Friday Freebies Galore & What I Have Been Up To

Who doesn't like a freebie, right? I haven't met a teacher who doesn't jump up and down with glee and appreciation when a freebie comes their way. 

1. It's FB Frenzy time! There are hundreds of great resources up for grabs. Head on over to my FB Page, like my page and you can grab this fun math craftivity!

2. There are only a couple days left to grab a ton of awesome freebies during Erin over a I'm Lovin' Lit's Winter Planning Giveaway.

3. We worked on opinion writing this week. My kids had to explain why Rudolph or Olive, the Other Reindeer would be a better guide for Santa's sleigh.

4. With only 10 more days until winter break, it was time to start our holiday gifts for our parents. My mom came into my classroom today to help the kids make salt dough snowman ornaments. We got the first stage completed today. They have been baked.  Next week we will paint them and spray them. I can't wait to show you the final product.

5. My kids came into the classroom and found this today. They each got a lump of coal (black Rice Krispie ball) from Snowflake our elf. Then, they had to write an opinion letter to Santa explaining he had made a mistake. They HAD to be on the nice list. Thank you Hope King for this creative writing idea.

Link up and share your week of fun with all of us!

Elf Preparation and a Giveaway

I have caved... I have taken the plunge.... I have made the commitment... to open my classroom to a TON of mischief. This little guy is on his way....

I have wanted to invite this little guy into my classroom for awhile, but never followed through. Well, this year I am following through in a BIG way! His plane ticket has been purchased and we are just waiting for him to land. While I have been waiting for his arrival, I decided I better have a lot of things for him to do while he is in town. This weekend, I created this little packet:

There is a calendar of events of suggested elf placement ideas for several weeks. I copied and began prepping our Where is Our Elf? journal booklets. The kids are going to write and illustrate where they find our elf each day and what he is doing. We are going to make elf hats and the kids are going to wear them while they are journal writing each day. We are going to choose a name for our new classmate too. Then, we are going to graph the top choices. 

Each student is going to fill out a job application to be one of Santa's helpers. Our classroom elf is going to "grade" each application and approve or not approve each one!  Don't worry, Santa needs lots of helpers. You can never have enough elves at the North Pole.

We are also going to make an elf craftivity and write about why we should be Santa's helper. Writing pages are also included for students to write a letter to Santa or make an acrostic poem about elves.

I can't wait for all the fun to begin!If you want to bring a bit of mystery and fun to your classroom too, you can grab your copy of my packet by clicking HERE or on the pictures above. It will be on sale until tomorrow night.

I also want to share an AMAZING giveaway opportunity with all of you. My sweet friend, Tania, at My Second Sense is having a week's worth of giveaways. Day 1 and Day 2 are already up and ready for the grabbing. There are different prize packages everyday. Each one is only up for 3 days! SO HURRY on over to enter!!!