Ahhhh.....

S.U.M.M.E.R.!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Camp Out Reading...

Today was "Camp Out" Reading for my firsties. They loved it:)  We did a lot of reading today....here are some pics of how it looked.

Flashlight Reading

Table Tents

While we read, we listened to Campfire Sounds on YouTube.

We had a sweet mom that brought us special cookies for snack and later in the day we made S'MORES!!!! YUMMY!!! They were a big hit!!!

A little 1st Grade Beach, Camp-Out and Lounging Around with a FREEBIE

So….it’s the end of the year and my classroom has EXACTLY 4 ½ days left of school!!!!  Yippee, Hooray, WAHOO!!!!  (How’s that for Voice ????)

In an effort to promote Summer Reading so that my FIRSTIES do not regress too much with their reading during the summer months, my first grade team and I are having a three day “Kick-Off” to Summer Reading this week.  The firsties are very excited about it.  Today is our “BEACH” day and the kids brought sunglasses, a beach towel and they wore flip flops.  We had parents bring juice boxes, fruit, ice cream and popsicles for our snacks while we were Beach Reading!!! We took our towels, sunglasses and flip flops outside with our books and had some Beach Reading!!!  In the classroom, we listened to peaceful ocean wave instrumentals while we finished out our Writer’s Workshop writing. What a FUN READING DAY!!!!! Here are some pics from our first Summer reading day!

Summer Reading "Beach" Style

This is not exactly considered beach shoes, but I thought it was too cute!!!

We are looking forward to tomorrow and Friday!!! Tomorrow is “Camp-Out” Day and we will bring a flashlight and pillow.  We are having S’MORES for a snack and I am truly more excited about that than my firsties are!!!J  On Friday, we will be reading in a “Lounging Around” style.  The kids will bring a blanket, pillow and teddy bear. We will have cookies and milk as our snack…..and watch a classic “couch cartoon” in the afternoon!!! Looking forward to ending our week in a COMFY way!!J

I have attached my Writer’s Workshop  papers for each day HERE.  Please click the link to get your copy!!! Leave me a “ROCKIN’” note and let me know how you kick off your summer reading!!

Beach Style Word Bank

Beach Style Journal Paper

  

(Get all three sets.) Beach Style, Camp-Out Style and Lounging Around Style.

Come on Summer!!! I’m ready!!!

Symmetry, Word Craftivity, PDAS & ME:)

Okay....so it has been a full, busy week and then some!!!  I'm not complaining...it makes summer come more quickly for me:)  We are on countdown ya know.....30 more days of 1st GRADE!!!

First of all, I turned a year older this week...insert sigh....oh well, we all do, right???  I had a great birthday and my 1st grade team surprised me with an AWESOME lunch in our conference room, my Firsties were super excited that it was my birthday, my honey sent me BEAUTIFUL flowers and I had a wonderful dinner with him to end the night!!!!!

I had my PDAS evaluation today....insert sigh....oh well, we all have to do it, right???? I did a Writer's Workshop lesson for my evaluation and I think it went SPECTACULAR:)  I used Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. The focus of the lesson was how author's do different things with their sentences in their stories.  (The main objective was to notice that there are different amounts of words in each sentence of the author's piece.) I chose 2 pages to chart the author's thinking. I showed them on the smartboard and we counted each sentence to get the correct number of words.  They were amazed at the sentence that had 16 words in it:)  Firsties are so easily amused, that's why I love them!!! I then modeled a Mrs. Wallace and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day on the smartboard using my own thinking.  LUCKILY for me.....I didn't have to make up anything!!!  I woke up late this morning, rushed to get ready, had NO time for coffee....insert GRRRR......walked out to the garage to leave and my BATTERY WAS DEAD!!!!!  Oh, yes, so I just wrote from the heart!!! I used lots of voice and expression in my story and the Firsties LOVED it:)

A YouTube Video showing a read aloud of

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Now....onto my Word Craftivity....our theme is Butterflies and Insects this week, so we made symmetrical butterflies and then added our weekly words to them for extra practice.  They were able to decorate their butterflies after that and we hung them in the hallway for everyone to enjoy! 

Here is a picture of the Symmetrical Butterfly Template that we used. Click HERE for a FREEBIE!

Take a chennille stick and connect it.  Then staple it to the backside of the butterfly like the pictures above show.

Here are some of the finished products:)

I hope that you enjoy this little FREEBIE:)  Feel free to download and leave me a ROCKIN' note....I LOVE them!!

Have a GREAT Thursday evening!!!

Company for lunch.....

Just sitting enjoying some "Firstie" Company for lunch today!!!  This week I am busy DRA testing and with no assistance in the classroom for me to pull my students out one on one to test them, I decided to get creative!!!! It's amazing what Firsties will do for a little treat....they didn't know that they would get to each lunch in the room with the teacher while watching a little animal movie!! Boy, were they excited!!  It has been a nice, quiet lunch....all I am hearing is a little wrapper rattling and giggles at the animal movie playing on the smart board:)  Oh, and by the way,...the animal movie fits right into our plants and animals theme for the week!!! They can use what they've learned from the film in their writing and science centers!

Wondering what all of my creative "Bloggy Teacher" friends use to keep their students on task during testing periods.....leave me a "Rockin" note....I love finding new ways to Keep Calm & Teach On!!!!

"My Spring Word's" FREEBIE and I'm Back:)

Well, well, well....it's been a while!!! Sorry blogger friends....I'm BACK!!! I took a tiny break during our Spring Break week and I'm just now catching my breath from a FANTASTIC time in NYC!!!! 

