Santa's on His Way...

We're just days away from Teachers Pay Teachers' giant Christmas in July sale and Santa's on vacation to rest up for the rush. Since he's busy drinking Pina Coladas under a palm tree, I'm stepping in for Santa and sending you a little present.  It's a math center where the kids have to match the Santa addition cards with the flip-flop cards that have the matching sums. Just click on the picture to download. Check back in tomorrow for the list of all 34 sellers participating in the TPT Christmas in July sale!

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells...

   

    There's a Holly-Jolly Extravaganza coming from Teachers Pay Teachers! Over 30 sellers, myself included, are teaming up for a mega-sale!  On Monday, July 18th, you can find every item in these select stores on sale for 5 - 20% off!  Hurry - the sale last for only 24 hours!  I'm going to head over and put a lot of goodies on my wish list and then make sure I check out Monday.  Check back here tomorrow for a Christmas freebie and a complete list of sellers!

     My entire store will be 20% off, so make sure you pop over and take a look.  I'm hoping to have my new Miss Bindergarten, Kissing Hand and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom units completed by then too!  Have a great night!

Bleacher Creatures & Birthday Freebie #7

     What is wrong with me??  I was at the Yankees game yesterday, surrounded by big, burly, beer-swilling, rowdy fans and I found myself thinking about school.  I just couldn't help it - I was inspired by the "Bleacher Creatures" in Section 203.  (This is the view from our seats.)

     If you're unfamiliar with this famous (or perhaps infamous) crowd of uber-fans, they are a group known for their strict allegiance to the team and their merciless attitude to opposing fans.  One really cool thing they do is called the "Roll Call."   Led by "Bald Vinny," who rallies the rest of the creatures to their feet and into a pinstriped frenzy, the fans start chanting each player's name until the player acknowledges them.  For example, we all roared "De-rek Je-ter, De-rek Je-ter" until he raised his glove.  Other players gave us a salute, a tip of the hat - one even did a King Kong pose. It was awesome!!  Not only did it send a show of support to the players but it also returned a message of welcome to the fans. There was a such an electric dynamic between everyone there - players, fans, even stadium attendants - it really made me feel like a part of the team.  
     That's when it hit me - this is exactly what I want in my classroom - welcome, support, connection, excitement and a feeling of community.  So... now my wheels are turning. How can I add some kind of "roll call" to my morning meeting to give the kids the same feeling that was there at the ballpark - united, excited and ready to play ball.  I'm looking for some advice and suggestions on how to make it work.  I want the kids amped, but not too rowdy.  I'm thinking they can come up with their own salutes, but should they stay the same or be spontaneous each day?  Would you start the roll call or let a student lead it?  So much to consider...  Any thoughts?
     The last of my 7 Birthday Freebies (sorry it's late) is in tribute to the Bleacher Creatures and Derek Jeter's 3000th hit - which we missed by one day, BTW.  It's an emergent reader (that I tweeked a little in honor of DJ) and includes three different versions.  Enjoy!

Jeter, Jumbo Dust Bunnies & Freebie #6

     Sorry today's post is so late!  My BFF is heading into town tomorrow and the dust bunnies in the guest room were as big as my dog so something had to be done about them!  We're heading into the city on Sunday for the Yankees game against the Tampa Bay Rays and we're hoping to witness Jeter's 3000th hit.  Nothing like 50,000 drunk New Yorkers celebrating the first Yankee to make it into one of baseball's most exclusive clubs!

     Today's freebie is a quickie - just some journal labels I like to use for my writing journals.  I left them in Word format so you can type in your own names.  (The formatting looks a little wonky when you view it in Google Docs, but it seems to be downloading OK.)  Have a great weekend!

Click Here to Download

Who Doesn't Love Chester? B-day Freebie #5

Hi everyone!
     I'm overwhelmed by the kind words and comments everyone has been leaving!  When I started this blog a week ago, I had no idea how much I would enjoy it.  I've always been the kind of teacher who likes to share with other teachers, but this whole blogging thing brings it to a whole new level.  It's so cool to think that teachers from California to Maine, from Australia to the Middle East, and from Canada to Florida will be using my creations in their classrooms.  Pretty stinkin' cool!
     For those of you asking about my blog design, when I decided to jump into the Blogger world, I decided to try my hand at designing.   I bought a cute digital scrapbooking kit (for $1.00 - woohoo!) called Sweet Summer and played around with all of the elements.  After lots (and I mean LOTS!) of trial and error and ended up with a design I love.
    Today's birthday freebie features another old favorite, The Kissing Hand.  We've all read it a hundred times and know the power of it's message.  I'm working on a Kissing Hand unit for back to school time, and this is one of the math activities from the pack.  It's a spin and graph game that's a great way to introduce partnering and teamwork in the beginning of the year.  I hope you enjoy it!

Click Here to Download

The Best Gift I've Ever Gotten Myself - Birthday Freebie #4

    One thing you should know about me is that I LOVE my dog.  Her name is Sally and she's a 5 year beagle that I rescued when she was about 1.  She is sweet, spoiled and oh, so snuggly.  When I adopted her, they told me that she is blind, but I think she's fooling us all.  Except for the occasional header into a wall, she is unstoppable!  She's a good reminder that no matter what your challenges are, you should run, not walk, through life.

    I love to take pictures of her and have been known to torture her with Halloween costumes and other embarrassing props. Sorry, Sally!  I have an invisible line drawn in my head that has me convinced that if I don't put little sweaters or dresses on her, it's not so bad...  So, in honor of Sally, the best gift I've ever given myself, today's freebie is dog-themed.  It's a syllable sort that I use in my pocket chart station.  There's a recording sheet included so you can hold the kids accountable for their work.  I hope you enjoy it!

 

Click Here to Download

Bonus Birthday Freebie

     I have a bonus freebie today, but you'll have to do a little work for this one. It's a Birthday Packet that includes all kinds of goodies to use to celebrate birthdays in your classroom.  If you'd  like a packet just write about my Birthday Freebies on your blog (with a link) and leave a comment (including your email) letting me know about it and I'll send you one.  (I'm hoping to get word of my new blog out there...)  If you don't have a blog, become a follower and leave a comment with your email and I'll send you one too.  Enjoy!

Included in this packet are:

1. Class Book - Each student fills out a page with a birthday wish for the birthday girl/boy.  Color and b/w versions of the student pages are included.
2. Teacher Coupon – Give a colorful birthday coupon to the birthday boy/girl.  Just write in a treat of your choice (no homework, sit at the teacher’s desk today, etc.) and sign your name.
3. Cupcake Birthday Chart - Includes pieces you can print and cut to make a birthday chart for your classroom.
4. Cupcake Birthday Graph – A math activity for students to complete using data from the classroom birthday chart.
5. Birthday Emergent Reader – A simple book with repetitive text for students to enjoy.  Three versions are included: a mini-book for guided reading, a fill in the blanks version with missing words and a larger version for students to copy the text.