Teachers Notebook Bundle

Teachers Notebook is offering a bundle that is worth over $1,800!  The proceeds will benefit those in Moore, Oklahoma.  What an amazing opportunity to help support those in need!  The bundle of donated products is available on the site now and is priced at $20, $25, $50 and $100. Regardless of the amount you contribute, you will receive access to all the donated products.

Click HERE to get to the bundle!

 

Smiles and Snapshots!

Memory Books plus a Foldable Tutorial :)

12 days is all the separates me from S.U.M.M.E.R!  Don't get me wrong... I love my job, love my kiddos that I've had this year but I desperately need the summer to get here.  I am completely jealous of people that I blog-stalk follow who only have a few days left.  But we have a lot to get into the next 12 days (and 3 of those are 1/2 days!).  One of the things that I want to finish is this End of Year Memory book that I put in my TPT and TN stores last night. 

 

 

 

It has numerous fill-in pages and grade-specific covers.  I can't wait to see what my kids put!  I definitely think this is something that parents will love to read as well.  Grab it HERE or HERE!

 

We have worked SUPER hard on our trioramas this week for Social Studies.  My students picked one event from 4 (out of 7) of our SS units.  Here's how you put it together....

 

You can use a regular sheet of computer paper.  Cut off the end to create a square.

 

 

 

Fold it in half.

 

 Fold it in half again.

 

When you open it back up,  you have 4 sections.

 

Cut between two of the sections.  I told my kids this made "legs."

 

This is when my students added the information for their project!  It's MUCH easier when it's not glued yet. :)

 

Tuck one of the "legs" underneath the other and glue. (Yep, that's a Christmas book on my desk.... I was going through my classroom library!)

 

 

This is how one section will look when it is put together.

 

You can staple the pieces together and create the triorama.

 

This is one of the FANTASTIC projects that one of my kids did!

 

 

 

 

My kids really loved this project and I'm sure that you super creative people can think of multiple uses for this foldable. :)

 

Off to grade papers... grades are due tomorrow!

 

Smiles and Snapshots!

 

 

May Currently

It’s MAY!  Not too sure where April went.  Now next week is PASS testing and tomorrow is Relay for Life.  And then field day and a field trip and cookout day and soaring stars day and move- up day!  WOW!  I’m whooped already!  Cookout day is the day when we ALL each lunch outside as a school community.  It’s a great time to see everyone together.  Hopefully it won’t rain! J  Soaring Stars is something that we do one time each nine weeks.  We celebrate those kiddos who have soared to success through grades and character all 9 weeks long.  Last 9 weeks we took them to the movies to see “The Croods” but this 9 weeks is a water day!  They are going to be soooooo excited when they find out!!!!!  Move-up day is one of my favorite days of the school year.  My fourthies will move up for 30 minutes and meet their 5^th grade teacher.  I will get to meet my class for next year.  I usually play an introductory game with them and tell them a little about myself.  May is going to be fantastic and I’m ready to get it going.

And with it being the beginning of May that means it’s time to link up with Farley for her CURRENTLY!



 

Listening: Lady Antebellum is one of my favorite country groups.  I was stoked to see Hilary on “The Voice” too!  I try to harmonize with them in the car…. Everything sounds better in the car! J

Loving: So I was pinteresting… my favorite hobby… and I stumbled upon an app called “Level It.”  It’s $2.99 and I normally don’t buy a bunch of apps but this one was calling my name!  This app scans the barcode of your book (or you can manually enter the ISBN) for it to level the book!  You can save your search and build your classroom library in the app.  I typically use an excel spreadsheet to keep track of all of my books but this also has a system where kids can check books and in and out from your library!  OH MAN!

Thinking:  I need to study for my Reading Specialist test on Saturday.  I’ve made flashcards but I really need to do some heavy duty studying!

Wanting:  I saw the cutest skirt EVER at Target that I must purchase.

Needing: Surgery on my foot is upon me.  I am having it done AS SOON as school gets out for the summer.  I will recover for 2 months with no weight on it at all.  BLAH.

