Parent Presents, PART TWO

HI, Friends!! It's Erin, from Very Perry Classroom again!
 Last year, I shared what we made in my classroom for our parent presents from students.. Since I am teaching first grade right now, and have many of the same students this year as last year,  I needed to make something different. A lot has been going on, and I started to worry that we weren't going to finish our presents (or even DECIDE on what to make) in time! Then, I went to Michael's.... Which is dangerous for any crafty teacher in December, but, lo and behold, there was a SALE! :)
I found packs of six of this style of ornament for 50% off....

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Wonderland classroom decor and themes on a budget

Hi, there! I am Erin, from Very Perry Classroom coming to you on my third week of Kinder Camp! Third week?! Some people in the U.S. are still in school! I can't believe I am on day 10/16 tomorrow! Where did the time go? I don't know about you, but I am enjoying every spare moment I have had so far this summer break, and it feels so good!

As I shared last week on our linky, I am moving to first grade! With the grade change, I have decided it was time to change my classroom decor. SO, I am moving away from "The Mouse " (Or the "Mice," rather), and going in another direction... A more colorful direction... towards Wonderland!!

I know so many of you have seen the AMAZING classroom that Hope King of Elementary Shenanigans has at Ron Clark Academy. Beautiful, beautiful work that I can only drool over... Seriously, check it out and prepare to dream and/or drool...  I did want a lot of the whimsy and color from the Disney version of the story, since I will still be in primary... SO, taking some of the concepts from both versions, I think I have an idea in mind! I can't wait to share more in August, when it is complete.

In the meantime, I wanted to share some of the ways I will affordably be creating decor for my classroom!
When looking for a new classroom theme or design, Pinterest is your B.F.F. I mean, where else can you have a giant resource of ideas at your fingertips? For example, I wanted to find ways to use playing cards in my classroom design, and voila! Look at this adorable idea for a garland from Love to Crop!

I just need to head to Dollar Tree for some playing cards (2 packs for $1), or order some giant ones (About $6) from Amazon!

Another thing I am dying to incorporate is the White Rabbit... That little guy always seems to be in a hurry, and I can totally relate! :)

I found this cute image online at Learning in Wonderland, and can't to create my own similar version, using my Cricut dies. Should only cost about $2 in paper!

I have had a clock with Mickey ears for a few years now (see below), and I am ready to create a Wonderland clock!

One of my favorite scenes in the classic story is when Alice is in the garden with the flowers. I think buying a few of these large flower-shaped pinwheels from Dollar Tree ($1 each) and adding faces would help create a Wonderland atmosphere. 

Finally, I am in love with the "Follow Directions" and "Looking Forward" posters from Eureka Schools. 

($5.49)

($2.99)

I can't wait to fully share how my vision comes together! What theme(s) are you using/have you used in your classroom?

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Spreading Teacher Kindness... Encouraging Fellow Educators

Hi, there! It's Erin, from Very Perry Classroom! Recently, we at the Punchbowl have been discussing ways we like to show love and kindness to others in the education world.. It can be an isolating profession, if you don't reach out for support and to support. We are so thankful for those who have supported each of us, and definitely want to share the love! Today, I am going to share a few ways I like to show kindness to others... 

The first way I love connect and appreciate other teachers is an idea that I cannot take credit for, but totally love. It's a concept that was created by Jameson, from Lessons With Coffee. A few years ago, Jameson saw a need for educators to feel connected to and encouraged by others if they weren't necessarily feeling the "love" where they were. She also saw that teachers LOVE to make new friends... And the idea for SLANT boxes was born! Jameson is amazingly organized and patient and matches teachers from the blogging and non-blogging worlds with others across the nation (Sending Love Across the Nation to Teachers). Each participant sends a box to their match, and communicates with them throughout each match session. I can honestly say I *love* making new SLANT box friends! If you would like to find out more, click here

Another idea that I love for spreading kindness to other teachers is compliment cards!

These great cards from Erin Condren are great to slip in a colleague's mailbox to spread some love or lift their spirits. There is plenty of room on the back to write a quick note to brighten their day!

Finally, I want to share with you what I have been doing with a few colleagues this Spring! 

Around Christmas, a few of us who are on the Sunshine Committee were talking about doing "You've been Socked!," which is a pass-the-stocking activity. We loved the idea of filling an object and paying it forward across the staff, but knew that we would not have enough time to pull it off. Then, we started talking about Spring, and it was suggested that we do "You've Been Egged!" This is a similar concept, but uses a giant plastic egg. We were sold. In the picture above is what I did with the egg when it was my turn to fill it. The point is to keep it anonymous, and to be as sly as possible. To keep people from being "double-egged," we had a staff list, and crossed off our recipient before leaving it on the front desk in the office each morning. I picked someone on staff who loves to bake, so I had SO much fun filling it with cute Easter baking supplies. Once our Spring holidays were over, we knew we wanted to continue going, but didn't want to use the egg. Since many of us on our staff use the book "Have You Filled a Bucket Today?" it was only natural to continue the activity using a bucket. I have PLENTY of Disneyland popcorn buckets, so we used a plastic bucket and have continued "passing the bucket." I LOVE to give gifts, but I LOVE to see people with lifted spirits even more! 

