4th December - can you wait?

On the 4th December there is a surprise coming your way 

- it is big, it is huge.......

- it involves 50 bloggers and it involves an amazing gift for you

What is it?

I can't tell you until the 4th (USA time)

You will have to be patient and wait

Graphics/Fonts - Melonheadz and KG Fonts

Sand play

Sand play is a great way to assess how our students measure and estimate. 

We were investigating how to fill containers and measure different amounts of sand from each shovel. 

The ways in which my preps described how they could measure and check was quite sophisticated. 

Plus we had fun!!!

Next Monday and Tuesday (USA time) TPT is having a huge sale.

There will be a huge number of sellers taking part, including me!

I have so many items on my wish list - I can't wait.

There is some more clip art I have my eye on. I have become a bit addicted. 

Everything in my store is is in the sale

Looking at old toys and gold!!!!!!

My grade went to Sovereign Hill recently. 

This is a place in Ballarat that shares our gold history and what life was like - it is a living museum about the 1850's. 

We have such a great history here. 

They had the best time. 

The reason they went was to see old toys that kids used to use. 

While they were there - they looked at the old bowling alley, the wheels on carts, the old store and panned for gold. They actually found some. 

Blogging friends

Blogging has added such a lovely dimension to my life and when bloggers get together we do some amazing things.

Tania has 200 followers and we all got together to help her celebrate - visit her blog and join in the two rafflecopters to win your choice of items from all these stores plus $10 in Mel's Frog Spot store.

If you missed this yesterday there is an Aussie Blog Hop with some Christmas freebies. So check it out by visiting this first stop. Click on the image below to start.......

Aussie Christmas Blog Hop is live.....

Welcome to our Aussie blog hop

As you move through these exciting blogs fill your Santa sack with some amazing resources

Don't forget to leave some Christmas cheer with a comment - we all love a comment or two
Don't forget to follow my blog and TPT store if you like my freebie

I am stop number five - click on the button below to access my freebie - the link to the next blog is at the bottom of this post

Thank you for dropping by and downloading my freebie

Now click here to hop on over to Alison’s blog to throw

another great freebie into your sack

 

If you get lost - click here to go back to the start

Merry Christmas

Kinder transition - visit 1

Three more days until we reveal an Aussie Blog Hop for Christmas down under.....more about that tomorrow!

We had our first group of Kinders visit today. 

It was a busy morning and these photo show some of the things that we got up to. 

Because I have been away for two and half weeks - the team planned this and it was a huge success. 

I am very fortunate to work in a very well planned team. 

Our focus was number - rolling dice to see if they could subitise, count and match collections.

The kids we saw today did a great job.

Tomorrow we will do this with a different group. 

We are expecting about 80 new kids to start next year.

Do you do transition?

Tomorrow begins the new round of transition days for our next years' Prep kids. These will be our new 5 year olds who will start school next year. We will have 79 come and visit us and they will start in the New Year. In Australia our school year goes from January to December. 

They will come for an hour for a Maths task and then next week an hour for an English task.

Then they will come for a half day to spend it with their teacher for next year and the kids they will spend a whole year learning with. 

I look back at last year's group and remember the excitement, nerves and expectations that they had, we had and that their parents had. It is such an important stage of learning and they learn so much in a short space of time. 

Tomorrow is also my first day back after two and half weeks off to be at home with my own kids.
So tomorrow is huge day.

These two photos are from last year. We use them in their portfolios as the first page to showcase learning over the year.

Sorry - I needed to hide their gorgeous faces.

I cannot believe that my group have only 4 and a bit weeks left before they are no longer my Preps but someone else's Year Ones.

Sun, sushi and sav blanc

This post has nothing to do with teaching!

I have had one of those days - a great day!

My second last day of leave before I head back to school and the last four and a bit weeks before our summer break.

As I was driving home after picking up my kids from exams - my daughter took this great photo of the sunshine.

Then we all decided sushi would be a great snack and then I had a devine glass of Sav Blanc to go with it.

How will I go back at work?

Bits and bobs! Watch this space

This is my newest project - watch this space and there will be a give-a-way tomorrow or the next day when it is done!

This one is aimed at Year 2/3/4 students and is based on Thinking tool: DeBono's, Thinkers Keys and Blooms.

If you haven't checked out the great fonts from KB you need to. 

I love them to bits and they are my go to fonts now.

Khrys has some serious fonts and for a $15 commercial fee you can use over 100 fonts. 

Khrys updates them and adds to them too

Tonight I downloaded some fonts she has added for November as part of my one off payment. 

Check out her TPT store here

Christmas Ho-Ho-Ho or Winter he-he-he.....

Here is my latest project!

In a few short weeks we will be using Christmas themed tasks to consolidate learning across the world. 

I thought I would let the work speak for itself......I have included the cover pages for each task for you to look at. 

If you don't or can't use Santa themed work - no stress as I have a 'Winter Pack' almost ready for you to look at too. My Winter pack is only 10 tasks at the moment!!!!

A present from the Scrappy Guy

Thanks to Jameson at "Lessons with Coffee' I have made two knew blogging friends. 

I joined up in the great SLANT box linky. It stands for sending love across the nation to teachers. For me this was across Nations not just the nation.

I had heaps of fun getting to know Chelsea and putting my box of goodies together for her. I shall show photos when I know she has it - so I don't spoil the surprise for her. 

I received my box from Gary this morning and I am so thankful for the things inside and the card was delightful. 

The box needed to have an October theme as well as objects that meant something to the receiver and helped to get us through the scary month....

Here are some pics - I love the orange envelope and the message on the front. The card is gorgeous and we don't really have them in Aus. If I was in America - I think I would so enjoy Halloween. 

I am so lucky to have Gary as my partner for this link up!

The box was full of stuff

These tea towels are amazing

This bag is too cute!

This box has a whole lot of yummy inside. Now the little chocolates still in the box are Pumpkin Spice. In Aus we bake or boil pumpkins and they are treated as a vegetable - but in America they are a sweet and I have been converted - I don't think this treat will last long and I will have to hide them from my kids and husband. 

 Gary did his 'stalking' well and knows that I love books. I cannot ever have enough books (or shoes or handbags). I just love this book - it is a bit like 'The Enormous Turnip'

It takes a witch, a ghost, a vampire, a mummy and finally a bat to get that pumpkin off the vine.

And wait there is more - this pencils are also too cute. They are delightful. 

A very big thank you Gary - you have made my day - week - month!

Check out Gary's blog

also a big thank you to Jameson