart desires.</div>
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All you have to do to enter is complete the Rafflecopter below. Good luck! I hope it is YOU who wins :)</div>
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<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="8a7819693" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/8a7819693/" id="rcwidget_dd3kxh9n" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
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<script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>
<a class="rcptr" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/8a7819694/" rel="nofollow" data-raflid="8a7819694" data-theme="classic" data-template="" id="rcwidget_qbdkja38">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>
Be sure to hop on over to <a href="http://paulaspreschoolandkindergarten.blogspot.com/2016/10/no-tricks-just-treats-for-teachers.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Paula's Preschool and Kindergarten</a> blog for more treats! And don't stop there, ALL the Kinder Friends have fun giveaways for you. Enjoy the treats and the blog hop!<br />
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<span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://paulaspreschoolandkindergarten.blogspot.com/..." rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img alt=" http://paulaspreschoolandkindergarten.blogspot.com/..." border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OVdXKu9QCEU/V_qPrUaKfnI/AAAAAAAAB3M/c8-iD0_hokAs4dk9jS1Uq-MlPFpZgvePgCLcB/s320/Paula%2Bsquare.JPG" width="319" /></a></span></div>
<br />Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02483448856689135522noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890075990168849547.post-59083214034654034872016-09-12T17:00:00.000-07:002016-09-18T12:52:55.025-07:00Back in the Swing of Things!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hi There! Back to School season has me so frazzled these days. Between being a wife, mom to a 9 month old, unpacking and settling into our new home, and trying to get my kindergarten classroom ready and up and running for my littles, I am one frazzled lady these days! Anybody else? I had my first official week (well 4 days with Labor Day) with my kinder kiddos and I am looking forward to a great year! I am slowly getting <i>back into the swing of things. </i><br />
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I am so happy to be participating in a blog hop with my Kinderfriends about back to school ideas! One thing I like to do at the beginning of the year to save time is to prep things for the entire school year. "What?" you ask! "Why?" you ask. I like to do this to help me save time down the road. It is totally possible to make this happen. Then, when the time comes to use the materials, you are so thankful you spent the time upfront getting things ready.<br />
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My rationale is this: I am already prepping things for the beginning of the year, so why not spend a few more minutes getting the materials ready for the rest of the year.<br />
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For example, I need <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/I-Lost-a-Tooth-Necklaces-2498869" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lost Tooth Necklaces</a> now - at the beginning of the year - when my students lose a tooth. So, why not make a few more so I have them for the entire year? <br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3f_B-mmyKtY/V9WEOByQ2eI/AAAAAAAABzw/VdeKm21rmmYeFyAXdvcZ8nlHQ8VV2WqVwCLcB/s1600/Lost%2BTooth%2BNecklaces_Kindergarten%2BPlanet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3f_B-mmyKtY/V9WEOByQ2eI/AAAAAAAABzw/VdeKm21rmmYeFyAXdvcZ8nlHQ8VV2WqVwCLcB/s640/Lost%2BTooth%2BNecklaces_Kindergarten%2BPlanet.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Don't they look so cute on?</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Mbd845UFYcc/V97wHp8z7hI/AAAAAAAAB1Q/QfAw2LqAn88MocwStqBwqO2kIYSkqxMlQCLcB/s1600/I%2BLost%2Ba%2BTooth%2521%2BNecklaces.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Mbd845UFYcc/V97wHp8z7hI/AAAAAAAAB1Q/QfAw2LqAn88MocwStqBwqO2kIYSkqxMlQCLcB/s640/I%2BLost%2Ba%2BTooth%2521%2BNecklaces.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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My students love getting a tooth necklace and wear it with pride. These can be found <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/I-Lost-a-Tooth-Necklaces-2498869" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> in my TpT store and are currently on sale through Sept. 15th.<br />
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Another activity I do with my students is a monthly name writing and drawing assessment called "<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Here-I-am-in-Kindergarten-Monthly-Name-Writing-and-Drawing-Assessment-318512" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Here I Am in Kindergarten</a>." Each month I have the students write their name and draw a self portrait. I love putting this together for parents at the end of the year. The growth is so visible and is quite amazing. This year I am doing it every other month. We already completed our drawing for the first day of school (so that image is not showing). Since I had to make that copy, why not make the rest of the copies for the entire school year? <br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F3bffAGhFx4/V9WFAy5-mcI/AAAAAAAABz0/s97XLelHms0nSlceKZXRdVIsRCKe7ByxgCLcB/s1600/Here%2BI%2BAm_Kindergarten%2BPlanet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F3bffAGhFx4/V9WFAy5-mcI/AAAAAAAABz0/s97XLelHms0nSlceKZXRdVIsRCKe7ByxgCLcB/s640/Here%2BI%2BAm_Kindergarten%2BPlanet.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now, each month when I am ready to do the assessment, I just have to go to my paper tray holder and grab them. They are already made and I don't have to worry about making copies as I go. Tip: always make a few extra to account for a new student since we sometimes have revolving classes. These can be found <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Here-I-am-in-Kindergarten-Monthly-Name-Writing-and-Drawing-Assessment-318512" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> by grade level (preschool, TK, K, 1st and 2nd) and are also on sale in my TpT store. </div>
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This year my district adopted Go Math! It is new to us and we are just learning how to use it. Our district requires that we give a beginning and end of the year assessment. At the beginning of the year I have to make copies for my assessment. So, why not make a whole other set for the end of the year since I am at the copy machine? As you can see from my post-it, I made a note of how many I made to remind myself at the end of the year. I'm so glad I did! I am starting the assessment on Monday. I had 17 students on my roster for the longest time. I made 22 copies, but I now have 24 kinder students. So, I just have to make a few more copies for now, and then at the end of the year and I am done. I will change the number on my master copy post-it as well!</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fe1vcpoaovc/V9WGJ9-oMCI/AAAAAAAAB0A/LoCXDDTgOx0RpwQin7X-X3_DjB6OljQWACLcB/s1600/Go%2BMath_KP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fe1vcpoaovc/V9WGJ9-oMCI/AAAAAAAAB0A/LoCXDDTgOx0RpwQin7X-X3_DjB6OljQWACLcB/s640/Go%2BMath_KP.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Other things I do now for the entire year:</div>
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*Make all of my letter writing pages for each letter of the alphabet that we use (and I have them in the order we learn them)</div>
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*Make my number pages 0-20 that I will use</div>
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*Write out all of my Birthday Cards for the entire year and keep them in order</div>
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There are so many things to do at the beginning of the year, and while prepping for the rest of the year may seem counter intuitive, it really ends up being a time saver! It takes just a little longer to do, but then it really pays off!</div>
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I am having a sale in my TpT store with my lovely #Kinderfriends. Just search #Kinderfriends and you can see all sorts of back to school items on sale that will make your time back at school off to a good start!</div>
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Thanks so much for stopping by!</div>
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Make sure to hop on over to Cara's blog at <a href="http://kindergartenboomboom.blogspot.com/2016/09/back-in-swing-of-things-homework-version.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kindergarten Boom Boom</a> to see how she gets back into the swing of things.</div>
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Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02483448856689135522noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890075990168849547.post-77542959712436495232016-08-31T15:04:00.001-07:002016-08-31T15:04:11.086-07:00Back to School Goodies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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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!</div>
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I can't imagine going back to school without getting some new school supplies from the amazing <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/teaching-supplies-and-stationery-a1-551419.fltr" rel="nofollow" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">Oriental Trading Company</a>! 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.</div>
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These <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/classroom-small-square-storage-baskets-a2-62_26.fltr?Ntt=storage" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Classroom Small Square Storage Baskets</a> are adorable! </div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YcFsX0p5ZLM/V8O4U9nI2NI/AAAAAAAABw4/BYlPdppnPrw9wJ4u2r5oLfl13rvVaY2_ACLcB/s1600/Container%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YcFsX0p5ZLM/V8O4U9nI2NI/AAAAAAAABw4/BYlPdppnPrw9wJ4u2r5oLfl13rvVaY2_ACLcB/s640/Container%2B1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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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!<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oiy5qodVIbE/V8O4VD_awXI/AAAAAAAABxM/uN52lGNoZ_shA6aXgVWgSzEB56m7W18OgCEw/s1600/Container%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oiy5qodVIbE/V8O4VD_awXI/AAAAAAAABxM/uN52lGNoZ_shA6aXgVWgSzEB56m7W18OgCEw/s640/Container%2B2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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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.</div>
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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.</div>
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Out of all the goodies I received though, I think the <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/web/browse/processProductsCatalog?mode=Searching&sku=13631349" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Plush Googly Eye Dry Erase Board Erasers</a> 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. </div>
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Look how cute these are!</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y4hsMTzZKpQ/V8PNG87zIlI/AAAAAAAABxs/4xONnwOUdTY5y0D09zneSNPPuM1ajOGhwCLcB/s1600/KP_Dry%2Berase%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y4hsMTzZKpQ/V8PNG87zIlI/AAAAAAAABxs/4xONnwOUdTY5y0D09zneSNPPuM1ajOGhwCLcB/s640/KP_Dry%2Berase%2B1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The best part is they work really well. Going.....</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-chfPzGZpxXc/V8PNG1qV8CI/AAAAAAAABx0/jlM_zDgwX3QPpYLqVGuT8Y0c1Pcs-5ZgQCEw/s1600/KP_Dry%2Berase%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-chfPzGZpxXc/V8PNG1qV8CI/AAAAAAAABx0/jlM_zDgwX3QPpYLqVGuT8Y0c1Pcs-5ZgQCEw/s640/KP_Dry%2Berase%2B2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Going.....</div>
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Gone!</div>
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Aren't those fun?</div>
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You know what else is fun? This <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/web/browse/processProductsCatalog?mode=Searching&sku=13702071" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Warm Fuzzies Set</a>! </div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g0vAq0V6S2g/V8ZlGbb5dnI/AAAAAAAAByQ/Oi5jHYVRF246r2L5g4SYIZNTg5fzCR85ACLcB/s1600/Warm%2BFuzzies_KP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g0vAq0V6S2g/V8ZlGbb5dnI/AAAAAAAAByQ/Oi5jHYVRF246r2L5g4SYIZNTg5fzCR85ACLcB/s640/Warm%2BFuzzies_KP.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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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. </div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GXpdjagsbLI/V8ZlGdOJTNI/AAAAAAAAByM/3WeTzqnRWgY-TWbZ62Wygjf6IgwtvOvkwCEw/s1600/Warm%2BFuzzies_KP_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GXpdjagsbLI/V8ZlGdOJTNI/AAAAAAAAByM/3WeTzqnRWgY-TWbZ62Wygjf6IgwtvOvkwCEw/s640/Warm%2BFuzzies_KP_2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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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!</div>
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The last back to school goodie I wanted to share is a page for my <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/color-your-own-all-about-me-posters-a2-57_6601.fltr?Ntt=all%20about%20me%20page" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Star Student</a>. It is technically a color your own all about me page :)</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0Uq7j_elePc/V8ZogrraxYI/AAAAAAAAByk/mTKwW0PQRo8o4SfzvKZUg5SozAqck1_CACLcB/s1600/Star%2BStudent_KP_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0Uq7j_elePc/V8ZogrraxYI/AAAAAAAAByk/mTKwW0PQRo8o4SfzvKZUg5SozAqck1_CACLcB/s640/Star%2BStudent_KP_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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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.</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VxYZNAV9SYs/V8Zogu8OYgI/AAAAAAAAByw/mGcgdljB6noKMcRLhcb6V0kPiQkYM2rlwCEw/s1600/Star%2BStudent_KP_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VxYZNAV9SYs/V8Zogu8OYgI/AAAAAAAAByw/mGcgdljB6noKMcRLhcb6V0kPiQkYM2rlwCEw/s640/Star%2BStudent_KP_2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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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!</div>
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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. </div>
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What are some new <i>Back to School Goodies</i> you love?</div>
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<i style="line-height: 28.8px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">**The reviews of any products in this post are based strictly on my own opinion. Others may have a different experience or opinion about the products listed above. I was provided the products free of charge by Oriental Trading Company, and after using the products, I provided my honest opinion. No other type of compensation was received for this review. </span></i>Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02483448856689135522noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890075990168849547.post-85570169842611049822016-05-18T17:00:00.000-07:002016-05-18T17:19:03.281-07:00Book Bash!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am so excited to be a part of Kinder Friends! This is a great group of bloggers and I am excited to get to know some new online buddies. We wanted to do a blog hop on a great topic that all teachers love - books! Hence, the "Book Bash" was born! Since the end of the school year is fast approaching, I thought I would write about a couple of my favorite end of the year books and share some activities and freebies. (This blog post contains affiliate links for your convenience.)</div>
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One of my favorite books of all time to read is <u>The Gruffalo</u> by Julia Donaldson. Do you know The Gruffalo? He has knobby knees, and...............you will get the reference if you know the book! Ha! Ha! If you don't know the book, you should! <u>The Gruffalo</u> is a delightful tale that rhymes, introduces different characters, and is full of surprises! I was first introduced to <u>The Gruffalo</u> when a student brought the book in for her birthday. I said I would read the book and I was blown away. I kept saying how cute this book was and my student kept saying "I know!"</div>
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This is an excellent book that rhymes and is a story that you will want to read over and over. It is the tale of a little mouse who is walking through the woods and he meets other animals who want to eat him. He scares them off by telling the animals that he is meeting a Gruffalo, and describes a scary character. The animals scurry away and then much to the mouse's surprise, he runs into a Gruffalo. The Gruffalo is hungry, and the mouse looks tasty. Will the mouse live? And if so, how? You must read it to find out.</div>
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I love this book so much that I wanted to extend our learning and focus on comprehension skills. I created a literacy pack that is full of activities to reinforce sequencing skills (with many opportunities with picture cards for the pocket chart, a worksheet, crowns and a storyboard with puppets). This also has many differentiated worksheets to practice character, setting, cause and effect, and more! <br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XsqhwNpbZz8/Vzv9E-k1TWI/AAAAAAAABsw/wCg5Te8x6eczjUq4IUI96ecILZ6B-_NtwCLcB/s1600/The%2BGruffalo%2BSequence_words.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XsqhwNpbZz8/Vzv9E-k1TWI/AAAAAAAABsw/wCg5Te8x6eczjUq4IUI96ecILZ6B-_NtwCLcB/s400/The%2BGruffalo%2BSequence_words.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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I wanted to share a cute freebie from the pack. It is a storyboard in color with the characters from the story (there is also a storyboard in B&W in the big pack). You can laminate them and put them on popsicle sticks and have your students retell the story. Click on the image below to download your freebie.<br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bz83v3DQiOu6a0UxWE80SmthaU0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RxZd-9tlT1A/Vzqi6QvIPtI/AAAAAAAABr8/rZV7a19NTCUAQzudiu2UTkgAinmiK-ffACLcB/s640/The%2BGruffalo%2BStoryboard.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Check out the preview below of the skills you will find in this packet. If you like the freebie and are interested in more, you can find the packet in my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Gruffalo-Literacy-Activities-2553209" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">TpT store here</a>.<br />
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Another end of the year favorite is <u>Humpty Dumpty</u> by Daniel Kirk. This is an adorable story of Humpty Dumpty that rhymes and is so enjoyable Humpty wants to go to a birthday parade for King Mo, but Humpty's mom is worried about her little egg. He promises to be careful and off he goes with his friends. Well, Humpty can't see in the parade and so he climbs a wall - uh-oh. It turns out that King Mo likes puzzles and gives it a whirl after all the king's men tried. This story rolls off the tongue and is just so endearing.<br />
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After reading this story, we make a brick wall. I fold a piece of white paper and staple it about 1/3 of the way up. However, you could also have your students glue this (only on the sides) to save time.<br />
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The egg pattern I have is on thick cardstock. I trace the egg pattern on different colors of construction paper.<br />
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I let the children pick the egg and have them decorate one side "regular" and one side "cracked".<br />
They make a brick wall pattern on the white paper. Then, they glue down the poem and can recite the poem and act it out.<br />
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If you'd like the words to make your own Humpty Dumpty, click below. I did update the way the poem looks from my example. This was back in the day before TpT and all the cute borders and fonts, and I was at a school that used D'Nealian.<br />
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I hope these ideas help you add some fun into the end of your school year. My last day is June 10th with students. How about you?<br />
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Thanks so much for stopping by! Make sure to hop on over to Brittany's blog, <a href="http://kindergartenlovestory.blogspot.com/2016/05/book-bash-with-my-kinder-friends_18.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Kindergarten Love Story</a>, to find out about some of her favorites books!<br />
