Creating a 'rock pool' for your beach themed classroom/dramatic play!

Blogging.
Art and Craft.

Two of my favourite things and tonight they get be combined because I am going to share with you how to make your very own fake rock pool!! :)

I absolutely loved making this and I cant wait to finish it off this weekend with animals and have it in the classroom ready for next week!!! :)

To get started you will need:
Brown Paper lunch bags (I used about 30 - 40 bags)
Brown wrapping paper (I used 2 x 3m)
Sticky tape
A bucket/ bowl or whatever you can find to the the base!
I used an old seashell sandpit base that I found on the side of the road!!! (always on the look for a bargain!!! ;) hee hee)

First wrap the brown paper around your base. I did this multiple times until I was happy with it all being covered.

DO NOT STRESS if it doesn't look 'pretty' - its a rock it should be rough!

THE MESSIER THE BETTER!!!!!!

To be honest you could leave the rock pool as it is still looks awesome! I am just a perfectionist!

As you can see Molly approves!!!! ;)

Once you are happy with the base it is times to move onto the rocks!!!
Using the paper bags scrunch, stuff and layer to create your ideal rocks.

Using sticky tape, tape down the paper to the base.

Once you get to this point it is time for the water!

I used two different blue fabrics together.

I used a bright blue fabric as the water base and then added a shimmery darker blue to create that mixed ocean blue colour.

And there you have it - a rock pool!

 Tune in later this week to see how to add the animals and plants!! :)

Measurement!

Life.

It has this uncanny way of sweeping you off your feet from time to time.
Life has flown by this past month - LITERALLY MONTH!!! 

I have felt quite lost without this blog so to make up for 4 weeks of not blogging (it truly is a crime to not blog for so long I am going to share a new blog post for the next few days!!!

Today's topic . . . .Measurement!!! :)

We have been talking all about measurement in our year two classroom!!!

We discussed how we can measure the length of items using informal units like paperclips, cubes or even gummy bears if we really wanted to! We also talked about why we can’t measure items using things like our hands or feet – because we all have different size feet and hands!!!

We measured different items around the classroom using cubes!

Later in the week we began to look at using formal units to measure objects.

We examined how we can measure objects using a standard measurement! We discussed when to use a M ruler to measure items and when to use a CM ruler! We went outside to explore this idea!!

Well that is it for now! :) Speak soon! :)

Back To School and New Beginings

I feel like I blinked and suddenly the holidays disappeared!!

One blink and I was in England with my uncle and sister.
One blink and I was travelling Europe.
One blink and I was home in Perth.
One blink and I moved to Bridgetown.
One blink and I start work in 1 day.

It has been a whirlwind to say in the slightest!!!

Below are some snaps of the amazing people I met (minus some other amazing people!), my favourite place BERLIN!!! an my sister and I doing Harry Potter stuff because let's face it when it comes to me Harry Potter things will rule my holiday a little!!!

 

But now it is back to reality - well a different version of reality as you may know I decided on a big change this year and have moved down south to Bridgetown to teach for a year!! (at this stage anyway!)

 

My amazing parents and adorable dog Molly made the trip down with me to unpack for my new adventure!!

 

Molly slept most of the 4hr drive to which I was most surprised!

 

 

Today my mum and I took Molly down to check out the Blackwood River - it was jut beautiful! Australia truly is an incredible place!!!

 

The river's water was a little high and had overflown some of the local park roads!!

 

It didn't bother Molly one bit, she just jumped straight on in ;)

 

Just in case you  didn't know which would be near damn impossible from all the advertising in the shops and TV it is back to school time!

 

I have been pretty busy trying to prep lots of exciting things for this new year!! :)

 

 

 

I have also been very lucky and was sent some materials from R.I.C. publications to look over and see how I may use them in my classroom!!

 

As I find Maths easier to plan I went straight to the Maths resources! :)

 

Going to a brand new school I feel I know very little about my new kids, I have met them and they are adorable but academically I feel a little like I am stumbling around in the dark which is where this GEM comes in!

