Classroom Set-Up for 2016: Part 1 & a Freebie

How did it get to be that time again?! I have to admit this is my favourite part of the start of the school year, searching for cute stuff & ideas for my room. The actual setting up, not so much. I'm not so much a theme person more a anything cute person, so my room is always a mishmash of stuff. This year I'm going towards a pencil theme with a fair bit of Minions (click here for my Minion post & freebie from last year) & some other random stuff thrown in. Plus, be prepared for this shocker...... I'm a teacher who does not like laminating *Gasp* Yeah, I hate it. 

After that revelation, here is a list of random things that I will be including in my 2016 classroom:

I have already purchased these gorgeous pencil containers. Ok, yes I do already own about 20 different containers but none that are PENCIL shaped, so there (said to my 2015 class who were always on my case about how much stuff I kept buying. The cuties).

I already have these crayon's ready for my door display to kind of match my pencil containers but I haven't laminated the wonderful things yet (sigh). I think we'll read the Day the Crayons Quit in the first week, even though I'm teaching Grade 3/4 a refresher of colouring never hurts. I'm you'd like a free copy of the door display click here to download.

Read & the Force Will be With You Bunting for my reading corner. It's a great freebie from Mrs O Reads Books (I completely stole this idea from a friend who is having a Star Wars theme, too cute not to include).

I want to buy coloured bracelets for group sorting like these ones Christi has used from Mrs Fultz's Corner.

I love this tree for our reading area from A Batty Life but not sure if we'll have space for it.

I've been meaning to add the vertical & horizontal labels for a while as I get it confused myself (yeah, I just admitted to that) like this one from The Applicious Teacher.  

I love this "Be" display. It might be a good idea for a first week of school activity.

I'm sure there will be more added to this list soon. Stay tune for another post & more freebies.

I Can Do That! & Freebie Reflection Worksheets

I have just finished my new I Can Do That: Reflect & Review Worksheets and to celebrate I have a sneak peak of the packet and a freebie to share!

This packet of 20 worksheets are perfect to be used before or after a  range of different activities, for example, after story time, for independently reading or at the beginning and end of the year to share what students know quickly. All activities are black & white, ideal for colouring and photocopying. 

The pack contains the following worksheets:
*10 Things/20 Things I know;
*What I know/What I now know writing pages;
*In 10 Words & In 20 Words list;
*Before & After;
*Thumbs Up & Thumbs Down pages;
*Describe It, Note it & Wonderwall pages;
*I Feel/I think pages;

For a sneaky sneak peak download this freebie for 2 free worksheets.

Back to School Mini-Reader

I've been spending today updating some products in my store and creating some new ones. This one is a little early in the year but I have updated my At School Mini-Reader to include both a black and white and colour version.

This is a really easy book to print and use in the first week of school and is a favourite of mine to use as my students first take-home reader.

There are 6 pages in total, with cutie graphics from Graphics From the Pond. Simply print, cut & staple the colour version or have students colour in the black & white copy.

Download it for $1.50 here. Hopefully I will have some more mini-readers posted soon.

Minion Mayhem

As we start our new school year next week in Australia this week has been crazy fun as I have been putting the finishing touches on my classroom. I moved rooms {again} this year but am really excited to be moving to 3/4... plus I'm in a newer room which kind of rocks.

This year I'm going with a Minion theme to match my {slight} Minion obsession. Plus since the movie is coming out this year it's a great tie-in.

I made these sweet minions for our door display. 

If you'd like a copy download the editable freebie PowerPoint file here.

My name tags and this awesome Minion Calendar are from Yara Sea of Knowledge. I attached them to my whiteboard with magnetic tape {I just noticed the wonky '17' card, sorry about that} which is just surviving this heat. 

Download the free name tags from Yara's store here and purchase the calendar from here.

Need more Minion ideas? Check out my Minion board on Pinterest and follow me @becsperry on Instagram to keep up with all the fo-shizzle happening in Books, Bugs & Boxes land.

Classroom Set-Up: Display Ideas

As the beginning of our new school year is only 3 weeks away I need to set up my new classroom. I both love and hate this part as I normally have too many ideas, or not enough! 

I've spent this morning flicking back through some old photos to get an idea or what I might do this year and thought I'd share a few of my favourites with you.

Last year I used clipboards for my changing display. Each child had their own clipboard with their name underneath. The kids and I both loved this as it was easy to add up new sheets or art works. My hubs nailed the boards onto the wall at a kid-reachable height.

