The Mother Ship Has Abandoned Me

I suppose it was inevitable.  It had brought me such joy- surpassed every expectation I had.  Never, ever let me down.  But a mere 14 minutes ago, the Mother Ship closed its doors.  Shocking, but true.  My beloved, local Dollar Tree closed today.  I went to the store, bought about 10 more checker boards (they are so darned handy!), bought the rest of their beads (400 for $1!), grabbed some great contraction cards, used my last Dollar Tree gift card and tearfully said goodbye to the lovely Dollar Tree ladies.  How is a teacher to survive?  During the tearful exchange I shared with the lady in aisle 3, she told me there was a lease issue and they MAY reopen in about 6 months in a nearby location.  Well, this information is the only thing keeping me going.  Six months will be tough, but I loaded up on all my favorites today so I might just make it through.  If this 6 month thing is true, then I should be able to start restocking my classroom in August.  Keep your fingers crossed for me, bloggers- I hope I can make it.  They say the first step is to admit you are powerless.  Well, I am and I'm not ashamed to admit it.  I love you, Dollar Tree and I don't care who knows it!

Please offer a few moments of silence out of respect for the mother ship that has left us for the time being.  And please, please think of me anytime you visit your own Dollar Tree. 

All good things come to an end.  Hopefully this end is temporary. 

Thanks for sharing my pain.

Double Dice Deal!

Dollar Tree does it again!  I read some blogs last spring that mentioned double dice; large, translucent dice that have a smaller dice inside them.  I found them in some teaching catalogues and they were about $3.99 a pair.  I never got around to ordering them.  Then, while I was cheating on my vacation by indulging in a work-related shopping expedition, I found the most amazing deal - SIX double dice for $1!  WOW!

As you can see, there are three pairs in each package. Each pair is a different color!

There are many ways to use these dice for math facts and I will keep you posted on how I choose to use them in our math work!  Can you believe the price?  How do they do it?

Enjoy,

The Mother Ship Calls

Now, I realize I have been on a soap box about taking time for ourselves, and I mean it...however...while on vacation I heard a strange buzzing in my ear.  Each night I tossed and turned, but it didn't go away.  One day, while I was wandering aimlessly, I noticed the buzzing was getting louder and louder.  As I turned the corner it came into view.  There, in the full light of noontime, stood the most lovely sight my eyes have ever seen, Dollar Tree!  It's true, while I was supposed to be relaxing and reenergizing, I returned to the mother ship and purchased, purchased, purchased!  Astonishingly, the buzzing stopped as soon as I entered the Dollar Tree.  Really, can you imagine my excitement?  A seaside Dollar Tree!  Well, I found some delightful deals that I thought I would share.  First I found the beads!  A bag of 400 beads for just one dollar!  That's pretty good, but they also had 45 chenille stems (pipe cleaners) for just, yup once again, one dollar!

Then I found this great veggie and dip tray that makes a handy and sharp sorting tray! 

I poured and sorted the beads in the new sorting tray so students can easily find the color they want. 

Put all this together and you have the makings for a great pattern activity!  The students will make pattern bracelets!  Once we have learned about a few different patterns (AB, ABB, AAB, and ABC) the children will grab a pattern from a bag to see what kind they should make.  Then they will gather the materials to make a bracelet representing the pattern.  They can make a second bracelet to represent a pattern of their choosing!

What a fun activity for our first math unit!  The best part is it cost less than $5!  Yeah, I know I've been preaching about taking time out for ourselves, but when you have the greatest job in the world it's hard to let go!  Hope you are having a great break and feeling ready for the new year!

Enjoy,

Billiards Addition

This great little find is from my excursion to Dollar Tree.  After adding a few numbers with my ever-present sharpie, it was suddenly a fun math activity! 

The kids will use this during Friday's Computation Stations.  While working in pairs they will take turns trying to get the balls in the pockets.  Use the pocket numbers to write an addition fact. Then write a related subtraction fact. 

Here's the recording sheet I mentioned!  

Click here to download recording sheet.

Smiles & Savings on Sunday!

Hello Friends!
I kept reading about the great materials teachers were finding at Dollar Tree.  Now, I always go there for my gift bags and stickers, but I wasn't taking advantage of all that wonderful place has to offer.  After reading Heidi's blog at Swamp Frog First Graders, I decided to take a jaunt there myself on this fine Sunday morning.  Truthfully, I wasn't feeling particularly creative when I got there, but I had a short list to follow.  Once inside, every piece of merchandise held the potential for a skill-building activity with just a tweak here and there.  Ah, yes, the mother ship was calling me home and I eagerly answered with my open wallet! I spent $39 and have the makings for 5 different math games and supplies to make 6 of each game! Nice!  As I finish putting them together and observe my students using them, I will fill you in on the nitty-gritty! 
     Fondly,