Sunday, June 30, 2013

Happy Birthday and a Giveaway!

I'm ready to start July off with a BANG!!
We have three BIG reasons to celebrate this month....
1 - Happy Birthday AMERICA!!!
2 - Happy Birthday to me:)
3 - We have added A LOT of new followers here and on our Facebook page.
So even though it's my birthday, some of you will be getting the presents:)
3 big events so......3 great PRIZES!

3rd prize - $10 any items from my store
2nd prize - $15 any items from my store
GRAND PRIZE - $25 any items from my store

Enter for your chance to win!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Deadline to enter is Saturday night at midnight.
Winners will be announced next Sunday!

And as a gift to EVERYONE, I will be having a sale to end this week-long celebration.
Everything in my store will be 20% off July 5 - 7.
Click on Santa to head that way and get started on your wish list.
Thanks again for following.


Clipart by....

Saturday, June 29, 2013

July Currently

I know it's not July, but we are getting close!
So, I'm linking up with Farley to bring you my Currently for July.
Listening: I've been typing and keep looking up at them to see if they will realize it and just turn down the TV (nope, never did). LOVE THEM ANYWAY!!

Loving: My new Pirate Girl custom made for me by The Library Fox.
I LOVE it!!!! They are now available on TpT. You just send her a picture of you and fill out a simple questionnaire and then POOF it's you.
Thinking: about another birthday coming this month. I don't like how the number keeps climbing but right now it beats the alternative:) Seriously, thankful for another year!!

Wanting: needs no further explanation:) except maybe strawberry, cookies and cream......

Needing: to go to Publix (to get the ice cream) and some other stuff.

Tips, ticks, and hints: find you some great bloggy buddies. Everyone needs a good support system and there are some SUPER people out there in cyber-world.

Be sure to head over to Farley's blog and see what everyone else is up to this month.

Friday, June 28, 2013

Going Out of Business!

Ok, I do hate it that some person is having to close their shop, 
but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE getting the deals when they do. 
I've been working on a new theme for next year and I wasn't going to announce it yet,
 but.........
the One-Stop Party place is closing down and they have everything 75% off.
I got such a great deal on some things that I wanted for my room,
that I can't wait to show them. So, here they are....
We are going SPORTY!!!! 
48 CUT-OUTS FOR $4
3 LANTERNS FOR $1.25
(Love theses!!)
And then off to the Dollar Tree where I found these bases
 and cool football games.
Can't wait to work these into some literacy and math games.

I didn't want to stray too far away from our Pirates this year,
but I felt like we needed something fresh added to it.
That's why we are going with Sports.

Our small town (once inhabited by pirates) is all about pirates.
So, almost all of our sports teams are Pirates.
I thought this would be an easy way to combine both.

I'm working on some new items to match my new theme and will share them as I get them made.
In the meantime, here are some templates that I've been working on.
If you want them, just click on any of pics to pick up the PDF copies.
(This is one of my new FAVORITE borders!!
It's from Wendy at Teacher's Toolkit.
Be sure to check out her great stuff.
She is having a sale this week.)
Would love to hear your sports ideas or about what theme you are thinking about for next year.
Freebie Fridays

Monday, June 24, 2013

Light up your Summer

I think this is the latest I have slept since I was a teenager!!!!
So, if you've been waiting for your FREE packet here it is.
This week's verse packet features Psalm 119:105
and it includes word cards for rebuilding the verse, a blank verse sheet for your students to illustrate, a word search, a mixed verse and a plain writing sheet.
Hope you enjoy it!

Friday, June 21, 2013

My Sights are on Sight Words

I think we've talked sight words before, but I've made a new FREEBIE 
so I thought we'd talk about them again.

For the past several years our school has used Saxon Phonics to teach phonics. 
It also comes with its own list of high frequency words. So, that is the list we have worked off of. The approach that the program uses can get rather dull (ok very boring) and since we practice sight words EVERY DAY something has to be done to draw in the crowd.

We normally do a whole group "drill time" in the mornings.
It might consist of flash cards (standing up, sitting down, monster voice, whisper voice, etc), 
sight word bingo, or an "I Have, Who Has?" game.
I will try anything to capture their attention and get them to engage 
when we are practicing our words.
(Free copy - just click on it)

After the words are introduced they are stuck to the word wall.

We also have sight word activities of some sort in at least one center.
We've done concentration, order the "I Have" game on the carpet, flash cards, stamp the words, write the words (with pens, markers, crayons, colored pencils), alphabetize the words, put the words in sentences, word searches, and the list goes on and on. 

I have a semi-new plan for next year (yep, already thinking about it). 
I'm skipping the Saxon list and plans and strictly using the Dolch Word Lists.
I love that it is already leveled and I can easily check my kids and track their progress.

The rest of the plan is still in the works:)
I am ALWAYS looking for great new ideas for ways to practice these words.
I would love for you to share any ideas that are working for you.

I've made a TON  of flash cards and "I Have" games with all different themes,
just because I change the picture and they think it's a new game. LOL

Here is a new set of flash cards that I've already made for back to school.
It's yours to grab if you can use it.
This set is preprimer dolch but all 5 levels are available in my store for purchase.
Be sure to leave your great sight word ideas, my kids will appreciate it.
Classroom Freebies Manic Monday
Freebie Fridays

Monday, June 17, 2013

MVM & a FB HOP

MONDAY!!!!

