First Week of School! What to do!

What?  It is the first week of school?  How can that be....feeling a little anxious with the first week of school coming so soon?  Well you came to the right place.  I am here to help you with some great first day activities and calm that anxiety!

Everyone is nervous on the first day of school.  I'm nervous!  I usually do no sleep well the night before because I want everything to go perfect for my new kiddos.  What I found most helpful is keep it simple and fun!  My number one goal is to make sure my new kiddos feel safe and secure in their new classroom environment.  So I begin our morning with of course...a  picture.  You have to take a picture of your new kiddos the first day of school.  It is a must!  Last year I made these cute signs for my kiddos to hold up...so darling!

The first day of school means new backpacks, new clothes, and that perfect hairstyle that you know mom made them wear.  So YES do not forget to take that classic pic!  It always amazes me how they really do not know me yet, but they trust me enough to take this picture.  So sweet!

Another must do for me is I always read them my all time favorite First Day of School book, The Kissing Hand!  The Kissing Hand touches on those first day jitters and missing mom and dad.  To help my sweeties feel at ease I read them the story and then we make these precious handprint puzzles to bring home to mom and dad to remember the first day!  I buy the puzzles at Morrisons's School Supply.   I help each kiddo paint the palm of their hand and then place it on the puzzle.

At the bottom of the puzzle I write their name in sharpie and the date to remember the first day of kindergarten.  Exploration is very important the first week of school.  We spend a lot of time exploring classroom materials and working cooperatively with our new friends.  

We also spend the first week of school focusing on our names.  Each kiddo gets their name puzzle in an envelope.  They put their name together to make their own personal puzzle!

We jumped right into science and STEM by doing our color experiment, rainbow toast, and a carnation experiment.

Wow!  What a busy first week of kindergarten!  Hopefully some of that anxiety is slipping away.  Join me and my blogging friends for our Linky Party.  

We are giving away 2 $50 to TPT!  

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Meet The Teacher Ideas!

Looking for fun and cute ideas for your Meet the Teacher or Back To School Night?  You came to the right place.  Together with my blogging friends we are sharing all those ADORABLE, FUN, and CREATIVE ideas!  

Now some schools offer a Meet the Teacher prior to the start of school while others have an official Back To School Night once school has started.  I am LUCKY to say that at my school we do BOTH!  Are you kidding me?  Yes, it is true!  The Friday before school starts we open up our classrooms for 1 glorious hour to WELCOME our sweet kiddos into their new classroom.  This is a chance for especially my kiddos (kinders) to get their first glance at their CLASSROOM.  Furniture is in place, the classroom is organized ( I hope), the decor is set and before you know it little feet come hoping through the door and the new school year officially begins.  

Let me share with you what my Meet & Greet looks like on this day:

My number one goal is to provide WARMTH to any individual that walks into the door.  This is the first time your student are meeting you and their parents.  I always make sure to pick out my FAVORITE, COLORFUL outfit to wear.  Kiddos love color so I make sure to be BRIGHT & SUNNY with a BIG smile on my face!  Oh and don't forget the SPARKLY shoes!

I set up stations throughout my classroom for parents and kiddos to visit.  There are 4 stations that families visit on Meet the Teacher day.  As they walk into the classroom I hand them a darling poem that explains where to go.  I found several of these ideas from Kim Adsit and her unit called The Ultimate Open House Scavenger Hunt

#1  Sign-In Table

This is where I collect important information from the parents.

• Sign-In Sheet-to record the parents and child's name. 
• Child Information- I started doing this due to the fact that the office collects information sheets for the office and I like to have my own for my class.  I keep these forms in my Teacher Binder. 
• Field Trip Permission Slips- As a kindergarten team we have these printed and ready to go for ALL field trips.  Parents sign all forms and write a check and your forms are completed in a SNAP!
• Parent Volunteer Form- Every parent likes to participate in some way throughout the year so on this form I have the parent describe what they are interested in doing.  Then I send a google doc out to the entire class for parents to sign up.
• Internet & Blog release-  I have ALL parents sign a release form for me to use photos of their child on my blog or website.  If they sign "No" then I make sure to never have the child in my pictures that I post.  

#2  Student Folder

Every new student will receive a special folder to start the new school year.  I write the names of each student on the folder.  This helps me remember who did not come that day.  Inside I make sure to include information for the new school year that parents can refer to all year long.

• Daily Schedule
• Monthly Themes
• Welcome Letter
• Supply List
• Explorer of the Week List (Star or Student of the Week)
• Parent information flip book (This is new this year!) Created by Learning in Wonderland

                              

#3  Family Scrapbooking Page

Another amazing idea from Kim Adsit.  For our Writer's Workshop folders I have each student bring home a Family Scrapbooking page to decorate.  Students get creative and decorate their page with pictures of family members, pets, favorite places to go, food, sports, you name it!  During the first week of school each day I try to have 3-4 students share their scrapbooking page.  This is their very first presentation!  Then we keep this as their cover to their Writer's Workshop folder.  It helps my kiddos think of things to write about.

