I'm so blessed!

I am so blessed!  We had a bit of a scare with my baby sister this weekend!  Mind you she's my baby sister, but she's over 50 now.  I spent Saturday night and all day yesterday at the hospital with her praying as hard as I could that all would be okay.  Thankfully, God decided he wasn't quite ready for her yet and she even got to come home today!  Sometimes we just need to have our lives shaken up a bit to put everything back in perspective.  I thought after last weekend I had done that, but I guess my family needed another little jolt.  Keep your families close this holiday season and remember all of the blessed things our Lord does for us and our families!  My absolute favorite Christmas book is "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" by Barbara Robinson.  I always cry when Gladys shouts "Hey, hey, unto you a child is born." Unto us a child has been born!  And, because of this little child we celebrate Christmas.  Merry Christmas one and all!!

Teachers Supporting Teachers

Teachers Supporting Teachers 

{fundraising campaign for the teachers and children of Sandy Hook} 

Little Miss Glamour Goes to Kindergarten is sponsoring a fund raiser for the students and teachers of Sandy Hook.  I'm linking up by donating 100% of my earnings on TPT from now till January 14th.  Please help support this effort!  Clear out your wishlists or give a TPT gift certificate to a teacher for the holidays or "just because"!  Thanks!

Flat Gingy!!

First of all, let me say "thanks" to Christie over at "First Grade Fever" for the super fun craftivity!  They turned out so stinkin' cute!  We even ended up with one one-legged GB Man.  The little people had instructions to stack all of their body parts so they wouldn't lose one.  And of course, one of the little angels lost a leg and I didn't have any extras!  Yikes!  So, new invention a one-legged GB Man.  He really is adorable! 

We read many different Gingerbread Man stories, but I think my favorite one with a little of twist was "The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School" by Laura Murray. In this story after a class leaves for recess, their just-baked Gingerbread Man is left behind. But he's a smart cookie and heads out to find them.  During his hunt for his class he meets the gym teacher, the art teacher, the nurse and the even the principal.  I wish I had found this before school started this year.  It would have been a wonderful lead into meeting all of the people in our building. 

Our gingerbread activities were so much fun!  Some of our activities included:  a "My Gingerbread Man 'is' 'can' 'has' Map", "Describe Me" map, a "Part to Whole Map", "Label Me Gingerbread Man" and a Venn Diagram comparing the Gingerbread Man and the Gingerbread Girl stories.  And for math we studied pictures of gingerbread houses and cookies for Math Talk, as well as, doing story problems on the Smartboard for our problem solving activities. All of these activities are part of my Gingerbread Man Unit over at TPT.  Click on the pictures below to check them out! 

Silence for Sandy Hook Elementary

Today, Teachers Pay Teachers has announced that 10% of sales will be going to Sandy Hook Elementary School. Donations will also be accepted.  Send to:

Sandy Hook School Support Fund

c/o Newtown Savings Bank

39 Main St.

Newtown, CT 06470 

Or you and your students can send kind words to:

Sandy Hook Elementary

12 Dickenson Drive

Newtown, CT 06482

"12 in 12 Linky Party"

 

My 12 favorite things for 2012!

 

12. Favorite movie you watched:

Trouble with the Curve - another great Clint Eastwood movie!

11. Favorite TV series:

My favorite TV series is NCIS!  

10. Favorite restaurant:

Love the rolls at Texas Roadhouse!  Yum!

9. Favorite new thing you tried:

Kindergarten!! I've been in Title I as our Reading Coach the last few years and made the switch to kindergarten this fall.  Love it!

8. Favorite gift you got:

My new iPad!  Love this thing!  So handy!

7. Favorite thing you pinned:

Our little reindeer hands for Christmas gifts to parents!

6. Favorite blog post:

 I'm Proud to be an American!

5. Best accomplishment:

Personal:  Marrying my sweetheart and raising 3 wonderful children!

Educational:  Becoming a National Board Certified Teacher!

4. Favorite picture:

Our family photo shot!

3. Favorite memory:

All of the wonderful things my mom taught me!

2. Goal for 2013:

To remember to always think of the positive!  Life is just too short to do otherwise!

1. One Little Word:

Love - We all need someone to love us and we all need someone to love!

Inferring with No, David!!

Whew!  Writing about our inferences is hard work!  The little people are super at looking at pictures from the "No, David" books and making inferences.  We look at the evidence or clues in the pictures combine it with their background knowledge to make a decision about what they think is happening in the picture.  Below you will find a couple of example of a writing activity we did to go along with one of the pictures from "David Goes to School."  It was lots of fun and a little challenging for kindergarteners.  But, they were amazing thinkers!!  This adorable idea originated from "The First Grade Parade."  Cara Carroll has some amazing ideas on her blog.  Click the link above to check out her blog.  I'm looking for some additional ideas for inferring.  

Do any of you have any cute inferring activities we could try??

Here is the picture we used for this writing activity.

Here are our inferences!

 Our pictures of David along with our inferences!

 

 A couple of close ups!

   

What is David Doing?  David is doing paint.

My inference... I inference David is painting.

A clue that helped me make my inference...  David will get paint on the girl,

 because he has paint on his hand.

 What is David Doing?  He is getting paint on the girl.

My inference... He is going to get paint on the girl.

A clue that helped me make my inference...He has paint on his hand.

