I³: Imagine. Inspire. Innovate.: October 2011

Sunday, October 9, 2011

KMP Doodles!

Just had to share this one really quick...

Kristen at Ladybug's Teacher Files is having a giveaway!

The winner will receive 2 clipart sets from KPM Doodles.

That is exciting enough, but when I hopped over to check out what was new KPM Doodles Etsy shop, I discovered that she is having a Columbus Day sale! Everything is discounted, and if you buy 2 sets, you get one free, buy 4 and you get 2 free, and so on! I couldn't resist, and I thought you might want to take advantage too!

So head over to Ladybug's Teacher Files and enter the giveaway and then head over to KPM Doodles for some great deals on some adorable clipart!

Pumpkin Investigations

We're headed to the pumpkin farm tomorrow! At the end of our trip, each student will get to pick out a pumpkin to bring home.

When we return to our classroom we will measure the height, weight, and circumference of our pumpkins using this investigation sheet, some cubes, links, and my tired old bathroom scale.

Click the picture to grab a copy from Google docs.

This week we are also going to continue our pumpkin investigations by reading

We will be opening up a pumpkin, labeling the parts, and counting seeds. Then, it's into the giant plastic barrel (sealed with an excessive amount of duck tape) to watch Jack decompose. The kids will observe Jack's changes and record their observations weekly.

I'll be back later in the week with more pictures (and printables) from our adventures this week.

I love fall!

Friday, October 7, 2011

Muffins with Moms and Donuts with Dads

I know lots of classrooms do Muffins with Moms around Mother's Day, but I have decided to make it a monthly event in our classroom. The first Friday of every month we will alternate between Muffins with Moms and Donuts with Dads.

Today was our first Muffins with Moms, and I was amazed by the turn out! We had 15 moms join us, which is an amazing turn out (almost twice as many as Open House)!

On Thursday we made pumpkin muffins to serve our moms! We also made simple invitations by folding a piece of construction paper in half. Students filled in the information on the invitation, addressed and signed it and glued it inside. They colored their muffin and glued that half of their page on the outside. Simple, but cute!

Our community liaison and kindergarten ESL teacher joined us to assist with translation. After the kids served muffins and juice to their moms, they selected a favorite book for their mom to read to them. We read the big book, It's Pumpkin Time!

and the students sequenced how a pumpkin grows

(found here) with their moms!
It was a great ending to our week!

Fall Patterning Cards

I love this time of year! I went to Michael's tonight to pick up some oil pastels and found some metallic fall table confetti. It looks like the confetti below, except there aren't any yellow leaves. For $1.29 a package I knew we had to have some for our classroom.

I created some patterning cards and a recording sheet for math work stations this week. I am going to have the kids use the confetti to duplicate and complete the patterns, but I created some printable leaves that could be used instead.

We have lots of fabulous fall learning this week and next! I will try to remember to take pictures! Next week we head to the pumpkin farm!

Versatile Blogger!

Wow! Thank you to Barbara from The Corner on Character

for nominating me for The Versitile Blogger Award.

I am humbled, and slightly embarrassed, as I see all of the other amazing, talented, creative bloggers out there who have received this award! I am feeling like a bit of a slacker. I started my little blog during the lazy days of late summer, but when I started back for professional development, my blogging fell by the wayside. I guess I really need to get in gear!

7 Things About Me:

I first met my husband in middle school (it was junior high back then). We have been married for 17 years, and we have an amazing son in middle school and 7 year old fraternal twins.
I live for basketball, and I wish the NBA would get it together already!
Before I began teaching, I worked with adults and children with developmental disabilities.
Baking is a hobby that feeds my serious carb addiction and gives me something tasty to go with all the coffee I drink.
I am learning to play the guitar, even though I am not the slightest bit musical.
I have always wanted to travel to all 50 states. I am no where close to achieving this goal, but I hope to do some serious traveling next summer.
Books are the most comforting thing in the world, and despite my love of technology, I just can't bring myself to get a reader.

Now, on to the nominations! SO many wonderful bloggers have already had The Versatile Blogger award bestowed upon them, and there are SO many more that it is difficult to nominate just seven, but here are my nominations (in no particular order):