Shower Your Teachers with Appreciation

My favorite way to spoil our teachers during Teachers Appreciation Week is to have breakfast and lunch (and dinner if I have a really go-get 'em group of parents in our class) brought into them each day. It starts off with a simple email like this:

"Good evening families! Hope you all had a restful Spring Break and delightful Easter. As you may have heard, next week is Teacher Appreciation Week, where we take a little time to show our teachers how grateful we are for the difference they make in the lives of our children. Instead of collecting money for a class gift, I love arranging for parents to bring in lunch to our teacher each day. Of course you are still welcome to make your own cards or bring in your own little gifts. But if you are interested in signing up to bring coffee and a breakfast treat, or lunch for Mrs. Miller see the opportunities below. I will give Mrs. Miller a stack of menus tomorrow and if you sign up for one of the slots, I will just forward you her order from a local lunch stop. 

Monday coffee and breakfast treat:

Monday lunch:

Tuesday lunch:

Wednesday lunch:

Thursday coffee and breakfast treat:

Thursday lunch:

Friday coffee and breakfast treat:

In years passed, I have had a big enough response to also have sign ups for dinners. If you’d like to do dinner instead of lunch just specify. Thank you SO much for your help with this. It means SO much to our teachers when all of their hard work is recognized. "

While parents are busy signing up, I drop a stack of menus by the teachers desk so that she can pick out her lunches for the week. Then after she's done and gives it back to me, I forward the specific orders along to the parents who volunteered to help. After that, it is up and running. I do send an email out each night of that week saying a special thank you to those who brought in treats and I remind the people who have signed up for the next day…just in case its slipped their minds.

Gifts for Teachers that Kids Love, Too!

There's something about opening up a gift card in front of first graders that just isn't all that exciting. BUT when the gift card comes attached to a card like this, the crowd goes wild! And the leftover candy bars that I DON'T end up using, might just be my favorite part of this tradition.

Halloween Goodie Bags for the Brain

Our school has enforced a strict policy that food is not to be part of holiday celebrations in the classroom. A cookie and a juice has always been an easy treat to bring in for special times of the year. So, for this Halloween I had to think outside of the box. I considered running to the dollar store and throwing a bunch of plastic trinkets in a bag and calling it a goodie bag. But, just last week my 1st grade daughter brought home a bag very similar to that from a birthday party she had gone to and as soon as she wasn't looking I dumped it in the trash. I don't need anymore whistles, yo-yo's, bouncy balls, rubber bracelets, etc. So instead, I came up with a goodie bag for the brain. I printed out a Halloween Wordle which is always a hit with kids, a couple pages of Halloween jokes, and a sweet Shel Silverstein poem about trick or treating.
Halloween Poem
Halloween Wordle

Halloween Jokes

Candy Bar Card Tradition

My kids have declared candy bar cards the official gift for teacher birthdays. Its a little bit of a challenge coming up with new things to write using the same old candy bars. I know I could probably just do the same script each time...but, I feel compelled to make each one original. Here's the most recent:

Fathers Day Gift for Grandpa

My sister-in-law just did the CUTEST project for our father-in-law for Fathers' Day. She had an 8x10 canvas and cut out a heart from cardstock, taping the cardstock over the canvas. She assigned each of the grandkids a color from the ink pad. The grandkids filled the inside of the heart with 20 fingerprints each. Then, at the bottom of the canvas, she had the kids put one of their fingerprints with their assigned color and write their name next to it. The idea was inspired by a gift done in her son's preschool class for the teachers for an end of the year gift. I just love how it turned out.

This is the canvas with the cardstock taped over it.

Here's an example of a project done as
an end of the year teacher gift.

Here is our finished product for Grandpa!

