Silence for Sandy Hook Elementary

What we have been up to (photo dump)

So I have meant to do blog posts on each of these events, but every time I found time to my camera card was at school, not home, or I even lost my camera at one point. But all is good now and I have time while the oldest is at dance and the youngest is actually playing by herself:) So here goes: Enjoy!

So this is the bulletin board I created after my evaluated observation. We had been studying numbers 6 and 7, prior to my observation and it was right before Halloween. So I decided to do a ways to make 8 with a spider. The students had to show eight different ways to make an eight and record it on one of the 8 legs. They loved it and I scored well on my observation, so it was a win/win. 

Here are a few closer looks at their creations.

Here is a picture of the last minute poster we finished the day before they were due. It was for Fall Festival and during report card testing, so I really didn't want to do it. But came up with this super cute idea and the kids did a great job with it. We won a pizza party from it!

This is a picture of my daughter who is in another kindergarten class. They dressed up as nursery rhyme characters and she was the little old woman who lived in a shoe.

Here is what happens when you send your daughter to the classroom and a chart is on the easel. She writes a message. 

 The turkey jumped with a thump. The banana fell with a thump. REd! (yelling she says) blue! yellow!

We turned out housekeeping area into a Restaurant complete with a Thanksgiving Special. We worked together to sound out the items for our menu then each student had to illustrate an item. They enjoyed working the tables after it was up!

We are currently working on changing it to a candy shop to go with our gingerbread we are studying now!

These last pics are posters my wonderful art teacher drew for us. I have implemented Marsha over at A Differentiated Kindergarten's Ball lists to encourage students to learn their dolch words. I have been super impressed by how well they have done. We have only been working on them since the middle of October and they are doing great. I have 13 out of 19 who have already mastered baseball words the 1st list. They mastered Top Banana a letter recognition incentive the week before Thanksgiving and earned a banana split party which they LOVED! 

They are so eager to learn the words. I have them placed on rings on one of my bookcases and have to tell them to quieten down because they play while they practice and get so excited they become very loud. 

So that's it for now! 

~Heather~

Currently

I can't believe it's December already. I am teaming up with Farley over at Oh' Boy 4th Grade for this months Currently.

We had our city Christmas parade today and the weather was amazing. It was in the middle 60's and extremely nice. My girls got more candy today at the parade than they received at Halloween. Something is wrong with that picture. Needless to say hubby's coworkers will love it because we pick out a few pieces of candy for the girls and he gets to take the rest to work and share! Therefore no nap for the 2 yr old and now very whiny and tired. Bedtime in the very near future.

LOVING: My hubby and I were able to pay off my student loans this past month and his truck. I am one very happy girl. We now only have utility bills and a house payment! 

Wanting: I would love to get more organized at school. Every time I try, it just doesn't work. I hope to work some over Christmas break to get closer to where I want to be.

Needing: I need to go away for a weekend! We didn't go anywhere this summer, so it has been since last October that we traveled anywhere. I don't care where, just out of my little old town for a weekend.

RAK: The hubby and I have talked about doing this for some time. The next time we are out at a nice place to eat, we want to pick a table and pay for their meal. Pay it forward. 

Don't forget the rule of 3! And be on the lookout for bloggers from the same state. I love meeting new TN bloggers. 

Merry Christmas everyone!

~Heather~

A look at what I am buying....

So I don't have a TPT store, and honestly don't intend on it. I dabble making creations for my classroom, but my theory is that I would rather pay for things others have made, than take the time to create myself. I honestly don't see how many of you do it! But I am happy you do!

So I am joining Shuna over at Pocket Full of Kinders for a fun linky just in time for Cyber Monday and Tuesday. My wishlist has 43 items. I would love to get them all, but here are what I am looking at right now.

