Friday, November 1, 2013

"P" is for Pumpkin


We had SO much fun exploring and investigating... P U M P K I N S! For our literacy centers we listened to "Scaredy-Cat Splat!" by Rob Scotton at the listening station, we colored and read our "Pumpkin Happy" book, we wrote our pumpkin poem in our poetry journals, and we made the most adorable "My Pumpkin" hanging paper pumpkins! FUN!

Our adorable "My Pumpkin" hanging paper pumpkins...



Next, we got down & dirty... and totally slimy in science!! We had such a blast exploring and investigating the ooey-gooey inside pulpy guts of a pumpkin. I absolutely la-la-loved listening to my little kindergartners screaming "EEWWW!" and "That is so slimy!"... and not to mention all the laugh, laugh, laughing out loud!! It is quite possible that I had more fun then the students did!!

Our super slimy science pumpkin investigation...

 


 

Finally, we finished up our unit on pumpkins with our "How To" writing in Writer's Workshop. The students wrote, "How to Grow a Pumpkin" and "How to Carve a Pumpkin" with this *freebie* I put on TpT... a 'How To' Writing Worksheet.



click here to download this free worksheet
















Saturday, October 19, 2013

We're Batty for Bats!!

We think bats are...

What a fun way to kick off your lesson plan unit on bats! You can take a poll of how many students think bats are cute, and how many think they are creepy. The students can then fill out their math graph and tally data summary worksheet.



click here to visit my TpT store to download this worksheet


This math activity works great with my opinion writing worksheet, "I think bats are". The students can write their opinion on bats during Writer's Workshop, and then draw a picture to go with their writing.




 click here to visit my TpT store to download this worksheet



SO... do we think bats are creepy or cute? Let's tally and graph to see!
Creepy = 9      Cute = 8

Our class thinks bats are CREEPY!







Having Fun on Silly Sock Day!!



We had a total blast on Silly Sock Day at Crown Point Elementary this past week. The staff and students showed their support for Red Ribbon Week by wearing their silliest silly socks... way to show your PANTHER PRIDE Crown Point!!



I loved my hot pink black cat & neon striped silly socks... FUN!!













Sunday, October 13, 2013

Red Ribbon Week... Just say NO! to drugs





It is Red Ribbon Week at Crown Point Elementary! The Red Ribbon Celebration brings awareness and support to being DRUG FREE. This year's campaign theme is, "A Healthy Me is Drug Free". 

All this week, each of the classroom doors at Crown Point will be decorated to promote the Red Ribbon's drug free campaign to CLOSE THE DOOR ON DRUGS! In addition, the staff and students will be wearing red on Monday to kick off Red Ribbon Week.

This week's fun activities for the staff and students during the Red Ribbon Celebration at Crown Point will be...







For more information on Red Ribbon Week, their campaign, and this year's theme, please visit their website. Parents and students can take the pledge to be drug free and read about other ways they can support their school and community to be DRUG FREE.

 Click here to visit RedRibbon.org














Sunday, October 6, 2013

It's time for some Alien Addition!


We are having fun in Math Centers counting aliens! I made this activity to help our kindergarten class learn about addition. This is a great way to teach and reinforce addition. It can be used for morning work, busy work, or it can be laminated and used in your Math Centers with dry erase markers. The alien theme makes this activity a fun way to learn addition, and it is perfectly aligned with the Common Core State Standards.

MACC.K.OA.1.1 - Represent addition and subtraction with objects, fingers, mental images, drawings, sounds (e.g., claps), acting out situations, verbal explanations, expressions, or equations.



There are 10 different alien themed worksheets, and a cover sign for your math center. If you would like to download this fun alien addition activity, please visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store.






Saturday, September 21, 2013

We're Going on a Nature Hunt!

Our kindergartners were busy using their sense of sight this week during our science unit on the 5 senses. After making our binoculars out of construction paper and yarn (to hang around our necks), I created an observation journal for our nature hunt. The observation journal has pages to record all of the bugs, cloud shapes, plants, trees, and other interesting things seen on our nature hunt.

The children were so excited to go on their nature hunt! We saw butterflies, ladybugs, bumblebees, flowers, tall trees, bluebirds, a birdhouse, a plane flying over, a boat, and clouds shaped like a horse and a race car. FUN! It was such an amazing way to spend our afternoon recess.

Here is the observation journal I created for our awesome nature hunt...



Cover Page

Recording Pages

Each one of the pages will print to make two journals... click here to download


This activity was such a wonderful way to bring science out of the classroom, and give the children the opportunity to explore all of the nature on the school grounds with their sense of sight.











Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Kool Aid Painting... A Complete Success!

