Friday, July 27, 2012

Jitter Glitter

The day before the first day of school is Visit Day (Open House) at my school. This is a special time for all students and parents, but especially Kinders as they prepare for such a big day- THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!

To calm the nerves I send home the ever so cute Jitter Glitter. What is Jitter Glitter you ask? 

It is simply a small pinch of glitter that students put on their head at bedtime. Yes, it may sound a little strange -but I had so many positive comments about it last year. 

So how do I package it and send it home? 

Here is what you need:

  • Extra-Small ziplock bags -I got them from the bead section at Michael's
  • Glitter -any color
  • Envelope-regular letter sized 
  • Labels-see below
  • Poem-see below 
How to assemble:
  1. Put a pinch of glitter in each ziplock bag. One bag per student.
  2. Print out the poem, tri-fold it. 
  3. Before you stuff the poem in the envelope, place the small bag of glitter in it. 
  4. Seal the envelope. 
  5. Place the label on the outside. 
  6. Viola! 
Click for the FREE labels and letter

I know I found the poem on the internet, it is not my own creating. If anyone knows the author, please let me know and I will give full credit. 

Disclaimer- if you decide send out Jitter Glitter, you must have the glitter on your head to show for it. The Kinders WILL SHOW YOU THEIRS!! 



Thursday, July 26, 2012

Back to School....Why so soon?

It's hard to believe in less than a month the classroom will be all set-up and a week of teacher meetings will be in full swing. If anyone out there is like me, they are holding onto summer tightly and trying to soak up every ounce. From vacations to just sleeping in a few extra minutes, I have been loving the summer life- but at the same time, I am excited to meet a new group of Kindergarten students and start a new adventure this year. 


With that said, I have begun to look over my 'Back to School' activities and I decided to share my postcard idea. 


After I receive my class list, I am eager to meet my students and their families. I introduce myself to them through using a simple and sweet postcard.  I always use the free online  Wordle program that takes words and creates  a one of a kind image. These images are called 'word clouds' and they can be used for almost anything. You simply type in each student's name, your name, and your grade level. You then CREATE it! You can modify the colors, fonts, sizes, and much more. Wordle can be a little tricky to use, but once you play around with....you will get it! The best thing about the program is that  they turn out so darn cute! 


Once I have played around with my image, I save the Wordle as a PDF. I open the PDF using Mas'c 'Preview' Program. I print the image and select it to be printed multiple times on one page, four to be exact. This gives you the perfect postcard size. I then print the image on heavy card stock. 


To create the back of the postcard, I use Microsoft Word. Below you can see the message I used last year for my students. I write in each child's name and sign my name at the bottom. I address the postcards and attach a stamp, then they are off! 



Dear _____________,


Welcome to Kindergarten! We are going to have a blast learning together this year!

I have been busy getting the classroom ready for school and the only thing missing is you!

I look forward to meeting you at Visit Day on September 6th. Come meet your teachers, classmates, and other families!

Let our journey begin!

______________ sign name

Explore Wordle! Its an awesome resource! 

So my first official post! Wahoo! 




Monday, July 23, 2012

Hello, Here I AM!

After years of enjoying everyone else's teacher blog, I decided it was my time to enter the fun world of blogging. So, here I am! I cannot wait to share the happenings in my Kinder classroom.