Shop Sale--Teachers Pay Teachers!!

Today and tomorrow--a 20% sale on my store products at Teachers Pay Teachers!! Come and visit. Now is the time to get those products you'd love to have. Here is an example--My Back to School Fun Pack usually sells for $4.50. Sale price is $3.60!!


Another example would be my Descriptive Writing Packet that normally sells for $3.00--now priced at $2.40.







Check it out: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Susan-Moon
  Susan

Back to School SALE!!

Hi everyone--
There is a wonderful surprise planned for August 18-19 at Teachers Pay Teachers. We're having a SALE!! Come on over to check out the sales. We'd love to have you visit and look over the amazing products. Happy Shopping!

 Susan   
 **Special Note: You must type in the Promo Code: BTS13 when making a purchase in order to get the sale price.         

Monster Theme Calendar Set Freebie

Anybody doing a monster theme in their room this year? Well, here is a monster themed calendar set that you can get for free at either of my stores:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Imagination-Station-jazzygrandma
http://www.teachersnotebook.com/shop/JazzyGrandma

I hope you enjoy it!!

  Susan

How Did You Spend Your Summer Vacation?

I usually read Mark Teague's How I Spent My Summer Vacation to my students at the beginning of the year. What a great story! I project it using my Elmo and the kids love looking at the pictures and love the exaggeration used to entertain.

I've put together an activity packet using this book. It is available at both my TPT/TN stores:
http://www.teachersnotebook.com/shop/JazzyGrandma
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Imagination-Station-jazzygrandma
Hope you like it...leave me a comment if you would please. Have a great week everyone!!

Susan

Posting Test

I am posting to see if this shows up on Bloglovin. My last post did not.

Blank Calendar Set!

I've been working on a blank calendar set for classroom use year after year. It's finished!! You can use the calendar as a monthly individualized method of understanding calendar math. Students feel ownership when they have completed the calendar themselves. There are many other uses for the calendar on my idea page that is included. Each month is ready for students to write the days of the week, daily dates, classroom birthdays, special days of the month, write the year vertically in the boxes provided, and color the topper of each month.



You can find a copy at either of my teacher stores:

http://www.teachersnotebook.com/shop/JazzyGrandma
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Imagination-Station-jazzygrandma

Susan

Favorite Read Alouds

I absolutely love the first week back to school. One of the big reasons is of course the read aloud books that I read to the kids. I think this sharing, modeling, and engagement with the books sets a perfect tone to that first week. The books I choose are usually connected to some kind of activity that we do to build our community of learners. Here are the ones I usually start with:

*The Crayon Box That Talked by Shane Derolf.
The theme centers around acceptance of diversity and being able to see how everyone can work together. A box of crayons at a store do not get along because each thinks their color is the best. A little girl buys the talking box and takes them home. Needless to say they learn a lesson. I follow up this activity by giving each student a cardstock stencil of a crayon. They draw the labels, color it the color they wish, we put their name on it, and I put all of the crayons on a poster that I bought of a box of crayons. It stays up all year.

Here is a picture of our display. I include a quote from the book and a copy of the cover. I use tape to put the crayons on the poster and put them on it just like they would be in a box.




*Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes. Diversity is again the theme--being able to accept others--even those with a very different name. Chrysanthemum goes to school so excited only to wilt after others make fun of her name. Great book for discussion! I usually create on paper an acronym name poem form for each student. We discuss how to do these poems. Each student creates their own acronym poem. This is a great activity for a class book.

*Only One by Marc Harshman. This book is about working together as a group no matter how many in a group. All through the book you will find examples like: 12 eggs, but only 1 dozen. The activity that I do involves using 2 pre-made blank puzzles. I get the ones that are 24 pieces so that you have a total of 48 pieces. I write across the top of the puzzle (laid side-by-side vertically) "___ Students , But Only One Class". I also write each student's name on a puzzle piece. I also include my name on a piece. (**I finally figured out that if I turned the puzzles over and numbered them on the back, it was easier to put it back together again.) Each student decorates their name piece-around their name-and another blank piece. I put them together and into a poster frame that fits the size. It hangs all year in our classroom as a reminder we are a class!

I could not leave this post without mentioning the first chapter book I read to the class--in fact for 31 years I have read this book at the beginning and the children love it! I have "voices" I use for the characters. The kids love the voices of the characters. If I happen to use the wrong one--they will be sure to let me know. I love this book!

*The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White. "Louis"--is born into the world lacking a voice. His parents soon figure out that he will not be able to go as far in life without a voice. So, Louis's father gets him a trumpet to use as his voice. The story shows how Louis overcomes his problem and the story is full of adventure and lots of life lessons.


Wishing you all a wonderful start to the year---choose some read aloud books to build your learning community. I think kids sense your love for reading from these activities, and it sets a wonderful tone for the year.
      Susan  

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Imagination Station      http://jazzygrandma.blogspot.com/

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http://www.teachersnotebook.com/shop/JazzyGrandma
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Susan-Moon                             
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