2nd Grade Pad

Hi, I'm linking up with the 2nd Grade Pad to check out some new blogs.  She has them organized by grade level, which makes finding ideas for your particular grade level much easier to find.  Happy hunting!!

Kyp

Help!  

Hi, I just started a page on my Facebook account.  But I have no idea how to put a little link on my blog for you to like me on Facebook or for that matter Pinterest.  Is there anyone out there who can help me!!  I'm desperate! Thanks in advance!
:0)

Run, Run, Rudolph!!

Oh I can't wait for you to see our adorable little reindeer my kinders made for their parents for Christmas!  I'm including the directions in case anyone is so inclined to make them.  So easy, yet so cute!  Prior to painting, I cut a 5x7 piece of white cardstock and an 8x10 piece of black or red construction paper.  The first day, I painted each little darlings hand with brown paint and we smooshed it onto the cardstock.  After allowing to dry overnight, we began step 2.  We started with our "big" red noses.  Then, they added fingerprint bulbs.  Each time they changed colors I wiped off their finger.  Oh, I guess I should tell you we did these during center time.  I just called them over three or four at a time.  Once all of their bulbs were painted we added the eyes.  Time to let them dry again! The final step was the squiggly lines for the cord to the string of lights.  I will admit, for my kindergarteners I added the squiggly lines.  I was a little worried they might get carried away with the black marker.  With older students they might be more proficient with the squiggles.  I made little tags for each child and bought frames for their art work at Dollar Tree for a dollar.  The size of the frame is 8x10.  Aren't they just perfect?!  I think they turned out too cute!!  Let me know what you think!!

Tips for Top Teachers is having a Huge Giveaway!!

To celebrate the holidays Top Teacher-Style, they are throwing  a HUGE GIVEAWAY just in time for the holidays!  Several bloggers have come together for this BIG GIVEAWAY! One lucky winner will win a BRAND NEW NOOK COLOR HD!!! And, a lucky person will also receive OODLES of TEACHING RESOURCES from the FABULOUS TOP TEACHERS!!! 

All you have to do to enter over at their site.  Just follow the button below and then follow the Rafflecopter directions.  Best of luck to everyone!  Happy Holidays!

Freebielicious Linky Party

I am linking up with Freebielicious for their Freebie of the Month Linky!

They will be doing a freebie link up on the first of every month. 

To help my students learn to expand sentences in writing I created "Super Sentences with a Christmas Twist".  We begin with a graphic organizer called Super Sentences. To start we make a list of characters (perfect time to try this is around a holiday, but could be done any time of the year). After making a list of characters each child chooses one and then describes the character in the describe box on the graphic organizer. They continue filling in the graphic organizer moving across the page to the right. After filling in the organizer I have them write their sentences or stories on the super sentence paper. Click on the picture "Super Sentences with a Christmas Twist" below to download.  Enjoy!!

Thanksgiving Feast with the Little People!!

Hi, everyone!  Just thought I'd post a few pictures of our Thanksgiving Feast with our kindergarten neighbors.  We had so much fun!  First, we shook up the butter.  In case you've never done this before it's just "whipping cream" in a jar or a clear plastic container.  I chose to use a plastic container and good thing.  It went flying one time during the churning process, lol.  Each child shook to their hearts content and then passed the container to their neighbor.  After we shook our cream into butter we all grabbed our headdresses, bonnets, hats and placemats and went out into the hall to enjoy our "mini" feast.  We tried cranberry sauce, corn muffins, butter and pumpkin bread.  Delicious!  They were so good and precious!  Check out our pictures below!

This first picture makes me a little sad!  Trevor's (the little guy shaking the butter) last day with us was the Tuesday before Thanksgiving!  He's such a neat little guy!  

We will all miss him a lot!

 Aren't they precious?!!

 Three little Native Americans!

 Cody, Trevor and Andrew (best buds!)

 Smile for the camera!!

 A view of all of us together!  50 little Pilgrims and Native Americans enjoying a little feast!

If you'd like to see more ideas of things happening in my kindergarten classroom just click any of the pictures above.  They are linked with my classroom blog for my students and their families.  Thanks!

So thankful!!

I have so many things to be thankful for!  I have my faith, a wonderful family, four beautiful grandkids which are all healthy and active and a fantastic husband who is so supportive! A job I love and a bunch of little kindergarteners who make me laugh each day.  I also have a new group of dear friends I have found through blogging.  I would like to say thank you to all of you who have helped me get started blogging after 30 years of teaching.  Wow!  Who would have thought I'd be blogging?!  :0)
To show how much I appreciate all of you I'd like to share latest freebies!  "Super Sentences with a Christmas Twist" and also my "December Calendar Pieces and Book Tally Sheet Set".  Just click on the link below to head over to TPT to download your new freebie!  Thank you all!!
God Bless and have a wonderful holiday season!
Kyp

Cyber Monday Plus Tuesday TPT Sale

It's hard to believe tomorrow is Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday is just a few days away.  Teachers Pay Teachers will be having a Cyber Monday Plus Tuesday Sale on Monday, November 26th thru Tuesday, November 27th.  Also, The 3AM Teachers is hosting a Cyber Monday Plus Tuesday Linky Party where you can check out what everyone will have on sale and fill your shopping carts!! 

Just click the button below to head over to my store.  

Have a wonderful holiday season!

And, thanks for stopping by!!