con-GRAD-ulations!

This is it......drum roll please....
tomorrow is my LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!
YIPPEE!!!

I can't wait for summer to officially start!

In the mean time, I apologize for being so overdue with this post but you know how the last couple of weeks of school are, right?
So much to do, so little time!

Anyways, here are some pictures from our Kindergarten Graduation last week.
Our theme was "It's a Small World."
This is our backdrop on stage....thank you Mrs. Chiovitti and Mrs. Sampogna for making it!
Here is the hot air balloon each student made.
Don't you love the primary colours?
My fabulous teaching partner, Mrs. Angelucci, came up with it!
We had each student's name written above it in gold glitter.
The students wrote what they want to be when they grow up underneath.
First, I had them write it using "Kid Writing" in their journals.  Then we went over it together and I wrote using my "Grown up writing" on top.

These cute graduation kids were hanging on the walls on the side of the stage.

Wish I could have taken pictures of the kiddies but that's a definite "no-no" so just picture 63 students (yes, that's 3 classes) on stage and on the risers wearing adorable blue caps and gowns!
We had a great time!

I'm so excited for the last day tomorrow!
I'll post again really soon answering some of your questions regarding my Writer's Workshop time, journals, printing books, etc.

Bring on the summer!!!!



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Beach balls pocket chart....FREEBIE!

If you are still plugging away (like me, for the next 2 weeks!) here is a little something that I created.
We will be using this activity next week for our pocket chart centre.  The kids match the beach ball to the sentence and then fill in the missing words on their worksheet.
Click on the picture to download your free copy.

***NEWS FLASH!***
I know that many of you were in touch with my in regards to meeting up in Las Vegas for the I Teach K! conference next month (or should I say in a few weeks!!!  YIPPEE!).
Rachelle, from What the Teacher Wants,created a teacher blogger meet-up on Facebook.
Be sure to click here if you are going so that you can join in on the fun.
Can't wait for that but in the mean time this is our graduation week so I'll be busy, busy, busy.
More picture and crafts to come!
Enjoy the weekend!


 
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Wrapping up the year...literally!

2 more weeks, 2 more weeks...
but with so much to do!

My kinders have been hard at work practicing for next week's graduation.  We had an artist from a local pottery store in the other day so that the students could paint an adorable plate as a keepsake from this year.

My daughter - who will be 4 this August - attends a preschool program 3 days a week.  It's her last day tomorrow!  Already!
Where has this year gone?
I am in the midst of wrapping up the gifts for her teacher and teacher aides.
When I saw this basket online I knew it was a must!
I think the personalized name is adorable!
I try to give gifts that I know I would love (and use) too!

There are 2 teacher aide's in the class.  I wrapped up a mug with a Starbucks gift card inside - hey, which teacher doesn't like Starbucks?

My daughter had such a fabulous experience this year, especially because she is so proud that she is reading - yes, READING! - that we went together this weekend to Chapters and picked this adorable book for the class.
Have you read it?  I love all of Lois Ehlert's books.

And since there are only a couple of weeks left, the teachers are busy at our school trying to put together class lists for next year.  I don't know yet who will be in my class but I am starting to prepare some things to ease the workload in August (and besides, we are off to Jamaica in August, who wants to do a lot of work then?).

I thought I would share the cover pages to the Journal, Writer's Workshop Folder and Religion Journal with you.
(I teach in a Catholic school and we have a great religion program).
I glue these onto 11x17 workbooks.

Click on the pictures to download.



Sorry for the short post.  I'm off to wrap up these gifts before I call it quits for the night - I'm beat!

Next up...graduation and more about Writer's Workshop time and Journal writing as per your e-mails!!!

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Not 1....but 2 BIG giveaways!!!

I started my blog just over a year ago and was hooked ever since.  I think the best part about blogging, besides being able to show you what's happening in my classroom, is all of the amazing teacher blogger friends I have made!

I am teaming up with 2 very special teacher bloggers who have amazing ideas and are the sweetest teachers! 
Lots of other amazing prizes too!

You will definitely want to check out Krissy Miner from
Mrs. Miner's Monkey Business - she has a HUGE giveaway celebrating her 1 year blog anniversary.
Krissy is one of the kindest teachers - she helped me set up my Facebook page not long ago!
For this giveaway, someone will win my entire TpT store!!!

I met Lori not long ago when she started her own blog, Teaching with Love and Laughter, and now she's celebrating reaching 500 followers!  You must follow her too - adorable ideas!

So what are you waiting for?!?!
Hurry because these great giveaways won't be on forever - and you just might win!

Have a great week!
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It's beginning to look a lot like....summer?!?!

Yes, bring on the summer!
We have 3 weeks to go....and although I love my job, I love my summers too!
And I can't believe that in a few short weeks I am off to the
I Teach K! Conference in Las Vegas!  Whoo hoo!
If you are planning to attend the conference as well, leave me a comment as I'm trying to arrange with some fellow teacher-blogger friends a get together there.
I'd love to meet you too!

On to my week....I have transformed my classroom into a beach paradise and my kiddies are loving it!
This is the palm tree from Deanna Jump - didn't it come out great!  A few Teacher Aide's made the paper mache coconuts with some students and I think they look adorable!

Here are some of the centres we worked on this week. 

The kids had to match the flip flops - one had just a picture on it and the other had a sentence.  They had to figure out what the sentence said and match it to the correct picture.


Matching the "scoop" to the "cone" - reading the CVC word and completing the worksheet.  FUN!

"Crabby Counting" - counting by 10s.  The students are getting so good at skip counting!

Sorting coloured shells and counting them out!

This is the Write the Room I put out for the next few weeks.  A nice way to end the year, with beach balls around our classroom!

In addition to all of this fun, my kinders have been hard at work practicing for our Kindergarten Graduation.
The theme is "It's a Small World."
Next week we are planning to finish our hot air balloon pastel craft, our writing piece "When I grow up..." and we are painting clay plates and having them fired for a cute keepsake.
Phew!  That's a lot!  I'll keep you posted!



If you have a few weeks left and are looking for fun activities, be sure to check them out!
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