Final Balloon: Pick Your Own Spot in the Classroom!

It's pretty exciting when you are in first or second grade and you get to move your desk to sit in any spot in the classroom to sit by your friends!  All 8 balloons have been popped!  This was such a fun way to end a great year.  Have a wonderful summer everyone!

Balloon 7: Reading Time Outside + 5th Grade Dino Dig

A beautiful morning to enjoy a book outside!  In the afternoon we visited the 5th graders uncovering bones during their dino dig.

Balloon Number 6: Lunch in the Classroom

Eating lunch in the classroom is always a special treat!

Balloon Number 5: Marker Day

On Friday we popped balloon number 5, and the message inside said to use a marker on your assignments all day long.  As if this wasn't exciting enough, the students got to pick out a "teacher" marker to keep forever!  The kids couldn't have been more excited... who knew how happy markers can make kids:)

Authors' Celebration + Ice Cream = Balloon Number 4

Our balloon popping event today was an Authors' Celebration with the kindergarten class along with an ice cream treat.  We wrote and published poetry in April, but we still haven't had the chance to share it.  This provided us with the perfect opportunity!  The kindergartners also shared books they recently wrote and will be sharing at their kick out!

Balloon Number 3: Math Fact Kickball

This morning our balloon picker opted to sit on the ball to pop it.  This sure made the class laugh!  Our balloon surprise was math fact kickball.  Before the students could kick, they had to solve a math fact.  Thanks to Mrs. Gjere for flashing the cards while I pitched.

Another wonderful surprise was that the seniors showed up at our door with letters they wrote back to us.  How fun!

Balloon Number Two: Nature Scavenger Hunt

Perfect day to enjoy the outdoors!  There are also a few pictures of us below delivering our letters to the seniors that we wrote yesterday.  Watching them hand-off their letters to the surprised seniors was priceless.

Celebration Countdown

At the end of every school year I'm on the search for an interesting and creative way to bring the year to a close with my class.  I found this great idea on Pinterest of hanging balloons in the classroom with a fun activity in each balloon as a way to countdown until the last day.  Over the weekend I brainstormed 8 activities that I knew the kids would enjoy, jotted each down on a slip of paper, slipped each message into a balloon and hung them up.  Right away this morning the students noticed and wondered what was going on.  They counted 8 balloons and guessed that we would pop one for each day that is left in our school year.  They were half right, but they didn't realize all the fun that was to follow popping a balloon!

Today the message said "Write a letter to a Burro graduate."  The class was really excited about this, especially about hand delivering them tomorrow!  I happened to have fancy graduation paper on hand which always makes writing even more special!