Lucky Me! :)

I am a lucky girl this year!  I have wonderful aides this year helping me out.  I had a HUGE list today of things to do and my one aide got it all done- my other aide was on a little vacation today, so she couldn't be there, but she also rocks!  I am SO excited this year to be working with these wonderful people.  I couldn't be happier.  These ladies are going to have our room rock and excell sooooo much! :)  I can't wait now for the first day!

Oh and my dad has been rocking out with making my new storage shelves!  I am loving it!  I can't wait to get it into my classroom! :)  YEAH!  I will post a picture once he has it all done! :)  YEAH!

Back to School linky

Here is a cute linky that I have seen on a few other blogs.  I thought it was cute so I am going to try it!

The blog that started it can be found here at Kindergarten Lifestyle.  I always know more buses are out because my son LOVES to see and count the buses we see for the day.  Usually in the summer we get one, maybe two because we live right by the ISD and we see them coming or going all the time.  On a typical school day, depending on if I am running on time or not, we can see usually about 20 buses or more a day.  Our count lately has been up to about 6, so the new routes are being tested and school is almost here!

I have been back to school since Wednesday.  I have been in my room getting all of my furniture arranged the way I would like it.  My desk is in a new spot, I have a new rug this year (SUPER excited about that) and my desks are arranged in a different style too since I have more kids this year than last year.  Last year's set up will not work with this many kids.  I went to an awesome conference on Friday about using iPads in the classroom.  It would be a dream to have 24 iPads for my kiddos to use in the classroom.  I would love to even have 6 that I could share with my teaching partner when we have centers.  The pros of the iPads being used in the classroom were great.  One of the main ideas that stuck with me was that for the student who struggles to write and form letters, they can succeed at writing by using the iPad and typing it out!  I can also differentiate the different learning styles in my class to all 24 kids!  That would be wonderful to be able to do.  I applied for my first grant over the summer, and didn't get it.  But I am not discouraged because I know there is someone out there who will help me get iPads in my classroom!  I will try again this winter for the same grant, just rewrite it a little, and also for Target's grants in the spring.  I am hoping to get at least one of those grants to get about 5 iPads in the classroom.  (Hey I will even pay all the taxes on the iPads if I got the grants to go with them and they only covered the cost of the actual iPad.)  It would be worth it to me!  So if there is someone who is reading this and would like to donate something large to my classroom... an iPad would be wonderful! :)  Just saying.  Never hurts to ask!

Almost over...

So summer is almost over, at least for me it is.  The teachers have to report on Wednesday this week and the work in my room shall begin!  I was excited to see today after church that yes, my room was  shampooed and cleaned this week!  YEAH!  That means I have free reign in my room now.  I can't wait.  I am looking forward to getting in there now.  I finally am getting the itch to go back... finally (only taking 3 days before I start to get it)!  I am hoping that it is such a fun year this year.  I really enjoyed last year and now I get double the fun! 

Even though the back to school itch is back, I still am feeling a little stressed because I am working on my colloquy.  There is a lot more writing to this one and I hope that I am able to pull it off.  (I think it is also my 'got to get A's and nothing else' nature pulling through and not helping me stay relaxed.)  I have a little more to go, but almost there!

I can also tell that summer is almost over because it is Armada Fair time!  This year I have 3 quilts and about 60 pictures in the fair.  I will probably have a big post later this week about the fair.  I can't wait to go to the fair tomorrow!  It opens tomorrow and I can't go until about 4:30!  AHHH!  If it is really bugging me, I may sneak out there early, but it is a drive from my house and I don't want to waste the gas.  (I am worse than my almost 4 year old!  He keeps begging to go out to the fair.  I guess if he has to wait, I should also set the example.) :)  Here is hoping to some ribbons!  My goal is to one year get a rosette.  I have many ribbons from years past, but never a rosette.  I am trying to win one, but it has to be something specatular to get one and I don't know if I am there yet.  I think a nice hand sewn appliqued quilt may be the key... we shall see.  I am not up to making that yet. :)  (Lots of time involved which you don't quite have as a teacher and mother to young ones.)

Scavenger Hunt Bags

So I have seen this on Pinterest a while back and thought these would be really good for my students who finish early.  I decided to make one for every letter of the alphabet, which is proving harder than I thought with some letters.  I would like to have at least 5-6 items per bag, with not too many in the bag since the kids are suppose to find things.  My "Ss" bag has the most items in it.  These have cost some money to make, but I think that it will be beneficial to the students, especially with beginning sounds and identifying things that begin with certain letters. 

The bags are not finished.  I have put the ribbon on where the zipper is, but I still have to put the letters on the bag to identify which letter bag it is.  I also have to print out the pictures with the items on it.  On the back of that picture, I am going to have the different items listed for my students who are higher and can read.  Then I am going to put them on a ring and going to have a special spot in the room for these to be hanging. :)  here are some pictures for a sneek peek at what I have collected so far.  These are the bags that are all set and ribbon glued on them. 

