Five for Saturday

Five for Friday is my one of my favorite linkys. I love linking up and giving everyone a glimpse of my week. So hop over to Doodlebugs and read about everyone's week!

1. Our first gluten free birthday celebration. Punky only wanted one friend over to celebrate her birthday. On some ways that is a real blessing. In other ways.... it's a lot of pressure on one friend to deliver fun and loyalty!

Besties, ready to swim. That's my colorful Punky on the left.

My first ever gluten free pizza crust. It was not bad, the leftovers didn't taste so great.... 

Make a wish!!! Gluten free cake from the bakery. Hippie/tie-dye themed. 

2. Yes. I voted. I almost didn't. I don't like declaring a party. I don't like what the candidates stand for, and I feel like I am choosing one political evil over another political evil and they don't really represent the American people at all. So there's my political rant.

3. The Cool Beans idea has survived. I adapted this from the behavior management used in the classroom and school where I student taught. When I student taught, the class could get a smiley if~ they earned a whole class reward or if  a student filled their individual reward chart. Whole class rewards could be earned if they received a compliment from another teacher/adult, if the entire class exhibited exceptional behavior, and so on. How "Cool Beans" work individually is: each student has a sticker chart, they can earn stickers for being "caught" doing something good-- maybe it is working quietly, or following directions when no one else is, or exhibiting good citizenship skills (compassionate acts, reaching out to a friend, helping someone in need). Once a student fills their chart, we cheer for them, and then the student puts up a "big bean" on the whole class chart.  The student also gets to chose a reward coupon.  These were my first ever TpT purchase and worth every penny. Check them out here. I love Mel's Seusstastic stuff! I have some new favorites that perhaps I will have ready to share for next week's FIVE. We have a lot of fun with the rewards. If a student chooses the "stinky feet" reward, they can take their shoes off in the classroom for a day. If they choose that reward we all chime, "Hooo-ey! Stinky feet!" in a pig-call sort of voice. Anyway.... once the "big bean chart" is full (4 rows of 5, so 20 beans) we will have a whole class reward. Students will make suggestions and we will vote on them. The first few times I usually offer some ideas so they can see what types of rewards they might choose.... extra recess, popcorn and movie, pajama day, eat lunch in our classroom day.... those are few ideas.

4. Lunch choice. I was a little surprised to hear that the secretary would come into the classroom, call each student's name, and they would answer whether they wanted hot lunched (purchased) or whether they brought their lunch (sack lunch). I think we can manage this ourselves.  So here's the board I came up with. I think that we will add pictures and numbers to the clothespins and then as students gain confidence about procedures in our class, one student's job will be to mark the hot lunches and/or sack lunches and take the list to the secretary. I got so excited about making this, I forgot to make the "home" area before I laminated. I could have printed out a cool picture to use too. But this will do.

5. Apparently I told the Punkinseed that she needed to focus on something positive and find something positive in every day. So she made this box to put in positive sayings and to tell about something positive happening in her life. She made the Redhead and I do this too. It was too cute. What a great idea!!!

This says "J's Positive Box"

 There's a paper that she put a velcro tab on to open the box with so we can read the positive thoughts we put in there.

Here the Punky is adding some decoration and all the lettering.

This is a glimpse at my week. I've been working frantically in my classroom and trying to make sure I am ready for students by Thursday! Monday and Tuesday we have inservice and Wednesday is a compact day~ parents and students come in, bring their supplies, put things away, conference with the teacher and then school officially starts the next morning, August 14.

When is your first day? Do you have much parent contact before that day? What are your beginning of the year procedures?