The pic above is of my sister, my daughter, my niece & I at the St. Patrick's Day Parade!!! Fun times!!!

I love visiting New York, but I always forget how exhausted it makes me when I return home:)  Oh well, I'd do it all over again, in a heartbeat!!!

Onto a more 'teacherly' topic.....My Flower Pot Spring Word Craftivity!!!

Here are some pics of the finished products!

The "Firsties" LOVE doing their Word Study Practice in fun ways!!!

You will need:

"My Spring Word's" template page

2 or more different colored papers

1 white piece of construction paper

pencil

crayons

markers

scissors

glue sticks

Weekly words or Word Wall Words

Have fun with my "SPRINGY" Craftivity!!! Be patient, it takes a while for them to complete!!!

Foto Friday and a Little Crush:)

Okay....here's my "Foto" Friday pics....they are supposed to be wordless really, but I can't help myself....I have to explain:)

When I got to school this morning, I was handed this precious, sweet, hand folded treasure from one of my "Firsties"!!!! She was SO proud of it!!!!  I NEVER get tired of these special notes:)

It made my "Spring Break" Friday!!!

.....Now, as for this next picture....well, let's just say that I have a little CRUSH:)  I LOVE this pencil sharpener that I was introduced to by Teri at A Cupcake For The Teacher!  Well, I ordered myself one and I also ordered one for my 50th Blog Follower, Fit For First Grade!!!!  Ashley and Erica.....you are going to LOVE it!!!! I promise:)  It's on it's way to you girls!!!!  Just look at those sharp points!!!! Amazing:)

Click HERE to go to Classroom Friendly Supplies to order yours:)  Believe me, you will NOT be disappointed!!!

Happy Spring Break Y'all:)

Hooray, Hooray, One More Day and "Top 10"

OMG....Spring Break could not get here any sooner!! REALLY!!!!  I'm so ready, and my "Firsties" are also!!!! This has been a week of craziness teaching and I am thrilled that it is coming to an end...(insert a GLEEFUL smile:) 

Tonight was our 1st Grade Musical which took place just prior to our "Open House" and Book Fair!!!  I was excited to check two more things off of my "year at a glance" checklist!!! The "Firsties" did an AWESOME job singing the wonderful songs that our sweet music teacher has worked with them on.

It's crazy to think that we are already close to the middle of March, but we are making fast gains in our learning and for that I am thrilled!!! This time of the year just seems so frazzled and hurried to me....there is always so much to do and so little time to get it all done!!!

Oh well, enough rambling....on to more bloggy fun:)

This past week, 1st GRADE ROCKS!!! was awarded the "Top 10" Blog Award by Jessica from Glitzy In First Grade and Krista from The Second Grade Super Kids!!! Thanks ladies....you ROCK!!!

Whoop...Whoop:) 

Love it!!!

Here are my Top 10:

 Herding Kats in Kinder

Beg Borrow Steal

First Grade Wizards

Once Upon A Teaching Blog

First Grade Bloomabilities

First Grade Magic

Cupcakes & Candy Canes

Kindergarten Monkey Business

Reading And Thinking Out Loud

Teaching First

One Award, Two Awards, Red Award, Blue Award...and a FREEBIE!!

Ahhhhh.....are you just resting and relaxing knowing that you have another week of Dr. Seuss activities and lessons behind you????  So fun, but sooooo exhausting:)  I LOVE Dr. Seuss week, really I do, but it takes A LOT out of a 1st Grade Teacher!!!!! Just saying'!!!  Here are some inspirations from the week....

Dr. Seuss visited us at Breakfast!!!

And Thing 1 & Thing 2!! 

My Firsties made their own Things!!! Here are Things 1 through 19!!!

again....

and a closer look:)

Now onto more BLOGGY things:) 1st GRADE ROCKS was nominated again, which I am THRILLED about, for the LIEBSTER BLOG AWARD

 by Ashley & Erica at Fit For First Grade!!!

Go check them out because they have the cutest little blog and great ideas!!

Since this is my 4th time to be nominated for this award, I am going to follow the instructions for the Liebster Blog Award with a little creativity;) 

The award is for blogs with fewer than 200 followers and I am delighted to pass it on to you:)  So in the effort of being creative, if you are reading this post, consider yourself LIEBSTERED!!!!

Now....for another WONDERFUL award that 1st GRADE ROCKS was nominated for by two EXCELLENT blogs. 

The One Lovely Blog Award:)

Thank you to Traci at Dragonflies In First & Julie at Lighting A Fire In Third Grade for this great award!!! I am proud to share it with 15 FABULOUS blogs:)

If you get a chance, go check out these blogs....you will NOT be disappointed!  They are AWESOME!

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The Rules:

1. Link back to the blogger who gave it to you.....CHECK!!!!

2. Pass the award onto 15 other lovely bloggers.....No Problem!  CHECK!!!!

3. Follow the person who sent it to you.....ALREADY DO:) CHECK!!!! 

Here goes:)

 

http://obsessivelyteaching.blogspot.com/

WHEW!!!!! What a POST!!! Sorry for it's length....but here is a **FREEBIE** for sticking around:)

I took a store bought memory game and changed it into a Long Vowel/Silent "e" Word Study Center Activity!!! Click on the link to download your copy!!! Don't forget to leave me a comment if you can!!! They make my day <3 :) Enjoy your Sunday Bloggy Neighbors:)

Long Vowel/Silent "E" Word Study Center Activity

Come see me at Our Life's Blessings:)

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My 1st GRADE ROCKS Facebook Page!!