Getting to the Core

1-2-3 Come Make Student Gifts With Me

Are you looking for something quick and easy to make your students, for the last week of school, that won't break the bank? You've stopped at the right blog.

gifts for the end of the year, owl miss you activity, writing prompts for the last week of school, end of the year writing prompts, graduation gifts for kindergarten, graduation gifts for preschool, graduation ideas, last day of school activities, last day of school gifts, student gifts, owl crafts, I always sent my students home with a little something as a good-bye gift, but when you have 2 classes of Y5's with 20 in each class, that often got a bit expensive.

The "Wishing a "kool" kid a very kool summer" treat, is a breeze to put together. A box of 48 Kool-Aide packages sells for around $13 Dollars. 

If you don't have that many students, perhaps another teacher will split the cost with you.

I bought the Curly Straws at The Dollar Store. (6 in a package.)

Here’s how to make them:

Cut toilet paper rolls in half.

Run off the owl template on a variety of colors of construction paper, or simply light brown to look more realistic.

If you want to add a bit more pizzazz, color in the beak and feet and add wiggle eyes with a glue dot.

Staple or tape the owl to the toilet paper tube.

Run off the teacher and student notes + bookmark(s).

I’ve included black and white bookmarks for students to color, or colored bookmarks if you want. You can tuck in one of each if you choose.

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Roll them up and insert into the toilet paper tube. They will unwind and fit snug.

Bend a package of Kool-Aid so that it fits and tuck that in along with the bookmark(s) and a Curly straw.

Give directions and model the lesson. Pass out the student “You rule” papers to each student.

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Have them write their name on the top and then pass it to another student close by.

Students complete the thought: “I think you’re a really “Kool” kid because…”

When they are done writing their sentence they sign their name at the end and pass it to another child.

Continue passing papers ‘til everyone has written a compliment on all of the papers.

Children will be really excited to read their classmates comments, but tell your students they will get to read them later, and quickly collect the papers.

Roll them and insert them into your note.

Make sure you can see the students’ names, so that you can put the correct one on their desk the last week of school.

I don’t save things ‘til the last day, as some students might be absent.

Click on the link to view/download the Kool Kid Owl Miss You packet.

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"Life is a great big canvas. You should throw all the paint you can on it." -Danny Kaye

1-2-3 Come Make An Owl With Me!

So Long School; Hello Summer is a writing prompt craftiviity I think your students will enjoy.

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You could also use this as a "graduation" activity and have students write about what they'll miss about pre-school or kindergarten, or whatever grade level they will be leaving.

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Glitter as well as wiggle eyes can also make things pop.

Adding a school photo to the leaf, helps easily identify work and makes the project even more of a keepsake.

I used a flower paper punch for the eyes. There are many available, and students enjoy this fine motor skill.

The owls look wonderful swirling and twirling when they are suspended from the ceiling in the hallway.

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"How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something, but to be someone." -C. Chanel

1-2-3 Come Flip Flop With Me!

Tis the season for flip flops! I thought it would be fun to use them to make some fun CVC word actiities.

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Surprisingly, a lot of the flips made real words and not just nonsense words, but even the nonsense words are a valuable resource and fun for your kiddo's.

I also ran into quite a few palindromes (words that are spelled the same backwards and forwards), which is an interesting vocabulary word for your students to explore as well.

The 63-page CVC Flip-Flop Word Activities Packet will help you with Common Core State Standard:RF.K.3c

The Packet Includes:

  • Over 450 CVC word flip flop cards (Use for your word wall, games, puzzles, Daily 5 Word Work etc.)
  • 2 pages of blank flip flops that you can program with whatever
  • 11 sorting mats so students can sort CVC words in a variety of ways: real-nonsense, noun-verb, palindromes etc.
  • Flip flop "Kaboom!" cards for games + 3-pages of tips & ideas of how to use the CVC flip flop cards
  • "Add A Letter" worksheet to make CVC nonsense words into real words. Have a discussion if this new letter changes the vowel sound to long, and what letters words don't usually end with ( c, j, h, f, etc.)
  • A CVC word booklet students can make
  • A CVC vowel sound game +
  • A certificate of praise.

Click on the link to view/print the CVC Word Flip-Flop Packet.

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"Sometimes we are all too quick to count the days, that we forget to make the days count." -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Lace And Learn With Me!

The more ways you can get students involved in shapes, the better the chance of the recognition-light bulb finally going on.

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These "Lace To Learn" shapes are quick and easy to make.

Simply run them off on card stock, laminate, trim and punch holes. 

Students can lace in and out through the holes with a long piece of yarn or ribbon with the tips taped, or a big shoestring is also fun.

Have children say the shape several times as they lace.

I've labeled the shapes with traceable words, so that tracing them with a dry erase marker is also great word reinforcement.

When students have completed their project, ask them to name 1 or 2 attributes that they discovered while they were lacing.

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"They believed they could, so they did!" -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Play A Telling Time Game With Me!

I keep telling myself "April showers bring May flowers" to help chase the dreary-drip feelings away, because of all the incessant rain we've had here in Michigan for the last 4 days straight.

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Since it was pouring outside, I decided to make a rain game to help students review and practice telling time to the hour in one game, and telling time to the half hour in another. (Common Core State Standard: 1.MD.3)

Students spin the clock spinner.  Whatever number they land on, children write the digital time at the top of the raindrop, and then draw hands for that time on their analog clock as well.

If the paperclip spinner lands between two numbers they may choose either.  The first one with all of their raindrops filled in and colored is the winner.

If you want everyone to practice completing the clocks, then have those who have finished, color the children or the turtle on the page 'til everyone gets done.

If you'd like to review simple addition, instead of using the spinner, have students use 1st one, and then 2 dice to achieve the time.

Click on the link to view/download It's Time To Play In The Rain.

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"A person's most useful asset is not their head full of knowledge, but a heart full of love, an ear ready to listen, and a hand willing to help." -Unknown

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