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...

Math Centers....Holiday Style

I am so glad that all my kinders are safe....safe it seems from the world.  I thank their parents who helped shield them through the tragedy of Sandy Hook.  Thankful that their happy spirits remind me to enjoy them and enjoy their excitement of this happy time of year.    I remind myself that is okay to have fun...and for them the fun is the same as before Friday.  So here goes....Let me share all the fun we've been having in math.  I love that math can be so hands on...I love that math can be so holiday/theme/season oriented...and I love that math can be so fun!!


I hid jingle bells in a small Christmas stocking.  The students had to feel the bells and try to count how many I had put into the stocking.  They were sooo quiet while waiting for their turn I did this game two days in a row.  I'm talking completely silent!  It was amazing, but then so was the math going on in their brains.  Four was easy and everyone counted correctly, but six was tougher.  They knew there was more...but not everyone counted correctly.  Lots of good discussion.  Now this is in center rotation.

Another game we played was to help us compose numbers and add and subtract fluently to five.  I had 5 jingle bells and hid some under a cup while everyone closed their eyes.  When they opened their eyes they had to figure out how many jingle bells were under the cup.  

We talked about how we knew, what our brains were thinking, and how we could think different ways to figure it out.  Then we practiced our math talk before I let them "play" in partners.  We worked on this twice as a whole group activity and twice as partners.  This week it is a center and I think they will do great...but my old-school, 2nd grade (I have to have something to grade) brain says what about accountability and writing something down?  I wanted to create a recording sheet....but tragedy and time set me back.  However I have been planning on same activity with snowballs in January, so stay tuned!.

Next up is a center using the small packages I purchased last year after Christmas.  I remember seeing a post and looking and looking, but not finding what I wanted, then one day there they were...on sale.  Now I don't remember what the center activity was.  So I have been thinking and I think they would be great for sorting and patterning, for putting the right number of presents under a tree, or the one we are using this week...sequencing the numbers to 20.  I just need to finish making the tags, and run off this sequencing page I got here from   Shannon Martin at Kindergarten Hoppenings.  She has such great ideas!

Christmas trees went up in my room this week (okay I'm a bit slow).  This one is for my counting and graphing center from Deanna Jump.  You can get her recording sheet and much more here in Christmas Math and Literacy Fun.

This little forest is on the bulletin board in the hallway.   It is strung with Christmas lights my kids made with one light-bulb for each letter in their name.

Can you tell we are graphing and comparing?  Just one little word...I forgot how easily kinders can be confused.  We spent some time with our math talk.  They were so cute with how they emphasized MATH TALK when I reminded them we needed to be sure we were using precise words, (number of letters and number of people, some were confused by there being more people with 5 letters than people with 7 letters...it was tough for some because seven is bigger than five).  We also talked about several strategies we could use to figure out which had more.Then we practiced making partners and graphing.

We needed a patterning center...I love these little pattern books made by Fran Kramer.  You can find them in her Holiday Joy with the Gingerbread Boy, here  We have been exploring all the versions of the Gingerbread Boy...so this fit right in.

Do you need a quick game to play on Friday?  Think about Don't Eat Pete.  You can grab my candy eating fun right here and by clicking on the picture.

Silence for Sandy Hook Elementary

Prayers

My heart is breaking ....all day I thought about my own little kinders.  They are babies and I just can't imagine.  Just can't imagine...there are no words.  As teachers, we all hung around after the kids left trying to process and make sense of it all.  There is no sense.  All I can offer is prayers for the children, the town, and the families left to grieve and hug my own little ones (and my own big grown-up ones too)

 

December Currently and more Pete

I love the beginning of each month because it is time to hook up Farley at Oh' Boy Fourth Grade for December's Currently.  It is so fun to see what everybody's doing.

My hubby gets up way early...so it is always an early night at our house.  I am beginning to think that he might need help for the snoring.  I think it is getting worse.

I love Christmas time, I love decorating, I love doing craftivities in my classroom.  I try to do something Christmasy at home every day...one day put candles in my window, one do some baking, one day go look at lights, one day....you get the idea.  I make a bucket list of everything I want to do and see how many I can cross off.  Some are for me, some are giving to others, some are Santa, some are Christ-centered.

This past weekend My daughter and family came to town.  Add to that the kids that are already here and I had 7 of my 10 grandkids here (and the other 3 were just here over Thanksgiving).  We went up to our favorite spot to find the perfect Christmas tree.   Always sooo much fun! 

Now I'm thinking...wait it's Wednesday and I was just waiting for these cute pictures of tree hunting.  I better get this posted!!

I was going to call the carpet guy to come before Thanksgiving...but somehow that never happened.  It looks like the next time my carpet gets cleaned will be spring cleaning time.  Hopefully with my Christmas tree no one notices. 

