Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, It's Off to Camp we go!

After spending way too much time at school this weekend, I think I am ready for CAMP SKEETER!

This is what the kids are going to see, when they first come in.

The kids are going to flip.  It looks so different.

SHHH!  I took a lot down to "prep for Skeeter"  SHHH!

 Here is a view from the back of the room.

Tent Area

Paper Plate Ducks

Turtles made with bowls

Camp Fire

Mail and Agenda Area

Now I am going to enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Camp Skeeter

In first grade, we end the last week of school with Camp Skeeter.

We decorate our room and we do all kinds of camp activities.

I always go a little overboard!

Here is a picture of day one of decorating.

Since this picture was taken, we've added frogs, ducks and turtles.

I must say, these are the cutest crafts ever.  I can't wait to share! 

When the kids had extra time, they added animals and plants that we would see at a campground in Ohio.

I will be going in this weekend to put the finishing touches (tent and campfire) around the room.

I will be sure to take loads of pictures.



Aaargh

We finished our Pirate Unit with a treasure hunt. 

Thanks to Party City, we had real exciting loot! 

I wish I could show you the faces of the kids as they opened this awesome treasure box!

Our bulletin board turned out so cute. 

 I 'll take a picture when I get to school. 

 I must share!

Poetry Party

 We spent the month working with poems. 

We went around the school building giving Poetry Breaks to classes. 

We read familiar poems from our poetry folder.  We had quite a collection to choose from.

We also spent a couple of weeks composing our own poems. 

We talked about all the differences in poems: some rhyme, some don't, some are long, some have a beat...

Every day for two weeks we read poems written by first graders followed by about 15 minutes of writing. 
The poems this year were interesting, but fun.  I'll have to take pictures of some them to share.

To end our unit, we had parents come to a Poetry Party, where the kids read their poems into a microphone!

Three classes joined forces and it was loads of fun!

Here is our background.

We had quite a turn out. 

 We put out a ton of chairs, but we still had lots standing in the back.

Reduce, REUSE, Recycle

In honor of Earth Day, I have to share my new favorite item.

It is the . . .

KFC side order container!

For lunch, I've used it for salad dressing and cheese cubes.

For school, I've used it for keeping glue, paint, push pins and paperclips.

It has an amazing seal and it is just the right size. 

Chicka Chicka Blends

We have been reading the top 100 recommended books for kids.  Chicka Chicka Boom Boom was on the list and I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it, since most kids have read it over and over.  I came across incorporating blends while flipping through the teaching blogs.  I liked the idea and went with it.

                                                        

This was a  great practice and review for blends.

   

Signs of Spring

Eventhough it snowed yesterday, it is still spring. 

So, we have been focusing on spring words and signs of spring.  Every year I have the first graders make these robins.  I love activities that use their hands or handprints. 

I found this poem and we had a great time hanging our robins up to decorate.

                          Here is to hoping the sun shines soon!