So...I have a little news...

I know it's been forever again since I've checked in with this blog.  

Since my last post, life has been a little more crazy than the normal crazy I tend to live with.

Here's why...

Yep!  I'm going to be a principal in the building I teach! 

I know, maybe a little weird, right?  But I wouldn't dream of being an administrator anywhere else in the world! 

I love this school district.

I love my building.  

I love the children who come every day for a new adventure.  

I love my staff who have a true passion for doing what's best for children and do everything they can to make learning fun.  

There is something special about my building...there's magic there.  

It's where I grew up and went to school.  I still remember where my kindergarten, first, second and third grade classrooms are from when I was a student. I can sense the rich history of tradition and excellence from our past and I'm so looking forward to our future!

I will be teaching my children until Christmas.  After our Christmas break, I will be shadowing our current principal until she retires at the end of the month.  My first official day of being a principal will be February 2, 2015.

It's so exciting!

Hope all is well with everyone!

Classroom Reveal!

Well!  Here it is!  

Actually these pictures are about a week old now, but I'm just having the chance to sit down and post them.  

My classroom is a revolving door this year with Intervention Specialists, Speech and Occupational Therapists, an Aide (Thank God) and eventually parent helpers.  I needed to set my room up in a way that whoever walks in or near our classroom could see what we were up to and pitch in and help out without me always having to tell them what to do.  

It all starts with my front door.  I kept seeing all of these focus walls but I needed something that was going to be quick, easy and to the point.  Therefore, I have my "We AARGH Learning About..." door.  I used cheap picture frames (one already broke so I kind of wish I bought more sturdy ones) and made a page titled with each of our subject areas or topics.  I put them in a frame and now can use a dry erase marker to write down what's happening in room #110!  Easy peasy!  Everyone knows what we're working on and I don't feel the need to change it every single day.

Here is what it looks like on the inside.

I'm digging my moveable word wall below the chalkboard.  Below each letter is a hook and a metal ring.  I've attached our Kindergarten words to the rings so far, but as the year continues, we'll add our new words.  When the children need a word, they'll just go find the ring and look for the word they need.  Eventually I can use the words on the rings to teach my friends how to put the words in alphabetical order.

See those 2 white shoe organizers?  They're history now because I have a brand new 30-section organizer in it's place.  I love that piece of furniture.  It's sturdy.  All of their extra supplies fit inside.  It has a smooth surface to write on and it's on wheels!  I'll share a picture of that with you in a future post.

Remember how I told you of all of the extra hands in my room this year?  Well, I wanted spaces where there were activities that anyone could pull from to work on with individual children or small groups.  Hence, my Math, Science and Social Studies shelves.  My Science and Social Studies shelves look a little bare right now, but they'll grow.  

The idea is to fill these shelves with items specific to what we're learning and/or interested in and let the children explore them on their own.

So...there it is!  My home away from home this year.  I'm pretty happy with it but I think it will look even better when it's been lived in for a few weeks.  I can't wait to get some art projects hanging up around the room to make it even better!

Hope you're all adjusting to your school routines!  I have some blog stalking to catch up on and since the weather isn't cooperating with me right now for a pool day, I think I'm going to make use of the time and catch up on what you've been doing!

Take care,

Needing a little Boost?

I sure am!

Today was our first day back as teachers and staff in our district!  It was great seeing my school family again...but then that overwhelming feeling set in and whoa...it's here.  

School is officially back in full swing!

I'm sure you're already aware, but just in case you missed the boat...

Teachers Pay Teachers is having one more big sale before school starts and it's perfect timing for me! I already have things in my cart and on my wish list that you all shared from the last big sale!

Have fun shopping!

Tomorrow night is our Open House, but I'm hoping to come home to my air conditioning afterwards and do a little shopping too!

So much to do! Hope all is well with you!

In a pinch...Needing Welcome Notes Quick!

Hello Friends!

So I was in a pinch this past week.  We received new MacBook Pros from our district this month...yeah!  I love Apple products!  One week-long training in Cupertino, California on Apple's Campus a few years ago and I was hooked!  I'd love to be 1:1 in my first grade classroom someday.   I keep asking my Superintendent but I'm thinking I need to take another route...Grant Writing 101.  He sees the importance and is supportive, but I think the focus is on the bigger kids right now.

Anyway, about my pinch!  Our new laptops aren't hooked up to our printers/copiers at school yet which is making my printer at home moan and groan.  I feel like I'm behind in prepping for Open House and our first week back but it will come together.  It always does.

Like you, I like to send home a welcome note around the middle of August that also informs my families of our Open House.  Since I couldn't print to a copier at school and I'm all about convenience right now, I decided to try something new.  I created a document in Keynote, exported it as an image and uploaded it to a one-hour photo place.  That's all I did!  I was kind of surprised it came together so quick and easy!

This is how my postcard looked when I created it using Keynote...

Here's what they looked like when I picked them up from the Photo Center...

I lost the border on the top and bottom somehow but I still thought they looked pretty good!  I picked up some bright envelopes, addressed them to my new First Graders and took them to the post office!

