Done and Not Done

Here is what I didn't do in my classroom today.  Oh the library....the giant project I don't look forward to, but love how productive I feel when it is is done.
I put all the books in plastic bags so I can keep the books dust free and wash out all the bins.  And scrub the shelves.
Here is the pile of picture books...

And here are all the chapter books....

When the weather cools down, maybe I can get some book organization motivation.

What I did do today.  Sometime this summer Clutter-Free Classroom did a post about places for anchor charts and I loved it.  

So I put up paper for the background.  And I added some of the border to the clothespins and a push pin to the back.

And done.  I am going to use one side for math charts and the other for everything else.  I love it! 

Happy Wednesday,
   

Basketball Library Beat

Sorry about the blurriness....

Oh what a long week...my chickadees are still wonderful, but the week was busy and draagggged on forever!  And then thinking back, I don't even remember what all we did!  Last night was the staff vs. 5th grade basketball game.  This year's team names....Staff Infection vs. Penicillion:-)  It is a 5th grade tradition and technology fundraiser.  The kids talked a lot of smack, but in the end it was the year of the teachers:-)  During the game we have a 50/50 Raffle and sell concessions.  My favorite is the foul calls.  For $5.00 students can give the teacher of their choice a foul and they have to return to the bench.  I think the more fouls...the more you are loved. 


And then today's event.....walking field trip to a branch of our local library relocated about a mile from our school, we got there and learned all about the library.  We also got to play in the park and get our very own library cards.


Off we go....

 All the 2nd graders have arrived!  SO thankful for the cooperating weather.

We played on the cool play structures.

 Then we found a quiet spot, looked back on our year, and did some reading reflecting.

Our reading reflection page....for your very own "add cute clipart" freebie click here.

And finally, our turn to tour the new library arrived.

 Lunch time!

 More playing!

 Walking home back to school.

Loving this picture.  They randomly started holding hands, raising them, and shouting hurray!

Super humid today....let's use a shirt to cover our head.

 Exhausted....this is not me laying on the floor....but it easily could have been.

Happy Friday,
 

Classroom Tour

For those who don't get to come to school everyday, here is our home away from home.

This is the poster on our door.  It is surrounded by a picture of all the people in our class.

 Next is our info. board.  It has a copy of the most recent Friday Foote Facts (our newsletter) and the lunch menu.  We students arrive they put their magnet on their plan for lunch that day.

Curtain wall-behind the curtains are all sorts of good things.  Teacher guides, student books for Treasures, math, and health.  The most important thing the curtains hide are the backpack buckets.  Students keep their coats and backpacks in big black tubs and they are hidden behind the curtains.  

 Continuing around the room we have our behavior clip chart and our supply baskets.  The mini-fridge and coffee pot (for Friday hot chocolates) are behind the curtains.

 Turn the corner and you find the sink and our Rocket Glyphs.  The crates have library books about our current theme and white boards.

 The purple and green cabinets store read-alouds, mentor texts, and professional reading books.  They also hold our Friday Fun choices, Legos, games, stencils, etc. 

 Next we arrive at the left side of the carpet area.  This is where we do calendar, go over our daily agenda and targets. 

 And our Birthday Bags.

 The right side of our carpet area.  The document camera is here as well as our special classroom friends. We LOVE the risers!  It allows the carpet area to take up so much less space and leaves more room for the best part of the tour.....

 The LIBRARY!  We have a tent, lamps, and lots of books.

 Notice our Reading Monsters, just waiting for someone to choose a good book, read it, and feed them!

 This is the nonfiction side of the library.  Some of our reading anchor charts.  You can also see the snack bins and our cubbies.

 Math choice tubs.  This is a work in progress area.

 Our small group space and where I usually keep my stuff.

The blue drawers and table next to it is considered my "desk."

Our drawers for unfinished work, handwriting journals, and dictionaries.  This is also where we keep our mugs for hot chocolate Fridays.

 And now we have made a full circle.  This is the view from the door.  Love the wall of windows!

Glad you could visit,
Laurie