Five for Friday August 28th

I am linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday. Thank you for hosting, Kacey! It's been a busy couple of weeks. We've been moving/settling in.  My daughter got a job teaching 6th grade ELA- and it is SO EXCITING!  We've been doing quite a bit of shopping- in the real world and on TPT.  Fun, fun, fun!  

Here are some of my favorites from the week.

When we were moving,  I discovered that we had LOTS of shells.  They are beautiful, and apparently I kept thinking I needed to collect more and more. I kept a lot- but I decided the others would make a great sorting center for the beginning of the year- keeping a little summer in the air!

I found this fabulous sandpaper- 10 sheets for $1 at Valu Home Center!  I also got 40 smaller sheets for $1- because I KNOW I'll think of something... and they were a DOLLAR! (I am the classic sucker shopper who says, "It was only a dollar."  But come on- it really was a dollar! Paper without the sand would be that much.  Right?!)

This...  happens...

OR they have to go to the bathroom SOOOOOO BAD!

Herding Cats in Kindergarten shared some favorite clean up songs at her blog last week.  I LOVED seeing the variety! You can check out all the different songs at her blog.  The kids always work better/faster when they sing or try to finish before the song ends.  SO- I decided to put these songs together on my Character Education Prezi so I can have them handy whenever we need to clean up- AKA always.   

I, of course, got carried away and found lots of songs I loved so I added all of them for variety-so we can choose a different one each day.

And then, I decided to add a "Be Kind Friends" section to the Prezi- because we always in case we need reminders. 

 THEN- I found some relaxing guitar music that I liked- and thought there may be days I would need that playing peacefully in the background as the children worked, so I added that.  Basically, what I'm saying is that I redid the Prezi.  It's free at my TPT store if you would like a copy of it.  I leave it up all the time- and we visit and revisit videos all the time for reminders.  

I had fun working on that Prezi, so I went back over all my other Prezis at my TPT Store to check the links and videos.  I use Prezis all the time on my Smartboard.  It's such a great way to use technology in the classroom, because the links are all right there together- AND it's also a great way to show some anchor charts and tips through videos right at your fingertips.  I don't have a lot of extra wall space - any extra wall space- so during Writer's Workshop or Reading Centers, and even Free Choice time, I leave up an anchor chart or reminder for the children.  It's just another way to reinforce any and everything.  

You need to be able to access Youtube videos at your school to use these.  (And click the "allow pop-ups" at the bottom so you can access the links for the educational games.)  Many times if something is blocked at your school (like Youtube) and you bake cookies or get donuts explain why you need it - for teaching- the IT person will unblock it for you. 

I have lots of free Prezis:

Earth Day

 Frog and Toad

My Favorite Things

 Kindergarten Websites (This is a good link to send home for parents who are looking for some good sites for home!)

and lots of other Prezis that I use all the time!  I always have two or three up so I can switch back and forth between them. 

Learning is Fun!

Letters and Sounds

Common Core Math Prezi Bundle (4 Prezis)  This one took FOR. EVER.  to make, because I searched for all the best links and videos to go with each standard. But, now that it's done, everything is right there for me!

 

 

Primary Writing

Beginning Reading

Eric Carle

Fun in the Fall United States

Fun in the Fall- Canada

The Five Senses

Discovering Great Artists

Bird Nests

Perspective and Optical Illusions

Authors Prezi

I kind of like Prezis.  :)

I also spent a lot of time with Eric Carle this week.  Jeff may have been a little jealous.  I put everything together in my Eric Carle Packet- my Prezi, QR Codes, and writing prompts.  

I scanned each video through Viewpure to take out ads and anything extra you don't want on there.  

In this packet, I also scanned the videos through SafeShare because a sweet girl bought the set and realized she couldn't access Viewpure and needed SafeShare- SO - since I did it, I just added it to the packet in case you need that version.  