4" x 6" pictures and some bright 4 3/4" x 6 1/2" envelopes

I purchased the clip-art from Niki @ MelonHeadz

 Click here to see her Pirate clip-art in her Teachers Pay Teachers Shop.  

All of her clip-art is adorable but I just realized that she has some pirate art that I don't own yet...starting to fill up my cart again!

School is right around the corner...staff days next week and kiddos on the 25th!

Take care!

August Currently

Hi Friends!

I'm a few days behind but I still wanted to make sure I linked up with Farley's Linky before it was too late!

My sister went back to school today so I get to spend the last bit of my summer with my two nieces!  Today they helped me finish a few things in my classroom...and they were a huge help!  They're playing house right now and as I wrote above, they're married...and now one just had a baby!  Have you ever just listened to kids play house?  I should really have started recording this!  It's like a really bad soap opera!

While we were at school today I finished putting away all of my piles.  MOST of them are where they need to be but some were just stashed in my supply closet.  I'll admit it.  That closet needs a total make-over anyway and if there's time before school starts I'll do it but for right now everything is tucked inside....out of sight to everyone but me!

Now that my room is mostly set up I have list a mile long of labels I need to make for my classroom...our library, journals, supplies, cubbies, etc. 

I'm wanting a personal assistant.  I think we all should have one...for obvious reasons.

I'm really needing my achilles tendon to heal.  I started to push myself to run further distances this summer just to see if I could do it.  I got up to 5 miles for a couple of runs and that's when things started to hurt a bit.  I swear I hobble around like an old lady until things get moving and then it doesn't hurt as bad but whew!  It's a doozie right now.  Of course all of the climbing up and down ladders, chairs and tables to set up my room hasn't probably been the best for me either.  Ugh!

My first official day of school is Tuesday, August 19.  We have one day of district meetings, one day of building level meetings and the third day is our day to spend in our rooms.  Our Open House is Wednesday, August 20.  My new first graders come on Monday, August 25!  

It will be here before I know it!

Take care!

Here's What I Bought...and WON!

Hi Friends!

Did you shop 'til you dropped?  I thought I made all of my purchases until I started reading your blog posts from this linky party...

Hosted by Blog Hoppin'

and then I had to go back and shop a little more!

So now I'm joining in on the linky fun!

Here's what I bought for this year (I linked all of the titles to their product @ TPT):

Beginning of the Year Activities (1st Grade)~Friends in First by Lyndsey Kuster

Beginning of the Year Assessments~Let's Start at the Very Beginning by Lyndsey Kuster

Lyndsey is face behind the blog, "A Year of Many Firsts"...one of my many favorites!

Charlotte's Web~A Book Companion and Craft by Funky Fresh Firsties

She's another one of my favorite bloggers...

And then there are these diddys...

Alphabet Banner by Kelly McHaffie

Science Blasters! By Kim Adsit

She blogs with her daughter at:

My Data and Learning Portfolio by Reagan Tunstall

Maps, Mateys and Mischief~A Pirate Mini Unit by Michelle Oakes

Michelle blogs at:

And finally, a few more...

Quick Checks~1st Grade Common Core Assessments! By Susan Jones

Susan blogs at Thank God It's First Grade!

Back to School Literacy Pack~Back to Business by Sarah Paul

Reader's Theatre~Partner Plays for Beginning Readers (Back to School) by A Teeny Tiny Teacher

Everyone knows Kristin, right?  Pretty amazing teacher!

Math Printables and Assessments by All Students Can Shine

Here's her fantastic blog so you can start following her...

Listening Activities for the Common Core: Listen Up~the Bundle by Fluttering Through First Grade

Here's their awesome blog...

Whew!  That was some fun shopping!  I can't wait to use these in my classroom this year!

Oh!  I almost forgot! 
 I won something!  I actually WON!  
Kathy @ First Grade a la Carte is throwing her annual Back to School Bash! You should check her out if you don't follow her already!  She is one of the first bloggers I started following and she just seems so real, genuine and down to earth!  

She's giving away freebies each day!  I won her Back to School Bundle that has 6 beginning of the year activities and 2 new activities!  I'm super excited!

So!  There you go!  I'm busy juggling classroom time with pool time and trying to get everything finished...or at least make it look like I'm ready for the kids by the middle of next week.  That's my goal at least.  I'll post pictures once I'm presentable!  :)

Have a great day!

5---4---3---2---1---BLAST-OFF!

Are you ready?

The big Teachers Pay Teachers Sale is right around the corner!



Time to start filling our carts with some amazing products from our favorite sellers!  I know my Wish List is a mile long so I'm looking forward to doing a little shopping!

I've put all of my products on sale for the big sale.  Here's a few of my newest products that might interest you!

Word of the Day Workout
Trick Word Workout
Fundations Handwriting Practice w/ Trick Words and Words of the Day
Fundations Unit Review-Flashcards and Assessments

Monthly Reading Challenges

The Wizard of Oz Comprehension Questions

Dolch Pre-Primer and Primer Parking Lots
Dolch First, Second and Third Grade Parking Lots

There are a few other freebies that I've added throughout the year too, so help yourself!  

Click here to visit my Teachers Pay Teachers Shop!

Don't forget to add the special Promo Code when you check out to get additional savings!
BTS14

Have fun shopping!