My Summer To Do List!

1. Have & Recover from Surgery
    I'm having a hysterectomy (just uterus) a week after school gets out.  I'm hoping that my recovery time will allow me to accomplish some of the things on that list.
2.  Work on Language Arts Series
     This last year our district adopted Excursions, which is Storytown everywhere else in the country.  So there's a bunch I want to do with it.  We are a PI District (Program Improvement) so VERY little freedom with the curriculum.  We must use our adopted materials, so no Daily 5 or CAFE for me.
      a. Label all 6 manuals the same with post-it tabs (red for 'Week at a Glance',  blue for 'Suggested Lesson Planner', etc.)
      b.  Get a index card file box together with all Lessons (weeks) and the skill taught/reviewed in each, and a section for materials with those skills; Powerpoints, I Have..., Task Cards, Pocket/Envelope Activities, Word Sorts, Power Pix (from Whole Brain Teaching) that teach individual standards.
      c.  Get all weekly objectives typed out so I can print and post them.
      d.  Get table complete of what I have in my laptop for each lesson; vocabulary, spelling tic tac toe, trifolds, vocabulary crosswords, daily powerpoints, vocabulary powerpoints.
      e.  Download the missing items for each week
3. Read The Book Whisperer.  Amazon says it's on its way!
4. Read Karen Kingsbury's Take One series & Unlocked
5.  Work on my teacher blog
6.  Redo my classroom blog
7.  Begin with TpT
8.  This should be #1--oops--Spend time with my wonderful kids and time in prayer and God's Word!

Addition #1 (there may be more as I think things through!)

9.  Go through all of my 'starred' items in Google Reader...yep there's over 100!  Read them carefully, print the resources they provide, check out the websites they recommend etc.

10.  Print out all of my weekly reading logs for the year and daily behavior sheets.  I use a clip chart & I have 1/2 sheet that they color in the apple the color they ended on.  The sheets are dated so they don't get confused.

Glad to be linkin' up with others!  Thanks Littlest Learners!  If you'd like to join here's the link:
http://littlestlearners.blogspot.com/2011/05/what-are-you-planning.html

Contest Winners! :)

Congratulations to my two winners!  I apologize for having my drawing late :(

I used random.org...

Winner #1

Comment #6 Hadar who said "I follow your wonderful Blog! Those pins are adorable!"...so glad you feel that way because they're yours!!!  Email me your snail mail address so I can send them to you! :)

Winner #2

Comment #3 Mireya Aguirre who said "Awesome!! I follow your blog!"  I'll email you to find out how you want your Stinky Pete book to be autographed and to find out your snail mail to send it to you!

Thanks to those who entered...hopefully it won't be too long to reach 200 followers and have another contest!

Giveaway Modification! Blogger Issues!

Are you frustrated by Blogger?

Are you having a hard time leaving comments?

Are you worried you can't enter the giveaway?

If you can't comment, email me at Nancydwilson@hotmail.com listing which ways you are entering.  I'll post those that are emailed to me.  I hope you can see the followers list and follow if you aren't already one.  I hope this solves the problem for those, who like me, are able to leave comments some of the time and getting stuck in a loop other times!  Thanks!

Giveaway Reminder!

Two Prizes!

Handmade Teacher Pins Set!

Autographed Stinky Pete Book!  Author is a Good Friend & This
book Has Just Been Published!
9 Possible Entries Per Person!
Entries So Far: 16!
Picking Winners Tomorrow Night--Saturday 8PM Pacific Time!
Don't Miss Out!

Dollar Deals - One Week Left!

Dollar Deals - One Week Left!
Hi, sorry I thought it would show the flyer.  Click on the link and you'll see the flyer for Scholastic Teacher Express Ebooks.  These are the same books you see in the book orders in the teacher section, but instead of a book that will take up space in your classroom and cost around $7-15, you store it on your computer, or flash drive and spend $1!  We love things that are $1, don't we!!! 

Giveaway Time!!

As I write this I have 101 followers! THANK YOU!!!  I am so excited to post/host my first giveaway!  One individual will receive the following collection of teacher pins & earrings made by yours truly!

A good friend and fellow teacher, Kaye Webster, has just published her third book, The Crossroad Chronicles: Stinky Pete; A Pirate's Tale.  One lucky winner will get an autographed copy of her book!  Kaye is an amazing kindergarten teacher and good friend!  Her first book, I Want to be a Ballerina is still one of my daughter's favorites!  She's had the book since she started dance as a 3 year old! (she's now almost 8 and getting ready for her 6th recital!)

