Bulletin Boards/ Doors

Are you tired of searching bulletin boards on Pinterest for hours? I am definitely guilty of doing this! Why not remake bulletin boards from the previous years? I decided it is time to post pictures of boards I have made to save me the trouble of coming up with new ideas every year. Now when I want to make a board I can scroll down and find one. Voila!!! 

Beginning of the Year

November

December

Mother's Day

 Science

Social Studies

Functional Writing

Writing-Detailed illustrations

Think about your favorite bulletin board you have made in the past. Share away!

How to make a crate seat

Have you ever wanted to make a crate seat? Well...now is the time to do it! Get it done before you go back to school and add a special touch to your classroom. I will make sure the steps are easy peasy lemon squeezy for you. I'll even include pictures. It only takes about 15 minutes to make one...depending on how handy you are with that staple gun ha! 

Materials:

*staple gun

*hot glue gun (only needed if you plan to use ribbon)

*fabric of your choice

*ribbon of your choice (optional)

*wood $14.97 (I brought in my crate to Lowes and asked them to cut a piece of wood for me to fit the crate. From one huge piece of wood I was able to get 4 smaller pieces to make 4 crate seats.)

*regular-density foam 2" X 15" X 17" (This can be found at JoAnns or Michaels. Remember to use your teacher discount! It doesn't matter how thick your foam is. I sat on the foam in the middle of the store to see how comfortable it was first. The thicker foam is more comfortable. :) I did have to cut the foam to fit the size of the wood.)

Tips: We all need them sometimes!

1. Pick a fabric that you can use with your theme every year. The first year I made these I used a bright rainbow fabric. That does not go very well with my theme this year so I had to recover them. Black, blue, and green are the three best colors to pick (my opinion). 

2. Wear gloves when you are carrying the 4 pieces of wood home. I got a couple of splinters. Ok...this isn't the best tip. Ha!

3. Put Scotch Gaurd on your crate seat after you make it. I got so many stains (dry erase marker, glue, etc) on the first one I made and I wish someone would have told me this. Boo! 

4. Think about what you want to use these crate seats for before you make them. It's so much easier to buy all of the fabric and wood at one time. I like to use them for my guided reading table and for special spots around the classroom. Everyone wants to sit in these seats during independent reading. Yes, everyone! 

5. If you have a dog that sheds, do not make the crate seat near them. I usually have to use a lint brush to get off the hair because it sticks very easily to fabric. Ugh!

Steps: YOU CAN DO IT!

1. Line up the foam to fit the wood and cut. You are going to want to cut off the extra foam. If you do not cut off the extra foam, it will not fit in your crate. Do not worry...it does not have to be exact. All I had on hand was a small pair of scissors...boo! It doesn't matter how the foam looks because it will be covered with material. :)

2. Lay out your fabric and place the foam on top. Then, place the wood on top of the foam. That was easy right? 

3. Staple away!! Make sure to pull the fabric flat so it isn't loose.

Fold the fabric over like you are wrapping a present.

I tend to go overboard on the staples. Remember it doesn't matter what the bottom looks like.

4. Optional...add ribbon. I like to add ribbon because it makes it easier to take the cushion off of the crate. Staple the ribbon to the bottom of the wood on each side. Make sure it is lined up the way you want before you staple. 

5. Optional...add a bow. I am obsessed with bows...seriously! It adds a cute little touch to your crate seat. Make your bow and hot glue it on. 

6. Put the cushion on the open part of the crate and have a seat. Now relax and enjoy the rest of your summer!! 

YOU DID IT!! 

New School, New Theme, New Grade...Oh, my!

I am so excited!!! I accepted a position to teach second grade at the school where I had my internship (2008)!  I am going to miss my friends, colleagues, and the familiar routines of my previous school but I know this is going to be an amazing new journey.

Did I mention I am also going to be in a new grade level?!? Ahhhh! I have been teaching kindergarten since the beginning of my career. I will now be teaching second grade with one of my favorite people in the world!

New school...check. New grade...check. New theme...check. Every year, my school changes the theme. I have been trying my hardest not to buy everything I see that reminds me of a jungle/safari. I will definitely have to learn how to create materials that can be reusable every year. Maybe I will stick to one color and change the ribbon to match the theme. Ahhh! So many ideas in my head!! Check out my new theme for this year by clicking on the link below.