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Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02483448856689135522noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890075990168849547.post-88092270500647230372016-03-06T14:00:00.000-08:002016-04-21T23:06:27.085-07:00Navigating a New Normal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well hello there! It has been quite awhile since I have written - but it is for a good reason I promise you. My life has changed so very much since my last post and then I sort of disappeared for a bit. <br />
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This story starts many years ago, but I will abbreviate the story because it is a long and heartbreaking one - until now. My husband and I got married in July of 2009 and at that moment, we decided to start trying for a baby. After a year, we decided to seek professional help. This led us on a journey of many, many myriad fertility treatments while simultaneously pursuing adoption.<br />
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Meanwhile, while our lives were happy together, we longed for a baby to complete our family and at times, the pain was unbearable. During this time, we would see our friends and family get married, get pregnant, have children, and repeat. It seemed that everyone was able to have a baby - except us. Have you ever noticed that when you want something, you see it everywhere? It seemed that everyone was pregnant, holding a baby in their arms, pushing a stroller, or getting picked in our adoption pool.<br />
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My husband and I did not share our feelings with many people. It was too painful to discuss and I usually ended up crying when talking about it - so, I tended not to talk about it that much. I also went to therapy to deal with the loss of not being pregnant and that was incredibly successful and healing for me. I realized I didn't need to be pregnant to have a child. I was proud of myself for being able to let that go and move forward - that didn't seem possible at one point.<br />
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Our adoption agency is <a href="http://www.openadopt.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Open Adoption and Family Services</a> in Portland, Oregon. It is centered in the Pacific Northwest (with offices in Seattle, Portland, and Eugene) but they appeal to couples and birthparents across the country because of their position on openness. We like this agency because they offer All-Options Counseling to birthmothers (and birthfathers), and once in the pool, the birthparents are the ones who choose the parents of the child. That was so meaningful to us. We were so excited to enter the pool and did not expect to be in the pool as long as we were and that was so hard just waiting - it was out of our control! I felt like I was stuck in "The Waiting Place". You know, the place where everyone is just waiting in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0679805273/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0679805273&linkCode=as2&tag=kinderplanet-20&linkId=QNWWPQLFZENRLFHC" style="text-decoration: underline;">Oh, The Places You'll Go!</a><u><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=kinderplanet-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0679805273" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></u> by Dr. Seuss. <br />
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One good thing about being in the pool so long was that we did make some good friends who were also in the pool. <br />
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The other good (and BEST!) thing about being in the pool so long (27 months to be exact) was that we were picked by a loving birthmother who chose us to be parents to our beautiful baby girl! We have nothing but the utmost respect for her choice and look forward to continuing to build a relationship with her and the birthfather.<br />
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Our daughter, Rebecca, was born on November 15th and we got "The Call" November 16th at 5:20 PM. It was a regular Monday at work and I was just packing up to leave when I saw a call coming in from our agency. Needless to say that was an amazing phone call and I called my husband right away. We ate a quick sandwich at home and then headed into Portland to meet our daughter and birthmother, whom we now consider our extended family.<br />
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I called my principal on the way to the hospital to say that we got the call, and I won't be in to work the next day, or for that matter, for quite awhile! Ha! She was very supportive and excited for us, as was my entire staff, and all of our friends and family. There were a few nearest and dearest who knew how long and hard the journey was for us, and how sweet this moment actually was. I believe every parent is thrilled to meet their child and has nothing but love and amazement in their hearts. But we had such a long wait, that this moment was a bit surreal and extra special that it was only natural that many tears of happiness were shed.<br />
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Life has been amazing ever since she came into our lives. We absolutely adore her and love seeing her smile, and grab toys, and do many "firsts". She is an amazing baby who is happy and easy-going and has brought such joy into our lives.<br />
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Fast forward to today................how does all of this work? I know how motherhood works and I am LOVING it! I just don't know how to be the teacher I used to be (I don't want to spend all those extra hours at work now with my sweet baby girl at home). How do people blog with a baby? How do people update their Facebook pages, Instagram, and/or continue to create products for Teachers pay Teachers?<br />
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This is what I am trying to navigate now. I have a <i>new normal</i>. My daughter and husband are my priorities and I believe that is the way it should be. I do so enjoy teaching and always worked outside of my contracted hours in the past, but I would rather be home with my baby girl than do that now. Does that make me a bad teacher? I hope not. I don't think it does. It just makes me a teacher who is rethinking my preps and time management. It makes me a teacher who is going to be turbo at work every free minute so I can still do my best for my students, but be able to let work go at the end of the day and not bring anything home.<br />
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I can't figure out how to find the time to blog and part of me wants to let it all go. I have only been blogging for about a year, and while I love it, it is time consuming. But I have had fun blogging and have enjoyed the connections and friendships I have made because of it. I don't want to give it up, but clearly, I am finding it hard to make the time to write. I'd like to *try* to commit to blogging once a month, but honestly, even that seems challenging.<br />
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I have a few products I am working on for Teachers pay Teachers just sitting on my computer. These are things I was working on, and they are still in the same place they were as of November 16th. If I am blogging, or creating, then I am not giving my full attention to my daughter. She is young and needs a lot of attention, and I want to be providing my undivided attention and shower her with love. We have waited a long time for this moment and I don't want to spend it in front of a computer. I want to spend it with her.<br />
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Now, my priority is my daughter and my family, but I do enjoy all of these other aspects of my life as well. I am bloggy twins with <a href="http://www.undercoverclassroom.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chrissie Rissmiller from Undercover Classroom</a>. We feel a kinship with each other since we used the same blog designers (<a href="http://www.blogsfitforaqueen.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Blogs Fit for a Queen</a>) and our blogs were launched around the same time (hers came out maybe a week or so before mine). I saw on IG that she was hosting a Blog Birthday Giveaway and that made me realize that mine was also coming up and that I hadn't blogged in a little bit. She had some great words for me and I really appreciated hearing this advice. She said "Your blog will always be there, but your baby will only be a baby for a short period of time."<br />
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That is so true. I needed to hear that Chrissie, thank you!<br />
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We have waited a long time - the wait seemed interminable - and now I want to cherish it. I don't want to be tuned into social media like I was before. I want to put the phone and computer down. I want to be present.<br />
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So how do I do it all and still stay connected? I am not sure yet. I am trying to figure this all out. If any of you have tips on how to manage all of this, please share! For now, my baby girl is waking up from her nap and I want to go snuggle her.<br />
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D4890075990168849547%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D8809227050064723037%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dallposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dallposts%3BpostNum%3D0%3Bsrc%3Dlink&media=https%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-jP5aZeu8Rgk%2FVtCoOlyLGrI%2FAAAAAAAABnM%2FNcD7tgfBW-M%2Fs640%2FNavigating%252Ba%252BNew%252BNormal_3.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.37.01&xuid=Z_QJNKyYvU1K&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 42px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 1578px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D4890075990168849547%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D8809227050064723037%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dallposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dallposts%3BpostNum%3D0%3Bsrc%3Dlink&media=https%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-jP5aZeu8Rgk%2FVtCoOlyLGrI%2FAAAAAAAABnM%2FNcD7tgfBW-M%2Fs640%2FNavigating%252Ba%252BNew%252BNormal_3.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.37.01&xuid=Z_QJNKyYvU1K&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 42px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 1578px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02483448856689135522noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890075990168849547.post-70844425922254000862015-11-08T13:59:00.006-08:002015-11-08T15:40:24.195-08:00Educational Goodies!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Autumn is here and the back to school madness has settled down. My students are getting the routines of the classroom down and we are chugging along in our day to day kindergarten adventure. I wanted to add in some extra educational goodies in our kindergarten day and so I was thrilled when my box from <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Oriental Trading</a> arrived to my classroom! </div>
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One of the things that came in my box was this adorable <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/web/browse/processProductsCatalog?mode=Searching&sku=13706443" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fall Apple Magnet Craft</a> project. This project was all ready to go with each apple in its own little bag. The foam pieces had a sticky back and so all the children had to do was peel and stick! They were able to choose their own color and design. They could also do this independently, with the exception of poking out the seeds. The seeds were little and so that was challenging for some of my kiddos, but it was great fine motor skills practice. These had magnets and so to finish the project, a magnet was stuck on the back and the children had a great project to bring home. This project fit in so nicely around Johnny Appleseed day and our apple unit. They did complete this project one:one with my wonderful Instructional Assistant, but they could have been completed whole group because of the ease of this cute craft. She basically guided them in their craft, and helped out when needed.</div>
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If you are like me, then you love cute and colorful supply holders. These <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/classroom-small-round-storage-baskets-a2-62_27.fltr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Classroom Small Round Storage Baskets</a> are perfect for holding small supplies. They are not huge (hence the word small) but they fit my needs perfectly. Sometimes I need a little basket to throw in a math manipulative for an activity, or a craft supply, and these are so handy and sturdy that I will continue to get a lot of use out of these. I also love the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Roll-and-Color-Math-Games-for-the-Year-2034956" target="_blank">Roll and Color page from The Kindergarten Connection</a> (see green basket). These baskets were the perfect size to hold the dice at our table and keep them in one central place for the table to access.</div>
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This is my first year teaching full-day kindergarten and I am loving it! I feel like we have so much more time in our day and I am enjoying the extra learning taking place. I thought these <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/fun-shape-word-and-number-swatters-a2-62_97.fltr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fun Shape Word & Number Swatters</a> would be a perfect way to get my students up and moving and exploring our classroom for words and numbers. They loved walking around the room swatting different words and I was impressed at some of the places they found print. I know we will continue to get a lot of use out of these and they are already asking about the next time they can walk around the room looking for words and numbers!</div>
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We use Reading Street for our reading program and the children are already starting to practice reading decodable books from our program. Currently we are working on the high-frequency words we have learned and practicing concepts of print. We are reading left to right, word by word, and only what is written on the page. These are big skills for kindergarten children! These <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/bookworm-word-spacers-a2-59_6.fltr?Ntt=bookworm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bookworm Word Spacers</a> are actually meant for writing to help the children space out their words. While we will use it for our writing, currently, I am having them use them for reading so they can move the bookworm along the sentence and isolate each word as they read.</div>
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Wwwhhhhooooooo doesn't love talking about owls in the autumns? Ha! We have been reading owl stories and learning about nocturnal animals. This <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/web/browse/processProductsCatalog?mode=Searching&sku=48%2F6945" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fall Color Owl Ornament Craft Kit</a> owl craft is so adorable! This was another craft that was easy to put together. It came with sticky backs and so the children were able to complete this project on their own. They did get help from my IA with tying the ribbon through the hole at the top. While this came with everything peel and stick and ready to go, I did need to reinforce the wings with glue dots. The sticky portion was small and so it needed a little something extra to help the wings stick on the side. But, they currently look great hanging on my cabinets and bulletin board next to an autumn addition project (and freebie you will find below!).</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QzscxiVuY-o/Vj-m2_-4MHI/AAAAAAAABgo/oD4bwgiqB8Q/s1600/Owl%2BCraft%2BCollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QzscxiVuY-o/Vj-m2_-4MHI/AAAAAAAABgo/oD4bwgiqB8Q/s640/Owl%2BCraft%2BCollage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/turkey-craft-kit-makes-a2-48_7079.fltr?Ntt=turkey%20craft" target="_blank">Turkey Craft Kit</a> is probably the cutest thing I have seen! It is a sturdy material with colorful pieces. Each kit was individually wrapped and all of our pieces were accounted for. This project needed to be glued so we did this project whole group. I modeled how to do it, and then the children copied mine. It became a directed art project and yet each child still had their own personal touch. This is such a cute craft!!!! I hung these on my bulletin board at the end of the day on Friday and I got so many compliments from fellow teachers. They look great filling in our bulletin board out in the hall. They are sharing the board with a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/10-Little-Turkeys-Turkey-Number-Order-Craftivity-FREEBIE-1536698" target="_blank">10 Little Turkeys FREEBIE by Teacher's Breathing Space</a> which is also adorable and educational. Be sure to check out both of these projects!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u38UMCCke-A/Vj-hDzpzWEI/AAAAAAAABgE/Z9x195LSIEs/s1600/Turkey%2BCraft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u38UMCCke-A/Vj-hDzpzWEI/AAAAAAAABgE/Z9x195LSIEs/s640/Turkey%2BCraft.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I happened to have pumpkin (so old I can't find them on the website anymore!) and <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/fabulous-foam-self-adhesive-fall-leaf-stickers-a2-57_2313.fltr?Ntt=leaf%20foam%20pieces" target="_blank">leaf</a> foam pieces from Oriental Trading Company from a few years ago and decided to create a little addition project to go along with them. I had a parent helper come in and had the children roll big dice in dice. </div>
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=kinderplanet-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B000NGBGVI&asins=B000NGBGVI&linkId=RGY7UOJLB3YVTNHU&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">
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The children used the big number on the dice for the leaves, and the small inside number for the pumpkins. The children colored their project and then added the correct amount of leaves and pumpkins to their paper. After the foam pieces were added (the pumpkins had to be glued down and the leaves had a peeling foam back) they recorded their numbers and added them together to find out how many in all.</div>
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While I can't offer you foam pieces through cyber space (as much as I'd like to do so!), I did create this freebie for you to use. If you have foam pieces, use them! But if not, you can copy the leaves and pumpkins and enjoy this fun autumn addition freebie with your kiddos!</div>
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You can get the freebie <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bz83v3DQiOu6eEZSNjNWRkVRekk/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">here</a>, or by clicking the picture below!</div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bz83v3DQiOu6eEZSNjNWRkVRekk/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B0rO_my6Ejs/Vj_AtDK62rI/AAAAAAAABhA/0egiAVtooWg/s400/Slide1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Thanks so much for stopping by!</div>
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<i style="line-height: 28.8px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">**The reviews of any products in this post are based strictly on my own opinion. Others may have a different experience or opinion about the products listed above. I was provided the products free of charge by Oriental Trading Company, and after using the products, I provided my honest opinion. No other type of compensation was received for this review. </span></i></div>
<br />Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02483448856689135522noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890075990168849547.post-41877255171586816742015-10-25T17:39:00.000-07:002015-10-25T17:39:02.775-07:00Scary Things *Freebie*<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JtLG75VYJvQ/Vi1wG8UVPpI/AAAAAAAABdY/niWhcRW8uEY/s1600/Scary%2BThings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JtLG75VYJvQ/Vi1wG8UVPpI/AAAAAAAABdY/niWhcRW8uEY/s640/Scary%2BThings.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #363f48; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"> Photo Credit: FreeImages.com/Greg Jordan</span><br />
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Tis the season to talk about scary things and read scary Halloween books. While we talk about scary things, it only gets <i>so scary</i> in kindergarten. Luckily, most books aren't that scary, and they usually end up with a happy ending - phew!<br />
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Something I like to do every year is read an assortment of scary seasonal books and then ask the students to make a list of scary things. They really come up with some good ideas! I make this chart and draw a little image next to it for a reminder.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jWKOMZlC7SQ/Vi1wDjr989I/AAAAAAAABcc/WCxuuBRia-Q/s1600/Scary%2BThings_List.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jWKOMZlC7SQ/Vi1wDjr989I/AAAAAAAABcc/WCxuuBRia-Q/s640/Scary%2BThings_List.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
