Groovy End of the Year Celebration

I used an abbreviated version of our Beatles performance for "graduation," to accommodate our half-day schedule. The kids rocked both performances and brought me to tears! We sang four songs:

1. Hello, Goodbye

2. Yellow Submarine

3. All You Need is Love

4. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

An awesome parent even sent me this video. Please pardon my nerves and some technical difficulties. :)

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Random

I used individual cups as planters this years. I wrote each child's name on the cup with puffy paint, like last year. It makes it so much easier to send home for Spring Break!

I still love my thinking maps. I write the word "is" on each "arm," to help students with sentence structure.

I snuck a picture of another teacher's "Gambit" anchor chart. I loved it and need to make one!

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Last Week of School Bulletin Board

I wanted to take down our cute killer whale bulletin board early, so I could add the whales to each child's potfolio before "graduation." I left up the blue paper and painted on, "Sea ya later!" I had the kiddos write on Post-Its what they were going to miss about kindergarten. When they were done, they just popped their Post-It onto the wall. Easy!

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May's Bulletin Board

We read the pebblego.com (LOVE!) text on killer whales. The students wrote facts about whales and we turned them into cute orcas. When you lift the white belly, each child's writing is revealed.

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Hodge Podge

I found these cute canvases to hang in the hallway outside of my classroom door.

Here is our carpet time, where I hold Number Talks, model read, and do phonemic awareness activities.

On April Fools' day, another (amazing) kindergarten teacher and I dressed up as one another. We switched classrooms and tried to trick the students.... They were on to us. ;)

On Bike to School day in May, I led a bike ride to school from Las Vegas Cyclery. 100 students followed behind me on our 1 miles ride to school. I stayed in my helmet and kit all day to promote bicycle safety!

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Spring Bulletin Board

Our bulletin board for March and April showed off our writing. The students wrote "I can..." statements telling things they can do because they were just ducky!

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Sight Word Pillowcases

I started creating our Sight Word Pillowcases for this year's winter gifts. I created a stencil using my Cricut machine and use fabric paint and a sponge. I used cardstock for the stencil. As you paint, it dries and thickens, increasing the stencil's longevity. Click here for a previous blog post. :)

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Mothers' Day

We love to put on a mini performance for our mommies for Mothers' Day. We sing four songs and read  three poems. Our songs include...

1. Happy Mothers' Day

2. I Love You Mommy

3. M-O-T-H-E-R

4. A Piece of Me

The students trace and cut out their handprints. I roll them, add a stem, and a leaf. The bouquets are set up on each table.

Cookies and labeled bottles of water are served. Here are more details for our celebration!

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Fred Elizabeth

Our "Elf on a Shelf" visited our classroom this year. The AM class picked the first name, Fred, and the PM class picked, Elizabeth, for a middle name. We found Fred Elizabeth in many interesting places and the children wrote about it!

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Holiday Gifts

We wrapped our family gifts in scented (clean) trash bags. This year my aide and husband painted the hands. I will (hopefully) have willing mommy helpers for 2014-2015 school year!

Here's the detailed post, here.

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Classroom Pictures

2013-2014

Here is our library center, complete with an anchor chart on "The 3 Ways to Read a Book."

Here is a goal setting bulletin board.

Art center is always integrated with math and ELA. Towards the end of the year, the students create story elements.

Here are a few centers.

• Restaurant Center
• Seat Work Center
• Write the Room
• Sight Word Stars
• Magnetic Letters
• Journal Center

Listening Center

Word Puzzles and "Games"

Play Doh Centers (students write letters and words in Play Doh) and Whiteboards

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February Bulletin Board

"Sweeten the Day with Kindness"

For February's bulletin board, I had the students write about kindness. They shared stories about things they have done that was kind or an act of kindness that was done to them.

To make the candies, I used cellophane-wrapped cardstock circles. You can tie the ends with ribbon or twist ties.


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