100th day of school

I have noticed that a lot of teachers have already had their 100's day party. I'm not sure if we just can't count in my class, or maybe we skipped a day or two on our numbers chart (most likely a little of both;). In my defense we have had A LOT of snow days (7 to be exact). But our 100th day of school is tomorrow. I feel like we have gotten into a bit of a boring funk, so I want the 100's day to be AwEsOmE. I started yesterday by taking pics of the kids using an agingbooth app (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/agingbooth/id357467791?mt=8). It was $1, but my husband and I spent hours on it just laughing! Take a look at my pic, I hope I look a bit better when I get older but I think the bags under my eyes seem about right.

It is crazy cool!  Some of the other teachers think it is a bit creepy, but I think it is hilarious! I may be a bit warped I guess. Well we can't just do something fun, we have to make it look like work, so we also did some writing, before I am 100 I will.... Here you go

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7yJ9Mr-2JPIZjgtRzNwNzhLV3c/edit?usp=sharing 

First things first, we are dressing up like we are 100 years old, then we are going on our 100 step parade (we will just make it through the other kinder room).

Next the kids are bringing in their 100's collection. I have them all put them in a brown bags, stapled shut, then with a partner they get to give their partner 3 clues and try to guess. This is what I sent home in my newsletter:

100’s Day

Our 100th day of school will be on Friday Feb 28th. For our 100th day of school, I am giving students the option to dress up like they are 100 years old! I am also asking that they bring in a collection of 100 items. Please make sure the items fit in a small bag, and have your student put in 100 of the same items in the bag, write their name on it and staple it shut (they may decorate their bag is they like). I am going have the students guess what each kiddo brought! Some ideas are beads, pennies, ect. We will count and display these during the day. Please bring these in by Friday!

We sort these out on their sorting mat ( just a big piece of construction paper). Then the kids are ready to move and see what everyone brought.

So, we are going to write about what their friends brought in, and draw it.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7yJ9Mr-2JPIU19PNGtpdm5uX3c/edit?usp=sharing

So after this is done, it will be time to put their things away, before they become too much of a problem. 

Last we will do our stations. I have 7 stations planned, this is because I tag team this with the other Kinder teacher, so we have extra hands and the kids get to do more! 

Here is a list of my stations:

1.  Hiding 100 Hersey Kisses, I actually put a number on the bottom of each kiss, hide them around the room and kids have to find them and put the one they find our giant 100 chart.

2. 100 Dixie cup stack challenge

3. 100 Legos creation

4. 100 day crowns http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/100th-Day-Crown-193587

5. 100 day coloring sheet http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/100th-Day-Math-Worksheet-195065

6. Gum Ball q-tip painting (ten different color for 10 different groups of gum balls)- I am using a paper plate with a trapezoid stapled on the bottom. 

and last,

7. Tootsie Pop experiment 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7yJ9Mr-2JPIcG1fRjhIVlUxdnM/edit?usp=sharing

Let me know if you have any great ideas that I can add to my 100's day celebration! Thanks for reading:)

*Jessica*

Winter in Michigan

My  little Audi dog loves the snow! I really think she was an ostrich in another life, because she likes to go outside and face plant in the huge snowdrift in our driveway. Just thought I would share this cute pic of her:)

Finding more, more and more for Reading

So, at this point in the year the kids are getting a bit bored with Reading Groups. I try to switch it up through out the week to make things different and fun. So this week I discovered something I'm sure most Kinder teachers are aware of, but new to me, push pin sight words. The kiddos were so  ExCiTeD to do sight words!!! We had to go over the rules of using a tack, but they did just fine with it (no stabbings occurred). This also was very time consuming and they were QUIET! I was actually able to do running records while my small group worked on this. I wrote out 5 of the sight words each kiddo is working on (they are at different sight word levels) and wrote their name at the bottom for them to push pin when they finished their words. I would recommend using construction paper, since it is a bit heavier. They were so stinking cute holding up their papers to the light to see the words shine through, ADORABLE! My only complaint for this is the amount of time it took me to write out each of their sight word list, so I will probably make a doc eventually for this. So here is the example:) I think I am going to put this in my word work rotations.

Valentine's Day Gifts

I struggle with what to get the class for Valentine's Day every year, you would think that I would be better about this by now, but not so much.  I want it to be cute, creative and cheap. So I saw a really cute pin on Pintrest to do glow necklaces. It was going to be AWESOME...the kids would love it, we would turn off the lights so they could all see their florescent glowing necklaces, and I would be the best teacher ever...well that is not going to happen. I checked 3-yes 3- different stores, and NO NECKLACES!!! I checked amazon, and they had them, but they would not be here on time. So, in true Night before Kindergarten fashion, I wandered around Target for over an hour looking for a suitable gift. This is what I came up with...

So I also had to make up a card to go with it, and thought of a cute little tag line of "You take the cake!" So I attached all of the ideas in a doc, so hopefully next year when I buy out the glow necklaces during Halloween I will be stocked for Valentine's Day. So to all of you teachers who are at a loss for classroom gifts, here is my gift to you:)

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Valentines-Day-Cards-1085785