Kiss Me! I'm Irish! St. Patrick's Day is Here!

My dad used to dye the milk green on St. Patrick's Day.  I never could drink it, if only we'd made some of these cute crafts and games!

Here is a paper plate craft from Busy Bee!

Maybe a combination of the paper plate one with this one from Happy Home Fairy.

Here is a Shamrock Toss game from Fun in First!

Here's a writing activity from The First Grade Parade...I feel lucky when...

This mini unit from What the Teacher Wants has some great printable for graphing, writing, and math.

I love the "How to Catch a Leprechaun" idea!

Mrs. Morrow's Kindergarten has so many great ideas at her site.  Here are a few that I think I might use.

Measure a 4 leaf clover

Writing about having a pot of gold

Gold pieces addition

100 Days of School! Hooray!!

After seeing everyone else's awesome 100 Day activities, I have the feeling that our school's 100 Day was much later than everyone else's!  


Here are some of the ways we celebrated.


We had a 100 Day Snack!

The kids wrote the numbers 1-10 on a strip of construction paper.

They then counted out 10 of each yummies!


10 Each
raisins
gummies
pretzels
goldfish
Cheez-Its
Chex
mini-marshmallows
chocolate chips
Teddy Grahams
Cheerios

 

We made a 100 Day Hat!

The kids put 10 stamps of each of 10 strips of construction paper.

We had some 100 Day Station Rotations!!

100 Designs

100 Day Card 

What I'll look like when I'm 100...

100 Day Necklace

We counted out cereal by 10's to make a 100 Day necklace.

100 Day Maraca

We made a 100 Day Maraca for the parade!

Fold a paper plate in half and the staple up the side, leaving an opening at the top.

We counted out 100 beans.

Put the 100 beans inside the plate.

Staple it closed.

100 Penny Stacking

We counted out 100 pennies and tried to stack them up!

We had a 100 Day Parade!!

There were so many great ideas out there!  We just couldn't do them all!!å

Classroom Before and After

Kindergarten...The final frontier!

Here I boldly go where no Collier has gone before!

I am an organization freak, so it took me a good week to get everything in 'apple-pie order'!

This is my classroom when I moved in!  

Lots of space and lots of furniture to organize!

Soon to be Teacher Area.

Here's the front of the room.  I looking over my boxes and tubs.

Closets before!

Lots of great materials, just need some organization!

Closets after!

I got about a million of those shoe box tubs at Home Depot when they were 75 cents a piece!

Valentine's Math

I know!!!   Valentine's Day is TOMORROW, but I just came across these two really cute math activities!


One is from Lil' Country Kindergarten.  


Kids color the numbers to reveal a hidden picture on the 100's chart.

She has lots more for other holidays and events.




The other is an estimation activity with conversation hearts from Mrs. Shehan's Full Day Kindergarten.

Click on the image to go to her site and download the form.

It's the Little Things! Hallway Sign

Check out this hallway sign from Little Priorities!

 

So simple, yet so effective!


Now I won't have to keep reminding a certain someone to quite dancing down the hall!


Run over and pick up yours!

Little Priorities: You'll Want One Too: All my co-workers are giggling at me as I walk down the hall holding my new stop and smiley face sign. I am tired of saying be quiet! 

Discovery Station - Mass

I'm always looking for more ideas to put into our Discovery Station!  

Lately, we have been learning about mass.

The kids select two objects and place them in the balance.

Once they discover which has more mass, they draw the two objects on the recording sheet and circle the one with more mass.

I'll post a copy of the recording sheet, but for now you can see it on the picture directions!


Spring is coming so I see dirt, worms, and chrysalis in our future!


What do you have in your Discovery Station?

Valentine's Day Fun

There are so many awesome ideas out there for Valentine's Day fun!

www.designmom.com

I always love having my kiddos make mom a special gift or card each year.


This year I'm having them make this accordion fold card that I found on Brilliant Beginning Preschool.

Here's our runner up!  

If we have time, this one might get made for daddy!

I found it at Tons of Fun!

And here's one to mail to Grandma and Grandpa from Tons of Fun also!

Mail a hug!  How cute is that!!

What kinds of cards and gifts do your kids make for Valentine's Day?http://www.designmom.com/2011/02/get-your-valentine-make-on/

Classroom Set up

Better late than never!  Right?!

Here's the Classroom set up!

By the front door:

Birthday chart, Conduct, and Station Chart

Teacher nook

Calendar, Charts, Schedule

Computer, Writing Station, Word wall

Towards the back

Station baskets, Display wall

Library, Listening Station, Small Group area

Another view of the Library

Sink area and Sunshiney Discovery area

Promethean Board and Flannel Board

Calendar and Pocket chart

More updated Writing Station and Quiet Station

Sink and Discovery area

Classroom!