 Chit Chat Morning Message Set 1: Aligned to Common Core. By Deanna Jump

 Writing Through the Year Unit 1: Deanna Jump and Deedee Wills

 Blasting Off with Reader's Workshop: Kim Adsit and Michele Scannell

 Powerful Partnerships Reader's Workshop: Kim Adsit and Michele Scannell

 Kindergarten Common Core ELA Pacing Guide Checklist: Marsha McGuire

 Kindergarten Common Core Math Pacing Guide Checklist: Marsha McGuire

 RTI: 125 CBM's for Progress Monitoring Foundational Literacy Interventins: Jennifer Jones

I am also looking into the Chit Chat Set 2, Writing Unit 2 & 3, and Reader's Workshop 3,4 & 5. I am worried about purchasing all of them at once and them not being what I am looking for. The reviews are amazing as I would except from these amazing teachers!

So if you have any of these, can you please let me know your thoughts on them? 

~Heather~

The Reading Corner

I have a fellow teacher and blogger who absolutely loves The Reading Corner blog. She has told me numerous times about it and that I need to follow it, but I always forget and never have UNTIL now! Funny thing her blog is The Reading Corner, but she does  a ton of math things and she is having a math giveaway. Renee shares a lot of ideas for Daily 5 Math, which I am very interested in going back through her posts and learning more. She has only been blogging 6 months, so if you don't follow her you need to. She is a grade 1 teacher from Canada!

Here is a pic of her giveaway click on the picture to take you to her blog. You can follow her for a chance to win a copy OR better yet, blog about her and she is going to send it to you for FREE!!!!!!!

So I am heading back over to check out her previous posts. Come join me! 

~Heather~

Wordless Wednesday

Math Journals

I am super excited....well.....maybe.... that I was asked to be one of the presenters at the UETCM or Upper East Tennessee Council of Mathematics meeting coming up on Monday, November 12th @ our local high school. Each county in the area gets to host the meeting one month a year. I was part of the team who presented last year and loved it and was honored to be asked to do it again this year. 

Last year my coworker and another kindergarten friend in the county did the K-2 group and we presented on math stations. I enjoyed it because in the process we made new things to implement into our stations and the people who attended seemed to enjoy it. They were not familiar with Math Stations so it was good.

This year, my kindergarten coworker who did it with me last year is doing it again and so is my 1st grade friend who blogs over at First Grade Rocks! I am super excited to hear her part because she is showing us an introduction to Daily 5 Math. She loves it and honestly I have no clue what it is except that the sisters started it and they are wonderful so it has to be good! I am eager to learn about her part. 

My kinder friend is going to share some new ideas on math stations that we didn't cover last year.

And now on to me...... I am going to share about math journals. I LOVE them. I don't know what I did prior to using math journals and math stations in the morning while my kiddos are coming to class. 

I use the notebooks that I have had cut in half because we don't need a whole sheet of paper for a little math journal. I purchased Deedee Wills's Math journal prompt bundle while it was on sale a few months ago and absolutely love it. Click on the picture below, sorry it is blurry to check it out on TPT.

All I do is print out the prompts at the beginning of each month. Cut the strips and put each sheet of prompts into a baggie and each morning, place the strips into a cup beside the journals and read the prompt. The students them illustrate the problem and have an answer. 

My kiddos are already doing addition and subtraction and we haven't really talked about it in class. You can review any topic you have covered in class and it takes all of about 5 min. 

So I am just curious what do you do for math journals and if you were to come to my presentation, what would you want to know about them?

Thanks!

November Currently

I can't believe it's November already. We have already celebrated the 50th day of school, and with Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner it will be January before we know it. Anyways I have sadly been neglecting my little blog with so much other things I have needed to do. My goal is to post at least once a week. Start small and maybe I can do it. I have loads of things to post, but no time to do it. So here is to November.

So we get a fall break super late. But at least we get one. We needed it about 3 weeks ago.

I love Cades Cove. It's just past Gatlinburg, TN in the Smokey Mountains. I went all the time when I was a kid and am hoping to start taking my girls more frequently. You drive through and see deer and sometimes bear, and all kinds of other animals. There are numerous hiking trails and old cabins. It's a really nice place to get away to for a few hours. If you ever get the chance go!

I earned Rising Star in the Visalus company, so now I need to help the people under me help get more people to join the Visalus Challenge. We are helping people get healthy one person at a time. Whether they want to lose weight, gain energy, get more lean muscle, or just to eat healthy for a cheaper price. I love the shakes! 

