First Linky Party! :)

So I've decided to join my first ever linky!  I love seeing what others are reading :)  Here are some of my summer reads:

This is supposed to have excellent
problem based learning activities.

Emily Griffin writes fun to read books

Will be doing a book study of this in the Fall.

Because I'm the only one in the world
who hasn't read this yet... :)

I'm a big Nicholas Sparks fan :)

I want to reread this one!

What are you reading?  Join Mrs. Bainbridge's Class linky too!

Thanks for stopping by!

Something new.... Freebie!

So, I wanted to share something I've been working on with my blog followers :)  I created this cute bulletin board set with words for each month.  I've used this in my first and second grade classroom.  I placed in a visible part of the room where the children can use the words during their writing time.  I've also used the words when we dabbled in poetry.  PLUS it just looks so adorable during the changing of the months!  Here is a pic of what it looks like hanging:

The above photo is a slightly different version than the one I recently created.  The newer version is WAY better :)  I'd LOVE to share this with some of my followers before I put it in my TpT store.  If you think you could use this in your classroom, please comment below with your email address.  Thanks to those that responded... they are sent!  I hope you enjoy it!  I've also added lined paper to write about each season.  This will now be in my TpT store :)  Happy Monday!

That's a wrap!

Hey everyone!  I'm so sorry I was MIA for a bit... wow is the end of the year CrAzY!  We packed in so many things in the last week that I completely lost track of the days.  Here are some highlights...

We began the week talking about the importance of reading over the summer.  We made the ADORABLE books included in this craftivity from The Teacher Wife.  On the books the kids wrote a summer goal ("I will read for 16 minutes" was a popular one... why 16... not sure!  I had a bunch of comedians in my class this year).  Also included in the pack was a letter and a grid for the kids to color in for every 10 minutes they read over the summer.  I included this in our summer packet.               LOVE          LOVE           LOVE!!

I know I mentioned this one before... but after actually doing it, it is worth mentioning it again!  It's by Kelly McHaffie and it's ONLY $1.50 at TpT!  There are fun awards to give the kids like the Jeff Gordon award (for racing to the front of the line) and Mother Earth award (loving all things nature).  Since I have second graders, I had the kids vote on who should get each award.  They LOVED this ... I gave them a secret ballot and they filled a classmate's name on the line next to the award they wanted to give.  It was amazing to see how nice they were to their classmates and how it all ended up.  My favorite was the kids giving the "Bermuda Triangle Award" (things go in the desk but never come out) to the kids who ACTUALLY needed to get that award!  FUN!

Amazon

We also did a HUGE Fairy Tale Unit with the kids comparing and contrasting many different versions of fairy tales, reading traditional and fractured fairy tales, writing their own fairy tale, and finally, performing fairy tales to their parents.  This was a TON of fun and I enjoy doing this every year.  The short tales are very humorous and the parents love it, they are short enough for your whole class to do and the kids love to make their own props!  I highly recommend it!

These were just some of the highlights!  We also had a plant lunch to wrap up our build a flower reading incentive and we had a buffet of fruits and vegetables for the kids to eat.  We took field trip to the Arboretum and when on a plant scavenger hunt.  It was a great end of the year!

I am super excited for the summer projects to begin.  Personally, I will be on the hunt for a roofer to replace our existing roof (that's my Monday project) and to read The Hunger Games that has been sitting on my nightstand for months.  I am also excited to start some great things here on this blog (including a BIG BIG 100 follower giveaway soon!!).  AND work on some fun units and fix up some units I already have in my store.  I will be talking a lot about math in the next few weeks-- math facts -- so please stop back!

Have a GREAT rest of your weekend!  I'm off to a movie at a new Movie Grill that was just built in our town... can't wait to be doing something so adult (not "teacher" or "mom" things!).       :)

FREEBIE as Promised :)

Hello Friends!  It's a hot one here in Chicago... Sunny and 95!  Our weather has been so strange the last few months- in a few days it will be 60 and overcast.  Only in IL will it drop 35 degrees in one week!


