Tute Tuesdays

The weather is starting to feel a lot like FALL!  I love Fall crafts!  We are getting ready to start an apple unit in our classroom.  We are also getting close to open house.  So we need lots of cute things to hang and have displayed in the coming weeks.  I got some inspiration at Craftberry Bush to make an apple wreath. 

Check out how cute this is-

We are going to change it up a bit to make in more kinder friendly
 and here is how we are going to do it...

* You need red and green paint.
* Students gather some sticks from the school yard to break and use at stems.
* You need apples-cut in half.
* My favorite- paint the inside of the apples and let the kids stamp them onto white construction paper.
* Paint a leaf and glue on a stem.
* Once they are dry cut the apples out in their apple shape.
* Wreath-cut the centers out of some white or brown paper plates.
* Glue the apples around the edges of the plate.
*Hole punch the top and add riddon
These are super cute!

Made Monday

{photo by HWTM}

Welcome to our first MADE MONDAY LINKY PARTY!!!  We want to feature YOU!!!  We know how creative, talented, and sweet all of you are out there, so every Monday this month (& maybe in October too...you never know), we will be hosting "Made Monday", where you can link up anything you have made for your classroom or your home...anything goes!  Then, next Monday, we will choose 3-4 entries to feature before the next party starts!  Fun, right?  


Wanna come party with us?!?

<center><a href=" http://www.frogsbeesundertheseas.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src=" http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/ab84/daphnejackson/FBU/mademondaysbutton.png" /></a></center>All you have to do is link up to your specific post (not your blog address please), and we would be tickled pink if you would add our little linky party button to your post or somewhere on your blog (you can find the code above).  If you join the party, please visit at least 2 of the other links and leave them some sweet comments!  We can't wait to see all the awesomeness!!!

Friday Freebie {9-11}

This coming Sunday marks the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on 9-11.  I still remember vividly where I was when the attacks happened.  

I was student teaching at the time and my kids were in specials.  I was in the library with my Mentoring Teacher watching the horror unfold on the TV screen.  I was teaching 3rd grade and my mentor said that we weren't going to tell the kids, so I tried to pull it together in a hurry.  Then, just as we had gotten the kids back to their seats, a parent volunteer came storming in and asking us (in a very loud voice) if we knew about the plane crashes.  So much for our plan...we had to tell the kids (a brief version) about what had happened.  We felt like their parents could explain in more detail if they so desired.  


I will NEVER forget the looks on their 8-year-old faces (confusion, fright, sadness).  I knew what I was feeling and it had to be quadrupled for them!  Anyway, I asked my mentor if I could plan a lesson/craft based on what had happened for the next day.  We were all going to remember this and I felt like we needed to help the kids understand.


So,  I made a huge flag out of butcher paper to hang in the hallway.  Then, I asked the kids to draw something about the events of 9-11 on white paper and also to write one word about the day on a star.  This is how it turned out. (I apologize for the terrible quality of these pics ~ camera technology sure has come a long way in 10 years.)

The next year, when I had my very first class of Kinders, we made a hand-print flag out of a sheet that I will forever cherish and display proudly in my classroom!

For today's freebie, I saw an awesome idea for a 9-11 family project at What the Teacher Wants.  It may be better for older kids, but I'm sure you could adapt it for those little ones!

I am so grateful today for all the heroes of that terrible day...firefighters, police, & the people of NYC!  I'm also grateful for the soldiers who fight daily to protect our country from anything ever happening like this again!  Please say a prayer for those out there directly impacted by that day, who lost loved ones, and still miss them beyond measure.  WE WILL NEVER FORGET!!!   

Just so I don't leave you feeling depressed (like I am right now after writing that), I do have some good news today!  My APPLE FUN UNIT is done and ready for purchase in our Teacher's Notebook Shop.  It is 26 pages for Pre-K, K, & 1st and includes...

As usual, we are having an introductory sale (15% off) from today (9-9) till next Friday (9-15).  Hurry...you don't want to miss all the apple-y fun!    Click HERE to view!  :)  Ta-ta for now! 

Theme Thursday {All About Me}

So next week I'm starting my All About Me unit and here are some things I have found that I'm using or tweeking a bit:

I purchased this unit last year and used it with my firsties and they LOVED it. We worked on a couple pages a day and at the end of the week we shared them to the class. I'm kind of anxious to see what the kinders will create, but they are excited about talking about "me" all week.