I have been doing this book for years and don't even know where it originated. I know that at one point I remade it. The version in my photos that I am using with my students this year, shows a DJ Inkers font (which I don't have a license for commercial use so I am not using it in my freebie), and Comic Sans (I know, the <i>dreaded comic sans</i>). But hey, back in the day, comic sans <i>was</i> <i>the cute and different font!</i> Now I know better, and have invested in loads of fonts.<br />
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**But, just for the record, I do not share in the distaste for comic sans that so many others do (I know, please don't throw rotten eggs at me!).<br />
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After we make our list, we get to work creating our book. The children think about which scary thing they want in their book, and then they copy the word, and illustrate the photo. <br />
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We are also working on beginning writing skills in kindergarten. We are working on drawing a detailed picture, and since I let them use markers (woohoo - that is cause for great excitement in kindergarten!) they are really trying their best!<br />
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We have one page left on Monday, and then we will take the time to share our books out to the class. Check out the cute writing and illustrations from my kiddos:<br />
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You can see how hard at work my students are. They are loving this project - and so am I. It is always a fun experience each year. They get very excited about their creations and they always come up with the cutest drawings!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kWodnGSPujs/Vi1wH6NEpyI/AAAAAAAABdQ/BOFtgiOpTnY/s1600/Scary%2BThings_students%2Bworking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kWodnGSPujs/Vi1wH6NEpyI/AAAAAAAABdQ/BOFtgiOpTnY/s640/Scary%2BThings_students%2Bworking.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I printed out the book, cut them in half, and then stapled black construction paper on the outside of the book. I glued the cover down on the front. You can also do this, but you can also keep it simple by running the book on white paper and stapling it in the copy machine to save you time.</div>
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As you can see, this is an adorable book! I jazzed it up for the freebie, and will be sure to use that format next year. But I wanted to get the book going in my class this past week and didn't have time to redo this packet until now. If only we had like 6 more hours in each day!</div>
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I created this freebie for you and it is now in my TpT store. You can find <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Scary-Things-2170497" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Scary Things here</a>. I made it with new fonts, added a border, and even made the pages so you can have some differentiation. I hope you can use it this week to get ready for Halloween! If you don't celebrate Halloween, this is still applicable with the season of autumn, and bats, and spiders - oh my!<br />
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You can see some of the images from the new and improved, (and comic sans free), Scary Things book below!<br />
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This FREE Scary Things book can be found in my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Scary-Things-2170497" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Teachers pay Teachers store</a>.</div>
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Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have an incredibly fun, and <i>calm</i>, week :)</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #363f48; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Photo Credit: FreeImages.com/L</span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #363f48; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">ies Meirlaen</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363f48; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Truthfully, it is Back to School for me, and the very beginning of the educational journey for most of my kindergarten students! It is also the first year for full day kindergarten in Oregon. I have been waiting for this day for many years and was looking forward to the start of our year and having my students stay all day. It is great, but <i>WOW</i> is it ever tiring! I was so excited I had to post a photo on my <a href="https://instagram.com/p/7bc4-dPJXG/?taken-by=kindergarten_planet" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a> account, and Teachers Pay Teachers actually featured this picture in their <a href="http://blog.teacherspayteachers.com/tpt-loves-back-to-school-selfies/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"TpT Loves Back to School Selfies</a></span></span><span style="line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://blog.teacherspayteachers.com/tpt-loves-back-to-school-selfies/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"</a> on their blog using the hashtag #tptbtsselfie. I was thrilled to be featured and I had to share it on my blog as well!</span></span><br />
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The beginning of kindergarten is amazing and random and funny and tiring, and ultimately unpredictable! It takes a lot of love, patience, and sleep to get through this time successfully. Teachers constantly talk about rules, and then remind them of the rules, and then talk about them again, and then practice them over and over and.............well, you get the picture! Kindergarten children love to learn and make new friends, but they need structure, repetition and reminders to make the day go smoothly. Sometimes it seems like all we did was read stories to review rules, but putting in this time at the beginning of the year is so important and will pay off later on so don't hesitate to take this time to get your classroom routines down.</div>
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We just finished our 21st day of school! Can you believe it? I know some of you have been in school much longer than us. School started the week before Labor Day this year, but my students started a week after that. During that week, my new students and families came to school and we were able to chat and do a little testing.</div>
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Once school started, we have been having so much fun. I truly have a wonderful group this year and so enjoy going to work to spend the day with my little kiddos!</div>
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Are you ready for a LOT of pictures? Hope so!</div>
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I saw a few pics on Instagram (with a play on IG) and knew I wanted to do that with my kiddos as well, so I got to work. I do remember seeing it on Kindergarten Smorgasboard's IG page but when I looked back to link it in this post, I couldn't find it. Our "IG" board turned out so gosh darn cute! I can't stand it! I took pictures with them holding a big decorated K, added scrapbook paper, cut out the letters on my Silhouette Cameo and made the IG sign with construction paper.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qhbq3RbAbcI/Vhl3v3CatQI/AAAAAAAABYM/_NCeIAp5Aac/s1600/%2523first%2Bday%2Bof%2Bschool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qhbq3RbAbcI/Vhl3v3CatQI/AAAAAAAABYM/_NCeIAp5Aac/s640/%2523first%2Bday%2Bof%2Bschool.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Scissor practice is so important in kindergarten! They need explicit instruction and practice - lots of it. Before we do any art projects, we just practice using scissors for the sake of using scissors. This page is a part of my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Snip-SnipScissor-Practice-308023" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Snip, Snip..........Scissor Practice</a> packet from my TpT store.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WY8uFd0G4XU/Vhl3xpjV84I/AAAAAAAABYk/gr_d7fam1lc/s1600/Scissor%2BPractice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WY8uFd0G4XU/Vhl3xpjV84I/AAAAAAAABYk/gr_d7fam1lc/s400/Scissor%2BPractice.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Holding pencils and penmanship is also something that needs explicit instruction and lots of practice. Here we are tracing our numbers 1-10 and then writing them on our own. This is a freebie in my TpT store called <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Number-Tracing-and-Writing-Freebie-1463123" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Number Tracing and Writing Freebie!</a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dd8E_Ru7Ni0/Vhl3xV2BS5I/AAAAAAAABYg/89yy3W2FGho/s1600/Number%2BTracing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="378" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dd8E_Ru7Ni0/Vhl3xV2BS5I/AAAAAAAABYg/89yy3W2FGho/s400/Number%2BTracing.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We read <u>Chrysanthemum</u> by Kevin Henkes and then worked on this cute page from First Grade Blue Skies <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Chrysanthemum-for-Back-to-School-1926514" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chrysanthemum freebie</a> packet. My school uses Tribes and so after we filled out our picture of what it looks like to be a good friend, and to not be a good friend, we partnered up using "Milling to Music" and then shared our responses.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KYlysD5JO94/Vhl3v8-10jI/AAAAAAAABYQ/LFtsexmkdXI/s1600/Chrysanthemum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KYlysD5JO94/Vhl3v8-10jI/AAAAAAAABYQ/LFtsexmkdXI/s400/Chrysanthemum.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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My class has grown so fond of <a href="https://www.gonoodle.com/?logout=true" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Go Noodle</a>! They love it!!!! One of the times we use it is at the end of the day after we have cleaned up and have our backpacks on. We are really digging Koo Koo Kangaroo and "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G45A1eMiiHA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Roller Coaster</a>."</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BoYbUjuhTDI/Vhl3v6wrd3I/AAAAAAAABYY/MrWBKc2jNis/s1600/Go%2BNoodle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BoYbUjuhTDI/Vhl3v6wrd3I/AAAAAAAABYY/MrWBKc2jNis/s400/Go%2BNoodle.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We started literacy 9 days after school started. My school transitions for native language literacy. Some students are in English literacy with me, and some are in Spanish literacy with one of my colleagues. I am thankful to have those 8 homeroom days so we can build a bond and establish some routines because once literacy starts, I only have my homeroom for about an hour and a half a day total (except for Wednesday which is a homeroom day - my favorite!). We loved using this <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Lets-Practice-Alphabet-Sounds-1505673" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">sound practice from Miss Kindergarten</a>. We picked an apple and said the letter name and sound.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-queUJKbMvW4/VhmAZJc-_oI/AAAAAAAABZ4/i5qhrLolH7E/s1600/Apple%2BSounds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-queUJKbMvW4/VhmAZJc-_oI/AAAAAAAABZ4/i5qhrLolH7E/s400/Apple%2BSounds.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We also had fun using these <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Clothespin-Clip-Cards-GROWING-BUNDLE-2075784" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">clip cards from The Kindergarten Connection</a>! Not only are my kiddos practicing beginning sounds and matching upper and lowercase letters, they are also pinching clothespins which is good fine motor skills practice. And, this is a growing bundle so we will have educational and seasonal activities to go along with our learning all year. Woohoo!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hYhvgSyZugk/Vhl-acULt-I/AAAAAAAABY0/TRfXHNId1KE/s1600/Clip%2BCards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hYhvgSyZugk/Vhl-acULt-I/AAAAAAAABY0/TRfXHNId1KE/s400/Clip%2BCards.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We have started using math journals as well. I want my students to be able to identify numbers in many ways. Here is an example of one student representing the number 2. To be clear, at the beginning of the year, we do a lot of work <i>together</i> so they understand the expectation. As the year progresses, and they have a better understanding of numbers, they are able to come up with their own ideas.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T7BmVMVzPkg/Vhl-celQiMI/AAAAAAAABZc/Pid94oEBGro/s1600/Math%2BJournals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T7BmVMVzPkg/Vhl-celQiMI/AAAAAAAABZc/Pid94oEBGro/s400/Math%2BJournals.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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My school uses <a href="http://web.stmath.com/" target="_blank">ST Math</a> and we have completed our password training and then are able to log in and start learning some mathematical skills. This is a program my students really enjoy and will often go to it when they have free iPad time during activity time.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7bWgpkbixp4/Vhl-dpreCHI/AAAAAAAABZs/FCtD5ReFZ4U/s1600/St%2BMath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="365" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7bWgpkbixp4/Vhl-dpreCHI/AAAAAAAABZs/FCtD5ReFZ4U/s400/St%2BMath.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The children have also had a little time to explore foam blocks with friends.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4xbrQBjd2Tw/Vhl-bxdVFYI/AAAAAAAABZY/-wBChMjPL0U/s1600/Foam%2BBlocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4xbrQBjd2Tw/Vhl-bxdVFYI/AAAAAAAABZY/-wBChMjPL0U/s400/Foam%2BBlocks.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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My students have also been enjoying looking at books in the library.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_zquj3UUmMY/Vhl-daJ8NrI/AAAAAAAABZw/hrvU_cGxOVw/s1600/Reading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_zquj3UUmMY/Vhl-daJ8NrI/AAAAAAAABZw/hrvU_cGxOVw/s400/Reading.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We are so lucky to have a very sweet community member volunteer his time and come into my classroom and read. He is a retired librarian and he will sing songs, play music CD's and dance with the children, and read them several books. They absolutley love his visits. He is so awesome!!!! I believe this is his third year coming into my classroom now and I feel so fortunate.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UnQ47kvulZ4/Vhl-cj_O1LI/AAAAAAAABZk/_3QyugdJygw/s1600/Mr.%2BPauli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UnQ47kvulZ4/Vhl-cj_O1LI/AAAAAAAABZk/_3QyugdJygw/s400/Mr.%2BPauli.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I have also had some children pick flowers for me. Love the little bouquet :)</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mSb39f4byUU/Vhl-ah9yhoI/AAAAAAAABZE/Gkk6hERPJAo/s1600/Flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mSb39f4byUU/Vhl-ah9yhoI/AAAAAAAABZE/Gkk6hERPJAo/s400/Flowers.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Like many of you, we also talked a lot about apples and Johnny Appleseed. We started off by reading a story and then painting apples. It made for a very cute hallway bulletin board display.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_STEp0-uGbk/VhmM_LZfvJI/AAAAAAAABbU/9-g01ajX9vo/s1600/Apple%2BBulletin%2BBoard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_STEp0-uGbk/VhmM_LZfvJI/AAAAAAAABbU/9-g01ajX9vo/s400/Apple%2BBulletin%2BBoard.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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You can't talk about apples without tasting them though! I stuck with the three basic apples for our taste test - Red Delicious, Granny Smith and Golden Delicious. Mmmmmm! I also cut an apple in half to show them the star you get. Have you ever seen that? You don't cut down the core vertically, but instead cut it horizontally through the middle. It is pretty fascinating.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aEbFIk4OZxc/VhmI2CPif7I/AAAAAAAABa4/Ay3GLhA2y4I/s1600/Apples%2BGalore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aEbFIk4OZxc/VhmI2CPif7I/AAAAAAAABa4/Ay3GLhA2y4I/s400/Apples%2BGalore.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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After eating the apples we colored our favorite flavor and practiced using scissors to cut them out.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gwz9erobjSM/VhmIQbM3TOI/AAAAAAAABao/YjEIwzrAehQ/s1600/Cutting%2Ban%2Bapple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gwz9erobjSM/VhmIQbM3TOI/AAAAAAAABao/YjEIwzrAehQ/s400/Cutting%2Ban%2Bapple.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We sat around the carpet and graphed our results. We interpreted our graph as well. My students did such a good job with this!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3eAl1_2hUwg/VhmINRr9hII/AAAAAAAABaY/RRq1fmLnmco/s1600/Apple%2BGraph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3eAl1_2hUwg/VhmINRr9hII/AAAAAAAABaY/RRq1fmLnmco/s400/Apple%2BGraph.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We used this Apple Taste test page from Khrys Bosland's <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Apple-Unit-FREEBIES-Interactive-and-Engaging-Activities-CCSS-1461313" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">apple packet</a> to record the results of our graph and it is a freebie in her store. It was so great sitting on our carpet learning together. I look forward to more activities like this in the future.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rpPhXBqsQlg/VhmINSwssFI/AAAAAAAABaU/Yg4aMIKFvuM/s1600/Apple%2BTaste%2Btest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rpPhXBqsQlg/VhmINSwssFI/AAAAAAAABaU/Yg4aMIKFvuM/s400/Apple%2BTaste%2Btest.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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After we ate the apples, I asked my class to use adjectives to describe the apples. I thought they came up with a pretty impressive list!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vTU3YdKL4is/VhmINShwZDI/AAAAAAAABaQ/ImAc3cim05o/s1600/Apple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vTU3YdKL4is/VhmINShwZDI/AAAAAAAABaQ/ImAc3cim05o/s400/Apple.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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We continued our apple learning by using my free SMARTBoard product in my TpT store <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Apples-Apples-Apples-153193" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apples, Apples, Apples</a>. They had fun taking turns and putting Ten Apples Up on Top of the children's heads.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h8JOOC64aZ8/VhmLLPZn9CI/AAAAAAAABbE/ZbqNAJzyloo/s1600/Apples%252C%2Bapples%252C%2Bapples.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h8JOOC64aZ8/VhmLLPZn9CI/AAAAAAAABbE/ZbqNAJzyloo/s400/Apples%252C%2Bapples%252C%2Bapples.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Last, we put Ten Apples Up on Top of each of our heads. Again, more scissor practice and number sequencing. This is so old. I have had it for <i>years</i> and don't remember where it came from or even when I started doing it. I know the boy/girl clip art is from <a href="http://www.djinkers.com/" target="_blank">DJ Inkers</a>, but other than that, go figure! It is such a fun activity though!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9I-QOi9Dadw/VhmIRid8kiI/AAAAAAAABaw/pnk0RuY5hCs/s1600/Ten%2BApples%2BUp%2Bon%2BTop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9I-QOi9Dadw/VhmIRid8kiI/AAAAAAAABaw/pnk0RuY5hCs/s400/Ten%2BApples%2BUp%2Bon%2BTop.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Well, that is a good overview of what we have been doing in kindergarten in Oregon. Monday will be our 22nd day of school. Woohoo! </div>
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Hope you are having a lovely autumn. Thanks for stopping by!</div>
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<span style="color: #363f48; font-family: Open Sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02483448856689135522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890075990168849547.post-2217659409252305622015-09-20T20:09:00.000-07:002015-09-20T20:11:12.709-07:00Classroom Reveal and a Freebie!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l_4iY-OIcA0/Vf86hgM1r4I/AAAAAAAABR0/D1NSAKo8zNg/s1600/Clasrrom%2BReveal%2BCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l_4iY-OIcA0/Vf86hgM1r4I/AAAAAAAABR0/D1NSAKo8zNg/s640/Clasrrom%2BReveal%2BCover.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I am so excited to be sharing my kindergarten classroom with all of you! My classroom is a home away from home and I want it to be an inviting place for me and my students. I made some changes this year and am excited about the "newness" the room has this year. I have been in this room for 8 years now and so walking in with some changes makes it feel fresh.</div>
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Tomorrow will be Day 9 of school for us. We are having a great start to our year and I am have a sweet group this year. I hope you are having a wonderful start to your year as well.</div>