 

It is called Starting Point Mathematics by Paul Swan and Linda Marshall (coincidently they were my uni lecturers and tutor - I am a big fan!)

 

It is a small booklet that you can give to your students to assess their general numeracy ability in a short test. PERFECT for diagnostic assessment! :)

 

The questions are short, clear and represented very well visually!

 

But my favourite would have to be this resource!!! I am not usually a workbook/worksheet type of teacher but I do love this resource!!!

The pages are so simple and clear! They are perfect for a 5 minute check on understanding of topics or homework review sheets!!! :)

I just love the visuals on the pages - not overpowering yet engaging!

Best of all it is short, sharp and clear. I feel I could give this to a year two student and NOT have 101 questions about what to do because the page is  to ambiguous

 

 

Speaking of new beginnings - the start of the year is such an exciting time!! There are so many possibilities!!! :)

 

My favourite thing to do is give students a pair of my sunnies and take a photo of them!!! IT makes a great display for your bulletin board!! :)

 

I then have students pick something they want to achieve in year 2 this year whether it be improve on something they do not feel confident in or learn something new some answers I have had before include:

 

-skip count by my 5's

-read a level 20 book

-learn my times tables

-solve a subtraction word problem

 

 

They write down their goals and then I collect them! At the end of the year I pull them back out ad we evaluate how that student has done and of course they have ALL accomplished their goals!!! :)

 

I love this activity so much I created a freebie you can use!!!

 

Grab it from my TPT store here :)

 

 

What is your favourite way to start off the new school year? I would love to hear about it! :)

 

Holidays!!!!! :)

Hello All :)

I promise I am not hating on you all or disappeared in social oblivion!

 No not at all!!!

I have been traveling sine school finished ad I still have another week left but my fingers were itching to get some blogging done!! :)

Unfortunately being on holiday does make it hard to get school work down but I am slowly chipping away at my long ai/ay TPT packet - I just need to stop thinking of extra stuff to add!!!

I have been a very busy bee on my trip!!!

I spent Christmas in Sommerset with family which I loved! But I also got to check out Totnes and spent a week in London!!!

FYI - I stayed in the hotel with the HARRY POTTER ROOM!!!!

Then I started my topdeck tour and it has been a whirl wind trip so far!!!

Unfortunately I am so tired and I have another big day ahead tomorrow so I am gong to head to bed sorry for the short post!

BUT to make it up I thought I would leave you with some snaps!!!

Enjoy your holidays if it is that time of year for you!!! :)

 

The End Of An Era

Today marked the end of an era for me...

Today was the last day with students at St Helenas and I must say it is the HARDEST day of my teacher life thus far.

I knew I would be upset but I did not realize just how much it could hurt to say goodbye for what potentially could be forever.

Please don't get me wrong I am EXTREMELY excited to be teaching at my new school next year - I just wish everyone would come with me so I could still see their beautiful faces each day!


Goodbyes are ALWAYS hard but when you know you will see them the following year it makes it feel okay but when you know this is the end - well for me it was almost unbearable!

Everyone was expecting me to cry and I thought I had them all beat with my tough girl act until the bell went and one of my boys came up to me in tears - I instantly fell into a blubbering mess!

After I said many goodbyes I was still a mess. I ended up just sitting on my classroom floor, tears rolling down my eyes. My amazing peer teachers just sat with me which was a big comfort.

As I am writing this I am beginning to be overwhelmed with emotion again so I am going to keep this short.




To all the amazing students, families and staff of St Helenas...

Thank you for 4 amazing years worth of memories that I would not trade for anything in the world!

Thank you for being there through the happy and sad times!

Thank you for putting a smile on my face each day with your smiles, jokes and company!

Thank you for the amazing gifts that I will place in my house and forever remember you by!

Thank you for all the small things that became BIG moments!!!

THANK YOU 

for being a part of my life!

I feel blessed that I have had the chance to meet you and have you in my life -  I hope that never changes!

You all have a special place in my heart and my life has truly been lightened by your presence!