Pool Parties

My daughter waited until the last minute to give her input on her 6th birthday party. We begged her to make up her mind. Would you like to go bowling? To the beach? To the trampoline place? No. No. No. Her birthday was soon upon us and I needed to get on with the rest of our lives. So, I suggested to my husband that we take matters into our own hands. If we beat her to the punch and plan a surprise party for her, we no longer have to wait for her to make up her mind. We planned it a week early so that it would catch her off guard. An evite alerted all parents that this was a surprise so please keep a secret from the invites if they can't keep it quiet, or let them know to not tell the guest of honor.
The party was a huge hit. Her friends loved hiding and yelling "Surprise!"

More Fathers Day ECards

iMovie is a fun way to take simple home videos and spice them up a little. Here are a couple more ideas  to make Dad smile on his special day. Click on the links below to see the Ecards on YouTube.


ILoveYou Fathers Day Card

ILoveYou Fathers Day Card with still photos

Fathers Day 2013 Ecard

Here’s a fun and easy project for Father’s Day that can be done at home or even in the classroom. This lesson is modeled after one of the current video trends on YouTube.

Click on the link below to see one of our finished projects filmed on the iPhone and dropped into iMovie:

Fathers Day Project 2013

Here’s how to create a Father’s Day Project of your own:

1) Draw a portrait of Dad

2) Follow this worksheet which you will turn into individual pages as seen in the video. Younger children might need help coming up with similes. You can guide them by suggesting…”Hmmm…dad is pretty strong…what is a strong animal that you can think of that we can compare to Dad?” Some examples are: He is as busy as a bee. He is as funny as a hyena.

3) Then type each line of the worksheet onto a separate piece of paper.

4) You can use a camera phone or any other type of video camera to film. Practice with children taking their time with switching the papers. Have them watch the video of the final project so that they can see what they are trying to achieve.

5) Send to Dad on Father’s Day giving him a video that will melt his heart.

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T-shirts that Tickle Your Teachers

We have started making t-shirts for special days of the school year. I picked up a handful of white t-shirts from Walmart and a pack of printable iron-on sheets from our local craft store. They are so easy to make. Check out the website and see all the possibilities there are. So far we have made a t-shirt for Valentine's Day and one for Teacher Appreciation Day. My son wears the shirt and then sees how long it takes his teacher to notice the special message he is wearing.

Spreading Holiday Cheer

This year, we decided to give extra holiday cheer to our neighbors as we delivered our family Christmas card. After dinner one evening, we put on our warm winter coats and headed out into the cold up and down our street. At each house we rang the bell, and when our neighbors answered, our 3 kids did their best to deliver a Christmas Carol "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". At the end of the song, they handed over our Christmas card and candy canes for all the kids in the house. It was an impromptu idea that turned out to be so much FUN!
Here are some other fun links for activities to do with your kids when they're home from school over this holiday vacation:
Kaboose: Christmas Crafts
Enchanted Learning Christmas Crafts and Printable Activities
Family Fun: A Homemade Christmas
DLTK's Christmas Crafts
Amazing Moms Christmas Crafts