You can find a free original poem here if you would like to trying "filling your bucket" with your own staff!

Now, we at the Punchbowl would like to know:

You can grab the image below, if you would like to share on social media! Be sure to use the hashtag, so we can see your great ideas!

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Favorite Black History Books for Primary

Hi, friends! It's Erin, from Very Perry Classroom! Today, I am sharing some of my favorite books to read to primary students during studies on Black History.... 

Andrea, a Punchie from Always Kindergarten, shared some of her favorites with me... We both love the "Ordinary People Change the World" series, and how kid-friendly does this one about Rosa Parks look?? Click the book cover to check it out on Amazon. 

Another favorite is Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King. I have this in Big Book form, and the kids really like the information presented in it. It's a great one to read as informational text, and to help with writing projects in January. 

For students in second grade and older, I really like this one about Ruby Bridges:

I remember being in the teacher education program in college, and we had many choices of a historical figure to create a lesson on. I chose to create a lesson on Ruby Bridges, using this book, and have loved her story since. It's a little too advanced for my kinders, but I have read it to second graders, and they LOVED it. 

On Epic! Books, I found a book that I have fallen in love with. It is called "Let Freedom Sing."

I love the way it explains the Civil Rights using dates and events in terms that students will be able to understand. 

Finally, I have a pack I created to do with students. I use the information about each historical figure as a close read, use the graphic organizers as a shared writing organizer, and then work with students in small groups for more independent writing. 

I love that there are both male and female figures to discuss as a class, and students are very engaged in the text. 

You can find my pack here

I hope you have a wonderful February! 

-Erin

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Must Have Pumpkin Books

Hello, friends! I am Erin, from Very Perry Classroom, and I am SO excited to share with you today! I don't know about you, but I am ALL about pumpkins these days: the coveted Pumpkin Spice Latte, candles, home decor, and more! Today, I am giving you our list of AMAZING books, both informational and fiction, that I love to read about pumpkins! It is great for us to use it to front-load information prior to our trip to the pumpkin patch.....

 To start off, let's talk about the one that I only just discovered recently, Pumpkin Circle, by George Levenson. This one has GORGEOUS pictures, taken by Samuel Thaler, and even BETTER vocabulary!! I loved using this one as a Close read because it is informational, but really challenges students' depth of knowledge with the language and vivid pictures. At the end of the book, there is even a "How-To" about growing pumpkins.

We like to make an anchor chart when learning something new, and this book is no exception to the rule! Here is the anchor chart we made for this one this year: 

(we added decomposing to our chart after I took this picture, and students were excited to use a "math word" for ELA)

 And another one...

 Of COURSE, I LOVE Gail Gibbons' book, The Pumpkin Book, too!!

I JUST ordered this one from Scholastic in a Fall Science pack. My students were enamored with it. 

Just a few more on our shelf... A few of them may even be used in Andrea's post tomorrow about Pumpkin Science!!

In my district, we assess Narrative writing first, so we read TONS of Narrative stories to compare to our informational text, and to discuss elements of narrative writing. 

One of my FAVORITES has to be Big Pumpkin, by Erica Silverman!! My students get SO into it, and so do I! It's a great rhyming, repetitive, rhythmic story that kids love to act out and sing. I make every character have a different voice, and the kids use them in cheers as well! 

We also like to do a sequencing activity as a group. 

Students get to take turns using stick puppets of the characters, or acting out the characters for each scene. It ends up being HILARIOUS (at least, I like to think so)!!

Here is a page we worked on as a whole group:

This week, we are reading The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid Of Anything, by Linda Williams. I know this one is not directly about pumpkins, but it includes a pumpkin head, and I can't help but share it, in case you haven't heard of it! This one is HILARIOUS, builds as you read, and gets the kids involved, using sound effects. My students fall over laughing at this one, and it subtly teaches them to solve problems, instead of being fearful. 

We also write about our favorite part, and talk about what we are NOT afraid of. 

(This one is mine. I have not finished this activity with my kiddos yet)

I will be posting more about this book on my blog in a few days, so be sure to check that post out!

Finally, I love to go to our age-old favorite: Five Little Pumpkins. I practice this one in many ways: A PowerPoint, to do a shared reading. 

Monkey Mitt puppets, Acting it out with stick puppets, Emergent Readers, and a "Highlight the sight word" page. 

Have you seen the newest addition to the Five Little Pumpkins collection? I know I snatched one up from Scholastic as soon as I saw it!!

Here are a few more of my suggestions:

(The Stubborn Pumpkin is another one that is very similar to Big Pumpkin) 

Please feel free to share titles of pumpkin books you love!! I am always looking to add to my ever-growing collection!

Stay tuned tomorrow for some FUN pumpkin science activities from Andrea of Always Kindergarten!! 

Cheers! Erin

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