#4 Picture Time

It is important to make every kiddo feel special in those first few moments in your classroom.  I do this 2 different ways.  First each child visits my classroom library and picks out a favorite book.  I have them place this book in my "Special Book Basket."  I try to read these special books the first week of school.  Then to end our SWEET visit I take a picture of my little gems to cherish this moment.  This is a keepsake for me and their parents.  

#5 Special Treat

Every kiddo and parent leaves with a Special Treat!  We are all in this together so I make sure to acknowledge my parents too.  We are a team!  

Parents are teacher too!

My kiddos have a BIG smile on their face when they see this!
Starburst
Eraser
Smarties
Hershey's Hug
Penny
Sticker

I can't wait to hear your ideas for Meet the Teacher or Back To School Night.  Don't forget to join our Linky party this week.  We are giving away fabulous TPT Units to start off your new year with a smile on your face.

An InLinkz Link-up

Back To School BASH

Back To School is right around the corner and what better way to begin the new school year than join other teachers in a Back to School Linky Series and Giveaway!

This is a month long Linky Series to help get you ready for Back To School!

Today we are taking a look at Classroom set up and creative ideas to get you ready for the first day of school!  Did I say first day of school!  Yikes!  It is actually my favorite time of the school year.  You can tell you are a teacher when you get excited about color scheme, borders, rugs, you name it.  For me, I always start thinking about my classroom decor and set up pretty much all summer long.   I visit all my favorite stores such as Target, The Dollar Store, BigLots, and Michaels.  Then I find the newest colors out there and I get started.  I LOVE bright colors and I found great things at BigLots so lets take a peek at my classroom decor this year!

This year I decided to go with BOLD, BRIGHT colors, CHEVRON, and a splash of black.  I covered all my bulletin boards with black paper and my borders are chevron overlapped with a solid bright color.


This is my classroom library.  I started with black bulletin board paper and then I layered BRIGHT CHEVRON with a solid BRIGHT!  I found this darling banner and added the letters from Michaels.  Check out my new BRIGHT book boxes!  I found these at BigLots.  

This is my Classroom Jobs board.  I bought these darling CHEVRON pockets at Michaels.  In each pocket is a CHEVRON card with a student's name on it.  Every week I rotate the cards on Monday.  I love the names of my jobs in my classroom.
President-Starts us in the Pledge of Allegiance
Pencil Pal-Sharpens Pencils
Clean Up Crew-Wipes the tables at the end of the day
Library-Straightens books
Vets-Takes care of our chickens and collects eggs
Weather Reporter-Checks weather
Line Leader
Caboose-End of the line
Lights Helper-Turns off lights 
Doors Keeper-Helps shut the door when we leave the classroom

This is my leveled library for Guided Reading.  Here students visit and select "Just Right" books for their book boxes.

My Word Work area has a Must Do basket that my kiddos complete first and then they explore Word Work games below such as magnetic letters, chalkboards, rhyming games.  I also keep their Word Word journals here.

New area to my class called Little Engineers!  Building supplies galore!  Blocks, Legos, marble run, Lincoln logs, every builders dream.  This is where a lot of my STEM activities are completed.

Math materials and manipulatives are in the same area as the engineer section.  Great for STEM!

Listening center is right near the sink area.  My kiddos grab a caddy and sit on the rug.  There are two books, headphones, and a soft pouch for an ITouch for them to listen to the story.  Easy peasy!

Probably hands down the FAVORITE area in my class the Writing center!  My goal is to get my kiddos writing.  Markers, smelly markers, colored pencils, hole punchers, tape, envelopes, you name it!

Cubbies when they enter the classroom.

This is the most important area to me.  My cozy teacher corner.  Make it special and work will feel special.  I love sitting at my cute little desk at the end of the day(kinder teachers never sit) and take a deep breath from a long day.  Surround yourself with comfort.  It really works!

I hope you enjoyed my classroom tour and I can't wait to hear all your fabulous ideas for Back To School!  Join our Linky Party and share your ideas!

Together with my CREATIVE Blogging teacher friends, we are hosting a GIVEAWAY to get you started for the beginning of new the school year!  

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Don't forget to Link up and share your creative ideas!

                                                                 An InLinkz Link-up

Start Off The Year With Super Readers!

I know, I know we spend most of our summers thinking about the new school year ahead.  I love this time of year with a clean slate, my cabinets organized(not all of them), and that same thought I have every summer, "This year I am going to be more organized and get everything done!"  Well June comes along and that is not always the case.  My cabinets are a complete mess, drawers are bustling at the seams, and NO! I did not get everything done that I wanted to!  Does this happen to you?

