The things that I require my students to bring for Y5's:

• When I started 10 years ago, our school used to provide all supplies for our students.
• Because of budget cuts our students now have to bring their own.
• Here's my list.
• 24 count box of Crayola crayons,
• yellow-pen-size highlighter,
• 4 large  Elmet's Glue sticks,
• 2 small size Elmer's Glue sticks.
• I also add if they'd like to donate a box of Kleenex and a box of large or small Baggies that would be appreciated.
• I include this list in my summer welcome letter.
  
• Because I've always been able to get folders and notebooks for .10¢  or .15¢  I buy them so that I can add stickers and names in August, so I can get them done ahead of time.
• They are all also the same color and size. Even when I told parents to bring one blue and one yellow folder they still came with a Dora folder or one that was hot pink. I'm sure that was because they were dealing with a screaming 4-year-old.
• Currently there are only two of us teaching Y5's at our school. My co-teacher agrees with my list.
• The K's get together and compile their list which includes markers, and colored pencils + the above.
• I wanted to see what the other schools around here were asking for, so I checked the various lists at the office supply stores.
• Were you aware that if your school faxes them a list, they'll make copies and put it in their displayer? Nice marketing strategy, and very helpful for parents!

• If you're a first year teacher and wanted to add some things of your own, some of the new things I saw on lists were: a paint shirt, a plain white T-shirt, money, ( any where from a $1 and $5 all the way up to $20 to be used for additional supplies, snacks  and fieldtrips through out the year) bandaids, snacks, paper towels, napkins, dixie cups, hand discenfectant, didey wipes, box of watercolors,  2 jars of Play-Doh, and the standard box of Kleenex and various sizes of Ziploc Baggies. Lots of them also had in bold print, LABEL all your child's things, or don't
•  label them because they will be shared as a community,  Everyone stated that they needed a LARGE backpack, and I go through this every year with my parents sending too small of a backpack that doesn't fit snowpants, and large library books, and children's art projects in, so make sure you specify that. Lots of lists had a pair of tennis shoes on them, and they stated that they would be left at school for gym class. I too had this problem with girls wearing flip flops and not being able to run when it came time for gym. Many listed dry erase markers, and anywhere from 4 up to 10 large glue sticks. And if you teach little ones you WILL go through a lot! So if this is your 1st year, and you get to create your own list, keep that in mind.

• Plan Ahead and Save Time:
• 
  
• I ask that supplies be put in a Ziplock baggie with their child's name on it and that they can bring the supplies to Open House if they'd like.
• I started doing that the 2nd year I taught Y5's because it took a few hours to un-do all the baggies and put the items into community tubs.
• At 1st I thought I'd teach responsibility to the children and keep their own items in their own baggies. This did NOT work. It made more work for me to match name tags to baggies when I passed them out ahead of time and had things on the tables in the morning.  When I wanted children to get their own baggie some of them couldn't recognize their name, and took someone elses baggie and it wasted too much time, and finally once the things were out of the baggie, getting them all back in to the correct baggie was a nightmare. He took my crayon, she has my highlighter etc.
• Now I have 4 tables. Each table has a clear plastic-shoebox size tub of crayons on it. I keep the same kind of tub filled with scissors, glue sticks, markers, colored pencils, and highlighters. The only tub that's on their table is the crayons. I pass out scissors, high lighters and glue sticks and when the children are done with them they put them in the appropriate tub on the supply table. We don't use pencils and markers everyday  so the children go and get their color choices when needed.
• I love this system. Things stay neat and organized and clean up is a breeze.
• When I need the tables for something else I just have children pick up the 4 tubs of crayons and stack them on the supply table.
• I know who hasn't put their supplies away because their name card is on the table.
• You need to TRAIN your little ones how to do this includig pushing in their chair.
• I also explain to them that "Taking care of their belongings." and "Cleaning up as directed." are report card standards.
• Even at this young age if they know what is expected of them, and what they do is important and has relevance, they are more likely to do it. I positively reinforce the behavior I want, and point it out to the children. "Thank you Kelli for cleaning up all your supplies. You were the 1st one to do that. Here's a sticker for your paper. I'm giving stickers today for everyone who does that and remembers to push in their chair!"
  
