Catching Up

So it's been a whirlwind this past month.  I was gone on vacation at Disney for 8 days, then went right into setting up my classroom, and then right into school starting, and I can now catch my breath for a bit for a 3-day weekend and tell you what's been going on!
So Disney was of course WONDERFUL!!  It was HOT, but we had a great time and didn't let that stop us.  We took afternoon breaks everyday where we could relax and cool off in the pool before heading back to the parks.  We also took a day off from the parks, and were able to sleep in.  Doing all of that definitely helped make our trip better.  We were also happy because we pretty much got everything done that we wanted to get done and had all of our MUST DOs done.  I think we also met every single character that there was to meet.  I think my niece got autographs from 50?  Our homemade autograph book was a hit.  All of the characters and handlers loved it and we actually got special treatment because of it.  One handler told us when the character was coming back so we could be near the front and many other characters were excited that they had their own page!  Goofy was uber excited and even wanted his picture taken with his page.  Naveen from The Princess and the Frog couldn't get over it and was funny.  Buzz who only stamps his autograph actually had his handler give him a pen and he hand wrote a note to my niece.  Phineas and Ferb danced and spent a lot of time with my niece.  I also think it helps that my niece is super cute AND everyone liked the outfits we customized and made that I showed on previous posts.  So it was definitely a hit!

Day 1 at Epcot.  I have a Disney VISA and they have a special meet and greet for card holders.  We probably spent 30 minutes with Minnie and Goofy.  They were dancing with Brynn and Minnie was very excited about my purse and mickey hair bow.  We got a lot of special attention.  

Day 2 Magic Kingdom, in front of the castle with Walt and Mickey.  

Day 7 Magic Kingdom, posing with the Fairy Godmother

Trying out the hyped up Dole Whip.  I enjoyed it, but didn't go nuts over it like everyone on the internet!  lol  

We came home on a Sunday and I took the Monday off from going into my room to relax, unwind, do laundry, and catch up on things at home.  Then I went into school on Tuesday and went in every day.  I was very thankful for getting the big stuff all done before my trip so I was able to get everything else done in less than a week.  

My revamped job board for this year.  I had green clothespins and I just used sharpie to write the kids' numbers but I didn't like it.  I had these tree frogs, so I glued them on and added the numbers and I like that SO much better.  In the past I had kids fill out job applications for the jobs they want, but they don't do a good job filling them out and they complain when they don't get the job they wanted (I can't have 18 board cleaners, I'm sorry).  So I went back to rotating the jobs.  I figure I'll rotate them bi-weekly (if I can remember!).  

I had Office Max print out some of the inspiration posters I found and framed them and put them on the top of my cabinets for something different.  I used the free birthday posters from THAT'S SO SECOND GRADE and decide to do the idea I've seen around of taking the kids pictures for that month.  So I made numbers for each kids birthday for them to decorate and then I called the students up by month and took their picture, then printed it out and put it on the birthday poster.  I'm really happy with how it turned out.  I usually just do an 8 1/2 by 11 chart of all of them, but I thought this was more fun.  I decided to put their number cards up too since they had spent time decorating them...

My reading area with the book boxes filled with "Just Right Books" for the students, that I had ready for them based on their reading levels from last year so they could practice Read to Self before I taught I-PICK.  Let me just say, I wish I could have the 2 Sisters come teach I-PICK.  I do the shoes lesson.  I model.  I explain.  I tell why it's important to take the time to do it, and they still just grab books based on the cover and do not do the I-PICK strategies or the 5 finger rule!  Oh well.  I try.  

You can see in the bottom picture my Daily 5 rubric that I made that you can find as a freebie in my TPT store.  I had Office Max enlarge it to poster size as a visual reminder for the class.  