Summer Bucket List:  Because I’ll be off my foot all summer, it gives me the opportunity to make lots and lots of products for my TPT store!  My family has scheduled a trip to Ocean Lakes and my boyfriend’s family has scheduled a trip to Panama City… I REALLY want to go on both.  Major to just sit in the house (OL) and hotel (Panama) and chill.  Hopefully there is Wi-Fi!  And recover.. quickly!

 

Smiles and Snapshots!

Vocabulary Fun

My right eye is officially twitching which means… PASS testing (our state testing) is near.  Very near in fact.  Tuesday.  I’m like 40 kinds of nervous and anxious but ready to get this over with.  My kiddos have worked their tails off but it’s my first year of testing so I am allowed to be anxious, right?  Yikes! 

I have had a huge focus on vocabulary this year.  I’ve been trying out some new things and it was even my focus for my Masters Practicum.  I have lived and breathed vocabulary this year.  But of course it took until April to really sink my teeth into Flocabulary. 

 

It has 10 words which are also the spelling words for the week.  It has a rap with all of the words in it.  Cutest raps ever!  The fourthies BEG me to play it more than once a day.   I’m ok with that…. They are SUPER catchy!  I have also been using Word Nerds…

This book has some awesome activities, games, and even celebrations to use for vocabulary instruction.  It’s great and my kiddos have been so excited the past few weeks.  I wish I would have known about the greatness that is Flocabulary earlier in the year.  It also opened up a great opportunity to whip out our nifty cameras that we got from Donors Choose.  Definitely added another level of complete excitement for vocabulary!  I had my students get into small groups and create silent skits (charades) for 2 of their vocabulary words.  We passed cameras around and them video the skits.  Oh man.  So stinkin’ cute!  I also played them as a way to review the words near the end of the week.  GREATNESS!

So I’m in love with my smartboard… But I have been saddened to discover that not everyone has a smartboard.  Ok, I already knew this but it became an issue when I uploaded my Writing Curriculum (Smartboard version) to my TPT store.  So not only can you buy the PDF version or the Smartboard version now BUT it’s now also available in PowerPoint!  YAY!  It has all of the forms that the PDF version has (attached) but you can use the PowerPoint to model the writing with your students.  Go over to my TPT store and grab a copy for yourself.

Smiles and Snapshots!

 

April Currently

Oh man… it’s April!  Hard to believe.  I swear, March felt like the longest month EVER but probably because I have anxiously been awaiting Spring Break (which I am currently enjoying!) WAHOO!  I have done a whole lot of absolutely nothing on Spring Break and I’m definitely okay with that.  One of the reasons March felt like it lasted forever was that I gave my first state testing.  You talk about nervous OH MY WORD.  (and that was ME.. not the kiddos!)  Two days of writing and the rest of it will be in May.  :)

With it being the beginning of April can only mean one thing! Farley’s Currently has once again made its lovely appearance. 

 I love these things and I love to read what others are up to.  That’s the reason I got into blogging in the first place!  Here’s my Currently for this month…

 

*Listening: I used to be an American Idol junkie but a few seasons ago I jumped ship to “The Voice.” Goodness gracious I’m addicted.  So I’m getting some work done on one half of my screen and watching “The Voice” on the other half.  That’s do-able, right?

 *Loving: that I’ve brought the Mac back out.  I LOVE using my school laptop (PC) and therefore my Mac has been feeling a bit neglected.  I bought it a few years ago but have never really made products on it.  I’m trying to get the hang of it. But “Donald” (get it.. Mac Donald! LOL) is a wonderful computer and I’m glad to be using it again.

 *Thinking:  Spring break is wonderful, great, fantastic!  I love my job but Spring Break is 12 different kinds of wonderful. 

 *Wanting:  FOOD!  Seriously.  I’m hungry.  It’s 4:48pm.  Is that too early for dinner?  Yikes.

 *Needing: to start getting my spring clothes out!  I think the cold weather is over for us here in SC…not that we had TOO much of a winter.