• I also believe that some of my students are very used to parents cleaning up for them at home, especially if they don't do it the 1st time they are told. I often hear. "If I've told them once, I told them a 100 times." That's the 1st mistake.
• I tell my students that I will tell them only TWICE to do something. After that there will be a consequence. Then I am CONSISTANT, and follow through with a consequence. 
• They are not only learning in my class, they are having to un-learn poor behavior at home. This is hard for little ones because adults are sending mixed messages, because they don't follow through.

• I have a big clear plastic tub at home that I keep in the entry as I go down the basement. I throw school supplies in there all year long that I see on clearance, or pick up at garage sales. I also buy extras during the month of August, because you won't see these super-sales any other month.
• I tap into this treasure trove through out the school year to restock my tubs especially in January when things are gone, and crayons are broken.
• After Christmas break they come to everything all "brand new" like their 1st day of school and they think that's "way cool!"
• Then in the afternoon I haul out the big tub of old crayons. We dump it out on brown buther block paper. Everyone fills up a bowl and they go and sort the broken crayons from the pointy crayons, and the sort of OK crayons. We put the pointy crayons back in the new tubs. I have them each peel 5 of the OK crayons, and then break them so that I have a head start on my crayon cakes for next yea'rs kids.
• They really have fun with this.
• Do you have some tips you can share with us of how you keep your things organized? Please comment!

Back To School Ideas

Seeing little ones all dressed up in their brand new clothes, wearing their brand new backpacks, all excited and filled with the anticipation of the first day of school, don't ya just LOVE it?  I do!  I catch the bug about August 1st when the stores are decorated to the hilt with their displays of supplies. Some people are groaning.

I'm in the ready-get-set-GO! mode. I have to be. I teach Y5's and there's a zillion things I HAVE to do, and ya know what? If you do a few a day, it's FUN, at least it is for me.

In this blog article I'll give you a few tips that I hope will help you have some fun while you get ready to go back.. Next year I'll  start earlier, for I know some of you have already started, and I wish you all the best!

Name Tags:

 Little Giraffes is another of my favorite teaching sites. She has an entire theme for back-to-school. I especially love her "Magic Playdough" idea and plan to do this activity with my Y5's. I also want to try melting a red Solo cup to make an adorable apple name tag! Check out these cute ideas by clicking on the link.

     Teaching The 5 Senses Teddy Bear:

If you teach the 5 sesnses as we do at the kindergarten and Y5 level, you'll want to make this adorable tactile bear. Click on the teddy bear link to check him out. What a wonderful idea!

I plan to make him with these changes: Cut a pair of bib overhauls out of an old pair of blue jeans. and glue him to your sandpaper bear. Hot glue the pocket of the jeans to the middle of the bear. Hot glue two brightly colored big buttons to each strap.

Hobby Lobby and most craft stores sell those mini ziplock bags that are only 3 inches tall.  You'll need 3.

Soak a cotton ball in tangerine oil, or another fragrance you think your students will like, and zip it up in the little baggie, put a medium size jingle bell with a yarn string on it, so that you can jingle it, in the 2nd baggie, put a gummi bear in the 3rd. Place them in the big pocket.

I'm also going to hot glue another pocket on the back of my bear where I'll keep a medium size baggie filled with enough gummi's for all of my students to have a taste. 

I plan to read the story Will I Have A Friend? by Miriam Cohen and then introduce them to one of my stuffed bears and tell them: "Here is one of your very 1st kindergarten friends." Then  I'll say: "Give Me 5!"  and choose a child who is modeling that. (EYES looking at me, EARS listening, MOUTH shut, HANDS folded in lap, FEET on the floor, or criss-cross applesauce.) I'll hand them the bear and a gummi. I've just reviewed the 5 senses!

She'll say: "Hi I'm Kelli and I'm your new friend." She'll give the bear a hug and pass him to the child next to her, and I'll give them a gummi and away we go!

At the conclusion we can review where the bear's 5 senses are, and everyone can take a turn touching the sandpaper.

If this is one of your science units having each one of your students make their own bear would be an easy and inexpensive thing to do!

I'd pre-cut the bears for them using a Dollar Store scissors, because it will be dull by the time you get done cutting out 30 bears!

Want to make a few cute gifts for your teacher friends or the secretary? I could never do her job! I so appreciate our Sandy! Click here.