Here you can see my CAFE board on the left.  Under it I plan on doing like a "parking lot" kind of thing where I will have students put index cards in the pocket that matches their number to show me their level of understanding on topics.  Kind of like an exit ticket.  I saw a pocket chart online that you could buy, that gave me the idea to do it, but I thought I'll just create my own with what I have and save money.  So I took 2 Target $1 pocket charts I had, put green masking tape down the middle to create 2 columns of pockets on each chart and then used my Cameo and adhesive vinyl to put their numbers on (Tip if you want to do something like this, use the outside vinyl.  I used regular vinyl and it did not stick very well to the pocket chart, so I put clear packing tape over it so the numbers wouldn't fall off).  There is also my WHO AM I? activity I do on the first day every year.  Students give clues about themselves on the top page and then on the page underneath, draw a self portrait and write their name to reveal themselves.  I also tape the pics I take of them on the first day on the self portrait page too.  These end up going in their writing portfolio and I love looking at them again at the end of the year.  Then on the far right is the pencil from TEACHER'S WIFE I believe, that I had Office Max print out for me along with the Be-GUMing Great Writer's, Writer's Workshop system Facebook freebie from SECOND GRADE SHENANIGANS.  That table and items to the right, not pictured, is my writing center area.  

And here is my team and myself with the awesome shirts I ordered for us from TEACHER T-SHIRT.  They loved them and it was fun to wear them all together.  We got A LOT of compliments.  

So those are all of the pictures I have taken of my room.  We started on Monday the 19th with inservice and actually had a really great speaker, Dave Weber.  He talked about how relationships are what cause us and the students to excel or fail.  He was funny, enthusiastic, and held our attention the whole 2 1/2 hours he talked.  I usually can't stand inservice speakers, but he was great and really got you thinking.  Definitely look him up.  Then it was meetings, meetings, meetings.  Wednesday the 21st was the first day, half-day with kids.  I have 25 second graders this year.  Two are autistic, but very high functioning (the highest I've had in a while) and I got THE CHILD from last year.  I knew I was getting him.  He got on meds at the end of last year and was a little better so I'm hoping for good things this year.  So far (8 days) we've had no issues, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.  As we move from review to things getting harder though I'm a little more worried.  He has shown extremely short flashes of what could come over the last 2 days when we started moving on a little.  I love my students and they are mine the second they walk through that door and they are mine forever.  My students always seem to love me too, but I do not put up with disrespect and am very strict when it comes to correct behavior because it's not fair to the other students if "little Johnny" can do whatever he wants because otherwise he has a meltdown and they can't.  So because of how well I work with the students (and it's not always easy) and get them to learn they can't do what they used to do, in my room, I always get THOSE students.  It can give me the reputation from some parents of being mean, but oh well.  They're not in my room so they don't realize I'm not mean.  I'm sticking up for the other 24 students.  I'm hoping that this year is a break and it stays fine.  As of the 8 days I've had them, I LOVE them.  They are a WONDERFUL class.  So sweet and polite!  I have 15 girls and 10 boys, and my girls are the best girls you could ever hope to have.  My boys are typical boys (sweet but squirrelly), but my girls are angels.  I think they built the class that way to give me some relief from the craziness they thought I might have. 

To start the year we did a lot of class building and getting to know you activities.  We've done a lot of partner activities and my students have loved the iPartners cell phones for picking partners.  There have been some kinks to work out each time I've told them to get with a certain contact (I have so and so, but so does this other person, and that other person), but we have been able to work it out each time so far.  It does help that I have to have a partner since I have an odd number of students, so I'm usually able to switch out my partner to make it work.  This past week I did my tattling vs. reporting lesson and read A BAD CASE OF TATTLE TONGUE and we did an emergency/not emergency sort.  I also had the social worker come in to remind them of how to handle situations besides tattling (SWAT, Stop, Walk Away, and then Tell).  We also did our germs lesson where I read GERMS, GERMS, GERMS and did the apple experiment.  Put a quarter of an apple in a container where only I have touched it, put a quarter of an apple in a separate container, this time where all of the students have touched it.  Then we leave them out.  I did this last year and let me tell you, the Germs apple got extremely gross so it really is a good lesson on germs.  We also did our Start Smart unit from Treasures and I used my TPT resources to help with it. 

