Paula's Place Teaching Resources

Last Last Day

It is official - school for 2013 is over.

It is also official that I am moving from Prep to Year 5/6. I love the senior part of the school and have been away from it for 6 years.

Today I ran a Professional Learning task for all our teachers and support staff. We looked at the 'management' of students as opposed to 'principled habits'. This underpins Daily 5, but is transferable to any subject or specialist area.

Six groups - all looking at a principle each. They read part of 'daily 5' and became our expert group for: stamina, trusting students, sense of urgency, staying out of the way, sense of commmunity and providing choice. They discussed and answered the following points....

- what is it? Definition or key words

- what will see?

- how will we enable students to do this?

- how will the learning environment look?

Then one person from this group joined 5 others with different topics and they each had to share and answer questions. We want these along with our school values to drive everything we do across the whole school.

I was so impressed with level of conversation, questions and reflections by all staff. Next year will be another exciting year.

Last day of school with kids

Today was the last day for our students.
We still have a planning day tomorrow. (I will post about that tomorrow)

It is always a sad day to say goodbye to a group of kids.
You spend a whole year with them, teach them, extend them, challenge them and love them for who they are.

In Australia our year ends today and begins 28th January with a new group of kids.

Our team gives a small gift to each child - to say thanks for a great learning year.

I gave my boys a toy car, little notebook and Christmas pencil.

I gave my girls a bracelet I bought in Bali, a notebook and pencil with an eraser on the top in the shape of hearts.

These gorgeous angels I gave to the teachers in my team as well as others I work with.

I loved them so much - I had to buy some for my own tree at home.

The weather today was mad!

I got in my car at 4.30 and it was 43 Celsius so in Fahrenheit that is 109.4, by the time I took a screen grab it was 40 Celsius in Fahrenheit that is still 104!

So my USA blogger followers - think of us and our non white Christmas.

Holidays are almost here

This post is about our School Christmas Fair and at the end a link to my store to see my Christmas/Holiday and seasonal units which will help you to get through this season.

Our annual School Fair is about our kids making products. learning about money, giving change and selling.

My Preps made these gorgeous tree toppers - which could also be placed anywhere on the tree for 10c. The fair is designed for our kids and while parents come - it is for our kids.

The children man the stalls and have heaps of fun. They bring coins to spend and the atmosphere is lovely.

There was reindeer food, keys for Santa in case you have no chimney, key rings, cards and heaps more all made by our kids.

These products will help you get through the next few weeks - there are a few freebies here too

Click the image or click here to go to my store

Christmas Questionnaire

Michelle from Fabulous in First has put together this questionnaire - if you would like to go and link up - click here. It is a great way to get to know other bloggers.

Hot Chocolate or Eggnog?

Hot Chocolate definitely! I want to do eggnog every year, but just can’t make myself do it

Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them underneath the tree?

My parents used to wrap them and add a note. Santa always wrote in squiggly writing, My parents said it was because he was old. They took this very seriously, even down to the wrapping paper being different to everything else. One year an auntie used the same paper – the secret was out that year!

Colored lights or white?

Brilliant white – no color at all

When do you decorate?

The 1^st of December – this can cause issues if we are busy at work and it is mid week. It is a tradition in our family and has to be done that way.

Real or Fake Tree?

We have a fake tree as our children have asthma. In Australia a fake tree works for us as it can become very brown by New Year when we take it down.

What Tops Your Tree?

This year, a star. We have different toppers and depending on who gets to top the tree – they choose.

Favorite Christmas Memories or Traditions?

When I was young, Dad would take my sisters and brother in the four wheel drive in search of the perfect tree. This was a walk on the wild side – as he would drive around – we would spot the tree – he would get out the axe and run and chop it down – throw it in the back of the truck – speed off. Our mother would be beside herself as we might get caught. We would get it home and it would always be way too big for the house. Then Dad would proceed to make it fit. So many laughs and giggles about trying to fit the angel on the tree that had been bent to fit.

Do you remember your favorite gift as a child?

It was a cassette player that I shared with my sister. Complete with two tapes. (Yes I am old)

Do prefer giving or receiving?

Certainly giving – I love the choosing, buying, wrapping, giving and the looks on faces as they unwrap. Our son when he was 8 wanted to give a cow to a community in Asia. So this is a tradition we have every year with Oxfam.

What is your favorite Christmas song?

