O"fish"ally a 1st Grader!

Today is our Open House/Registration day.  I get to meet my students and their parents!  It's kind of the moment that makes the idea of this next school year a reality.

Registration day is usually a mix of long, slow empty stretches dotted with sudden influxes of families.  Everyone always seems to come in one big wave and it's just a whirlwind!  This year we found out that we only have 3 forms for the parents to fill out in our classrooms rather than our usual 8 or so.  I always felt bad for the parents having to fill out all those papers! Now they will be doing most of the registration on computers.  I'm so excited about this!  I'm hoping it's a sign of a smoother start to the beginning of our year.

The best part of Registration Day for me is always meeting my new students.  Some are shy and hide behind their parents.  Some talk your ear off right off the bat!  This year I got a really cute idea from the goody bags I made for my daughter's 2nd birthday a couple of weeks ago.  I made these cute little candy bags using the satchel shaped cellophane bags, nerds, and Swedish fish!  Here's what they looked like:

I thought it would be a fun way to welcome my new class to give these out at registration too, so I changed the tag closure at the top to say "O"fish"ially a 1st Grader!"

These are the things you'll need.

Here's how you make them:

1. Print the top closure tags on cardstock paper.  (Get them here.)
2. Cut out closure tags so that you have enough extra paper above the words to fold over and double up in the back.
3. Cut the closure tag with a scalloped or wavy edged scissor (with card folded).
4. Pour some Nerds into the bottom of the cellophane bag to simulate aquarium gravel.
5. Add a few Swedish fish.
6. Tuck in and fold over the tops of the bag, slip it between the folded cardstock, and staple!

Parent Winter Gift Addendum . . .

One thing that I meant to mention when I posted about the Winter gifts we made for the parents is this:
as teachers we see a lot.  We see a lot of good parenting and poor parenting, and we focus on the effect is has on the kids.  I think sometimes we forget that we are also in a position where we can help not just our students but their parents as well.  There's so much more behind the scenes that we don't realize and sometimes we need to remember to try to minister to the parent as well . . . be it in small ways or large.

When I explained to my kids that with this Winter gift we would be essentially complimenting our parents in telling them what makes them so special and unique one of my very intuitive and bright students raised her hands and said, "Mrs. Wilcox - I think this is a very good idea because mommy thinks she is just terrible."  If you know this child, you know that she is raised very well.  I literally had to quickly make a statement to agree with her on the importance of what they write to mom and dad in this activity and move on because I was tearing up.  To imagine . . . mommy thinks she is just terrible.  These gifts may be just a small gesture, but I pray that the words my kids wrote to mom and dad truly touch their hearts and put a smile on their faces because no mom or dad who loves their child should think they are "just terrible."

(Click here to go to the actual Winter Gift for Parents post.)

Winter Gifts for Students

This year's Winter Gifts have been brought to you by . . . .Pinterest!  You know . . . that addictive new kingdom that sucks you in and all you now know how to do is "repin", "repin", "repin"!

I've been pinning away and then tucking ideas away for later.  Now's when I dig them out!

This year I decided to make new gifts for my kids.  I used to always make gifts for my students like decorated journals and writing notebooks.  I get these big ideas and set off to do them and then find myself up to my eyeballs in a project that I simply must finish because it's too late to turn back!  This year was . . . slightly different but slightly the same?

I made 2 things for my kids.

The Winter Pinterest Treat Bag!

Rice Crispy Treat (store bought), homemade Gingerbread Man rainbow crayon, and homemade ribbon bookmark!)

What's inside!

Each student got a fun rainbow Gingerbread Man crayon.

This is the one where you chop up the crayons and melt them in a silicone mold in the oven.  All I did was use a mini Gingerbread Man mold instead of the heart used in the Pinterest post.

Source: flickr.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Voila!  Simple!

Each student also got a ribbon book mark.

You sew a elastic hair tie to one end of the ribbon and sew a button to the other end of the ribbon.  Now it can wrap around the section of book you already read and TADA!  Page saved!  It's even drop proof!  (You know . . . when you drop your book and the bookmark falls out and you lose your page.)

Source: percolatingprojects.blogspot.com via Melissa on Pinterest

As much as I complain and whine about what happens on a day to day basis, I do love my kids and am grateful for them.  So yeah, it's worth the time and effort.  (I think.)  I mean, maybe they won't realize all that went into the gifts, but I know I put my heart into it just for them.

Room Mom Gifts

The end of the year is always such a blur.  Ten million things to do and they all creep up on you with what seems like the same deadline!  The next thing you know it's time for the end of the year class party, and you forgot to get a gift for your room mom (if you were lucky enough to have one).  Sometimes I get to know what my room mom likes and other times my room mom ends up being a complete mystery to me!  Here's what I came up with this year:

 

I found this cute little straw beach tote in the Target $2.50 section.  Then I filled it with goodies like a cute little ceramic mug with a rubber to-go coffee cup cover, special chocolate (Ritter Sport Strawberry Cream milk chocolate bar), cute note pad, and cute pen set.  You can customize the contents if you know what your room mom likes.   Then I fluffed up some tissue paper for presentation and attached a little note that reads:

I'm "tote"-ally grateful!

Thanks for being our room mom this year!

If you're pressed for time and want to use it, you can get the note and fill in your name below.

Oh yeah!  And for the kids . . . I used to make personalized gifts like personalized mini whiteboards and personalized journals, but I've got a whole lot less time to do that with my 10 month old beauty!  So this time around . . . just a little goodie bag to send them off for the summer.  For their notes I put a little message on a summer coloring sheet so they could color the note too.  =)