CHEAP back to school deals!

So.....I must confess. In addition to being obsessed with blogs, I'm slightly obsessed with coupons. Shew...there, I said it! ha I'm in LOVE with extra care bucks from CVS and register rewards from Walgreens! In addition, I'm always looking for great back to school items and wanting to score the cheapest deals I can find for my classroom.  When doing my weekly rundown on coupons, I came across some steals finds that were too good not to share. Get your printer and scissors ready, ladies! Here are some great deals at Target. Hit up your school supply aisle and grab these items to add to your back to school pile. 

Papermate Eagle Pens 10 ct $1.02

-$1/1 Target printable

Final price: $0.02

Bic Cristal Easy Glide 10 ct Pens $1.02

-$1/2 Target printable

Final price: $0.49 each
*This coupon is $1 off of 2, so you must purchase 2-10 ct. packs to make it work! :)

Sharpie Super Twin Tip Permanent Marker 1 ct $1.84

-$1/1 Target printable

Final price: $0.84

Scotch Magic Tape — $1 (in School Supply section)
Use $1/1 Scotch tape coupon
Final price: Free after coupon! 

Once you click the Target printable link, you can scroll through the pages of coupons until you find the ones that match up with the deals.  Check the box that says "select to print" and clip your coupons to get your deals! Also, next time you're at Walmart, take this printable with you (below) and pick up some FREE band aids for your desk. These are great for yourself, your students, OR give them to your school nurse.  Print them multiple times and pick up multiple boxes. Hope this helps your purse as much as it does mine. :) Happy "back to school" shopping! ~Miss E

NexCare Bandages~ $1.00

$1.00/1 Printable Here

Wish List Linky Party!

Really Roper is having her first Linky party and I thought I'd join in on the fun.  I'm always wishing for new stuff - what teacher isn't?  Here is what makes my wish list:

A Smart Board

WITH projector! :)

 A rolling easel (storage included)....every teacher's dream!

 A docking station with remote...for my iPod.  This would be great to use for my calendar songs and during transition times. 

And last but not least....A BATHROOM!  ha ha It's the little things we take for granted.

I know I have champagne taste....it's nothing new! What do YOU wish for? 

Love, Miss E

End of the Year!!

Cannonball!!  Whoo hoo - Summer is in full swing and what is the end of the year without a little fun? I was curious as to what my students were going to do over the summer so we engaged in a little writing.  Here is what my students came up with:

My Summer Plans:

*Play football

*Play games

*Go to my Dads

My Summer Plans:

*Play

*Go to the aquarium

*Swim

Of course we had to do a little summer reading, too! I just love this book.  And who doesn't love some nice cold watermelon? Students made watermelon art and sampled real watermelon afterwards.  

YUMMY!!  :)

We sat on beach towels, ate watermelon, and watched a movie.  What a great way to end a great year!  How did YOU spend the last few days with your students?  Off to the beach now...Miss E

It's a *zoo* in here!!

Even though this was from a few weeks ago, I promised some of my parents I would post!  My students worked soooo hard on their research projects and I was too proud not to share.  One of our state standards is to narrow a research question, appropriate to grade level and ability, and use outside sources to answer the question. My Kindergarten colleague and I chose to have students do a research topic on a particular zoo animal and asked them to present their posters during zoo week.  I was amazed at my students' presentations and all that they taught ME! Way to go guys! :) 

Students were informed that they had to be knowledgeable on their animal and be able to  share their poster with the class.  Below, Molly is informing us on all she learned about tigers. 

Kaylee went to the Knoxville Zoo and picked up some artifacts to share with our class about giraffes. She even took pictures of animals she saw and shared them with us!  

Of course we tied zoo into our Literacy Work Stations.  Students listened to Rumble in the Jungle during Listening time and learned about various animals in their rotations. 

Each day, we chose a different animal to focus on and learn about.  We charted webs and facts after we read informational texts.  Here is a bubble map we put together on kangaroos!