Kindergarten Ready or Not

A friend of mine recently asked for my advice on whether or not he would put his son in kindergarten this year or give him one more year of preschool. He and his wife have decided that they definitely want their son to be older in kindergarten. However, they wondered if there would be a benefit to starting him in kindergarten this year with the intention of having him repeat it again next year. His reasons were that it would save a considerable amount of money by not having to pay for preschool. Also, it would give him one year of practice in kindergarten and then he could do it again next year as the real deal.
I remember my son being quite a bit younger than the other kids in his class and I wondered about putting him into kindergarten for 2 years or giving him one more year of preschool and making him a year older before he began. So, I could relate to this logic.
But, here are some things that I recommend for people who are considering putting their child in kindergarten before the child is ready to take it seriously. Kindergarten is rather rigorous now, not like it was when we were kids. There is a very high expectation for behavior and achievement. A child that is not mature enough will feel like they are not able to keep up with the other kids. This could result in being labeled by the teacher as immature and possibly being labeled by peers as well. He may also develop self-confidence issues when trying to compare himself to other kids that are older and more mature. Once a child has experienced an entire school year, whether or not they were ready, they have experienced all of its special moments. When they repeat the same grade level, none of those special moments are a surprise. The year may seem a little less magical and for a child, may even seem boring and predictable.
So, here are some alternatives that parents may want to consider when waiting for one extra year to start kindergarten. Some preschools offer a pre-K program that is a transitional year between preschool and kindergarten. Parents may also choose to increase the days that their child goes to preschool. Kindergarten is five days a week. For older kids, preschool can be an opportunity to begin getting into that routine.
But I definitely do not recommend using kindergarten as a dress rehearsal, or a training camp. It is something that should be taken seriously the first time through.
Here are some other articles to read about kindergarten readiness:
http://www.scholastic.com/resources/article/ready-for-kindergarten
http://school.familyeducation.com/kindergarten/school-readiness/38491.html
http://www.education.com/topic/kindergarten-readiness/

Countdown to the End of Summer Vacation

For schools that follow a traditional calendar, August marks the end of summer vacation. And the end of summer vacation means headed back to school. Here are some things you can be doing this month at home to help kids ease back into the routine of school.
1) Resume an early bed time. Often times in summer we let the kids stay up late at night and sleep in each morning. Use the month of August to work back up to whatever time it is that you need to wake up during the school year. Waiting until the last minute will result in tired children showing up for the first day of school. Not a good impression for the student or the teacher.
2) Try to simulate an eating schedule that will be similar to the schedule your child will be on at school. Often times kids are rushed in the morning and forget to eat breakfast or are used to eating breakfast later during the summer. But, missing their opportunity to have breakfast at home before school can sometimes mean that they will not be able to eat until lunch time. Kids have a hard time concentrating in class when they are hungry.
3) Give a refresher course for the brain. If you haven't done so already, pick up a summer workbook from your local bookstore or online and have your child work in it for a predetermined amount of time each day. There are so many workbooks out there to choose from. We recommend Summer Bridge Activities, but there are others out there that are similar and will accomplish the same goal.
4) Rediscover reading. If your child read all summer, good for you...and good for your child. If your child was not so consistent with summer reading, head off to the library, the bookstore, or an online bookstore and pick out a couple new books. Actually, because summer should be about reading for enjoyment, let your child select his/her own book(s). Though, even after your child selects a book, you should check it to make sure the content is appropriate and that it is a good reading level.
5) Get organized. Start clearing out a work space that you will use when homework starts. Gather supplies in a pencil box or another container to keep close by.
6) Finally, enjoy the last days of summer!

Summer Family Fun Nights

Last summer my neighbors and I threw around so many fun ideas for summer vacation. And at the end of the summer, we had followed up on very few of them. This summer, I thought of the saying from the movie Field of Dreams "If you build it they will come". I had the idea to take the month of July, find one day of the week and plan a different dinner time activity for each week. I sent out an email to some neighbors who I'm close with. I told them the four ideas and said for each week, come if you can, don't feel bad if you can't. The activities were as follows:
1) Picnic in the park
2) Weenie Roast at the Beach
3) Lemonade Stand Dinner
4) Driveway Progressive Dinner
Each week was so much fun! Here are the details if you'd like to try them yourself.

Summer Family Fun Nights- Part I

Picnic in the Park

I sent out an email with a sign up sheet for Bread, Salad, Cut Fruit, Bottled Waters, and Adult Beverages. I designated myself as bringing the main course, for which I chose Penne with Meat Sauce. I also brought paper plates, napkins, cups, and plastic utensils.
I am happy to say the Picnic in the Park was a HUGE success. The kids were tickled to have dinner with friends at the park. And once we were done, we moved over to the soccer field where the kids played until the sun went down.

