Field Day!

Last Thursday was Field Day at our school and, let me tell you, I look forward to this day as much as the kids!  We do it every year and it is so much fun!  Our school is a business partner of a local restaurant, called Wright's Chicken Farm.  I honestly don't know what that means, except that we get to spend the whole day at their place on field day.

Here's how our day goes.  The students are bussed over to the restaurant first thing in the morning.  Once they reach the restaurant, they are given a group number.  Each group has 2 teachers as leaders and a mix of students from grades 2-5.  The teachers then leads their group around the fields, stopping at different stations.  Each station is a fun, physical activity.  We played volleyball, kickball, baseball and soccer.  We hula-hooped, jump-roped and ring tossed.  We ran relay races, played with parachutes and mini-golfed.  The teachers get in on the action too!  Here is a {not-so-great} panoramic photo of the students in the morning:

At lunch-time, we all go inside to the banquet room.  Students sit with their homeroom teacher.  The restaurant is family-style and they serve salad, pasta, french fries and chicken.  The waiters and waitresses come out with bowls and bowls of food for our entire school.  Helping 20 students serve themselves for lunch, can be a little overwhelming.  One of my friends remarked, "this is what Mrs. Duggar must feel like!"  Here's a photo of lunch:

After lunch, we head back outside.  There are four stations, one for each grade level.  We had a Minute-to-Win-It station where the students participate in games.  Another station involves dancing to the dj (who is there all day) as well as a dunk tank and some brave teachers/parents.  The local firefighters come for the last two stations.  The students learn how to connect the hoses on the fire truck in a relay-type race.  The last station is the students' absolute favorite.  They are allowed to wear their bathing suits and are sprayed by the hoses from the fire truck.  Even though it was a little chilly, they still had a great time getting wet!

Field Day is an awesome tradition for our students.  It is seamlessly pulled together by the parents, staff and community.  It is a great end to our year!

June Currently

Well, hello there June!  It's so very, very nice to see you.  Of course that means it's time for Farley's Currently!  I missed last month's, but I'm back!

Listening:  We went from 60 degree weather here in RI right to mid-90 degree weather.  Let's just say the AC is now in and the fans are on!  Thankfully it will drop back down into the 70s this week.

Loving: So glad it is finally June.  May was a fun, but busy month.  Between graduations, graduation parties, bachelorettes, weddings, birthdays and Mother's Day, I am exhausted!

Thinking; That then leads to  my need to get stuff done, but my sheer exhaustion.  I think it's a combination of a busy month, bad allergy season and the end of the school year.  I am wiped out!

Wanting: I am looking forward to next year, but I am not sure what it will bring, so the planning can't start quite yet.

Needing: Once I get to the gym, I'll really enjoy it.  It's getting up out of my chair that is the difficult task.

3 Vacay Essentials:

1. Flip Flops!  I love my plain and simple reef sandals.  They are super comfy and I wear them everywhere.

2. Sunglasses!  I don't know why, but my favorite part of summer is getting to wear my sunglasses.  Maybe because it means that the sun is shining and it is a beautiful day?  Could be.

3.  A good book!  I don't read much during the school year.  Mainly because I get so wrapped up in a story that I forget to go to sleep.  And then the next day, well, it's not so good.  So I read a ton during the summer.  First up is rereading The Great Gatsby.  Then I'll watch the movie when it comes out on DVD.  I'd rather pay the $1.00 Redbox fee for the DVD than spend $30 to go to the movies.  Ridiculous.

Happy June!

Five for Friday!

Yay for Fridays!  Only two more this school year - I can't believe it!  Today was a warm one.  We ended our week with two 90 degree + days.  My poor kiddos were awfully lethargic in a classroom that only has a fan.  Luckily it will drop back down into the 70s for the next few weeks.  But we definitely got a taste of summer!

Here are my 5 random pictures of the week..

1.  I found this on one of my student's spelling envelopes. I was very touched by it.  I am not sure he totally understands what it means, but it was cute.

2. I got to use some Reusable Dry Erase Pockets in my classroom this week.  The kids were so excited!  They decided that it should be a permanent word work center.  Dry erase markers are like gold to them!  Check out my post here to learn more about them.

3.  The library down the street had their book sale today.  These sales are a-ma-zing!!  Children's books are only 25 cents.  Most of them are in great condition.  If I get there early enough, there are a lot to choose from.  I got 32 books (and one VHS) for only $8.00!!  Definitely check to see if your local library has sales like this.  My goal is to donate all my books back to the library when I retire (a LONG time from now!).

4. We started reading Charlotte's Web today!  I haven't read this book in so long, but it is one of my favorites.  I'm planning on ending the year with this read aloud.  I've never done a whole-class book study before so this will be new for me.  I promise to share with you how it goes!  If you have any good tips for me, let me know!  We still have three weeks left, but I'm not sure that we will finish it.  It's worth a shot!  I am so excited about this!!

