Quietest Pencil Sharpener Give Away

After having seen these pencil sharpeners on a number of blogs I decided to contact Troy at Classroom Friendly Supplies and see for myself.  He sent me this one AND he is going to let me raffle one off to a follower. 

They are pretty amazing.  They are quiet and they really work well.  I had a little trouble at first- (that's the problem with not reading the directions).  Once I took a look at the video provided by Troy on his site, it was a breeze.

First I sharpened regular pencils and they turned out REALLY sharp in record time.  So I decided to give the sharpener a more difficult challenge... dollar store colored pencils.  If you've ever purchased dollar store colored pencils you know what I'm talking about when I say "difficult challenge".

Here are the results.

 

It's a great product developed and sold by a primary school teacher.  They are quick, quiet, and really work well... what's not to like?

You can enter my raffle for a chance to win one.  It's pretty simple.  Click on the picture of the sharpener and go to Classroom Friendly Supplies. Note how many colors are offered and the exact name of the color you want to win.

Now just click on Raffle Copter a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have a great week
Granny (Cindy)

Freebie Valentine Mini-pack, and Other Great Fun Things

I was fooling around the other night and came up with this cute and VERY easy little Valentine bird.  What I liked about the ease of the craft is that it fits perfectly into a center that will give the kiddos a chance to practice following directions.

I created an illustrated directions page to be laminated and placed in a center.  The pattern pieces are ready to be copied directly onto colored construction paper.  This gives the children more time to focus on the directions part of the activity.

After they have finished, they can work on sequencing and ordinal numbers.  The mini-pack also contains a "Label It" activity,  a "Read It, Trace It, Write It" activity, 8 Valentine Word Wall cards, and the patterns.  

I put this up in my TpT Store for $1.00 but I would like to give it to my followers and blog visitors for free.

The finished Valentine bird.

Click here to download the mini-packet. 

Now I have to show you the stash I found at the dollar store.  They had the cutest table scatter for $1.00 a bag (50 per bag).  I can't wait to make some fun math and literacy games with them.

I understand that some people can't find these at their Dollar Tree.  I purchased an extra set.  If you are a follower and leave a comment you will be entered in a chance to win the set in a random drawing.   Please leave your email address on your comment.  If you are the winner, I'll contact you for your mailing address.

Winner of Random Drawing:

For those of you that missed the Target heart dice, they now have these cute pink and red dice in their dollar section, as well as some very cute erasers.  (Sorry about the glare on the pictures).

Also, do stop by Mrs. Wheeler's 1st Grade and see her post on Managing Behavior Mid-Year.  She explains her Good Behavior Game and Prize Box system.  I followed the link to her TpT store and got the giggles... her prize activities are wonderful!  For $2.00 you'll get 8 pages of prize cards that are delightful! 


Last but not least, Irene Leeby at Learning With Mrs. Leeby is hosting her 200 Follower Give Away.  You don't want to miss this one.  She is giving away a $50.00 Target gift card, a $25.00 TpT gift card, and a $15.00 Starbucks gift card.  Click on the image below and head right over for a chance to win!

Have a great weekend and be sure to come back next week when I post freebie activities to go along with my new dollar store and Target finds.
Thanks
Granny (Cindy)

Groundhog Day Fun

I know everyone is getting ready for Valentine's Day... and I will too, just not yet. I have been working on my Groundhog Math Pack.

I live in Tucson, Arizona - the home to millions of groundhogs (O.K. gophers, not the same but close).  They're everywhere and they are the cutest dang things (when they are not eating your flowers and veggie gardens).

So of course, I had to make a craftivity, clip art, and math activities in honor of these little guys. Here's a peek at the craft:

I have simplified the craft by placing pattern pieces together that can be copied directly onto the correct color construction paper.  In short, there is no need for the students to trace patterns if time is an issue.  Just copy the patterns onto the correct color and give the students sets to cut out and assemble.

