Making Classroom Celebrations Special

So........ we are STILL in school until Thursday!!!  We are spending our last few days with fun classroom celebrations!  Today was dedicated to The Polar Express. We dressed in our favorite PJ's, comfy slippers, stuffed animals, and blankets.  We all had a golden ticket to enter the room and I punched messages on the tickets.  It was great to see my kids as just sweet little ones in PJ's. We tend to forget they're just little kids and need play and imagination.  We enjoyed cookies and hot cocoa at the exact point in the movie when the waiters are serving hot cocoa. 

It was magic!!

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Holiday Cookie Recipes to Sweeten Your Time with Family and Friends

Sugar cookies, gingerbread, or yummy fudge? Yes, yes, and yes to them all, right? Yep, it's time to get a little baking done, and last year, our bloggers joined together to share our favorite recipes for the holidays. I thought I'd share a snapshot of them all in case our readers see a few they'd like to try out.

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4 Easy Popsicle Stick Christmas Ornaments

The holiday season is upon us!  I don't know about you, but in the midst of all of the regular work we're all doing in my classroom, I like to add in a little holiday fun right before winter break. What I can't stand, though, is "fun" craft projects that end up being more stressful than standardized test week! Those elaborate holiday wreaths and year-long calendar art projects? Not. Happening. Fortunately, I have a go-to holiday craft that's quick & easy, and my students can do it with very little help from me!

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Inspire A More Meaningful Christmas List

Christmas is right around the corner and I'm sure your life is filled with lists.  Lists of cards to send.  Lists of gifts to buy.  Lists of gifts you would like for yourself.  Lists of thank yous to write.  Lists of cookies to bake.  Lists of the lists you need to write.  You get the point.  

Your students, however, probably have one list.  You know, the BIG LIST.  Their wish list for Santa.  It's probably filled with toys, video games, new clothing, or expensive electronics.  Chances are, their lists consist of a combination of all of those things.  Their lists ask for more stuff.  

But Christmas is more than stuff.  Christmas is about giving.  Giving time.  Giving love.  Giving hope.  Last Christmas, my co-teacher Jorielle and I really wanted to remind our fifth graders of the meaning of Christmas.  

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