I am planning on doing Miss Kindergarten's Santa (you can get it here) and using that for one of my hallway bulletin boards this month.  I was going to do it yesterday, but realized that I didn't have the pieces prepped.  So it was on to plan B...actually part A (the writing part).  We took long enough doing the writing that we really didn't have time for the craftivity part anyway.  So I am off to school early to cut, cut, cut and run some parts off (our copy machine that does construction paper is very sensitive...wish me luck).

But first...I am stopping at Starbucks for coffee.  I know nothing about coffee.  Maybe I will get hot chocolate instead.  My coworkers love coffee and occasionally indulge in fancy coffee, so I think my random act of kindness will involve coffee.

Did you make it with me this far?  I had so much fun remaking my Don't Eat Pete game for Christmas I made some more with different graphics.  If you want the elf version click on the picture below.

A Recipe...A Story...and A Freebie

Tis the season...for a party.  If you will indulge me I have a GREAT recipe to share.  It's easy, it's quick, and everyone will think you are the best cook ever.

You will need:
18 frozen dinner rolls (so a package of 36 will make two....one to take to your pot luck, one to stay in home)
1 (3-ounce) package of butterscotch pudding (not instant)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup melted butter

Arrange frozen dinner rolls in a bundt pan.  Sprinkle the rolls with the dry pudding mix, brown sugar, and chopped pecans.  Drizzle the melted butter over it all.  Cover with a dishcloth and let rise overnight or about 12 hours.  Bake at 350 F for about 25 minutes.  Cool only about 5-10 minutes, then turn upside down onto serving plate.

Prep time is about 10-15 minutes, it rises while you sleep, it bakes while you are getting showered and ready...and you have something warm and yummy to take to school.  Can you hear them singing your praises?  I can.

Is your staff having a party?  Do you need entertainment?  I first heard this story my first year teaching (I wish I had a scanner to show you the old typed copy I have kept all these years).  I was homesick and it reminded me of my own mom.  You MUST read this aloud with a first grade Dick and Jane voice. 

A CHRISTMAS PRIMER

See Mother,

See Mother Laugh, Mother Is Happy.

Mother Is Happy About Christmas.

Mother Has Many Plans.

Mother Has Many Plans For Christmas.

Mother Is Organized.

Mother Smiles All The Time.

Funny, Funny, Mother.

See Mother.

See Mother Smile.  Mother Is Happy.

The Shopping Is All Done.  See The Children Watch T.V.

Watch, Children, Watch.

See The Children Change Their Minds.

See Them Ask Santa For Different Things.

Look, Look, Mother Is Not Smiling.

Funny, Funny, Mother.

See Mother.

See Mother Sew.

See Mother Make Dresses.

See Mother Make Robes.

See Mother Make Shirts.

See Mother Put The Zipper In Wrong.

See Mother Sew The Dress On The Wrong Side.

See Mother Put The Material Away Until January.

Look, Look, See Mother Take A Tranquilizer.

Funny, Funny, Mother.

See Mother.

See Mother Buy Raisins And Nuts.

See Mother Buy Candied Pineapple And Powdered Sugar.

See Mother Buy Flour And Dates And Pecans And Brown Sugar And Bananas And Spices And Vanilla.

Look, Look, Mother Is Mixing Everything Together.

See The Children Press Out Cookies.

See The Flour On Their Elbows.

See The Cookies Burn.

See The Cake Fall.

See The Children Pull Taffy.

See Mother Pull Her Hair.

See Mother Clean The Kitchen With The Garden Hose.

Funny, Funny, Mother.

See Mother Wrap Presents.

See Mother Look For The End Of The Scotch Tape Roll.

See Mother Bite Her Fingernails.

See Mother Go.

See Mother Go To The Store 12 Times In One Hour.

Go, Mother, Go.

See Mother Go Faster.

See Mother Run.

See Mother Trim The Tree.

See Mother Have A Party.

See Mother Make Popcorn.

See Mother Wash The Walls.

See Mother Scrub The Rug.

Go, Mother, Go.

See Mother Tear Up The Organized Plans.

See Mother Forget The Gift For Uncle Harold.

See Mother Get The Hives.

Go, Mother, Go.

See The Far-Away Look In Mother’s Eye.

Mother Has Become Disorganized.

Mother Has Become Disoriented.

Funny, Funny, Mother.

It Is Finally Christmas Morning.

See The Happy Family.

See Father Smile.

Father Is Happy.  Smile Father Smile.

Father Loves Fruitcake.

Father Loves Christmas Pudding.

Father Loves All His New Neckties.

Look, Look, See The Happy Children.

See The Children’s Toys.

Santa Was Very Good To The Children.

The Children Will Remember This Christmas.