Also this week, I had Back To School Night (BTSN).  20 of my 25 families showed up.  It went very well.  I got through everything I needed to in the short amount of time I had. Hopefully I didn't talk too fast and they were able to understand me.  I got a smart board (3 days before school started) so I was able to show them what my spelling lists look like and how I do them, what my homework packets look like, and our classroom website.  It was nice being able to show them that on a big screen.  I told my students how I'm new to the smart board and they have been patient with me and have even given me suggestions (myself and my teammate were the last ones in the school to get them, so the students have always had them).  

Next week we start our first story and spelling pattern for Treasures.  We also have NWEA MAP testing.  At least it's a short week!  

Today I pretty much vegged.  Tomorrow I have grocery shopping and dessert baking to do, and I think I'll print and laminate some more stuff now that my ink and laminating sheets have come in again.  Monday family BBQ.  

Hope everyone else has been doing well and if you have started school it's going great!  :)

Monday Made-It and IN Disney!! :)

So when you are reading this I will actually be on my Disney World vacation.  With planning this trip for about a year and a half, it's hard to believe it's actually here!  I love all of the planning of the trip and the anticipation of the trip and then it gets to a few days before the trip and anxiety soars sky high as I make sure everything it packed, I have all of our tickets and things, and my suitcase isn't too heavy!  We're gone for 8 days so that's a lot to pack!  Hopefully it will be smooth sailing while we're there and coming back!
Now onto Monday Made-It with Tara!

So let's start with my final Disney Movie and a Meal.  We watched Pinocchio for the final movie as the girls hadn't seen it and it's been a LONG time since Jodie and I had.  

It was super hard finding any craft ideas to do for this one, so Jodie and I had to wing it.  I must say I think what we did was super fun!
The first activity we did was Pin the Nose on Pinocchio (Jodie's idea).  So I just printed out a Pinocchio picture and then through a photo software I have I was able to copy just the NOSE of that picture so I could make multiples for the girls to use.  It worked out perfectly.  They each got 4 chances to get it right and they had so much fun!

See a couple were pretty close!

Then it was time to eat and watch the movie.  We went with an italian theme so Jodie and I had Paninis and the girls had Spaghettios.  Jodie also made some cheesy baked tomatoes.  

It was very yummy.  Sadly after eating the movie didn't hold any of their attention at all.  I was pretty much the only one watching it.  Jodie said she couldn't blame them as it isn't her favorite either.  

For dessert I used a recipe that was for Lady and the Tramp.  It was cupcakes that looked like spaghetti and meatballs, but I figured it would still go with our Italian theme.  

For the final activity we did paper bag Pinocchio hand puppets.  I had printed out his hat and they used one of the noses from the game.  They thought the puppets were very fun too and after making them went off to play with them.  We called them back to watch the last 5-7 minutes of the movie.  

So that was our final Disney movie.  It was a fun way to countdown to the trip and also a fun thing to do this summer.  Almost like having a little Disney summer fun program twice a week.  I'm happy we did it!  :)

Now onto my school Made-Its.  

For my first one I took a cheap clipboard and modge-podged it with scrapbooking paper and then added ribbon.  I'm going to hang it by the door and use it for the awesome Bathroom Tally sheet from Fluttering Through First Grade (which I found on pinterest).  

My room is right next to the bathroom, which I like because it's easier to keep my eye and ear on it, but since it's right there the kids can abuse it.  You know how it is, they want a break from what we're doing, so they HAVE to go to the bathroom.  I'm hoping this will help with that.  I'm excited to try it.  

My next Made-It are the READ letters.  I wanted to make them last year and never got around to it.  When I was at Wal-Mart the other day, there were the letters so I thought, I'm going to do it!  