You can check the sample codes to be sure you can access the videos.  Again, sometimes your school will unblock a site if you beg or bake need it. Our school LOVES technology and nothing is blocked, so we're lucky.  

I am just a tiny bit over the top about Eric Carle because his books can be used for SO MANY things and are such a wonderful springboard for so much science, art, and discussion.  

We have our Kindergarten Picnic next Wednesday- a week before the children come back.  This year I made these Super Year super balls for their little surprise.  It was so simple and went along with our Superhero theme.  

If you would like a copy of these tags, you can get them HERE .

This song will be a definite part of our first day!  

Thank you so much for stopping by!

  

Have a ...weekend!

SUPER Five for Friday

Hi!  I am linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday. Thank you for hosting, Kacey! Where is summer going?  I see so many people starting back to school, it just feels like fall already. We start September 9th, which is late- but we also go until the bitter end of June, which is late.  So, I'm enjoying every minute left.  

We moved in January to a rental house, because we thought we sold our house.  Didn't close. We waited longer.  Thought we sold it again.  Didn't close.   HUGE long story.  Moved back again last week- actually we are still doing it.  So I'm tired.  But also so glad that we're doing it during summer, not during school. 

                         

This is going to be a Superhero theme Five for Friday- except for #1.  

That's going to be a little story to go along with this sad little saying. I added some illustrations to make it less pathetic and whiny go along with the story. 

Good thing I have this blog, so I don't have to whine out loud (except to my sweet Jeff). Only to all of you.  Cause this just happened. 

Every year for the past four years, I've gone in one day in the summer to put all of the permanent folders and ELA folders together into the new classroom groups K-5.  I just like to do it by myself, in the quiet conference room, to help the secretary, who is crazy-busy, and to say a little prayer for each class while I do it.  It's just time consuming, not hard, so it's sort of fun to do. Today was that day.  

A few days ago, the floors in the hall were waxed.  I knew this.  I didn't go in the side door that was roped off because I knew this.  However, in the conference room , there is no phone service, and I knew my daughter was going to stop by for my insurance card.  So, I was trying to get service, so I knew when she arrived.  I went out the side door, took four steps in the hall to the outside door. and thought, "OH NO." 

                          

Now, the floors were dry, but not dry-dry.  I felt awful and slinked back into the conference room.   But that wasn't the end of it.

A janitor saw me from down the other end of the hall.  He must have told his boss, who yelled from the other end of the hall, "HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? I CAUGHT YOU!" (Except make that font like size 500, cause it was loud.) I said, "I am SOOOOOOO sorry." 

                    

Then he said, "DON'T WALK ON THE FLOORS,"  as he locked the door I went out of right in front of me. So I know just how little kids feel when they are punished and someone locks something up right in front of them.  Yes I do.   I just kept saying, "I am SOOOOO sorry."  

                    

But then, he went to my PRINCIPAL and told him to keep his "GD" teachers off the floors.  Mind you, this man KNOWS me and has known me for eight years since he's been there- and I have always been nice, blah blah blah.   So I was like....

                   

My principal joked it off with me and said the floors were dry anyway. He also knows me well, and knew I was there doing a favor for everyone getting the folders ready, and probably knew I thisclose to crying a little. I wanted to cry. 

 By the way, you can't even see my little footprints in the hall.  Thank GOODNESS. The floors are perfect.  

I wanted to mess up all the folders  pack up and go home.

                                      

But I forgot for a second that I am old and an adult and a big girl. So I finished my "good deed," and left with a smile.

I know... that's not nice.  

Today did, however, remind me to speak kindly and gently to my little ones when they make a mistake.  Or to big ones.  Anyone.  You don't have to be five to feel like crying when you get yelled at for making a mistake.  Although, since I may have the thinnest skin ever, I really always try to remember this anyway.  I still remember getting yelled at in 2nd grade for cutting a leprechaun out of the wrong green paper- so....  yeah. I may need some sort of therapy.

For some reason, I feel like if I had quoted this today, it may not have been well-received.