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This is the view of my door from outside in the hall. I love my apple flag and have many flags that I rotate seasonally throughout the year.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-StsynPgA_po/Vf9Jx5huz-I/AAAAAAAABSI/taA-5VVUAIY/s1600/Front%2BDoor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-StsynPgA_po/Vf9Jx5huz-I/AAAAAAAABSI/taA-5VVUAIY/s640/Front%2BDoor.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
I put my Happy Birthday board on my door. I cut the letters on my <a href="http://www.silhouetteamerica.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Silhouette Cameo</a> and bought the cupcakes from <a href="http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lakeshore</a>. I am going to take pictures of my students and put them on the cupcakes for their birthdays. The fabric is my window protection and rolls down easily in case of lockdown drills.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3Ne9oj2fPso/Vf9JzczrgFI/AAAAAAAABSQ/ucF_JGcrEIw/s1600/Happy%2BBirthday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3Ne9oj2fPso/Vf9JzczrgFI/AAAAAAAABSQ/ucF_JGcrEIw/s640/Happy%2BBirthday.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
This is the view of my classroom from my door. I love my large windows that let in a lot of natural light. I also have a door that leads straight out to the playground which is very nice!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AL0WULkQ8IY/Vf9J3xl1sJI/AAAAAAAABSY/xiyGwgHz92Q/s1600/View%2Bfrom%2Bdoor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AL0WULkQ8IY/Vf9J3xl1sJI/AAAAAAAABSY/xiyGwgHz92Q/s640/View%2Bfrom%2Bdoor.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is one of my bulletin boards. I do a random drawing for a Star Student every week. The children fill out a paper and we learn more about them. They get a special chair and slip cover for the week. This year I also decided to simplify and make the Star Student my jobs person. I always had rotating jobs in the past and I could never remember who was in charge of things (like the door holder) when we were out of the room. I can remember one student for everything though! I am looking forward to this starting next week. </div>
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The fish straws are birthday gifts! Students can pick the straw color of their choice on their special day. They came from <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/fish-straws-a2-3_1564.fltr" target="_blank">Oriental Trading Company</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6t9BkOr3A3o/Vf9J_nf5ZMI/AAAAAAAABSg/SqMIXDfmJjc/s1600/Star%2BStudent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6t9BkOr3A3o/Vf9J_nf5ZMI/AAAAAAAABSg/SqMIXDfmJjc/s640/Star%2BStudent.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
We had a recess rodeo on the third day of school where we taught the children how to safely play recess games. After, we made these adorable art projects with children swinging on a swing, or going down the slide. Underneath it says "I promise to be safe at recess." They are so cute! This packet comes with a book and activity cards. It is by D Conway called <i>Recess Rules! Emergent Reader and Creativity Pack </i>and you can find it <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Recess-Rules-Emergent-Reader-Craftivity-Pack-286433" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GJoCczWMr_w/Vf9KBTIselI/AAAAAAAABSo/aznpXl-mM5M/s1600/Bulletin%2BBoard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GJoCczWMr_w/Vf9KBTIselI/AAAAAAAABSo/aznpXl-mM5M/s640/Bulletin%2BBoard.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
This is my word wall - to be! I made the letters and words and want to post it on TpT soon. I used a chevron background and just love how it looks. I also put up black fabric this year. This is a brand new board to me. I wasn't sure how I would like the black. At first it seemed very dark, but I am liking it a lot now that I have the border and parts put together.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qm3jGYZdVEs/Vf9KEAdzhZI/AAAAAAAABSw/JEDflZgoK0w/s1600/Word%2BWall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qm3jGYZdVEs/Vf9KEAdzhZI/AAAAAAAABSw/JEDflZgoK0w/s640/Word%2BWall.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is my writing center. The kiddos are liking this area of the classroom so much. I got the colorful wall hanger on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Smead-Cascading-Organizer-Pockets-92060/dp/B00H0FJLZS/ref=pd_sim_sbs_229_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=0WJFHWRHDN7B10DARVA8&dpID=41zs4HUikOL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a> and am going to put in different writing papers as the year goes on.</div>
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The Writing Center image is from <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Posters-Elements-of-Story-Writing-Posters-1341020" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Teaching Superkids</a> and the small posters talking about different writing strategies are from <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Workshop-Mini-Posters-for-Editing-Kindergarten-and-First-Grade-1350439" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Class of Kinders</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7d0gAa7bjlc/Vf9KxR8zjtI/AAAAAAAABVg/rwMakxQ4AzU/s1600/Writing%2BCenter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7d0gAa7bjlc/Vf9KxR8zjtI/AAAAAAAABVg/rwMakxQ4AzU/s640/Writing%2BCenter.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is my little library. The colored tubs on top are my table books. The word READ is a freebie in my TpT store. You can find that <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/READ-word-Freebie-2050646" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UmZj5fFiCic/Vf9KtnUxQ3I/AAAAAAAABWA/QQdIkicbhl8/s1600/Library.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UmZj5fFiCic/Vf9KtnUxQ3I/AAAAAAAABWA/QQdIkicbhl8/s640/Library.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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My playhouse! This is a favorite during activity time. I think it is adorable!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aH7jqAFZKr4/Vf9KhaobK1I/AAAAAAAABTM/zQ9gDbjwrbo/s1600/Playhouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aH7jqAFZKr4/Vf9KhaobK1I/AAAAAAAABTM/zQ9gDbjwrbo/s640/Playhouse.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The view of my small group area from the library.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QD4S1GbFdXE/Vf9KTnWpd8I/AAAAAAAABS8/_tGsoGheOmA/s1600/Small%2Bgroup%2Breading%2Barea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QD4S1GbFdXE/Vf9KTnWpd8I/AAAAAAAABS8/_tGsoGheOmA/s640/Small%2Bgroup%2Breading%2Barea.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
A view of the front of my classroom! The math bulletin board is actually two bulletin boards put together, hence the silver bar down the middle. I put burlap on the bulletin board and I am excited to start adding to it as the year goes on.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PtjNy3EDwRQ/Vf9KXcbeN4I/AAAAAAAABTE/yOoTI_IqrMg/s1600/Front%2Bof%2Bclassroom%2Bfrom%2Bback%2Bdoor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PtjNy3EDwRQ/Vf9KXcbeN4I/AAAAAAAABTE/yOoTI_IqrMg/s640/Front%2Bof%2Bclassroom%2Bfrom%2Bback%2Bdoor.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I like my new math wall. I made the letters for MATH and got the plates at the Dollar Store. The number posters are in my TpT store. You can find those <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Number-Posters-0-20-Horizontal-2013185" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>. The Days in School is adorable and that is from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WildAboutFirsties" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wild About Firsties</a> for her Facebook fans.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XbjCDdOUSgg/Vf9Kt9WEwSI/AAAAAAAABV8/up3lW2kbeKU/s1600/Math%2BWall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XbjCDdOUSgg/Vf9Kt9WEwSI/AAAAAAAABV8/up3lW2kbeKU/s640/Math%2BWall.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is my literacy Focus Wall. We use the Reading Street program and this board is a good way to draw their attention to the targeted skills for the week.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nMfoBa1CiuI/Vf9Ks8WqVLI/AAAAAAAABWM/pHUiqnzDvSg/s1600/Focus%2BWall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nMfoBa1CiuI/Vf9Ks8WqVLI/AAAAAAAABWM/pHUiqnzDvSg/s640/Focus%2BWall.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is a view of my vast personal book collection. I also keep things on the counter like my Math Journals, and papers for the week. The two tubs against the wall are things I have bought from TpT. I have a bit of a buying problem! But, they are all organized and ready to go for activities for my students.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EQifcC5E9N4/Vf9Kurz_kbI/AAAAAAAABVw/aok-WrlQmMM/s1600/Personal%2BLibrary%2Band%2BSupplies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EQifcC5E9N4/Vf9Kurz_kbI/AAAAAAAABVw/aok-WrlQmMM/s640/Personal%2BLibrary%2Band%2BSupplies.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The colorful tubs are where I store my word work activities. I got most of these materials from Lakeshore through a <a href="http://www.donorschoose.org/" target="_blank">Donors Choose</a> grant. The wooden shelf shows the plastic tubs I spray painted and I love how the green looks. I am putting together my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-Done-Now-What-activities-for-fast-finishers-BUNDLE-Pack-1016868" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">All Done! Now What?</a> by Miss Kindergarten Love in these tubs. However, our copy machine has been broken the majority of the school year and I can't quite get the copies made. I also have some whiteboards and clipboards for easy student access.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-syHneNkxiR8/Vf9KxKzJ7KI/AAAAAAAABVY/e5Dg6zIMJj8/s1600/Word%2BWork%2Band%2Bmore%2Bsupplies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-syHneNkxiR8/Vf9KxKzJ7KI/AAAAAAAABVY/e5Dg6zIMJj8/s640/Word%2BWork%2Band%2Bmore%2Bsupplies.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is a view of my room standing by the small group table against the windows. You can also see my SMARTBoard. I love using this teaching tool in the classroom. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v1zbKlj9eto/Vf9KwbcVAuI/AAAAAAAABVI/tSXzB24NqPU/s1600/View%2Bof%2BCabinets%2Band%2Bdesk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v1zbKlj9eto/Vf9KwbcVAuI/AAAAAAAABVI/tSXzB24NqPU/s640/View%2Bof%2BCabinets%2Band%2Bdesk.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This a view of my desk and filing cabinet. The desks are huge! They were donated by a company and so this is not the traditional teacher desk. Above my desk is my number of the week bulletin board (oops! I cut off the top!). That is in my TpT store and you can find that<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Number-of-the-Week-Bulletin-Board-BUNDLE-0-20-2034841" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> here</a>. Next to that, where the long pocket charts are, is where I will post my goals (CCSS) for my lessons.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Em3Ef1uGhkc/Vf9Ksls6zEI/AAAAAAAABUA/2uygWVBI-_g/s1600/Desk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Em3Ef1uGhkc/Vf9Ksls6zEI/AAAAAAAABUA/2uygWVBI-_g/s640/Desk.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here is another view of my classroom from my desk. I love the colorful lanterns hanging in my room. They add so much charm. I got those at <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/solid-color-balloon-lanterns-a2-3_474.fltr?Ntt=lanterns" target="_blank">Oriental Trading Company</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CyD5rEXkibo/Vf9KwFoGPSI/AAAAAAAABVU/a9VukGF4t14/s1600/View%2Bfrom%2BDesk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CyD5rEXkibo/Vf9KwFoGPSI/AAAAAAAABVU/a9VukGF4t14/s640/View%2Bfrom%2BDesk.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is my bathroom pass. The children take the clothespin and put that on their clothes. I made this graphic with clip art from Krista Wallden at <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Krista-Wallden" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Creative Clips</a> and <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Stick-Kids-Bright-Basics-Set-1-Clipart-for-Teaching-834829" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Graphics from the Pond</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MI_58RupRE4/Vf9KrvVEWeI/AAAAAAAABTw/Ah_OTBZ9-T4/s1600/Bathroom%2BPasses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MI_58RupRE4/Vf9KrvVEWeI/AAAAAAAABTw/Ah_OTBZ9-T4/s640/Bathroom%2BPasses.jpg" width="640" /></a>I adore the way the students are getting home turned out. I got the images from <a href="http://www.wildaboutfirsties.blogspot.com/2015/08/classroom-decor-galore-freebies.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wild About Firsties</a> and am using clothespins underneath. I used to type names but then had to keep typing up new lists as students came and went, or changed their mode of transportation. This is way easier! The tooth graph is also so cute and it is from <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Erica-Bohrer/Search:tooth%20graph" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Erica Bohrer</a>, but I don't see it in her TpT store anymore. The fairy is from <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fairy-clip-art-1235931" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Clementine Digitals</a> and it so stinking cute! The wand if from The Dollar Store! I cut out the letters on my Silhouette Cameo. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IFruJB7Pkf4/Vf9KtMLMP_I/AAAAAAAABWI/pEzfSJKyVp0/s1600/Going%2Bhome%2Band%2BTooth%2BGraph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IFruJB7Pkf4/Vf9KtMLMP_I/AAAAAAAABWI/pEzfSJKyVp0/s640/Going%2Bhome%2Band%2BTooth%2BGraph.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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My husband came to school last year and painted my shelf. Here I store my table caddies, crayons and markers, and some math materials.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uq9QHlkHrvk/Vf9KvRytsRI/AAAAAAAABVc/aIq_Ohnq1c0/s1600/Table%2BCaddies%2Band%2Bcrayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uq9QHlkHrvk/Vf9KvRytsRI/AAAAAAAABVc/aIq_Ohnq1c0/s640/Table%2BCaddies%2Band%2Bcrayons.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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At the end of my cubbies I store my glue sponges and my tidy tubs. Do you use Tidy Tubs? They are so amazing and it keeps my kiddos at their seats, rather than waking around the room non-stop to the recycling bin. I wanted to share a Tidy Tub freebie with you in case you use them. I made these to label my bins and I just love them! Find your freebie below!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pLAg_ee0AUE/Vf9KvmGc97I/AAAAAAAABVk/fpijDSXRXtI/s1600/Tidy%2BTibs%2Band%2BGlue%2BSponges.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pLAg_ee0AUE/Vf9KvmGc97I/AAAAAAAABVk/fpijDSXRXtI/s640/Tidy%2BTibs%2Band%2BGlue%2BSponges.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here are just a few more pics of my classroom! It is a place that makes me happy :)</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8WjFIFwpdoU/Vf9KwfvYuXI/AAAAAAAABVQ/JD0LZiEWsZs/s1600/View%2Bof%2Bfront%2Bof%2Bclassroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8WjFIFwpdoU/Vf9KwfvYuXI/AAAAAAAABVQ/JD0LZiEWsZs/s640/View%2Bof%2Bfront%2Bof%2Bclassroom.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Don't mind the missing Uu on the bulletin board. I accidentally printed two Tt's, so I need to replace that. I also love the large shapes along the top of my wall. The 2D ones I made, the 3D ones I bought - but I don't recall where.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_OXLyJbyH6A/Vf9KrGIpLkI/AAAAAAAABWU/l_DiBWQKLdI/s1600/Another%2BView%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bback%2Bof%2Bmy%2Bclassroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_OXLyJbyH6A/Vf9KrGIpLkI/AAAAAAAABWU/l_DiBWQKLdI/s640/Another%2BView%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bback%2Bof%2Bmy%2Bclassroom.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Click here, or the image below for your <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bz83v3DQiOu6RldHVE9Lb2dBVE0/view?usp=sharing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tidy Tub Freebie</a> :)</div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bz83v3DQiOu6RldHVE9Lb2dBVE0/view?usp=sharing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3kSWzNuFpsw/Vf9tEADH1_I/AAAAAAAABW0/ZIg7bvhyefc/s400/Tidy%2BTub%2BFreebie.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you have a great rest of your school year :)</div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D4890075990168849547%23editor%2Fsrc%3Ddashboard&media=https%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-3kSWzNuFpsw%2FVf9tEADH1_I%2FAAAAAAAABW0%2FZIg7bvhyefc%2Fs400%2FTidy%252BTub%252BFreebie.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.37.01&xuid=Z_QJNKyYvU1K&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 203px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 13674px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D4890075990168849547%23editor%2Fsrc%3Ddashboard&media=https%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-3kSWzNuFpsw%2FVf9tEADH1_I%2FAAAAAAAABW0%2FZIg7bvhyefc%2Fs400%2FTidy%252BTub%252BFreebie.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.37.01&xuid=Z_QJNKyYvU1K&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 203px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 13674px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D4890075990168849547%23editor%2Fsrc%3Ddashboard&media=https%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-3kSWzNuFpsw%2FVf9tEADH1_I%2FAAAAAAAABW0%2FZIg7bvhyefc%2Fs400%2FTidy%252BTub%252BFreebie.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.37.01&xuid=Z_QJNKyYvU1K&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 203px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 13674px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D4890075990168849547%23editor%2Fsrc%3Ddashboard&media=https%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-3kSWzNuFpsw%2FVf9tEADH1_I%2FAAAAAAAABW0%2FZIg7bvhyefc%2Fs400%2FTidy%252BTub%252BFreebie.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.37.01&xuid=Z_QJNKyYvU1K&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 203px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 13674px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02483448856689135522noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890075990168849547.post-52386753661733919652015-09-05T06:00:00.000-07:002015-09-05T06:00:06.057-07:00Go Noodle Back to School Fun! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gAySX8XcLXQ/VekixbDfS7I/AAAAAAAABQA/eiEd2Tq8jvs/s1600/Go%2BNoodle%2BBlogger%2Bbash.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gAySX8XcLXQ/VekixbDfS7I/AAAAAAAABQA/eiEd2Tq8jvs/s400/Go%2BNoodle%2BBlogger%2Bbash.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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It is back to school time in Oregon (as well as other areas of the country) and one of the things I am most excited about this school year is introducing my new class to <a href="https://www.gonoodle.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Go Noodle</a>! I discovered Go Noodle last year and was intrigued. I decided to find out what this Go Noodle thing was all about, and it quickly became a favorite brain break in my classroom.<br />
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<a href="https://www.gonoodle.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Go Noodle</a> is a FREE website that has myriad opportunities for brain breaks. All students need to be able to move in the classroom, and sometimes a quick brain break is all it takes to get wiggly students back on track. Go Noodle can be used before, during, or at the end of a lesson! <br />
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There are many different types of brain breaks that your students can do with Go Noodle. They can do calming activities like yoga, get active with some running, or dance and sing with Zumba or Koo Koo Kangaroo. Go Noodle even started an indoor recess station. The activities range from about 7 - 19 minutes and it compiles many Go Noodle favorites to get the kids moving.<br />
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Go Noodle even has a You Tube station which has academic songs for math and reading!<br />
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When starting Go Noodle your class pics a "champ" and after 10 Go Noodle brain breaks, your champ goes in the Transmorgifier and grows. After 3 more times, you max out that champ and then pick a new one. The children LOVE when their champ grows. This is also a great math lesson. After completing a Go Noodle, a bar will show 7/10 and I will ask my students, "How many more do we need to get to 10?"<br />
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I can't wait to use it this year for brain breaks, calming activities during transitions, and fun academic movement. However, my favorite way to use Go Noodle is to end our day watching a video on the SMARTBoard. The children are very motivated to clean up, get their backpacks, head back to the carpet, and get ready for a fun closing activity.<br />