I have always used material in the past for backgrounds for display areas as my old rooms have had either brown or grey carpet for pin boards. Real pretty. I have also used cardboard but the material is brighter, quicker to put up and can be washed at the end of the year.

My new classroom door may be in too sunny of an area to have a 'Welcome' display but I am thinking I might put one up and see how it goes. 

All I could find of my previous door displays was this one, but I have tried a heap of different ones in the post pre-blogging years. Wish I had taken pics! If you are looking for more display ideas take a peek at my Displays Pinterest board.

Swap, Share & Give: A Back to School Blog Linky from Down Under

Welcome to the Swap, Share & Give Linky!

I am so excited to be part of this awesome product swap, linky and giveaway with my very talented Aussie blogger friends. We have lots of great products, freebies and a GIVEAWAY to share with you to help as you get back into the swing of a new school year, or for any Aussie teachers, to help you finish the year off well.

The Low-Down

We will each link-up to:

SWAP a product with a partner from the same year level;

SHARE a great Freebie; and

GIVE you a chance to win one of each product from the swap, just enter the giveaway on any of our posts.

Without further ado...

~ SWAP ~

I was very lucky to be partnered up with Alison from Teaching Maths with Meaning. 

I had the chance to use her Write & Wipe Alphabet Cards. These are AWESOME!

My kiddos were so excited about these as they LOVE any excuse to use whiteboard markers. It's become a bit of weird obsession this year.

I love how clear these are and the size of the font. They were really easy to use and the packet is super cheap at $2. I still have a few kiddos who are confusing their letters so the visual cue was really important for them.

My favourite part of the Write & Wipe Alphabet Cards is the whole abc chart. I have sent extra copies of these home with my poppets who are still writing their letters from the bottom and not the top. 

Inside the pack there are versions of different fonts to suit different states/grade levels. I only took a pic of the kids using the Victorian font but the standard writing font is included too.

~ SHARE ~

My Back to School Bookmarks are a great first week back gift. 

My kidlets absolutely loved them this year. We sent them home in their Welcome to Prep Letters. Download them for free here.

~ GIVE ~

Enter the Rafflecopter below to win a copy of each of the fantastic products that have been included in our linky. Make sure you check out all the other link-ups below to find some more great products & freebies.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for stopping by, I'm now off to spend a busy afternoon checking out all the other link-ups! Mmm, maybe with a cup of tea.... and a TimTam,

An InLinkz Link-up

Goal Setting- Worksheet Wednesday

Happy Wednesday! I have a cute little worksheet to share with you that I use with my poppets for Goal Setting each term.

To download just click on any of the pics above or go here.

Planning our future learning is really important and I love hearing what the kidlets write. We do LOTS of prior brainstorming and modelling of 'good' goals.  As you can see all my hinting at "reading, writing, numbers" doesn't always pay off and that's why I added the bottom box this year so I can add in an extra 'teacher goal'.

Their goals fit in with things that are important to them and that's what makes them valid and important. 

My favourite part about goal setting with Prep {kindergarten} is that sometimes I get goals like this...

Incase you can't read it-

"I am a super star at gluing venom with superman glue. I would like to get better at making straight arms". This kid thinks he's Spiderman. Weirdest goal ever. Love him!

So really, the best bit is that they are SUPER hilarious! And I love my kidlets to bits.

Hope you find this activity useful,

5 for Friday {7th of Feb}

How'd it get to be the weekend already?! We have been so busy this week that I realised today that I had forgotten to take photos of  the amazing things we have been up to :( so this has become more of a mishmash of the last 2 weeks since our school year has begun.

I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs to share my {almost photo free & completely random} 5 for Friday :)

~ One ~
My new classroom is one giant space which my teaching buddy and I share. I really need to take new pics but it's a pretty amazing classroom. We are loving it!

~Two~
We started Maths this week by creating our number bracelets to 10. We looked at ways we can make 10, quick ways to count it, colour patterns and "good" counting.

~Three~
The first few weeks have been routine, routine, routine! We have been using these social stories and visual reminders. Check them out in my store or click the pic's for a direct link.

As well as this freebie which you can find here

~Four~
It has been birthday central in my room this week. If I see another chocolate frog I may be sick. And because that statement is pretty gross here is a rainbow that was above our place on Monday night. Ain't it pretty?!

~Five~
I was very lucky to meet up with Stef, Paula & Alison in Kyneton two weeks ago. The town is super adorable & because this post is random here are some pics of the town {but not one of the 4 of us together because we forgot, lol}.

Happy weekend :)