December '12 classroom

This was an easy math center where I had the kids do a fact family tree. The 3 numbers in the fact family are in the start. And the four ornaments are the addition and subtraction equations using those 3 numbers.

The snowmen were created with our art teacher using coffee filters. Loved how they turned out.

The reindeer is a fun project we did to represent the "R" in Christmas. We made a book writing about each letter in "Christmas" and did an art project for each one. (i.e. C is for Candles, H is for Happy Carolers, R is for Reindeer, I is for I Love Santa, S is for Stockings, T is for Tree ,  M is for Mistletoe, A is for All the Elves, S is for Silver Bells

 

 

We made Gingerbread houses a few Fridays ago and the kids had a blast as expected. I passed out the candy and had the kids unwrap all the good cause I knew once the frosting was out their fingers would be covered. I thought it was really cool how they all organized their sweets. Every year the houses turn out a little different. Last year all the houses were COVERED with candy. This year my class was a little more detailed and careful. 

I really did start dry heaving when one of my first graders brought me this cupcake. His face was covered in chocolate and his fingers were squishing the top. Gag! Oh the joys of teaching 1st grade.

I love seeing what this boy wears every day. He always kills it with the skinnies and cool shoes.

I think I do something different every year for parent gifts. This year I decided to do 2 ornaments. I think they look pretty cute all bagged up. One ornament is a cute snowman, the other a glittery star.

Thanksgiving picnic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11/22/12

Laguna Niguel, CA

We picnicked our Thanksgiving at a park near my sister's house. I loved the food, non traditional at it's best. Eating in fresh afternoon air was so nice too. We kept the kids busy with a feather headdress craft before dinner and a scavenger hunt after. It's was nice to let the kids run free and not have much cleanup. The paninis, soup, and salads were amazing. Oh the appetizers too. Boy! My mom does it up right. Same with my sisters and some of our extended family that joined us. All credit goes to them for a great holiday and hopefully new tradition.

Teen's post HERE

watch // Coming to Light

 

 

When Egan and I were driving to California for Thanksgiving we watched this really great documentary on Egan's ipad. It's called Coming to Light. Highly recommend.

In October when we went to the Chihuly museum in Seattle we were in love with this wall of Indian portraits. Dale Chihuly collected a lot of things, and this wall of portraits was one of them. I've been wanting to learn more about the photographer and this documentary is all about him; Edward Curtis. It's about his passion and life-long project of preserving the Indian cultures. And also the controversies of what he did to romanticize the Indian life.
All I'm trying to say is SEE IT!

sculpture garden

 

 

 

 

 

 

12/23/12

Costa Mesa, CA

Egan took us to the Noguchi Gardens which was a cool sculpture garden called the "California Scenario." It's open, it's free, it's outdoors, and we were the only people there. We had a great time. So great a time in fact that while the kids were making one sculpture into a slide a guard came by and said "lookey but no touchy." booorrrring!

November '12 classroom

 I've done these leaves ever since I learned them when I was a student teacher. (thank you Mrs. Roper!) They love getting their hands in some Karo syrup + food coloring. We love the shiny result.

Dallas Clayton, you know I love him, came out with a new book and of course I got it. It's a book of poems. Very Shel Silverstein. Can't wait to read it to my kids, but for now it's on my bedside table.

I have a sweet student who draws pictures for me almost daily. I find them in her homework folder each morning. This one was particularly flattering. That jheri curl hair! my!

These fall art projects are pretty scrappy. I put them in centers and they enjoyed them. On the turkeys they practiced counting by 10's. The corn art was coloring in patterns.

I'm continuing my goal of making a class book for each language arts unit. This unit is about living things. We made a book about mammals. I had them illustrate using construction paper, but they couldn't use any pencils or crayons. I LOVED how they turned out! Isn't it amazing how they made the animals. Inspiring. These books have turned out to be a great assessment after the units. I can see that they learned!