Five For Friday With A Freebie Printable!

Happy Friday!  I am linking up with Doodle Bugs for my first Five for Friday Linky Party!  Heeeeerrrrreeee we gooooooo! 

Number One: Sometimes it takes a powerful quote to put it all in perspective.  Way back, in my first year of teaching, the following quote resonated deeply and still inspires me today.  Instead of carrying the quote around on a torn piece of note paper, I decided to jazz it up.  Click on the picture below to download this free printable.  I may make this the back cover of my teaching binder or maybe I will frame it. 

Number Two:  My grandma used to make the most delectable Danish Ebelskivers.  While poking around Costco this week, I discovered an ebelskiver pan for $15!  Mr. Winemaker will attempt to recreate my grandma's breakfast tradition on Saturday.  I adore both the Gwyneth and Daphne Oz cookbook/lifestyle books.  Oh, and my british obsession grows with a quaint little spot of tea cup.  LOVE!  Keepin' it calm.

Number Three:  My entire life I was an only child.  My father had two children from a previous marriage.  They were older and had a falling out with my dad thus we never spoke.  In the back of my mind I always wondered about my half sister and brother.  My father passed away this year after a long struggle with alcoholism.  This week I received a letter in the mail from my half sister hoping to reconnect.  I am excited, nervous, hopeful, and curious about this new journey in front of me.  To be continued....

Number Four:  This card from a sweetie student I LOVE and can't help but reading it over and over.     

Number Five: No TV for me this week.  I love getting caught up and watching my favorite YouTube channels!  Some of my favorites include: It's Judy's Life, Essie Button, Tanya Burr, ToneItUp, Amarixe.  These fabulous ladies talk about makeup, health, and life!  If you want to check any of these channels out just go to the You Tube website and type the names in to the search bar.  Let me know what you think!

Don't forget to enter the $50 TPT giveaway!  Still 6 MORE DAYS LEFT TO ENTER!!!  Click the picture below to be taken straight to the Rafflecopter!  Good Luck! 

My favorite end of the year writing prompt, GIVEAWAY, and NEW Video!

I have recently joined the world of Twitter and Instagram!  Do you tweet and instagram?  I would love to connect with you!  Find me on both with the username: shesparkletv


Don't forget to enter the $50 Teacher Pay Teacher Gift Certificate Giveaway!!!!  There are still 9 days left to enter!   Click on this link to take you straight to Giveaway Central!    Think of all the curriculum a teacher could buy with $50.  Yowza!!!!

Recently, I stopped by Target and did some damage.  I plan on giving my teacher's desk at school a makeover and I must get healthy!  Green juice here I come!!!!    Check out my latest You Tube video: A Target Teaching Haul!

One of my favorite end of the year writing prompts is, 'If you could send Ms. Chako anywhere on vacation where would you send her?'  This writing prompt is loads of fun kinder-5th grade!  I have traveled to Egypt, Mars, Fiji, and this year WATCH OUT!  I am going to MinnesO-da.  Oh boy.  Seriously, you must try this out with your students.  I bind all the pages and turn them in to a nice end of the year keepsake.  On the last day of school I come home, pour a glass of wine, and Mr. Winemaker and I read each of my adventures.  We laugh and reminisce about my fabulous students.  (P.S. Have you read Mr. Winemakers post 'What is it like to date a teacher?'  If not check it out! Let me know what you think!)

This magical land sounds intriguing....

MEAT!  WINGS?!?!? Lots and LOTS of meat will be devoured in Minnesota.  Throw me a bib and a wet wipe it's about to get crazy up in here!  

Mr. Winemaker was even included in some of the pics.  He visits school at least once a year.  He loves getting to know my kiddos since I talk about them so much!  

Thank you for stopping by my blog it means so much!

$50 TPT Giveaway! Classroom Decorating On The Cheap

I have one more day left of school!  Cue the music: Final Countdown by Europe (Arrested Development has been on non-stop in our household lately.  Mr. Winemaker is a big fan and sings this song to pump me up for the end of the year!)  IT"S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN!!!! 

To kick summer off with a bang, I am having a giveaway!  There are lots of ways to enter--just check out the Rafflecopter below.   I love to spread the Teacher Pay Teacher love, and if you are anything like me you are already browsing TPT curriculum for next year. 

Be sure to check out my newest YouTube video (down below) on Colorful Decorating for the Classroom on the Cheap!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Currently, Science Camp Songs, and a Mystery Foldable!

Check out my new video!  I walk through the steps to make a fun mystery book foldable.  Can be adapted for any grade level.  My students loved making tips for the 4th graders coming to fifth grade next year! 

Cheers!  Happy weekend!  Well, I survived the week-long 5th grade science camp.  My bed never felt so cozy and sushi never tasted so great now that I am HOME!   Camp included ticks, spiders, monstrous ants, snakes, hikes, a dodge ball type-game called ga-ga, and much more!

Here are the lyrics to two of my favorite science camp songs!

 Sprinkle Teaching Magic is on Instagram!  Just look me up at:  shesparkletv

I love participating in the #teachertalktuesday

Watch Out You Tube! Here Comes Sprinkle Teaching Magic!

Sprinkle Teaching Magic is back in action!  After a long hiatus that included moving, a new school, and a switch from kindergarten to 5th grade I am glad to be back in the blog world.   This school year has flown by and it is hard to believe we are preparing for the last week of school.  Check out my You Tube channel where, in my very first video, I discuss and walk you through how I do Memory Books in my classroom!  Memory Books are perfect for grades K-5.

Please subscribe to my channel!  I can't wait to welcome you in to my channel where we can go on classroom tours, explore curriculum, organize, loads of new teaching materials, and more!

Watch Out! Kinders With A Driver’s License?!?!

