Day 2 Linky...

I'm clearly highly motivated by the Read Across America Week Linky at Primary Chalkboard!

Tuesday's Topic: Everything Dr. Seuss!! I've got this one covered!

Let's start with a handful of pictures from today's celebration.  As I mentioned yesterday, I was scheduled for a workshop today but I just had to drop in first thing this morning a snap a few pics with my awesome team and daughter.  Here we are in our Seuss gear...

We made our bow tie shirts and grabbed the hats from Party City. 

My daughter's grade level decorated with Horton Hears a Who, so she dressed as a clover complete with a speck and Horton plush.

My classroom parents did an amazing job on the snacks and goodies!

I didn't quite get my door exactly the way I wanted it, but I'm happy with the result.

So cute.  You can also find my previous Seuss celebrations HERE my Seuss inspired Word Family Board HERE, and a post dedicated to The Lorax HERE.

I hope you are enjoying a Seuss-tastic week!

I'M BACK...

Well hello blogging besties and fabulous teachers! After a blog hiatus and a laptop repair I am so happy to be back to blog world! Here's what's going on at First Grade Glitter and Giggles...

I got caught up on blog stalking today after being iced in (more on that in a minute!) and the one thing on my brain is...I'm thinking I need a blog makeover.  I think it's time.  I do feel like my blog represents my personality well, but I am loving some of the new cleaner designs.  And of course all of those fabulous tabs and sparkly buttons sure would help with my obsession need for organization!! Now to shop for an update. LAWDIE!

Next up...this Texas weather!

No joke.  I was in shorts and sandals on Saturday and then we had an ice storm on Sunday, complete with thunder-sleet. School was canceled today. I was actually bummed.  I love Read Across America!!! I spent Sunday working on my daughter's costume and our team shirts and then got the cancellation notice.  Normally postponing the celebration 1 day would be no biggie.  However, I am scheduled for a workshop tomorrow. Yikes! Is there anyone else that would have anxiety about snacks coming, a campus dress up, and a read in when you aren't there? Yes, me too.  But most of all, I'm sad to miss out on all of the fun.  Which brings me to the...

Read Across America Linky at Primary Chalkboard!

Monday: Favorite Children's Author and Books...

I would have to say that Dr. Seuss is my all time favorite, but I feel like he is kind of in a category of his own.  I have so many favorites that it's just so hard to narrow it down to a few. I'm just totally obsessed with children's books in general.  In fact my DREAM job (other than teaching of course) would be to own a children's bookstore.  Maybe I've seen "You've Got Mail" just a few too many hundred times, but the idea of something like The Shop Around The Corner just seems enchanting! Ok so back to my favorite author(s).  I've narrowed it down to 3.  These are the 3 that I just couldn't make it through my year without! In no particular order of course.

David Shannon!

My first David Shannon book was Alice The Fairy.  I just giggled and giggled when I read that thing in college and I was hooked.  Of course his David books are essential to any elementary classroom.  

 Peter Reynolds!

I met Peter Reynolds a few years back when he was a speaker at a workshop here in Texas.  The one word that I think of when I think of  Mr. Reynolds is INSPIRED.  Not only did he inspire me, but his books and personal story inspire both teachers and students.  The message in his books, The Dot and Ish (just to name a few), are so heart warming that I've shared both of these in a read aloud format at staff development (to adults!) and can easily tear up when reading them.  They are just amazing.  He is also the talented illustrator for books such as the Megan McDonald Judy Moody series and several Judy Bloom books.  Not to mention..he has a bookstore, The Blue Bunny! (See previously mentioned dream job above!)

 

Jane O'Connor

Seriously, you knew I had to have that coming.  There's nothing more fitting to Glitter & Giggles than some Fancy Nancy!  I use these books all of the time.  So much in fact, that even my dapper gentlemen are fans! The connection to curriculum is so much fun.  Vocabulary, colorful words in writing, sensory details...there are so many ways to incorporate these books.  We just adore them. That's fancy for really, really like them!

