A few Made Its for Monday

I have to say it felt weird not joining last weeks Made It Monday since I was away. Having been back less than a week and having already started school it is just a scattering of projects for this week. I have however finally gotten most of the last materials for my diver project. Hopefully I will have something put together for next week.

Here we go:

The first is table numbers. I actually made them for my six tables. The turquoise and dark blue fans alternate and the insides circles with the numbers were made to match the cute squirt fish I got in the Target dollar bins. If you would like the circles click here.

I didn't realize how bad a picture until I posted it

I did a close up so you can see the cute font for table.

The next were some more banners. I included the jpg of the file because they are more clear than my actually photo.

 

Another little project was creating two more months of calendar headers because orginally I didn't bother since we aren't in school those months. Then I printed them small to use for my birthday board inspired by this pin from Erica Bohrer. I did it last year with a Hollywood theme.

 The final one to share this week is more practical. I like the idea of class journals and someone (but I have searched my boards and reader and can't figure out who) had the great idea for the kids to have some stickers with their class number to put on a class journal after they contribute. I made two sets (with different colors) for my two writing classes. Each child will get a strip of 10 stickers with their number.

That's it for now but I do still have a long to do list. Of course I have many less hours to craft now that I'm back at school but I'm sure I'll still get some more fun things done.
 
 Thanks for stopping by and if you're interested in entering my 100 follower giveaway for a personalized  denim clipboard like I made for a previous Monday project you can click here.

Currently & 100 followers

I just started back to school last week so I have total school on the brain right now.  I'm happy to join up with Farley's Currently for the second time this month. I saw all the action yesterday but I was worn out after returning home from school so I'm getting to it today.

 

B2S clarification

1. I have been making all kinds of banners that I have printed myself as well as items that I have uploaded to Vistaprint. It definitely wouldn't be the same without all my cute ocean clip art and the superhero clip art that I bought for my teammates.

2. I have bought several great files that will help with the transition to common core this year. My current favorites are probably the Common Core ELA Vocabulary Cards for 4th Grade by Ginger Snaps and Common Core Standards Posters for Fourth Grade by Ashleigh. These are both up in my room now. I certainly have other favorites that are more lesson related but I'll stop there.

3. I definitely like to keep organized and I've done some overhaul on my general classroom binder as well as my reading pensieves. 

I'm also excited to have reached 100 followers. I've been hanging on the edge for about a week and I just noticed today that I made it. In honor of the occasion I'm going to do a giveaway.

One lucky winner will get a customized denim clipboard. Below you will see one I made for myself as well as one I personalized for a previous winner. This time the winner will get to pick out your own colors and what kind of theme you might like. I will get scrapbook paper, ribbon, iron-ons and fabric glitter to go with whatever you select.

clipboard from the previous giveaway

after it was personalized

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for stopping by

Vistaprint goodies

I just started back to school today. When I arrived I was excited to see I had a Vistaprint order waiting for me. I got all sorts of goodies. This was my third Vistaprint order of the summer.

 My two favorites were my medium posters. The top one it for tracking student thinking. The one below is a facebook/classbook variation that I plan to laminate so we can write on it. I also thought my birthday postcards with a homework coupon on the back came out cute.

 

Here were the other items from the most recent order. 

• A car magnet to display while we are recording in class.  
• Business cards that were left blank to write in the Reward reason and amount in class money. 
• Conference reminder postcards.
• Postcards with tips for being a reading coach from Mrs. Robinson's classroom blog
• small rubber stamp
• pen personalized for the classroom library
• a few more mouse pads
• a tickets to go show off something at the office

 

This was one of the Groupon orders where I bought $25 more to get free shipping.

This was my first order of the summer that was focused on my ocean theme. There are magnetic business cards with contact information, return address labels with contact information, a t shirt, rack cards with i pick and reading strategies, thank you notes, sticky notes, personalized pen, personalized notepad with my picture while diving, and finally a mouse pad.

 The only other really cute items from my second order were the reading banners for my class and my best buddy.

Well, probably more than enough sharing. Check out all the different Vistaprint ideas on the linky hosted by Christina BainBridge

Thanks for dropping by.

Silhouette Cameo

I have mentioned my Cameo in a couple of Monday Made It posts as well as in a Fabulous Find posts. I can't say enough good things about it! I know there are some other bloggers out there with Cameo machines so I wanted teo mention a couple of things I have come across recently.

1. In the Silhouette store you can apply for an educator discount. The application is here and the turn around is pretty quick. Once you are approved you will see the retail price marked out and your price indicated. It doesn't seem to be a standard percentage off. When I looked down the price adjustments they seemed to be 20-30% off.This is the store where you can buy the cameo itself as well as all sorts of accessories.

2. The other that I just found out about today is a Plum District deal. This is for the store where you download different shapes and designs to use creating different projects. I got a $10 credit when I bought the Cameo and then I bought a downloadable card with a Plum Deal I did a while back.  I just purchased this deal and they have something they call "give and get". If three people purchase the deal from your personalized link you get it for free.  If you are interested in the deal I would love it if you would use my link here.

One more bit of info -  You can use the coupon code "visapromo" to take 10% off your order when using your VISA card, bringing down the price to $16.20 for $30 worth of designs!

I found out about the deal from blog Under a Cherry Tree. If you have a cutter you should definitely check out her blog. She does tutorials for tons of great projects using the cameo with the silhouette software and make-the-cut software. She used to use a Cricut so there are also some older posts about that as well.