These are the items that are in my Bb bag.

The Cc bag

The Pp bag.

The Ff bag

The Ee bag

The Hh bag

The Mm bag (don't know why this picture is turned this way, it was normal)

The Ss bag

These are the little plastic beads that I put in.  Thanks to my dad who got them from his work.  You can get them from Joann's too or get Bean Bag filler.

I used see through binder pencil bags.  These I got at Meijer and seem really durable.  For the consonants, I am using blue, black, and purple.  The vowels are all going to be in pink bags... to show the kids that there is a difference.  I hot glued ribbon right on to the zipper, making sure I went over the zipper all the way so that the bag doesn't come apart.  I wanted to make sure I couldn't get into the bag again- also so I don't have these plastic pieces EVERY WHERE in my room! (Don't think that Mr. Jerry would like that too much at the end of the day!) 

Once I get one finished, I will post a picture of that as well.  I have the letters at school, in a cupboard, packed away, so it will be hard to find them right now.  Have to start cleaning out and setting up the room first to find them.  I will have my aides help me in final assembly of these. 

I am really excited about these and hope that the kids enjoy them.  :)

Post Card Exchange

So excited that I may be participating in a Post Card Exchange this year.  It is through Miss Whiddens blog.  She needs a few more states, so check it out! :)  I do hope that I get Michigan, because this will be such a wonderful thing to do with my kiddos to teach them about writing letters and also the United States.  I can totally see this being a great resource for them and get them excited about learning to write letters.  If you are interested, check the blog out and see if you are able to do it.  :)  It would be nice to get all 50 states!

misswhiddenssweetseconds.blogspot.com/

Dollar Deals!

I totally found some really cool finds today at Target in their Dollar Spot.  Some great things that I will be using this year in my classroom, many for centers.

These are going to be used at centers.  I found the really cute containers, erasers, and the ice cube tray holders all for $1!  I like the ice cube tray holders because they have three rows instead of the traditional two.  Plus the silicon at the bottom can pop out the erasers.  Here I have the stars and the frogs shown.  This will be used to show and create patterns.

I was SUPER excited about these stickers.  I will be using these with Chica Chica Boom Boom when we make our own trees at the beginning of this year.  I didn't do this last year, but I would like to incorporate it into the first week of school this year. 

I liked these little certificates because in March, I have the kids eat Green Eggs and Ham with their prayer partners.  I thought this would be a cute certificate to go along with it.  Can't wait... just hope I remember where I put them in March! :) 

It was fun shopping today.  As always though, spent more of my own money, but the kiddos are worth it. :) 

Vacation

Does a teacher ever stop thinking of their classrooms and things that they can use in their classroom?  I know wherever I am at, I always am thinking of how I can use something in someway in my classroom. 

When we were on vacation these past few days, I kept getting things for my new bulletin board idea that I want to do in my classroom.  It is mainly an "About Me" bulleting board where things can be brought in and displayed on the board.  Of course, I got a patch and pin at Sleeping Bear Dunes.  I also was thinking of how I could incorporate our little sailing adventure into my class too. 

We had SO much fun on the trip.  I can't remember a time of being more relaxed or just at peace with everything.  We really enjoyed our times together as a family and not having to punch a clock to be somewhere at a certain time.  Yes, our skin is a little more sunkissed now (or lobsterized) and we all have sand in our hair, but I wouldn't change it for the world.  It was a great trip.  We spent all day on the beach on Tuesday and played in the sand, built sand castles, 'walked the plank' (or the boat dock), 'dug for treasure', and laid out on the cabana.  It was wonderful!  God gave us great weather to enjoy our time with eachother and a beautiful place to do it in.  I love Traverse City.  I had really been there mostly when I was little in the winter (awesome Cross-Country Ski places around).  To be there now in the summer after many years was great.  I cannot wait to go back... we did make it home in 4 hours and 15 minutes... not too far to make a weekend trip.... hint hint honey! ;p

I also realized when we were there that I would love to live there.  It is just big enough to not be a small town, yet not huge either.  There isn't the congestion that there is here at home.  The places around there are so beautiful.... maybe one day we could do a summer house.  Ahh dreams... it would be great, but more than likely not a reality... at least not for a few years.  I have to become a called worker of the church (so that I can get called there) and I also have to convince my loving husband that the winters are not that bad up there, it isn't that cold, and that the snow piles on the side of the roads that are higher than your car are nothing to be worried about.  :)  Until then... pictures will help keep that memory and dream alive...

                      My little guy and I on the top of the Dune Climb with Glenn Lake in the background.

                                    Our family with Sleeping Bear Dune and Lake Michigan in the background.

                                                                    A Michigan sunset with my little man.

                                                              Building sand castles with Daddy.

                    'Walking the Plank' as it was called... more like walking out to the end of the dock.

                                       Look at that adorable Captain... he did a wonderful job steering the boat.

                                                                        My little Captain and I.

                                                              A family that sails together has lots of fun together!