Calendar Wall.....updated!

You might remember that I went into the summer with the goal of updating my calendar wall.  I finally finished it last week.  Just in time for our new year!

This is how it has looked for the past several years.

But then, mid summer, I realized that the bulletin board was only attached by two screws!  So I took it down and opened up an entire wall to work with!

And this is how it looks today!  Ready for a new year!

 I also added this to my closet door in the same area.  "Be a Champion" is a theme at our school, and we'll say this with motions every day during calendar time.

 

 I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut vinyl for the wall.

 I finally have ten-frames on my calendar wall.  I've wanted them for two years now, but just never added them.

 More vinyl above the hundreds chart.  I made good use of Command hooks and velcro!

 My students will sign this when they lose a tooth.  We have a little "tooth chant" that we say for every child when they lose a tooth.  

 Calendar numbers, ten-frame dots, days of the week, birthday balloons, and a Vis-a-vis for the tooth chart all have a home here.

 I added shape posters to the top of the wall.

 And look at this sweet sign that I received from one of my new kidlets.  Love.  I thought it was perfect over by this area.

I am so happy with the way this space turned out!  I know that it will be more useful and will help make our calendar time even more meaningful for my students.

Ready or not....school starts for us tomorrow!  Here we go! 

Five for Friday {August 8}

Happy Friday!

1. Last Saturday I ran the Color Run with some girls from my school.  So. much. fun.

This was my Kindie teaching partner and I after we were blasted with our first color during the run.

2. Rowan is doing two weeks of gymnastics through our local rec program, and she is loving it!  She has come home every day so proud of what she is learning.  I'm excited to go in and watch on her last day next week.

3. I went into school this week to take care of some odds and ends....my classroom is so bare!  Lots of work to do before my littles arrive for Kinder Camp in a couple weeks! 

 My supply order had come in, and is it terrible that the item I am most excited about is THIS???!?  I love me some scented markers!!  I've never tried the skinnies before!

 4. I'm still working on my calendar wall update, and I was feeling frustrated by my lack of space with the bulletin board I had.  When I was at school this week, I was brainstorming some ideas and noticed that my bulletin board was attached to the wall with two screws!!  WHAT??!?  I've been in this classroom for more than 10 years and never realized that I could remove this board!  I'm SO excited about the freedom this will give me as I create a new space for my calendar.

5. I spent Rowan's gymnastics sessions this week working on a fun new beginning sounds activity.  It will be posted to TPT soon.  I was inspired by the adorable ice cream cone clip art!!

Three more weeks of summer for me!  Have a great weekend!

A Summer Project: Update my Calendar Wall!

It's always nice to go into summer with a project.  Right???

Well, this summer I have Calendar Walls on the brain!  Mine is in need of an update.  I have things on mine that I don't really use, and mine is missing things that I'd like to use!  Clearly, I need to update!

This is what my calendar wall/bulletin board looked like last school year.  Actually, it has looked like this for the past several years.  I need a change.

I use this AMAZING resource for calendar time in my classroom.

I really love calendar time.  It's a short time that packs a big punch!  We cover oodles of math concepts during this time -- some that are common core and some that aren't.  The kids know what to expect when they get ready for calendar each day and the variety of skills we discuss keeps everyone interested.  I want a useful, engaging space for this daily activity.

I'm scouring Pinterest and some of my favorite blogs and am finding lots of fun ideas.  Like this colorful board by Miss Kindergarten.

I love the idea of using base ten blocks to count the days.  This came from Ramblings of a First Grade Teacher.  I do have a hundreds chart pocket chart that I use now, and will continue to use, but I like this visual too.

This doesn't have everything I need, but I love how clear and colorful it is.  And the days of the week on rings with hooks.  Love that!

This calendar wall comes from Learning with Mrs. Parker.  Ten-frames are definitely on my list of musts for my new calendar wall.

I'm still in early thinking stages.  There are a few things I know I will include, and a lot is still up in the air!  

Do you love your calendar wall?  Please share!

Are you going to be updating your calendar wall this summer too?  Please share!

Do you have a different summer project in the works?  Please share!

Let's talk about it!

IN OTHER NEWS....I just started a separate Instagram account for ABCs and Polka Dots and all things teacher-related!  I didn't love mixing my professional stuff with my personal stuff in my other account, so please come on over and follow me on IG!  My user name is abcsandpolkadots.  I'd love to connect with you there!!

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!!