Learn and Grow Designs: (click to purchase)

I purchased this unit last week and I'm excited about using some of the activities out of it!

Creative Classroom

I also took advantage of this MARVELOUS unit by Deanna Jump before school started. I used it mainly during the the beginning of school, but this is one of the projects we didn't get to, so I'm pulling it back out and we're going to do it. I know my kinders are going to love it....of course I'm going to be sweating as they are cutting (many of mine are still have difficulty holding scissors--AHHH) BUT- they love love LOVE tearing paper, so this will be their favorite. 

Mrs. Jump's Class:

This is also when I start to introduce my bucket fillers and talk about "heart felt words" and making our friends feel good. Here is a picture of what I use in my classroom as bucket fillers. As for the beginning of the year I am the only one using these. When the kids do something to make me happy (fill my bucket) I give them a pom pom to fill their bucket....because when you fill someone's bucket you also fill your bucket! 

I cannot remember where I snagged this sign from....THANK YOU if it was you--I'm thinking it was Room 36 but I'm not sure. 

Sorry about the darkness of the photo....I'm sitting in the dark because it relaxes me! I do have labels for my buckets, but I forgot them at home today so I'll be bringing them bright and early tomorrow morning and putting them on. This is actually a 24 shoe hanging organizer with plastic cups inside.

I also start my VIP (Very Important Pirate) and I start with information about myself. Each day is something different and I actually got the idea from What the Teacher Wants....and just tweeked it to fit my pirate theme. Also, whoever is VIP of the week, they get to spend a weekend with Cupcake our class pet (parrot) whom I have previously mentioned. 

Enjoy my friends!

Whip It Up Wednesday

We love food in our classroom!  Lunch and snack are two of our favorite times of the day!  If we get a chance to make a snack, we jump at it.  Next week we are starting our All About Me unit.  One day we make "face" snacks.  Students use different foods to make a face.  We will walk around and look at the creations, and then we get the eat them!  Plain round cookies, a little icing, and various toppings make for some cute faces!  Here are some SMILES for inspiration-

These "Bird" Faces are from Family Fun (click the picture to view the page)

Peanut Butter, Raisins and Chocolate Chips Make a Yummy Smile

This one can be done with cups of apple sauce and some cut fruit.

Clowns make good faces!

Cute and Super Easy! I love the gummy worm smile!

Snacks always seem better when they are smiling at you!  I will post pictures of our creations next week!

Happy Wednesday!

Top Ten Teaching Blogs ~ YAY!!!

So, I meant to post much earlier today, but my little one & I are both feeling a bit under the weather...ugh!  So, just wanted to say a quick HUGE THANK YOU to these awesome bloggers who awarded us with one of their "Top 10 Teaching Blogs!"  We are beyond honored to be on each and every one of their lists!  

 

So...graci, muchas gracias, danka, merci, and thank you, thank you, thank you!!! :)  Ya'll are the BEST!!!

 

We have WAY TOO MANY blogs that we LOVE and visit on a daily basis between the three of us to list only 10 and many of them have already received awards, so we're just going to say that WE LOVE TEACHER BLOGS!  Keep teaching, keep sharing, and keep blogging...we're loving every minute of it!  

Since September crept up on us here at FBU, we are just now getting around to making our new blog schedule for the month!  We hope you like it!

On our "Made Mondays," we will be hosting a weekly linky party, so you can link up ANYTHING you have made for your classrooms or home.  Each week, we will choose 3-5 links to feature before the next party starts!  Are ya'll with us?  Can't wait to party with all our bloggy teacher friends!  

I've been working all day on my new Apple Unit for the shop...it should be ready soon for purchase!  Be on the lookout!   We will have an intro sale too...you don't want to miss it! :)  Alright-y then...this chick is going to bed...talk to ya'll soon!  

Labor Day!!

Just wanted to wish ya'll a very Happy Labor Day! I'll be sitting here at the house all day enjoying Lifetime's movie marathon: Going into Labor Day. It's all day movies about Babies....you know the ones about the babies being stolen and husbands trying to get their wives preggo for inheritances money. The typical Lifetime movies...Ha! I don't know why I enjoy these, but I do! 

I'm trying to wrap up my school work and enjoy this beautiful (but very rainy) day with the hubster and try NOT to think about going back to work tomorrow. Ugh! When is the next break again??