Happy Friday all! Yes it is true, the day has come to shut down the school issued laptop, turn in my keys {yikes!}, and lock the classroom door. The last day of school has arrived and this teacher is ready for summer! I feel like the words of Olaf truly express how most teachers feel about summer…
“And I can’t wait to see
What my friends think of me!
Just imagine how cooler I’ll be
In summer!”
Thanks Olaf, I couldn’t have said it better myself!
Summer is a time to recharge and reenter the social world. I can finally tackle my to-do list and stay awake after 10 pm (wishful thinking but still!) I loved this year with my first graders but I’m looking forward to a well deserved mental break to prepare for the next year coming up! Before I’m off officially, here are a few highlights from the last week that I’m recapping with Kacey from Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five For Friday! Make sure to link back to her site to see some other fabulous bloggers’ highlights!
My adjective collages are all ready for my firsties to take home! I love these for end of year gifts each year. Last week I showed my kids scooting around the classroom and describing their friends using one kind word. I took their adjectives and created word collages on a program called Tagxedo and here are the finishing products! I picked up diploma frames from the Dollar Tree and they’re ready to go! I hope my kids love them as much as I do!
When the weather heats up all little New Jersey boys and girls head down the shore. So it was only fitting to celebrate the start of summer with a beach day in our classrooms this week! Our students brought in beach towels, sunglasses, and hats and we spread out throughout the classroom to do beach-themed activities. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate so we couldn’t take our party outside but we still found our own sunshine inside the classroom! The kids just LOVED working without shoes on, it truly is the little things!
Last week we took our animal reports that we had researched and collected information from Pebble Go and recorded ourselves reading them on an app called Audio Boo. The kids didn’t know what the final product would be for their voice recordings but this week they found out! On the program, there’s an option to print a QR code with the recording and add a picture. The first grade team printed out our students’ QR code reports and hung them up around the hallway and classrooms. Our students were given iPads and taught to use the QR code readers on their devices. The students walked around and scanned the QR codes to learn about their classmates’ animals that they researched. It was such an amazing way for students to learn about new animals and listen to their friends reading their reports! They LOVED it! I will definitely be utilizing Audio Boo and QR codes more next year! It was super easy to set up and so rewarding for my kids.
To celebrate all that we have learned and accomplished in first grade, one of my favorite end of the year activities comes from the always amazing, Kelley Dolling at Teacher Idea Factory. Her end of the year survival pack is a favorite of mine and this little ditty comes from it! Every year we brainstorm different first grade memories that we have as a whole class and then pick nine to use to create our own memory boards. Every student’s board looks different because they can pick whatever nine memories they want. While they’re creating their boards I write down all of our memories on slips of paper and put them in a bucket. Once we’re done creating our first grade memories bingo board, we’re ready to play! My firsties love bingo and it makes it extra special to relive those awesome memories we’ve had together! I highly recommend checking out this packet for next year, read more about on Kelley’s blog here!
I shared in my post last week the makings of these beyond adorable plates that are inspired from Eberhart’s Explorers but I wanted to show the final product! These plates are being given to our amazing instructional aides this year that I truly do not know how I would have gotten through the year without. They constantly went above and beyond what my co-teacher and I asked of them. My kids loved them and so did we, they will be truly missed when they continue on to second grade with my students next year!
Thank you all for stopping by and recapping my final week in first grade for the 2014-2015 school year! It was a great one and I can’t wait to see what September will bring! I’m looking forward to sharing some summer projects and fun on the blog in the next few months! Make sure to follow along to see!
Enjoy your weekend!
13 Comments
What a great post, lots of fun things! Your students are going to love the word collages. Btw your blog design is beautiful (I love purple)!
Jessica
Literacy Spark
Your word collages turned out so adorably!
I made some in the shape of stars last year, and the kiddos loved them!
Mallory
Sprinkles for the Teacher
Happy last day of school!
Stephanie
Applelight Moments By Stephanie
The bee plates came out great. I'm amazed you had so many instructional aides. I have had 3 when I was in a self-contained autism unit, but otherwise we rarely have more than 2 adults in a room.
✿April✿
✿Grade School Giggles✿
I have done the wordles before but haven't seen them in a heart (or really any other) shape. So cute! I love the idea for a beach towel day. I have you have a great start to your summer!
~Bagby~
Get Your Science on in Room 701
I love the adjective collages! They turned out so cute! I'm sure your students absolutely loved them! It looks like you and your students had a fabulous final week!
Enjoy your summer!
Shine on in First Grade
Yours is definitely my favorite post out of all for five for friday! I LOVE the beach day you had – what a fabulous yet fun summer activity! I love it! I also love the plates that you made – they look brilliant!! We love using tagxedo – it's great and they look amazing when printed and framed!
HAPPY SUMMER (finally)!!! I absolutely love the collages that you made for your kids. So personal and just plain adorable!!
Way to go on those awesome collages!! Happy summer to you!!!
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Happy Summer Friend! I just love the student gifts you gave, I will have to remember that for next year. Every year we make a memory book where each month we do an activity, I collect it, and then at the end of the year we put it together. That would be awesome for the cover. Love the tech in the classroom activities. I will have to check out that Audioboo. Thanks for the tip! The bee plates turned out so cute! I love that idea, they will cherish it. Have a great weekend. 🙂
Happy Summer! What great memories you gave your kiddos. And LOVE the Olaf quote, too cute!
Andrea
Always Kindergarten
Happy Summer Jayme!
Those adjective collages are adorable. I'm sure your kids loved them! How fun to have a beach day in the classroom. I always did a read-in where they could bring a blanket and pillow and wear their pjs. I also let them take their shoes off… they LOVED it! Looking forward to meeting you in person this summer!
Joya 🙂