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – sung by Kate Cerberano or anyone for that matter

Candy Canes. Yuck or Yum?

Not fussed – no mint thanks

Favorite Christmas Movie?

Elf

Do you shop online or at stores?

Shops – love the bustle, noise and atmosphere

Photo Cards, Letter or Store Bought Card?

My daughter and I used to make them and they were very special. The last two years – I am ashamed to say I haven’t done cards at all. We used to make them in the September holidays and we have been travelling at this time and they just don’t get done anymore. But I do give them to people I work with. We have been experimenting with Elf Yourself and have sent that to family and friends.

Maybe next year we will get them done

Just a bit of craft....

Don't you just love this time of the year?

Craft, craft and more craft.

These would make a great display, but with only 5 days of school left, by the time the display is done - we would need to take it down.

Our school year finishes next week.

School starts again late January and we will have new grades.

I will not have the same year level next year, hopefully by the end of the week I will be able to share where I am going.

Tree Toppers

This task is for our Christmas Fair.

Our kids make something and have a class stall and sell the items.

It is such a gorgeous morning - and seeing people buy our work is lovely.

This amazing star - we decorated with colour and glitter.

You can never have enough glitter at this time of the year!

(Sorry Helen - our hard working cleaner)

When they had finished decorating, we then taped the cone shape at the bottom - they are great tree toppers.

Candy Canes

You need stamina - patience and marbles. I think I lost mine doing this task.

I forgot to cover the table and didn't remember the art smocks until more than half my kids had red paint on themselves.

We placed a candy cane in a box lid, had marbles covered in red paint, placed them in the box and then gently rolled the marbles (some were not so gentle) around the box and hey presto - candy canes.

When they were dry, we cut them out and placed them on red card.

Reindeers

The face of the reindeer is a tracing of our kids feet.

The antlers are hands.

We glued goggle eyes and a sparkly pom pom for the nose.

Then we put a little glitter on the end of each antler.

Cute

What craft will be next?

Stay tuned......

Literary Luminary

Say what?

Today was Transition Day across our state.

That means that our Grade 6 students experience a day at their secondary schools, it also means our Kinder children come to school to be Preps for a morning.

So at 9:00am I was with 4 year olds, at 10:00 I was with 12 year olds and then at 12:30 I was with 6 year olds. A day jumping from room to room.

I worked with a group of Grade 5/6's on what a Literary Luminary role is in Literature Circles.

It has been a while since I have worked on this - so I had to do a bit of pre reading myself before the day began.

We had a text - read the information and chose three parts of the text that were meaningful to each reader. Then we had to justify it. This was presented to a small group and discussed as to why it was chosen.

Some chose this because it was interesting, funny, powerful, descriptive, puzzling or important.

Another Christmas freebie

Just because I can - here is another Christmas freebie for you. After all it is Christmas.

I would love it if you would leave some feedback.

Click here to download

A huge ebook full of freebies

I am so excited to be able to finally say this out loud!

Krissy from Mrs Miners Monkey's Business has pulled together 50 bloggers to post this great e-book full of freebies for you.

This book contains a holiday tip and at the end there are also some extra freebies.

Why am I excited? I am page 44.....

There are amazing bloggers and authors coming together to provide some great tasks for you.

This is aimed at Pre K-K (In Aus great for Preps or Foundation)

Click on the image to access it in TPT for free.

There are also other e-books for Years 1-12.

2013 Winter Holiday Tips and Freebies for Grades 1-2, too!

2013 Winter Holiday Tips and Freebies for Grades 3-5, too!

2013 Winter Holiday Tips and Freebies for Grades 6-12, too!

I suggest you get comfy with your laptop and start downloading folks

Please enjoy my freebie

I am going to be away for a few days - I need to go home to my parents.

My Dad hasn't been well. So I need a dose of extended family time.

I will be back on Tuesday.

In the meantime happy downloading.

Christmas Maths

My kids have been using my Math Christmas pack - there are 12 centers and they are differentiated.

Here are just a few photos of what we got up to today.

They are a bit blurry and because I have become the laminating queen - they are also a bit shiny!

A prize and our tree

There is something extra special coming after the Cyber Sale - it involves 50 bloggers and heaps of freebies!

I can't wait so watch this space.............

I entered a rafflecopter and then forgot all about it - until Hadar sent me a lovely email to say that I was one of the winners. She makes the most amazing stuff, so now I need to choose!