New Year's Resolutions, Kinder-style!

Happy New Year!  Today my Kinders worked on the first part of a project to create New Year's resolutions.  I really wanted to do this as my January home project but I was concerned about there being too many variables to this project for homework.  I am still pretty set on wanting the writing of each resolution to be a home project so I took the process apart. 

First, I read Squirrel's New Year's Resolution.  Squirrel has a hard time making a New Year's resolution but helps her friends throughout the day.  The focus of the book was that a New Year's Resolution is something that makes you a better person or helps you help other people.

I found an idea on http://littlemissglamourgoestokindergarten.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/new-years-resolutions.html to have each student break down what they can do, almost can do and want to do before creating a resolution.  I felt that my Kinders needed a little more space to work with.  I also added an area for an illustration and removed the resolution writing piece.  With these elements in mind I created this paper (for the best effect you'll need to print on 8.5" x 14" paper.) https://docs.google.com/open?id=0By1GkRIpToipT1AyTHBQajI4dmM

Once I create the form for the New Year's Resolution writing I'll upload those as well. 

Here's to a new year full of special moments with special little people!

Peaceable Kingdom = Fabulous Cooperative Games!

We made a 'sad' discovery in my classroom this afternoon- we lost an owl to one of our favorite games, Hoot Owl Hoot by Peaceable Kingdom.  My first thought was that I was going to have to figure out a way to design a small circle piece with one of these owls on it as a replacement..... hmmm.  Second thought, I do not have a mental capacity for this on a Friday.  

At some point (during lunch) I got the idea to look up the website for Peaceable Kingdom.  A quick call to customer service and the very friendly associate said that it wouldn't be a problem at all to get a replacement owl.  

I was an instant fan of this company after purchasing my first game about a year and a half ago.  Two games (and a wish list full of many others) later I am not only impressed with the game concepts, recycle-friendly materials and adorable graphics but the customer service.  This company absolutely gets my (invisible) seal of approval!

Of course, you'll want this: http://www.peaceablekingdom.com/Departments/Games/Cooperative-Games.aspx

The other Peaceable Kingdom game currently on my game shelf is Stone Soup.  Games consuming my wish list are the following: Count Your Chickens, Snug as a Bug in a Rug, Lost Puppies, and Seeds for the Birds. 

Happy Shopping!

Double Bulletin Boards

Apparently this school year has been way busier than I thought- two months without a post! Here's a double to make up for it.

In my Kinder class we have monthly home projects.  The projects are given out with each monthly newsletter and include very specific directions.  Each project is designed to require a minimal amount supplies needed to complete it. When the projects are returned to school students take turns sharing their work, after which it is added to the hallway bulletin board.

October's home project and bulletin board:

In an effort to avoid the Halloween-fest that is all things October, my monthly home project was to write/draw about a Fall tradition in your family.  With specific instructions not to turn the pumpkin paper into a jack-o-lantern, families decorated with crayons, markers, photos and a few even glued on some leaves from the back yard!  The traditions ranged from apple and pumpkin picking to jumping in piles of leaves.

The bulletin board title reads: "Check out our Fall fun as it hangs on the vine. All our hard work just looks so fine!" The vine was assembled by twisting strips of green butcher paper and attaching the pumpkins right under.  I cut out a leaf for each pumpkin and attached a typed out version of what each child said about their traditions.

November's home project and bulletin board:

In November we spent a large amount of time talking about being thankful (of course).  We talked about harvesting crops and how the Pilgrims and Native Americans worked together for the first Thanksgiving.  For our home project each child was given a vegetable outline and asked to use magazine cutouts, photos, illustrations and words to describe things they were thankful for.  I was impressed with my little Kinders and their creativity with things they were thankful for.  While every other Writer's Workshop story is about Legos or a video game system, these home projects were full of things such as family and friends.

This bulletin board is not what was originally planned.  I wanted to make a large cornucopia out of butcher paper.  It turns out, I don't actually know how to make a cornucopia out of paper.  Next plan, make a basket.  Let's just say that when I use this display next year I will have some adjustments in place to make the basket look more like a basket and less like the bottom of the Mayflower...

Thanks for reading!

Open House Ideas

Last night was my first open house as a solo classroom teacher. I finally had a chance to use some of those ideas I have been stock piling for a while.

This apple favor serves as a nice 'thanks for getting a babysitter and hanging out in a tiny chair for 20 mins' gift and also as a tool for taking attendance easily. The poem can be found online. I printed it on green paper and cut it out in the shape of a leaf. The apples are in fold-over sandwich baggies. I twisted the top of the bag and used it to hold the leaf on. My good friend, Mrs. G (who I got this idea from) uses pipe cleaners to hold the leaf on and to act as a stem.

Each child's seat housed a pile of items about classroom proceedings and of course book order flyers. A top the pile was a 'love note' written by each child ('written' with pictures, this is a K classroom after all). Parents were instructed when they entered to use the matching blank paper to write their child a note. Students whose parents did not attend received a note from either myself or another teacher in our hall.

On another table I set up a pumpkin patch. I cut out orange pumpkins on construction paper and wrote an item from the wish list on each pumpkin. The harder items also had photos on the pumpkins (as much as I love Do-A-Dot markers, very few non-educators know what they are).

The front table housed conference sign up sheets and a list for volunteers (farm hands). Next to the conference sign up sheet were slips of paper saying, 'my conference is on ______' for parents to fill in. The front door was equipped with a sign (positioned to obstruct an easy exit) asking parents if they had signed up for conferences.

Overall it was a good night. 13 of my 17 families attended and I made it out of the building shortly after the, 'the building will be closing' announcement.

Good luck to everyone with upcoming Open House nights!