Ocean-y Beginnings & a freebie

We've started our ocean unit this week and already having a blast! We passed around seashells and was able to touch real sand from the beach. Many of my students haven't been exposed to this before so they were in awe of what I had available for them to see and feel.

 

We also labeled an ocean scene to help us during our writing time!

 

The next morning when they arrived at school, our ocean friends had shown up! I love having large animals around the room so students can see what they look like and we can add facts to them to create anchor charts. 

I also wanted my students to see what real-life ocean animals look like, before we even start talking about specific sea creatures. So I pulled up the Monterey Bay Aquarium Open Sea Cam.



Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream


We also watched the live feeding of the fish in the Kelp Forest Cam!!
You are able to actually hear the diver talk and explain what he is doing! I think I was more excited than the kiddos!!! 

Here's a picture I took of what it looked like!!

They do other feedings too for the sea otters, the open sea cam, and much much more. If you aren't familiar with this aquarium, you should become familiar with it!! It's soo awesome. One of my favorites to use each year.


After all of this fun, we listened to Rainbow Fish and then we made our own Rainbow Fish!

This is one of my favorite themes to teach so I can't wait to show you more!!



Here's a Memorial Day freebie I made last year......click to grab it!

 

Sunday Snippets

If you follow me on Facebook, you saw I posted the other day about what a horrible blogger and facebooker (totally a made up word I think) that I've been. If you don't follow me, you should....because sometimes I post free stuff there and forget to do it here! :)

It's been crazy already this month with DIBELS testing, math assessments (10 assessments per kid....yeh so that's like 210 tests I have to do...they are quick...but it's a LOT). I'm sorta kinda already know it burnt out. 

And because of that burn out...I've become a consultant with Jamberry. It breaks up the same ole same ole thing and helps me be NOT so burnt out with school. Not sure what Jamberry is? Check it out by clicking on the picture of my newest Jamicure!!!

 

That's been keeping me busy and of course my kinders!!

Check out some zoo fun we had last week!

 

 

 

Source

 We made these awesome Animal Coverings tree maps. 

Source here.

We also had fun making Flip Flap books for their mom's for Mother's Day. 

I'll get this posted this week as a freebie for you to have for next year...and I'll throw in one for Dad and Grandpa too. Keep checking back!!!

We made these adorable hand print poems.

Source here.

But for sticking by this post until the end...here's the freebie I posted on Facebook the other night. It is a FOREVER freebie but I would LOVE some feedback and hear what you think!!

 

Currently & Sale

May kind of snuck up on me. Where did April go? The countdown has begun....only 27 days left....How about you??

I'm linking up with Farley for the May currently.

The hubs is watching a biography on tv and of course laundry never ends. 

I'm excited to say that I am now an official Jamberry consultant. I'm learning and I'm new at this but I have definitely stepped out of my box and my comfort zone....so here goes nothing!

It's May---which means DIBELS and math assessments galore....and good grief at the paperwork....busy busy busy

But I'm loving the weather...it's been NASTY this week because of storms...so it's finally pretty and I'm thankful....

Here's a new little blog I found...Luv My Kinders....go check it out...

 

And if you haven't heard....Teacher's Notebook is having a 10% off sale throughout the site starting today and ending Monday. Everything in my store is 20% off plus you get the extra 10% at checkout...NO code needed.

 
 

A Peek at My Week & Winner Announced!

Spring Break is over. It's been a beautiful week---weather related, and a beautiful week of doing absolutely nothing! :)

But it's over. Here's a look at what we'll be covering for the next couple of weeks!

 
Source: Chalk Talk

Alligator Pie---Source: Deanna Jump



 Source: Gummy Lump Toys Blog


These are just some of the activities we will be doing the next couple of weeks, as well as my  Mimio Unit on the Zoo. If you have a Mimio, you can grab it here.  It's free. I think you can use it on a SmartBoard as well...where there's a will there's a way I'm sure.

Back to the grind tomorrow----pictures to come of all of our zoo fun!!


Here's the winner of the Rhyme to Read App Giveaway and Buggy Measuring.  

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Oh and have you heard about the HUGE giveaway that Kreative in Kinder, Mrs. Jump, and Mrs. Wills is having??? Be sure to check it out! There will be 3 winners!

                               


     
  

Spring Break Giveaway! & a FB freebie

I'm on Spring Break (finally). I have been quite unproductive as far as blogging and school goes. Sad. I should be doing school work, creating, paperwork....but nope. I've been reading, making wreaths, walking the dog, and being a lump on the couch. Quite productive I think. 

I am also excited to blog a little about an app that I was asked to test drive!
The Rhyme to Read app features 20 books that each focus on a word family.  There are 4 stories for each short vowel.

There are two versions..... the first is a free download of book #1--that way people can try it first (you can buy the rest from in-app). The second version is just buy the whole 20 book set. It's $9.99 but totally worth it! OR you can buy each book for $.99 but might as well buy the whole set I think!



Here are a few snapshots!





 

Rhyme to Read is a beginning reading program comprised of 20 short books. (Yes, 20!!!)

Each has a running list of the word family on the left and then has the sight words (introduce 35 sight words throughout!) located at the top. Students can touch each word to have it read to them!

Each of the twenty books, four per short vowel, highlights a specific word family (e.g., bat, cat, rat).



Each family is color-coded throughout the series with a different color (e.g., bat, cat, rat).  

Thirty-five common sight words are introduced and previewed the first five times they appear. Sight words are distinguished by black type.





I love how everything is color-coded. This definitely helps my kiddos because I color-code as well when working with word families!

 

It also provides various ways that you can use this in the classroom or at home!

Before you download please make sure you have iOS 6.0 or later (or else it won't work!)

And guess what!! They are letting me give ONE away to ONE lucky person!! How cool! I'm also throwing in my Buggy Measuring!

So easy to enter! Just follow our FB pages!! (I've also added a new fan freebie, but you have to like my page to grab it!)


a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

Five For Friday!!

Yay! I made it on a Friday. And not only that....it's now MY Spring Break! I've been so jealous of all of you who have already had your break...ours is so late this year. But now it's here and I'm in need of a nap. A full moon + last week before break....cray-cray children! :)

 

Now it's Five For Friday time!  

                                    

 

We worked in "eggy" stations this week! 

Crack open a egg and clap out the number of syllables of each picture. Sort in the basket.

 

 Easter Egg Math.

Source

Making words

 

Every year we dye Easter eggs. 

 

We played a math review game on the Mimio. The students are split into two teams. They click on a bunny and a question comes up. If they get it right, they can put their team picture on that bunny. The team with the most wins. 

Grab it over at Mimio Connect. 

 

We had an Easter Hat Parade at school today!

 

We had an egg hunt too....but somehow...my pics are gone! :(

 

I'm featured over at Greg's blog! And we're having a little giveaway!!

I'm also having a 25% off sale over at Teacher's Notebook. They are including an extra 10% off at check out!! No code needed!

 

These items and more are on sale!