 

Summer Family Fun Nights- Part II

Weenie Roast at the Beach

I sent out an email for sign-ups for chips, fruit, fixings for s'mores, kid bevs, and adult bevs. I admitted that I knew nothing about having a fire at the beach, so if some dad was willing to take the lead on that it would be greatly appreciated, and of course a great dad rose to the occasion. I brought hot dogs, buns, condiments, and paper goods. Don't be discouraged if you don't live close to the beach. Any bbq pit at your local park will do. Just for fun, I created a scavenger hunt for the kids to do while we made dinner. I took some brown paper bags and wrote several items on the outside for the kids to find such as: dry sand, wet sand, dry rock, wet rock, seaweed, leaf, piece of trash, seashell, etc. The night was so much fun.

Summer Family Fun Nights- Part III

Lemonade Stand Dinner

This was certainly my favorite night of all. I always feel so bad for the kids I see in my neighborhood having a lemonade stand. They try so hard, but I'm never carrying cash when I see them, nor have the time to go back when I do. So, I came up with this idea. What if we could create a lemonade stand and promise customers will come. A Lemonade Stand Dinner! So, kids were assigned a stand for each of the following: lemonade, chips, fruit, bottled water, dessert. My stand was pizza (I went cheap from Costco). The rule was everything you sold cost 10cents. The point of it all was not really to make money, but to simulate a customer-merchant transaction. The kids worked their stands, while the adults purchased their dinners. Then, the adults relieved the kids so that they could go through the line themselves. The cutest thing was that the kids chose not to eat on the grass picnic-style like the parents did. They went back to their stands for anyone who came back for seconds.

Making Reading Fun at Home

Reading during the summer is especially important. It is a time to strengthen comprehension skills and a time to learn to love reading for pleasure. For kids in the primary grades who are still learning how to read, it is important that they do not lose the skills they gained over the past year. Kids in upper grades have gone from learning to read to reading to learn. Much of the information they will be expected to learn going forward in school will be obtained through their own reading. So it is best to keep those comprehension skills sharp. OF COURSE, I have some links from education.com to find great ideas for making reading fun at home.
Kindergarten Reading at Home
First Grade Reading at Home
Second Grade Reading at Home
Third Grade Reading at Home
Fourth Grade Reading at Home
Fifth Grade Reading at Home

Making Science Fun at Home

Education.com is always my first stop on an Internet hunt when looking for fun and educational activities to do at home with my kids. Their ideas are easy and creative and my kids love them! Science is always a big hit in and out of the classroom. Its hands-on and that's what kids enjoy most. Here is a list of links from education.com that separates science experiments by grade level.
Kindergarten Science At Home
First Grade Science At Home
Second Grade Science At Home
Third Grade Science At Home
Fourth Grade Science At Home
Fifth Grade Science At Home

Making Math Fun at Home

Take the opportunity this summer to show your kids that math doesn't have to just be pages in workbooks. Not that there is anything wrong with pages in workbooks. I love Education.com. I subscribe to their newsletter and I always find the best idea of ways to have fun learning at home. Here are some links to math activities to do at home from education.com that are broken down by grade level! Just point, click, and learn. Easy!
Kindergarten Math at Home
First Grade Math at Home
Second Grade Math at Home
Third Grade Math at Home
Fourth Grade Math at Home
Fifth Grade Math at Home

How to Get Kids to do their Homework

Is it difficult to get your child to sit down after school or over the summer and work on homework or enrichment materials? Do they put up resistance, maybe to the point you give in and give up  trying to make them work? Here is one of the best tools to keep children on track when doing school work at home.

