Five for Friday {March 14}

Amazingly, I actually taught five full days this week!  With the winter we've had, it seems like I haven't taught a full week since before Christmas.  Boy am I tired tonight and so ready for a weekend...but I'll be back at school tomorrow preparing for next week.  The life of a teacher!

We had a fun week, so I'm linking up with Kacey for Five for Friday!

1. Our book this week with our Reading Street language arts curriculum was If You Could Go To Antarctica. Don't Kindergarteners just love non-fiction books?  We've been learning about Arctic animals for the past several weeks, so they thought it was fun to learn about the continent on the opposite side of the world.  After reading, we did a word splash about what we might see if we went to Antarctica.  All of these ideas were from the book.

Then, each student chose either a penguin or a seal and they used it in a drawing of Antarctica.

 

 They chose five words from the word splash to fill the boxes on this page.

I stapled them together to display on our "Star Kindergarten Work" bulletin board.

 If only it didn't still look so similar to this right out our windows.  Snow, snow, go away!!

2. I received several sweet notes from my students this week thanks to an at-home March is Reading Month challenge.  Love these precious kids!

 3. We just began a new writing unit.  For the next few weeks we'll be working on "Writing for a Reason".  This week, the kids made signs to remind us of school expectations.  

Always use your manners.

 When the signs were finished, I gave each student two pieces of tape and they got to choose a place in the classroom to hang up their sign.

Don't throw snowballs.

 They LOVED this!  They could hardly believe it when I told them that they got to use tape! Ha!  

Do not run in the lobby.

 We took them down at the end of the day today and they went home.  I might do this more often with other projects!  The kids took so much pride in choosing the perfect spot to display their work and showing it to all their friends.

Don't hit in gym class.

(I use the Writing Through The Year packs by Deanna Jump and DeeDee Wills as the main part of my writing curriculum, but tweak it to work for me and my students.)

4. We planted seeds this week!  We are investigating how our seeds grow in sand, soil, and pebbles.

Some sweet artwork during Choice Time...

5. We're gearing up for St. Patty's Day on Monday!  I found the CUTEST leprechaun directed drawing activity over at First Grade, Blue Skies. Look how completely adorable they are!!

 I absolutely LOVE doing directed drawings with my students.  And since I am a terrible artist, I am so thankful for the creative geniuses out there that can give me step-by-step instructions!

 I mean.  Seriously.

 I love having these hanging up in our classroom!

 We had to get to know a little about leprechauns so that when they invade our classroom on Monday (Shhhhh!  Don't tell!) my students will know what they're all about. ;)  Can't wait!

CLICK HERE to link back to last year's post to see what the leprechauns like to do in our classroom. :)

Happy weekend, friends!!