Our PTA ROCKS!

We are very fortunate at my school that our PTA provides our Encore classes (PE, Art, Music, Library) with funds to purchase materials.  Check out some of the classroom management items I purchased.... (BTW - I am grinning ear to ear with all of this organization)

Jackets, hoodies, sweaters, button up shirts, etc, etc, etc....they are a thorn in my side!  My students are cold in their classroom, but get hot while playing in the gym.  In the past, they have just thrown them off to the side and I end up with a large collection of lost and found clothing.  Check this out :-)

So.....I bought a bunch of these hooks that make up the gym's "coat closet".

I hung 8 of them in the area outside of the gym.

Just a little reminder....believe it or not - I have VERY few left in the gym!  YAY!

Our school has a large laminator.  It takes most of my planning time for it to heat up...urgh!  Most of the things I laminate are smaller or individual sheets of paper (see the sign above).  I'm in love!!!! 

How sleek is this??

It is fast, quiet, and comes out cool....still smiling :-)
My PURPLE row was super excited to get a new star!!

Back to my hook problem...I'm addicted.  I like to have pennies (jerseys) for my rows.  It also helps with the color coordination.  Look at these HUGE hooks.

5 pennies fit on the hook easily. (See, I'm excited!)

Each row has a star and a hook of pennies.
(Thank goodness the chill out chair is empty!)

Thanks again to our awesome PTA.  I appreciate your support!!

DC Giving Page Contest

I have been running a contest on the DC Giving Page - Creating a Better Tomorrow with my friend Denise Wilson this week.  This is the first contest that I have helped out with....so much fun!  I'm such a dork.  My favorite part was making and updating the poster :-)  Our contest had twenty $2 spots and was done in less than a week.  Our prizes consisted of a $5, $10, and $15 dollar prize toward a project and a spot on the giving page.  The winners will be announced later tonight.  Not to mention my project is now under $200 - MAKING THE CUT  WHOOT-WHOOT!  My kiddos are going to love the things we are able to do with the Cricut machine!

The original poster.

At the end of the contest!

Thank you Package Completed

I have officially completed my FIRST fully funded project on Donorschoose.org.  What an awesome feeling!  I can't express how much I appreciate the people that donated to the project - people I didn't even know!  You check out my "Thank you" write-up and pictures by clicking HERE!


I used the coins in a tag game with my Kindergarten and first grade classes.  It was a tag game.  If they got tagged by the Bank Robbers (taggers), they had to go to the bank (ME :-) and correctly name the coin.  First grade also had to tell me how much it was worth.  Once the name it correctly, they returned to the tag game.  They had an awesome time and really improved on their coin recognition.


I am putting together a plan for the older classes...I'm thinking a tag game, but they have to count out the change.....I'll keep ya posted :-)


OK - I guess it will be a full week of school - HAPPY TUESDAY!

Money, Money Money!!!

Materials from my first funded project have arrived...minus one piece that will be here next week.  I'm so excited and my students can't wait to "play" with it.  I'm already brainstorming ideas of activities that my older students can do with the play money - earning it and spending it....hmmmm.  I'll keep ya posted :-) 

Pocket Chart,books, and play money

First Project Funded

I got word this weekend that my FIRST project was funded!  It was technically the second project that I submitted, but the first one to the fully funded!


Click HERE to see my "If I had a Million Dollars" project.


I still have my "Making the Cut" project out there....waiting to be funded.  Click HERE to see this project!


As soon as my "If I Had a Million Dollars" materials come in, I'll post lots of pictures!!

I'm back.....

OK, I've taken some time off, but I'm back and ready to roll!  I have gotten involved in a website www.donorschoose.org

WOW!  What a cool program!  A huge thanks to Denise Wilson for guiding me along with my first project....actually, she held my hand the WHOLE way...and STILL IS! :-)  SHE ROCKS!  Her students are so lucky to have her as their kindergarten teacher!

I want to make sure my students have the materials they need to succeed, so I just created a request for my classroom at DonorsChoose.org: Making the Cut.

Give to my classroom by February 3 and your donation will be doubled thanks to DonorsChoose.org. Just enter the code SPARK on the payment page and you'll be matched dollar for dollar (up to $100).

If you chip in to help my students, you'll get awesome photos and our heartfelt thanks.

Stay posted for lots of other neat things to come....and I can't wait to post when my FIRST project is FUNDED :-)