My New School Theme..."A Walk On The Wild Side" 

PS... How cool is my principal? (The one in the safari hat) Can't wait to start!

You would think I would be freaking out with all of these changes in one year...right? Not me!! I love change! Now I can say I have taught kindergarten and second grade. Oh and I have been the only teacher in the classroom, a team teacher, and a co-teacher. Yay!


Any advice on transferring to a new school? I would love to hear from you!
Ms. Hawas

End of the Year

Hey ya'll!!! Today, we had a DJ at our school to celebrate all of our kindergarteners hard work. It was such a blast!! I am definitely ready for bed and it's only 7:30!!

 Check out our cool dance moves. How do you celebrate the end of the year with your little ones?

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all of you wonderful moms out there! 

My class had so much fun preparing this week for our Mother's Day celebration. We rolled out a red carpet for our moms and took pictures of them when they walked through the door. I made a DVD of my students telling their mom a special message. It was super cute! As they were watching the movie, my students ate popcorn with their moms. Our photo booth was full of hats, mustaches, lips, and silly glasses. They had a blast! 

  

Our sign on our classroom door

Our red carpet

   

I'm POPPING with excitement that you're my mom!

Our photo booth table

Mother's Day Cookbook

In the cookbook, I put a picture of my little ones wearing a chef hat. So cute!

Click on the picture above to check out my Mother's Day Cookbook packet!

What do  you do in your classroom to celebrate Mother's Day? Leave a comment! Thank you!

Aha Moments

This morning for skills block I introduced the "Sneaky e" to my little ones. We practiced reading CVC words (not) and then added and e to them (note) to make a new word. They used their sneaky e police car pointers to catch the sneaky e at the end of words with a partner.

While I was walking around and working with different partners, one of my students (with a lot of excitement) said that he had something very important to tell the class. We stopped what we were doing and put our eyes on our little friend to hear his announcement. He said, "Hey, I just realized something. Did you know that my name has a sneaky e on the end? The sneaky e makes the a say it's name."

Wow!! I almost started crying! I love when my little ones have an Aha moment and feel the need to share it with the rest of the class. It's moments like this that make me realize even more that I truly love what I do!

Sometimes I am just so amazed at all of the information a little 5 year old can retain so quickly. Have you had any Aha moments lately in your class? Please leave a comment and share! Thank you!

Click on the picture above to check out my Sneaky E is on the Loose! unit

Using our sneaky e pointers to make a new word

Sorting CVC and CVCe words

Read the room words hidden 

Write the room sheet

Hidden Treasures

I went to Lowes this weekend to buy bean seeds and soil. That's all!! I left with a brand new trimmer for our yard. Oh joy! But that's not all...I stumbled upon the paint section. I found paint chips with a square cut out. These are perfect for students to practice one to one correspondence or to search for sight words while reading big books. And it's free...yay!

Have you found any great hidden treasures recently? 

Happy Saturday

                                                                       Walk for William

My weekend is off to a great start! I started this morning by waking up at 7:00 am (Yes, even on a Saturday I wake up early). I walked the March of Dimes Walk with such an amazing group of people. It was so great to see all of the support and love during this walk!


P.S. I realized today how out of shape I am. How do you stay in shape during the school year? I just can't find the time!! Help!!

Thank you,
Sarah Hawas

Eric Carle Author Study

We started our Eric Carle author study and my kids love it! Every day we go in our "book clubs" to discuss our books. We have three book clubs with 6 students in each of them. They each have a different book to discuss. Book clubs are such a great way for students to use accountable talk. I love to hear what they discuss about their book. After they talk with their book club partners they come in front of the class and share one new thing they learned about Eric Carle books.

If you watch the clip, you can hear one partner telling his friend what a fin is. How cute!!

What ideas do you have for an Eric Carle author study? 

