January 2013

High/Low Linky Party!

30 January 2013

I am linking up today with Katie from Teacher to the Core for a High/Low Linky Party. I absolutely, positively LOVE this idea! Before I start my linky, I have to tell you why I love this idea so much. Ever since my son was old enough to talk we have "played" high/low every night at dinner. We each tell our high and low for the day. Once the kids started school, we also added that everyone tells three things about their day. {It was like pulling teeth getting my kids to tell me about school so this made it seem like more fun to tell mommy about their day;)} So thank you, thank you, thank you Katie for this wonderful linky!!!!! :)

I have had a great month!! Some of my highs are

I have lost 9 pounds through Weight Watchers!!!! This is a huge deal for me. The hubby and I have been doing it together and it has been amazing!
I am almost to 100 followers on my blog which is so fabulous. Thank you all for your wonderful support and kind words.
We had a wonderful 100th day celebration at school! You can read all about it {here}.
I am just in awe of the wonderful friendships I have made through blogging. I started my blog to collaborate with other teachers who were as passionate about teaching as I was. I love that I found so many wonderful friends through this adventure!

I have had just a couple lows this month:

I am a worrier by nature {I totally get it from my adorable grandma! :)} The worrying has gone into overload this month making me feel worried and stressed a lot of the month. But I feel like the past few days, things have really started looking up. I am trying to focus on all that is good in life and not worry. It's hard, but I am trying!
It seems that everyone in the house has been sick at some point this month. I hate when the sickness hits, but I think we are all on our way to being healthy again!

Don't forget to check out all the fantastic giveaways that I posted about {here}. Also, I have 99 followers. Just one more and I will be having my own giveaway hopefully starting this weekend! Check back this weekend to hear all about it!

Giveaways Galore! :)

29 January 2013

Before I tell you about these fabulous giveaways, I have to share my exciting news. {Well it is exciting for me.} In our district there is a rotation for which schools get to go to the state Kindergarten Conference. It is my school's year to go. I have never been before because when it was my school's year last time I was teaching another grade. Anyways, I was looking through the presenters and sessions and I am super excited because some fabulous people are presenting like Deanna Jump, Kim Adsit, Michael Heggerty, and Shari Sloane.....just to name a few!!!! Also, the first night there is a bloggers' bash with Kim, Deanna, and some others. I am signing up to go to that as well. I am like a kid in a candy store....I can't wait! :)

Now onto the most important part of my post: Some fabulous and AMAZING giveaways! Click on the images below to head to each giveaway.

This is a giveaway I am a part of with some amazing Valentine's Day products!

My sweet friend Elizabeth from Kickin' It In Kindergarten is giving away this fun unit!

Another super sweet bloggy friend of mine Brittany is giving away some fabulous items in her 100 follower giveaway!

Lisa over at Growing Fristies is also hosting a 400 follower giveaway! What an amazing accomplishment! :)

I told you yesterday to be on the lookout for my dear friend Khrys and her amazing giveaway! It is here. I am so proud of her for reaching 100 followers and as you see she has some AWESOME prizes!

I am joining some fabulous bloggers to celebrate Khrys from Keepin' It Kool In Kinderland. She is throwing a HUGE 100 follower giveaway! One lucky winner will win over 25 products and 3 winners will win a product of their choice from Khrys' TeachersPayTeachers store. I hope you will check it out!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I hope you will enter this giveaway! This will end NEXT Wednesday February 6th when the clock strikes midnight. Can't wait to find out who the super lucky winner will be!

I am also getting close to 100 followers myself! :) Thank you for all the LOVE! Check back soon because I will also be hosting a giveaway when I reach the milestone myself!!!

100th Day

100th Day Fun!

28 January 2013

Today was our 100th day of school......can I just say oh. my. word! It was a great day, but I didn't get to do half the stuff I had planned because everything took twice as long as I anticipated. Plus, I had 6 kids gone today. The kiddos were very well-behaved though and had a blast!

We asked the kids to come to school dressed like they were 100 years old. I was a little nervous that no one would participate, but look at how cute they are! :) It just makes my heart melt! {Do you see the canes? Walking stick? Ties? Suspenders?}

We have been using Kreative in Kinder's Zero the Hero activities since day 10! The students are always excited to see what treat Zero the Hero will bring to us. This is what they saw when they came into the room today:

He left us this bag with some super cool treats. The picture below shows the treat I made. I made this last year and posted it to my old blog that no longer exists. I was shocked to find the idea from old blog still floating around on pinterest....ha! :) It is really easy to make. Melt white chocolate and pour some onto a wax paper lined baking sheet then add a pretzel stick and two M&M's.