First I painted the sides with some green paint I had and then I just took scrapbooking paper that I only had 1 sheet of and there you are!  I'm going to put it on my window sill that's in my reading corner.  I was a little nervous to modge-podge everything because I know people have had horror stories with is bubbling and wrinkling, but luckily I had no problem.  

My final Made-It is 4th Grade Frolics awesome Facebook Fan Freebie Understanding Rubric that she posted for a Monday Made-It.  

I LOVED the idea of this and am so thankful to Tara for sharing it with us.  I added my green with brown polka dots ribbon that I used on everything and it's ready to hang up in my room.  

Besides getting ready for Disney, I was also trying to do everything I could to get stuff ready for school since I won't be working on anything while on vacation.  So I have a lot of other things ready to go and be made when I get back.  Now technically us teachers weren't supposed to start setting up our rooms until this week, but since I won't be able to, I snuck in early on Friday.  Jodie, Brynn, and Jaslene came with to help me.  We brought all of my stuff I lugged home for the summer back to get it out of my house.  Then they were a huge help as they helped me take everything down from the tops of my cabinets and put my plastic shelves back together, in place, and with the baskets on it.  Jodie always kindly organizes my desk for me before the start of the year so she did that for me too.  Oh!  Which reminds me!  I also did the little table top steralite drawers to organize the crayons by color.  I forgot to take a picture of that and mention it above.  The girls sorted the crayons for me.  I thought it would be good when the kids' desks have eaten their blue crayon and they need it for something, they can just go get one from the blue crayon drawer instead of digging through my mixed up crayon drawer.  We were only at school for 2 hours but it looked like my classroom again by the time we had left.  Once I come back the only things I'll have to work on now are some bulletin boards, personalization of my new class, and better organization of some things.  If I wouldn't have had their help it would have taken me 2 to 3 times as long.  I'm so thankful!  The other good thing was that because I was the only one there, they weren't other teachers to talk to to distract me!  Usually I spend the first 2 days setting up my classroom gabbing with the other teachers about our summers and I don't get as much done!  

So that's it for this week!  I won't have any Made-Its for next week except Disney memories, but I'll probably post a little about my trip if you're interested.  Have a wonderful week everyone!  :)

More Disney fun and School Monday Made-It!

Well another busy, busy week, but I got a lot done.  Time to check in with 4th Grade Frolic's

So LAST Monday I was determined to get some school stuff done.  I organized my Common Core Resource binder and I finished two school projects and put some more on my to-do list.  

So my first school Made-It is my spin on the "How Are You Going Home Today" organizer.  I teach in a neighborhood school so 90% of my kids either get picked up or walk/ride their bike home.  I also teach in a K-8 building so with that many kids, we have different exits for the kids depending on how they are going home.  1 door is for walkers/car-riders, 1 room is where the little kids go to meet with their big siblings before they head home, one is the main entrance, another is the gym which is where K-4 students that are car riders get picked up from, and then there is the exit for the daycare and bus riders (for our 1 bus).  So my chart lets me know which door the child is going out so in case the office asks, I can tell them.  

I spray-painted some clothespins green that they will use.  I'm deciding on whether I want to use my label maker on the clothespins for their names (that's what I'm leaning towards) or if I want to use their numbers.  

The other Made-It I did was my take on the Homework Club that has been floating on Monday Made-It the last few weeks.  I used Tara's awesome numbers from her free download (Thank you Tara!!).  Now I do not have a problem with students turning in their homework.  Hopefully I won't this year either.  My grade does weekly homework packets, and my students do a great job turning them in.  Sometimes they are a day late, but still they get turned in.  What I have a bigger problem with  getting turned in, are their Monthly Reading Logs.  We have a school wide monthly reading program, The Wolves Reading Club, where the students win, almost like brag tags, for turning them in and they also get coupons to sporting events and restaurants.  I'm lucky if I get 50% of my class to participate and I even put it as part of their homework.  So, I took the Homework Club idea and made a title to go with the monthly reading club.  

