Linky Book Party

This is going to be short and sweet.  I'm exhausted with 12 days of school left.  With only comments left on my report cards, a classroom to close up, Father's Day presents to make and don't forget the end of the year performance to put on...yes, my head wants to hit the bed.

 

So last Friday, my co-workers and I decided to have a camping day.  Each one of us had a different center in our room.  One was making a trail mix, another painting a campfires with big marshmallows, there were 3 others that escape my mind right now and then mine.  I decided to have the children make fireflies!

Fireflies (Lightening Bugs) bring me back to my childhood when we used to catch them in a jar.  My family and I were camping during Memorial day weekend and we saw a lot of fireflies this year.  When the children entered the classroom, they sat on the rug and I turned the lights off.  The fun began with a reading of The Very Lonely Firefly by Eric Carle.  How did I read this if the lights were off?  With a flashlight of course!  They kids loved it!!!

When the book was over, I read them a firefly poem that they would later put on their craft project.  Then they went back to the tables that were decorated with lanterns to give them more of a camping feel.  The children worked very hard and loved every minute of this activity.

One of My Favorite Books

This is one of my favorite books to read to the children.  I tend to read it at the beginning of the year.

The story is about a young boy who lives next to a nursing home.  He is good friends with many of the people who reside there.  His best friend is Miss Nancy Alison Delacourt Cooper because she has four names like him.  In the story, Wilfred helps Miss Nancy find her "memory," by asking the others what a memory is.


Make sure you hop over to Deanna Jump's Blog to see what other books people recommend!

 

One Month Left!

Well, I have one month left.  Actually, 19 days to be exact.  I can't believe I am this close to the end.  It has been a long year full of so many twists and turns.  

My Kinders have come so very far this year!  They have learned so much.  It is at this time, when the end of the year assessments come that I can really see how much they have grown.  We compare what they did at the beginning of the year and what they are showing now at the end.  AND do you know what fills my heart the most, to see their eyes light up when they realize what they have accomplished!  They are realizing how far they have come.  Ahhhh, the fruits of all this hard work for all of us has paid off!!!!

The hard part, they are also realizing our time is drawing to a close.  You can see it in their faces and hear it in their voices.  It is so bittersweet for me.  I'm so happy they are moving on because I have done my job and they have done theirs, but I know they are nervous to move to the unknown.  The good thing is, our classroom is in the first grade wing.  They will walk past my room everyday at least 6 times a day!!!  So they will see me during arrival and dismissal, if not in between.  Transitions are never easy, although it is something we will work on during these 19 days.