Functional Writing in Kindergarten

Functional writing in kindergarten is my absolute favorite...although it may be a little pricey at times. I have to remember next year to send a letter to parents ahead of time asking for a few items. Last week, we learned how to blow a bubble using gum, make lemonade, and catch a star. My favorite thing to do is to show my students the materials first and ask them what they think we are going to be doing. I asked my class how to blow a bubble using gum and the first thing they said was to put it in my mouth. I put the gum still in the wrapper in my mouth. It is really great for them to see misconceptions to help them really think about all of the steps. This week we are going to learn how to make alligator pie, fly a kite, blow a bubble using bubbles, and plant seeds. Below you will find a few ideas I've used in our classroom. Enjoy!

This is such a great story to read for functional writing. It is about a little boy who really wants to catch a star. We discussed how we would catch a star. 

Our bulletin board...How to Catch a Star

I love how they use their imagination! 

First I would get 100 balloons. Next I would float to the sky. Last I would catch the star.

How cute is this?
First I would get a parent and we would get wings. Next I would fly up to the sky. Last I would catch a star. 

Click on the picture above to check out my how to fly a kite packet
I will update pictures this week of our class flying kites. :)

First you take the wrapper off. Next you put it in your mouth and chew it. Last you blow the bubble. 

Click on the picture above to check out my Bubble gum unit-it includes the how to blow a bubble writing sheet

What kind of fun things are you doing in your classroom for functional writing? 

Spring Fever

Oh me, oh my! I definitely have Spring Fever!! On teacher planning day, I spent the whole day making new Spring centers and cleaning my room. It was definitely overwhelming but so worth it!! This time of year a lot of teachers are losing some of their energy they had from the beginning year. I keep my energy going by constantly adding new centers and coming up with new fun ways to keep my little ones engaged. I just love seeing their faces when they hear me say that I made a new center.

Hey... if Ryan Gosling thinks so it must be true. Ha! Don't forget how awesome you are!! You are changing lives every day!

How are you keeping your energy levels high at this time of the year?  

5 Senses

I love teaching the five senses in kindergarten!! My students love to explore their senses. Below are a few ideas we use in our classroom. Hope this helps!

To introduce the five senses
*Ask students to point to the body part they hear with, see with, taste with, touch with, and smell.
*Introduce the five senses song by Dr Jean Feldman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWPJoI5lMOY 
*Five senses with Jiminy Cricket https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFHX_5eBJ1U 
*Use popcorn to engage students about using their five senses. How does it sound? Does it taste salty or sweet? It is smooth or rough? How does it smell? What does it look like?
*Make a sight word potato head together. Let students draw arrows to show which body part they use for each sense.

Sight
*To introduce sight, let students lead a blind folded friend around the classroom. Let students reverse roles. Discuss how easy or difficult it was to find your way around the room while being blind folded. Was it hard to lead a friend around the class who couldn't see? Have students write in their science journals about their experience. This will help students to realize how important our sight is to us.
*Have a sight hunt outside. Let students draw/write different items they see outside of the classroom. My little ones love when I teach a lesson outside!

"Take a picture of something you see"













We love observing outside of the classroom!

Hearing
*Make a tape/CD with different sounds. Let students guess what the different sounds are. It is best if students can not see what they are listening to.
*Let students make a shoe box guitar together to discuss vibrations.
*Give students containers (not see through) filled with different objects. You can use rice, marbles, water, and sand. Let students shake them and guess what is in each container.

Taste
*Have a taste party together. Let students vote on their favorite taste.

Smell
*In baby food jars or film canisters put different items that have a strong smell (coffee, pickle juice, vanilla, etc). Let students pass the containers around the table.

Touch
*Make an interactive touch book together.
*Put different objects in brown bags (cotton balls, pencils, sandpaper, ) Let students reach in and guess what object is in each bag.

What fun ideas do you have to teach the five senses?

Happy Mardi Gras Ya'll

Mardi Gras is right around the corner and I am so homesick for Louisiana!! I love to bring a little Cajun love to Florida and celebrate Mardi Gras with my class. We listen to and dance to zydeco, make Mardi Gras mask, wear Jester hats, and eat King Cake. I

Want to celebrate Mardi Gras with your little ones? Click on the picture below and find my Mardi Gras packet.

I love teaching my class how to zydeco! They always have so much fun! Check out this cute Sesame Street clip  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8f3cLARhhI

We learned how to make a Mardi Gras mask. Then we wrote about it using the sheet in my unit!


What is your favorite holiday to celebrate with your little ones?