Wolves Reading Club, Are YOU in it?  

So happy with how it turned out.  I hope it will motivate my students to do it.  The classes that get 100% participation even get to play the wii on a Smartboard.  That doesn't seem to motivate them, but hopefully this will and at least I'm rewarding the students for doing what they are supposed to do too.  

I was very happy with myself for getting those done.  I also finished the Tinker Bell tanks that my sister, niece, and I will be wearing when we head out to Disney in 13 days.  I did the iron-on transfer and bedazzled it for some pixie sparkle.  

Another check-off on the list.  

Tuesday was Mary Poppins lunch at my sister's house.  This week my sister didn't have either of the other girls during our movie days, so it was just Brynn with us.  

So we had tuna fish finger sandwiches with a salad and then I made some petit fours because we thought that sounded like it would go.  They were yummy.  

We did both activities after eating this time.  The first activity was chalk drawing, to be like Bert in the movie. 

Then we made a paper kite, "Let's go fly a kite, up to the highest height, let's go fly a kite and send it soaring."  

She was very excited to show it off.  lol  

It was around 90 out so then we went in the pool and later, out to dinner.  It was a fun day.  

Wednesday was even hotter with a heat index over 100, but we had already planned on the 3 of us going to Six Flags Great America with my brother and Josie, so we headed out there.  I used my free teacher ticket and my co-teacher gave me hers for Jodie to use.  Because it was so hot, there were not that many people there so we hardly had to wait in any lines.  We kept cool and hydrated and had a fun day.  

Thursday I started working on a new unit for my tpt store, but I haven't finished it yet.  I've been meaning to do it all summer, but hadn't gotten around to it.  It's about half-way done.  At least it's started!

Friday, Jodie and Brynn came over to my house for Peter Pan night.  

We started out with a treasure hunt with a map of my little townhouse area outside for Brynn to follow to find her treasure, Tinker Bell tattoos.  

Pointing to where to go on the map.  

She found it!  

Then we came in and watched the movie and had Pirate ship Pizzas with fruit kabob pirate swords.  

For dessert it was brownies disguised as an island.  

Then the next activity was tracing her shadow.  However, we were having a hard time seeing her shadow, so instead we had her lay down on black paper and traced her and cut it out.  Then my sister took this picture.  It was very cute.  

Saturday, got to do my monthly scrapbooking session with a friend.  I was happy because I was able to start my 2013 album and got through Easter scrapbooked.  My goal at the beginning of summer was to be caught up by Disney, but I don't think that's going to happen.  We'll see.  

Sunday I went out to breakfast with my parents and then Jodie came over to my house.  We did some Disney shopping of snacks and essentials and then we watched Oz the Great and Powerful while we made the last of the Disney hair bows.  

My sister made these.  I had asked for her to make one for me and after she did it, she thought it was so cute that she thought we should each have one.  You can find the tutorial for it here.  

This one was a team effort.  It's 3 layers.  I put each layer together and then she hot glued them together and added the longer ribbon and button.  This ones's for Brynn.  You can find the tutorial for this one here.  

So a lot done last week.  I have my to-do list of things for this week, we'll see if it gets longer!  Have a great day!  :)

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More Disney Monday Made-Its! :)

So I was so excited.  After looking at last week's Made-Its, I finally started working on some stuff for school!  I was like, Woohoo!!  I'm actually going to have a school Made-It to show you all.  Well some yucky family stuff went on at the end of the week and I didn't get them finished.  That just means that I will have them for you NEXT week!
So let's get started!

So Tuesday we had our Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs lunch at my house.  We went for a miniature foods theme (for the dwarfs, as we weren't going to make German food).  So I made little smokies in crescent rolls, pretzel bites, and miniature fresh veggie cups.  My sister made apple dumplings.  

