So Close...

Congrats to you guys who have already started your summer!  Only 2 and a half days left for us! I think I can, I think I can... Actually, these last few days are just fun days. Monday we have movie day and a math bee in the afternoon, Tuesday is Game Day (kids bring board games from home and we play all morning - well, they play while I clean up, lol) and Water Day, then the half day on Wednesday is just a clean up and get ready for summer day. I just finished my report cards and I've got the gifts ready for my son's teachers. I always try to find an unusual or personal gift for the teachers. This year, I made A to Z baskets for each teacher (he has 2). I started buying little items for the baskets a couple of weeks ago and I'm really pleased with how they turned out:

I got the idea from Pinterest (where else?)!  Here are the things I used for each letter:

A - apple

B - banana

C - homemade cookies

D - diet coke

E - eye shadow

F - folders

G - granola bar

H - Hershey bar

I - index cards

J - juice

K - kleenex

L - lotion

M - M&M's

N - nail polish

O - orange

P - post-its

Q - Quaker cereal bar

R - rainbow pencils

S - Skittles

T - Tic Tacs

U - University bumper sticker (for their favorite college team)

V - votive candle

W - spring water

X - Extra gum

Y - yellow highlighters

Z - "zigzag" (chevron) mini notebook

These were a lot of fun to put together.  I just put all the objects in a $1 summer colored bowl from Wal-Mart.  I had some alphabet stickers that I used to put on each item.  

The next time I post, I'll be free for the summer!

Five for Friday

I'm never on the ball to link up with these weekly linky parties, but this week look at me!  I did it!

 

 

 

I've been repeating this to myself a lot over the last few weeks.  We have 12 days left.  I have to admit, this year has been ROUGH!  So many changes - we switched to Common Core Standards, we got a new report card, we switched to a standards based grading system, we got new reading and writing curriculum, we departmentalized for the first time, we lost a teacher, and we just found out our principal is leaving as well.   Even though it's been such a tough year and I've been counting the days since spring break, there's still a touch of sadness at the end of every year.  Maybe it's just because (even though some of them drive me cuh-ra-zy) I've really gotten to know them and it's hard to see them go, or maybe it's the fact that I sit and think (for some of them), "If only I had a little more time, they might be able to catch up".  I get really reflective this time of year and try to figure out what I could have done differently to make an impact with those struggling learners.  Anybody with me on this one?

 We were enjoying the weather today at recess time, and I snapped some photos to use in their memory books.

 

 Tonight was our annual Night Under the Lights track meet for our elementary school kiddos.  It's not a competitive event (everybody gets a ribbon if they run), but the kids think it's a big deal because they get to run on the high school track!  My son has been talking about it since January, lol!

 

We've been doing math journals all year.  Last week, I was starting to get discouraged.  I guess it was just one of those weeks when the kids seemed to have all of their brains ooze out of their ears. Then, this week, I did the problem you see in the pictures above.  What I love about these journal entries is that each person solved the problem in his/her own way and they are all different, but they are all correct.  It's these moments when you see that they are getting it that make it all worthwhile!

This is completely not teaching related (unless you count it as a mental health break which every teacher needs this time of year).

I'm in charge of our ladies ministry at church and tomorrow we are taking some donations to our local Fisher House

For those of you who don't know about Fisher House, here's a blurb from their website:

"For members of our Armed Forces, retirees, veterans, and their families, the Fisher House program offers shelter and support during a medical crisis. Fisher Houses offer a comforting "home away from home" while a loved one is receiving care in an unfamiliar environment. This special support is even more important to a family during the most stressful time – the hospitalization of a wounded or injured service member involved in military operations like Enduring Freedom or Iraqi Freedom."  It's like a Ronald McDonald house for families of wounded warriors. 


After that, we are headed out to lunch and then to the movies to see Mom's Night Out.

 

This movie looks so funny I can't wait!  Have any of you seen it yet?

Spring has Sprung!

Spring has definitely sprung here in Florida (although today is cool and rainy), and it's about to spring up in our classroom.  We are beginning our unit on plants this week.  Usually with this unit, I buy small pots or cups for the kiddos to plant seeds in.  We plant flower seeds and most of them get to take home a small flower after a couple of weeks.  This year, I thought it might be nicer to plant some flowers outside our classroom and brighten up our campus.  Hopefully the kids have a greener thumb than I do!  I know the kids will be super excited to get outside and plant the seeds and since they get so crazy as we get close to the end of the year, I might be able to use tending the garden as a reward for those who have good behavior.  I'll be sure to post some pictures next week once we plant our flowers.  Until then, I made this KWL chart to kick off our study.  You can find it on Google docs here or in my Teachers Pay Teachers shop here:

 

I hope this is something you can use!  Have a great week!