Christmas Craziness

I am TIRED!  Can I say that?  It has been a crazy week, with crazy fun, and crazy kids, and not enough time to do it all.

I am joining with other bloggers to share some of that fun on this last Friday of the year! ( Did I say tired?? )  Oops!, there is not a linky this week....but here are Five crazy things I have been up to in my classroom.  Enjoy and have some Christmas Break fun!

First up is Jingle our Classroom Elf.  He made his appearance late in the first week of December and has been having fun in our room ever since. 

He brought crayons and snow, he has put up a tree and paper chains, he hung out in the tree house with Jack and Annie, and he was the first thing everyone looked for each morning.  Today he was on top of the globe with the list of good boys and girls.

Jingle has kept us busy.  We wrote about him each morning, so along with tasks he brought from time to time, he has been a great asset to our journal writing.

Next is a shout out to my WONDERFUL husband....who suffers through itchy wigs to play Santa.

Our music program was this week.   Not only did our music teacher do a great job, but a fellow teacher gave up all her preps these last two weeks to play the piano for each class during their music class and got us organized with some backdrop decorations.  I work with awesome teachers!

I guess it is not Christmas without parent gifts....this year we made glittery candle holders with old jars, glue, glitter, and battery operated tea lights.  They were easy peasy and the glitter didn't scatter too much, but they did take a couple of days to completely dry.

We wrapped them up in Rudolf paper bags.

Today was party day.  We did a gingerbread house/Santa's workshop party.  I had several projects hanging around that we didn't have time to do, plenty of  paper, jewels, glue, markers and such, so my students got to choose and create while we helped them assemble their houses.  After lunch, when the houses had a chance to set, we added the candy.

All was finished just in time to head home.  Pack up was easy because we had paper bag "suitcases" that we started filling first thing in the morning.  As projects were finished into the bag they went.  The end of the day went....get your lunchbox and backpack, put on your coat, pick up your bag, hold on to your house and out to the bus you go!

Have a wonderful Holiday Season!  I am going to spend time with my crazy crew....

An elf is coming!

Do you have an elf coming to your classroom? An elf is coming to mine.  He is scheduled to arrive the Monday after Thanksgiving.

I believe he will be coming via the Arctic Express.  I suspect he will be traveling in something that will insulate him from the cold.

We will invite him to stay with us the whole month of December.  He may need a name and perhaps a spot where he can keep an eye on us.  If we do not behave properly he may need to travel back to the North Pole for a day or two.

Our elf will have many adventures while he is with us.  Many of them we will journal about.  We will read about his adventures at the North Pole here in this emergent reader.

He will find his way into helping us with our math centers.  He will help us play games, eat snacks, create gifts, and do random acts of elf service.

You can pick up the emergent reader in my tpt store or by clicking on any of the pictures above.  What else do I use?  These products from other wonderful bloggers,

 and my own math and literacy pack (it is almost ready).  Here is a freebie from that pack:

Missing Addend recording pages

Stay tuned for the further adventures of our elf by following my facebook page.  We should have daily updates.  Join in the fun and let us know what your elf is doing.

Don't forget cyber Monday tomorrow...stock up on everything you will need at a great price.  Checkout code: cyber

Merry Christmas and the End of the World

I know you may not need this now...but since the world did not come to an end, you might need it next year.  Was your day yesterday as crazy as mine?  We had a ton of dads wanting to be Watch DOGS and a ton who came anyway. We had a friendly policeman wandering the halls and it seemed like more adults than children.   I had 10 out of my 26 Kinders gone today.

But those who come had a GREAT time!  We went riding on the Polar Express.  We wore our pajamas, had a grocery bag suitcase and a ticket.  Each of our four Kindergarten classrooms had several activities for the kids to do.

Getting creative and making cards...pictures...whatever.

Snowmen

Snowflake number 1....q-tips, then dipped in gliter.   The q-tips were pre-glued by a wonderful Mr. (not mine, he did his own good things)

Gingerbread playdough (not everything was a craft)

Game Station...a Kinder favorite, BUMP.  This version is from Deedee Will's Christmas Math Work Stations.  You can get it here.

Paper Chains...see the reindeer in the baggie?  Students moved from one activity to another, returning occasionally to put things created in their "suitcase".

Surprise hit!  My husband suggested we set up a circle of trains.  Not my hubs in this picture (he went home to get ready for his later appearance).  Do you see our elf riding? 

Tri-bead candy canes

Snowflake number 2...popcicle sticks and buttons. 

Santa hats

3-D Christmas trees

Doesn't this look like fun?

Foreground, reindeer from candy canes, background, reindeer from little red ornaments (an Oriental Trading kit generously donated to the Kindergarten from Newmont Mining...leftovers from their Christmas party)

We put parents, extra staff, stray volunteers (kids of staff home from college) manning each station and a couple as escorts for difficult children, so as teachers, we were free to oversee it all.  We actually got to wander the hall a bit too and check on the activities in each room.  It all went so smoothly I think it may become a tradition!

After lunch we finished packing our suitcase, then settled in for hot chocolate and a movie.  In the middle of the movie....Santa came!!  He came and visited with each student, gave them a bell, a candy cane, and a pillow/animal thing generously donated to me!  (50 of them, so I gave the extras to the long term sub next door).  It was a wonderful day!

My wonderful hubs!

One of my students...I asked permission to post her happy face here.  See the pillow animal...again donated by Newmont mining (I felt a little guilty giving something much "bigger" than the other kindergartens...but how could I say no?)

The world did not come to an end, my kids and grandkids are mostly coming in to town for Christmas (we are heading out to see the rest for New Year's), and I have shopping, baking, wrapping, and a hundred other things to do  It's going to be a great Christmas.

I am wishing for everyone peace.  Peace of mind, body, and soul.  Peace in the world too...but for now I am hoping for just my corner.  May your Christmas be filled with Love!  Relax and enjoy...