Sunday 17 November 2013

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas! (with a giveaway!)

Hi y'all!  I have been a bad blogger. :( My excuses are many and varied, involving a busy birthday weekend, horrible sickness, exhaustion and the general end of school year frantic workload.  I heard a quote at our Year 12 graduation assembly on Friday that really hit home this week: "A good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself in order to light the way for others."  So true, especially at this time of the year.  So, what's to be done when there's so much school work it's almost overwhelming?  Procrastinate, of course!!

Yesterday I enjoyed a stormy Saturday watching Love Actually and setting up my Christmas decorations.  I pretended that it was snowing outside and I was wearing cozy winter clothes - as much as I love being back in Australia I do miss the Canadian snow.  And if there's one thing North Americans do well - it's Christmas!  I'll still enjoy my Christmas by the beach, though. :)


Because we finish school such a long time before Christmas Day (my Preppies have their last day of school on the 3rd December) we have to get our Christmassy vibe on early in the term.  We've enjoyed a few weeks of seasonal activities so far (our History unit is based on Christmas celebrations) and I am so looking forward to more fun in the 2 weeks we have left.  I've got a few products in my TpT store that I'm planning to use - they might be helpful if you are also getting resources ready for the Christmas season. :)


Rockin' Around the Playdough Tub! Christmas Themed Playdough Mats, Numbers 1-10.  
Help Santa and his elves get ready for Christmas by making the matching number of items.  Each mat has a picture clue, so your kidlets don't need to be readers to successfully complete this activity! So much fun... with a little number recognition, counting practice and fine motor development thrown in.


Deck the Halls with number lines!  Simply print and slice the number line cards to use as a hands-on manipulative (perfect for pocket charts, too!). Count in skips of 1, 2, 5 and 10.  Worksheets provided include missing number lines - forward and backward; and numbers before/after.  They are in full colour to use as write'n'wipe resources, or blackline to use as individual student worksheets.


Tis the Season to Roll and Cover! Roll and recognise, roll and add, roll and subtract to either cover (on the full colour mats) or colour (on the blackline copies).  A very quick and easy way to add some Christmas cheer to your maths work this December!

As everybody knows, the best way of spreading Christmas cheer is by having a giveaway.  Leave me a comment and I'll choose a winner Tuesday evening who can have all 3 of these products as an early Christmas present. :)

Lauren

22 comments:

  1. Wow you have had a busy weekend! Your christmas decorations are set up already! I am marrying a bar humbug unfortunately, but hopefully I can squeeze a few more christmas decorations up this year to last now we are in a bigger house!
    Your packs look great!

    Alison
    Teaching Maths with Meaning

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    1. Hi Alison,
      I do love Christmas so I couldn't wait to get my decorations up this year, and since I'm by myself there was no one to bah humbug at me! :) I did call Chris while I was setting up the tree so we could do it 'together'... but he was unimpressed. :)
      Lauren

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  2. the packs look super fun and cute to use! I am new teacher and would love to have them for next year! :)

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    1. Hi M,

      You are the winner! Let me know your email address so I can send the packs to you. :)

      Lauren

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    2. Yay thanks so much! I just sent you an email with my email :)

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  3. You are so organised with getting Christmas decs up! Mine go up on the 1st Dec, no earlier, no later. I may have to rearrange my whole lounge room this year though to fit the tree in. Love the packs you have got going!

    Tania
    Mrs Poultney's Ponderings

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    1. Hi Tania,
      I usually wait til December 1st... but I was too excited this year. :)
      Lauren

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  4. These look like so much fun and they are so colorful! I can't wait for Christmas!
    lraines78@gmail.com

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  5. I have always wanted to visit Australia :) and a xmas by the beach does sound like fun! Thank you for the chance to win these awesome packs!

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    1. Hi Brandy,
      You should definitely visit! Australia is beautiful.
      Lauren

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  6. They all look fabulous, Lauren! And you're definitely organised with your Christmas decorations. Well done!

    Stef
    Miss Galvin Learns
    stefanie.galvin@gmail.com

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  7. This is great. I LOVE Christmas!! Would love to win.
    rhondabaldacchino@gmail.com

    Rhonda
    Classroom Fun

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  8. Lauren, amazing job on these. My Preps would love using them and so would I. Wow 3rd of Dec is your last day - we go until the 21st!
    Paula from Paula’s Place

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    1. Hi Paula,
      Yep - our Preppies have a half day on the 3rd and then they are done. We work the rest of the week meeting the 2014 Preps, and then we are on holidays too! :)
      Lauren

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  9. Hi Lauren, I spent 2 years in the UK, so I too am in love with northern hemisphere winters and Christmas festivities. I'll take a white Christmas over an Aussie scorcher any year! I am a Brisbane homeschooling Mum who loves teacher bloggers - I have learnt heaps from you guys!! Good luck with the last few weeks of school and I think your units are fabulous!! thursdaytook@hotmail.com

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    1. Thanks for stopping by! Glad that my blog can be helpful with a few ideas here and there. My first teaching job was with the Brisbane School of Distance Ed, so I am very familiar with homeschooling. :)
      Lauren

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  10. There was no teacher blogging from me last week. I am buried deep in assessing, report cards and compiling class lists. Including this week I have 3 weeks left with my Prep/Ones. The year has gone so fast!

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    1. Sounds like your week has been exactly the same as mine! :) There is light at the end of the tunnel though - a nice long summer holiday!

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Thanks for popping by!