Monday Made It {New/Old Math Bins, Spray Paint, Schedule Cards}

I have been working like crazy trying to get things ready for next week when students start back at school. I am embarrassed to admit that this is my first Monday Made It all summer! The summer has just flown by and I didn't get nearly what I wanted accomplished but having two kids of my own and trying to make the most of vacation will do that to ya!

So, I am linking up (late!) with my friend Tara at 4th Grade Frolics. 

I "inherited" this awesome storage unit for bins from a retired teacher. It is filled with math manipulatives and I am teaching three blocks of math this year! I cleaned it out, put some new dollar tree bins in it and added labels. This will add to my organization and help students access the tools they need easily at centers.

These School Supply Labels are by 3rd Grade Thoughts. Find them on TpT HERE. The last page is an editable file and I made these labels based on my needs for the math bins.

Here are some close ups:

I finally updated my boring BLAH plastic file holders with spray paint. It was so easy and quick!

I used this spray paint:

I also updated this dates but very useful metal organizer. I painted the middle pink and the sides purple.

I updated my class schedule cards since our schedule was tweaked slightly. I print the strips in color from my power point file, cut it out, place it on colored paper and laminate. 

Here I am using a class schedule card from last year to cut the same size paper for this year.

 I use my Creative Memories corner rounder for rounded edges.

 Here are some laminated cards (I rotated the picture but it imported wrong).

 This is the updated schedule that is hanging on my board.

I have these editable class schedule cards for $2.00 in my TpT store here if you are interested in checking them out. I used the font A Truer Blue by Kevin and Amanda fonts. 

I have so much more to do but I know I will get what I absolutely need to get done for the first week somehow. However, it will be a push between now and Tuesday! Have a great weekend friends!

Don't Miss This Second Chance!

Did you hear that TpT is having another Back To School Sale for ONE day only? The big day is August 20th! I was excited about this because here in NY, we start school after Labor Day. At the beginning of August for the first sale, I wasn't quite ready to purchase everything I knew I might need because I was in the middle of summer mode! Do you know when I checked my cart out? About two minutes before the sale ended! Haha!! So, some bloggers are sharing what they purchased last time and what is in their cart for the upcoming sale. I will be adding thing I missed for sure!

One item on my wish list is this 4th Grade Common Core Spiral Math Review by I {Heart} Recess! I will be teaching math next year and have been looking for items to use throughout the year that are aligned to the CCSS. These are perfect one page spiral review worksheets for homework, quizzes, or morning work!

One item I bought with the last sale is Fun In Room 4B's Math Moves! There are 4 questions of Daily work each day and an assessment for each that covers all the CCSS. This will be a great supplement to my curriculum as well!

One must have item from my store is my Fables Text Dependent Questions with Claims and Project Writing Guide. I won't be teaching ELA next year but this is the type of resource I created to help my students with the "big" test and claims supported by text details.

I included multiple choice practice questions modeled after the questions being asked on the state test aligned to the CCSS. There are also short response questions and an extended response question (all complete with answer keys). The short response questions have a graphic organizer to set up the claim and two supporting text details.

There are also resources in this pack to guide your students in writing their own fable with a moral. Student outline and rubrics are included as well as sample pictures of fables my students wrote and their illustrations. Check it out here! It will be a steal with the sale at 28% off!

I am working on more products like this one as well and also have this nonfiction piece about snow with claims and text details and this Christmas freebie!

Check out what these other bloggers are buying or have bought with the back to school sales!

An InLinkz Link-up

Five for Fraturday...Guess Who I Met?!

Happy weekend!! I am in crunch time for school starting in two weeks!

Linking up Five for Fraturday with Doodle Bugs Teaching.

Here are some random "summer" happenings from my week!

Last Sunday I had the opportunity to meet one of my BBB's, Jessica, from I {Heart} Recess!! Wahoo!
We met at Bob Evans for lunch and talked for almost three hours and probably could have talked another three! It's crazy how she grew up right by my college town (which is only 40 minutes from where I grew up!). We also both worked at McDonald's in my college town at the same time...what a coincidence! I felt like I had known her forever and we were two old friends meeting for lunch. LOVE! :)

We had our family reunion two weeks ago but I wanted to share some fun pictures with games (you might be able to use in your classroom!).
This is the sawdust hunt (probably not great for the classroom) but we've been doing this for years. Throw candy and coins in the sawdust and let them go to town! I remember being about 17 and my cousins and I still loved this game! Our reunion has about 70 family members in attendance and there are so many kids that they have to do the hunt in "shifts". There were four girls and one boy born the year of my daughter's birth and four boys and one girl born the year of my son's birth! Fun!

 Cookie in mouth using only facial muscles minute to win it! Start with the cookie on your forehead. This is hysterical to watch and he got it in his mouth on the last second!

 This was a slinky on a headband that they had to try and get sitting on top of their head stacked neatly. The boy closest in the picture got this one at the last second too and it was hysterical to watch them bob their heads all around! Haha!

 This is using a straw to move Smarties from one plate to the other. Suck through the straw.

This is a potato where they put straws in the potato and balance skittles on the end of the straws.

This is using chopsticks to move beans into the container.

