Five for Friday

Thank goodness it's Friday!  Thank goodness for Doodle Bugs Teaching Five for Friday!

 

It's Apple week in our Young 5's class...a wonderful kick off for the fall season! 

 

Our tissue paper apples make me smile! I cut and peeled my contact paper ahead of time and had everything ready to go when the kids walked in Tuesday morning.  Trust me...I learned the hard way how time consuming it is to peel 15 pieces of contact paper while 30 little eyes are watching and waiting. 

Aren't they beautiful?

 

 

What would apple week be without homemade applesauce? 

Year after year, it's a huge hit!

 

 

Who loves their crockpot?

 

I sure do!  My husband enjoys cooking and grilling so 95% of our meals are prepared by him.  But every now and then, I throw something in the crockpot and claim I've made dinner.   This week I made Sweet & Sour Chicken.  It was easy, affordable, and delicious! 

 

Click HERE for the recipe!

 

 

I met with my wonderful Room Mom one day after school to do some planning and get our calendars in sync.  While we chatted, her daughter sorted, stacked, and paper clipped the papers for next week's flip book.  I was amazed at her efficiency and it only cost me two stickers! 

 

 

I received a very special thank you note this week! 

 

I can't decide if I love the flattering drawing the most or the sight words she wrote at the bottom!

It's just the 17th day of school but this class has already found a special place in my heart!

 

 Have a great weekend!

 

My Classroom

Welcome to My Classroom!  This is my third year teaching a Young 5's class (similar to transitional kindergarten) and it's the third time I've changed rooms!  I enjoy planning where everything will go, setting up the room, and seeing it all come together.  I'm thrilled with the outcome this year so please come on in and take a look around!

The blank slate I started with...

Transformed into a wonderful classroom I love being in...

This room is the largest in my preschool so I'm VERY lucky to have all the space.  And I'm closest to the bathrooms!  Another plus!  If there's any downfall to the room, it's the fact there are three doors which open into three different hallways.  All these doors cost me some usable square footage but I enjoy the flexibility we have as we're coming and going throughout the day. 

Here's our Morning Meeting area and where we gather between activities.  The black and white dotted rugs from Ikea help to ground the space. I switched out my old calendar set for classic chalkboard decor that's been quite popular this school year.  I've used the teal dotted borders for a couple of years but wasn't ready to give them up yet so I decided to mix it with the chalkboard theme.  I love the contrast of the vintage look with the teal and have been very happy with the result.

The rocking chair was a yard sale find and I've got plans to paint it black and maybe add a colorful teal or red cushion to it. 

Here's a view from another doorway facing our Morning Meeting area.  To the left of the calendar board is the classroom library and our listening center.  To the right, you can see the teaching easel and our Question of the Day.  Click HERE to read how I incorporate the Question of the Day into our learning. 

Below you'll see my teacher table and Word Wall as I was starting to set up this area. 

And this is a look at how it turned out.  The Word Wall pennant banner was a favorite find from the Target Spot this summer!

To the right of the teacher table is our Alphabet Center and the Writing Center.

Math Centers are located along the wall near my teacher counter and supply cabinet. The empty baskets on the top shelf will soon have seasonal math activities. 

We all love the Art Center...

I'm happy with how adorable the color word cards turned out!  They're a Pete the Cat set from Teachers Pay Teachers that you can find HERE. Aren't they cute?

This double sided shelf houses the Block Center on one side... 

And the Science Center on the other...

I just realized I didn't take photos of the Lego table, sensory tub, Homeliving Center, or the Game Center.  Our Game Center is quite the hit since it's located in the classroom loft!  I will get some pictures of those areas and post an update at some point.

Oh, here's my fun Pete the Cat door! Of course, the idea was originally discovered on Pinterest but I'm pretty proud of how it turned out!

Thanks for visiting my classroom!