Skyfm is an online radio station type thing. It has all kinds and genre's of music. I love to put it on during class, and when I am alone in class I can listen to my country and not have to fight my radio to find a signal.

So What are you currently up to? Hop on over to Farley's blog and link up!

Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge

So this post is not going to be educational from the classroom setting, but my one and only post about a new product I have been introduced to and am truly amazed by!

I have been on them for two weeks and am amazed at how much energy I have! I can come home from work and fix supper and actually feel like playing with my two little girls. My husband is also taking the challenge with me and he has lost 9 pounds and 2 inches in 2 weeks. I am doing the shakes for energy and to gain a little muscle, since I am skin and bones to begin with, he is doing it for weight loss. 

The best thing about this challenge is it is for EVERYBODY! Whether you want to have more energy, lose weight, or build muscle. AND it is great for the kids as well. They just get one scoop of shake mix instead of two and they have a healthy meal also. I give my oldest a shake on the weekends and she loves them.

You mix it with water, almond milk, skim milk, or any kind of juice. Add some peanut butter, or fruit, or a spoonful of dry jello pudding mix, then some ice. And you are ready to replace a meal with a shake! Read on to find out more. Then if you are interested and want to know more email me @ higgystyx@yahoo.com or visit my webpage at 

http://heatherhshelton.myvi.net/

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The “Transformation” Kit is packed with the ultimate in shaping and nutritional ingredients to help you see and feel maximum results. This Kit contains a 30-day supply of  everything needed to help transform your body for a healthier, happier you. Included in this weight loss kit: 2 (30-serving) pouches of Vi-Shape™ Nutritional Shake Mix; an assortment of our Health Flavors, to add flavor variety, and added health benefits to your shake,1 bottle of Vi-Slim™ Metab-Awake Tablets; 1 box of Vi-Trim™ Clear Control Drink Mix; 1 box of each flavor of ViSalus NEURO™ Smart Energy (Lemon Lift and Raspberry Boost flavors); and 1 bottle of our Vi-pak Omega Vitals capsules. Saves you $100 off of normal retail prices.

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http://heatherhshelton.myvi.net/

Visit my webpage to learn more about how you can become a customer and join the challenge OR how you can become a promoter, join the Challenge, and get PAID to help other people get healthy! The product honestly sales itself, all you do is answer questions and help people get healthy one shake at a time!

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Top Banana's

I am super thrilled to share with you how my class has been doing with Marsha over at A Differentiated Kindergarten's Top Banana Alphabet Recognition System! I bought it over the summer and am so glad I did! I have been honestly amazed at how awesome it is. I started a few weeks after school started, and the first week I tested I had 2 students earn Top Banana. Now to earn a Top Banana Award, the student must identify all uppercase and lowercase letters AND produce the sound of each letter. They must produce long and short sounds for all vowels to get a banana on the tree! 

Boy was it magical after the first ones got their banana's. The following week, I had 4 students earn top banana. And my favorite thing was that one little boy came into kindergarten knowing none of his letters. He earned Top Banana the 2nd week I tested, of course he was motivated by my telling the class WHEN we all earn a Top Banana, I will provide the class with a banana split party. He went home every night and worked on his letters and sounds and was able to get it. He had already made progress from the beginning of the year, but once I introduced Top Banana. He exploded!

So the 3rd week, I had two more students earn their banana's. By now 90% of my class knows all the letters uppercase and lowercase, but are struggling with vowel sounds. So we work on it all day long. 

The 4th week, I had 5 earn bananas! I am thrilled, I test during rest time, and sadly the students don't really rest because every time a student get's his/her Top Banana, I start banging on the table and the students start cheering and clapping for the student!

A big thank you to our art teacher who took a piece of clip-art that I found and recreated it on a poster board for me.

So head on over to Marsha's TPT store and check out Top Banana's!

Fall Festival

This has been one crazy week! I feel like for every one thing I mark off my to-do list, I add two more! Do you ever feel this way. 

Anywho.....

Just want to share my favorite thing of the week. Our PTA held a Fall festival this year, the first year we have attempted it! There was a poster contest to promote it and the winning class in the whole school won a pizza party donated by a local pizza shop! With the gazillion things on my to-do list, I chose not to create a poster. It wasn't academic, and I am in the middle of report card testing, fire truck coming to visit from local fire dept, not to mention attempting to teach! 