We are wrapping up our science observation unit on the 5 senses... and today we painted with Kool Aid paint to explore our sense of smell. FUN! We used cherry, grape, lemonade, and orange Kool Aid to paint our masterpieces. The classroom smelled absolutely delicious!

Here are some of our Kool Aid watercolor creations...






Here is how I made the Kool Aid paint for this fun classroom project...

Ingredients:
- Kool Aid packets
- Water
(I mixed 2 teaspoons of water with each packet of Kool Aid)

Materials:
- Ice cube trays
- Paint brushes
- Card stock paper

I just love, love, loved all the wonderful pictures each of the kindergartners painted. This was definitely my favorite activity from our 5 senses science unit!




... and here are some of the other activities we did for the science unit on the 5 senses:

Sight - We made binoculars out of construction paper and went on a nature hunt.
Touch - We reached into the "mystery bag" and described the items we felt (Lego, rock, cotton ball, etc.).
Hearing - "What's in the egg?"(plastic eggs filled with rice, a bouncy ball, dice, googly eyes, etc.)
Taste - We tasted something sweet (strawberries), sour (lemon drops), salty (pretzels), and bitter (olives).











Friday, September 13, 2013

I am a Panther now!

It's official! I am a Crown Point Panther now!! 

This week I sent home a newsletter to the parents of the kindergarten class I am student teaching in to introduce myself. After looking at form letter after from letter for ideas on on what to say and how to put it together, I decided to have some fun with it...





I really enjoyed creating this newsletter for my student teacher introduction letter... I think I just might have to create my monthly classroom newsletters the same way!











Saturday, August 31, 2013

All About Me...


WOW! The first two weeks of school have been fun... and flown by! In my son's first grade class, the little ones had a great time making their "All About Me" posters and sharing them with their classmates. And now... it is my turn. I will get to introduce myself to the kindergarten class that I will be doing my internship with this fall on Tuesday. I am getting super excited!

SO, what better way to introduce myself, then to create my own "All About Me" project. I poked around Pinterest and TeachersPayTeachers until I found what I was looking for, and then put a little something together...



I think my favorite part of my "All About Me" project was creating the page, "When I Was In Kindergarten". How fun to let the little ones see what I looked like in kindergarten, where I went to school, and what my favorite things were when I was five years old!



I am sure my tummy will be full of butterflies on Tuesday, but I cannot wait until my first day in Ms. Sterrett's kindergarten classroom... I feel like I am five years old all over again!












Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Welcome Back Crown Point & Beauclerc Students!


Crown Point Elementary School



Welcome Back Crown Point Panthers
& Beauclerc Jaguars!


click here for this free download

It is so amazing to see all the little ones in their back-to-school best on the first day of school!

One of my favorite activity themes for the first week of school is All About Me. This is a fun and great way for everyone to get to know one another. The students can fill out and color their All About Me mini-posters, and then share them with their classmates and teacher. 

There are so many ways to add some excitement to this theme. Students can bring in a favorite item from home to "show & tell" while sharing their All About Me favorites with the class.

click here for this free download
To make this activity even more special, each of the posters can be put on the classroom bulletin board to showcase each of your star students during open house.



















**The *All About Me* mini-posters were found at TeachersPayTeachers.com. They were created by, and are available as a free download from the seller... The Special Teacher.


Saturday, August 10, 2013

Important Dates for the 2013-14 School Year




Hi everyone! Time to mark your calendars with the following important dates for Crown Point Elementary School in August. Summer vacation is coming to an end, and the excitement of a new school year is upon us. My youngest son is starting first grade this year with the lead teacher I did my field service hours with, and my oldest will be taking over the fifth grade as the cameraman for the morning announcement broadcast this year! I couldn't be prouder!!

As for me? I am completely over the moon to be starting my internship this fall at Crown Point Elementary... and let's not forget, FINALLY graduating in December with my Early Childhood Education Bachelors Degree... YAY, ME! I have love, love, loved every second of my field service hours in Ms. East's first grade classroom at Beauclerc Elementary for the past three years, BUT, now I will be doing my internship in a kindergarten classroom at Crown Point. I have a million butterflies in my tummy... but I know that being out of my "comfort zone" and learning a whole new grade level will be an amazing experience for me this fall.

Quick note...
If your child will be attending another elementary school in Duval County this year, please click here to view the school hours and important dates for your school. This website also has links to each school's website for additional dates and times for orientation.

So, without further ado... here are the important dates for August 2013.







Also, please note that there are not any scheduled Early Release dates for August, and the dismissal time for Early Release this school year is 1:45 p.m. for elementary school grade levels.

Ooooooooooooh <insert stomping feet and waiving arms here> ... I am super excited and looking forward to an absolutely brilliant school year! I cannot wait to see everyone during orientation and the first day of school!