Camp Wannalearnalot - Classroom Pics

I have now met all my new kinders and I'm excited to begin our year! This week we are finishing home visits. Then next week we will have a staggered start so that we can assess each child. This is the first time our school has done this and we hope it will be super successful allowing us to do it again in the future. The most exciting news is that our Admin approved the purchase of licenses for ESGI. I learned about this program on The Polka Dot Patch and am so glad she shared. We are looking forward to using this program during our staggered start days so that we can immediately have information about our kids abilities. We don't have a math a computer based math assessment so let me know if anyone has a great one they use.

My class has finally begun to come together so I am posting pictures. Last year was the first year I used the Camping theme and I LOVED it. I loved walking into my room every day. This year I bought some more things and I have added some ideas found by blog stalking. I want to thank Clutterfree classroom for her ideas and First Grade Owls for her cutesie Color OWLS. I love DJ inkers clipart as you can see:) There is another site I purchased camping clipart from but I can't remember just now as I bought it last year.

This will be my job chart.

This is my SMARTboard with my rules above.  I use WBT and have other graphics to go with the rules as we are learning them. 

This is my science area.
Soon I will also add Camper
of the Week to the bboard.

This is as you come in the
front door. You see our new
Circle Time chart and above our
Daily Destinations with
room for our Anchor Charts.

Housekeeping 

Block Play

Art Area

Outside our classroom. This didn't come out so well in the picture.  I still need to add something....hmmm...maybe a giant rock?

This will be my Math/Literacycenters. The table needs moved over. removed the legs. The stand will also sit on the floor.

I changed my CAFE into
a FISH chart (Fluency, Improving Accuracy, Strengthening Comprehension, and Hooking New Vocabulary).  I will also have Math Meadow on this board in the opposite corner.  I plan to use this to build math concepts we are learning.  My birthday bug jars are underneath.

This is the view as you walk in the door. My dear mom made the curtains.  The "pond" carpet is our meeting area.

It's Official!! and it's HOT - HOT - HOT!!

Today was the first day back and it's official that I'm in Kindergarten!! Yay!!!  My para is super sweet and I know we're going to have MEGA FUN this year!  Now that I have a focus...I have SO MUCH to do!!

Of course now that school is starting, the heat has HIT!  Here's a pic of my baby - his cheeks are so rosy!!  He's looking serious because I stopped him to take this photo.

Shhh...Everyone is sleeping and I am crafting!!

The house is super quiet and I just finished making the last of our Welcome gifts for our new staff members. This year I'm on the Social Sunshine committee so we made little gifts of encouragment to all the teachers new and returning, and then a little something extra welcoming our newbies. (We have quite a few this year.) I don't have a picture of our welcome back gift but here is what I just finished.

Our School Mascot is the Dragon and our school colors are green, blue, and yellow. I layered sand 
and then added a tealight. 

Tomorrow is our first official reporting day and then we'll begin a new journey. What is the verdict? Still undecided as of today but looking strongly like I will be full Kinder. I have actually been into my room for several days and spent hours upon hours organizing, unpacking, and reorganizing. Some very helpful friends have stopped by to check my progress and encourage me - thanks Nara if you are blog stalking tonight☺✌ I'm feeling pretty good and hoping tomorrow I can work on my bulletin boards.  Last year I had the campground theme and liked it so much that I'm going to do it again.  This summer while shopping I picked up some fabrics to use for a couple of special boards.  I'll post pics when I'm done.

Night all - many of you are just beginning your days but I'm turning in for the night.  Thanks for blazing the trail for those of us who begin school a little later☺

Action, Action, We want Action!

Or at least a some firm decisions!  It is looking like I will remain in my present classroom but now it may be that I teach a K-1 multiage or straight Kinder.  Evidently the numbers are high in first and low in Kinder.  Though I would love to do a multiage and have been through the training, I am hestitant to be the "thrown together class."  If parents haven't signed up for it, it can be an uphill struggle if they aren't supportive.  If it doesn't happen this year, it will most likely happen next year. But that will give us time to educate the community and ourselves on how to begin a multiage class. Prayers please....

So this past weekend I spent WAY to much time in my classroom unpacking all the amazing new materials.  Several times I stopped and looked around and had to remind myself of what I had accomplished as looks were definately deceiving:) I'm still a long way off but just to give you an idea of what I started with, these are some photos after I had already begun to move some things around.

Once I have finally figured things out - I'll be sure to post pictures.  It already looks better than this but still SO MUCH work to do in so little time.  

What a blessing a mess can be:)

Yesterday I was able to get the key to my room!!  Yeah!! When I walked in I was first struck by the huge mess and secondly how blessed I was by the amount of materials and furniture provided!!  This is a new Kindergarten class being added and therefor they purchased everything one would need for teaching Kindergarten.  This has never happened to me before - usually when going to a new classroom, I find leftovers and I add my own things which of course over the years has accumulated to much.  So much in fact that when faced with my new classroom, I realize I will need to pair down and take many of my own things back home.  Some things I will give away while others I will hold onto as the future is still so unpredictable.  I still haven't been told that I will for sure teach Kindergarten.  The numbers aren't looking good for the need of 7 classes so either myself or the new teacher may be moved.  I'm hopeful I get to stay and enjoy the feeling of Christmas morning X many years:)

And the Winner is....????

So I'm back from my vacation to the states and have just under two weeks before reporting to work!! (the nail biting begins)  Sadly I still have no definative answer yet as to what I will be teaching this next school year.  (even more nail biting) For the last three years I have been in first grade.  With Kinder numbers on the rise and the new introduction of smaller class sizes, I was to assigned to Kindergarten this year.  Unfortunately new data shows they may not have as many as they thought and I may be back in first.  At this point I wouldn't care so much but I would like to know so I can begin planning!  (nails are officially gone:( )

The government sends me back every two years and this summer I got to go shopping at teacher stores!  (Of course seeing family topped that but shopping was a close second!!)  My poor mother, bless her heart,  had to wait and help entertain the baby as I took my time afraid to miss something:)  I spent a pretty penny thinking I was going to Kindergarten.  Yes many can be adapted to use in first grade but I just wish I had known then that plans would change so I could have been more selective in my shopping.  It was great fun though!!  I'm so excited to get to use many of the things I bought though I am still waiting for their arrival in the mail.  It's like Christmas early!!

Hopefully they will make a decision this week and as I had to tear down my first grade room and all my things were moved to a new room - I am hoping the Lord (and Admin) see fit to leave me there.  We have more days of training and meetings our first week back that take away from the time I will have to set up my room.  It won't matter if I am in Kinder as the kids begin later but I am in first - I'll be in a panic!  Prayers please for a speedy positive decision!