Random Acts of Kindness

Where is the time going?  We have been so crazy, busy the last couple months...I really don't know where time has gone!  We sold our house at the end of November...after having TONS of showing.  It sold after 3 weeks.  We will be moving mid-January.  I think we are INSANE.  I am hoping we have warmer weather then...but December was cold.  We had a week straight of indoor recess.  Crazy!

I was lucky to find out (on my birthday) that I was being awarded a SEEF grant that I applied for.  I wrote a grant asking for money to purchase an iPad and a green screen.  I was shocked when I found out that I got it.  

I will be getting an ipad to record videos and take pictures on.  

This is the green screen kit that I ordered.

This year we have a new reading curriculum.  We do Reader's Theater every 3 weeks.  My plan is to have the kids draw pictures of the setting of their play.  I will take pictures of them in front of the green screen and I will record them doing their play.  I will then merge their pictures that they drew with the recordings that I took.  I will make a mini movie of them doing their plays.  I will also use it for other projects we do  in the classroom.   We are lucky in our district to have the SEEF grant program.  It allows us to do things we wouldn't be able to do otherwise.

Because I have been given so many things...through grants and parents, I decided to have my kids do Random Acts of kindness.  I was originally going to only do it through December, but decided that their are so many people that do things for our class throughout the year...that I wanted to do it randomly throughout the year.  I created this freebie for anyone to use.  You can find it here. 

After I created it, I found this one that I fell in love with.

You can find it here.  I know it's a little too late now, but it's worth putting in your cart for next year.  Rachelle from What The Teacher Wants did a wonderful job with it. I love how pages are specific for specific people.  We did a few from the pack and the people that received them said that they loved reading the letters that they received.  We also attached a packet of hot chocolate and a candy cane to the letters.

I was then moved by a post that I saw from Katie at Queen of the First Grade Jungle. 

 Hop on over to read what she is trying to help someone accomplish.  I truly believe that students learn in all different ways.  Unfortunately when programs are cut, it's usually the arts.  So many of our kids learn through doing plays, through singing songs and through listening to music.  What she is trying to help someone accomplish is amazing!  You can go to Mr. Canty's sight here.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas. I have two weeks off and can't wait to relax with my boys.

Merry Christmas to you all! 

Sara

Gingerbread House Decoration + a freebie

On December 20th, our first graders are going to be decorating gingerbread houses.  I absolutely love this time of the year.  In order to prepare for this, my hubby helped me create a gingerbread house in our cluster at school today.

 This is how we left it this afternoon.  In the middle I wrote, 1st graders are so sweet.  They will be decorating the house with pieces of candy that they color and cut out.

My hubby helping out.

 Some of the candies have circles in the middle.  This is for you to insert your first graders pictures.  I included a set for pictures and a set without circles for them to just color.

My firsties will be coloring pieces of candy and gluing them to the house.  You can find the candy here...
Gingerbread House Decorations or HERE.

I  will post pictures when we are done.
Sara