Next Year and Timelines

It's finally official....I will be back in First Grade next year.  Last week, we filled out our preference for next year.  It was difficult for me.  I adore my class this year.  They are 27 of the BEST Littles ever!  I have never had that many in one classroom before, but they make it a blast most days.  So my preference looked like this:

My principal told me today that he couldn't guarantee that if I went to 2nd that I would get my Littles.  Although I heard through the grapevine that one of my teammates was told that she would have her Littles back next year in 2nd...I WILL NOT BE BITTER If that happens  I will have a good attitude!  So, I am back in First Grade.  It truly is my favorite.  I need to remember that when I get my new group next year.  The K's this year are crazy more challenging!  There are sooooo many that I am praying mature move before school starts.

We still have 17 days of school left.  It seems like everyone in the blogging world is winding down already.  But, we are still in full force in the classroom.  This last week we have been learning about timelines.  One of our WA state standards is that students are able to create a sequential timeline about their family or life.  I came up with a simple template and we have had loads of fun with it.  I decided that highlighting 4 BIG events in each Littles' life would be enough since we are just in First Grade.  The 4 categories were:

  They were able to bring in pictures to add to their timelines.  This was the best part.  We LOVED looking at all the baby pictures of our friends that came in.  And, they were so elated that I shared my pictures with them.  Luckily, no one mentioned that I was old :)  Here are few pictures of our projects!

Hope you have a blessed weekend :)

Teaching about Neighborhoods

I love Saturday mornings!  And, today the sun is shining so bright and the temp. is supposed to reach 78 degrees....perfection! My hubby even has today off.  That is a rarity.  He is a church planter but also works retail to supplement his salary.  Because he needs every Sunday off, getting Saturdays off too is almost impossible.  Not today though!

This week we have been super busy in our classroom.  In social studies, we have been working on our BIG neighborhood unit.  It's one of my favorites.  Our district uses the curriculum called Storypath.  We begin by creating a neighborhood similar to the one we live in.  Each Little is responsible for creating an origami home for the neighborhood.  When I showed the Littles my home, oooohhhhhs and aaaahhhhhhs were numerous.  They couldn't wait to design and decorate their home.  It made my HGTV loving heart happy. 

 I take their houses and capture them into a SmartBoard File and we create a neighborhood.  With 27 Littles, it's hard to create a display of everything.  They also get to make other things that our neighborhood needs.  One of my Littles offered to make roadkill for the street.  I politely declined, but wanted to laugh my head off that he offered.  I will have to take a screen shot of our neighborhood next week and post it.  I can't seem to log on to the school network from home this morning.  It must be all that glorious sunshine causing interference...Just kidding. 

We also create family shields.  It's so neat to see what each Little feels is important about their family.  Here are some pictures so you get the idea.

I love that the Little above put that one of the values of his family is "Jeis"  (Jesus)!  Absolutely precious! 

I hope your Saturday is filled with sunshine too!  :)

~Happy Relaxing!