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Here is an example of my students at the end of the day with their backpacks on. We are doing "Roller Coaster" by Koo Koo Kangaroo. If you haven't watched this yet, DO IT!!!! It is a blast!<br />
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Here we are taking a brain break to "Dino Stomp" by Koo Koo Kangaroo. </div>
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Clearly, Koo Koo Kangaroo is our favorite! Here is a video of us doing Pop See Ko - another favorite. The kiddos couldn't get enough of this one. We need to work on our timing a little bit, but you can see how engaged they are.</div>
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To celebrate being back in school, you can shop for swag at the <a href="http://shop.gonoodle.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Go Noodle shop</a> for a 15% discount. Just use the code <b style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">BTSwithGoNoodle </b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">(valid September 5-11).</span><br />
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However, I am so excited because I also get to GIVEAWAY a tumbler from Go Noodle! Wouldn't this be fun to bring to school and drink your morning coffee or tea?<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eyccn2FX6zo/Veptu2GfixI/AAAAAAAABQ8/nmgmb1bvdgc/s1600/Go%2BNoodle%2BTumbler%2BGiveaway.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eyccn2FX6zo/Veptu2GfixI/AAAAAAAABQ8/nmgmb1bvdgc/s320/Go%2BNoodle%2BTumbler%2BGiveaway.tiff" width="229" /></a></div>
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If you'd like to win this tumbler, head on over to my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KindergartenPlanet?ref=aymt_homepage_panel" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kindergarten Planet Facebook</a> page and comment on the Go Noodle picture. Let me know if you use Go Noodle in your classroom and if so, what is your favorite one to do with your class?</div>
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Do you Go Noodle? If not, you should!Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02483448856689135522noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890075990168849547.post-83021640178546878592015-08-17T05:00:00.000-07:002015-08-17T12:19:59.336-07:00Best Books to Read at the Beginning of the School Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The theme this week for <i>Must Read Monday</i> is must read stories for the <i>beginning of the school year</i>. This is also the <i>FINAL</i> week of Must Read Monday (sniff, sniff). This has been a great summer linky party and I am so happy you came along on this reading adventure!<br />
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Some of you have already started school and I hope it is going well. Some of you are like me, and won't get to meet your new little sweeties until September. In any event, these are books that can be read at the beginning of the school year, and may also be revisited throughout the year. Many of these become class favorites and students love to hear these stories more than once.<br />
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We wanted to end Must Read Monday with a <b>giveaway</b>! Make sure to stick around so you can enter the <b>rafflecopter below</b>!<br />
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<a href="http://thekindergartenconnection.com/2015/08/10-back-to-school-books.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Kindergarten Connection</a> and I would love to know - what are your favorite book(s) to read at the beginning of the school year? You can link up with us and/or leave us a comment down below! Here are a few of my favorites!<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: red;">No David!, </span><span style="color: orange;">David Goes to School</span><span style="color: red;"> and </span><span style="color: #6aa84f;">David Gets in Trouble</span></u></b> by David Shannon are must reads for any primary grade classroom. The books have easy language for children to learn and funny illustrations. The <i>David</i> books are great because they show non-examples (or wrong examples) of behavior, and it leads to a class discussion about what the behavior should look like. I always read these books within the first week of school and they help guide our discussion while developing our classroom rules.<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: red;">How Do Dinosaurs Go to School?</span></u></b> by Jane Yolen is another fun book that illustrates challenging behaviors. The story asks questions about how dinosaurs go to school and throughout the book I ask the children if the different behaviors are appropriate. They always answer "No!" The second half of the story talks about the correct behavior a dinosaur should exhibit at school. The dinosaur books rhyme, are silly, and the students enjoy them. <br />
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<b><u><span style="color: red;">Miss B</span></u></b><span style="color: red;"><b><u>indergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten</u></b></span> by Joseph Slate is a book that teachers setting up their classrooms can definitely relate to. Miss Bindergarten comes into her classroom and unpacks, decorates, and gets ready for her sweet students at the beginning of the school year. This story is a wonderful rhyming book and the students' names in the story start with each letter of the alphabet A-Z. I tell my students that I have to do similar things when setting up our classroom - just like Miss Bindergarten. I read this story at the start of the year, and so my kindergarteners usually just stare at me! Ha! This is a charming story and a great beginning of the school year read!<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: red;">Chicka Chicka Boom Boom</span></u></b> by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault is a wonderfully playful alphabet book with rich and silly language. The letters are trying to go up the coconut tree, but can they all do it? There are capital and lowercase letters featured in this story. I have the audio version of this story. I <i><b>never</b></i> just read it. Instead, I <i><b>always</b></i> play the song, and we sing along. It is quite fun!<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: red;">There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Books!</span></u></b> by Lucille Colandro is another fun <i>Old Lady</i> story with a repeating structure. She swallows many different school supplies and this story is perfect for retelling the order in which she swallowed them.<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: red;">The Night Before Kindergarten</span></u></b> by Natasha Wing follows the pattern of the other <i>The Night Before</i> stories. This story focuses on several children who are getting ready for kindergarten and dreaming about school supplies on the night before the first day of school. The parents bring their children to school and everyone meets the teacher. Tears may be shed in this sweet rhyming story!<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: red;">Chrysanthemum</span></u></b> by Kevin Henkes is a favorite story of mine that I read to initiate discussions about treating each other kindly. It is a lovely story about a little girl with a long and pretty name who gets made fun of by a group of not so nice girls. Chrysanthemum feels awful after school each day and her parents try to help her feel better. It is only when the music teacher enters the picture that things begin to change for all involved. This story is very relatable when talking about being a kind friend and what using un-kind words might feel like.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b><u>The Kissing Hand</u> </b></span>by Audrey Penn is the book I read <i>right away</i> to my kindergarten students - like on the first day of school <i>right away</i>. After backpacks are put away, I gather the children on the carpet. There are many sniffles from children and parents simultaneously but that is when I start to share the story about Chester the raccoon going to school and not wanting to leave his mother. The mother shares "the kissing hand" with Chester and that helps him go to school with a smile. After I read this story, I tell the children that we are going to give the kissing hand to our parents and say goodbye and we will see them at the end of the day. This is a nice way to have a large group of parents slowly exit the room, and a good way for us to get started with our kindergarten day. <i>Warning:</i> this also causes some children to cry harder!<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: red;">Pete the Cat Rocking in My School Shoes, </span></u></b><b><u><span style="color: orange;">Pete the Cat I Love My White Shoes </span><span style="color: red;">and</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span></u></b><b><u><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons</span></u></b><b><span style="color: orange;"> </span></b>by Eric Litwin are also must reads for your primary classroom! The children love <i>Pete the Cat</i>, and why not? He is easygoing, chill, and flexible. He has great lessons to teach us as well. After all, "It's All Good!" <br />
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We read, or shall I say listen, to the CD's at the beginning of the year, as well as throughout the year. The children love to listen to <i>Pete the Cat</i> over and over again. My grade level has also put together a <i>Pete the Cat</i> school tour after we read this story on the first day of school - which will be here September 9th!<br />
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For More Book Recommendations, please check out:<br />
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/06/must-read-monday-books-for-end-of.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About the End of the School Year</a></div>
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/06/must-read-monday-must-read-books-about.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About Friendship</a></div>
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/06/must-read-monday-must-read-books-about_29.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About Math</a><br />
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/07/must-read-monday-must-read-books-about.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About Cooperation</a><br />
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/07/must-read-monday-books-about-teaching.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About Compassion</a><br />
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/07/must-read-monday-books-for-rhyming.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About Rhyming</a><br />
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/07/must-read-monday-books-just-for-fun.html" target="_blank">Must Read Books Just for Fun!</a><br />
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/08/must-read-monday-holiday-books.html" target="_blank">Must Read Holiday Books</a><br />
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/08/must-read-monday-modern-fairy-tales.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Modern Fairy Tale Books</a><br />
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Thanks again for reading along this summer! It has been wonderful writing about many of my favorite children's books and I always looked forward to Must Read Monday! Thank you to all of the bloggers who linked up with us, and everyone who read along. You helped to make this so very special!</div>
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<script src="//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02483448856689135522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890075990168849547.post-20145724747401452952015-08-10T00:02:00.000-07:002015-08-10T00:02:00.327-07:00Must Read Monday: Modern Fairy Tales<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The theme this week for <i>Must Read Monday</i> is must read <i>modern fairy tales</i>. These always add a fun twist to your classroom library. It is great to read the original story, and then read the modern version and compare and contrast the versions.<br />
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<a href="http://thekindergartenconnection.com/2015/08/fractured-fairy-tales.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Kindergarten Connection</a> and I would love to know - what are your favorite modern fairy tales? You can link up with us and/or leave a comment down below! Here are a few of my favorites!<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;"><u>Humpty Dumpty</u></span></b> by Daniel Kirk is an adorable book that rhymes and is a clever way to tell the story of Humpty Dumpty's fall. Humpty wants to go the birthday parade of King Mo. Humpty is friendly and adventurous. King Mo is shy and loves puzzles. How does Humpty fall? Does he get put back together again? This story is the beginning of a wonderful friendship!<br />
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I love to read this at the end of the school year. Then, we begin an art project where we create a brick wall holder and a Humpty Dumpty egg (one side is cracked and the other side is fine). It is a nice culminating activity. The children can use the props to retell the Humpty Dumpty poem. You can see that activity in this photo I posted on Instagram <a href="https://instagram.com/p/3hwbsIPJXD/?taken-by=kindergarten_planet" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;"><u>Falling for Rapunzel</u></span></b> by Leah Wilcox is a funny spoof on this popular tale. This books also rhymes and the rhymes are hilarious. A prince comes to the tower and asks Rapunzel to throw down her hair...........she thought he said her <i>underwear</i>! The kids crack up and it makes for a cute guessing game. They try to guess what she will throw down that could rhyme with what the prince asks for. Does the prince get the princess? Or, is there a surprise at the end? You will have to read it to find out!<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;"><u>The True Story of the Three Little Pigs</u></span></b> by Jon Scieszka is the tale of The Three Little Pigs as told from the wolf's point of view. He claims it is all a misunderstanding. Or is it? He <i>is</i> able to explain everything and it makes for a funny story. At the end, the students can vote which one they think is the "truth" - the original or the modern day story.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;"><u>The Wolf Who Cried Boy</u></span></b> by Jeffrey Dinardo is an amusing twist on the familiar story <i>The Boy Who Cried Wolf</i>. A young wolf is bored so he cries "Help, a boy is after me!" The animals in town come running and he laughs as he tells them it is a joke. The animals don't like it. He does this one too many times and when a boy does come after him, nobody comes to help him. The animals get the last laugh with a little trick and the wolf learns his lesson!<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;"><u>If the Shoe Fits</u></span></b> by Alison Jackson is a creative fairy tale that starts off with the old woman who lived in a shoe with her many children. She decides that they need to move and so they wander through various fairy tale poems - <i>Hey Diddle Diddle</i>, <i>Hickory Dickory Dock</i>, <i>Humpty Dumpty</i>, etc. There is something wrong with each home and so they flee back to the shoe, which they realize - is perfect for them!<br />
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Next week is our very last <i>Must Read Monday</i> blog post. We will also have a rafflecopter giveaway so be sure to link up and visit our blogs for your chance to win!<br />
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For More Book Recommendations, please check out:</div>
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/06/must-read-monday-books-for-end-of.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About the End of the School Year</a></div>
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/06/must-read-monday-must-read-books-about.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About Friendship</a></div>
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/06/must-read-monday-must-read-books-about_29.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About Math</a><br />
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/07/must-read-monday-must-read-books-about.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About Cooperation</a><br />
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/07/must-read-monday-books-about-teaching.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About Compassion</a><br />
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/07/must-read-monday-books-for-rhyming.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About Rhyming</a><br />
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/07/must-read-monday-books-just-for-fun.html" target="_blank">Must Read Books Just for Fun!</a><br />
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/08/must-read-monday-holiday-books.html" target="_blank">Must Read Holiday Books</a><br />
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<!-- end InLinkz script -->Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02483448856689135522noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890075990168849547.post-30711544660161155402015-08-03T00:02:00.001-07:002015-08-09T13:15:57.314-07:00Must Read Monday: Holiday Books<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The theme this week for <i>Must Read Monday</i> is must read <i>holiday books</i>. This was sort of a tricky post to do because there are so many holidays and loads of books to go with each one. I chose a few major holidays that we celebrate in my home and classroom and picked my favorite books for each. This post has a little bit of this, and a little bit of that.<br />
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<a href="http://thekindergartenconnection.com/2015/08/seasonal-books.html" target="_blank">The Kindergarten Connection</a> and I would love to know - what are your favorite book(s) to read at the holidays? You can link up with us and/or leave us a comment down below! Here are a few of my favorites!<br />
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I want to say that before I do any of my official "reviews" if you don't own any of these books - GO BUY THEM! Ha! But seriously, I think all of these are excellent choices. Some can be read around a holiday, some can be read during the holiday season (or both). But these are some fabulous books - favorites for sure!<br />
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<span style="color: orange;">Halloween Favorites:</span><br />
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<u style="color: #38761d; font-weight: bold;">Where's My Mummy?</u> by Carolyn Crimi is a story about a little mummy who goes looking for his "mummy". While it might have a few scary monsters, it is a cute story that plays on words (like playing "hide and shriek"), fun sound effects, and different creatures of the ghoulish night. There are many questions and answers in this story which allow you to talk about punctuation and tone of voice. But the moral of the story is that there is no place like home - with his mummy!<br />
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<u style="color: #38761d; font-weight: bold;">GO AWAY, BIG </u><u style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: lime;">GREEN</span></u><u style="color: #38761d; font-weight: bold;"> MONSTER!</u> by Ed Emberley is a fun and short book to read. The amazing feature of this di-cut book is that, as the pages are turned, the di-cuts slowly reveal the monster's different features. The book begins with round yellow eyes on an otherwise back page. The monster slowly comes into focus as the story goes on and the monster is described. Eventually, we see the entire monster! Gradually, the monster starts to "go away" as its features disappear with each turn of the page.<br />
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A fun project to do after reading this story is a tear art project where you recreate the monster! They turn out adorable!<br />
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<span style="color: orange;">Thanksgiving Favorites:</span><br />
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<u style="color: #38761d; font-weight: bold;">'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving</u> by Dav Pilkey is definitely one of my all time favorite stories. It is the day before Thanksgiving and children go on a school field trip to a farm. The children meet some turkeys and are so happy to be around them - they become friends. The children also meet Farmer Mack Nuggett who talks to them about how he is going to chop up the turkeys and turn them into Thanksgiving feasts. The children freak - the teacher and farmer run to the well for water (because, doesn't water cure so many problems with our little ones!?!?) - and they calm the children down. The children board the bus to go home (and look a little fatter). Turns out, the children brought the turkeys home! On Thanksgiving Day, the families dine on veggies, and the turkeys are guests. This vegetarian loves a veggie filled Thanksgiving dinner!<br />
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This story follows the pattern of <u>Twas the Night Before Christmas</u> (rhyming!!!), has nods to many famous works of art, and is just as cute and kind as can be!<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><u>A Turkey for Thanksgiving</u></b></span> by Eve Bunting is another Thanksgiving story (spoiler alert!) where the turkey lives! Yeah! Mr. Moose promises Mrs. Moose a turkey for Thanksgiving so he goes on the hunt for one. Other animal friends join in the search. They finally find the turkey hiding down by the river. Turkey is petrified. Mr. Moose makes him come home with him. They want him for Thanksgiving and he promised Mrs. Moose a turkey. What turkey doesn't know is that he is a guest, not the meal. Phew!<br />
