Are you getting ready for summer?

Who's ready for summer vacation?  Nicer weather?  My class is already for BOTH!  We have been getting ready for the nicer weather and summer time fun, with a kinds of activities.  While the students in grades 3-5 were sweating and taking the ELA state exams, my kids were working as quiet as they could in our class.  I must say, I was pretty amazed at how quiet they were, until I was pulled last minute (like when the test was already suppose to start) to test a former student who was having a very difficult time focusing and needed a friendly familiar face to administer/proctor the test for him.  Needless to say the test was VERY difficult and the frustration level was VERY high.  (What are these test creators thinking?)  Students that do not qualify for alternate state assessments need to sit for the SAME exam as the general education students.  The general education student get 70 minutes to finish the exam, but my little 4th grade friend who was having testing issues got double time as per his IEP.  So he and I sat in a room, that he was not familiar with, additional construction noise going on outside, for 140 minutes!  The tears kept flowing and I felt awful. :( 

I don't know what was worse the fact that this poor guy was going thorough this or that it was going to last for 140 minutes.  Needless to say that he got through it, and so did I.  I rewarded him with coming to my classroom and being my helper for the afternoon.  He is such a great kid.  While he was in my room, he saw a few new things that my k-2 kids are working on.  He did notice that I had just freshly laminated these two ten frame activities.  "Ooh, how fun!! Can I play?"  The expression and excitement on his face was such a great sight after the 140 minutes of testing.  I was so happy to see him want to do work on these games. 

My students and him used these resources for most of the afternoon and then he told me, "You're my favorite person in the whole wide world!"  followed by the best hug.  (I let him take the tens frame over the weekend.) This was a treat for him and my way of getting him to come back to school on Monday, for the first part the MATH state exam.  Wish me luck! I mean wish him luck!

Beach and Boat Ten Frame and Activities

 

Ocean Animals Ten Frame and Activities

 

 

 

 

I would like to know how many more days until your summer vacation?  What do you do during your time off?

 

I have until June 26th :( and in August I will be going to Italy to my friends destination wedding!

 

 

Who knew testing could be so much fun!?

This is for all my testing friends around the country and around my state. It is the education system as you know it today. However, I think these students did an awesome job to tell it from a kids point of view.

Outstanding Words and an April freebie for you.

With over 65 more days to go until summer vacation, we still have a lot of learning to do.  My first and second graders are learning about compound words. When they found out that the secret was two words that are stuck together, they were so giddy.  One of the boys looked at our birthday chart and shouted... "Look that word has birth and the word day.. When they go together it says birthday!"  Then the rest of the day he became a little compulsive about finding compound words.  So much that he began making up words. (He tried to tell the class para that teacher was a compound word.  Arguing and explaining that teach- and her made up teacher.)  "But you don't understand," he says, "Mrs. B. teaches and she is a her!  Teach-her."   All day long of these explanations,  but it was thrilling to see the excitement. 

Here is the activity that I created for them last week. They are still excited about finding compound words in their stories and in the different poetry that we are exploring. 

If you are looking for compound word activities or printables then check this out.  Click on the picture for more pictures and a better view.

 

 

 

 

If you have stayed with me until the end, then you deserve a little treat.  Here is a Splish Splash Math activity I made for additional practice and reviewing subtraction facts to 18. The kiddos will be using this as an activity for the rainy recess days.

 

Splish Splash... We do Math!!

Nothing like ending your week with indoor recess!  :(  My boys were giving the school aides a very hard time during lunch because they wanted to go outside to play!  Who blames them, right.  I want to go outside too when I have recess.

So since I have a class of 12 boys, I let them comeback to the classroom with the school aide and use our classroom.  (I walked very slowly to the Starbucks about 3 blocks away and enjoyed a lovely beverage.  All while the kiddos were in our class playing with everything in sight.)

Not anymore!   This is what they will do on the next rainy day!

Please share what your kids do during indoor recess.

So happy for this SUNNY SATURDAY!  Enjoy your weekend.

Currently....

It's APRIL ALREADY!?? 

After joining this wonderful blogging community, I have finally gotten to my to-do list and joined in on the currently party! (It's been on my list since January!) However, it seems that I am late to the party and it is only the 3rd.  Next month, I will be on time, maybe even early and I will bring some treats!

 

 

LISTENING:  I am listening to the popcorn pop, that my husband is making while he and the dogs are yelling and barking at the NHL hockey game on TV!

 

LOVING:  Tomorrow is Thursday that much closer to the weekend!

 

THINKING: I am thinking DID the MR. transfer the money? I really wouldn't want to bother him while he is yelling at the TV!  But it is a concern and I reminded him like four times since I first told him it was a new month. 

 

WANTING: I really want time to slow down so I can make room in my schedule to fly to see a very, very dear friend from college.  She is having some problems and I would love to stop and be there for her and her kiddos. (Laughing and talking about college sorority days always makes us feel better!) 

 

NEEDING: I NEED a fresh new manicure and pedicure, even my students noticed that my nails were chipping like crazy!  My class of special ed boys told me they could paint them for me if I gave them art centers. :) 

 

ADVICE:  I am not a good advice giver, because I never do what I say, but one thing is to think ahead and plan it out on paper first.  If you try to create as you go then it won't work out the way you want it to.

 

 

Thank you to Farley for letting me join the party!