Back From Chicago!

So, don't faint, but I'm actually blogging today.  I just returned home from presenting at the IL ASCD PreKindergarten & Kindergarten Conference.  During my presentation, I mentioned my blog.  I did warn the attendees that I haven't blogged in a very long time.  So instead of being totally embarrassed by my "not blogging", I thought I would blog about my presentation.

My presentation was about centers that I use in my classroom.  Some of the center ideas I have as freebies in my TPT store.  I'm going to list all of them here to make it a little easier for the nice teachers who attended my session.

My #10 idea is a measurement center.  Click here for a link to a worksheet for the students to record the number of snap cubes or colored tiles the object is.

My #17 idea is for a Making Words folder.  Click here to get the freebie file in my TPT store so you can make this.

My #20 idea is for making a door graph.  Click here for the freebie file to make the My Favorite Color door graph.  Click here to get the freebie to make a My Favorite Kind of Apple graph.

My #22 idea is for sorting erasers.  Click here to get the recording sheet.

My #30 idea is for making a lunch bag book.  Click here to get the directions for making one of these.

I hope this helps all of the wonderful and patient teachers who attended my session.  Thank you for all of your support.

What A Week! (and it's only Tuesday)

I just had to share what has happened to me this week with my blogger friends.  It has been one terrific week so far!  Yesterday morning I was working on my Manic Monday blog post and a little note in the bottom corner of my computer screen popped up.  It said I had an email about the Illinois Kindergarten Conference.  Guess what the email said??  That's right.  The teacher across the hall and I had submitted a proposal to present at the IL ASCD Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten Conference next March.  It was accepted and we are presenting both days.  This was pretty exciting news for two teachers from a small Michigan school.  If any of you are in Chicago and attend this conference, I hope you will come see us.  


Then I woke up this morning (okay, the dog woke me up and wanted to go outside).  I was checking my email while I was waiting to let him back in the house and I found out that I had won a giveaway.  The Dilly Dabbles blog had a giveaway and I entered.  I won an item she had mentioned in a back to school blog post.  Can you believe it?  After all of the giveaways I enter, I won one of them.  YAY!


So now I can't wait to see what happens on Wednesday.  

My Finds At Open Books

I am so sorry that I am late in posting about my shopping trip to Chicago last weekend.  This week has been quite hectic with getting ready for "back to school" and working on things for an online textbook publisher.  
I did find 4 books to add to my classroom library.  Actually 3 books, I bought one for my colleague across the hall.  I found" Stellaluna".  I already have a copy, but its always nice to have an extra one for the students to use.  I also found "Matthew's Dream" by Leo Lionni.  I didn't have this book, but I thought it would be a great one to add to my collection.  The 3rd book that I found was "Armadillo Rodeo" by Jan Brett.  Scholastic accidentally sent me a tape for this book but I didn't have it.  So now this is a book I can put in my listening center during my Jan Brett author study.  The last book I bought was "The Jolly Christmas Postman".  It was only $4.  Even though I already own the book, I couldn't pass up the bargain.  My students love it when I read it to them at Christmas time.  I am going to give it to the 1st/2nd grade teacher across the hall.  I thought it would be a great way for her to begin a letter writing unit.


Here is a picture of all of my books:

I also went to the container store.  Even though I wasn't able to find a box to use for my treasure chest, I did find another box.

Here it is:

I am hoping to use it to make a light box for my classroom.  I saw a post on another blog about putting lights in a box with a clear lid.  Hopefully, I can start making it this week.  I will let you know how it works.

Thanks for stopping by.

Sue Lattea

CHICAGO!!! Here we come!!!!

My daughter and I are taking a mini-vacation/girls' only trip this weekend.  We are heading to Chicago to visit my sister.  Besides doing some Back-to-School shopping with my teenager (always fun, especially since she doesn't have to wear uniforms for the 1st time), I'm hoping to go to my favorite place in Chicago.  It is a used book store called Open Books.  They have a HUGE selection of books, I've never left there without a pile of books for my classroom (and a couple for myself). I am also hoping to go the Container Store for the first time.  I need a "treasure box" for my class and I am thinking they might have a cool one there.   I will share with you "my finds" on Monday.  


Have a Wonderful Weekend,


Sue Lattea