Open House and a Freebie!

Well I am so glad that is out of the way.  This year we had our Open House before the kids came back.  I have to say I really liked it.  Getting my room together this quick was a challenge, but I had to realize that some of the stuff could wait because I want the kids to add their touch to it.

My classroom is going to have a Fairy Tale theme this year.  I really love having a theme that goes along with what I have to teach.  We are all going to be the subjects of the Kingdom of Kuhn.  I am going to call my weekly newsletter "The Kinghtly News"  I that too cute or what?  These are the little things that keep me going.

I have a freebie for you.  It is my morning routine posters.  I have just used clip art from the internet.  I am pretty sure it is free, but I am not making any money from it so you should be able to use it too.  I hope you enjoy my little tour.  I will be posting more classroom pics after the kiddos help me complete it.  I would love ideas for Rapunzel's Tower,

Here is Rapunzel's tower. Don't know what I will do with it yet along with my bulletin board listing the royal subjects of the Kingdom of Kuhn.

This will be the frame that I will use to take pics of the kids on the first day.

I used the poem from The KinderGals for my apples

These were that Magic wands that I made that said, "It is going to be a "magical" year. 
I have seen similar ideas floating around on the web.  

This is my reading area.  I do Daily 5 and last year the CAFE.
This year going with my theme I am doing the FACE of a reader.  The first poster is the magic mirror with the face in it.  (Think Shrek)  Each of the other 4 posters are mirrors with each of the letters of FACE and definitions in them.

I am using this whole group incentive along with my PBIS clip chart that will track individual behavior.  I picked up these cute cupcakes at Michael's and cute sign at 4th Grade Frolics.

This is where my parents started in the room for Open House.

This picture shows my easel that has my "Once Upon a Time" writing board. and my morning routine posters.  You can download them by clicking on the picture.  

Well it's official.  I went into my classroom this week.  It was only for a few short hours, but my summer has official begun to slip away.  It has been a great summer filled with family and fun.  And lots of baseball. (My son is on a travel ball team.) I was able to work this summer, so family time really got amped up. So blessed to be able to spend this time with my two wonderful kids.

I have decided to do a fairy tale/fable theme this year in my 3rd grade classroom.  I was really excited about it when I left school last year, but I have not been able to find really good boy friendly stuff.  Plus there is absolutely no pre-made stuff out there to cheat decorate with.  Oh sure if I went with that incredibly adorable owl theme, the one I had debated about but the kindergarten teacher already does and I have to be original, there would be plenty of stuff that I could just open and have instant cute theme room.  I am not sure why I have to always make things sooo difficult.  Oh well.  I  have pinned many cute ideas and hopefully will be able to implement them soon, tick-tock. I will post pictures and hopefully a few freebies.

I have one more week that I can putz around my room, but that next Monday, the meetings start and then kids come the Tuesday after Memorial Day.  I wouldn't be so stressed, but this year our Open House is the week before school starts.  So my classroom has to be done before Labor Day.  And of course our district gives us 1/2 a day to work in our rooms officially.  Who gets all that done in 1/2 a day? 

I would love to know what theme you are doing?

Life is a Mystery

I was reading Holly’s blog over at Crisscross Applesauce and she was blogging about ideas for a letter detective download from a product swap. 

 

It reminded me of when I taught 5th grade and mysteries were one of the genres that we had to read and write.  I was inspired by Beth Newingham to create detective case files for each of my children.  I would have them dress up like a detective and I took their pictures.  This particular year I had two aspiring photographers who took my picture.

This same year I taught 2, week long detective themed sessions of summer school (4th-8th grade).  I dressed up in this garb and it hooked them.  We had a blast reading, writing, and solving mysteries.

It’s amazing how easy it is to get kids enthusiastic about learning!

Off to a baseball tournament and a chicken dinner in Frankenmuth, MI this weekend.

Nan