This morning I bought and had autographed one book  for each of my children and a hardcover for my classroom!

Here's how to enter:

     1. Follow my blog and leave a comment that you do.

     2. Blog about the giveaway on your blog and leave a comment that you did.

     3.  Place my blog on your sidebar (or sidebar Sqworl) and leave a comment that I'm there! :)

     4.  Grab my button and place it where you have your button collection, sidebar, bottom, separate page, and leave a comment that it's there.

     5.  Since I know there are plenty of teachers who check out blogs but don't have one yet 2-4 were impossible for you so....5 & 6 are for you, but all may do them.  Tweet about the contest and leave a comment that you did.

     6.  Post about the contest on Facebook and leave a comment that you did.

    7,8, & 9.  Make a donation to my Donor's Choose Project, even $1 is fine, more is awesome!  Leave 3 separate comments that you donated. So even $1 gets you 3 entries!

BEST OF LUCK TO YOU ALL!!!  Thank you so much for visiting my blog! I will choose my winners next Saturday night or Sunday...I'll update you after I've checked my calender!

Journey with Pete on a Piratey adventure where he discovers life’s greatest treasure!

Available for purchase through Tate Publishing online. Additionally available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon and other fine book retailers.  

Fun Cheers and Claps

These are some great cheers and claps that you can use in your classroom!  The kids really enjoy them!  I've used them for individuals and groups when they have done something great.  I frequently let them choose which one they would like.  The models are my daughter, Sieanna (2nd grade), and her two friends, Sedona (3rd grade on the left) & Marysa (2nd grade on the right). Both of her friends are also teachers' kids.  Thanks to all three of them for allowing all of you to see & hear these cheer and claps!

 

I hope you will enjoy these as much as my students have!

Updates!

Hello all!  Some quick updates here. 
     I'm at 86 followers & if you've been around Blogworld for awhile you know what that means....a contest in the (hopefully) VERY near future!  Here's a teaser...2 winners, at least 9 ways to enter, homemade teacher goodies and a second special prize!
   My countdown is a little longer than most of you out there, June 16!  We do have 2 field trips before school gets out, one to the bowling alley the other to Edwards Air Force Base.  They should be good.  It's getting a little rough though, the students and the teachers are feeling DONE already.  I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!
   I went to the doctor Wednesday.  With a laptop and Blogworld out there a two hour + wait isn't nearly so bad!!! Anyway, surgery scheduled for week after school gets out. (partical hysterectomy) I think I may need to see another doctor though....I'm just not sure it's normal to be thinking 'good! recovery time? BLOG TIME!'  :)
   Working on a new post, maybe up today?!? It's great ways to encourage/reward your students.  I think you'll LOVE the ideas!  I did get some from training, some from other teachers, and some are my own!!!  Check back soon!

My First Donor's Choose Project!

I'm so excited about my first Donor's Choose Project.  I am requesting an iPod Touch for classroom use.  (I really wanted an iPad, but I couldn't start with that!) Since I am asking others to donate I felt I needed to start by donating as well.  So I have made the first donation of $5.  I would appreciate any donation you are able to give!  Next job for me...read up on making a Donor's Choose button!! Here's the link for my project!
www.donorschoose.org/applebasket

A Great Big GIANT 'THANK YOU' to Mrs. Saoud from Primary Graffiti for giving me her Donor's Choose Button, and sticking with me getting it posted and working!!! (she modified it to go to MY project) THANK YOU!!!

More Great Contests!

I just love all of the contests out there!  I missed a few of them being so busy, but I'm going to try to catch some now!

Kimberly at Funky First Grade Fun is over 200 followers so she's giving a Target gift card to one lucky winner & one item from her TpT store to another!  Go check out her cute blog!






Hadar at Miss Kindergarten (formerly Outfitted & Inspired) is having a contest too.  She is giving away one of her amazing signs, and a crocheted flower hair clip to another follower.




Ana at Ingles 360 is giving away a complete set of her letter of the week file folder games!  Her site is great and has become an important resource for me since I got a new student from Cuba.  She is so generous and has LOTS of freebies!  Good luck!


There's a new blog on the block and she's hosting a give away for a $10 Starbucks card!  Go check out her new blog!

