I am soooo excited about this product!  My firsties are all about problem solving and this fun Halloween themed problem solving book is just right for them!  How fun is problem solving the CGI way when you are figuring out how many pumpkins Jack carved or how many kids were frightened by the friendly ghost?  You're gonna love this little treat:-)

Not much time for blogging today but I wanted to share this linky I'm participating in.

Watermelon and a Giveaway!

Congratulations to Wendy at Teacher's Toolkit!  She reached 100 followers and is having a giveaway!  Head over for a chance to win one of the prizes donated by 14 TpT sellers, including me:-)  I'm giving away my "Going Batty for Bats" unit.

Friday was the last day of summer and we had a big day with watermelon activities!  We read "Down By the Bay", sang "Down By the Bay", ate watermelon, and wrote about watermelon on a cutie watermelon writing craftivity!  Did you know that watermelon tastes better when it is eaten with your friends at school during a time when you would usually be working??  Just ask my kiddos:-)  I find the my firsties really need a lot of practice rhyming.  What ever happened to little kids learning nursery rhymes from their parents and grandparents???  Anyway, after reading "Down By the Bay", we came up with our own rhymes to make a class book.  I love class books!!  Here are a few samples that my cuties did.  Notice the underlining of "warin" and "chaseg"!  Thank you Daily 5 and Cafe!!

I love that they added detail like butterflies.  There is a reason for the added details:-)  One of my teammates was blog hoppin' one day and came across the suggestion to get your kiddos to use more colors.  If you are 6...you have to use at least 6 colors!  If you are 7...you have to use at least 7 colors!  How simple is that!!!  

We are heading into Johnny Appleseed week!  I LOVE IT!  We're making applesauce and Johnny hats on Wednesday.  I always ask my hubby if he celebrates Johnny Appleseed's birthday at work;-)  It must be a bummer working with adults all day!  

My daughter is coming over tonight!  HOORAY!  She is creative and can make some anchor charts for me!  Shhhhh!  I don't want her to know about this fun activity I have planned for her until she is here so she can't change her mind about coming over.  

Enough chatter for now.  Gotta get some art matted so a wonderful parent I had last year can hang it up for me tomorrow:-)  Have a super week!  Happy Bday Johnny A.!

My Going Batty About Bats Unit  is a freebie for the next hour!  Fly over to my store to snatch yours!

THE HAPPY TEACHER is having a give away:-)  Go visit for a chance to win a $25 Target gift card!

Here's what's happening!

Click on the pic to get this freebie.  It includes a cover for a class book and a page for students to write their own rhyme and draw a picture.  I do this activity on the last day of summer, which is this coming Friday.  We also eat watermelon and write about it:-)  Fun day!  







I'm joining in a a linky party that Rowdy in First Grade is having!  It's a good one!

Here we go!

My Something Good From School

My fabulous team is doing an amazing job taking care of me.  I had knee surgery in the summer and it actually made my knee worse! I'm limping around school.  It's pathetic:-(  One of the aides even offered to take my recess duty. It's nice to know that your peeps are there when you need them:-)

My Something Good From Home

My hubby and daughter are starting a new business.  Things are going really well!  I'm so happy for them. 

I hope you join in the linky.  I'd love to read what's going good for you!  

And another chance to win:-)

Heather over at Sensational Seconds is also giving away a laminater!  I'm feeling lucky!  Head over to her blog and check it out!

Check out this give away!

Check out the fab give away that Nicole is having!  Win a personal laminater!  Whoop!  Whoop!   Thanks Rowdy in Room 300!!

Keep on Truckin'

We are truckin into our third week of school.  Wow!  The beginning of the year is exhausting!  I have 31 little cuties, they all showed up:-)  Yesterday was 106 degrees!  That is just not right!  Stinky, sweaty, clammy, little first graders everywhere!  EEEwwwww!

So far I am loving Daily 5.  We have been working on building stamina and it is going quite slow.  We are finally up to 10 minutes.  Ugh!  This week I need to intro "check for understanding" and "work on writing".

Back to School Night was super:-)  Unfortunately we made a last minute change to the day and I was missing 6 parents.  The rest were awesome!  I can't believe I talked for 45 minutes!  Holy Moly!

I'm so excited that we are starting to receive alphabet letters in the mail from the "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" letter exchange.  Chrissy from First Grade Found me did an AMAZING job organizing!  Thank you so much, Chrissy!

This week we will celebrate the last day of summer.  I hope that means an end to 100 degree weather!  On Friday we will eat watermelon and write about it.  I also read and sing "Down By the Bay" and do a class rewrite for a class book.  I should post that for you, huh:-)

Have a fab weekend!

Classroom Reveal 2012

OMG!  It's been soooo long since my last blog!

I visited my parents in Indiana:-)  Such a nice time and got to see my nephew, Logan, and my brother, Rhett, too.  That is always a treat:-)  My brother was a trooper and even went in the teacher supply store in Evansville, Indiana with me to look for ladybug and bee stuff.  What a guy!  My mom took me shopping for school clothes! How awesome is that...to be 50 and have your mommy still take you school clothes shopping!  I love Christopher Banks and we don't have those in So. Ca.

After many hours of labor (labor of love of course), my classroom is ready!!!  YeeHaw!!  My hubby, daughter, and her boyfriend were lifesavers!  I couldn't have done it without them.  My son goes to college at Boise State and I'm sure he is just heartbroken that he missed all the fun of working in my classroom.  NOT!

So here's some pics of my room for 2012-2013 school year.  I am ready to go with 31 little cuties:-)

This wall is gigantic!!  It contains my Word Wall, CAFE Menu, Calendar, and space above for student work.  I have no idea how I'm going to hang work up that high but I'll worry about that later.  I have a feeling it will involve a ladder and my hubby...shhhhhhh..don't tell him!  By the way, thanks to the "Hanging Hero" bulletin board tool for helping us get those bulletin boards straight!  Check it out in my TpT store!

Closeup of the CAFE Menu.  I love those bees! 

Calendar

That's the carpet area for group meetings and story time.  The wagon will hold the headphones and listening posts when I get that started.  The headphones hang on the side.  The little doggy in my chair is Wrinkles.  He is a puppet. He's been in first grade for 15 years and still can't say the ABC's or count correctly!!  

Around the corner from the Word Wall is my library.  This is new this year and I am CRRRRRRRazy about it!  Cozy and cute!!  Above the library is a writing reference wall with commonly confused words, written expression, and a rate-your-writing poster.

My desk area.  Wouldn't it be nice if it stayed that neat and tidy!  

My table for guided reading, assessments, small group instruction, etc.  The focus wall is behind it.  My turtle, Franklin, is in the cage:-)  A few years ago I found out that Franklin is a girl!  Oh well!!  I don't think she minds.  Sometimes I call him/her Frankie.

This is taken from my group meeting area looking toward the smart board.  I  L-O-V-E that thing!  What did I ever do without it!  That reminds me...I need to go make a flip chart!  Rats!  I thought my work was done!

Have a fantastic Labor Day!