Fire Prevention / Fire Safety Week is here

October 6th is the beginning of FIRE SAFETY week ~ I know my 2nd graders love when the firefighters come to visit and they get to go on the fire truck.  More importantly I feel better after this week because I know my little ones will be reminded how important it is to be SAFE and not play with matches.  I also know that they will be going home to remind their parents about checking the batteries in their smoke detectors.  I know too many families who have unfortunately had fires in their homes ~ and I know from talking to these families how devastating it is to have to start over after a fire.   I hope that  you will remember to help your students come up with a PLAN for their family in case their is a fire in their house.  The important thing is that everyone gets out safely.  

I created these FREE bookmarks to help kids remind their family about FIRE SAFETY.   Included is a PLEDGE they can take too.. I hope you like them !  I paste mine onto black construction paper and laminate them so they last longer. 

 

These bookmarks are part of my FIRE SAFETY unit that I just created - which includes various ELA activities that will reinforce all the SAFETY tips that we teach our students during FIRE safety week.  Here is a sample of the unit that you can purchase in our TPT store.  Mini booklets are included along with various organizers and cut and paste activities.  Check out the preview!

                              

 

 

Common Core ~ causing you sleepless nights?

The Common Core - has it been keeping you up at night?

We have been tackling the CCSS and want to share with you some of what we have created.   Hopefully these products will help you sleep better at night!

This FALL themed CCSS Math product will be sure to help your Gr. 1 and 2 students prepare for some deep thinking during Math.


                                                            

 

We are HOURS away from posting our new HALLOWEEN themed CCSS Math product. 
 Here is a sneak peak at what you will find...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pictures of my class ~ finally!

Pictures of my Classroom ~ NEW grade level ~ NEW theme ~

Welcome to the BEACH! 

I finally have a second to breathe and write a post with some pics from my classroom!
Last week was my first full week with students AND we had OPEN HOUSE.. so I have been swamped with getting my room ready and getting the little ones settled in.

I hope you like my classroom~ AS you can see I went with the Beach Theme - I found some great items in Corinna's store and a few ideas on  her blog where she posted some great FREEBIES ~

I made a lot of the items myself - but haven't been able to post them all yet in my store.

My students love sitting in the beach chairs and seeing their names on surfboards and shovels... but I really think they like the umbrella and tropical scene in the Writing Reef and in the small narrow hallway as you enter my classroom.  I purchased the background scenes here.

I love the way my room turned out - I hope you enjoy the pics!

 

This is the Writing Reef ~ it is directly across from my teacher desk ~ so after the kids leave for the day I have a fabulous view!

 

This is a view in the Reading Area.  The Bulletin Board says "Riding the Reading Wave".

I made waves to display the different Genres and the description of each genre.

You can see a close up below. 

 

This is the view as you walk into my classroom from the small narrow hallway that connects to the main hall.  My room is somewhat oddly shaped - The umbrella you see in the Reading area helps to

create the beach theme.   I purchased it at Rite Aid Pharmacy for $9.99 - quite the bargain! 

The cardboard surfboard was found online at Oriental Trading ~ it's very easy to put together. 

 

This is the side of my classroom (just next to the Writing Reef). AT top is my new Ocean Alphabet that you can find in our store... and just below is the Daily Five - Tropical theme that Corinna has in her store ~ Surfin' Through Second for FREE. 

I hope the beginning of the year has been as much fun for you as it has been for me!
We are all Riding the Wave and Surfing into Second grade ~ looking forward to a great year ahead!

I will try to post some close-ups and more pics later this week! :)

Thanks for reading our blog ~ Kennedy's Korner

Here is a preview of some new items we are almost finished with - they should be in our store by the end of next week!

                                  

I Have. Who Has? Telling Time Game Freebie!

Happy Labor Day Weekend!  Opening Day is tomorrow for us!  I just went into my closet looking for a nice outfit to wear but alas no luck!  I really need to go shopping.  Hopefully the parents of the kids I had last year won't notice my recycled outfit!  Someday soon I will head to the mall without my 3 children.

