Will you host a Flat First Grader??

We have been reading about Flat Stanley in our classroom.  We have already read the first book and now we are on to the chapter books.  My kiddos are loving them!  

I started using Flat Stanley in my classroom last year and it was such a hit that I had to do it again.  It's a great activity to help get us through these long winter months....especially since there is no snow in sight which means no snow days anytime soon!  :)

I created a Flat Stanley Pack last year that we are using again.  It has reading and writing activities along with a Flat Stanley project and a Flat First Grader project.  You can visit my post about it from last year here. 

This is how it works: 

I have 2 copies of a Flat Stanley.  Each weekend 2 kiddos get to take him home and spend the weekend with him.  They take home a parent letter explaining everything and a journal page that they fill out.  They write about what fun things they do together and then either attach real pictures or draw pictures of their weekend together.  

I've told my kiddos that Flat Stanley is kinda like our class pet.  He hangs out with us all week and then goes home with someone on the weekends so he doesn't get lonely.  They love this!  

We have also made Flat First Graders.  Each kiddo has a flat version of themselves which we mail to friends and family across the country.  This is where I need your help!! 

I have a few kiddos who don't have anyone to send their Flat First Grader to and they're so sad....  :(  Would you and your class be willing to host a Flat First Grader for a few days????

It's really easy.  Take a few pictures of your adventure and fill out the journal page so we can learn a little about where you live.  We have several going to other states so we can learn about places outside of Ohio.  We'd love to learn about more states or even other countries!! 

If you're interested, please leave me a comment or send me an email at rms273@gmail.com and let me know!  

All of my Flat First Graders have found a place to visit!  Thank you so much for volunteering!!  :)

Thank you for making a first grader very happy!!  :)

Apple TV and iPad Apps

I absolutely LOVE my iPad.....and so do my kiddos!  

I am lucky to have an Apple TV in my room so everything that is on my iPad can show up on my SmartBoard.  Isn't that cool?!?!  :) 

This is an Apple TV.  

It is very small.  Only a few inches long.  It sits on my projector completely out of the way.  This magic box allows all of my kids to see what is on my iPad.  They love this.  

**side note: My hubby and I have one of these magic boxes at home and we love it too!  It's great for navigating Netflix and Hulu Plus!  

I wanted to share a couple apps that I have found that my kiddos really enjoy.  Some are free and some are not, but I wanted to share them all.  I'll share more great apps as I find them.  

If you have any good ones you use, please feel free to share!  I'm always looking for new apps.  

This is Splash Math.  This game allows you to play 20 questions for free every day.  If you want full access then it's $9.99.  This is great math review and probably my favorite app right now.  

This is First Grade Learning Games.  There are 10 games total.  The first 3 are free.  It's $2.99 to unlock the rest of the games.  It covers a wide variety of skills.  

I know it's not Halloween, but my kiddos still want to hear this story.  This app reads the story to you or you can record your own voice.  On each page if you touch the pumpkins they talk.  You can also hear the birds singing, the leaves rustling, and the waves in the ocean.  It's adorable.  This app is $2.99.  

We can't get enough of the Common Core Standards right now so here's an app!  This one is free!  

I can't leave out Class Dojo!  This app is amazing and my kiddos absolutely love earning their Dojo points.  We use my Rock Star Behavior Reward Catalog.  For every 10 points my kiddos earn they get a prize.  The best part is that all of my prizes are FREE and don't cost me any money.  This is so much better than my prize box last year.  :)  I have a kiddo who picked Fragrant Feet for tomorrow so he will get to take his shoes off all day!  He is so excited!!  

I hope you are able to use some of these apps.  My kiddos love using my iPad.  It definitely helps with keeping my kiddos focused.  

If you have any other apps that you use and are kiddo approved I'd love to hear about them!  Please share!!  :)

Fantabulous Friday Freebies- 10 More/Less and Place Value

I'm finally back with another Fantabulous Friday Freebie post!  I took a break over the holidays and it feels like it's been forever since I've shared some wonderful freebies.  It's good to be back!! 

I used some of these freebies this week and they were so well loved by my kiddos that I had to share.  The others are in the plans for next week....

One of our Math By Myself games this month has 10 more and 10 less so we had to do some extra practice this week.  This free packet was a great help for my kiddos!  

