And the Winner is...

First off, a BIG thank you to those who signed up for my first giveaway!!!!
You really encouraged me with your comments and just letting me you're here with me  ;)
so thank you!!!

1) Joan (as always for your continued love & support for what I do & love)
2) Stardusx (I will do a post soon on a book list I recommend for 3rd grade)
3) Atabanana29 (please tell your girls I said hi and I truly appreciate you ladies checking out my blog)

So what I did was put your names into a class list at www.classdojo.com
(which is a GREAT website for all teachers... it's basically a site where you can upload your class list and each student becomes an avatar or a cute little monster..)
then using the website, you can award students for positive behavior or take away points for negative behavior.. there is also a nifty RANDOM STUDENT button where the site will go through your class list and pick a student at random.

That is exactly what I did.. see first I created a brand new class list on my classdojo account and those who signed up for my giveaway became a cute little monster... as seen below...

Then I simply clicked on the "RANDOM" student button to pick a name at random and the winner is.....

So congratulations stardusx!!! 

Please comment below with an email I can reach you so I can get the books to you ASAP. 

Have a great week everyone and thanks again for participating in my first giveaway!

XOXO,

Ms. Kimpop

First Giveaway!

Hi everyone! 

If you're reading this post, you're in for a real treat! 

I had some brand new books lying around the classroom so I've decided to do my very first giveaway. 

I will be giving away a collection of children's books (pictured below). 

The last book which is a book from the Magic Tree House Series by Mary Pope Osborne,
is one of my favs! 

All books are paper back (& BRAND NEW) and I will ship it to a shipping address you provide me (free of charge). 

All you have to do to enter this giveaway is:

1) Comment on this post and tell me how you started reading my blog or stumbled upon this post! 

3) Live in the states (for shipping purposes).

The winner will be chosen at random and I will update this post with the winner. 

Give away ends Monday May 27th 12:00AM Eastern Time.

A Penny Goes a Long Way

Today I went to Michael's craft store with my good friend Christine.
Michael's is definitely one of my most favorite stores in the whole wide world.
I can spend HOURS in there.
I always like to check out the clearance section of stores like Michael's & Target because in the past, I've found some treasures there.

Today, in the clearance section of Michael's, I came across some Dr. Seuss letter papers (50 count to be exact pictured below).

I always like having a pack of these in the classroom in case I have to type of a letter to the parents or send home a notice!

Anyways, it was time to pay and I handed this pack over to the cashier and asked,
"Can I have a price check?" She scanned the pack and on the screen I saw, ".01" not sure why but I stood there waiting for a different price. I don't think I've EVER bought anything for $.01.
After the cashier said, "a penny" then it registered that this pack of paper was on clearance for A PENNY!
Right away I told her that I would take another one (one for me and one for my good friend Christine).
This completes the story of the BEST deal/bargain of my life.

So, have you ever bought anything for a penny?

Children's Book Pick for the Month of April

Hey everyone!
I have a new book to recommend for your library.
Actually this is more of an author recommendation.
There is an author named Doreen Rappaport who writes WONDERFUL picture books.

Here is a little blurb about her directly from her website:
"Doreen Rappaport is an award-winning author of children’s books known to educators, parents, children and young adult readers for thirty-eight fiction and non-fiction books that celebrate multiculturalism, the retelling of folktales and myths, history, the lives of world leaders and the stories of those she calls ‘not-yet-celebrated.’"

One of her most famous book is Martin's Big Words (another MUST have in your library!!)

For April, I'd like to recommend....

(note the title is in braille & english- love that the publishers thought of that!)

Recently, I read Helen's Big World: The Life of Helen Keller to my kiddies and they absolutely loved learning more about the famous Helen Keller. I don't think kids ever get deeply exposed to Helen Keller's life other than learning that he was deaf and blind but Helen's Big World does a wonderful job of going deeper into Helen's life and the book accurately portrays just how difficult life was for Helen and it also highlights the works of Annie Sullivan, Helen's teacher and greatest friend.

In summary:

April's Recommendation: Helen's Big World: The Life of Helen Keller

Author: Doreen Rappaport

Good for ages: Grades 1-4 (ages 5-9)

Purpose: To learn about how Helen Keller overcame obstacles and challenges in life and accomplished great things with the help of her teacher, Annie Sullivan. 

Surviving Testing Season 101

If you are a parent or a teacher of a child in grade 3 or above, you know what season it is...
that's right.... it's officially TESTING season.

My kiddies will be taking their New York State English Language Arts exam this week.
April 16th,17th, and 18th to be exact and the following week,
they will take the New York State Math exam.
These tests are designed to measure student progress from this school year. The exams are long and especially challenging this year because it will follow the new common core state standards.

Testing season can be stressful for teachers, parents, and students a like.
Today, I'd like to share some helpful tips on easing test anxiety.

If you or your child is anxious or nervous about the upcoming tests, here are a few pointers to help you (& your child) feel at ease.

Testing Survival Tips 101

1) If you're a parent, please try to calm your own worries before you try to help your child. If you look or act worried, the child will pick up on it and become worried as well. 

2) Remind your child that he/she has been doing a great job so far and this test is no different than the other test they have taken this year. 

3) Remind the students to just simply try their best because that's what counts!

4) The day before the test, have your child do something outdoors or do a  fun arts and crafts activity at home with you. Please don't try to cram in any last minute studying!

5) On the day of the test, make sure your child eats breakfast! Carbs & protein! 

Lastly, remember that although these are state exams it's just a test.
Most students do just fine on these exams.
If there was anything to worry about, your child's teacher would have let you know early on so that remedial help could be offered to your child.

I hope that these tips give you some peace of mind.
Now, let us be CALM & SURVIVE on~!

Love,
Ms. Kimpop