Blogger Shout Out and Pinterest Linky

Just feeling the need for a blogger shout out.  Jennifer @ Owl Things First could be my "kindred (bloggy) spirit" in the words of Anne Shirley.  
1)  She has a polka dotted background...I love polka dots
2)  We are both studying birds with our chickadees (although she is much more a bird expert than I will ever be)
3)  We are both in love with the Hawklet cam at Cornell University
4)  She calls her kids "owlets" and I call mine "chickadees"
I could go on...but you all get the idea.  If only we lived in the same part of the country, we could meet in person!
You must go check out the cute and brilliant ideas she has for you.  And if that isn't reason enough she is having a giveaway!
I also wanted to join the Pinterest Linky Party over at Views From Room 205.  

Here are some favorite Pins:
1.) Invitations to a book exchange party.  I loved the idea of this.  So I had a book exchange party at my house.  Then decided to have one for my chickadees to!  Read about it here and here.

2.)  One of my pinboards is all about book quotes and images.  This poster defines what I want every student to discover about reading...they give readers power to escape, imagine, and dream!

3.)  Who doesn't love finding ideas for making things cute!  I saw this and so far it has been the easiest diy I have been able to copy:-)  I even used bulletin border that was exactly the right width, so I didn't have to cut paper!

4.)  This is a pumpkin turned into a book character.  At my school we spend a week doing different book related activities.  Unfortunately that week was not anywhere near October when pumpkins are readily available.  So this pin inspired potato characters instead.  One of the best school activities all year.

 5.)  This became a favorite art project in our room.  We got to talk about lines, shapes, and colors and then put them into practice....clever!

6.)  Discovered LapBooks....I have a new favorite.  We made our own version for out bird unit, and my chickadees are loving it.  I think parents will to, because all the work is collected in one place!

7, 8, 9, and 10.)  Are all on my to do list for next year. 

well this is on my unrealistic to do list

a get to know each other project

appropriate door for my chickadees

I have one of these...just not as cute

Congratulations, you have made it to the end of this very long post.  Hopefully you check out Owl Things First and feel pinspired!
Happy Monday,
 

Raise Your Hand if You Like Give Aways!

I love it when kids play the "raise your hand game"  Anyway I have made it to the 100 follower milestone.  Blog-land  is one of my new favorite places!  Thanks for following and commenting, so without further ado, here is the giveaway:

Two of my friends have super cute Etsy shops and are helping out with my 100 friends celebration.

One winner for Shop 1:  Storiarts is an amazing artist!  She has created beautiful infinity scarves from book text fabric.  You will be warm and look smart!  Should you win the giveaway, you will be the proud owner of a Pride and Prejudice print infinity scarf.

One winner for Shop 2:  It's Your Party is a teacher friend of mine, with a party on the side.  She has super cute party decorations and personalized tumblers.  Should you win the give away, you will be the proud owner of a personalized 16oz tumbler. 

Also, if you use "chickadee" at It's Your Party, you will get 10% off!














Can't you already see yourself wrapped up in that cozy scarve or sipping something yummy!

You have five ways to enter:
1)  Leave a comment telling me you follow my blog.
2)  Pin something from one of my posts to Pinterest, then leave a comment telling me you did so.
3)  Pin something from It's Your Party to Pinterest,  then leave a comment telling me you did so.
4)  Pin something from storiartsto Pinterest,  then leave a comment telling me you did so.
5)  Favorite the two etsy stores, then leave a comment telling me you did so.
6)  "Like" It's Your Party on Facebook, then leave a comment telling me you did so.

Remember to leave a link back to your blog, or your e-mail address in each entry, so I can contact you if you are the lucky winner!  Contest ends February 21st at midnight, Pacific Time:-)

Happy Tuesday,
Laurie

11 of 2011

A Teeny Tiny Teacher and Miss Kindergarten are hosting an Eleven in Eleven party.  Here is a look back at 2011.

11. Favorite movie you watched: 

Have to put two here.  The baseball fanatic in me loved Moneyball.  Billy Beane, also played in Portland, so a little piece of my hometown added to the charm.  Also, the final Harry Potter, the movie was great, but seeing it at midnight with all the fans in costume made the experience all the better!  

10. Favorite TV series:
Leverage!  Oh I how I love it.  The characters crack me up and it is filmed in Portland.

9. Favorite restaurant:
Spaghetti Factory!  Yum! Yum!  The pesto dressing is my favorite.

8. Favorite new thing you tried:
Blogging!  I have blog stalked for a while, and finally started my own blog:-)
7.  Favorite gift you got:
Students know me so well! 

6. Favorite thing you pinned:
Not in any way educational, but it was one of the first things I pinned....before I was an addict.

5. Favorite blog post:

Our photography art residency was such a great experience.  Arts are so important for kids!  My chickadees' final projects are masterpieces and I am still trying to figure out how to get copies for my house.

4. Best accomplishment:
During the summer, I challenged myself and my students to read a book a day, during the summer.  I got a little behind at one point, but caught up and completed the challenge.  During 2011, I read 112 books!  Sarah Addison Allen has become one of my new favorite authors.

3. Favorite picture:
Every spring, I coach 4th and 5th grade volleyball.  This picture was from our last game day.  Such a fun group of girls!   A couple of them, I started coaching in 3rd grade and taught some of them as 1st graders!  Bittersweet last game:-)

2. Favorite memory:
Camping at Timothy Lake...the whole weekend was so fun...even without real toilets!

1. Goal for 2012:
In all the reading I have done, I do not read much "classic" literature and nothing by Jane Austin.  So I am going to read at least 4 novels that fall into that category, and one of them a Jane Austin novel.

 

Bring on 2012!

Laurie

Art Lines and Shapes

Art is fun and gives the other side of our brain a workout.  So glad my school is part of the Right Brain Initiative.  I love love love all the fun ideas found on Pinterest.  Even more fun is when I actually get to do something I pinned:-)  I have a lines and shape lesson plan that I usually use, but the Pinterest had a much more fun idea.  Each students pretended to be blowing a bubble.  Then I took a picture of their  profile and printed them out in black and white.  They glued it to their page and made it look as though the lines and shapes were being spewed out of the student's mouth.  Here is a link to the blog with a whole picture Lines and Shapes Spewing