Have you ever used Skype in the classroom?

I am curious, has anyone ever used Skype in the classroom?  I use it at home to check in on the oldest in LA.  I like to see how she's doing and make her little Yorkie go crazy!

My fabulous student teacher is leaving to have an international student teaching experience in Costa Rica.    My little darlin's just adore him, as you can imagine, a male in primary!  Mr. Johnson is well loved and they are already distressed about him leaving.  I am trying to get the school district's permission to Skype, this involves getting a web cam, so no easy feat around here.

Has anyone ever Skyped?  Was it a lesson?  A student that was home bound? A pen pal class?  Tell me more!

Kim

Awesome Giveaway over at Erica Bohrer's First Grade!

20 Super Spelling Centers

Wow!! A great giveaway of Erica's new book!  I am dying to spice up my spelling centers, and my budget is killing me.  Darn those daughters thinking they need a college education!!!  Guess I will have to win myself a copy!  Boogie on over and check it out!

Beautiful Saturday in Kansas

Today was d-e-e-e-l-i-g-h-t-f-u-l!  Weather was warm and sunny, teenagers were very sweet and Hunger Games stayed true to the book.  Nothing to complain about here!

I wore my really awesome OluKai sandals that I bought at Nordstrom rack.  I am a a flip flop fanatic, but recently my "old lady" feet have been demanding real shoes.  I have a wicked heel spur, which I wish I could say was due to being a fine athlete, but it's not.  The heel spur is 100% due to standing on my feet, on a hard concrete floor in poor shoes aka flip flops.  Imagine my surprise when I found these stylish little babies on clearance at Nordstrom Rack. The look of cute flip flops, but arch support and a padded heel!!!!   I wore them all day and my feet feel awesome!!!

Another great reason to love these sandals is that they are Hawaiian, like my new friend, Corinna over at Surfin' Through Second.  She gave me an award.  I was simply shocked.  I haven't been bloggin for more than a minute when she gave me a cool award.  All the more motivation to get posting.

Here's my award

I am going in to school tomorrow to get everything ready for our State Testing.  I have motivational smart cookies for our buddy class.  I used mini oreos and created a label that says "you're one smart cookie".  I used a shipping label that was 3"x4", it covered the whole front of the baggie.  Get your labels here.

Have a great weekend!

Kim

Alphaboxes - Spring Poetry

We used Alphaboxes today to organize our thoughts on a topic.  (Used 2 lessons from Linda Hoyt's Crafting Non-Fiction book.)  We brainstormed rain as a class. (It has been raining here for four days!) Here's what we came up with.

Then we picked our favorites to create a list poem. 

Rain

Ugly looking clouds

Smells like dirt

Splashing in puddles

Makes me sleepy

ZZZzzzzzz.....

Lickety split, the kiddos were all excited to write.  We gathered up our clipboards (there was a break in the rain) and went outside to experience Spring first hand!  Kids had 15 minutes to fill out there individual Alphaboxes.  Then we headed indoors, clouds were looming, to make our list poems.  The poems turned out amazing!!! I meant to grab the poems so I could upload a few examples, alas, I left them on my desk.  (I'll have to add them tomorrow.)

So Tired!!

I am simply exhausted! Thank goodness we had a professional development day.  I am certainly out of practice getting up at 6:30am.  Yikes!!  I gotta pull myself together.  At least I had the presence of mind to crock pot some yummy pulled pork for dinner. 

I also need to gather some things together for one of my little darlin's.  A sweet little boy in my class had emergency surgery over Spring Break.  His doctor found a mass on his kidney and it had to be removed.  They are immigrants from Africa and this could be financially devestating for their family. Please keep him and his family in your prayers!

Amanda over at One Extra Degree is hosting a great give away.  Check out her Very Hungry Caterpillar Give Away.  Pretty awesome stuff!!!

Kim

My first linky party!!

Here goes, I am linking up with Kindergarten Lifestyle and her K-2 Linky Party!!  This is my first party so I hope to get to vist new blogs and get some new friends here too!

Assessment Excitement/Watson Goes to School

Since it's Sunday and we have to go back to school tomorrow, I ventured back to school.  I am on the Assessment Committee (we are the motivators for the TEST).  Part of our job is to get everyone hyped for the TEST!  We go all out, door decorating, posters, spirit week, motivational buddy classes, assembly, snacks, etc.  I like prizes, so the door decorating is actually a contest.  There are a few categories, best team collaboration, best student created door, best use of theme (Super Heroes)!  I took my handy dandy doggie friend, Watson, to help judge.  Here's his favorite door.  It says We have the Power to do our Best!  I think Watson likes the shiny aluminum foil letters.  This is the creation of our Speech team.  Rumor has it you can use the foil on the die cut machine if you add a piece of paper on top of the foil, that way it doesn't rip.

I needed to put up some posters and Super Hero cut outs as well.  I used my favorite Seal n' Peel.  This stuff is like magic.  It sticks on the walls without damaging them.  You have to get some.  Home Depot always has it in the caulk aisle.  Make sure it is Seal n' Peel --- not liquid nails or you could have some explaining to do.

After such exhausting work Watson thought we should get a Route 44 Sonic Iced Tea.  He tried to order for me, but no one could understand him. 

Now I'm off to get some lesson plans together, and plan out my "Relax, and do your best on the test" outfit for Tuesday.

Kim

Spelling BINGO

I decided to get motivated (off Pinterest) and work on a new spelling homework page.  While browsing Pinterest, I saw Tic Tac Know from Debbie's Dabblings.  I tweaked mine to suit my class, but she gets all the credit for motivating me!   Here's my version, Enjoy!!
Kim

Spring Break Blues

Sadly, I have to go back to work on Monday.  I meant to spend Spring Break getting all kinds of new lessons planned, but the weather was just too nice!  It's been unseasonably warm in Kansas with 80 degree days.  Then there were the 4 different trips to the vet for Watson, my darling little morkie.  After the endless trips, diagnostic testing which included x-rays, it was determined that he's allergic to Spring!!  I kid you not! 

Kim in Kansas