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<span style="color: orange;">Christmas Favorites:</span><br />
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<u style="color: #38761d; font-weight: bold;">The Polar Express</u> by Chris Van Allsburg is a magical little story about a boy who goes to the North Pole on the Polar Express train and meets Santa. It is a story about believing, fun, and childhood/adulthood. There is something about the end of the book that always makes me teary-eyed. Maybe I am wrong, but I <i>assume</i> most of you know this book. It is a such a sweet story. It is a little long, but my kinders sit through it. And of course, I ring bells at the end of the story and ask the students if they are able to hear the ringing. <br />
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<span style="color: orange;">Valentine Favorites:</span><br />
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<u style="color: #38761d; font-weight: bold;">The Giant Hug</u> by Sandra Horning is another one of my all time favorites!!!!! This is just adorable! I <span style="color: red;">LOVE</span> reading this story and I <i>always</i> read it on Valentine's Day. This isn't even a Valentine's book - it is actually focused on a birthday present, but it is all about love! Owen wants to send a GIANT hug to his granny for her birthday through the mail. He doesn't want to draw her a picture of a hug, he wants to send an ACTUAL hug. Owen and his mom address an envelope and go down to the post office. Owen gives the worker behind the counter a GIANT hug. That worker gives a GIANT hug to the mail sorter, who in turns gives a GIANT hug to the driver, who then gives a GIANT hug to the driver who is delivering it to the airport...........and so on and so forth until a GIANT hug is actually given to Granny. Along the way, people blush, others kick up their heels, a date is made, and this hug just makes people happy! Guess what Granny wants to send back to her grandson? Wait for it............a BIG Kiss! The children go WILD at this and the story ends with a red lipstick smooch on Owen's cheek. <br />
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This is also a good opportunity to talk about the postal service and the process of mail traveling across town and country. It shows many different components to mail delivery and it makes for a good conversation.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><u>Never Too Little to Love</u></b></span> by Jeanne Willis is a very sweet book about an unlikely love between a mouse and a tall animal. The mouse "Tiny Too-Little" is trying to get up high because he loves somebody and wants a kiss. So he starts stacking things - a thimble, a matchbox, a candle, etc. so he can get up high. The pile grows taller, and the pages become layered to illustrate the pile growing tall. Eventually, there is a crash and "Topsy Too-Tall" has to bend down low for a kiss. Topsy Too-Tall is actually a giraffe and the children discover this at the end and laugh so much! It is great to predict who mouse is trying to reach. There is also a little pop up feature of the giraffe's neck at the end of the book reaching her love. Just plain ol' sweetness!<br />
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<span style="color: orange;">Saint Patrick's Day Favorites:</span><br />
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<u style="color: #38761d; font-weight: bold;">Clever Tom and the Leprechaun</u> by Linda Shute is a book that is just that - clever! Tom Fitzpatrick is out for a walk one day and finds a leprechaun. Tom captures the leprechaun and makes him reveal where the gold is buried. Since a leprechaun must show where the gold is buried if caught, he complies. He takes Tom on a journey, and shows Tom that it is under a particular bush. The problem is, Tom doesn't have a shovel. Tom ties a red ribbon around the plant so he can identify it when he returns, and before he leaves to get his shovel he makes the leprechaun promise not to remove the ribbon. The leprechaun promises and since they stand by their word, Tom felt comfortable leaving to get his shovel. When he gets back to the field, he noticed his red ribbon was not removed...............but, there happened to be a red ribbon tied around EVERY plant. Oh, the tomfoolery!!!!! Clever, indeed!<br />
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/06/must-read-monday-books-for-end-of.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About the End of the School Year</a></div>
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/06/must-read-monday-must-read-books-about.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About Friendship</a></div>
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/06/must-read-monday-must-read-books-about_29.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About Math</a><br />
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/07/must-read-monday-must-read-books-about.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About Cooperation</a><br />
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/07/must-read-monday-books-about-teaching.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About Compassion</a><br />
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/07/must-read-monday-books-for-rhyming.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About Rhyming</a><br />
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/07/must-read-monday-books-just-for-fun.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books Just for Fun!</a><br />
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<!-- end InLinkz script -->Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02483448856689135522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890075990168849547.post-39590526833519346492015-07-27T00:01:00.000-07:002015-07-27T00:01:00.182-07:00Must Read Monday Books Just For Fun!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The theme this week for <i>Must Read Monday</i> is must read books <i>just for fun</i>. As teachers we always want to read books that make sense, or continue to teach the skills we are trying to get across to our students. We pick books that have a purpose for each lesson. Yet there are also some books that we just want to read, because, well, they are just fun! They may still fit into the theme, but we also read them just because they are good literature, and we want to share these fun stories with our students.<br />
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<a href="http://thekindergartenconnection.com/2015/07/fun-books-for-early-readers.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Kindergarten Connetion</a> and I would love to know - what are your favorite book(s) to read just for fun? You can link up with us and/or leave us a comment down below! Here are a few of my favorites!<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><u>Stanley's Party</u></b></span> written by Linda Bailey is probably one of my all time favorite books! It is definitely in my top 10! It is just plain ole' fun! Every time I read it, my students are captivated, and many can relate because they have a dog for a pet. Stanley is a dog whose people go out - a lot. He starts testing things out while they are gone - sitting on the couch, listening to music, eating out of the fridge. He always cleans up before they come home and everything is fine. However, Stanley realizes he would like to share this with some friends. He invites some dogs at the dog park..........and those dogs invite more dogs.........and so on and so forth until the house is full of dogs..............and it is the ONLY night Stanley's people come home early! Uh-oh!!!! It is hilarious and is sure to be one of your favorite books of all time as well!<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><u>The Gruffalo</u></b></span> written by Julia Donaldson is another favorite story to share. This book rhymes, is clever, and invites conversation about animals and why they might do certain things. A mouse is out for a walk and other animals come along to eat him. He tells them he will be meeting a gruffalo and describes a scary creature. The animals run away in fear. All is good until the mouse actually runs into the gruffalo! The gruffalo also wants to eat the mouse. What will the clever mouse do to survive? You must read the story to find out.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><u>The Story of Ferdinand</u></b></span> written by Munro Leaf is copyrighted in 1938! I love that a book written 77 years ago is still being read in classrooms today (at least in mine, and I am sure in many of yours as well!). It is the story of a large bull named Ferdinand. Rather than fight, like most of his friends, he would prefer to sit and smell the flowers. One day men come from the city come looking for bulls for the bull fights, and Ferdinand is taken away. It is quite amusing when this large bull gets brought into the arena. He sits down to smell the flowers in the ladies hair, and makes the matador so mad! Ha! I love that he is a lover, not a fighter. This is such a kind hearted story to share with kiddos!<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><u>Miss Nelson is Missing!</u></b></span> written by James Marshall is a great book to read to students. The first time I am absent in the school year, I have the substitute read this story and then have the students guess where I am. Miss Nelson's students are poorly behaved. One day she doesn't show up to class, but Miss Viola Swamp does. Viola Swamp is mean and runs a tight ship. The children miss Miss Nelson and set out to look for her. Eventually Miss Nelson returns to school and the children are so excited to see her - and they start behaving! This is a great book to talk about rules, behavior, and treating all teachers (PE, Music, ELD, etc) with respect. <br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><u>The Hello, Goodbye Window</u></b></span> written by Norton Juster is just a sweet story about a little girl who spends time at her grandparents house. They clearly love each other and have fun together. The Hello, Goodbye window is a place where laughs, smiles, songs, etc. happen. <br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><u>The Bugliest Bug</u></b></span> written by Carol Diggory Shields is a wonderful book that rhymes, and is a story of friendship. Turns out there is a contest in town for the Bugliest Bug. Dilly the dragonfly attends, but doesn't enter, for she feels she is just a small bug with no frills. While the contest is going on Dilly notices that something is wrong - the judges are arachnids - and soon drop a net on all of the insects. Dilly summons up the courage to fight back and encourages each insect to do what they do best - ants march, mantises pray (HA!) - and eventually they get away from the spiders. Guess who all the insects name "The Bugliest Bug"? You got it - Dilly!<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><u>Blueberries for Sal</u></b></span> written by Robert McCloskey is another oldie, but goodie. This story is first copyrighted in 1948. It shows pictures of a time in the past and makes for a great discussion about clothes and what kitchens used to look like. Sal and her mom go blueberry picking on Blueberry Hill. Sal has a hard time putting berries in her pail for she eats most of them. Meanwhile, a mamma bear and her cub also go looking for blueberries on Blueberry Hill. Both groups are so engrossed in the blueberry picking/eating, that they get mixed up. Little Sal ends up with the mamma bear and the Sal's mom ends up with the bear cub. Both groups scare themselves and end up exactly where they belong at the end. This is a great book to read around Mother's Day, or with a bear unit, or, just because!<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><u>Alice the Fairy</u></b></span> written by David Shannon is a fun book to read to children. David Shannon books are great and the children love his stories and playful language. Alice is a fairy..........a temporary fairy, she hasn't yet made it to permanent fairy status. She can do all sorts of tricks - like make leaves fall off of trees (in the autumn), she can make cookies disappear (in her mouth) and more! This is definitely a just for fun book - and your students will want you to read it again and again!<br />
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For More Book Recommendations, please check out:</div>
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/06/must-read-monday-books-for-end-of.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About the End of the School Year</a></div>
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/06/must-read-monday-must-read-books-about.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About Friendship</a></div>
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/06/must-read-monday-must-read-books-about_29.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About Math</a><br />
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/07/must-read-monday-must-read-books-about.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About Cooperation</a><br />
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/07/must-read-monday-books-about-teaching.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About Compassion</a><br />
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/07/must-read-monday-books-for-rhyming.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About Rhyming</a><br />
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<!-- end InLinkz script -->Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02483448856689135522noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890075990168849547.post-33654695291228843432015-07-20T00:00:00.000-07:002015-07-25T13:18:08.322-07:00Must Read Monday: Books For Rhyming<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The theme this week for <i>Must Read Monday</i> is must read books about <i>rhyming</i>. Rhyming books are such fun stories to read for they tell a tale with playful language. I love when we read stories that rhyme and children start saying, "That rhymes.........that rhymes." And then there are those little sweeties that can't seem to hear them - at all! So, we practice, we read, we play rhyming games, and we just keep working on it!<br />
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<a href="http://thekindergartenconnection.com/2015/07/picture-books-that-teach-rhyming.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Kindergarten Connection</a> and I would love to know what your favorite book(s) about rhyming are. You can link up with us and/or leave us a comment down below! Here are a few of my favorites - favorite rhyming books, and favorite books in general!<br />
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<u><span style="color: orange;">Come Rhyme With Me!</span></u> by Hans Wilhelm is a fun story. It is an ABC book with different animals for each letter, it rhymes, it has riddles, and it has a flap to reveal the answer to the riddle. It has a little bit of everything and your students will <i><span style="color: red;">LOVE</span></i> it!<br />
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<u><span style="color: orange;">There's a Wocket in my Pocket!</span></u> by Dr. Seuss is just a fun and silly rhyming book. In typical fashion, Dr. Seuss creates made up characters and rhymes them with everything and anything! I like this book because it allows you to have the conversation that rhyming words do not have to be real words, they just have to sound the same at the end.<br />
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<u><span style="color: orange;">I Saw an Ant on the Railroad Track</span></u> by Joshua Prince is a really cute story about a train switchman named Jack who goes out of his way to save an ant from the train coming down the tracks. The ant is oblivious to the train and the switchman is relentless in his efforts to switch the train. This story rhymes and makes sure to convey the message that all life is important - no matter how small.<br />
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<u><span style="color: orange;">The Pout-Pout Fish</span></u> by Deborah Diesen is a wonderful story to read with a cute message about sadness and happiness. This rhyming book is full of vocabulary words that require more discussion. A fish is asked many times why he is so sad............and he responds that he is made that way..........until another fish comes along and changes his perception of himself! This story can teach to the high kiddos, and yet also be scaffolded to make it understandable for all children. I always read this book at the end of the year and end our literacy class on a great note!<br />
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<u><span style="color: orange;">Silly Sally</span></u> by Audrey Wood is just plain ole' entertaining. Silly Sally walks upside down. She is trying to get to town and meets other friends along the way. These other friends also get around in a playful way - a pig who dances a jig, a sheep who falls asleep, etc. Will Silly Sally ever get to town?<br />
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<u><span style="color: orange;">The Magic Hat</span></u> by Mem Fox is a class favorite. This book rhymes, has riddles and magic - what more can you ask for in a book? This story allows children to make predictions based on the clues, and the rhyming words help them guess. Some of the answers are hard, but they start getting the hang of the guesses as the book goes on. There is something about this book that is just easy to read, easy to like, and the children want you to read it again and again!<br />
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For More Book Recommendations, please check out:</div>
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/06/must-read-monday-books-for-end-of.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About the End of the School Year</a></div>
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/06/must-read-monday-must-read-books-about.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About Friendship</a></div>
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/06/must-read-monday-must-read-books-about_29.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About Math</a><br />
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/07/must-read-monday-must-read-books-about.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About Cooperation</a><br />
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/07/must-read-monday-books-about-teaching.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About Compassion</a></div>
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<!-- end InLinkz script -->Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02483448856689135522noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890075990168849547.post-81027839042427678862015-07-13T04:00:00.000-07:002015-07-14T00:17:22.424-07:00Teachers Pay Teachers Conference - Las Vegas - 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Turns out, "What happens in Vegas, <i>DOESN'T</i> stay in Vegas!" <a href="http://theelementaryentourage.blogspot.com/2015/07/viva-las-vegas-tpt-conference-linky.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Elementary Entourage</a> has come up with a fun linky party so all will be revealed!</div>
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Vegas Baby, Vegas! Those words <i>ALWAYS</i> come to mind when I hear the words "Las Vegas". This year I was fortunate enough to attend the TpT Conference at the Venetian hotel. If you haven't ever been to Vegas, get ready for sensory overload. It is definitely a fun place, but it is also a little strange. You are in a hotel/casino that has a very controlled environment. It doesn't have any windows downstairs so the outside world is a mystery. There are so many people walking around and it is a great place to people watch. People are allowed to smoke in the casino area so get ready to smell like smoke as well. I didn't realize any place allowed smoking indoors anymore. Teachers took over Vegas this week and it was fun to walk around and recognize people from social media, and the wonderful world of <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Teachers Pay Teachers</a>.</div>
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Just to clarify, my descriptions will be ON TOP of the photos! And........get ready for a lot of pictures, and #sorrynotsorry, there are a lot of pictures of me!</div>
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I was so happy to be rooming with two lovely ladies I met through Instagram. Alex from <a href="http://thekindergartenconnection.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Kindergarten Connection</a> and Becky from <a href="http://www.theclasscouple.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Class Couple</a> are as sweet and fun as can be! We had a great time spending time together in person after getting to know each other through cyberspace! We actually stayed at the <a href="http://www.palazzo.com/" target="_blank">Palazzo</a> (connected to the Venetian) and the suite was a very large and spacious room.</div>
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Becky is the sweetest, and treated me and Alex to a lovely gift bag! Awwwww!</div>
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<a href="https://www.venetian.com/" target="_blank">The Ventian</a> has a canal going through the hotel and you could take a gondola ride if you wish. We did not do that, but it has a picturesque quality to it.</div>
