Items filtered by date: April 2011

Sweet Summer Dreamin' Pillowcases

Another fun project I like to do with my students at the end of the year I call "Sweet Summer Dreamin' Pillowcases."

Just about every month we have practiced the art of stamping something with a foam stamp. 

I have collected them through out the years to use for our science units.  They make fun art projects and are great for math extensions as well. 

My Y5's self-esteem is also built, because the process is quite easy and the results are simply smashing.  They pat paint on a foam stamp and then press it onto paper and a lovely print of something is left. 

They make beautiful collages, paintings and patterns and are quiet proud of their projects. They have become quite skilled at this technique. 

Instead of doing an autograph book, I thought it would be fun for my students to autograph a pillowcase that they have stamped with all of the various foam stamps, depicting everything they have studied throughout the year.  This  makes a wonderful keepsake for them. 

I send a letter home to parents asking them to send in a plain, light-colored pillowcase and ask if they would be able to volunteer to help. 

I've found that having 4 helpers makes the process go faster and stay organized, but I've done it with only one daddy as well. 

One year I asked several 5th graders if they could come and help during their study hour when I was short on parents and they worked well with the little ones too. 

They all had been my Y5 students so that made it extra fun as they even remembered doing the project when they were little! 

I do this project on the floor in our entry hall atrium so that the children can spread out.  Lay plastic down in case of spills.  There are very few, but The Dollar Store plastic tablecloths make clean up a breeze.  I put 5 children in a row and make a large square. 

Insert a piece of tag board (I recycle them each year) inside of their pillow case so that the paint does not bleed through.  I write their name in large print on the edge of their pillowcase. 

I buy primary and pastel colors of the acrylic permanent paints that are only .59 cents at a hobby/craft store and spill a dollop of one color on a paper plate.

That paper plate, a foam brush and a stamp is given to a helper who pats the paint on the stamp and hands it to a child, they press that stamp anywhere on their pillowcase and then wait for the next stamp. 

We rotate all of the stamps in this assembly line fashion until everyone has done every stamp and every color. 

This takes about 45 minutes if I have help.  Afterwards, the children go wash up and they go outside for recess. 

When they come back in the paint is dry.  We flip the pillowcases over and everyone is given a permanent marker. 

I have 10 different colors. I remind them that they cannot rest the markers on the pillowcase as they will start to bleed into the material and run. 

I also tell them that it is hard to write on fabric so that they need to hold the fabric taught.  I demonstrate this as I "autograph" a pillowcase. 

Everyone signs their own pillowcase first, then they stand up when they are done so that I can see when everyone is finished; when everyone is standing, they move to the next pillowcase and sign their name; when they are done, they stand up again. 

We do this until they are back to their own pillowcase and have signed everyone's.  Make sure you remind them that they are writing THEIR name and "autographing" eachother's pillowcases. 

I had one little guy who was trying to write each person's name on the pillowcases instead of his own! 

In the beginning I had the children sign the fronts of the pillowcases where the stamps were, then a mom thought it would look nicer, since the children wrote so big, to sign the backs!  I've done it that way ever since. 

I don't paint the backs of the pillowcases, because the paint is scratchy when it dries. 

I type up a little note about washing directions which reads: When your child brings their pillowcase home, turn it inside out and toss in the dryer on high .  This will set the paint.  Wash in cold water on gentle cycle for years of wear.  Sleep on the side that is not painted.  I hope you enjoy your sweet summer dreamin' pillowcase and that it helps you to remember all of the fun we had learning and making these wonderful friends!

I've gotten lots of positive feedback about this project, and my students absolutely love making these pillowcases.

Bulletin Boards For Back-To-School

This time of year is a little more relaxed for me.  My students know the standards and we've come a long way. 

We're winding down, and many of you, like me, might even be counting down the days with your students.

I do this via a paper chain that's been hanging up in our classroom all year and is changed each month.  Click on the link to view/print one. Monthly paper chain.

Some of you may be looking for a few fun things to plug in.  One thing that my students enjoy is making two of my in-class bulletin boards for my new students. 

Let's face it, summer zips by and before you know it, we're all back in the classroom.  My list of "to do" things is miles long. 

Although I really enjoy decorating my room and starting fresh, it's often extremely hot in August so if I don't have to put up a few bulletin boards that's a wonderful time saver.

We study apples and dinosaurs for our science units in September, so those are the themes of the two bulletin boards. Even if you don't study apples & dinosaurs these make nice "Welcome" boards for you to put up for the first week. 

The dinosaur bulletin board's caption is: Have A Dino-mite Year! Each dinosaur egg says: "I'm wishing you a dino-mite year in Young Fives!"  The template simply says: "I'm wishing you a dino-mite year!"