 *Advice: Proofread. So you’ve spent hours… days…. weeks… on a new product for your store. Your blood, sweat, and tears are in this thing and you are anxious to get it uploaded and talk about it on your blog.  My advice is to get someone to proofread what you are putting out there.  If you are like me, once you have been pouring over this for however long, you don’t see mistakes any longer.

 Go link up your Currently and join in on the fun!

Smiles and Snapshots,

Courtney

March Currently

Here's the March currently from Farley.  Go over to her blog and link up! :)  I always LOVE seeing what other bloggers have to say.

 

 

  Listening: As I was filling it out, I realized I was sitting in silence.  Sometimes it's just best that way!   Loving: Ok, seriously... for February to be the shortest month it sure felt like the longest month!  I thought it would never end.  Holy cow.   Thinking: All I've heard ALL week is that it was supposed to snow today.  No snow. Not one bit.  Boo.   Wanting: I have a huge pile of laundry that I have been procrastinating going through.  Wouldn't it be awesome if a little magic fairy could come and do it FOR me? :)   Needing:  I have some new items in the works for my store but I need to just sit down and finish it.   Like: coca-cola- I started drinking JUST water this week... I miss soda! Love: Chocolate ... I'm trying to stay away from ALL of the candy I got from my 4th graders for Valentine's Day.  Hate: Cattyness ... is that how you even spell it?  Ugh.    I could have added that I LOVE the email I had in my inbox when I got to work on Monday morning... I'll give you a sneak peek....

That's right!  My donors choose project has been fully funded.  I screamed and then the teacher across the hall poked his head out the door to make sure I was ok.  Oh man I was excited!!!!

My project was for 6 video cameras and they showed up in my classroom yesterday! 

YES YES YES! 

 

My brain is overflowing with so many great projects that we can do.... my first thought was history skits then my thoughts went to readers theater. My kiddos were SO excited!!!!  Can't wait to use these with them. 

 

Smiles and Snapshots!

 

   

Giveaway Winner and Valentines Fun

What a week! I was only at school 3 days this week... not by choice. On Wednesdays, I go to choir practice with my mom and aunt. On the way out, my knee walker hit a place in the sidewalk and threw me off of it. On the way down I landed on my broken foot, rolled a little, just stayed there. PAIN. Oh man. PAIN like I've never felt. After a trip to the hospital, having my cast sawed off (officially the weirdest thing EVER), and having a new cast put on... I was sore from the fall. Finally today has been the first day that I haven't been sore. I'm supposed to get my cast off on Friday. Not exactly sure that will happen now. We shall see. But until then I'm in this beauty...

 

 

 

I am actually diggin the purple. :) 

 

And now it's time to announce the giveaway winner for my February giveaway!!!!!!!

 

It's Karen from An Apple a Day in First Grade.  Karen is a fellow SC teacher and she won the Figurative Language Packet! 

Congrats, Karen!  Go check out her blog.

 

 

My students are so into Nonfiction right now.  How awesome is that to see!?  After learning all about the nonfiction text features, we decided to make some of our own.  Here are some pictures of my kiddos make their rough drafts on their desks.  It is such a hassle to get out those dry erase boards all the time and their desks work just as great.  And when they erase their desks with Clorox wipes, it makes our  room smell so clean!  Plus, they would much rather do this!!!

 

 

Each child had to create a table of contents for their nonfiction topic that they chose.  Next it was on to index, glossary, and appendix.  Their creativity on this assignment has been great. 

Can't wait to display their projects in our room for "Treats with Teachers" on Tuesday night.  This is basically an open house but our book fair is open in the library and there are treats for everyone in the cafeteria.  Gotta love it!

 

What are you doing for Valentine's Day this week?  My aunt made this for my kiddos...

 

 

 

Champagne flutes with conversations hearts in the bottom and they'll have a cupcake in the top.  How stinkin' cute!  They will love these.

 

I ordered photobooth props from an Etsy shop called The Manic Moose.  I will hang butcher paper on the wall and let my kids take fun pictures to keep.

 

Can't wait!!!!

 

What are you doing for Valentine's Day this week?

 

Smiles and Snapshots!