But...... when all the other teachers in my grade level chose to do a poster I decided I wan't going to be the only one without one. So literally last minute...I made it Thursday after lunch with my kiddos, and it was judged first thing Friday morning.

I drew a tree on a blue poster board and outlined it in green and brown. I let the students take turns using markers to color in the tree. While we were taking turns everyone was drawing a picture of themselves falling. The only colors they were able to use were brown, yellow, red, orange, and green. Then we taped ourselves falling out of the tree. Some were in the tree, some in mid-air, and some already laying on the ground. 

It turned out super cute! I was very excited. Not at all thinking about winning, just that it turned out better than I imagined and the kiddos liked it as well. 

So we put it up and I didn't think nothing else about it! 

Until......

We are outside listening to a fireman and looking at one of the fire trucks when one of the other teachers yelled out the door at me. "Mrs. Shelton, your class just won the poster contest!" I was shocked! Very excited, but shocked! I never win anything at school. Sadly we didn't get to hear it over the loud speaker, but I told the kids and they were excited as well. 

So Red Ribbon Week is next, wonder what I could come up with for it! Typically we do a door contest for it. Guess I need to start thinking, or I can do like I did this time and wait till the last minute!

First Grade Common Core

A few weeks ago I posted about the free Kindergarten Common Core Workbook. I have already used it many times in my classroom and can't wait to teach new concepts to use even more things from it. 

I am very excited to post for all my first grade followers that they are now giving away the First Grade Common Core Workbook for free to you if you follow the directions. You must hurry though because the free giveaway ends Sunday, September 30th!

I looked at the first grade sample and it has amazing things as well. I loved the sentence sheets that students must underline the capital and circle the punctuation. I like the math word problems and counting on activity! I think I am going to use some things from the first grade book with my advanced kinders! 

This is an amazing resource, so if you have a blog head on over and get your free First Grade Common Core copy!

That Horrible Moment When.....

So this weekend I have been crazy busy preparing materials for my math and word work stations. I have printed, laminated, searched blogs for more ideas, downloaded new ideas, and then it happened!

That horrible moment when..............my jump drive(8G) is full! Are you kidding me? I mean, I know that it should be getting full, since I have a TON of stuff on it, but really? Full? Today? 

AAAARRRRRGGGHHH

So I guess I will be purchasing a new one, in the very near future! But then how on earth do you keep up with what is one which jump drive? Oh my! I don't know what to do.

So how many of you have already filled at least one jump drive? And were shocked when you did so!

Have a great week! 

Fall Basket Auction Ideas Needed

So my school is having a Fall Festival in a few weeks. PTA is helping provide ideas for games. I will be doing a fishing game. I am very excited about that part.

I have been involved in basket auctions at my previous achool, but I have never had any baskets that have been a big hit. Teachers will get 60% of the sale of the baskets for their classroom. Therefore I would like to produce at least 2 baskets. I will be asking parents for help, but would like suggestions as to what type of baskets do well. 

 So what kinds of baskets have you had made up that have done well in auctions?

Have a great 1st day of Fall!

Need a Laugh?

So here is the funny of the day!

We were singing and moving to Dr. Jean's Letter Aerobics. We were on the 2nd verse clapping the location of the letters and one of my little girls says. "I didn't know p had a tail", since we had bent down to clap at our feet for p. We finish the verse and I pause the song to discuss what she had said. I ask her "Where does p go?" and without hesitation her response............."in the toilet". 

Yes Mrs. Shelton loses it as does the entire class once they have figured out what she said. When I finally am able to regain control of myself and my class, a little boy figures out my true question and says "it has a tail so it goes underground". We then discuss which letters go where, before we continue with the song. 

Don't you LOVE the answers you get to questions sometimes.

I just had to share.

What Are You Reading Now?

As I am reading tonight and wanting to create a blog post, I decided to combine the two. 

I am reading In Pictures and Words by Katie Wood Ray. 

I first became aware of it when the book study happened this summer, but I didn't get the book ordered till later in summer, so I missed it. I am enjoying it and can't wait to read more, so I guess I will go back to reading. 

