Birthday Display

     Over the years I've done several different birthday displays.  I started off using pre-made posters, then moved to pre-made bulletin board displays, and then moved the bulletin board displays to a wall.  This year I decided to do something different.  Sticking with my safari theme I created a picture display.  

   I stole this idea from the fabulous Erica Boher. 






    Her birthday display can be found here on her blog.  



    I love this display.  I'm thinking it's a keeper.  
    I cut the letters for "Born to Be Wild" using my cricut and some cut animal print scrapbook paper.  I'm posting my number cards and my month cards I made for the display.   

School Supply Organiation

    My first day back to school is only days way! Yikes!  Elementary school teachers can appreciate how hectic the first morning is.  Twenty kids, 40 new shoes, 20 backpacks, new crayons, parents wanting pictures, parents asking questions, teacher trying to figure out how each child will get home...and of course the two grocery bags stuffed full of supplies. Hectic is probably an understatement....more like chaos.  
     I'm hoping to curve the chaos a little by being more organized with the school supply part.  I created labels to go around the room so that the kids will know where to place the appropriate supplies.  I also created a PowerPoint slide to go on my Promethean board with directions for the kids.  
  

PowerPoint Slide

School Supply Label Cards

Clorox Wipes

  (The cards are made to be folded, so that they will stand.)

Getting to Know You Activity

     Monday night was transition night at our school (at least for my grade level).  While our administrators keep parents in the gym to go over procedures and other important boring parent things, we take the kids to our classrooms.  It is when the kids learn what teacher they will be with and we only learn a few hours before hand what kids we will have.  
  
     I honestly was a little nervous.  It really surprised me.  I mean, come on, this is my seventh year teaching.  But as soon I had my new friends in the room all the butterflies left.   I am a teacher through and through.  


    Back to the point of this post...we needed a 30-45 minute activity to do with the kids.  My team and I choose the same thing as last year...a getting to know you necklace.  . There are several questions the students must answer to determine which  beads to get.  For example, my favorite one, 

Take one star bead if you think you will like second grade a little.

Take two star beads if you think you will like second grade a lot.

 

Did you notice I didn't give the option of not liking second grade?  Teachers are clever like that!  Everyone's necklace ends up looking different.  We challenge the kids to wear them back on Monday, the first official back to school day.
    This idea did not originate with us!  Google it, you'll find several examples.
   I created some safari themed direction cards to set out with my beads.  There are two on a page and made to be folded and stood on the table in front of the correct container of beads.  Hope someone else can use it also.  (Click the link, not the picture.)

Getting to Know You Necklace

Welcome Letter

     Since I'm getting in the "school" mindset I started updating my welcome letter.   I found this letter years ago online and have just adapted it.  There are a few details (when open house is, etc.) that I'll update later.  This is my most favorite back to school welcome letter ever!  I've used it for several years now and splurge to print it in color.  If you are interested in using it, leave me a comment and I can email it to you in word doc so that you can make changes. 

Back to School Welcome Letter 

Magic Confetti--Safari Style

     This idea is certainly not my original.  I've seen it so many places that I don't know who to give credit to.  (If you're the original creator give me a shout!)   Magic Confetti is a small bag of confetti attached to a poem.  The poem talks about being nervous the night before the first day of school...if you sprinkle the confetti under your pillow it will help you sleep.  I use small jewelry bags to hold my confetti.  I tie it to the poem using cute ribbon.  I'll give to the kids on transition night...where they come to meet their teacher a week before school starts.  It's super easy to do...especially if you give it to an aide to handle on one of the last days of school (the year before you will use it)  :)

The first link is the poem with a generic boarder (click on the link above the picture):

Magic Confetti 1

The second link is safari style (click on the link above the picture)...For some reason I couldn't get two on a page on the safari style...I just turned my paper, put it back in the printer and printed it again (hope that makes sense)...you can really make two fit! 

Magic Confetti 2