Looking at the year ahead, this summer I attended for the first time the TPT conference in Vegas!  I came home inspired, in awww of how amazing teachers across the nation are, and ready to work.  I am not really new to TPT, only 4 items in my store, but something was missing?  The pieces of the puzzle were not coming together until I went to this conference.  I learned so much and I returned on that flight home with a completed puzzle in my head.  It all makes sense now!  Most will think WOW! how did you not know this, but I am hoping I will bring sense to those like me.....

EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED AND YOU NEED EVERY OUNCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA TO HELP YOU ALONG THE WAY!

What do I mean by this?  I have Instagram, Facebook, Bloglovin, Pinterest, this Blog you name it!  But my problem was I was using my social media to BROWSE.  Instead social media is what it is, SOCIAL!  

You have to participate and be social to get your followers and share your creativity.  So here I go and I am hoping someone is out there reading this and feeling like me?  

While I was in Vegas I learned so much on how to create a Powerpoint product.  I am happy to say that this new unit is completely different than my other products. I am hoping you will use it and be just as excited as I am about it.

   SO GET YOUR SUPERPOWERS ON!

Every classroom needs that magical mask and wand to create  SUPERPOWERS!  I found mine at Party America.  I even purchased a cape too for my kiddos to wear.  When I introduce my 7 SuperPower Heroes this new school year to my kiddos I will definitely be wearing this!  Then my kiddos will get a chance to become a SuperReader too!

Good SUPER readers use reading strategies to make sense of text. Our goal as teachers is teach students to become purposeful, active readers who are in control of their own reading comprehension.  These 7 Super Reading Heroes will do just that!

This Super Reader unit includes:

*What Is Your Reading Superpower Anchor Chart

*7 Super Hero Anchor Charts 

*Super Reader Folder Activity 

*Super Reader Comprehension Sticks

*STAMINA Anchor Chart

*STAMINA Class Goal Chart

*Daily Super Hero Reading Logs

Checkout This Preview and Visit my TPT Store:

Super Readers!

I would love to hear your feedback because like all teachers we are learning together!

Sherry

How To Writing

Using mentor texts is important in teaching How To writing.  Throughout many lessons, I used mentor texts to help guide my instruction.  Together as a class, we found many examples such as BOLD words, listing the items you need, or giving warnings or hints to the reader.  My students became experts in using the mentor texts during the writing time.  I would set out all the texts on a table and students would visit the table to help them with their writing ideas.

Zev looking at mentor text How To Make a Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich.

This anchor chart guided the students to include the following in their How To Writing:

• A Title
• Pictures that teach
• List of things you need
• Labels
• Important information in BOLD
• Warning or advice to the reader

We also learned how to use transition words in our How To Writing.  I made these BOLD, large cards and we practiced putting them in the correct order.  Then I place the transition words in the student's writing area to for my students to have as a support.  

 Emily is writing how to make lemonade.  She is using her writing tools such as her black pen, spacer, date stamp, ABC chart and vowel chart to guide her in her writing.

Madeline is making an ice cream sundae!

Writers label their pictures to tell the reader what items they need for their How To.

I am finding as I get more acquainted with Writer's Workshop that the more creative I get with my lessons the better it comes across to my students.  For example, in my labeling lesson I gave every student a post it note and had them go back to their desk and write a label for me!  One by one they came up and stuck their label on me.  They started to giggle and they enjoyed seeing their teacher covered in labels.  As you can see above, this lesson stuck with them!

November in review.

Take a look at the fun things happening in kindergarten in the month of November!

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Daily 5 Looking Alive!

I love the end of September because as a teacher you take a deep breath and know you are on your way!  Routines are set, a few minor adjustments, and you know learning is now happening.

     Our Daily 5 routine is all set!  Here is a quick peek at my kinders practicing Daily

5.

Listening to Reading:  found these great carriers at Big Lots.  Each one has two books, a response page to complete, an  I Touch and a cute soft pouch to protect my precious technology.

Work on Writing:  my kiddos work in their handwriting books for their must do and then they explore my writing center.

Abundance of writing materials!  

Word Work:  we practice our sight words at this center.  Here my kiddos are completing their sight word book for I.

After their must do is complete they explore the magnetic letters.  Look they are sorting by letters!

ABC Center:  After completing their Rainbow Letter books my kiddos play with my flannel boards.  I just purchased this tabletop flannel board from Lakeshore.  I absolutely love it!  In Las Vegas this summer at the kindergarten conference I purchased several flannel stories.  Here my kiddos are retelling Brown Bear.

More flannel board fun!

Reading to Self:  check out my reader in our classroom library!

Technology:  I introduced the Magnetic Letter app.  Easy to use for my super smart kinders!

     Beginning next week I will begin guided reading with my kiddos!  It's going to be a great year!