So what are you reading?

Kindergarten Common Core

Take 2

So I completely apologize for swiping a post straight from another blogger. I was so excited to have a chance to get the Kindergarten Common Core Workbook for FREE, that I quite honestly didn't completely read the directions. I was really confused about how to write a review for the preview when I thought that I was getting the preview. I didn't realize that when you do the blog post you get the 600+ page book via email! I thought I was getting the preview for free, so I had no idea what to write a small description about because I looked over the specific part that says Download a Small Sample Click here. So I have felt terribly bad all day and decided that I wanted to do a repost with my thoughts on the workbook this time, since I did go back and find the sample and do it the correct way.

So with this being my first year implementing Common Core, I am always on the lookout for new ideas. If you are doing Common Core this is a resource you HAVE TO HAVE in your classroom! It has a wealth of activities and pages to use in your classroom to meet the common core standards. The Workbook retails for $39.99 so if you have a blog you can complete a post just like the one I am doing and get it for FREE. 631 pages of math and literacy activities. 

The book is broken down into each of the common core strands. It gives you a sheet with each standard on it which is perfect if you have to post your standards like I do. 

I love that it includes small stories with a few questions to ask your students. I can't wait to you some of them to challenge my high fliers right now. It includes tons of thinking maps. I love the question cards specific for particular authors: Eric Carle, Mo Willems, Robert Muncsh, Dr. Seuss, etc, 

For math it has plenty of cards to show the different ways to show numbers. Addition and Subtraction problems, games, etc. My favorite is the butterfly positional cards. Students pick a card and tell where the butterfly is in relation to the other object in the picture. 

Scrappin Doodles did the clip art.....need I say more:)

Trust me you will want this!

So please, if you are a kindergarten teacher and you have a blog, go check out the Kindergarten Common Core to get your FREE workbook . CLICK HERE!

Hurry the free giveaway ends September 16th!

Missing in Action

Hello blogging friends! I am surviving at this point. We are 2 weeks into school and everything is going amazingly well! I have 19 kids (11 boys and 8 girls). I have a very excited and eager bunch of kids who mostly know their alphabet already! So as I have tested and found this information out it has made me rethink how I intend on teaching my alphabet this year.

I had planned on doing a letter a day and focusing solely on a single letter each day and basically any and everything we did that day HAD to have something to do with the letter we were studying. The problem with that is I want to do them out of order because I don't think it really matters if you teach A, B, C, or if you go random, M, R, D. As long as you teach them. 

But then I received a newsletter from NellieEdge about learning 26 letters in 20 days! You do multiple letters a day and continually do songs, finger spell the letters, and read the sound card all day! So I am trying to decide on which way I feel more comfortable with more than likely the first.

How do you teach the alphabet?

In other news I have been chosen by my wonderful colleagues to be the K-1 representative for BEP school funds committee AND also found out today I was chosen to be one of the 4 from across the county asked to be on the Kindergarten Response Team. We are suppose to take the new Common Core Standards and produce a VERY needed new report card for kindergarten. The one we use now is extremely outdated and practically useless. The students I retain on the report card look like they know enough to go to first grade. So I was thrilled and actually excited to be chosen to voice my opinion. We will see how well I like it once I get into it. 

Well hopefully I can get in a schedule and will have time to blog more frequently. I am missing reading all the blogs. I feel like I am trying to keep my head above water as we all feel like the first 4-6 weeks of school, until everything gets established.

I do want to share my favorite activity for the beginning of the year. 

I send name homework home and ask parents to talk to their child about how they received their name. I get them to write it down and send it back to school and I let the students share their stories about how they got their name. They love it. I love it. It is truly amazing some of the stories. Of course you have the ones named after family members or because it was just a name mom and dad both liked. Some of my favorite are the ones where a sibling was able to pick a name, or I had one who was named after the queen and she proceeded to share that her sisters where also named after queens. It is just amazing hearing or reading their stories. 

So my challenge to you is ask your student's if they know why they are named what they are and send it for homework. See what unique stories you get.

Parent Request?

