More Fall Break Postcards!

It's Fall Break time here in Colorado, and these two glorious weeks are something I really look forward to each year. Our school district does start back to school on August 1st, but this two week break, along with a week at Thanksgiving, two more weeks at Christmas, and two additional weeks during Spring Break make the early start worth it!

I have realized after almost a decade of teaching that I need a mental break every nine weeks or so in order to really stay at the top of my teaching game. After these two weeks, I come back totally refreshed and ready to teach kids! But...I do miss my students! So, I like to send postcards during our breaks as a little reminder that I'm thinking about them.

Here is this year's updated postcard!

The thin font is Gangster Napper by Amy Groesbeck, and the thick font is Pumpkin Spice Everything by A Perfect Blend Teaching. The adorable cup is also by A Perfect Blend Teaching and is part of her Doodle Fonts, which I love! I highly recommend purchasing their font bundles...they are totally worth it!

You can click HERE to download a free editable set of these postcards to use with your own students. You can add your name and a small message by simply inserting a text box. Make sure when you're trimming them to mail that you maintain a postcard size of 3.5" x 5" to adhere to USPS postcard guidelines.

Here is the postcard I used the past couple of years...

You can download an editable set by clicking HERE. Some of my now 4th graders were my second graders a couple of years ago, so I knew I needed to change it up!

Happy Fall, Y'all!

Monday Made It!

Happy Monday, friends! I have been working pretty much nonstop on my graduate classes, but I managed to squeeze in some downtime and do some fun stuff! So, I'm linking back up with Tara from Fourth Grade Frolics for another week of Monday Made It! Head over to her blog now and see some of the other fabulous "made-its" by other amazing teachers.

(Future) Coin Dividers: Okay, so this wasn't as much a Monday Made It as it was a Monday Did It sort of project. I wanted to use these pill boxes in the classroom to hold coins or for place value practice, but those days of the week on the lids stressed me out. I could've covered them, but I knew my quickest solution would be to figure out a way to just remove them. So, I used nail polish remover and cotton balls, and VOILA! They wiped right off! I can't wait to figure out how I will use them first. I'm think mini-dice in each compartment to practice place value, since it's the first unit we teach. But...we'll see!

Summer Postcards: I love sending happy mail to my students over our long breaks. We are blessed to have an amazing school schedule that includes a 2-week fall break, all of Thanksgiving week, 2-week winter break, and a 2-week spring break. We do begin August 2nd, but I'll take an early start to get all those refreshing breaks! Anyways, I like to send my students something through the mail during each break. Postcards are my favorite because I can use the cheaper postage. (#poorteacher) I will be sending these out on Monday, and they will be the last ones for this year's kiddos! 

You can download a free editable version of the summer postcards HERE. Just make sure when you cut them that you stay under the 4"x6" requirement for postcard postage. I posted a couple of the other postcards I've sent below...

This was from this past Thanksgiving. I downloaded the sweet little note template from Polka Dots Please and adjusted the size to make it a postcard.

This was from this past spring break. The little bugs are from Creative Clips (I think!). 

School Bag: My daughter picked out this fun canvas bus tote at the Dollar Spot for $3. I thought it would be fun to add her name on to it, and it turned out even better than I imagined! I used some scrap glitter HTV that I had on hand, and I used my t-shirt heat press to apply it. Now she is all ready for her (second) first day of PreK! (She missed the kindergarten age cut-off by 8 days, so it's another year of PreK for her!) The font I used is by Amy Groesbeck. 

Well, I felt like I did more, but I guess I didn't! Check back next week because I just got access to my class list, so I will start making personalized labels for the kids' cubbies and coat hooks. I'm also still waiting to find out the status of hanging things in our newly painted hallways, so I can figure out a fun hallway bulletin board. Until then, have a great week!

Monday Made It!

One of the best things about summer is linking up with Tara from 4th Grade Frolics for her summer Monday Made It! Click on the button below to head over to her blog and find some other great ideas!

It hasn't been that productive of a summer...yet. But I'm off to a good start!

My daughter loved these craft sticks from the library. They were great for making shapes, and I thought they would be perfect for my geometry unit next year.

Before we even made it home that night, I dropped by Joann's and picked up some jumbo craft sticks and some small velcro dots. I picked small because I was trying to get more bang for my buck...well, more velcro dots for my buck!

Assembling them was really easy. You put 2 fuzzy dots on each end of one side, and then 2 rough dots on the ends of the other side. I would let them adhere for about 24 hours before you mess with them. I was really pleased with the finished product. And my daughter loved them! I can't wait to use them next year in the classroom.

Last summer, I jumped on the Teacher Tool Box train. I had so much fun making labels for my own tool box and my friend's tool box. My new teammates have decided this is a must have for them, too...and I volunteered to make their labels! Aren't these so cute??? I was trying to give some font choices. I can't wait to see the finished product. I might even end up updating my own labels!

You can click HERE to see my video tutorial from last summer on how to make your own labels. 

If you follow me on Instagram, you'll know that I love sending postcards to my students over long breaks. I whipped this one up today to get into the mail this week. 

You can download an editable copy to use for your own students off my Google Drive. Just click HERE to head over there!

I have lots more on my Monday Made It to-do list for the summer. Make sure you check back every Monday for more fun ideas! Have a great week!

Winter Break Postcards

I'm so excited that we still have a week of Winter Break left, considering my family spent pretty much the entire first week with someone sick! No fun! But, I also miss my little second graders, so I whipped up this postcard this morning to send to them to let them know their teacher was thinking of them. 

You can download your own copy from Google Drive with an editable name section for FREE by clicking HERE or on the picture below.

If you cut around the dots, they measure 5.25" x 3.75", which meets the size requirements of a postcard by the USPS. I plan on cutting them with a small white border, but they will still meet the size requirements.

Hope you're enjoying your time off. Have a great week!