Keepin' It Real...Simple

Well friends, it's officially the most wonderful time of the year!  It's also the BUSIEST time of the year.  :)  There is always SO much to do before the holidays, and quite honestly, I think it's so invigorating!  I just LOVE the rush!   Isn't that weird?!  Ha!

Of course, as luck would have it, I was down for the count on Monday and Tuesday.  Our school has been battling a bug for a few weeks, and I figured it was only a matter of time.  I have never had so many students flitting in and out of school before... and I've never seen so many kiddos walking down the hallway with trashcans in hand. I kid you not, I dragged myself into school on Wednesday, and there were SEVEN teachers out of the building.  SEVEN!   I had two kiddos out this morning, and I lost three from my homeroom by the end of the day.  All of the Clorox wipes and Purell in the world couldn't stop this critter from spreading.  Believe me, we have tried!  To make a very long story short, I don't have a TON to share.  Thankfully, my Sub Tub was in place, and I was at peace with being out for the first two days of the week.  Of course, we have been off and running over the past two days, and the last thing I've been thinking of is snapping pictures.  I did manage to take a few though!

Recently, I did a little shopping through MPM School Supplies.  I decided to add a few more resources to my existing Word Work arsenal, so I ordered Link & Learn Links by Learning Resources and the Eureka Money Set.  It was really simple to navigate the site, and the check-out process was simple.  :)  The items also shipped really quickly, and I was able to add two new centers in no time!  I will definitely be utilizing this website again for my classroom needs!  If you're interested in checking it out yourself, MPM School Supplies is offering 10% off of my first ten readers' orders.  All you have to do is follow THIS LINK, and shop away! As you know, I am ALWAYS a big fan of a SALE!

This is a great tactile and spatial approach to spelling.  My kiddos think it is the coolest thing ever!

Although I don't teach math at the moment, I couldn't resist the coins.  It will tie in SO well with economics!

I also am looking forward to utilizing this Word Work center too!

In other news, the kiddos are creating their own communities!  I LOVE how unique they all are, and I am also totally digging the mixture of urban, suburban, and rural communities.  This is just one example.  :)

I also had my kiddos working on Sarah Cooley's cute Community Scrapbook project this week.  This will launch a more in-depth study of our city..  I also plan on using her cute Flat Chip and Flat Chelsea project.  I just KNOW that my students will LOVE it! :)

I can't even begin to tell you how much time I have spent pecking away at a unit for communities this week, but I keep coming up with more ideas every time I think I'm done.  I think we're at 90 pages and counting.  I'll keep you updated on the status!  I'm hoping to wrap it up over the next week or so.  We will see! :)  In the meantime,  here's a sneak peek at SOME of the posters that are included in the file.  I love being able to create a content specific word wall for Social Studies to consistently expose my students to the vocabulary throughout our unit.  I also LOVE the how whimsical the display is! :)

I'm hoping to be able to snap a few more photos tomorrow.  We will be starting our new holiday centers... and we will  be starting a new Social Studies activity as well!  I can't wait to share!  I hope you all have an extra magical Friday!  :)