Well there you go! It feels good to be back! See you again real soon.

Silent Auction Basket

Our school's major fundraiser every year is our Fall Festival.  It's huge!! Our building is transformed into a family friendly Halloween celebration.  There are games, a haunted house, concessions, a pumpkin decorating contest, and my favorite...The Silent Auction!!!

Each class is in charge of providing a themed basket for the auction.  You can usually find a family fun night basket, cleaning basket, gift card basket, etc.. One of my favorite this year was "Keep Calm and Bake On!" Super cute theme, right? This year my firsties and I made a basket themed "We LOVE Reading!" Each student brought $5 OR an item for the basket. I am sooo happy with the way our basket turned out.  (I actually thought about bidding myself!) The most impressive part of our basket was the basket itself.  My room mom did an AMAZING job of painting it to match the theme.  I just fell in love and hated to see it go!!

We had about 10-12 books, a Barnes and Noble giftcard, a custom Dr. Seuss quote cup, a framed Keep Calm and Read On sign, Dr. Seuss socks, and a SkippyJon Jones notecard set.

Here is a shot of the back of the basket. Just fabulous!

I'll be back later this week with a freebie that I'm working on! Giggles...

Lorax Love!

Four day weeks are crazy busy!!! We had staff development on Monday while students enjoyed the weather. Sounds all glitter and giggles but here's the thing, my students were scheduled to have a class performance at our school assembly on Friday.  That left 3 days to practice and prepare. Yikes! I signed up for this date intentionally at the beginning of the year to correlate with Dr. Seuss' birthday.  As soon as I found out that The Lorax would be released, I knew we had to incorporate the two.  Here are a few pictures of my firsties...

We wore our lorax-staches during the assembly to perform a living timeline of Dr. Seuss, show The Lorax movie preview on the screen, and sing a Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss song. (I haven't quite figured out why this group always insists on looking so tough and gangsta in their pictures with their heads tilted to the side and non-smiling eyes, but it's becoming a trend...maybe they were just tired of me taking pictures!)

You know I had to glitter the staches!!! You can find them at The Teaching Bug or Sub Hub!

This is our Truffula Timeline.  My firsties held up the truffulas and shared Dr. Seuss milestones from 1904 up to the 2012 release of The Lorax movie. 

We have a tradition on our campus that every year for Read Across America, guest readers come in and read Seuss books on our live portal every hour of the school day.  We began the day with our Superintendent conducting the first reading.

We topped off our day with a First Grade Movie Night! I met a handful of my firsties at the theater to watch the movie together.  Between me & my firsties, my teammate & her firsties, and Misty at 3rd Grade's a Hoot with her thirdsters, I think we packed the theater!! The movie was all that I hoped it would be and I adored the giggles that filled the theater from our kiddos who had spent the week falling in love with the story. Hope you had a wonderful Seuss-filled week as well. Now off to enjoy some of this gorgeous Texas weather!

Seuss-tastic Stuff with Freebie...

Well it's all giggles over here with all of the Seussy love out there in blog world and Pinterest.  It is my favorite time of year! I'm a HUGE Seuss fan year-round so I thoroughly enjoy these next few weeks.  We actually started our Seuss unit last week and will continue on for the next two.  Here is a bit of Suess love from glitter and giggles...

Last week our Shared Reading focus was on main idea and details. I made this little organizer to go along with our reading of The Cat in the Hat.

Click here for your copy of the organizer.

This week we are reading The Lorax. I'm going to print and laminate this gameboard for my students to use with their word rings during Work on Words.

Click here for your copy of the gameboard.

On March 2, we will celebrate Read Across America with a read in and Seussy snacks throughout the day.  Here are a few pictures from our celebration last year.

I purchased this print from Charm Studio. We recite the quote as our end of the day launch.

Thank you so much to all of the creative teachers sharing wonderful ideas, pictures, and freebies to make these next few weeks so enjoyable for my firsties and I.  I hope you have Seusstastic time with lots of glitter and giggles!!

(Graphics provided by My Fun Invites @ Etsy.)