Thursday Pinspiration: Brownie Batter Dip & GoNoodle Brain Breaks

Alyssa of Just a Primary Girl hostesses another new, fun linky:

For our school Holiday Gathering, I made this fabulous Brownie Batter Dip.  I liken it more to Chocolate Cheesecake Dip, but still absolutely addicting!  I used the same dipper items in the picture, but if you read the comments on that blog post there are some good suggestions for additions/alternatives.

Photo courtesy of Stick a Fork in It

This would also be fantastic as a quick and easy pot luck dish for the summer.  No cooking, very little prep/clean up and it keeps in the fridge for a few days.  Make it.  You won't be sorry.


Do you GoNoodle?  If you don't, where have you been!?!  It is the best brain break, calm down, get moving website out there.  My students love, love, love Noodling.  Check out their blog for extra fun stuff the this end of the year activity for the kids.

Giveaway!

Last Sunday marked my 1 year TpT-iversary as a seller!  Let's celebrate with an amazing giveaway!

One winner will be chosen at random for each of these awesome products from our online colleagues.

One GRAND PRIZE winner will get a class set of handmade (by me) chair pockets in any color or style *you* choose!

Check out all the fantastic prizes and enter below:

From me

From Claire of Chaos to Clarity with Claire

 

 From Amy N

 From Curriculum Castle

 From Alyssa of Just a Primary Girl

From Katie of Simply Creative in KY

From Mrs. Dixon of Teaching Special Thinkers

From Meet Miss Parker

From Mr. First Grade

From Ashley Krause of We Heart 1st

 From my Etsy Shop Hermione J. Schwartz (for USA residents only)

Enticed by all these great goodies? Enter now!  Giveaway ends Sunday, April 27 at 8 pm Eastern time.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

EveryBUNNY Counts Freebie, Five for Friday + other exciting news

Finally!  For the first time this school year I am in time to hook up with Kasey for some Five for Friday Fun!

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New freebie posted: EveryBUNNY Counts solving 3 addend word problems.  It includes 8 different story problems in full color and a black line recording sheet.

It had been a while since we last practiced adding 3 numbers and I thought this would be an engaging way for students to practice both that skill and solving word problems.  Guess what, it worked!

Grab it for free in my TpT store!  Don't let the adorable rabbits fool you, the word problems do not have an Easter theme which makes these great for Spring in general or any time of the year students need a little 3 addend practice.

Speaking of my TpT store, Sunday is my 1 year seller anniversary (I call it my TpT-iversary) and it is time to celebrate!

Festivities will include a fabulous giveaway (with the help of some of my online colleagues) and a 20% off sale in my TpT store!  Check back here this Wednesday for all the details!

And, if you don't follow me on TpT yet, first WHY NOT?! and second, START!  I have a secret surprise for all my followers next week.  Shh...  No, not shh.  Tell everyone! ;)
  
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 The "big kids" started taking their state standardized test this week.  Each year primary classes adopt an intermediate class during the week and send them notes or encouragement or little snacks.  One of our snack treats said "Keep POPPING off the answers!" and we gave them several bags of microwave popcorn.  Corny, yes.  But, boy did we think it was hilarious.

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A few weeks ago we had a project fully funded through PowerUp Jax which is a locally based donor program like DonorsChoose.org.  Through the very generous giving from our local community I was able to purchase 50 on-level, non-fiction books for our classroom.  These two scientists are recording themselves reading all about armadillos.  They had a really great, natural discussion while reading.  I am so thankful for the opportunity to provide these high-interest books to my students!

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 For the past two weeks we've been working on Common Core standard 1.RL.4 (identifying words and phrases in poetry and prose that show emotion and appeal to the senses).  Students are deep into our study of poetry, imagery and personification.  On their own, students have discovered that songs are like poems ("Hey, songs rhyme like poems rhyme!" Amazing.)  I've been sharing my students' work during Daily 5/Literacy Centers on Instagram.  Lots of song lyrics and poems during Work on Writing this week and LOTS of singing/reading during Read to Self and Read to Someone.  It makes this teacher's heart sing, too!  P.S. IG @whathappensin27

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Our yard at home is positively bursting with Springy goodness!  The garden is growing, the trees are blooming and I can barely wait to eat these beautiful blueberries!

Remember, check back Wednesday for details on my TpT-iversary giveaway!

Five for Friday: End of the Year Recap!

Hooking up with fresh from the beach Kacey of Doodle Bugs Teaching for the end of the year recap edition!