5.  We have been working on our Non-Fiction writing pieces.  We are creating All About books about an animal that we will see on our trip to the aquarium.  I am very impressed with how well my students are doing so far with their research.  Be on the look out for future posts on this project!

How was your week?  Go link up with Doodle Bugs Teaching!

Reusable Dry Erase Pockets

So excited to share these with you!  I was contacted by My Binding to test-drive their new Reusable Dry Erase Pockets.  I received a package of 5 multi-colored pockets in return for my honest review.

I got right to work, testing them out!  I used regular Expo markers and the Target-version of Magic Erasers (which I use on my white board).

An 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper slides smoothly into the pockets!

 They were very easy to write on and wipe off.

 I was actually quite surprised with how easily the marker wiped off.  Usually on the white boards, I have to apply a little pressure in order for it to erase completely.  Not the case with these pockets.  It also didn't leave any residue behind, which was nice.  That can get a little dirty after a while!

Then the kids got to work on them.

They have already requested that I add this as a spelling center!  The pockets are very durable, so I don't mind letting my kids get a hold of them!  Each pocket also has a hole at the top, so it can be hung up on a hook in your classroom.   Click here to check out the Reusable Dry Erase Pockets on My Binding!

Psstt...the cute word activities you see above can be found here in my TpT store!

What Will You Do Differently?

It's that time of year when I start thinking about September.  Yeah, I'm not even out of school yet.  I am that girl.  As I'm wrapping up the end of the school year, I am always looking forward to next year.  Some people might call me crazy.  Some of you just might agree with me!

Kim certainly does!  Over at Finding Joy in 6th Grade, she is hosting a linky party to share what we are thinking about for next year!

 

Here is what I am thinking so far...

1. I hope to do more hands-on, long-term projects with my students next year.  I really want to instill that love for learning.  I'll have a better handle on the Common Core, so I will be able to plan these more meaningful learning experiences.

2.  Technology has become such a large part of our students' lives and I am hoping to incorporate it into my classroom the best that I can.  This also relates to my first goal.  I would love to have my students use technology to really take control of their learning in creating projects.

Okay, that's all I've got so far.  Nothing is definite for next year, which makes it difficult to plan and prepare.  I'll get there though!

What are you definitely going to do next year??  Go link up with Kim! 

Polka-dotted Vocabulary Words!

We finally have a nice day here after a lot of rain.  My husband requested my help in the yard, but I told him I was doing work inside.  Shh...don't tell him I'm still in my pjs at 2:15!

Today I want to share with you my newest project.  It started back in the fall, when I created some Common Core Math Vocabulary words for 2nd grade.

I was recently asked to design some ELA vocabulary words that coordinated with the Math ones.  Sure!  I put together a set of over 100 cards that match the polka dot theme of the Math Vocabulary cards.  I had such a fun time putting this set together!

Each card has a border that is color-coded to a different Common Core strand.  It has the vocabulary word in large, bold letters.  Additionally, each card has a bright picture to define the vocabulary word.

The words can be hung on the wall to create a word-wall for students to use as a reference in the classroom.  The cards also fit inside a pocket-chart for easy access.

I love the bright colors!

I'm kinda partial to the cute graphics as well...

Can you use these in your classroom??  Click the picture below to grab your copy today!

 Hope you are all enjoying your weekend!

Optimum Organization

Organization?!  Did someone say organization?!  I'm pretty sure that is my middle name.  My mother may beg to differ.  Actually she probably wouldn't.  So when I heard Ladybug's Teacher Files and Fun in Room 4B were hosting an organizational linky party, I got all sorts of giddy!

I know Kristen shared her Teacher Toolbox as well, but, man this thing is genius!  It is the best thing I have ever made.  It has a little drawer for every small teacher supply imaginable!  I purchased the toolbox from Lowe's and prettied it up!  I always have my supplies right at my fingertips, without having to dig through a messy drawer to find the exact thing I need.  

You can find a template over at Elizabeth's blog, if you want to make your own!

Another of my favorite organizational items came about after I discovered Teachers Pay Teachers.  I had lots of cards and game materials for my Guided Reading groups, but no way to organize them.  Okay, okay, technically I had elastic bands around them.  Um, boring!

That's when I discovered these small accordion files...

...and these bins that they fit perfectly into!

Score one for the Dollar Spot at Target.  I kept some of the accordion folders intact, which lets me sort the cards if I need to.  In the others, I cut out the insides, so it is just one large pocket.

My last organizational items are a work in progress.  I really like the concept of them, however, I need something slightly different.  These bins have helped immensely in keeping paper clutter off my desk.  When I make copies or choose books to read, I place them in the bin that represents the day of the week I plan to use them.

The only downside is that the paper doesn't stay standing in the bins, but curls up instead.  Maybe plastic drawers or trays would work better?  I'm on the hunt for something that works well for me.

Go link up with one of these lovely ladies, so I can learn more organizational tips!