Now for the fun part, the math activities.  I included the following:

"I Know That Spring Is Coming Because..."( writing prompt: kinder-2nd)
"Punxsutawney Phil Knows That Spring Will Come Because..." (writing prompt: kinder-2nd)
Magic Numbers 1-10 (kinder-1st; 2 pages)
Magic Numbers 1-20 (1st-2nd; 2 pages)
Who Am I? (number logic kinder-1st)
Who Am I? (number logic 1st-2nd)
Help Groundhog Find the Right Path Home ( 4 pages: kinder; kinder-1st; 1st-2nd; 2nd)
Weather Graph (kinder- 2nd)
February Weather Graph (2 pages: kinder-1st; 1st-2nd)
Roll and Chart Game (kinder-2nd)
Read the Room Math (2 pages: kinder; 1st-2nd)
Directions and (copy onto construction paper) patterns

While creating this unit I had a chance to read quite a few groundhog books.  If you haven't read Gail Gibbons Groundhog Day! , it's a great nonfiction for the kinder- 3rd grade classroom.   

Substitute Groundhog by Pat Miller is very cute.

 Also Scholastic Books is offering Who Will See Their Shadows This Year? by Jerry Pallotta.   It looks adorable!

Leave a comment and I'll select two (random drawing) winners to receive the pack.  Please remember to leave your email address on your comment.

The two winner are:  Kathy and Mrs. P.  Your packs are on their way!  Thanks everyone for leaving your kind comments.

Thanks and have a great week.
Granny (Cindy)

Five For Fridays Linky Party

This is my 1st Five for Fridays link up with Doodle Bugs (First Grade Rocks).  It looked like a perfect link up because I had a VERY busy week!  Here goes:

1)  I purchased and used Letter School with the 1st and 2nd grade kiddos that I tutor on Monday mornings.  Being a college teacher, I don't have as much interaction with the little ones as I would like.  Soooooo I decided to volunteer in a kindergarten and 1st grade classroom on Monday mornings. 

 
I work for about 3 hours tutoring reading skill development with individual children.  I have a blast... we work with words in shaving cream, in a sand tray, with clay, with water colors, with magnets... all in all I have 18 different "activity hooks" for engaging the struggling learner.  I just picked up number 19... Letter School.  It's a fabulous app for the ipad.  If you haven't use it yet- do check it out.  It's well worth your time.   You can click on the picture and go directly to the site. 

2)  I made the most fabulous coffee cake for an orientation meeting for work. Click here for the link to the recipe... just don't look at the calorie count!

3)  Made the cutest little Valentine bird that k-3rd graders can make and hang throughout the classroom.  Check back on Monday- I'll be sharing the pattern as a freebie on my Monday post.  It's super easy.  I would love to see these hanging all over the classroom in different colors.

4)  Made my first set of clip art for the Groundhog Day unit I'm working on.  It was a really fun project.  Made about seven different images to use in my unit. 

5.  I had the opportunity to go on a hike in Sabino Canyon... one of Tucson's gems.  How lucky am I?

As you can see, I had a FABULOUS and very busy week.

Granny (Cindy)

Heart Dice and a Freebie Math Game

Hope you have all been to Target to get their dollar deals for Valentines.  If not, head over right away before everything is gone!  I personally think they should have a little "teacher room" where they guarantee that the dollar deals are always available for teachers.  Perhaps I should make that suggestion. 

They have the cutest Valentines "stuff".  They've got eraser packs and heart dice that are adorable.  They also have some cute little buckets - I love little containers.  It's just not possible to have enough if you like to pretend that you're organized.  Besides, it's nice to change the styles and colors with each holiday. 

I just couldn't resist creating this fun little math center game with the dice.  Students roll the dice, count the hearts, and color (or cover) the sum of the two dice.  Students are done once one row is complete.  It's great counting and adding practice.  If the students play as partners, the first to cover one full row is the winner. 

Click here to download

Have a great week and be sure to come back next Wednesday.  I have a fun little graphing freebie using the Target erasers.