 Here is a cute salamander found in the creek!

 Crayfish!

 Hanging out in the pond at the reunion!

I did the Color Run last Saturday with some of my kickboxing friends. It was a blast!

The teacher that retired on my team gave me this awesome organizer with bins. My room is clean and the floors are waxed so I can get in next week to start organizing! I am going to give this a makeover with bins and nice labels. I can't wait! 

It is filled with math manipulatives and I am teaching MATH next year instead of ELA! We are still departmentalizing with three 80 minute blocks but our new team member, Emily from Style Closet to Classroom, will teach ELA because she loves it and has a strong background in ELA. Math is really my first love but I will miss ELA. I've already met with Emily and given her anything from my files that she wanted. As much as I will miss my old teammate, I LOVE Emily already. She was special ed before in our district and now will be general education on the 4th grade team...Yay!

Summer activities are drawing to a close for my kids. 

Here is Lilly at her end of the season swim show doing the back stroke (middle of the picture). 

She takes after me and loves the water!

 The kids also had their second week of karate camp this past week. My four year old will still nap, so karate camp from 10-3 everyday cut into nap time. Here are two pictures of what he would do after camp each day. He's my baby! He will start PreK in two weeks and had to be in the afternoon PreK from 12-3 because he is going to my school just for PreK and we live out of the district. I am SO nervous about him missing his nap everyday and how tired he will be. :( My daughter went to morning PreK when she was four and was able to take a nap in the afternoon but since then they have cut morning PreK to one section. Long story short, it is not ideal for my early risers to do afternoon PreK. Hopefully, I can get him up in the morning! :)

Have a great weekend everyone!! 

Wednesday Wearing, Buying, and Blow Out!!

I am finally taking the opportunity to link up this summer with some fun linky parties. It is hard to believe that it is August 13th and I only have a couple weeks left to enjoy. Yikes!

First up is What I'm Wearing Wednesday linky party with my BBB Jivey at Ideas by Jivey! 

I love checking out everyone's wardrobe!

I have had several Stitch Fixes now and here are a few keepers.

 This is a chevron dress that I LOVE! Here are pictures with heels and the middle picture has black flip flops with some bling. I couldn't wear heels all day to teach so sometimes I start the day with heels and change into flip flops later. This dress was in two Stitch Fixes ago and my stylist sent the blue cardigan with the Stitch Fix I just got yesterday! I often get chilly with the air conditioning at school, so this is perfect!

 All three of these pieces are from my Stitch Fix that arrived yesterday. I forgot to take a picture with the scarf, but it will look great I think! I am loving my skinny jeans!!

These skinny jeans from the picture above are "Level 99" Mid Rise Lily Skinny Straight.

The tank in the picture above is by "Eclair". I think I would wear a blue tank under this if I wore it to work because I don't like that much of my back showing. The skinny jeans are navy blue.

If you have never tried Stitch Fix, give it a try! I kept all FIVE items on my last fix and you get $20 off if you keep one item and 20% off your entire order if you keep all five items. If you use my referral code and I would be SO grateful because I will get $25 off a future order. :)

Next, I am linking up with the Why'd I Buy It? monthly linky party with another BBB at Elementary AMC!

I always buy the $.50 Crayola crayon packs of 24 when they are this price at WalMart. 

What a steal!

I found these "Great Math Skills" punch cards in packs of 24 at the Dollar Tree. I'm not sure how I can use them, but it will be a way to motivate students for sure. My dear friend Joanne at Head Over Heels for Teaching is always sharing her Dollar Tree finds and I'm amazed at what she can find to use for motivation! Check out her linky party Spark Student Motivation Saturday for loads of ideas! Check out her recent post, "Five Things for Only $1 to Motivate Your Students!"

I forgot to take pictures of some other purchases but did find this picture of the mess in my classroom. Some recent purchases are laying on top of everything. I can't get in my room right now because they are waxing and everything not on the counter is in the hallway.

I am so excited to announce that Educents.com is bringing back their HUGE back-to-school blowout sale and I am going to be featured in one of the curriculum bundles! From August 13 - 15, they are bringing back all of their favorite and most popular bundles for INSTANT download at up to 77% OFF! There is something for everyone and it is their BIGGEST sale of the year!

Take a peak into what is on sale! Tell your friends, because there is something for everyone who teaches children in PreK-8th grade!

Preschool - Kinder Full-Year Curriculum Bundle - 72% OFF

Kindergarten Full-Year Curriculum Bundle - 75% OFF

K-2 The Write Stuff ELA Bundle - 68% OFF

First Grade Literacy Bundle - 74% OFF

School Year Curriculum Bundle (Grades 2-3) - 74% OFF

Poetry Curriculum & Activities Bundle (Grades 2-6) - 75% OFF

Tricky Math Curriculum Bundle (Grades 3-5) - 69% OFF

Complete Full-Year Curriculum Bundle (Grades 6-8) - 77% OFF

Management, Decor & Organization Bundle - 76% OFF

Don't Miss It!

Tried It Tuesday is up for the month of August. 

Starting in September, there will be weekly link ups again.

Check out the link ups and get a new idea or two! :)