We even had time to squeeze in a few art activities. Kindergarten literally was a "zoo" that week! Students used brown finger paint to add the giraffe's pattern on its body.  Did you know that every giraffe has a different pattern? Also, we used a paper plate to create an elephant.  

Happy Memorial Day Weekend.  Love, Miss E

Teacher Appreciation Week!

This post is a little late as well...but I had to share. Check out what my students made me...and best of all, they kept it a surprise! (Anyone who teaches younger grades knows how difficult this task can be) I about died when my art teacher walked in carrying this blanket. Apparently one of my parents sent in a plain blanket and paints to our school's art teacher, asking her to stamp each child's hand print and write their name. I'm pretty sure my facial expression says it all.  I was totally surprised and thrilled with the gift! :)  I love my kiddos. 

I had to give everyone hugs.  

And here is the blanket with *most* of my class - not all of them made it in the photo.  OOPS!  So thankful for the sweet gift and the thought that went in behind it.  I will certainly treasure this gift for years to come.  To all of my parents reading - thank you for sharing your child with me.  Your child has touched me beyond words and I'm certain they will do great things in the future.  I hope all of my teacher friends had a great Teacher Appreciation Week!

Love, Miss E

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful Mothers out there!  Just wanted to share 2 little things my students put together for their Mom's.  I hope they kept it a secret like I instructed them to do! ;-) 

We planted our Mom's flowers and they started to bloom.  Yay! A few years back...we had no such luck and gave our Moms a cup full of dirt.  Oops. I'm sure they still loved it the same!  If that ever happens to you - no worries.  Just attach this poem:

I planted some seeds in hopes that they'd grow,

Something went wrong, I just don't know...

Instead of some flowers, it's a cupful of dirt.

I love you - I hope your feelings aren't hurt!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

This project is a favorite every school year.  Students are given scraps and are instructed to create their Mom's sleeping in her bed.  It is suppose to appear as if her head is poking out from under her covers.  We glue it on the front of a paper bag and attached the following poem:

Breakfast in Bed

Since it is your day,

I have something to say.

Don't lift your head,

Have breakfast in bed.

Just take a look...

You don't have to cook!

I don't like to brag,

But it's breakfast in a bag!

Happy Mother's Day 2011

Enjoy!

Inside the bag, we place: a napkin, apple, breakfast bar, and a tea bag.  Wished I would've gotten a few shots of some other bags.  A few of my students (I think) created their Mom's hair to look like it actually looks when they wake up in the morning.  It was sticking up and all over the place - hilarious!  I used scrapbook paper this year, but scraps from wallpaper books make great "bed spreads" for the bags as well.  Check out more mother's day stuff {here}.  Thank you again to all the Mom's out there and everything you do for your children.  To my Mother - I love you and adore you.  Thank you for ALWAYS being there.

~Miss E

Going Buggy!

The title of my post says it all.  I have literally been going buggy.  Between cheerleading tryouts, wrapping up the end of the school year, graduate school, and distributing our school's yearbooks...I haven't slept much!  Been living at school lately! :)  Ha...good news is, this is my last year as Yearbook sponsor.  Hooray!!!  Anyways...I am posting stuff from 2 weeks ago.  This is just a snip it of our insect week.  We had a great time studying bugs.  After reading TONS of nonfiction books, making webs and bubble maps, and watching Brain Pop videos...here is what we put together!  My students just LOVEEE creepy crawlies.  Me on the other hand - not so much.  EEK!

We used our fingerprints to make ants and ladybugs.

We made a bee book.  "Here is the beehive, where are the bees?  Hiding quietly, where nobody sees.  Are you sure?  Let's peek in the hive.  One, two, three, four, five...OUCH!!"

  A few Ellison Di Cuts and a paper plate...and wallah! The Life Cycle of a Butterfly. 

Students made a lady bug book and added dots to the front cover.  On the inside, we reviewed positional words and students placed their ladybug to match. 

"I'm beside the cricket."

Sorry I've been such a slacker.  I've got TONS of posts coming soon.  My camera is overflowing with photos.  Happy Weekend! ~Miss E