Fabulous Find: Graduation hats!

Hey friends...I found something wonderful at the Dollar Tree this evening. As you know, Kindergarten Graduation is a first for my school so I'm over stressing. Anyways....hop over to My Fabulous Finds and check out what I picked up for a $1. For those of you not going all out with the caps and gowns, this find is a cheap alternative for FUN! Click the button below to visit! 

College begins with Kindergarten!

Hey ya'll!  We're gearing up for Kindergarten graduation at our school.  May 17th to be exact. This will be the first year we've done anything like this. Normally, we just have a little presentation and students read a poem or perform a cute song for parents, we invite them to our room for snacks, and call it a day.  But this year, we're going ALL out. Diplomas and all. Needless to say, I'm scouring the internet for ideas and wondering what to do.  Here are some of my favorite pinterest finds. 

Love the paper plate faces. I'm debating on making this....

Source: Hummingbird Educational Resources

Or this? Sooooo cute.  

Source: Peace Love Kindergarten

I got crafty and put together these letters with my Cricut. I'm gonna hang them from my clothesline in my room and then hang the kinders' pictures around it! It's going to be my focal point for the little open house we plan on having after the ceremony. 

I may even make these yummy things, too. We'll see?? Look out Martha. 

Yup, we are definitely learning First Grade! First Grade! and singing it. It makes my heart smile. What other songs would you recommend?

Here is a fun little keepsake I plan on doing for parents. Just click on the picture to grab it from google docs! I'll fill out the top part (name, age, grade, teacher) and let my students fill out the rest.  Then, I'll paint their hand and do a little hand print on the right side, mount on fun scrapbook paper, and laminate.  These will be laying at their desks along with a few other items for parents to take home after the graduation ceremony. I'm sure they'll love them! Do you all have any other ideas? This is a first for us at the Springs so I could use some help! Happy Saturday!

I'm dreaming of...next year?!?

Hey friends! I don't know about ya'll...but the end of April hits/first of May...and I'm thinking of next year. What do I want to do differently, what are my goals, what do I wish I would have done this past year, etc? You get the picture! :) Anyways, I've already found some fun pictures on Pinterest that have given me inspiration for many of my "to do's" for the upcoming 2012-2013 school year. Here they are:

MUST.organize.construction.paper. Hello fuzzy - what a hot mess mine is! I'm dying to put it in a filing cabinet drawer using hanging file folders - genius.

I hope my Dad is ready to build. I am SOOO making these this summer using PVC pipe. My plan is to have little pocket chart workstations spread throughout my room. Having these chart holders will allow me to do so. And if ya'll are like me, you bought a million bajillion of these mini pocket charts from Target $1 section - Amen?!

I want to do community supplies rather than crayon boxes. I am SO over those. And if one more child drops theirs and spills crayons and supplies everywhere, I'm liable to lose it! ha

Holy smartness. I plan on making a BUTT load of these for all the new students who come in during the school year. Am I the only one whose classroom is like a revolving door?! :( Having these "on hand" will make the transition so much easier and me - - less stressed.  ha

I need a new behavior system. Period. This one is looking mighty appealing! :)

Everything about this classroom makes me want to crawl through my computer and visit. This classroom is so beautiful, organized, colorful, and inviting. One of my goals, is to get my classroom to a state of liking. ha This may never be possible. I have some shelves I want to paint, things I want to rearrange, and just good ole housekeeping items I need to take care of in my room.

With that said, I'm already writing down ideas as I think of them. I made a few little lists to help me stay organized and not get carried away. You can grab them by clicking the pic below. What are YOU planning on doing differently next year? Leave me some love, please. 

Winner, winner...chicken dinner!

Thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway. The winners are.....drum roll please....

Winner #1 of the:

Polkadot ring binder

Padfolio

Coupon Binder

and 2 colored 3-ring binders

IS...

Mary from Adventures in Kindergarten

Winner #2 of the:

Polkdadot ring binder

Padfolio

and 2 colored 3-ring binders 

IS...

Erica from Sprinkles to Kindergarten

Thank you to everyone who played along. Mary and Erica, I'll be in touch with you ladies shortly! Happy Sunday everyone. 

Me on the Map freebie

With Earth Day approaching, I typically try to throw in map skills. Ya'll should know by now that I'm all about killing multiple birds with one stone. ha! While, Earth Day is more about protecting the earth's natural environment...it's a great way to talk about the Earth and transition into maps, location, where students live, etc. I always love doing a "Me on the Map" activity. It's super easy and a great way to teach students about location and where it is, exactly, they live. Here is a great freebie for your kiddos. Just click the picture below and visit my TpT store to download! Please be sure to leave me some feedback on TpT or a comment on my blog. Stuff like that makes my teacher heart smile! ha Don't forget to enter my giveaway. I'll pick 2 lucky winners TONIGHT! Happy Earth Day!

Can I reach 1,000 fans?? And a giveaway!!

Hey friends! I am rapidly approaching 900 followers. That is simply unimaginable to me - thank you so much! Seriously, if I ever reach 1,000 fans....you'll probably hear me scream all the way from Tennessee! ha ha Can I do it? 

I have neglected to host any type of giveaway lately and was recently presented with some goodies. I arrived home on Tuesday night to find 2 BIG boxes on my porch full of products from Samsill Corporation. If you're not familiar with Samsill, you need to be. It's like the Cattle Act (as Junie B. Jones would say) Cadillac of notebooks/office organization. Needless to say...when I opened these boxes, I squealed with delight! 

Um, hello jackpot! Is the new school supply smell resonating through your computer screen? #yum And how stinking cute are these polka dot binders? Samsill binders are smartly designed for the ultimate in functionality and convenience. I strongly encourage you to browse their site and become familiar with their name and products. You'll often see their items listed in educational catalogs, office supply catalogs, magazines, etc. 

So, I know you're wondering....ok, what's in it for me?

Well, 2 lucky winners will be selected to win the following:

Winner 1: 

a pink Fusion polka dot ring binder with removable file pockets

a orange letter size padfolio

a teal zippered coupon file with pad holder

a 1" purple antimicrobial protected clean touch 3-ring binder

a 1" white antimicrobial 3 - ring binder

Estimated value - Well, I dunno...but, a LOT! ha

Winner 2:

a orange Fusion polka dot ring binder with removable file pockets

a orange letter size padfolio

a 1" teal antimicrobial protected clean touch 3-ring binder

a 1" white antimicrobial 3 - ring binder

Estimated value - Well, I dunno...but, a LOT! ha

You have 4 opportunities to win and leave a comment for EACH:

1) follow my blog and state you do so 

2) tell me your favorite/must have school supply

3) blog about my giveaway and post the link

4) visit the Samsill website, browse around, and tell me you did so

This giveaway ends Saturday, April 21st at 10:00 (eastern/standard time). I'll announce the winners on Sunday and ship out the loot, asap! Best of luck and thanks for following!

Field trip: Hands On Museum

We had so much fun today visiting Hands On Regional Museum.  For a sweet little slide show video, click the picture below!

Happy hump day!