My favorite is the Orange. I say that to my students during October when we have that as the color of the month. I make it a knock-knock joke and then give them each an orange slice. "Knock-Knock...Who's there? Orange. Orange who? Orange you glad you're in my class?"

 Writing Prompts:

Do you need some writing prompts click here for a months worth?  I have an entire year of fun FREE writing prompts for you too.

 Back-To School Check List:

Do you feel a bit frantic when August rolls around, and a little worried if you'll have enough time to get everything done? Or that nagging feeling of "I know I'm forgetting something!" I did after my first year and I said I HATE feeling like this! It robs me of the joy and excitement that I so enjoy.

So I decided to sit down and make a back-to-school check list of everything I needed to do. Click here for a copy of mine. Then cross off things and add some to make it your own, and you'll have one that's perfect for you to use year after year. It truly will bring you peace of mind. Then, stick it on a clipboard, do things a few at a time-daily and have FUN doing them.

I've learned the JOY should not come at getting the list DONE, but in DOING the list! Life is so much better that way!  I try to finish EVERTHING at least 3 to 4 days before school starts so I don’t feel like I just ran a marathon.

It’s nice if you can treat yourself to a manicure or pedicure or simply a bubble bath and do those things for yourself. I also like to go through my wardrobe and figure out what I’m going to wear for the 1^st week of school and put those outfits in one section of my closet.

I like to cut some flowers from my garden or pick up a few plants from the store and put them in my room. It just perks me up. Whatever your list, you need to enjoy the journey through it. The more time you allow yourself the more fun you’ll have.

 Have last year's kids help you get ready for next year's students!

Try to accomplish a few things BEFORE you leave school and enlist the help of  your students.

I let mine have one last fling with playing with shaving cream to get the “gunk” off the desks. If you haven't tried shaving cream for "instant writing boards" you need to hop aboard! Simply squirt a blob in front of a student on their desk/table. Let them flatten it out to make a "white board". They then write on it with their index finger making shapes, letters, numbers etc. The shaving cream softens their hands, makes the room smell great, and gets ink, crayon marks, and glue gunk off the surface. Plus kids LOVE it!

Anyway... Afterwards my kids wash down all of the tables and chairs. They enjoy splashing away with a rag.   I don’t clean anything else, because over the summer it just gets dusty all over again and was a waste of time.

Instead the children help SORT all of the tubbies so that everything is neat and organized for the children in the fall. This would have been a huge job for me alone, and with a team of 20 kids it’s a breeze and reviews a report card standard for them.     

      They make my "Welcome Back To School" bulletin boards!

I also have them create the two in-class bulletin boards. I then have “Kid-Art” up and I didn’t have to do anything. My current Y5’s think it''s “way cool” that they were getting to make a b. board for the in-coming kids,  and the new kids think it's exciting to look around the cafeteria to see if they can find a kindergarten friend! And…I didn’t have to dream up and make 2 in-class b. boards. What a wonderful win-win! 

 During the first week of school they get to make an apple that replaces this bulletin board. As soon as they finish their apple project they go pick an apple off the board and that is their new kindergarten friend that they look for in the cafeteria.

 I have parent helpers help me with this activity and I make sure that these children are still here and that everyone will have a new buddy. This works out perfect because the K's and the Y5's have the same lunch and recess.

The K's feel proud because they "know the ropes" and can show them around and share their experiences with them that they had as a Y5.

My other bulletin board is"We Wish You A Dino-mite Year!" I have searched hi & lo for this pix and could only find my sample. They have to find the matching photo to their apple. They enjoy taking two friend "cards" home.

Should it ever happen that I don't have enough K's for my kids, I'd make some apples/dinosaurs and use pix from our year book from K's that I knew from last year, then call them and ask if they'd like to be a friend to a new Y5.  I'm sure they'd be thrilled.

Great site for templates:

If you're looking for some templates to make everything from name tags and newsletters to assessments and certificates look no further. Click here for one of my favorite teacher sites.

 Do you have an Info Sheet?

I have an Emergency Contact Information Sheet that I like to have my parents fill out for me. I explain to them that I know they've already filled out all sorts of forms for the office, but I like to have my own forms handy. They are kind enough to oblige. Click here for a copy.

If you'd like a copy of my "Getting to Know Your Child" handout  click on the link. I like a "head's up" about my students. This sheet gives me valuable information so that I can engage my Y5's in conversation and show them that I'm interested in their world and care about them.