Granny (Cindy)

This is a part of a linky sponsored by the great gals at A Classy Collaboration.

Triple Treat, a Contest, and a Really Easy Recipe!

It's the first of the month and time for "Triple Treat" where I share information about two new (and fabulous) bloggers and one great recipe. 
 
The first new blogger that gets a shout out is Kimberly Ann at Live, Laugh, I Love Kindergarten.
 
Kimberly Ann's blog is delightful and so is she! You can really tell she loves her kindies! Anyone who dresses like Pete the Cat for Halloween has that true kindergarten heart.

Kimberly Ann posts lots of great free worksheets for the kinder classroom.  She has a real eye for creating appealing worksheets, graphing activities, and cute crafts.  Did I mention free?  Well I'll do it again.

She has cute ABC snowman cards in her TpT store as a freebie.  Kiddos can put snowmen in ABC order and match upper and lower case letters...the possibilities are endless.
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Snowman-Letter-Cards


Kimberly just started blogging at the end of October and she has reached 100 followers.  She is super excited and is hosting a giveaway.  I am thrilled that she invited me to participate.  Congratulations Kimberly!

Just click the button below to head over and check out her blog and of course enter her give away. 

The second blogger that gets a shout out is Mr. First Grade.

You will absolutely fall in love with this first year, male (YEAH) first grade teacher!
 

He is so SO incredibly creative.  His classroom door for the school door decorating contest is amazing.  The entire school had some of the most fabulous doors ever.  So many of them are worth pinning to your favorite Pinterest boards.

He began blogging on September 30th.  I was lucky enough to be one of his first followers and he does not disappoint!  His ideas are great and I love how organized he is!

He has four free vowel games (short o, u, a and e) in his TpT store.  Check out his whole store while you are there.  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Mr-First-Grade

Mr. First Grade talks about how much he loves what he does. Here are some of the things Mr. First Grade said in his initial post.

"When they say that first grade is a very important learning year, they're not lying.  I get to witness "light bulb" moments on a regular basis, and it makes me feel incredible. This is why teach."

Head right over to his blog when you get a chance, you won't be disappointed! 

And now for the recipe.  Well not quite a recipe but directions for a super quick "gotta throw something in the slow cooker before I leave for work" kind of thing.

Just just toss 6 frozen  (yup that's right you don't even need to think ahead) chicken breast halves into a slow cooker and cover with 1/2 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce.  Cook on low all day (6-8 hours) and come home to a great main dish.  I shred the chicken and serve it on warm buns.  

Now how easy is that!

One last thing... head over to Target right away and pick up their $1.00 bin Valentines erasers and dice with hearts.  I've got some great freebies I'll be sharing this coming week using those items.  

Thanks-
Granny (Cindy)

I Have A Dream...

Welcome to 2013!  I hope everyone had wonderful holidays and lots of time with family and loved ones.  I was so lucky to have all my children and grandchildren "home" for the holidays.  We ate too much, didn't sleep enough, and partied for days in a row.  What fun!

I did have a few minutes here and there to create a Martin Luther King Jr. Craft and Writing Prompts Packet.  The packet includes facts about Dr. King as well as mixed up sentences and quite a few different prompts for creative writing and reporting facts.

The 24 page packet contains prompts for 5 writing activities, mixed up sentences to be used as a pocket chart activity and discussion starter as well as for literacy centers (recording sheets included), and a fill-in the facts activity.  Patterns and illustrated directions are also included.

Ms. Jones at Ms. Jones' Junction is celebrating the New Year with her 200 Follower Give Away.  She is giving away 20 products from her Teachers Notebook Store and 8 additional prizes from some of her blogger friends (I am so lucky to be included in her celebration).  Her Give Away is FABULOUS so be sure to head over and enter.  Just click below.

Also, thanks so much to the six people who commented on my New Year's Baby Craftivity.  I really appreciate your comments.  The winners are Pat McSweeney and Mrs. Leeby. I will send the packet ASAP via your email. 

Have a great start to the new year!

Granny (Cindy)