For the Back-To-School Apple bulletin board I cut out a large red heart and put a large yellow apple in the center with the words: "Can you find your new kindergarten friend in the cafeteria?"  I've made templates for you that say: Can you find your new preschool/kindergarten/first grade friend?

When I take down the bulletin boards, I give each of my new students an apple or dinosaur.  My Y5's have the same lunch and recess times as the kindergarten students do; once I make sure that these students still go to our school, the cafeteria helpers and I help them find their "new older friend". 

Last year's students have signed their name, and their photo is also on the apple or dinosaur.  

The K's enjoy talking with the "little one's" about Y5's and feel special and "mature", the Y5's have a blast hanging onto their apple or dinosaur and looking for the matching kindergartner who made it for them. 

It's an adventure and a nice win-win for everyone, especially me who didn't have to spend a day dreaming up, making and putting up two more bulletin boards in my hot classroom!

If you can't close your blinds over the summer, or if someone else is using your room, make sure you cover your boards with paper so they don't fade or get messed up. 

If you'll be moving, simply keep all your pieces in a manila envelope so they're ready to staple them on the board and you're all set! You'll be glad you took the time now and thanking yourself when summer's over and you're in "hurricane-mode" trying to get everything done!

Click on the link to view/print the masters. Dinosaur-Apple Back-to-School Bulletin Boards.

End-Of-The-Year Fun

One of the extra-fun things I like to plan for my students at the end of the year is a pet parade.

I’m allergic to animals so having them bring them in for Show and Tell Time was something I couldn’t do.

However, I realize the importance of a pet in a child’s life and wanted to allow them to share this important family member with their classmates, so I dreamed up the end-of-the-year Pet Parade.

Because the weather is wonderful in Michigan at this time of year, it’s the perfect time for an outdoor event and then the animal’s dander, fur, feathers and fluff don’t  bother me. 

Here's How I Plan My Pet Parade:

• Incase of rain, the parade is moved to the next day and if we’re rained out again, it’s simply cancelled.  It hasn’t happened yet!


• In advance, send a note home to parents telling them about the event and inviting younger siblings and family members.  Click on the link to view/print the Pet Parade Letter Home.


• I also invite the preschool and kindergarten classes to come make a line down the parade route and join the fun.   Click on the link to view/print the Pet Parade invitation.
• It lasts about 7 minutes from start to finish, with time afterwards for children to sit with their pet and have students walk by to pet the animals and ask questions.


• You can videotape or take photographs and then add it to a PowerPoint presentation for your Open House the following fall.
• If a child does not have a pet, or if their pet is unable to attend, I send home a red construction paper heart.


• They can draw or cut pictures out of a pet they would like to have, or glue photographs of their pet that could not come.  Click on the link to view/print the pet hearts.
• They carry the hearts in the parade so no one feels left out.  I alternate the heart-carrying children with the real pets walking in the parade.


• I also keep cats away from dogs etc.  Everyone is reminded to bring things to keep their pets under control and clean up after them.
• In the past we have had wonderful participation and very interesting pets.  Everything from a pony and goat to a goose, mouse, lizard and chicken!


• I plan our parade for the last thing in our day, so that after the parade parents may take their child home.  I’m usually left with only half an hour left in my day and 1 to 4 children.
• Click on the link to view/download the entire Pet Parade Packet.
  


• The children are extremely excited before the parade, so to calm them down, I turn off the lights and show the video Arthur’s Pet Business.  Click on the link to view it on YouTube.
  
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• Arthur's New Puppy  is also on You Tube.  This link has both part one and two on it.  We do other pet-related things that day as well.
  
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• We graph if you have a pet or not, and what kind of pet students have.  Click on the link to view/print the pet graphs.


• I read several stories about pets as well.  My Y5's enjoy the Biscuit and Clifford series.  Biscuit Wants to Play is a great "I Can Read" book that involves this adorable brown puppy making friends with two kittens who'd rather chase a butterfly.  They get caught up a tree and Biscuit rescues them. 
  
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• Clifford's Kitten and Clifford's Family are also great follow up books.  Oh The Pets You Can Get, by Tish Rabe, as well as Caring for Your Pets, by Ann Owen are also nice "pet" reads.  
  


• I also give certificates of participation to everyone.  Click on the link to view/print  the Pet Parade certificates.

Dreams Come True:

As I stated earlier I’ve been allergic to animals all of my life. Wanting a pet has been a life-long desire.

Only recently, did I discover through my daughter Kelli, that I was not allergic to Poodles!  She has a Standard Poodle named Sadie.

We watched Sadie for several weeks while my daughter was on vacation and I just fell in love with her.

My husband felt it was time I became a pet owner at long last, so we now have a sweet little puppy named Chloe.  She's tucked into my daughter's jacket on the right photo. 

In celebration of her, I wrote the easy reader Puppy Love.  As with all of my "easy readers", it includes flashcards and a certificate of praise.