 More Helpful Stuff:

Click here for a Back-To-School WORD SEARCH  If you're look for decorating tips click tips and here.

I've also got some cute ideas in SEPTEMBER I, and there's 89 pages of ideas where I post all of my handbooks at SEPTEMBER II stuff. Just click on the links and read or print away.

To wish you a HAPPY back-to-school year, I designed a little door knobber that you can print off and laminate. Hang it on your doorknob. Take a minute to  have your Helper of the Day move a large paperclip down the side to where you're going,. It's my way of saying "Thanks much for stopping! I appreciate you, and I wish you a WONDERFUL year!" Click on the link to print one. :

I run my Open House as a Treasure Hunt which I mentioned in the Welcome Blog, but if you need an invitation, I've made you one here. Just click on the link. Well that's it. I hope this helped.

I will see you in September with lots more EXCITING things for you to do with your students! It's going to be a supercalafragalisticexpialadocious year for all of us! Gotta run, I'm still not done with my list, but....

Let the adventure begin!

Hi!  Welcome to my main BLOG!  I'm so glad you popped in!

If you look to the right you'll see some of the other categories to my BLOG!

• Arts-Crafts & Activities offers several fun things to do with your children each month complete with patterns, directions and pictures.  
• Books of the Month, lists a few of my all-time favorite childnren's seasonal-books and a newer realease with a lesson, activity, + how to jazz up your story time with this book. It also includes a few skill sheets, + a magic trick that I do! 
• Hot Tips & Cool Solutions is just that, a bulleted check list of interesting information to help make your day run smoothly. The 1st three columns will start with September,  but I'll post in late August in time for BACK-TO-SCHOOL.
  
•  Right now, Dishin' Up With Diane has a yummy recipe waiting for you to try. And...
• Care To Share features a "Hot Topic" for discussion each month. August's is: How do you keep things organized? 
• So don't forget to check out the TOP side-bar!

Also featured on the Main Blog's front page each month are:

• Chuckles & Heartwarmers: Cute things my students have said. Hopefully they bring a smile to your day or warm your heart.  If you have a giggle from your classroom or home please take a moment to "grin & share it!" with us. Contact me at diane@teachwithme.com with the header: Chuckles. Thanks in advance. :-)
• Quote: I used to write one on the board every day when I taught high school. The girls in my class often wrote them down in a special notebook. Often one of those quotes became the graduating classes' motto! Consider them the "Apple Seeds" on my site!
• A Peek At Next Month: Give's you a sneak preview.  It's intent is to FYI you to get you excited about what's up-coming so you WANT to come back! I do this same thing with my Y5's. At the end of the day I tell them 1 or 2 wonderful things we'll be doing on their next day of school so they can't wait for another adventure in learning!
• Freebie Of The Month: Your little ones will have fun tracing the basic shapes each month in this adorable booklet and then have a nice keepsake at the end of the year! This feature is simply my way of saying "Thanks for stopping! I appreciate you!" And thanks to my daughter Kelli who designed this sweet smilie button for me. Look for it in the shopping cart.

I hope you're having a super summer! I know many of you will be getting your classrooms ready for school in the next few weeks. I have some terrific tips to share in my September Stuff II where you can look at my handbooks and handouts and see how I do things with my Y5's. Hopefully this will give you some great ideas to add to your own, or be especially helpful if you've just landed a job.

You can also check out my decorating tips  and TWM 500 where a picture is worth a 1000 words. I like to keep things less cluttered by having my shelving units turned sideways and backwards. When someone enters the room things look nice and stream lined. They don't see lots of tubbies with "stuff" in them, but a slim side of a unit or the smooth back with a colorful poster on it! My tubbies are all the same size and only bright primary colors. This also makes things look neat and organized and less messy. Drawer units are nice to help little ones become perfect "picker-upper's"! Mine simply pull out a drawer or tub, dump it out, and when the timer rings, toss the things back inside.

Some of you may even have your Open House in August like we do. I made mine extra fun by turning it into a Treasure Hunt! I send an invitation to my students to get them excited. They receive a list of 10 things to find like their locker with their name tag on it, their monkey on our Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Welcome To Our Classroom bulletin board, and even me! When they find me they need to introduce themselves and their family. They get a strip of stickers to paste to their treasure map and when they've completed the list they can crawl through our wiggle worm tunnel, throw a coconut bowling ball at the pineapple pins, and go for a ride around the block on the school bus.

