HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

What a wonderful break! Nothing like two weeks to rejuvenate! Today it was exciting to see all the children back in school; everyone had fun stories to tell about their family gatherings and events. What always amazes me is how grown up these little people seem when they return from the Christmas break.

Studies show that children who participate in goal setting are consistently more motivated and self-directed. School success is supported by children developing the skill of self-determination. They need to be able to make their own decisions and guide their own behavior, setting goals facilitates this process. Goal setting helps kids make a connection between their personal choices and the end results.

 I want to share some awesome sites/activities that I found to help children set goals. I encourage all teachers and parents to give some of these a try...

I love this one... wouldn't it be fun to do these every year and read at life's benchmarks? (graduations, weddings, etc.) There is also one for adults... click HERE for adults and HERE for kids. Thank you THIRTYHANDMADEDAYS.COM for these printables!!

What I love about these worksheets is that it focuses on how goals are going to be acheived... this is great to use in the classroom... click on the picture to get the worksheets- click HERE to see the lesson plan. Parents! There is also a spiritual goal sheet provided if you would like for home...

Here is a very simple form to use... just think of the extension activities you could do with this one! How many writing prompts??? Click on the picture for a FREE download at teachers pay teachers...

Speaking of setting goals... check out these awesome guided reading bookmarks! Click on the picture for a FREE pdf download at teachers pay teachers... thank you Hilary Lewis!!

I LOVE the Elf!!!

I have to admit, every year people talk about 'Elf on the Shelf' and I really didn't give it much thought or attention, that is until this year. My youngest son asked me why we didn't have an Elf; my middle son chimed in and stated that he felt our house was deserving of one and then my oldest who is 14 said that he too felt we needed one. Child pressure at its best! So, we now have an elf named Christian who finds himself in some predicaments and sometimes he is just hanging around. Now that I am 'in' to this elf thing I have found some amazing things you could do in the classroom with the Elf... at all grade levels!! I am posting two pictures of our cute elf, Christian in addition to some great resources for teachers and parents on how to use 'Elf' for education.
ENJOY!!

TONS of fun activities for home and school...

Elf on the Shelf Writers Workshop

From TEACHERS PAY TEACHERS...

FREE Elf on the Shelf Puzzle Order Numbers or a Sentence or Count by 2s

FREE Elf on the Shelf Writing Paper Pack!

FREE My Elf Creative Writing

Free Elf on the Shelf Name Graph

Free Elf on the Shelf Activities   

Not the Elf... but some fun Christmas activities...

Oh what fun it is!!!

WOW!!! The halls have been DECKED!!

Click on the links below each picture to see the hallway theme...

Twas the Night Before Christmas

All Aboard the Kinder Polar Express!!

North Pole

A Partridge in a Pear Tree
Don't you just love our school principal as the partridge??

Elves Gone WILD!

Gingerbread Lane

Christmas Movies

A Terribly Tacky Christmas

Sugar Plums

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!

I just love the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas!! This year at CES we are 'Decking the Halls'!!! Each hallway cluster has come together to show their Christmas spirit. As our groups finish their designs I will post some pictures here. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

First grade went with a North Pole theme- every morning the sounds of Christmas are played in their hallway. We have been told to not feed the Reindeer... I personally love the snowmen that each class built and all the little elf's with students faces!! 

Entering into the hallway

Fireplace with teacher names on the stockings...

Rudolph!!

Each homeroom created and decorated a snowman

Don't you love how the reindeer are covering the word "DON'T"?

It just wouldn't be the North Pole with out St. Nick! All our first graders names are listed on the Nice list...

***Here is a really cool link... want to see your house in a snow globe?? Maybe your grandma's? Click HERE to see it happen.

Fall is in the air...

What a great week last week was! October is such a busy month for educators... it seems as though time flies and there just isn't enough of it!! I love November. November is National Thankfulness Month- I have so much to be thankful for! 
     I am thankful that I have a super staff to work with, an awesome administrative team, and perfect parents here at CES!

This weeks favorites...


A book I think every K-3 math teacher should have-

Just as athletes stretch their muscles before every game and musicians play scales to keep their technique in tune, mathematical thinkers and problem solvers can benefit from daily warm-up exercises. Jessica Shumway has developed a series of routines designed to help young students internalize and deepen their facility with numbers. The daily use of these quick five-, ten-, or fifteen-minute experiences at the beginning of math class will help build students' number sense.

