The week leading into winter break was fun. We did a lot of holiday themed Roam the Room activities from Teachers Clubhouse and Christina Bainbridge, which was a fun way for the students to learn and get them moving that crazy week before break. Also to go along with our social studies curriculum about Cultures, Customs, and Traditions we did our yearly Culture Quilt Square where families decorate a "quilt square" with things about their culture and we put it together on a bulletin board to form a Culture Quilt. The students present on their quilt square before it is hung up. You can click here to download a copy of the "quilt square" we use. We also did this awesome Holidays Around the World Paper Bag book by Hope King. The students loved making it. We did 2 pages a day and I tried to use the countries of the students in my class. During guided reading groups we used this great Close Reading packet from Ashleigh, that I LOVE!!! I'm really working on close reading this year due to common core and that packet made it super easy!!! I hope that makes even more!!
We had a fun "Snowed-in" theme for our winter party leading into break. The students were allowed to come to school in the pajamas and bring a blanket, small stuffed animal, robe, and a board game. During math time they played the board games. Only 3 of my little girls brought in games, which I couldn't believe!! So I let them use the board games I have for indoor recess. You can tell that most families don't do board games, because they were having a heck of a time staying focused on a game, or playing the correct way. While they were as music, my parent helpers came and we got everything organized for our celebration. We made the hot chocolate so it would be cooled down, got the craft ready, and the treats.
Mini donut snowmen, oreos, and popcorn.
We did the snow globe craft where you use a clear bowl or dessert plate. I just had the students draw a winter scene and them add fun winter stickers. Then they went to a mom and could add some glitter and snowflake fun foam shapes as the snow in the snow globe and the moms hot glued the plate over it. The kids really liked it, but they were done in like 5 minutes, which surprised me. I kept telling them to go back and add more to their scene. All they wanted to do was fill the circle with stickers. Then they got their treats and we watched the Elf on the Shelf movie. Then it was time to go home!!
My break was nice. I finished my shopping, wrapped, baked, spent time with my family. The day after Christmas is my birthday so we did it all over again, but at my house. Then finally got to relax a bit and went out to lunch with a friend. For New Year's Eve my friends and I went to Red Lobster and then to the movies. We were super lucky because the theater by my house is having $5 Tuesdays with a free 44oz. popcorn through February and that included NYE!!! So we saw Saving Mr. Banks which we all enjoyed. Then we hung out at my house watched the ball drop in NY, played 80s Scene It and then rang in 2014 here. It snowed quite a bit during break, not a lot, just a little at a time, but that continued NYE into the New Year so I stayed at home and took down my Christmas tree. The next day I went out to dinner with my parents. Friday I went in to school to get everything ready for when we get back, which always makes me feel better. Otherwise I would be stressing. Got things cleaned up, organized, and ready to go. I also have a new student starting so I wanted to make sure everything was ready for her. Later on I scrapbooked and had dinner with a friend. Saturday I took down my Christmas village and then went to see Frozen with my sister and niece. We loved it!! Olaf the snowman is so great!! We were quoting lines from the movie the rest of the day! Sunday I started working on some school stuff to get ready and got the call that we weren't having school today because of the frigid cold that was coming. Sure enough when I woke up this morning my phone said it was -43 with the windchill. So I have stayed at home all day and got another packet done for tpt!! Also printed out some great resources I bought and got this weekend with the awesome 2nd grade fb hop that happened. We already got the call that there is no school tomorrow due to the cold temps too, so I will probably work on more school stuff. My own personal professional development day from home.
So that's been what's been going on with me. How are things in your neck of the woods? Hopefully I'll be back next Monday with Monday Made-It!! :)