I have the "how to" including my letter home to parents, a cool countdown to class and my summer welcome letter to my students included at TWM 432. I hope it gives you lots of great ideas to get you and your children excited for this fall too! I've been doing The Open House Treasure Hunt for 10 years now with rave reviews from kids, parents, and other teachers.  Many of my fellow lower elementary teachers have also adopted it. It's an easy and fun way to generate excitement, dispel fears, and get children to find all the things they'd need to find on the hectic first day of school anyway.

After they've completed everything on their list they get their treasure, which is a treasure box filled with all kinds of goodies like school supplies, little McDonald toys that I've collected at garage sales all summer, stickers, candy, etc. including a crayon cake! What's a crayon cake? It's a great way to recycle broken crayons and makes a wonderful coloring or writing tool because when you use it, it makes things many colors! It's great for those fall leaf rubs!.Here's How:

• To make some for your students, peel crayons and break them into small pieces.
• Spray a large or small muffin tin with cooking spray like PAM so that the crayon cakes will easily slide out later.
• Fill each hole to the top with multi-colors of the broken crayons.
• Put on the bottom shelf of a pre-heated oven at 250 degrees.
• Depending on your oven, bake for 15 minutes 'til the crayons are melted.
• Let cool and then tip over. I leave my tins lying face down. Crayon cakes will plop out.
• If they don't, run face down, so the tin is under warm water, but not hot or you will melt the crayons again. 
• I've also put the pan in the freezer for a few minutes to pop them out that way too.
• I used to use the big muffin pans, but later bought the mini ones because they take less crayons and are easier for my Y5's to hold.
• I make an extra set to use in my classroom. My students think they are "Way  cool!"
• So that I'm not spending hours peeling crayons during the summer, in June when things are winding down, I have my students help me with this project! They enjoy doing it, and it's a great fine motor skill for them.

     If you read the alphabet book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom to your class and want some adorable ideas, visit one of my favorite sites at: www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/ChickaChickaBoomBoomPrintables.htm. My favorites are Build a coconut tree shape, and Make a paint stick flet board. Too cute! She also has a printable for 3 coconuts in the coconut tree using bingo dot markers which I use every day in my classroom for one-to-one correspondence. My Y5's LOVE them.

     For an easy Monkey Maze click here.  I tell my students that I found 4 ways to get to the banana. They only have to find 2. I just LOVE this site because it's interactive.. It's one of the places I send my Y5's on their Web Quests! (Find out more in September.) This site is Colormountain.com where your students can connect the dots and color right online. Great fine motor and computer skill practice for young children.

What’s Happenin’ ? Summer is for vacations! I hope you had a chance to take at least one, even if it was the now popular “stay-cation!” My husband’s brother got married in New York so we had a great excuse to extend our stay and see a bit of the east coast. I took some great pictures you may want to show your students if you study RAINBOWS (We went to Niagara Falls and saw a beautiful one!), then journeyed on to see PLYMOUTH ROCK, and a replica of the MAYFLOWER and later PILGRIM’S PLANTATION where we also saw a WAMAPANOAG village. You may want to print off the pix, laminate them and make your own booklest or bulletin boards or use them  in a mini slide show. They'll be great for a November unit during Thanksgiving week. I'll repost then too!

Last summer we had a chance to see the Grand Canyon (A long time on my “bucket list” of things to do.) We stopped at a piece of property that advertised: “See real dinosaur footprints!” To get my Y5’s excited right at the start of school,  dinosaurs is my first science theme, so of course we had to check this out.  (Click on the green writing to see my fun dino stuff!)  Our guide armed with a milk jug of water took us around and poured the water on the prints. He didn’t tell us what kinds of dinosaurs left them, but they couldn’t have been too big, as they were about the size of a shoe box. I have only his word as to their authenticity; but it was fun and my students enjoyed seeing pictures of    dinosaur footprints. I hope yours do too!   In the meantime I hope you enjoy the site. If there's something you're looking for, and you didn't find it, drop me a line (diane@teachwithme.com) and I'll see what I can do!

Educationally Yours,

          I hope you can REST, RELAX, and REJUVENATE for what's left of the....