Pajama Day FREEBIE!

Hello friends,

After we spent over three weeks at home for winter break, I knew my kiddos would need some comfort items to easy the transition to going back to school. We decided to have a pajama day and sharing our favorite stuffed animal or comfort item.

Well, here's the freebie! I made a Phonics packet themed with our Pajama Day at school!

Hope you like it!

Get your FREEBIE {{HERE}}.

Have a great week, and keep learning!

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Breathing and waiting! - Public School Rookie Teacher Diary Part 3

Hi friends:

I would not think that I would need a three-day weekend just after being back to school for only a week, but I sure needed it! We started school this past Tuesday and it was just a super busy week. One new student, and some news that shook my ground.

There was so many things that I was just not expecting when I began teaching in the public school system...and I'm sure that's there is a lot more coming my way!

Only two days ago, I found out, (I guess it was just me because other teachers, from other schools already knew!) my school, only my site will be switching from all-year-round schedule to traditional for the upcoming 2014-2015 school year. A construction will be going on this summer and they need more time than just six/seven weeks that normally we have for summer break - instead we will be finishing the first week in June and will be back the day after Labor Day. Wow, I just don't know any more details about this change, but surely have lots of questions. What will happen to our contract? Are we going to be placed at another school until we begin in September? So many questions running through my head.

Some teachers will be subbing for the rest of the schools that will begin in July....so that means that we won't be under contract until September?!?! 

I just wanted to share my week with you and know if any of you have experience something like this in your school district. I'm very glad my school was granted those funds for improvement our campus, it was in need - I just wish there was more information available for the teachers. Well, I just have to sit tight and wait.

Breathing and waiting! 

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New Year, New Ideas!

Hello friends,

How did you first week of school go? I will be starting next Tuesday, and after three-week winter break, I am expecting for some meltdowns and tantrums...I know I have to be the adult! I am preparing myself to run out the door after some of my kids - yep, I have two runners, and one little guy that hasn't adjust to the school schedule yet...we're working on this.

I am pretty excited to see all of my little people again, I sure missed them. To ensure an easy transition, I have incorporated some new and exciting things into the classroom.

Let's begin with our brand new Focus Board.
We will be building onto this wall throughout the day and review it right before dismissal time. It will give the students an opportunity to review everything we did during our day and be able to answer the dreaded question a lot easier "what did you do at school today?"

We have spent the first semester focusing on letter awareness and phonemic awareness, and I feel my class is ready for a word wall. Because our classroom wall space is limited, I am using a clear shoe rack for my word wall.
We will begin using word cards to be placed on the clear pockets and gradually increasing with small objects to be matched with the correct letter.

My winter break vacation is officially over. I truly enjoyed spending time with my husband and our daughters - but its time to go back to school. 

Wish me luck! I'm gonna need it!

Keep learning!

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Back to school....not yet!

Hello friends!

Many of you will be returning to school on Monday, well I still have one more week...so excited about that. but better yet, we have two short weeks in-a-row...sweet!

Well, I went into my classroom today, just for a little while, and stayed for almost 5 hours. I had to de-Cristmas the classroom, organize and rotate the materials: books, toys, math manipulatives, puzzles, outside toys, puppets, and work on the word wall....still a work in progress.

I also had to gather some paperwork for our DRDP assessments coming up soon and organize my instructional materials I use on a daily basis.

I will begin the new year with a review of our classroom expectations, be safe, friendly and respectful, which are the pillars of our Socio-emotional curriculum - All Aboard.

Also, for this new semester I am looking into creating a pen/picture pal with another pre-kindergarten classroom. I have been contacting some teachers I know and we are evaluating the idea...very exciting!

On another note, my family and I spent New Year's in San Francisco, beautiful city! We were able to see and walk on the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay Bridge, the Candlestick football field and the AT&T Baseball park. We also booked a two-day hop-on hop-off tour which had 17 stops and you could explore the city on your own....it was great!

Back to reality now! This week my four-year-old will be going back to school and I will take advantage of the peace and quite around the house for lesson planning and assessments....yeah, I know, our work is never done....but I love it!

In the meantime, enjoy this great FREEBIE, just for you!

20 cards in English and 20 in Spanish with beginning sounds activities.
Get your freebie {{HERE}}

Keep learning!

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