I am trying to become more tech savvy each and every day.  My goal for today is to try to link our I Have. Who Has? Telling Time Game Freebie to our blog.  I hope it works!
Click here or on image below to download

Classroom Set up ~ it's that time again!

As many of you are doing... I have been in my classroom setting up for the past two weeks.. It is coming along ~ but I am happy that my little ones don't start until Sept. 5th!  I still have a lot to do.  I said to Chris yesterday ~ you know it's August when you have a blister on your finger!!

I am super excited about my NEW theme for my class this year.  I am changing grades after 19 years ~ so I thought it would a good time to change my theme.
As I mentioned in my last post ~ I love the beach ~ so that is my new classroom theme.  My principal was joking yesterday telling the secretary that if anyone is looking for her ~ she'd be in Kennedy's room relaxing! 

One of my favorite new things I am laminating today is my OCEAN theme alphabet.  I will finish putting it up today and post some pics later this week. 

Here is a sneak peek at my Ocean Alphabet that you can find in our TPT store ~ OCEAN ALPHABET

Heading to school now to get some more accomplished.  Have a great day!!

 

All About Me ~ Karen

All About Me ~  Karen

My sister Kelly and I have made a pledge to become avid BLOGGERS this year. 

The past year we decided to join the TPT community and start our store Kennedy's Korner.
We have been working so hard on getting new products in our store ~ that we have neglected our blog....so WE hope you have faith in us to start following our blog now that we have made this pledge.  

A little about me ~ 
I have been teaching in West Seneca Central Schools for the past 19 years.  I actually was hired at my old elementary school and I took over for my former third grade teacher when she retired.  My career has been mainly in 3rd grade, with one year in Gr. 4.  I requested a change for the fall of 2014 and I was granted my request .... SO I will now be teaching 2nd grade and I am so excited for the new challenge. 
 
My boyfriend Chris and I live in East Aurora which is a suburb of Buffalo, NY.  Luckily ~ I live only 15 minutes from my school.  My two cats ~ Kato and Kody live with us and recently Chris's dad has moved in with us as well.  We love having Poppy with us ~ he makes us laugh every day.


Chris and I are beach lovers at heart ~ WE both love the beach.. well Chris loves fishing more than the beach, but we both love being near the ocean.   The love for the ocean has led us to Key West, FL where we currently own a townhouse.  We both enjoy fishing ~ Chris is the Captain and I - well let's just say I am very new to salt water fishing, but I really do enjoy it!  I have learned so much in the past year about fishing.. I can even bait my own hook now!

 

 My first Mahi.

Seeing as though I am a beach lover, I decided to change my classroom theme this year to a BEACH theme.   I have been in school the past week decorating my room and I can't wait to post my pictures!! It is starting to come together. 

I will keep you posted when it is all finished by the end of next week. 

Thank for visiting our blog ~
Karen

All About Me ~ Kelly

All About Me ~

Kelly

We are making a pledge to become full fledged bloggers this year!  That is our goal!  So many fantastic blogs exist that I hope we can keep up with all of the amazing blogs out there.  Kennedy's Korner is a blog and tpt store that is run by my sister Karen and myself.  So we will be taking turns blogging out our lives and our 1st and 2nd grade classrooms.

The easiest topic to blog about is my family.  I love my 3 adorable girls and my sweet husband to pieces!  I have been working hard to create new products for the TPT store I share with my sister but most of my TPT work is done after 10 pm.  I feel guilty spending time on TPT when my kiddos are awake.   So first I tuck in my daughters ... Kayla, Lilly, and Emma.  Then I tuck in my husband Sean:)  After that I am free to sneak back downstairs to the land of TPT.  

The mad rush towards opening day has begun.  I am working feverishly at school to set up my FROG themed classroom.  The Dollar Store is an amazing place!  I just found little frog shaped plastic cups to hold the kids math counters!  They were 3 for $1.  What a deal!  The first day of school in Buffalo is September 5th but I am already experiencing sleepless nights!  I have been up the last two nights around 2 am to add to my long To Do List.  This is my 16th year of teaching.  Why do I still lie awake the night before school with all the "what ifs" running through my brain????