OK. I'm done with the pity party. I did make a mistake.  I MADE A MISTAKE.  The kids will LOVE to hear about it when I share it someday during rug time.  They eat it up when I tell my mistakes.  

On to Superhero stuff!  Oh my goodness, these first bulletin boards remind me of yet another janitor story.  #whiningagain.   I take care of three bulletin boards in the hall.  As I was putting them up quietly in the hall last week, a janitor walked by and said, "You know, the kids won't even notice these."  So I said (Pollyanna-ish), "Well, I'll notice them."  Thinking he would say, "Oh, I know, (insert something nice.)"  But he said,"Well, I will too, cause I saw you putting them up.  But nobody else will!"  BAM.

Now, I'm really done with the whining.  Let's go!  These must be tests.

Here are my bulletin boards.  Our school is Apalachin Elementary School (AES).

I made the pictures at PicMonkey. I love PicMonkey.  I use the free version, and there's plenty there to use!  When you edit a picture, and click the apple on the left side, there is a Comic Heroes choice with fonts and fun things to insert.  

Here was the picture I used for the "S."

Or this would have been good- and not cut off... I just sort of like the "real" Superman picture. 

And the "W."

On this next board, the middle square at the bottom is a little locker mirror.  This bulletin board is over our Lost and Found table, so the mirror is right at the right height for kids to look in as they search at the table. 

For the bottom board, when school starts, I'm going to replace the random pictures with pictures of students in the school doing kind things. 

These images are from Julie at Less-Than-Perfect Life of Bliss.  This blog post has SO many adorable superhero ideas that she used for her son's birthday party. I liked them because they were so clever, but realistic, and I could actually see myself doing them. That's the kind of idea I like (unlike so many fancy cakes I see that are so pretty but are never going to happen for me...). 

I LOVE this next bulletin board! It was on buzzfeed- with no link.  After these first boards come down, I want to do this.  You could also do Spiderman with "We are AMAZING," Fantastic Four with "We are FANTASTIC," Superman with "We are SUPER friends," Wonder Woman with "Our WONDERFUL Year,"  etc. etc!

Something like this is going beside our door.  We can't put anything on our doors, just beside them.

I wrote a sign that says, "We are..." 

                              

Then underneath it says,  "We are..."

I made these to go over the children's lockers.

These are what I made (again at PicMonkey) to put on the children's lockers.

I haven't had a chance to put these up yet and take a picture... did I mention the floors in the hall aren't dry?  

These are some Superhero sayings and pictures I liked- and thought I could do some different things with later on during the year.  

I thought this would be fun to put up on a board, and have people write Random Acts of Kindness they've done on sticky notes to put up around it.

These are some adorable Superhero craft ideas I loved!

This would be a really cute Superhero activity to use with a full length photograph of the child, and then have him/her make a hand print cape (not only for a card.)

I'm going to have the kids make these (below) for over their lockers.  I'm going to use a blue hand (fingers together) for the body, and a red hand for the cape. No feet painting- because I can't imagine that especially in September.  I'm using a real photo for the head.  They'll make the superhero in the middle of a paper.  

On the top, I'm having them write "I am SUPER,", and then  on the bottom of the paper "at_______. "

I'll show you how they turn out when they're done!

Design Dazzle shared this adorable Super Power jar idea that she got from Sugar Tots.

                         

I love this idea for turning the kids into Super helpers!  You could add anything you wanted- Wonderful Walkers, Super Eagle Eyes, Fantastic Friends at Lunch, Amazing Workers...  Her ideas are free to download at her site!

I found these masks at Stuck-On-Glue blogspot.  They would be lots of fun for the kids. 

Katrina from A Love For Teaching made this great bulletin board.

I don't know where to find these, but I saw them on Pinterest with no link.  Who would think there would be a Superhero for each letter!

Look at these great paper plate masks from Meaningful Mama!

Finally, go ahead and figure out your Batman name!   

 Have a wonderful weekend!