Birthday {{GIVEAWAY}} and Monday Made-It!

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Happy Monday y'all!! 

      I'm stopping by quickly tonight to link up with Tara over at Fourth Grade Frolics.  The two things I want to show you tonight is how I'm going to manage WHO is in my small, flexible groups.  Now, the pics only show 4 students, but that's all the clothes pins I had at home.  It's be a dream to have only 4 students though!!  ;) But, when a student needs to move to a different group, all you need to do is move their clip!  How simple is that?!  Instead of putting student names on the clips, I am putting their Magic Number, which is just their classroom number that I use to help me stay organized!  That way, I won't have to remake them year after year!  Yay!!

      

       I have them for both reading and math groups.  Each set has up to five groups.  Click the pics to take you to my TpT store.                                      

                                                     

                               

                               

      Now, for the exciting part!  My birthday is September 11----this Wednesday!!  And, in honor of my birthday, I am having a little giveaway!  Nothing too extravagant, but one that is a sure crowd pleaser!!  

      The awesome Troy over at Classroom Friendly Supplies contacted me a couple of weeks ago and asked if I'd be willing to do another pencil sharpener giveaway for their BRAND NEW precious pink sharpener!  Of course, I said, "YES!!!!"  

      So...since it's my birthday week, the time has come to post about this awesome little giveaway!  Enter and tell your friends to enter!  This is an amazing sharpener!!  You can read my original review HERE!

Just look at those points!! 

My favorite pencil sharpener...now in my favorite color!!

                                               

                                      

       

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!!

Till next time...

The Birthday Box

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          Hi everyone!  I hope all of you are having a fabulous Labor Day weekend!  Any weekend is great, but a 3-day weekend is even better, right?!

          What I wanted to show you tonight is how I help make my little sweetie's birthdays special while at school.  They get to blow out birthday candles!  I have this cute little box that I think I got at DollarTree and covered the top with matching cardstock.  I then use those little candle holders to punch holes down into the box.  This little box has lasted MANY years, I just replace the cardstock as needed.  The first time I bring out the birthday box, there are "ooohs" and "aahhhs" from everyone!  I take their picture with the birthday box, we sing, and they get to make a wish, and blow out the candles. 

Smiling picture before the candles are blown out.

Make a wish and blow out the candles!

          The vast majority of my students come from homes where they have had the traditional birthday parties and blowing out the candles is nothing new, but there are those few that every now and again, I've wondered if they have had had this experience.  You sometimes never know what they go home to or have to live with and just this small part of childhood that many of us take for granted is something I want for each of my students...to make a wish and have the hopes of it coming true. 

          Now, I'm not saying that those sweeties that get to blow out candles every year at home are not excited because they are!  This is one of the most anticipated things that happens on their birthday!  If we don't do it right away when their birthday arrives, I have to listen to "When are we doing the birthday box?" and "Are we going to do the birthday box?"  Of course, I can't keep them waiting for too long!!

          

          I can in no way take credit for this sweet idea!  When my youngest son (who is now in 9th grade!) was in first grade, his super sweet teacher did this and I have had this tradition in my classroom every year since.  My sweeties love it and I do too!!

          Do you have any traditions in you class that you do each year with your class?  I'd love to here about them!

Till next time...