So today was our 1st day of school! So for kindergarten this meant parent and student meeting with the teachers to discuss the Kindergarten Survival Guide! Basically anything we thing parents need or should know about kindergarten!

I was extremely excited to see that all of my students showed with the exception of one, but I did meet him at Open House on Sunday and mom had asked if she had to be there because she had a meeting she could not miss. So I reassured her it would be fine and that I would be sending all of her son's paperwork home on his 1st student day.

So typically I have a few students who get excited and want to play and explore the room and distract me and the other parents. NOT this year! I was sooooo happy with my kids. Most of them stayed with their parent and a few wiggled over to carpet and quietly sat and looked at books! I know this will change and they will come out of their shyness, but I was very happy with their behavior!

I was saddened though by a parent who had requested another kindergarten teacher and for whatever reason was not granted. She sat through my entire meeting with a frown on her face, then after the meeting went to the office to attempt to get her child moved to the classroom she wanted. 

Background to this story: Our principal grants most parent request if done prior to school starting. We A few teachers have begged and begged for either NO requests OR nonrequests (you may pick ONE teacher who you do not want your child in. We average at least 3 classes per grade level.)

Well, she sat in the office waiting to speak to the principal. The principal to my knowledge did not let her move. So I hope that she will be able to put this behind her and trust that I am a professional and will do a great job teaching her child! 

Parent requests are also a pet peeve of mine because if some parents don't get their way, they will move their children to another school that WILL grant their requests. I am sorry but just need to vent to people who may understand. 

Now please let me note that yes I do have a few who DID request me to be their child's teacher this year. 

On a side note it was very nice to find out from my husband who was a parent in our parent meeting and was able to over hear conversations about the teacher's their child got! I found out that I am the skinny dingbat of kindergarten(because I stood at the front of the group and twisted around and kept moving my head around. Hubby agreed that I need to stand still) I can't help it I am nervous and can't just stand there! I am also a very fast talker and it is 10 times worse in front of parents. I slow down for the kids. 

Also hubby overheard a conversation about a parent wanting to transfer their child to a different room. Another parent agreed with her stating that we should be able to hand pick our child's teacher since we pay taxes and therefore their salaries! We are a PUBLIC school, not a private one. This statement infuriated me!

So I am curious as to how things are done in your school. 

Do you allow:

Parent Request, Nonrequest, or computer generated and never changed?

So here is a picture my daughter has previously taken of herself. She goes to school for her 1st full day tomorrow!

Classroom Tour 2012-2013

I am totally breaking the more than one post rule, but I am very excited to show off my room and can't wait any longer.

This post has a LOT of pictures!

I am super excited to finally show off my classroom makeover! I was very lucky this summer to be able to make my classroom look the way that I have always dreamed of! I owe a HUGE thank you to my amazing hubby for allowing me to make the changes that I did. 

My oldest is starting kindergarten today! So back at the end of last school year I immediately took her out of daycare! And I was able to get her little sister to go part time (2 days a week) for June, July, and the 1st week of August! This is how I paid for my makeover;)

So here it is: I am super happy with it!

Here is the view from my hallway door. The table has supplies that we use frequently in my classroom. We are not allowed to ASK for supplies, but we can lay them out and parents get the hint that those are the things their child will be using.

This is my view from my outside door. Basically both pictures are taken of each other!

This is my science center. I don't have much out until we discuss how to use everything and how to CLEAN UP!

Writing Station. Love the file crate for construction paper storage!

My classroom computers with my IKEA chairs!

Housekeeping. 

And I somehow didn't get a full picture of the pocket chart you can barely see peeking out the bottom left corner. I will use it during Daily 5!

My assistant's table

My corkboard student writing display.

Word Work Shelf

Math Station tubs and math journal box on top.

Sensory Table

Construction Center and Games/Puzzles Shelf

My small group area! (and my teacher desk since I got rid of mine last year!)

My closet lots of storage space but scared to show you what it looks like now! Teacher computer station!

My calendar wall, Listen to Reading Station, and library

Meeting Area with thematic books on shelf and student book boxes

Student book boxes:)

Classroom Community Supply Basket

Well I am happy to share my space with you. I love looking at other people's classrooms!