I am excited to announce Sprinkle Teaching Magic’s fun in the sun summer book winners!  Congratulations Shannon, Jennifer, and Pam!  I will contact you shortly with all the details.



Mr. Winemaker and I just got back from a weeklong Oregon family vacation.  We enjoyed horse back riding, pinot noir wine tasting, family dinners, Oregon rain, bizarre ice cream flavors, and loads more.  Click on this link, She Said G Said, to see the latest post on our Oregon adventures!  Also, I put a new post up on ‘A Teacher’s Quest For Balance.’ 
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Fun Part 2:
I love kicking off the year with a Chicka Chicka Boom Boom theme.  This photo collage showcases a creative Chicka Boom Boom art project kids love.  First, students make the palm tree trunk with their footsies.  Students are shocked that they take off their shoes and socks at school!  Students use bright colored paints and fingers to make the palm tree pop off the page with alphabet fun.  Foam letters, sparkle paint, alphabet stickers… the possibilities are endless.

At the end of the Chicka Chicka Boom Boom week, students make palm tree hats.  We head out to the blacktop and write alphabet letters with chalk.  Upper grade buddies stop by to help us form our letters and remind us of tricky alphabet letters we may have forgotten. 


A Fun Way To Get Kids Walking In A Tidy Line Year Long!
I spend the first few weeks of school exposing my cuties to classroom rules, routines, and expectations.  We practice until our classroom runs like a well oiled machine.  All teachers know that little cuties tend to have a hard time walking in a straight and quiet line.  There are the wanderers, the talkers, the pokers, the drifters… you know.  I start by brainstorming with students the importance of car safety.  Then, I pass out laminated wheels to my students (I make these out of construction paper)  and I tell students that we will practice driving our cars in a straight line around the school.  While driving our cars around school in a line there is no talking.  Students must look at the head in front and keep their car driving straight.  Students receive a license when they can follow these line rules.  This is a BIG deal! Students bring in their favorite wallet and their new driver's license goes inside.  If a child breaks line rules their license is removed and must be earned back.  Students take this very seriously.  I beam as I walk the halls with my little ducklings following close behind in a nice neat line. 

     

50 Post Giveaway and Alphabet Water Bottle Fun!

Good Morning Teacher Friends!  As I was laying in bed (at 9:00 this morning soaking in every ounce of that feel good ahhhhhhhhhh summer vacation feeling) I realized that I am a few posts shy of 50 on Sprinkle Teaching Magic!  Why is this a big deal you may ask?  Well...awhile back, before this blog was born,  Mr. Winemaker and I had a conversation about starting blogs over a glass of vino.  Mr. Winemaker was encouraging me to start this blog and gave me some tips.  See, Mr. Winemaker reads a lot of wine blogs and though it may be a different more yummy sort of blog he knows his stuff.  I remember him saying, "To build a blog you need content!  50 posts.  50 posts is when you know you have arrived." I took his tip to heart and here we are!!!!   During this same blog talk with Mr. Winemaker we discussed my fears of follow through with a blog. I have a tendency to get really excited and go pedal to the metal and burn myself out.  We brainstormed ways to work through this and keep my passion and love for blogging a constant steady.  He is such a support! I am glad I jumped in and I am so proud of myself that the 50 post mark is within reach.  I think this calls for a celebration and giveaway don’t you?

I rounded up some of my favorite blogger books!  You have a chance to win one of these!  Here is some background on the books I have chosen:

Back in 2005, before teacher blogs as we know it even existed, I started following the Nie Nie Dialogues.  At the time my dear friend Shannon and I were Mormon blog obsessed.  Neither of us are Mormon but we found blogs created by Mormon women to be better then Martha Stewart, HGTV, and Food Network combined!  These blogs were filled with recipes, gorgeous photography, how-to-guides for amazing crafts, wholesome family values, and just made (still do) us happy.  My closest friends know I can’t live without my Mormon blogs and teaching blogs … and now the secret is out on Sprinkle Teaching Magic!  You have a chance to win Nie Nie’s first book!

The Pioneer Woman is another blog I have followed forever!  To me she is the blog guru! I drool over her recipes and learn so much from her photography tips.  This giveaway includes her latest cookbook.

Last but not least my home girl Tori Spelling.  I am not ashamed to admit it but I am an avid watcher of Tori and Dean’s reality tv show.  In FACT,  I own the first two seasons of ‘Tori and Dean Inn Love’ on DVD.  Yes, I had to special order them through Amazon!  I LOVE HER!  Last year she came out with a blog ediTorial and a new book!  Mr. Winemaker gave me ‘celebraTORI’ for my birthday this year and it is filled with crafty and party throwing ideas plus gorgeous pictures. 

Now I know these books are not teacher related BUT it is summer and we need some fun summer reading!  This is also my first time using Rafflecopter so I am excited to try it out!  There are lots of ways to enter so be sure to check it out!  The giveaway ends on July 2nd! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now on to more teaching related photo fun!
I love making homespun signs to hang up on the first day of school.  Here are some examples of my favorite signs!  To make them I use fun wrapping paper and then mount tag board centered to the front.  After I decorate my sign I run it through the laminator to stiffen it up. 
   
The first week of school I usually start off with a Chicka Chicka Boom Boom theme.  Parents send in empty bottled water containers and I get them all cleaned up. I buy the foam letters from Michaels and use silver glitter.  Students stuff their bottle with the alphabet and a spoonful of glitter.  We fill the bottles up with water.  Each student receives a laminated card with the alphabet and goes on an I Spy a letter hunt!  We even pull out the Vis A Vis overhead projector pens (remember those?) and as students find letters they check them off their laminated alphabet card.  Love this because we can wipe the check marks off and do it all over again!