Before the movie we had the girls make rock candy.  I thought it would go along with the dwarfs and their mining and the jewels they dig for.  It was a great concept and the girls had fun with it, but almost a week later and it's an epic fail.  lol  No candy forming at all.  Oh well.  We tried!  lol  

After lunch, my sister had come up with a magic mirror craft for the girls to do.  She wrapped cardboard ovals with aluminum foil and then the girls picked paper to glue them on to, cut around them, and decorated them.  

So it was a success and another movie down in our countdown.  

When we started planning our trip we were shown the DIS boards and a friend of my sister recommended the creative DISigners they have on there.  She recommended one named Mandy.  The DISigners will customize anything Disney you want, all for free.  She will design and post it and then you save it to your computer and print it out how you want.  Mandy made and customized invitations for my niece Brynn for our hotel and the restaurants we have character dining reservations for.  She also customized things for t-shirts we wanted to make, and Tinker Bell cards for the gifts that Tinker Bell will leave for Brynn for good behavior and sleeping habits at Disney.  So awesome!  It's amazing and really does spread the pixie dust and Disney Magic.  I was able to work on the DISigns for my shirts.  Just printed them out on t-shirt transfers cut them out, and ironed them on.  Here they are:

The Disney Princesses dressed as the villain from their movie.  Loved the idea!  I just had her put it in the word "Disney."  

Mickey word and image.  

This is actually the back of this tank.  On the front, in the lapel area, is a small Cinderella picture and my name.  

We have all tank tops since it's going to be so warm.  Didn't they turn out great?  And she'll customize them however you want!  I have others to do print out for Brynn and my sister.  So fun!  

I also found on the DIS boards about how people decorate their windows at Disney and found another creative DISigner, Lady B, through there that does the same type of things, but obviously she has different DISigns.  We had her customize some Mickey heads to display in our window.  

You can kind of see them laying there on my couch.  So I cut some ribbon to longer than what the window height is from what I read online.  They will be tied to suction cups and hung on the window to decorate it and make it easier to find our room.  So the one ready to go is Brynn's.  She requested Pocahontas so it has her picture in the middle and on one ear it says Brynn and the other says 2013.  Then I used my cameo to cut out the mickey heads and flowers.  I have a Cinderella head.  Jodie has a Tinker Bell head.  I just changed the colors of the flowers for each one.  The Pinocchio one is going to my sister's father-in-law.  I cut out stars instead of flowers for him.  Then there is a Mickey head that says Our 1st Disney Trip in the middle and the outline of the head is our trip details.  I made some silhouettes of Little Mermaid characters to go on the ribbon with that one since we'll be staying in the Little Mermaid rooms.  I also want to bring a strand of white Christmas lights to string up making it easier to find in the dark.  We're excited to do this and I know Brynn will love it too when she sees it.  :)

So Thursday was supposed to be our Aladdin dinner night.  We were going to have grilled chicken kabobs, cous-cous, and this jeweled jello cake (for the Cave of Wonders).  Well that's when the yucky family stuff went down and my sister and niece ended up coming over to my house.  There was no time to make the dinner and we didn't feel like eating it anyway.  Brynn and I still watched the movie as a distraction and also made Abu hats using red cups and construction paper.  

Gotta love how resilient kids are.  Smiling when it was not a smiley night. Such a pretty model.  :)

We did eat the dessert too, which was basically just 4 different colors of jello made and broken up into pieces (to look kind of like jewels) and then poured into a cake pan with clear jello poured on top to set it.  Then you frost it with cool whip.  They slept over at my house so the next day we did the coloring sheet and made felt magic carpets.  

 Decorating hers.  

The final product to show.  

Because of all of the craziness I did not make a menu and I didn't feel the need to make one afterwards because we didn't do it as normal anyway.  

Now things are settling down again.  We saw Monsters University Sunday afternoon.  Cute.  Loved seeing little Mike Wazowski.  We should hopefully get our 2 movie meals done as usual this week and I should get my school things done.  Hopefully I'll finish up the iron-ons for the others shirts as well.  

Hope all is well with everyone else.  Can't wait to get inspired!  :)

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