We played this roll and add New Year's game for some quick practice this week.  My kiddos LOVED it!  You definitely need to save this one for next year! 

Our phonics lesson this week was y sounding like an i or e at the end of a word.  I found this cute little freebie and used it this week.  There is a poem to read about Detective Y and we circled all of the y words and then there is a word sort...great freebie!

Another math skill we have been working on is understanding place value.  I feel like my kiddos are doing a great job of double digit and triple digit addition and subtraction, but I think they're still struggling with place value.  I found this I Have Who Has game and we're going to play it next week.  We've played I Have Who Has before but with sight words.  My kiddos loved it so I'm hoping this will go over well too!  :)

This is the same game, but this freebie has tens and ones instead of just the numbers.  We'll try this version too!  :)

Hope you were able to use one of these great freebies I found!  If you do use them, make sure you show some love by giving thanks! 

Make sure you become an A-B-Seymour follower and come back next week for some technology (iPad) info!!  :)

Have a fantabulous weekend!  

Giveaway Winners and 100th Day Pack Sale

Congrats to the following three winners!  They have won my Night Before 100th Day of School Pack.  

Miss Renee

Ronnie

Linda

I'm putting it on sale for today and tomorrow for those who didn't win, but would still like to purchase it!  

Everything in the pack is ready to print and will make for a fun 100th Day of School.  

Hope your kiddos enjoy it!  :)

Night Before the 100th Day of School Giveaway and FREEBIE

My kiddos are so looking forward to the 100th Day of School!  I don't usually make as big a deal out of it as other holidays, but it has to be celebrated at least a little!  

Yay for us making it 100 days!  Sometimes it's tough!!  :)

I created this quick little pack to go with Natasha Wing's The Night Before the 100th Day of School.  Everything is ready to be printed.  

I have included a parent letter if you want your kiddos to bring in 100 items, a badge to wear, a class book to make, and an activity book to do.  

Click here or the picture to go to my TpT store and purchase it! 

**This pack is on sale today, January 6th.  Grab it today for 20%off!** 

I will give this pack away to *three random people* who leave their email address and a comment about how you celebrate the 100th Day of School!  

I will choose 3 lucky winners on Saturday!  :)

Winners have already been chosen.  See here.  

Make sure you follow my blog so you know when I'm giving away freebies!  I always give away a few of my newest TpT packs for free when I'm done posting them!!  

Here is a freebie from my newest activity pack:  

Happy 100th Day of School!  :)

January Currently

We had some friends over for New Year's and had a pajama party!  It's become a tradition over the last several years and I love it!  We played euchre (my Midwest friends know what that is), games, and our Wii.  

I found out that I can't stay on the track in Mario Kart Wii...guess I need more practice!  :)

Now it's time to get back to working on school things and I'm starting with Farley's Currently so here it is!

I love Netflix so there is always something on the TV.   

I love that we have off this week.  We don't go back till Monday.  

I have soooooo many things I want to get done before Monday!  I'm going to go in to school tomorrow. I am.  I am going.  I am really going to go.  :)

We travel every year between Christmas and New Year's so I have laundry and unpacking to do along with putting Christmas presents away.  

I 'need' to watch a few more movies on Netflix before Monday...not at all true (especially after reading my one little word), but I would love to curl up on the couch with my cozy blanket and watch some movies.  

My one little word is time.  I need to get better at managing my time.  Time for school.  Time for blogging.  Time for TpT.  Time for my hubby and family.  Time for my friends.  Time for exercising....especially this one!!  

I definitely need to get better at managing my time. That's my biggest goal/resolution for this year.  

I guess that means my Netflix movie watching time is going to have to wait!  :)

Go visit Farley and link up with your own Currently!  And don't forget the rule of 3!!  

Happy New Year BOGO Sale!

Happy New Year!  

Everything in my TpT store is on sale today!  Click on the cute picture below to get to my store and enjoy 20% off! 

The first five people who purchase something in my TpT store today can get a *free item* of their choice that is of equal or lesser value!  Just email me at rms273@gmail.com to let me know your username and what free item you would like to have!  

The first five people who make a purchase today on January 1 *and* email me their info will get a free item!!

Have fun shopping today!  :)