The kiddos were in awe that Zero the Hero made such a cool treat! :) My daughter even helped me make the treats last night.

We also made necklaces with 100 fruit loops. I gave each student a 100 chart and then put fruit loops in the middle of the table. They filled their chart and then started to string them on a piece of yarn.

They had so much fun with this. I told them they were not allowed to eat any fruit loops while we were making the necklaces and not one person ate one. I was so impressed especially since we STARTED making these right before lunch! ;)

We also made hats with 100 stickers (10 stickers on 10 strips of construction paper). Here are some of my little sweeties with their hats and necklaces.

We also did 100 exercises, counting to 100 in different ways, and did some 100 day coloring. Whenever they finished their work throughout the day, they worked on writing their name 100 times. I got this idea from Khrys. You can get yourself a copy {here}.

My children go to school in the same district as me, but are in a different school. They celebrated 100th day today as well. Here is a picture of my little princess after school with her 100th day crown.

Have you already celebrated 100th day? What special activities did you do? If you haven't celebrated yet, what activities do you have planned? I would love to hear from you!

Don't forget to enter our Sweet Little Giveaway for a chance to win some fantastic Valentine's Day activities. You can enter {here}.

Be on the lookout because my sweet friend Khrys from Keepin' It Kool In Kinderland has reached 100 followers and will be having a giveaway soon. I have donated to her giveaway. Stop by and follow her blog so you don't miss out on your chance to win some more fabulous prizes!

One more giveaway shout-out! :) Another sweet friend of mine, Elizabeth from Kickin' It In Kindergarten is having a Super Bowl Giveaway. Click {here} to win her awesome Super Bowl Unit.

Thanks for making it to the end of this long post. I am going to go curl up in bed right now. Yes I know it isn't even 7:00, but I am starting to get a cold and we start our standardized testing tomorrow so I need my rest!

Giveaway, Literacy Centers, Rhyming

Let's Rhyme!

27 January 2013

My students were really struggling with rhyming so we have been working hard on this concept this week. I created a rhyming packet with some whole class rhyming practice as well as some center work for rhyming practice. Now I think they are finally getting the hang of it! :)

We use a LOT of cooperative learning in my classroom. One of our favorite activities is called Quiz, Quiz, Trade. This is how it works. Each student has a card in their hand. One side of the card has a question (Do these words rhyme?) and the other side has the answer (yes or no). Students will stand up, hand up, and pair up. They ask their partner the question on the card and let the partner answer. If the answer is correct, we praise them. If the answer is wrong, we COACH them into the right answer. We NEVER just give them the answer. Although if the answer is yes or no, it is pretty hard to coach since if they got it wrong it must be the other answer. :)

Once both partners, quiz each other they trade cards, put their hand in the air to show they need a new partner, and find a new partner. Then they will repeat this whole process with their new partner.

Since we love Q,Q,T so much, I made a rhyming word version of it! Here are so pics of my little sweeties practicing.

These two boys are quizzing each other. The guy in the black shirt just answered correctly so his partner is showing him the answer.

Since they are now finished quizzing each other, they are trading their cards and then will be off to find a new partner.

You can see this little guy has now found a new partner to repeat the process.

What I think I love the most about this structure is the fact that I call it a game so my students think it is a game. That means they have no idea they are learning. {insert evil laugh} :) They just think "Man, Mrs. Pauley is so cool because we are getting to play this fun game!" I LOVE IT!

Quiz, Quiz, Trade is not the only rhyming activity in my new packet. I have also included cards for another cooperative learning "game" called Match Mine. There are some center activities as well like rhyming words concentration, rhyming words sort, and rhyming words list writing.

If you are interested in this great resource, please click on one of the images below to head to my TpT store. This packet will be on sale for half-off through tomorrow morning. So, you need to go snatch it up now while it is on sale!

Also, don't forget to enter our Sweet Little Giveaway for a chance to be one of 3 winners of some ah-mazing Valentine's Day products! Click on the image below to take you to the giveaway.

Now I am off to take care of my little princess who isn't feeling well today. Poor baby! We even had to cut our family game night short last night because she just wanted to lay down. {This coming from the child who never sits still.....we knew she didn't feel good then!} Have a great Sunday!

Giveaway, Valentine's Day

A Sweet Little Giveaway

25 January 2013

I am teaming up with some fabulous bloggers for a fun Valentine's Day themed giveaway! Three lucky winners will win everything in this giveaway! Yes THREE!! Check out all the fabulous products!