Jenn at Finally in First is going to be giving 5 lucky winners a bag from Mixed Bag Designs.  She also shares how this company does fundraiser in which they give 50% to the school! To find out more visit:
http://finallyinfirst.blogspot.com/2011/05/giveaway.html?showComment=1305473042690#c7497049910228980199

Roadrunner Notebooks

I have been a big fan of Proteacher.net for several years now.  I had seen many teacher post about their FROG, STAR, MOOSE, or other notebooks.  These notebooks varied in their purpose and contents.  Some teachers used them for home school connections and others use them for classroom work.  I decided since our mascot is the Roadrunner,(I live in the High Desert of Southern California) we would have Roadrunner Notebooks.  We brainstormed what Roadrunner would stand for.  I posted my title page as a Google Doc.

In case Google Docs isn't showing right now for you, Roadrunner stands for R.eally O.utstanding A.cademically D.etermined R.oadrunners U.sing N.otebooks N.ow as an E.xcellent R.esource.  My notebooks are a resources for the classroom.  There are resources that I have collected from posts made from Proteacher.net and many other sites.  I will only post ones that have been created by me.  I will give credit whenever I have a resource that is listed on the sheet.  I have been adding to the notebooks over the past few years and I have laminated most sheets for durability.  I just reorganized them.  This is the set up:
   Title Page, '10 Ways To Be a Good Student,' Rights 
       & Responsibilities'
   First Divider--Genres
      'Genres at a Glance'
      11 pages that explain & give examples of the
         different genres
   Second Divider--Good Readers
       Three pages of Comprehension Skills with
           pictures to match the skills. These come from
           the Santa-Maria Bonita School District (GREAT
           RESOURCES!!)
           http://www.smbsd.org/page.cfm?p=2442
      Comprehension Strategies page (Strategies
           Unlimited, Inc.)
       Four 'Reading is Thinking' pages that include
            making connections (followed by a Using
            Connections page from Readinglady.com),
            Making Predictions, Asking Questions, &
            Visualizing
   Third Divider--Grammar
       Four sheets on Commas (also from Santa Maria
            Bonita SMB)
       A sheet on Subjects & Predicates (SMB)
       Sheet of 4 Types of Sentences (Proteacher.net)
       Kinds of Sentences
       Declarative (SMB)
       Exclamatory (SMB)
       Imperative (SMB)
       Interrogative (SMB)
   Fourth Divider--Mastery Club/Top 10
       Mastery Club Challenge (Heather Renz
           http://www.mrs.renz.net/)
       Top 10 (the students find top ten of something
            like fruit, then alphabetize, use adjectives to
            describe each, etc.
   Fifth Divider--Parts of Speech
        Adjectives, has a list of about 80+ adjectives
        Adjective Song lyric (by Ron Brown Intelli-
               tunes..see my 1st post)
        Helping Verbs (SMB)
        The Irregular Verb be (SMB)
        Prepositions, has a definition and list of about 50
            prepositions
   Sixth Divider--Reading Response
        Reading Response Starters (sorry because I
             scanned it you have to click on the link to see
              it!)
https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B8AQ_IzX1ifJYjUxYWUyY2QtN2Y0NC00MDVmLTkyMWUtYzdlNmI2OGFkNTgw&sort=name&layout=list&num=50
            Front
https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B8AQ_IzX1ifJNzE4Njg2ZDAtMWE1YS00ZGFmLWIwYjgtYTAyYzMwMjc5NzUx&hl=en
                        Back
        Reading Response Sheets, the students fill them
            out for their silent reading time, approximately
            3 times a week.  They only have to use 1
            starter each day.
   Seventh Divider--Resources
        Four sheets on Author's Purpose
        Homophones, list of approximately 100 sets
        How Do You Feel Today? sheet of 70 different
            faces with the emotion printed below the face
        Onomatopoeia Words, list of approximately 100
            words
        US States & Their Abbreviations
            (abcteach.com)
   Eighth Divider--Spelling
        Some Spelling Mnemonics
        Money Words

          Phone Number

                        Both of the above are used periodically for
                spelling practice.
   Ninth Divider--Vocabulary
       My New Word sheets, a word web I got at an ELL
           training, they do one each week for one of the
           words from our LA series
       Word Frame sheets, another way for them to
           show one of our weekly vocabulary words
       Two sets of Mini Thesauruses
   Tenth Divider--Math
       Measurement Abbreviations (abcteach.com)
       Math Strategies
       Problem Solving Strategies (sanchezclass.com)
       Fractions, Decimals, Percents, & Money
       8 Workmats from Math Series (HM) they use dry
           erase markers on them

I know I will continue to add to the notebooks for my students.  There are so many amazing resources out there and I want my students to learn how to use many different kinds of resources. I hope this is beneficial to you in some way. Thanks!
(Oh yes and whoooo hoooo for Blogger being back up!!)