Click on the link to view/print it.

I’ve also included a cute little ditty about dogs that someone sent me.  The author is unknown and I revamped it a bit, now that I’m learning all about being the wonderful recipient of “puppy love.”

I wish you many wonderful end-of-the-year “winding-down” moments filled with special times like Pet Parades and of course lots of L-O-V-E!

What Would We Do Without Those Wonderful Volunteers?

I have an "Open Door" policy in my classroom, so parents, and grandparents are always welcome to pop in and help out. 

I've even had some aunts and college "big sisters" pop in on occasion as well. 

My students have all benefited by their gifts, talents and extra-one-on-one assistance. 

Through the years I've had those special volunteers who've been able to come in on a consistent basis, so I've wanted to reward them by giving them some sort of gift to show our appreciation.

I'm sure you have those wonderful people in your life who've been a blessing to you too.  These are also nice if you've had a student teacher.

What to give them seems to be a dilemma each year.  If you're having a bit of trouble thinking of something special, perhaps one of these ideas might prove "just the thing."

Gather your students together in a group.  Make letter cards that spell out the words "Thank You!" Give a card to 9 children. 

Have these students sit with their legs crossed in the front row.  The second row is kneeling and the 3rd row is standing.  Print the photo off as an 8x10.  Glue it to a sheet of construction paper.  This is the cover of your booklet. 

Make copies of the "I like you because..."  OR "Thank you for helping ...." OR "My favorite thing you did with us was..."  pages.  Give each child the option to choose a writing prompt to finish and then illustrate that page. 

Collect and collate the pages and bind them into a booklet with another sheet of construction paper as the back page. 

To make it more of a keepsake make a copy of your class composite and have each student glue their photo on the page and sign their name next to it. 

Click on the link to view/print a copy of the Thank You Booklet writing prompt pages.

Angel Kitchen Towel: I first posted this in December to rave reviews, but it works well here for all the angel voluteers in you life.  I make these as gifts all the time.  Click on the link to view/print a copy of my angel poem and pattern.

Lunch Bag Memory Book: My own room helper Cheryl, showed me how to make these.  She's a retired teacher, fellow grandmother, and dear friend.  I don't know what I'd do without her. 

She sews the binding of her mini-scrapbooks on the sewing machine, but you don't have to.  Simply punch two holes on either edge and tie a ribbon, or bind it with scrapbook paper.

You can make these using one, two or even 4 lunch bags.  Leave your scrapbook looking "rustic" as a  brown "campy" looking scrapbook like mine, or buy lunch bag gift bags that they sell at stores like Hobby Lobby. 

You can also cover the pages with cardstock or scrapbook paper. You'll need to do some covering of the bottom of the bags that are the 1/4 mini pages inside the book.

You can make the book yourself or have students help.  They can also make things to tuck "into" the scrapbook pages.  These are "Pocket-pages" that are formed by the inside of the lunch bags!

Pictures add sentimental value as do notes from the children, and make great things to "tuck into" these pages. This is a wonderful keepsake.

I'd fill up pages with directions so I searched quite a few YouTube videos and found a young gal with a short and simple "how to" and several fantastic finished examples that I think you'll enjoy. 

Click on the link to check it out.  I know you'll have fun making these whether it's as a thank you to a special volunteer or one for yourself and own children!  Lunch bag scrapbook video.

I made the one pictured out of 2 lunch bags which will give you two pockets to put things in.  

Gift Basket:  Nothing really "new" about this, but the way I do it might be different.  Ask your students what kind of gift basket they would like to make for your room helper/student teacher. 

You may want to explain the concept and what it involves.  Give them some options (pamper-yourself, kitchen, fruit, garden etc.) then vote on it. 

Compose a letter with them and then send it home enlisting the help of parents to send in an item for the basket.  Have students color and sign a card and present it to your volunteer.  Click on the link to view/print several of my letters.

Student Teacher things: Since student teachers will have their own classrooms someday I think one of the nicest things you can give them is a basket filled with your favorite kind of teacher "stuff" and then a handmade card from all of your students with a photograph of them so they can remember their time with you. 

When children write why they thought this person was an excellent teacher or connected with them, it not only builds their self-esteem, but is something that they can include in their portfolio.  I follow it up by tucking in a much-appreciated letter of reference as well.

Another thing that's a big hit is giving them a book from each season, or one for each month if you can afford it.  Collect books using your Scholastic Bonus points, or watch garage sales and flea markets for excellent condition-used books.  I've found mint-condition books that are brand new for less than a $1.00!

I hope you've had a wonderful year filled with kind people helping to get your students over those tough spots and making your life easier with all the many tasks a teacher's life is filled with. 

It's a nice time to remember those thoughtful people who made time to help you and your little ones. Making someone feel appreciated is a lovely thing!