End of Year Memory Quilt

Hi Guys! 

Just popping in here real quick so share one of my favorite end of the year activities we do. 

First, I read this book - it's really sweet. And the end makes me tear up.

Then we make a big list of memories from the year - I try to keep them sorted. (Sorry, I don't have a picture of this part, I forgot to take one!) They tend to forget the beginning of the year, so you might have to help them a little bit. Then, they do a rough draft writing, where I have guided them with my own example (I pick fictional things that we have not done so that they can't copy me! lol). Their final draft goes on the writing paper. 

My kids, this particular year, were so gung-ho on doing cursive, so that's what they did! 

They draw their picture on the other page, where they draw their eyes looking up at their though bubble and their hair and eye brows. Then, their memory or memories goes in the bubble. I put the pieces together to make a quilt - gluing it on a big piece of "rolly paper" (I don't know what else to call it! ha)

You can grab the writing freebie HERE! 

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End of Year - The Last Few Days

Wow - what a year! When I started at my new school this past year, after having resigned from my school district last year, I didn't know. I didn't know anything. If I was going to stick with it, like it, hate, love it, or anything, really. I just kind of went in with an open mind. It was a WORLD different than what I had been doing for the last 18 years, but I really LIKED it. 

Now that I won't be a first year teacher (after 18 years lol) and my kids won't be first year students with a new curriculum and expectations, I really do plan to blog about more, and create more to go with what our curriculum is. 

If you want to see my last post, which I did before school even started, it's HERE on my personal blog. I never even GOT to my teacher blog. ha!

The last three days were early release so I just used those days as our theme days. 

1. Summer Time

2. Game Day

3. Hollywood Stars

One of my favorite things we do is these Party Pineapples! Gosh, I love them every year. I put them on black paper to frame them, and then give them a "plaque" and make an art gallery out of our front walls. If I had a hallway where people walk through, I'd hang them, but I don't, it's just us 2 teachers upstairs, so, we hung them for us to be happy looking at them. These take ALL day almost, so it's a great early release day activity. 

On this same day, since it's "summer themed," we celebrate the summer birthdays (including mine!). I got this idea from another blogger, Stephanie, but you use ice cream sandwiches instead of scooping ice cream! It's magical. lol. We do alllll the toppings, but the ice cream sandwiches are a game changer. 

The next day is Game Day. Basically, I just do a bunch of Minute to Win It Games. I have a few parent volunteers to man the stations, and they rotate after a minute. Here are some ideas we did this time.

• Fruit Loop Stack (on a popsicle stick)
• Cookie Face
• Tic-Tac Chopstick pick up
• M & M straw (pick up an M & M by sucking through a straw and place it into another bowl)

They also did paper airplanes this day and bubbles during recess. 

Here are some ideas on THIS post. 

Other seasonal Minute to Win Game Posts HERE

After the games, we came back and did a directed drawing from Art Hub - pineapples, of course.

Another thing we spend a few days doing is their Memory Book. I have stored their pages from the beginning of the year, and after they finish their end of the year ones, I staple the books together. I LOVE being able to see how much they've grown in the school year. 

Look at the difference in their drawings and writing from the BOY 👆to the EOY 👇!

You can find these memory books HERE. 

And on the last day, we do our classroom awards. I got the red carpet idea from a blogger, Reagan, MANY years ago. I get the red rolly paper for them to walk on and then a red tablecloth from the dollar store and put yellow stars on it as the backdrop. It such a POP for the pictures!

This year, I got smart and just made a template in PPT with a star and typed in their names and printed them on yellow paper. Then I had my daughter cut them out. ha! 

And we ended with movie day - popcorn with M & Ms in it.

Click the link to find some other END OF YEAR IDEAS 

Check out my post on End of the Year Books. to see which books I like to read. I always plan to read them all, but of course, time runs out, like always. 

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End of Year Books

Anyone who knows me and has seen my classroom, knows that I have a little obsession with books. So naturally, I have a few suggestions for the End of the Year.

Honestly, if you're anything like me, make sure you have a box of tissues ready when you read any of these books!

Our Class is a Family - I don't know about you, but after a year together, you really do feel like a family. You have gone through a lot and and spent A  LOT of time together lol. I love this one for the beginning of the year and the end. 

A Letter from your Teacher - This is from the same author of Our Class is a Family, and is the "sequel" to the beginning of the year version of A Letter to from my Teacher.  

A Letter to my Teacher - This one is written as a thank-you note to a special teacher from the student who never forgot her. Ugh, the last page got me really good. 

Dear Teacher - This book is a compilations of letters written from various "kids" explaining what they are thankful for. It's for teachers, and other mentors alike. This lends itself well to having the kids write their own thank you letters. 

Last Day Blues - another "sequel" book. This one is the end of the year version to First Day Jitters, always a fan favorite! 

Thank You, Mr. Falker - oh, man. I saved this one for last because it's one of my all-time favorites for end of the year...or beginning of the year. A story about a girl who is dyslexic and struggles to read, and one of her teachers helps her to get passed it. As if that isn't enough to make you cry, it turns out that the girl in the story is actually Patricia Polacco, herself - the author. Makes me ugly cry every time I read it.  I actually don't read it anymore, because Storyline Online has a great rendition of it. So I let them read it, but I have the book out for the kids to read it, because they're always obsessed with it afterwards. 

So, there are some of my books I like to read the last week of school. Hope this list helps you!

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Last 3 Days of School

Whew! The last 3 days of school... what a whirlwind!  It's always so much fun, though.

Here's what we did...

Monday was Bubbles and Popsicles day...

I love having my big girl in my grade and on my team... I got to see her a lot this year.

We also read the book, Ish, and they got to paint for the last time this year...making their Ish drawings.

And we also read outside - "Sea You Next Year" theme... so beach-y!

Tuesday.... was autograph day. 

Each team went outside and all the kids got their friends' autographs in their Memory Books. Someone brought this giant emoji pillow and I really liked it. I think I need it next year for a photo op! ha!!

Then we went inside and had our classroom awards.

I usually do a red carpet, lined with stars with their names on it (like the Hollywood Walk of Fame), and this year I got the idea to do a backdrop... 

The pictures turned out SO cute. I'm so glad I did that.

After they got their awards, they took their pictures next to their stars.

After the awards, we finished up our Memory books... I LOVE how these always turn out! Check out the whole book HERE. 

Wednesday... the last day. 

We spent the morning playing Minute to Win It games...

Some of these ideas came from Tonya's Treats for Teachers, some from Tunstall's Teaching and some I came up with. lol 

We ended with our Summer Treat while watching Finding Nemo.

And that's a wrap!! Man, what a year!

Make sure that you check out the super awesome First Grade Rocked! guitars and pictures we did last week. I absolutely love them!

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