I hope you all had a great day with the special men in your life yesterday.

We spent the day at church, then out to eat at one of our favorite seafood restaurants
and finally home for the weekly Sunday afternoon nap!

We got my husband a new yard trimmer with all the attachments LOL!!
Not a very personal gift, but it will make his life easier in our yard.
(and he did pick it out)

In other news,
did any of you make it over to my facebook page yesterday?
Some of my closest blogger friends and I have a 
FUN Freebie Hop going on that you do not want to miss!

If not, click here and head over for the fun.
It will only be up until Tuesday night.
And finally, It's Memory Verse Monday.
The packet this week is Matthew 5:16.
It has word cards, an unscramble the verse page and a blank writing sheet.
Click here to grab your copy.
Now, get our there and enjoy your Monday!

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Yo Ho Ho!

"Yo ho ho, we're so cool.
We are pirates and we love school."

The last week of April is Pirate Week in our corner of the world and this post has been sitting in my computer since then. I was out sick the month of May and just never got around to finishing this. But it was too much fun to forget about.

Our town has a huge festival every year on the 1st weekend in May (Shrimp Festival)
 and the week leading up to it is "all things PIRATE."

Classes all over our school read pirate books, made pirates, walked and talked like pirates,
and even dressed like pirates on Thursday
(because that Friday is a day off for us:) How many of you have a Pirate Day holiday?!)

In our classroom we started the week with the book Pirates Go To School.
My kids all picked out which pirate they wanted to be.....
the one with no shoes, the one that smells of rotten fish, the peg legged one, and the girls all said they just wanted to be a girl pirate.

And what do pirates know ALL about? maps, of course.
So we spent most of our time that week reviewing our map skills.

We used this super cute packet from Primary Paradise.
It comes with a power point to show your students.
It features 2 characters (with really cute names that I'm not going to tell you)
and they tell you all about maps......

In order to keep my students focused, I divided the class and put boys on one side
and girls on the other.  I had my kids read the power point. The boys read with the boy pirate and the girls read with the girl pirate and of course I made them use their pirate voices (funny).

Next, we completed the practice maps that came with the packet.
There are basic maps and grid maps to check their understanding.
They were fun and the kids hardly felt like they were working:)

The end of the week was the best part for them.
We used the template that is included to have them draw their own maps.
They were free to draw whatever setting they wanted but they had to include
a title, map key, symbols and a compass rose.

Then we made the cute pirate craft that goes with it.
Here are a few of ours:)
It was a fun week with a shipful of learning!

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Is it Monday again?

These Mondays roll around very quickly!!!
I had hoped to get another blog post up between last Monday and today, 
but it just didn't happen.

So, what is everyone up to?
Still in school?
Out of school?
On vacation?
On the couch? (bingo!!!) 

I have enjoyed a couple of pool days, but mostly I've been on the couch blog-stalkin'!
I've really been trying to wrap my brain around a new classroom theme.......
I'll let you know when I get that worked out.

While I'm thinking, here is your Memory Verse for this Monday.
It's part of our LIGHT UP YOUR SUMMER series and
it features Matthew 5:14.
Jesus said that we are the light of the world.
Go shine brightly today!
Freebie Fridays
Classroom Freebies Manic Monday

Monday, June 3, 2013

LIGHT up your Summer

LIGHT up your Summer with Memory Verse Mondays.


This summer (June and July) our "Memory Verse Mondays"
will focus on scripture that features the LIGHT.
Today's verse is John 8:12.
Click on the  picture below to get your packet.


I'm also super excited about a new project that I've been working on.
BACKGROUNDS!!! I.LOVE.BACKGROUNDS!
I've just finished 2 packets and added them to my store.


I would love for you to go check them out.
In the meantime, here's a sample for you.
Click on it to get yours.


Now go out there and light up your Monday (OR FRIDAY)!!
Freebie Fridays

Classroom Freebies Manic Monday

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Welcome to my World

Well, we're all finished and home for the summer. 
I hope you are too, or at least getting close to a well-deserved break.
I got my room crammed into every available hiding space packed and organized so I could pick up my final checks and decided to go ahead and take pictures.

Does anyone else out there have a WEIRD room??
Our school is so old and the design (a good thought 75 years ago) is just odd.

Our main building (which used to be the entire school) is semi-round.
We have an open library in the middle (which was the coolest when I was a student here) and the classrooms are all around it. Now all of you math gurus know what happened to the shape of our classrooms since we started from a circle and fanned out.
Yep, the rooms are shaped like pieces of pie.

Pie is GREAT for eating, but NOT great for designing.
Not to mention, technology when the school was built consisted of one old reel-to-reel that was on a cart and shared with the whole school. So another challenge, very few plugs. And as Murphy would have it, they are not located in useful spots. 

Anyway, I wanted you to see the challenge I have ahead of me.

I'm thinking about a new theme:)
I've already started on a few things that I'll share later.

Anyone else out there barely out of school but already thinking about school?
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