 During the last week of school we had our grade level awards and our annual first grade picnic.  The chance of rain changed our plans.  We played outside all morning to beat the rain.  The kids had a blast!  All the teachers brought out recess equipment, chalk, bubbles and special games (plastic horseshoes is fun!)  All 160+ kids got along great.  Two of my colleagues tried to teach me to hula hoop again.  Tragic failure!  I used to be able to do it, but now I can't.  They said it was because I have no hips, butt or rhythm.  Talk about feeling the love! ;)  I took to chalk drawing instead.  Much better.

Only had 12 kids came on the last day of school.  No worries, we had fun.  We started the day with an all out Last Day Dance Party!  I put on Kidz Bop and we rocked out.  The kids were hilarious.  We popped and locked, we break danced (or is it broke dance), we twirled and we got funky.  The group shot is of all my "single ladies".  I was crying watching the boys dance like Beyonce.  I love these kids.

 After the dance party we played several Minute to Win It games.  I downloaded Reagan Tunstall's free resource and tweaked it to work for our class.  We did "Gone Fishing" , "Cookie Face" and "There She Blows".  I substituted in Pattern Block towers (they had to build three) and Spin It to Win It (they had to keep 3 unifix cube spinners spinning and on the table for 10 seconds).

 Our classroom awards came from Gladys of Teaching in High Heels.  These were seriously too cute.  I printed them on neon card stock (yellow for boys, pink for girls).  We rolled out the red carpet and worked the runway.  Then they ate lunch and went home at noon.  GREAT DAY!  Our faculty had our EOY party at Dave and Buster's.  Also, so fun!  We played games, won tickets and gave them to unsuspecting random children.

 Now I'm spending quality time with Sen and Jeffery T.  Sen is 8 months old now and still awesome.  I love taking pictures of her.  Jeffery T. is 9 years old and not as enamored with Sen.  Both those beds are Sen's.  she is happy to share.  Jeffery T. doesn't.  He stakes his claim first thing in the morning and only moves to eat.  Did I mention he weighs over 20 pounds.  Fatty, fatty, fatty. But I love 'em both!

Yea, Summer Break!

Mad Hatter's Spring Break Tea Party

Yea for Spring Break!  Really, I could have used it 2 weeks ago, but no one asked me.

Last week was a doosy!  I had my formal observation Tuesday.  I nearly made myself sick fretting over it.  We did a lesson on reading informational text for key details and asking and answering questions, then putting our research into informational text.  Yeah, I over planned.  We got through OK.  Some good, some...interesting moments (like someone pretending to pick her nose during the mini-lesson, then making it more dramatic when no one commented...Seriously?).  I'll have the post conference after Spring Break.  Bleh.

After I had an anxiety attack got past the observation, we could focus on fun stuff!  Another teacher and I planned to have a Mad Hatter's Spring Break Sweet Tea Party on Friday afternoon.  Talk about a hoot!

In class we did a close read of that section of Alice through the Looking Glass and watched the cartoon clip from the tea party.  Kids were encouraged to make interesting hats to wear at the tea party.  We had a few put some good effort into their hats!  We served sweet iced tea, apple juice (looks like tea) and tea sandwiches.  They were just jelly or cream cheese and cucumber with no crust and cut in quarters, but did the kids think they were fancy!

To highlight all the hats--creative, furry, baseball, beanies and even a hoodie (Miss A was not going to miss her chance to strut) the kids walked down our hatwalk...get it?  HATwalk like catwalk.  I love it!

Best of Show:

• Photo #1 Sporting not one, but TWO Jiminey Cricket dolls laced in the brim of a classic cowboy hat
• Photo #3 Best Hair/Hat Combo (Love his dredlocks!)
• Photo #4 Most Creative Easter inspired hat (and a reluctant super model)
• Photo #5 Tallest hat and by far, best hatwalk walk (Seriously, I love this kid!  He walks quietly in line, but is always doing something goofy.  He always makes me think of Monty Python's Ministry of Silly Walks!)
• Photo #6 Springy-est hat
• Photo #8 Fastest model (she wanted to walk so badly, but is so shy!)
• Photo #9 Too cool for the hatwalk aka Super Model Serious

The Mad Hatter's Spring Break Sweet Tea Party is an annual event in my class.  It is a great way to ease into Spring Break and not focus on the Easter holiday.

In other news...I put together a big packet on ow (like cow) and I'm putting it up on TpT.  It will be discounted to $3 through Saturday.  It's got lots of center and small group goodies.  The graphics are in color and in black and white.  I'm crossing my fingers for good luck on my first "for sale" product! =]

And now for something completely different...



Happy Spring Break!