Students with strong number sense understand numbers, ways to represent numbers, relationships among numbers, and number systems. They make reasonable estimates, compute fluently, use reasoning strategies (e.g., relate operations, such as addition and subtraction, to each other), and use visual models based on their number sense to solve problems. Students who never develop strong number sense will struggle with nearly all mathematical strands, from measurement and geometry to data and equations.

In Number Sense Routines, Jessica shows that number sense can be taught to all students. Dozens of classroom examples -- including conversations among students engaging in number sense routines -- illustrate how the routines work, how children's number sense develops, and how to implement responsive routines.

Additionally, teachers will gain a deeper understanding of the underlying math -- the big ideas, skills, and strategies children learn as they develop numerical literacy.

Time Teller - Lift and Peek

I love this paper plate clock... great for visual learners. Grab two paper plates, count every 4 to 5 notches and make your cuts. Write your hours numbers in between the cut notches. Then, take your second plate and hold it underneath your hours plate. Make marks to indicate where your number should be. Once your plate is marked, choose another marker color and add your numbers by your pencil marks. Stack your plates, hours on top and make a hole for your fastener. Create colorful clock hands, attach with your fastener and presto- a time teller cheat and peek! 
Kids can take a peek if they forget how to read minutes. 

Fun BLOG for the Language Arts teachers...

Exciting happenings!!

What a great week it has been! While I dread not being at work so that I may attend staff development, I always leave my trainings refreshed and ready to try something new. This last week I attended the Mega Conference at Region 20 in San Antonio. I had the privilege of listening to Dr. Willard Daggett speak about 21st Century Learners and the direction our educational system is heading. He addressed Rigor, Relevance and Relationships in education and although I returned to loads of unfinished tasks, it was well worth the two days out!

Some AWESOME things I want to share...

What is the flipped classroom?

A reversed teaching model that delivers instruction at home through interactive, teacher-created videos and moves “homework” to the classroom. Moving lectures outside of the classroom allows teachers to spend more 1:1 time with each student. Students have the opportunity to ask questions and work through problems with the guidance of their teachers and the support of their peers - creating a collaborative learning environment. (click on the picture to read more)

I am excited that several of the teachers here at Curington are willing to give this "FLIPPED" classroom a try. I cannot wait to post pictures of it in action!

 

 All I can say is WOW!!! The instructional technology department has an amazing resource site for teachers! I had no idea how much I could find at literally just a click of the button!!
     Two 'librarians' that I recommend you start with are Donald Hawkins and Shannon Baumann... click on their names for a direct link to their sites.

Remember when I posted about GLOGSTER??? Check out some created by our very own 4th grade students! Again, simply amazing what kids today can create... and kudos to the teachers to facilitate this style of learning!

http://maryroc.edu.glogster.com/matter

http://dereknas.edu.glogster.com/matter

http://myaols.edu.glogster.com/matter-2

Busy, busy, busy...

Today is the first day of Red Ribbon Week... make sure you click on the tab to see what is happening here at CES! I also want to highlight an amazing website that focuses on prevention of drug/alcohol abuse. The Natural High organization focuses on helping children find ways to find euphoria without the assistance of artificial chemicals. The founder of the site lost two brothers to drug abuse. He has found that children early on start looking for ways to feel 'high'. His goal is to create a powerful and effective campaign encouraging kids to say “yes” to a natural high and “no” to drugs. Check out the AMAZING things he has put together:

Have you heard about the latest We Give Books cause? This fall, join the Bug Squad to raise awareness for the importance of early childhood literacy while having fun and helping to break a world record!

Inspired by Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad, the 2012 Jumpstart’s Read for the Record book written by David Soman and Jacky Davis, We Give Books has created their own Bug Squad to give us new ways to read, give, and share reading this fall! There are tons of Bug Squad resources to help your kids get excited about reading and to help you plan your own record-setting celebration.

We Give Books is a fantastic resource for parents, teachers, and anyone who loves to read children’s books. They have a free online library of over 150 outstanding children’s books available at www.wegivebooks.org, including some of our favorites, like the Llama Llama and Skippyjon Jones books, and DK science books. The best part is, your reading will directly impact the great work of non-profit organizations around the world!

So, head over to www.wegivebooks.org to Join the Bug Squad and find out more about this wonderful initiative, and start reading and giving!

One of our wonderful parents, Kimberly Jones, came and read the Ladybug Girl to one of our second grade classrooms and shared this exciting program! Here is her daughter with the book.... what a great experience that was for our 2nd graders.