More Contests!

Yippieee!! More contests!  I just love them!  As I'm inching toward 100 followers I'm pondering what kind of contest I'll have too.

The first contest is at Chalk Talk: A Kindergarten Blog.  She is teaming up with Donna Glynn from Kinderglynn to give away Donna's Summer Packet.
http://larremoreteachertips.blogspot.com/

The second is at Kindergarten Works.  If you get friends to follow you get entries into a contest for $15 to spend on their materials!  You can also get a graphics freebie of your choice, monsters or cupcakes, for following!

Teacher Freebie From Me! Fluency Focus: 6 Mini Posters That Fit with Excursions/Storytown

This evening I was finally able to load my PDFs as  Google Docs!  Our district adopted Excursions, which to the rest of the country is Storytown.  We have Language Arts Focus Walls up in all of our rooms.  Although I was able to find resources for most of the items needed for the Focus Wall online, I didn't find anything for the weekly Fluency Focus.  The six areas that are focused in on are; Rate, Accuracy, Phrasing, Expression, Intonation, and Pace.  I created the approximately 4" x 11" posters for my Focus Wall.  I hope you can use them in some way whether you use Excursions/ Storytown or not!  (Please let me know if you do!)

WOW! I Won A Contest!

:) I won a

A Magnetic Whiteboard SMILE Eraser!

Thank you so very much Leslie at Fab In First!!!! Go check out her blog!

Contests Out There in Blogworld! :)

The first contest is at Kinderglynn where Donna is giving away $20 at her Teachers Pay Teachers store.  She has 310 items listed there!  Go check it out!

The next contest is at Fab in First.  Leslie has 200 followers and is giving away a smiley face white board eraser!





Cindy of kindergarten Tales and In the Teacher's Lounge has 100 followers at In the Teacher's Lounge and is giving away a gift card for Amazon, TpT, or Target your choice!

There's a fourth grade blog Life Isn't Always Frogs & Cupcakes that is having a contest for a $15 gift card for Amazon! Go by and check it out!
http://www.frogsandcupcakes.blogspot.com/

Katie at Little Warriors is having a contest for a cool shirt that will say whatever your grade is Rocks!

Lorena at Little Treasures is having a contest too.  She's giving away a personalized teaching sign made by Hadar of Miss Kindergarten (formerly Outfitted & Inspired) to one person, and a gift card for Scrappin' Doodles to another person!

Teachers Pay Teachers Sale Extended Through Today, May 4th

I'm glad that the sale was extended so that I could share about it with others!  Teachers Pay Teachers is a site where teachers can sell things that they have made powerpoints, units, worksheets, learning games, posters etc.  They had a 20% off sale yesterday, but had so much traffic they extended the sale.  In addition, many of the individual sellers had their stuff on sale anywhere from 10-20%.  I took advantage of the sale and bought several powerpoints from Teachers Unleashed (I had one of theirs that they posted for free, it is REALLY good!), and I also purchased items from Lesson Plan SOS, Brainy Bugs, Fern Smith, Amanda Nickerson--One Extra Degree, Babbling Abby--The Inspired Apple, and at least one more but I can't find the name!  Click on the button below for 'Teachng Blog Addict' (even if you just see a little red x) and scroll down to the Entry 'Teachers Pay Teachers Appreciation Sale & Add Your Link" for a list of teachers who had, and probably do have their stuff on sale. Happy shopping!!

More Vistaprints! This is it for a while!

Vistaprint order #3

Pen FREE

Small Banner for our School FREE

10 sheets Letterhead FREE

100 Postcards for I Have..Who Has.. Game FREE

Self-inking Stamp FREE

25 More Small Magnets FREE

10 Large Magnets FREE

Car Door Magnet for Birthdays FREE

Oversized postcards for Book Recommendations 50 FREE

Pen for Daughter's Teacher FREE

Sticky Notes FREE

10 Note Cards for my Daughter FREE (I couldn't resist the ballet slippers!)

T-shirt for my Daughter (she said she wanted one my mine!) FREE

250 More Business Cards! FREE

100 Postcards FREE

10 Large Magnets for Posting Recess Times etc. $4.99 for Image Upload

50 Rack Card Office Passes

Shipping and tax total under $25!

No More for Now!!!