What? A timer? Yes, a timer will make a world of difference when kids are working on school work at home. A common mistake that parents make during homework time is that they expect their kids to sit down for too long of a period of time. And kids automatically think that homework will take a long time and they won't be able to play with friends or watch television afterward. But, research has given us a guideline as to how much time kids should be expected to work on homework each night after school. The rule is 10 multiplied by the grade they are in. For example, a second grader should come home to 20 minutes of homework, a third grader to thirty minutes and so on.
Using a timer during your homework routine reinforces to children that this work is not going to last forever, like they are imagining. In fact, 20 minutes goes by quite fast, and they can keep checking the timer and seeing how much time is left. We've shown you a picture of one of our favorite timers, mainly because it is easy for kids to set themselves and it counts down.
Other helpful hints are to make sure that children have used the restroom and quenched their thirst before the timer starts. When the timer is counting down, they should be seated and working. Also, they should have enough materials to be able to work until the timer beeps. If your child works quickly, make sure they have a journal or a silent reading book that they can transition into if there is any time left after their work is complete.

How to Avoid Summer Learning Loss

Smart Parents Say No to Summer Learning Loss! 

What exactly is summer learning loss? Research shows that children lose between one and three months of learning while on summer vacation from school. In the fall, teachers spend an average of five weeks reviewing material from the previous grade level.

What can you do to ensure that your child retains the skills and information they learned in school last year?

Plan a routine for summer vacation that includes:

1) reviewing concepts from the past year

2) regular visits to your local library or book store, to encourage reading for fun

3) finding teachable moments in everyday activities 

Avoid Summer Learning Loss!

What is summer learning loss? Read more

What are experts saying about it? Read more 

Visit www.tutortubs.com for more ideas on how to avoid summer learning loss.

How to Set Up a Summer Study Routine for Kids

Getting Ready for Fall!

Wondering how to help your child study this summer? Confused about how to set up study time? Make the most of your child's time away from school this summer with the help of the Summer Sack. The Summer Sack is an all-in-one kit  specific to each grade level, preschool through 5th grade. Each kit comes with  tools that teach kids time management, organization, and independence. All these important tools come in an easy to carry pouch that makes summer study time portable for on-the-go summer schedules. This effective program will maximize summer learning, strengthen homework habits when the school year begins, and begin to shift learning into a part of life rather than just a part of school.

 Learn more about the Summer Sack at www.tutortubs.com.



How to Throw a 4th of July Block Party

In years past, our neighborhood has lacked a community Fourth of July tradition. This year, my neighbor Stephanie decided to change that. She has called for a Fourth of July Block Party. The whole street is buzzing. We can't wait. We had a meeting to make sure that all of our bases were covered and that the party would be a real hit. I enlisted my "keep it simple" system that has guided me through many a grand events such as this one.

1. Pick a date. Fourth of July? Done.

2. Send out your invitations. Steph used evite. But since we didn't know all the email addresses for the people on our street, we also printed it out and delivered it in mailboxes. She included the sign up option through evite to have people bring cut fruit, side dishes, desserts and drinks.

4. Get some friends to help out. The cost of this shindig was going to add up quickly. So, we asked for everyone participating to throw in $10. That helped out with the cost of the bounce house, rentals for tables and chairs, and burgers and hot dogs for lunch.

5. Pick a craft. How cute is this? To get the kids excited for our Fourth of July Block Party, we asked them to decorate their bikes and we'll be kicking off the party with a kids parade. I also planned a couple activities to do during the party. I'll be making these adorable cupcakes I found and the kids will be decorating them with red, white and blue candies and fruits. And the teacher in me just melted over this awesome craft from one of my favorite blogs (www.teachingheartmom.blogspot.com). We'll be graphing Fourth of July Goldfish and marshmallows.


6. Designate a set up crew. We're all sending our hubbies up 2 hours before the party starts to get it all ready. Thanks in advance hubbies!

7. Show time. I'll keep you posted on how it all turns out. I'm thinking: friends, kids, bounce house, and a day off work? How can you go wrong.

 We couldn't resist renting a snow cone machine to combat the brutal heat

The neighborhood kids all decorated their bikes for a bike parade

Patriotic decorations and costumes made the day that much more fun