First week recap

I survived my first week back with kids!  And, actually, it went awesome.  As in, it really felt a little TOO easy!  My kids picked up on our routines and expectations quickly, and everything ran so smoothly all week long!  I enjoyed every minute, and am praying that it continues!! :)

This is a random recap of our week!

We completed our first day portraits.  These have already been laminated and will go in the students' memory books at the end of the year.

This letter goes home with my students on their first day.  I know that parents always want to know everything that happened that day, but all the students might remember is that they played outside. (Playing outside was a BIG favorite all week....of course!!)

We used a few pages from Nicole's Straight Up Standards for Back to School pack.  They were perfect for some formative assessing this week!  This particular page gave me a chance to teach expectations for using scissors and glue sticks as well.

 We celebrated our first class birthday on the third day of school.  I always let the birthday boy or girl choose a book from a stash that I collect throughout the year and I write a special note inside.  This year, I created this Happy Birthday tag to attach to the front of the book as well.

We always read Wemberly Worried on the first day of school.  This year, we did a sharing circle after we finished reading and we shared how we had felt that morning before coming to school for the first day.  Later in the week, we re-visited the story and completed this page for our memory books.

 These were my lesson plans by Friday morning!  Ha!  Pretty typical for the first week, I guess!

This sweet little note was delivered to me by one of my new littles on Friday.  LOVE.  And I know that I'm her first teacher ever, but I'll gladly take the compliment anyway!! ;)  

Happy weekend, friends!!

Five for Friday {October 4}

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

I had a great week with my students.  I feel like we have finally fallen into a great routine, and we're all really figuring each other out.  It's good!  I have a fun crew this year, and I'm really enjoying my days with them!

Anyway...recap of my week!

1. The end of September meant that we switched out our calendar notebooks.  On the last day of each month, we get to analyze our weather graph for that month.  We were blessed with such a gorgeous, sunny September!!

This page is from Kim Adsit and Shari Sloane's Calendar Notebook...love this product!!

2.  I feel like my kids have just EXPLODED in their writing over the past week!  It is so much fun to watch and reminds me over and over again how much I LOVE my job!

 This awesome gold paper is full of writing topic ideas.  My students keep it in their writing folders for inspiration when they start a new story.  I wish I could give you it's source, but I actually got it from my son's first grade teacher. :)

 

I was speechless today when I walked past the little guy who started the year with this...

 ...and saw him working on this!  Details and beginning sound labels.  YAY!!!

 And this sweetie had never attempted words for his story until today.  I watched his little mouth stretch out the words as he wrote each sound.  Love to see these kiddos gaining confidence and trying new things!!

3. We celebrated our first birthday of the year in class on Thursday.  My youngest student finally turned five!  

I am using my bestie's birthday idea, and letting my students choose a book on their birthday.  

PS...my bestie is an awesome Kindergarten teacher, which is seriously just SO much fun!  Now, if only she didn't live half a country away from me! :( 

  The birthday boy chose a great non-fiction book, and I added a special message inside. 

 Thanks for this fun idea, Abbs!!

4. I have a precious girl who brings me pictures and notes almost every single day.  This one instantly brought a huge smile to my face.

"I love you Mrs. Sloothaak.  I know you love me."

Melt my heart.

This adorable love note was the first to get put into my "Notes to Mrs. Sloothaak" binder (because I just finally got it cleared out from last year's love notes...although I clearly haven't updated the cover yet...)

 I can't remember where I got this idea, but it didn't originate with me.  I love it, though.  It's the perfect solution for having a place to put all those precious notes and drawings from students.  And, actually, it is one of the most loved books in our reading corner.  It gets looked at constantly.

5. Eeeeeee!!!  I LOVE these sweet, adorable spiders that we make in October.  The first time I did them with my class, it was closer to the end of the month, and I quickly realized that I had to make them RIGHT AWAY in October so that I could have them displayed all month.  They are the cutest!!!  

  I got them from Doodlebugs HERE.  Seriously, click over there now, print them out, and put them in your plans for next week.  They make me so happy!

Happy, happy weekend!!