Hello Summer!
There is nothing in the world that I love more than summer. A beach girl to core, I spend my summers soaking up the rays and sipping on margaritas on Long Beach Island, New Jersey (insert GTL joke here). After 9 months trapped in the narrow confines of a crowded classroom with 20 some 5 & 6 year-olds, a margarita (or two) is well-deserved. As my last day of school countdown dwindles and summer slowly approaches, I can almost smell the salt water more and more every day! Who's with me?
Despite my love for summer and the beach, I still feel my heartstrings pull as I prepare to say goodbye to my very small yet inquisitive little friends. Even as I'm laying on the sandy beaches of LBI, I can't help but wonder how my students are spending their summers. As their teacher, I obviously envision them diligently reading their leveled books while they analyze the story elements and respond in their journals. Hopefully they are remembering how we worked so meticulously to separate sentences with periods and begin new ones with capital letters.
It's so hard not to fall in love with them. I've grown to admire their curiosity and look forward to seeing them move from grade-to-grade. I like to leave my students with little gifts and mementos to remember their Kindergarten year. I hope that they reflect back on this year each year as they grow and remember all of the important and fun things we did in our time together. This year, I'm planning on making a slideshow and giving a CD to each child. I'm not a huge fan of sending home a huge packet of worksheets and I cringe at the thought of my students sitting inside on such beautiful days completing rote activities when they cold be outside enjoying summer. I decided to make a fun Getting Ready for 1st Grade Activity Calendar for my students instead. This calendar gives then fun and educational activities to do with their friends and family all summer long. I know that as I enjoy my summer, my students are given opportunities to do the same.
You can download your own calendar by clicking on the picture.