See Mother.

Mother Is Slumped In A Chair.

Mother Is Crying Uncontrollably.

Funny, Funny, Mother.

Mother Does Not Look Well.

Mother Has Ugly Dark Circles Under Her Blood-Shot Eyes.

Everyone Helps Mother To Her Bed.

See Mother Sleep.

See Mother Sleep Under Heavy Sedation.

See Mother.  See Mother Smile.

Funny, Funny, Mother.

(Author Unknown)

If you have stayed with me this far, then you deserve a freebie.  First, if you click here you can download this story.  Next is a game I share with my students just because.  It is a game I played with my own kids when they were growing up and now at least once at Christmas with my grandkids.  

Click on the picture to download Don't Eat Pete!

Now let's get a party started!!  Freebielicious has a party going on...a linky party!  Check out all the wonderfully talented bloggers offering their talents for FREE!!!  Click here or on the banner to hop on over.

Counting and Cardinality....Patterns and Paper Chains

I am a huge fan of combining learning with fun...learning with holidays, seasons, or themes.  I like Kindergarten for this very reason.  It is almost expected that you are playing while you are learning.

My kinders this year seem to need more practice with patterns.  Many are struggling to copy any pattern I create other than abab and to keep that pattern going.  Also, I want my room to look more festive.  Combine the two and you have one of my favorite (and first) activities for December.

Paper Chains

Each day this week we are made old-fashioned paper chains with a different pattern each day.

First, I started out with the pattern I knew they were good at....abab.  I figured this was a good chance to throw in some higher level thinking.  I asked them if I wanted them to use 10 paper strips how many red would they need and how many green?  Too easy for some of my kinders and they got it right away.  Yay!!  Next some counting practice.  I gave them random amounts of red as I quickly passed out the paper strips, and told them to count out five.  They were to give me back the extra.  Surprise!!  This turned into an informal assessment of who understood 5.  Many of my kinders came and told me they had seven or eight, and I had the chance to talk to them about how many they were supposed to have and what should they do.  Some thought they had five and when we counted together they discovered they did not.  Some thought they had five because they had more than five...again we talked about that.  Once they had five red, they could go and count out five green.  Then they went to work.  Day one took my kids about 30 minutes to get everything counted out and the chains made.

Day two, I went for another pattern I thought they were pretty good at abcabc... red, yellow, green, red, yellow, green.  I confess that I was worried about the time and the discussions (about how many we need to make our chains, and could we have the same number of each color if we used 10 strips) went too fast and I did too much of the talking.  It is so important for us to let our kinders talk with each other and discover things on their own.  We need to work hard at stepping back and not giving them all the answers.

This time we only had to count three...and I had them count with a partner (I could pass out the strips quicker).  The counting went quicker.  More students were understanding the expectations, counting to three was easier, and they had a partner to help them count.  Even with having to fix patterns gone wrong, we had plenty of time to go back to yesterday's chains.  We took all those chains of 10 and connected them into one long chain and counted.  Every tenth chain we stopped and added a star.  We wrote the number on the star and my kiddos told me how to write that number.  Zero was our hero helping us make those numbers.  Perfect timing lunch recess bell rang, right when we got to 100.  So we stopped there.  When I hung that up 100 fit right across the front of my room...perfect length!

Day three and on to a pattern I really hadn't talked about at all....aabb.  More and more of my kinders were getting it and counting and creating patterns went quickly!  They loved continuing on the patterns to make Rapunzel hair.  All of a sudden it seems my kiddos are getting patterns.

Day four and it's time to take my own advice and let them have a chance to work with some of those mathematical practices from the common core.  Can they have persistence in solving a problem?  Do they know how to approach the solution?  Can they communicate with each other about how to solve the problem?  Can they use tools to solve the problem?  What was the problem?  If you were making a chain of red, red, green, red, red green (and yes they labeled it aab for me without me even asking...volunteered that information!) how many red strips and green strips would you need if the pattern repeated  three times.  When we talked about the pattern I drew it twice on my white board.  I made sure they knew they could use anything in the room...paper, pattern blocks, counting chips, connecting cubes, just their fingers.  I paired them up and they went to work.  And boy did they work!  I wish I had pictures or a video camera to record their conversations.  And where was my principal during all this?  He still needs to do my observation. 

When about half had figured it out we stopped and shared our thinking.  Now everyone knew how many paper strips to get and it was off to make the chains. 

Thursday our classroom elf hung up the chains that were finished and boy were they excited!  We have a rule that you can't hang anything from the ceiling or lights...but we do have beams in my room.  So, I put the chains from the top of the bulletin boards across the room to the beams.   It's beginning to look a  lot like Christmas!

Have a great week!!   I am working on some cute freebies to share....so keep your eyes open.