We Are Wild About Learning!

Wow! I am so excited for this school year, but also very exhausted! Is it just me or do all teachers feel this way at the beginning of a new school year?  :)

Our school's PBIS theme is "Jungle/Safari" this year. I really like it and the school looks so bright and colorful! However, it was really hard for me to take down my "Under the Sea" bulletin board paper from our theme last year. It was such a calming atmosphere, but I was ready for a change.

I am so blessed with a great group of kiddos this year! Tomorrow will be our 10th day of school and everyone's getting used to the new routines, procedures, and expectations. We will also have our 1st visit from Zero Hero tomorrow and I'm sure the children will be thrilled! I'll post more about it soon.

Here are a few photos of my classroom:

 My sister helped decorate our reading area. She is so creative! I already had the tree and a few monkeys and I bought greenery and other stuffed animals from yard sales.

 The kiddos can sit on the pillows and hold animals while they read. Of course, the pillow cases are washable too! :)

 This holder for my pointers is from Hobby Lobby. I love that store! I bought this when it was 80% off too. I love bargains!

 

 

 My classroom is small, but I try to do the best I can with the space I have. The Smartboard is still fairly new to me. It was installed in the middle of last year. It is wonderful!

 

My mom, sister, & niece helped me one day before school started for about 4 hours! I was so thankful for all they did! :)

 My goal this year is to be more organized! I am really trying! I use this crate to hold all the materials I'll need for each day of the week and also the following week. I also store my clipboard with my Transportation List in the back of the crate.

 Each table has a bin for supplies with a different animal skin ribbon and felt mat.

This is our Calendar area, daily schedule, behavior chart, class rules, learning centers, & magnetic center (oil drip pan).

 

Thanks for taking time to see a little glimpse into my classroom! Let me know what you think! :)

Hope everyone has a great school year!

 

 

~ Lisa



More Jungle Theme Crafts!

I've really enjoyed having time to decorate clipboards and composition notebooks for the new school year. But today, I decided to use scrap papers on a cardboard letter I bought last year from Target's dollar spot. I used zebra packing tape for the outlines and scrapbook paper for the face. I also used border to add a little color and ribbon for a way to hang the letter.

 



I made personalized clipboards for a few teachers and I'm still working on more composition notebooks. It's been nice having the time to work on crafts during my summer break, especially since it's starting to get HOT outside! The AC sure feels good! :)

I've also picked up a few things for my classroom from Hobby Lobby, Walmart, and yard sales. It's been fun collecting things and getting ideas from Pinterest and other blogs! Here are a few pictures:

I found lots of stuffed animals. Some will hang from vines and others will be in the reading area. 

Another garage sale find was a leopard throw for my rocking chair.

 I bought the rugs from Walmart for $7.00!

 All the above trays and cups are from Hobby Lobby. I found them on clearance last month! I'll use the cups for "sharp" and "dull" pencils. I just need to put labels on them.

 Also, the above bulletin board is from Hobby Lobby.



Felt pieces will help with the décor!

 

Can you tell I'm getting excited about decorating my classroom?!? I won't be able to get into the school until the beginning of August though! So, I'll just enjoy the rest of my summer break! When I'm not crafting, I've enjoyed spending time camping (RV), swimming, shopping, watching movies, and of course spending time with my family! Please let me know what you think or share your ideas with me! I love comments! :) Thanks for stopping by at my little blog!

 

~ Lisa

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~ Lisa

Monday Made It!



I have neglected my little blog and decided to start posting again! I apologize to those who are following me! I thought this was a good time to get started again and join this linky party! Our school wide theme for the new school year is "Jungle/Safari". I think this will be so cute and I've already started thinking about how I'll turn my classroom into a jungle! I'm loving Pinterest and other Internet sites for ideas and suggestions! So far, I decorated a couple of clipboards with scrapbook paper and Mod Podge.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by my blog! I'll try to post more often! :)

 

~ Lisa



Astronauts, Valentine's Day, and Snow Days!

Oh my! I apologize for neglecting my little blog! It's been a while since I've posted. I am taking advantage of having another snow day from school to try and get caught up with my "to do" list which of course has blogging on the top of the list!

Last month my students learned about outer space. I wish I had more time to spend on this unit because they loved it! They learned about planets, the sun, the moon, and of course astronauts! My students and I made an astronaut anchor chart. I appreciate Mrs. Williamson for her example: http://mrswilliamsonskinders.blogspot.com/2011/05/space.html.

The children made cute astronaut pictures thanks to Kindergarten Nana:

http://dbsenk.wordpress.com/2011/05/15/outer-space/ 

 

 

 

Our unit last week was Friendship/Valentine's Day. We made a chart titled Friends and from that made sentences for our "Shared Reading" time. The students each drew a picture of themselves with a friend. I was so proud of their work! They each cut out a heart and wrote a sentence about friendship and glued them onto their papers. Here are a few examples:

 

 

Next week I will continue 3rd quarter assessments. It's hard to believe it's almost March! Soon we'll be starting to get ready for Kindergarten Graduation!

 

~ Lisa