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After arriving to our room and getting dressed, we went out to eat and then to the big blogger Meet-Up. We got to meet sweet Heather from <a href="http://recipeforteaching.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Recipe for Teaching</a>! </div>
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After the blogger meet-up, Alex and I met some friends and colleagues of mine who were in Vegas for the iTeachK conference! We went for a walk outside of the hotel and saw the fire show at The Mirage. </div>
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The next day began with a networking session. Alex, Becky and I got ready with our logos to go greet the day and other TpT folks!</div>
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I went to the kindergarten session and ended up running into a former colleague of mine from my very first school in California. We started working together 17 years ago, and taught kinder for two years together. I worked on the English side of kindergarten, and she worked on the Spanish side. What a small world! It was a really sweet connection! This is Angelica from <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Angelicas-Resources" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Angelica's Resources</a>!</div>
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I was also able to meet and chat with Maria Manore from the talented <a href="http://kindercraze.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kindercraze</a>. She was so kind and gracious and I really enjoyed talking to her.</div>
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Next I got to meet Jennifer from <a href="http://firstgradeblueskies.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">First Grade Blue Skies</a>. She is absolutely adorable! Jennifer is so friendly, down to earth, and very easy to talk to. She was also so sweet because she wanted a picture of me w<i>ith her own phone</i>! See what I mean- adorable!!!!</div>
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I was also able to meet Amie, from <a href="http://glittermeetsglue.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Glitter Meets Glue</a>, who is one of my favorite clip artists. She was so kind and handed out free "Glitter Swag" to those of us who uttered those two words. What a wonderful gift!!!</div>
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While I was also able to meet other TpT ladies, I didn't get pictures of everybody. It was fun to exchange business cards, meet people in person that I "know" from IG and the blogger world, and be able to actually chat in person.</div>
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During lunch, Becky and I took advantage of the photo prop that was set up!</div>
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Next, we went upstairs where there were many exhibit booths set up. Here, we were able to meet Mr. Greg from <a href="http://www.thekindergartensmorgasboard.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Kindergarten Smorgasboard</a>! He was really sweet and showered us with a lanyard, pens and a tote bag!</div>
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After lunch our afternoon sessions began. During the break, I was able to meet Karen Jones from <a href="http://mrsjonessclass.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mrs. Jones Class</a>! She was really sweet and I was happy to get a chance to tell her how much I adore her ideas.</div>
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After the sessions were over, Alex, Becky and I changed for the <a href="https://www.gonoodle.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Go Noodle</a> Meet-Up. We had a lovely walk to the pool area and enjoyed venturing outside after a long (but fun!) day inside.</div>
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After the cabana party, we decided to walk around outside of our hotel for a little bit and find a place to eat. We ended up in <a href="https://www.caesars.com/caesars-palace" target="_blank">Ceasar's Palace</a>. We walked around and enjoyed looking at the statues and underwater aquarium. </div>
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After a late night of chatting, we finally went to bed. But, we had an early morning which started with a continental breakfast. Here I ran into Chrissie Rissmiller from <a href="http://undercoverclassroom.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Undercover Classroom</a>. She and I started our blogs about the same time. We both used <a href="http://www.blogsfitforaqueen.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Blogs Fit for a Queen</a> (highly recommend) and so we have "known" each other since February when our blogs were "born." I wish we would have been able to have more time to chat!</div>
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The morning began with the keynote address and it was really awesome and inspirational! There were quite a few people who talked, but here is a picture of Paul Edelman, founder of Teachers pay Teachers, addressing all of us. It was a huge room and I believe there were close to 1,000 of us at the conference. You can *kind* of make him out!</div>
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My first session that morning was with Deanna Jump from <a href="http://mrsjumpsclass.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mrs. Jumps Class</a> and Deedee Wills from <a href="http://www.mrswillskindergarten.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mrs. Wills' Kindergarten</a>. They are both so funny and have such a good rapport with each other. After the session was over, I think everybody stood up and got in line to meet them. I was very excited to be in that line as well! They are really kind and it was awesome to meet these two creative ladies in person. </div>
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I just want to say that the sessions were excellent and I learned so much! At the end of our sessions they had a a Happy Hour for all of us. It was really nice to meet-up as a large group once again. They had photo ops set up for us. Here is one with Laura, from <a href="http://luvmykinders.blogspot.com/2015/06/1-year-bloggiversary-giveaway.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Luv My Kinders</a>. She is a doll!</div>
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Then, we also got to meet Melissa from <a href="http://junglelearners.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jungle Learners</a>. She is also really nice! Just to clarify - Becky, me, Alex, Melissa and Heather.</div>
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Keep in mind, that if you want to order an adult beverage, you can't get them in "regular" cups.</div>
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It was an awesome few days! I loved it. It was fun, educational, inspiring, wonderful, and tiring. I hope to go to another conference in the future and continue to foster the relationships I made. I also hope to continue to grow as a teacher-author with the new information I learned.</div>
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But, as many of you probably feel, though travel is wonderful, it was great to come home to my sweet, sweet husband. My heart went aflutter when he sent me this text on Friday night!</div>
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Be sure to check out the linky party to find out about other TpTers experiences!</div>
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Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02483448856689135522noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890075990168849547.post-28140845892533773932015-07-13T00:00:00.000-07:002015-07-12T21:31:28.317-07:00Must Read Monday: Books About Teaching Compassion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The theme this week for <i>Must Read Monday</i> is must read books about <i>compassion</i>. The <u>American Heritage College Dictionary</u> defines compassion as "Deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it." Wow! That is a heavy topic for kindergarten children. How on earth do we teach this? Well, we do this like we do everything else. We make it relatable. We break it down so they understand the concept, and children definitely understand treating each kindly (or not) and how it makes them feel. What better way to communicate this, than by reading children's books.<br />
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<a href="http://thekindergartenconnection.com/2015/07/must-read-book%E2%80%A6out-compassion.html%20%E2%80%8E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Kindergarten Connection</a> and I would love to know what your favorite book(s) about compassion are. You can link up with us and/or leave us a comment down below!<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Big Al</u> </span>by Yoshi is a super sweet story about a big friendly fish named Al. The other fish are scared of him because he is so big. Al just wants a friend, and he tries many different things to gain friends, but they are all unsuccessful. It isn't until fisherman come along and capture the little fish with a net that they see Big Al is friendly. Big Al saves them, but is captured. Does Big Al live? You have to read the book to find out!<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">A Bad Case of Stripes</u> </span>by David Shannon is a great story about being true to yourself. Camila loves lima beans, but her friends don't. She wants to fit in so she denies herself something she loves and so she breaks out in a bad case of stripes. The other students make fun of her and she ends up being asked to leave school. She is visited by several doctors and it is a little old lady who ends up curing her. This is a story of compassion that makes sure you are faithful to your needs and confident in being yourself - and nobody else!<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><u><b>Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon</b></u> </span>by Patty Lovell is a cute story about Molly Lou Melon, a little girl with some differences. Her grandmother tells her to smile, stand tall, and be yourself and not be afraid of what others say. This advice comes in handy when she moves to a new school and a bully makes fun of her. Molly Lou Melon stays true to herself and eventually, the other children start to see her potential, and her gifts.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">The Snow Bear</u> </span>by Miriam Moss is a heartwarming story of a bear cub who loses his mommy. The snow bear decides to make a snow mommy until his mother returns. Many animals come by and help the snow bear build his mommy out of snow. Eventually, night falls, the other animals are called home to their moms, and the snow bear cuddles up next to the snowy mom. It is a sweet reunion when the real snow mom returns to her bear cub! The hardbound book is also fabulous because it is embossed and the students love feeling the snow bear, as well as the other animals in this tender story. (I feel like this bit was written by a movie critic with words like heart warming, sweet, and tender! Ha! But, these words are fitting - read the book and see for yourself)<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">The Colors of Us</u> </span>by Karen Katz is a great story to read anytime of the year, but I like reading it in February during Black History Month. A little girl and her mom talk about skin colors and decide that brown is not <i>just</i> brown. There are many shades of brown - like cinnamon, french toast, peanut butter, peachy, etc. Each person is unique and has a skin color that is special. They mix paint and the little girl creates portraits of all of her friends. There is a lovely story about compassion that values each persons outer beauty and uniqueness.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">The Lion Who Wanted to Love</u> </span>by Giles Andreae is one of my favorite books to read. It also rhymes which adds to the story. It is the story of Leo, a lion who is a vegetarian and wants to hug animals, rather than eat them. He is banished from his pride (by his mother) and so Leo sadly leaves, but roams about the area helping other animals and saving them from peril. All the animals love Leo and would love to find a way to repay his kindness. One day, a cheetah is caught in a rapid river heading towards a dangerous waterfall. Leo jumps in to rescue him. He saves the cheetah but is then caught in the rushing water. The animals all rush to help him. Will Leo be saved? Will he reunite with his mother? Check out this book to find out - you won't regret it!<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Hey Little Ant</u> </span>by Philip and Hannah Hoose is the <i>ultimate</i> story of compassion. This is in my top 10 favorite books to read of all time! It is the story of a boy who wants to crush an ant. All of his friends are telling him to do it. A conversation ensues between the boy and the ant and each of them state their own case. The boy states why he <i>should</i> crush the ant. The ant states why the boy <i>should not</i> crush him. This rhyming book illustrates the idea that all living creatures matter. The best part is, the book ends with the boy's raised up shoe and lets you, the reader, decide what he should do. This leads to a great discussion and you can also have the children write and draw about what should happen next. <br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest</u> </span>by Lynne Cherry is an excellent story to read around Earth Day. A man is sent into the rainforest to chop down a tree but gets hot and sits down to rest. During his nap, different animals of the rainforest come up to him and tell him why he <i>should not</i> chop the tree down. When the man wakes up, he sees the tree, the forest, and all the animals through different eyes. What happens next? Does he chop down the tree? The end of the story will reveal all! <br />
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/06/must-read-monday-books-for-end-of.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About the End of the School Year</a></div>
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/06/must-read-monday-must-read-books-about.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About Friendship</a></div>
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/06/must-read-monday-must-read-books-about_29.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About Math</a><br />
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/07/must-read-monday-must-read-books-about.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About Cooperation</a><br />
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<!-- end InLinkz script -->Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02483448856689135522noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890075990168849547.post-18066974561209154762015-07-06T21:39:00.000-07:002015-07-05T21:40:01.992-07:00Must Read Monday: Must Read Books About Cooperation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The theme this week for <i>Must Read Monday</i> is must read books about <i>cooperation</i>. I have been thinking about how much I have enjoyed this linky party this summer. I love to read children's books to my students. It is a nice time of the day that I generally have their attention and good behavior. My students really like to be read to. I hope you have the same experience. <br />
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It has been nice reading everybody's blog posts and hearing about favorite books to read in the classroom. I have noticed that there are some similar themes and favorite books amongst the blog posts. There is comfort knowing that we are all on the right track and have the same idea. But, I also like that we have different ideas and bring something original to our own classroom. It also seems to me that linky parties are all about <i>cooperation</i>. We are all sharing ideas, willingly taking our time to write about books (or whatever the theme is), and then linking up! This week the theme seems very appropriate for a linky party!<br />
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<a href="http://www.thekindergartenconnection.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Kindergarten Connection</a> and I would love to know what your favorite book(s) about cooperation are. You can link up with us and/or leave a comment down below! Alex will be linking up tomorrow, Tuesday, with a brand new blog! Be sure to check back and see her beautiful new design.<br />
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<u style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #38761d;">The Crayon Box that Talked</span></u> by Shane DeRolf is a great book to read at the beginning of the year, and throughout the year as well. A little girl walks into a toy shop and hears a box of crayons arguing. She takes the box of crayons home, colors a picture with ALL of the crayons, and then the crayons realize that they work well together and start to get along. This book rhymes and is absolutely adorable. If my students seem to get off track with behavior, we always revisit this story and talk about how we are a class with many different personalities, but we are together for a year, and we need to learn how to accept each other, and get along.<br />
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My counselor comes in a does a great lesson with this book. After she reads it she picks one crayon color (say purple) and asks them to describe the playground. She draws what they tell her all in purple. As she is drawing the children also get upset - "No, the grass is green" or "The sky is blue." She asks what the picture is lacking at the end and they all say color! She then puts paper out on a table and gives each child one crayon color. They must cooperate, and draw a colorful picture by sharing, talking, and taking turns. It is a very cute lesson and the children get to share their pictures at the end of the lesson. Did I ever tell you that this past year our counselor was awarded the <i>Oregon Counselor of the Year</i>???? Our school is so lucky to have her!<br />
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<u style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Rabbit Stew</span></u> by Donna Kosow is a funny book about a dog who has rabbit trouble. By trouble, that means rabbits coming into his yard to eat his veggies. He captures them, and puts them in a pot to make rabbit stew. The only problem is...........he doesn't know how. So the rabbits say, "You need some carrots" and the dog leaves to get carrots and the rabbits hop away. This pattern repeats itself over and over until the dog has a pretty good rabbit stew going.........sans rabbits! At the end, he ends up sharing the stew with the rabbits and tells them they know how to make a good stew. It is super cute!!!<br />
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<u style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #38761d;">The Sneetches</span></u> by Dr. Seuss is a wonderful book to read about learning how to get along and cooperate. The Star-Belly sneetches are the "popular" sneetches and the Plain-Belly sneetches are not. A man comes along and offers to put stars on those without. So, they give him money and enter his machine and come out with stars. Well, the Star-Belly sneetches don't like it so they go into his machine and take the stars off. This goes on and on until all of their money is spent and then nobody remembers who should have stars, or shouldn't have stars. They all realize that a sneetch is a sneetch and it doesn't matter if you have a star or not. This fun rhyming book is also great to talk about getting along and cooperating and working together - no matter your differences!<br />
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<u><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale</span></b></u> by Mo Willems is such a sweet story. Trixie goes to the laundromat with her dad and then goes to leave and realizes that Knuffle Bunny is missing. She keeps trying to tell her dad, but he doesn't understand. When they get home the mom notices right away and they all rush back to the laundromat. Spoiler alert: they find Knuffle Bunny..............but they find it b/c they worked together and supported each other. In addition to this being a super cute story, the illustrations are amazing. It is like cartoon cut outs over real black and white pictures of New York City streets (Park Slope, Brooklyn to be exact).<br />
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FYI - did you know you pronounce the "K" in Knuffle Bunny? <br />
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<u style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #38761d;">The Seven Silly Eaters</span></u> by Mary Ann Hoberman is a super silly book that also rhymes. It is mom's birthday and her seven children all have <i>very</i> different and specific foods they like to eat. Mrs. Peters spends her days "catering" their meals. The children decide to make mom a treat - but they make it with the food that s/he likes to eat best. The children combine all the ingredients into one pot. Guess what is makes? Mrs. Peters' birthday cake! Super cute story about cooperation!<br />
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/06/must-read-monday-books-for-end-of.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About the End of the Year</a></div>
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/06/must-read-monday-must-read-books-about.html" target="_blank">Must Read Books About Friendship</a></div>
