A Little Bit of Everything

We have been learning about nouns and here is one of my kiddos favorite activities (and I love it when I have a sweet friend help me paint ALL of my kiddos hands!). This little poem I wrote helps them understand that nouns can be something they can touch like a PERSON, PLACE, THING, or ANIMAL. We hunt through magazines for pictures of nouns and glue 10 pictures on our 10 fingers. I usually have them find 3 people, 3 things, 2 animals, and 2 places but you can do what works best for you.

noun poem

We have been switching School Family Jobs and adding new ones. EVERYONE has a job and we continue to talk about their first job is to help me keep everyone safe. Some jobs help out the School Family in a way that either contributes to helping us be safe or contributes by providing a service that builds the community of caring and helpful hearts. In the mornings, the Greeter helps us start the day off right and the Goodbye Wisher at the end of the helps send each kiddo off knowing they were valued for the day and that someone cares about them and wants to see them tomorrow. We start off by reading this book(click on the book to get your own copy).

After reading the book, we talk about the different goodbye wishes we can give a friend. I tell them the words that match the picture and then guide them on the gesture we will use for that animal. Here are the ways we wish each other goodbye:

alligator:  See you later alligator-extend your arms and open and close them like alligator jaws

ladybug:  Give a hug ladybug- hug

goldfish:  Blow a kiss goldfish: blow each other a kiss

butterfly:  Bye-Bye butterfly- butterfly handshake

parakeet: Be sweet parakeet: flap your arms up and down

raccoon:  See you soon raccoon:  make a mask around your eyes with your fingers

The Goodbye Wisher also takes the hearts out of the Safe Keeper's Box. He/She says, "I am glad you came to school today. I hope I see you tomorrow. How would you like to be wished goodbye?" After the child is wished goodbye he/she puts their heart in the bag where the hearts are stored until the next morning.

I know sometimes during our busy and hectic day I might not get some good one-on-one time with each kiddo. This job lets each and every one of the children know that someone is not only glad they came to school but they also WANT to see them tomorrow. It really is so powerful for our kiddos who go home to homes where there might not be a lot of love....and it is also soooo stinkin' cute watching them do this too!

good-bye wishes

We have been working with 10 frames and our 10 makers. Here is a quick easy game you can use to transition kiddos from one place to the next or even during your calendar time. My kiddos are crazy for these Hidden 10 Frames. They love for me to flash them the card so they can figure out how many frogs are hiding. We have done this with 10 frames and counters and also just marker boards where they have to draw or write the missing part.

hidden ten frames

It has been a lllllooooooonnnnnngggggg week. Please let me know if you have any questions or something doesn't make sense.

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