Fun in First

A Teaching Blog by Jodi Southard

End of the Year

End of the Year Poem

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How are you handling this distance learning thing?  Now, that it is getting close to the end of the school year, I have to admit, I am getting more and more upset about how this year will be ending.  I LOVE the end of the school year, and not only because it will be summer.  I miss our ABC countdown, Mothers & Fathers Day celebrations, field day, end of the year party, and so much more.  But, it is what it is, and I am trying to make the best of it.

Last weekend, I drove to each of my students’ homes and gave them a little gift.  It was so amazing to see all of them, from 6 feet away.  Each bag included the book, The Very Impatient Caterpillar, a pencil, bubbles, candy, a poem, and a flat Mrs. Southard.

This FREE poem is a great sentiment for students to end the school year.

Send a flat teacher to your students to have them share their adventures with you during distance learning.

I wanted to share the end of the year poem and note with you for FREE.  I included two different versions of each, just to give you options.  Click HERE to download.

And…I’m pretty sure that I probably should have sent home the pajama, messy bun, and slipper version of myself instead, because let’s be honest, that is DEFINITELY more real life right now 😉

Send a flat teacher to your students to have them share their adventures with you during distance learning.

 

I hope that your distance learning is going well.

End of the Year Book

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The end is near!  Can you believe it?!
I made this End of the Year booklet that’s a perfect keepsake for your students to complete during the last week of school.
 
I included a version for Kindergarten, as well as two separate versions for 1st and 2nd grade.  (One very similar to the Kindergarten version, and one with more space to allow your students to do more writing.)
 
You can check out this booklet by clicking on the picture below.
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/End-of-Year-Book-1856818
 


Summer Activity Calendar {FREEBIE}

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The school year is almost over.  This is the time of year when I start to panic.  Did I teach them everything I needed to teach?  Are they ready for 2nd grade?  What if they forget everything over the summer?  Add in all of the regular end of the year chaos, and it leads to a lot of sleepless nights 😉
A couple of years ago, I made this summer activity calendar to send home with my students.  It has a very quick activity for each day of summer break.  I wanted to keep those brains engaged, but still let them be able to enjoy the pure freedom of a childhood summer!
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Summer-Activities-Calendar-Freebie-246066
 
These calendars are perfect for parents to hang on the refrigerator or keep in the car. (Car rides always seem to be the perfect place to sneak in some academic skills.  Maybe it’s because the kids are buckled in, and can’t go anywhere.  Whatever works right?)
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Summer-Activities-Calendar-Freebie-246066
 
You can download this FREEBIE by clicking HERE or either of the pictures above.


We’re Done!

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It’s officially summer break!  It’s Monday morning and I am not at work.  I got up early this morning, went on a run, watched the morning show, and drank coffee.  Pure joy!
I just wanted to do a quick update of how our school year ended.  Many of these pictures have been posted on my Facebook page or Instagram.
You can follow me here: {Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest}
The last week of school almost always involves very little sleep and lots of Walmart trips.  Please tell me that I’m not alone in this!
I spent two evenings ironing our end of the year t-shirts. {This is included in my End of Year packet.}
On the last day of school, I let the students go around and sign each other’s shirts.

 

I also put the character pinwheels along our sidewalk that morning.  I blogged about these here.  They looked so colorful and were a great way to brighten up the sidewalk.  It was REALLY windy though and some of them started to blow away.  I took them down before lunch so I didn’t have to chase any into the street.
We also completed Cara’s Memory Book.
I loved what she wrote for #5.  She is right too…she can definitely read fast like a cheetah!
On the last day, we had a classroom award ceremony.  We used Melissa’s Candy Bar Awards.
They were SO cute and easy!
Here are some of my firsties walking the red carpet to receive their award and character pinwheel.
I cannot even begin to tell you how much I will miss this class!  I had some amazing kiddos!!!
But, now I’m packed up and ready to enjoy summer.

End of the Year Gift Idea

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I know many of you will be finishing up this week.  We still have one more week.  The end is near.  Even though I am definitely ready for summer, it is always bittersweet to end another school year.
A couple of weeks ago, I was at Dollar Tree picking up some things for our Mother’s Day celebration.  I came across the pinwheels.  I have purchased these in the past and used them for reading.
This time I wanted to do something different with the pinwheels.  I decided to buy one for each of my students.  I wrote each child’s name on one of the petals.  Then on the remaining petals, I wrote character traits of that child.

I plan on putting these in the ground by the sidewalk outside of our door on the last day of school.  Then students will be able to take them home at the end of the day.  I think they’ll love reading about each other.  It’s a fun, feel good gift for your students.