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/06/must-read-monday-must-read-books-about_29.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About Math</a></div>
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<!-- end InLinkz script -->Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02483448856689135522noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890075990168849547.post-24759650897802175622015-06-30T14:25:00.002-07:002015-06-30T17:45:11.280-07:00Tell All Tuesday: Summer Flashback<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love this linky party with <a href="http://mydayinkinder.blogspot.com/2015/06/tell-all-tuesday-summer-flashback.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">My Day in K</a> and <a href="http://teachtalkinspire.blogspot.com/2015/06/tell-all-tuesday-summer-flashback.html" target="_blank">Teach Talk Inspire</a>! Tell All Tuesday is a fun way to get to know one another! The theme this week is Summer Flashback!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YiU5RW7_iuM/VZMEioqWS6I/AAAAAAAABAQ/s0ElrGOuHRI/s1600/Summer%2BFlashback.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YiU5RW7_iuM/VZMEioqWS6I/AAAAAAAABAQ/s0ElrGOuHRI/s640/Summer%2BFlashback.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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I have so many fun summer memories. When I was little we would go to upstate NY every summer where my parents grew up and most of my relatives live. We would visit and also get a camp in the Adirondack Mountains. I have so many fond memories of swimming in the lakes, hiking, and spending quality time with family.</div>
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During college I worked in Yellowstone National Park for 3 summer seasons (and one winter). Those were amazing times and I am very grateful to have that experience.</div>
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Summer also means spending time with my love and traveling. I wrote in a previous <a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/06/tell-all-tuesday-summer-snapshot.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tell All Tuesday</a> post about visiting with family and exploring National Parks. </div>
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However, my new favorite summer memory is our wedding. We have been together 13 and 1/2 years and will celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary on July 5th! We had the most amazing time on our special day. We had our wedding at a local hotel property (<a href="http://www.mcmenamins.com/GrandLodge" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">McMenamins Grand Lodge</a>) and we stayed the weekend along with our guests. It was amazing to see my friends eating with my brother, and everyone getting to know each other. It was a fabulous 4 days (most people arrived FRI night; rehearsal and Welcome Dinner for everybody on Saturday, Wedding Sunday, breakfast Monday and then many guests left - family stayed though. We honeymooned a week later in Kauai!) We had a very intimate wedding - 27 guests - and our relationship just keeps getting stronger each day. I feel so blessed!</div>
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Make sure you check the linky party to see what other memories more bloggers have to share.</div>
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Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02483448856689135522noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890075990168849547.post-45005661156330792032015-06-29T00:21:00.000-07:002015-06-29T00:21:44.510-07:00Must Read Monday: Must Read Books About Math<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The theme this week for <i>Must Read Monday</i> is must read books about <i>math</i>. I must admit that I struggled with math as a student in school. It just wasn't a subject that clicked with me. The irony of this is that my dad was a mathematician (as well as a meteorologist and had a career in the Navy). He would try to tutor me and some of those sessions were difficult. I didn't understand it, and he didn't understand why I didn't "get it" and a few of those sessions ended with me in tears! Anyone else have this experience??? Fast forward to present day, and teaching math is probably my favorite subject to teach. One of the reasons I love it so much is that I am determined to make math meaningful and I want it to make sense for my students. I want them to understand math, to like math, and to feel successful!<br />
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<a href="http://www.thekindergartenconnection.com/2015/06/must-read-monday-must-read-books-about_27.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Kindergarten Connection</a> and I would love to know what your favorite book(s) about math are. You can link up with us and/or leave us a comment down below!<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: red;">Click, Clack, Splish, Splash</span></u></b> by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin is an adorable and simple book about counting to 10, and then counting backwards from 10 to 1 at the end of the story. This book is by the same authors as <u>Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type</u>. I like reading this at the beginning of the year since the words, pictures, and objects to count are clear, and made for beginning readers.</div>
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<u><b><span style="color: red;">Chicka Chicka 1 2 3</span></b></u> by Bill Martin Jr and Michael Sampson is a great book to read at the beginning of the year, and then also to revisit throughout the year. My students love this story and want to hear it over and over again. It counts from 1-20 and then by 10's to 100. It also addresses a little bit of place value with the number zero.</div>
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<b><u><span style="color: red;">Ten Black Dots</span></u></b> by Donald Crews is another wonderful book with cute rhymes and counting objects up to 10. Each page has a different number of dots and those dots are integrated into a picture. Children can easily relate to this book. As an extension activity, it is fun to give your students 10 black dots and construction paper, and have them create their own design.</div>
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<b><u><span style="color: red;">10 Fat Turkeys</span></u></b> by Tony Johnston is a lovely book that rhymes and focuses on subtraction. This story starts with 10 turkeys, and then through a series of events, the turkeys leave one by one. This leads to good conversations about making numbers smaller and I always write the subtraction sentence on the white board and we practice reading the number sentence together. This book is just one of many that has this particular style (starts with a group of 10 and gets smaller as the story goes on) and they are all great to read throughout the year!</div>
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<b><u><span style="color: red;">The Mission of Addition</span></u></b> by Brian P. Cleary is another fun book that talks about math. It rhymes and explains what addition is. There are various scenarios in the book which allow your students to add objects together. It helps children count "all together" and then also create addition number sentences. </div>
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For More Book Recommendations, please check out:</div>
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/06/must-read-monday-books-for-end-of.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About the End of the Year</a></div>
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<a href="http://kindergartenplanet.blogspot.com/2015/06/must-read-monday-must-read-books-about.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Must Read Books About Friendship</a> </div>
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The theme this week for <i>Must Read Monday</i> is must read books about <i>friendship</i>! Having friends is such wonderful thing! It is great to spend time with friends - laughing, talking, and being comfortable just being you! This is an important skill to talk about in your classroom as well. Some children need reminders about how to be a friend and stories are a great way to share this information. <a href="http://www.thekindergartenconnection.com/2015/06/must-read-monday-must-read-books-about.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Kindergarten Connection</a> and I would love to know what your favorite book(s) about friendship are. You can link up with us and/or leave us a comment down below!</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0689819676/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0689819676&linkCode=as2&tag=kinderplanet-20&linkId=IWEZSKQQUGYNCNHM">Dont Fidget A Feather</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=kinderplanet-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0689819676" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
by Erica Silverman is one of my all time favorites for sure. It is the story of Duck and Gander, two friends who are competitive. They want to know who is the one and forever champion of champions so they decide to have a freeze in place contest. Whoever moves, loses. They stay still while bees buzz around them, rabbits hop through them, etc. and they even stay still when a fox comes along and puts them in a bag. The fox wants to eat them and is preparing a pot of boiling water. The animals still don't move. However, when the Gander is about to be thrown in the pot of boiling water, Duck is faced with a dilemma. Is Gander too afraid to move? Does he move, save his friend, and lose the contest? Who will end up being the one and forever champion of champions? This is a story of true friendship!</div>
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by Steve Metzger is a cute story about how things are more fun with a friend. A young boy goes to an ice cream shop with his mom and ends up in a dream world of ice cream, castles and everything he could possibly want. He is all alone and finally he realizes something is missing. What is that you ask? A friend! Life is better when you get to share things with others.</div>
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by Don Freeman is such a sweet story. I don't think this story is new to many of you, but it is a sweet tale for sure. It is quite the adventure for a little teddy bear and a little girl who end up finding each other. When they get together at the end of the story, they realize that they are friends...........and they always wanted a friend!</div>
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by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague is a great story of friendship and also a good one to read at the beginning of the year. This story talks about how to play with friends nicely, how to share, and how to listen. I like this story because it gives non-examples of friendship and ends with good examples of what it means to be a friend. </div>
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Are you always on the lookout for new books? Do you have favorites to share? Follow along each Monday this summer, and if you like, link up with us! You can also leave a comment about your favorite books down below.</div>
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<!-- end InLinkz script -->Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02483448856689135522noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890075990168849547.post-78554923181935090612015-06-16T21:13:00.000-07:002015-06-16T21:13:41.966-07:00Tell All Tuesday! Summer Snapshot!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Tell All Tuesday</i> is a fun linky party hosted by Jayme from <a href="http://teachtalkinspire.blogspot.com/2015/06/tell-all-tuesday-summer-snapshot.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Teach Talk Inspire</a> and Diana from <a href="http://mydayinkinder.blogspot.com/2015/06/tell-all-tuesday-summer-snapshot.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">My Day in K.</a> The theme this week is Summer Snapshot! Summer is a wonderful time to relax, catch up on things around the house, and spend time with my hubby and family. Our family lives in New York and Colorado, so we try to meet up each year for a visit and vacation. <br />
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Lately, the theme for our family vacation has been to visit near National Parks and then spend our time hiking and exploring an amazing area. Some of these snapshots are from NP's that we visited with my family, and some are of trips with just my husband.<br />
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Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde National Park, New Mexico</div>
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Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado</div>
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Canoeing in Teton National Park, Wyoming</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gj3RWOpL_PM/VYDxjwfNmpI/AAAAAAAAA5I/Czr3XHW8jYw/s1600/Slide2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gj3RWOpL_PM/VYDxjwfNmpI/AAAAAAAAA5I/Czr3XHW8jYw/s640/Slide2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming</div>
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Yellowstone holds a special place in my heart because I worked 4 seasons in the park during and after college. This past summer was the first time I had been back in many years and it was the first time my husband had ever been. My heart felt so happy to be back in such an amazing part of this world we live in.</div>
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This summer we want to visit Mount Rainier National Park and North Cascades National Park in Washington.</div>
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Thanks for stopping by! Make sure to link up with other bloggers to find about their Summer Snapshot!</div>
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Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02483448856689135522noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890075990168849547.post-38728296699723636032015-06-15T09:00:00.000-07:002015-06-14T20:39:16.848-07:00Must Read Monday: Books for the End of the School Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I am so very excited for the first week of <i>Must Read Monday</i>, a sumer linky party, with <a href="http://www.thekindergartenconnection.com/2015/06/must-read-monday-books-for-end-of.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Kindergarten Connection</a>! As teachers, we all read to our students and Alex and I are curious - what are some of your favorite books to read to your class? I am excited to share mine each week and to also hear about yours. I have a large book collection as it is.............but I know I'll be purchasing more books at the end of this summer after reading all of the blog posts. You can never have too many books. Right????</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HX5mdfbmls4/VX0dqyvEZtI/AAAAAAAAA2w/wdCOIipIehk/s1600/Must%2BRead%2BMonday%2Bmain%2Bimage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HX5mdfbmls4/VX0dqyvEZtI/AAAAAAAAA2w/wdCOIipIehk/s640/Must%2BRead%2BMonday%2Bmain%2Bimage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The theme this week is must read books for the end of the school year. Here are mine:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-86L1FSJ9mOU/VX0l0d6WJUI/AAAAAAAAA3w/-YbvTSiwKIw/s1600/Slide1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-86L1FSJ9mOU/VX0l0d6WJUI/AAAAAAAAA3w/-YbvTSiwKIw/s640/Slide1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5LnjXLiXNuo/VX0dGHVEGvI/AAAAAAAAA2c/PaR_EZaAZvU/s1600/Last%2BDay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="259" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5LnjXLiXNuo/VX0dGHVEGvI/AAAAAAAAA2c/PaR_EZaAZvU/s320/Last%2BDay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Last-Day-Kindergarten-Nancy-Loewen/dp/0761458077/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1434262590&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Last+Day+of+Kindergarten" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Last Day of Kindergarten</a> - by Nancy Loewen. This is a cute story about a little girl who thinks back to the beginning of kindergarten and then ends up continuing the story on the last day of kindergarten. It is a great way to reflect on things we did as a class at the beginning of school and where we are at the end of the school year - just like the character does in the book. She also talk abut what summer will be like - which is cute to hear what my students say. This story does have a graduation (which we do not do at my school) and that allows for another conversation about comparing and contrasting how her school is the same and different from our school.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--lRS0P7C1Qw/VX0exnm1ghI/AAAAAAAAA3I/r0M3JIlP43U/s1600/Night%2BBefore_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--lRS0P7C1Qw/VX0exnm1ghI/AAAAAAAAA3I/r0M3JIlP43U/s1600/Night%2BBefore_2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Night-Before-Summer-Vacation/dp/044842830X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1434263151&sr=8-1&keywords=the+night+before+summer+vacation" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Night Before Summer Vacation</a> - by Natasha Wing. I love how this mirrors <u>The Night Before Christmas</u>. It follows the same pattern and also rhymes. It gets the children excited about possible trips they may take in the summer and allows us to turn and talk about places we'd like to travel.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--wAY3ubvCjY/VX0fMxQzOYI/AAAAAAAAA3Q/Xng4fg1Wr9A/s1600/First%2BGrade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--wAY3ubvCjY/VX0fMxQzOYI/AAAAAAAAA3Q/Xng4fg1Wr9A/s320/First%2BGrade.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/First-Grade-Here-I-Come/dp/0142412732/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1434263301&sr=8-1&keywords=First+Grade+Here+I+Come" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">First Grade, Here I Come!</a> - by Nancy Carlson. This story starts at the end of the first day of first grade. It is a cute story because this child doesn't know how to feel about first grade. He tells his mom all about his day (while comparing it to kindergarten). He misses kindergarten, but ends up coming around to being excited about being a first grader. This is a nice story to talk to my kiddos about what first grade will be like. It also lets them know that is is OK to miss kindergarten, but that they are moving on and are ready for new adventures!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SKYTk19Ijsg/VX0fz6-i36I/AAAAAAAAA3Y/Xe1RIx20oNw/s1600/Miss%2BBindergarten.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SKYTk19Ijsg/VX0fz6-i36I/AAAAAAAAA3Y/Xe1RIx20oNw/s1600/Miss%2BBindergarten.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Miss-Bindergarten-Celebrates-Last-Kindergarten/dp/0142410608/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1434263465&sr=8-1&keywords=miss+bindergarten+celebrates+the+last+day+of+kindergarten" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Miss Bindergarten Celebrates the Last Day of Kindergarten</a> - by Joseph Slate. I love all the Miss Kindergarten Books! This follows the same format - it rhymes, focuses on the letters of the alphabet and also has a repetitive line "Miss Bindergarten celebrates the last day of kindergarten." It is a great opportunity to talk about how the end of the school year compares to ours (like cleaning the classroom, children being excited and children being sad to leave). The class also has a party at the end and shows Miss Bindergarten leaving the classroom where <u>Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten</u> begins.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w2sK8oY1Mgw/VX0gg26_nUI/AAAAAAAAA3g/VNPJ61DIdGw/s1600/Oh%2Bthe%2BPLaces.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w2sK8oY1Mgw/VX0gg26_nUI/AAAAAAAAA3g/VNPJ61DIdGw/s320/Oh%2Bthe%2BPLaces.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Oh-Places-Youll-Dr-Seuss/dp/0679805273/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1434263619&sr=8-1&keywords=Oh+the+places+you%27ll+go" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Oh, the Places You'll Go! </a>- by Dr. Seuss. This is definitely a favorite book to read at the end of the year. My guess is most of you know this book. It goes through the many stages of life.........good times.........bad times..........good times..........hard times.........all the ups and downs in life. But I love it because it talks about their future.........and how their whole life is ahead of them. Kinders are little and don't fully grasp the brevity of this book, but it is wonderful to plant the seeds of a bright future. I always get teary eyed at the end too. Do you? When it says today is your day, your mountain is waiting, get on your way! Ugh! Gets me...........every.........time!</div>
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Are you always on the lookout for new books? Do you have favorites to share? Follow along each Monday this summer, and if you like, link up with us! You can also leave a comment about your favorite books down below.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eV09APNJ2og/VX0dsyKwj3I/AAAAAAAAA24/lqpRkImiyaE/s1600/Must%2BRead%2BSchedule.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eV09APNJ2og/VX0dsyKwj3I/AAAAAAAAA24/lqpRkImiyaE/s640/Must%2BRead%2BSchedule.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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