As promised, I am including the plant reading incentive I mentioned three posts down.  It is FREE in my TpT store!  Here is a sample:

Click pic for freebie!

I am SLOWLY learning how to create better products.  It's hard work to keep up with the {Amy Lemons} of the world! :)  So, if you do download this and like what you see, I'd LOVE for some feedback!  Also, if you are not a follower of my blog or store... please do that too!  Thanks so much for stopping by!  Enjoy the rest of your weekend... I'm going to go cool off! :)  Oh last thing.. don't forget to check out the Memorial Day Sale-- 20% off in my TpT store... good until Monday 5/28!!

SALEabration!

Happy Memorial Weekend! Let's celebrate with a SALE!  I'm linking up with Kindergarten Lifestyle and having a Memorial Day Sale starting right NOW and going through Monday (5/28).  All items in my TpT Store will be 20% off! Yipee!  MANY others have linked up too! Check them out, stock up, and save!  Have a great weekend!

Freebie!

Days left!!  Are you as worn out as I am??  Boy am I R-E-A-D-Y to begin my summer break! :)  I must be getting old because this is the first year that I am seriously counting down the days!  My class is counting too... but as much as I try my hardest to keep their focus and attention (by creating a 3 ring circus act!) their focus is on swimming, playing outside, and of course no school.  

So... in honor of my 7 days left... I'm giving away this Awesome activity to the first 7 followers to leave a comment with your email address.  I LOVE this activity that was all a buzz on Proteacher.net last summer.  It is called "Brain Bubbles" and the kids in my classroom work on this when they finish their work and need something to do.  I put the activity cards (like task cards) in vending machine containers, however if I were to do it again, I would use plastic eggs or something easier to open.  Here's a pic of what they look like: 

I created my own activities that went inside the little containers.  They have a mix of math, reading, and writing.  They are easy enough for the kids to do independently which was important to me as I did not want to explain how to do the activities to the kids who were done with their work.  I have a sample of the activities in my TpT store.  Here is an idea of what some of the activities look like:

My class LOVED getting a "bubble" to crack open and see what they'd be working on.  Each container had a number written on it, and that number was then written in the box on the recording sheet so they could keep track of what numbers they had previously.  The sheets were then kept in their W.I.P folders (work in progress).  I put first and second grade activities (above) because I think it would be the best fit for those grades, HOWEVER, I think your high K and lower 3rd could also enjoy these too!


Ok lucky 7... if you are interested in a copy of this for your next year's class... come on down and put your comment and email below :)


**I know I promised the plant reading incentive "freebie" (mentioned in the post below).. I'm working on it and will hopefully add this weekend! 

Flowers in Bloom!

Grass seed, pinto bean, and lima beans in cups.  Avocado seed in front

 Second grade is BLOOMING!  We have begun our plant unit and have our plant cups ready and waiting for some sprouts!  I'm hoping for some good growth like I had last year (I do NOT have a green thumb and my teammates like to rub it in ...yet somehow I had the best growing cups last year-- hehe)!

Flowers are growing!

 In conjunction with our plant unit, we also do a reading incentive where the kids get to "grow a flower by reading!"  For every 30 pages they read, they get part of the flower.  For example:
30 pages- soil
30 pages- roots
30 pages- stem
30 pages- leaves
30 pages- flower

The kids must also fill out a book report to earn their plant parts!  I will be adding all of this as a freebie in the next day or two (when I can get my act together!).  The kids love watching their plants growing by reading along with their actual plants growing in their cups :)  Awwww... 


And for those over achiever readers..
'cuz I know you have those too...

I have "extras" they can earn to add to their flower picture.  Like the grass, bee, bird, sun etc.  They like to see how many extras they can get to add.  I have a competition in my room right now to see who can get all 17 extras first.  Hey, some healthy competition to get them READING can't hurt...right? :)

The year is FLYING!  11 1/2 more days!  (not that I am counting!).  How many more days do you have?  Or are you done? (lucky!)  Have a GREAT Monday :)