Friday Finds

I am linking up with Elizabeth from Fun in Room 4B for my second Fabulous Find Friday.

I have two quick ones to share.

The first find I consider fabulous is because they were such a deal. I have been wanting some inflatable fish for my under water classroom theme and I came across these for under $1 each at Walmart. I bought four but I wish they had some other types so I could have ought more.

The next find was from our visit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. They have a super cool psychedelic jellyfish exhibit. In the gift shop I found a jellyfish that I immediately fell in love with because it is blue and purple (my favorite colors). It was not a deal but I bought it anyway. In this picture it is hanging on the door thing in our hotel but I think you can get the idea.

Thanks for dropping by

 

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More About Me

I am on the road right now driving to Yosemite National Park. We arrived VERY late last night (because of mechanical issues with our plane and car rental issues) from Georgia.

I wanted to join in on the fun from Step Into Second Grade.

I am doing this on my iPad so I think the pictures are going to all end up at the bottom (probably out of order) if a past preview is accurate. I am also limited to pictures I have here on my device but I am going to go with it anyway. I might as well since I still have a couple more hours in the car.

1. I was undeclared in college (Kutztown University) until I finally had to pick a major. I didn't know what I wanted to do but I was sure I didn't want to teach (like much of my dad's side of the family). I ended up picking business. My first job out of college was at the Boy Scouts. I ended up going into schools and decided that I totally wanted to teach after all. I went back to school (Western Connecticut) for teaching. I later did my masters in instructional technology (Georgia College). I LOVE teaching fourth grade. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

2. I have a wonderful husband that I have been married to for eight years. We met through match although he still won't admit that to most people. He has a real job but on the side he plays in a wedding band. I included a picture of him playing on the piano at Studio B in Nashville where Elvis himself played many times.

3. We don't have any children. We have two dogs that are kind of like our kids. Of course I always get to borrow everyone else's kids at school too. I do have nieces and nephews that I love.

4. Speaking of family, I come from a crazy divorce remarriage family. I have 5 sisters but only two that I grew up with in my house. I even have two sisters, Amanda and Alisha, born on the same day from different parents.

5. I am pretty much a geek. I love technology and am the go to person at my school for Activboards, iPads and pretty much all things tech. I try to incorporate it as much as possible. I have been following blogs for a couple of years and I can't believe it has taken me so long to set up a teacher blog.

6. I am totally not a TV watcher. I record like two shows (Grey's Anatomy and Big Bang) and watch when my husband and I get a chance. I always feel out of touch when my friends chat TV shows at lunch.

7. I love to travel! My two favorite trips have been the Galapagos Islands for animal watching and Australia for neat variety. On the Australia trip we dove on the Great Barrier Reef and spent New Years Eve in Sydney which both were fabulous.

8. I have an adventurous soul which sometimes drives my husband crazy. I love scuba diving. I like to zip line, parasail, paraglide, Segway, ATV, horseback ride, etc. He like the motorized things but nothing that involves heights.

9. I have been racing sailboats for about 7 years with a couple and some others. We race each Wednesday and then some weekend regattas. Most are on Lake Lanier but sometimes we travel.

10. I drive a convertible. Even though I've had it for 8 years, I still drive with the top down whenever possible. It doesn't matter if it's 95 or 50.

Thanks for stopping by and finding out a little more about me.

Heather

My room then and now

I have been mentioning for a couple days that I was going to put up some classroom pictures. Since I'm stuck on a plane right now I figured I would give it a shot on this blogger app. That totally didn't work but thanks to Megan at I Teach. What's Your Super Power? I downloaded blogsy and it seem much more workable. Woohoo

So here are some before pictures. Well if truth be told these were actually after I moved the bookcases and some other furniture in to their general location.

 

 

 

 

Here are some after pictures starting from a look in door and then doing a 360 around the space. I spent 1 day before my Texas trip and 2 days this week in my classroom. I actually feel like I'm in pretty good shape before preplanning. I still have some banners to make (oops somehow forgot them this weekend) and I need to hang up some decorative elements on the ceiling that I bought.

I love the VOICES and CRAFT headers from Ladybug Teachers Files. This will be the writing area.

This is reading area with the visiting classes book bins.

I'm also super excited about my common core vocabulary cards from Ginger Snaps. I have the whole area above the bulletin boards set aside but I will it up most of the words as we go.

Obviously this is the classroom library. Don't my new bean bag chairs look inviting.

That bulletin board will have book recommendations on it.

 

This is the coat/book bag area as well the kids cubbies (which hold the homerooms book bins).

The area above the cubbies will be the place to move some anchor charts.

 

This corner needs inspiration but I'm thinking maybe about a map for our postcard exchange and

other collaborative projects since I took over the location from last year with something else.

 

This is a teacher corner and I'm thinking about using the fish background ($2.50 at Target)

to track Daily 5 choices

 

Small group meeting area with designated area for anchor charts

with clips (inspired by Clutter-Free Classroom)

 

There you have it. My room as it stands waiting for my return from California. There is definitely still a bit to do but I'm certainly farther along than I would normally be. This was primarily inspired by the fact that I wanted to get my crafts to their new home and that by beastie at school is going out on maternity leave 2 weeks into school and I wanted to be able to help with plans and not spending all of it setting up my room.

 

Now to push publish and see it it actually works.

Hmmm not sure how to get My cute signature on here. I suppose I should watch some how to videos so I can get hyperlinks and other key things working correctly.

Thank for stopping by

Heather

 

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