I have a couple weeks until we get back to school and I've been prepping a little here and there.
Every year I run out of glue sticks. EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR. They aren't the cheapest, so buying new ones can add up. Especially since so many dry up from not putting the caps on. Ahhhh! A couple years ago, I started using the glue sponges and it has been AMAZING! One, it sticks better than glue sticks. Two, in the end I end up saving money because I use the containers over again each year. Three, they are kept at their desks so time is not wasted passing out glue sticks from the bucket. I have made large sponges for a team to use and I have made smaller containers for individual students. This year I made individual containers and put their number on it so they can be responsible for their own. I used my Cricut to cut the numbers and the sponges are for makeup and I found them on Amazon.
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| The font used was KG Second Chances. |
I went to Michaels and found these adorable pencils. 24 pencils for $5 and you know I had to use a 40% off coupon. I ended up paying $3. 12 of the pencils are colored, so I replaced them with some pencils I found at the Dollar Spot at Target. I'll use the colored pencils in my writing center. I attached the pencils to little welcome cards. "Welcome...Your First Grade Story Starts Today". I'm actually thinking I've should have sharpened the pencils for them because I'm sure they'll want to use them on the first day. I've included the little note if you would like to use the idea in your classroom. The free download has a version for kinder - 4th.
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| If you want to use this note with your kids...Grab it here. |
Last year I started using Brag Tags in my class. My kids loved collecting them. I've spent quite a bit of time laminating and cutting them out. The good thing is once it's done, you're set for the year. I keep them in a labeled container. I made a little booklet that allows me to see all the tags in a quick look.
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| This Brag Tag-Starter Kit can be found HERE. |
I have a "I Think You're First Grade Fantastic" tag that you can download that you can make personalized. I use this tag if you're just particularly happy with their behavior as a group or as an individual. Open up the tag in Preview and you should be able to enter your name where it says "Your Name".
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| If you want to use this note with your kids...Grab it here. |
