End of the Year Freebies
I wanted to share some end of the year ideas and freebies that might help make your end of the year run more smoothly!
Every year I recruit parent volunteers. I usually have them work with students on reading comprehension, fluency, spelling, and basic facts. Sometimes they file papers and cut the endless piles of laminated items I have. I depend on them so much to help give my students the extra one on one they need. And at the end of the year, I love to spoil them! Last year I created a freebie parent volunteer thank you pack. I've included a paper bag album, thank you cards, and gift labels. You can click on the image below to download.
Parent Volunteer Freebies
I have my students write and illustrate one page as a thank you for the parent volunteers, then I glue them inside a paper bag scrapbook. The parent volunteers love to get this keepsake from the students.  
Parent Volunteer Freebie Thank You

I've done this strawberry theme for a few years now. Last year (see picture below) I wasn't fast enough to get all of the strawberry products from Bath and Body Works, so I had to supplement with other items. This year I found soap, lotion, and hand sanitizer at B&B Works. 

Parent Volunteer Gift Ideas and Free Printables

I usually make them cupcakes too. These strawberry cupcakes are one of the best things I've ever tasted! Then frosting tastes like strawberry fudge. The recipe is below. 

Parent Volunteer Gift Ideas and Free Printables
Strawberry Cake Recipe
These cards are great to give to colleagues or your children's teachers. Just add a coffee gift card, print, and you are all set! Cute, quick, and so easy! Click on the images to download the cards. 
Thanks a Latte Teacher Cards
Thanks a Latte Teacher Cards
This is a fun freebie I always do the last week of school. I have the students write a letter to next year's students, since they are now the pros! You can read more about it here, or click on the image to grab your freebie. 
FREEBIE Letter From My Desk
Here's a template for my end of the year parent letter from last year. Parents always ask what their children can work on over the summer, so it's nice to send a note home on the last day. This year I'm changing it and adding Xtra Math, Prodigy, and Myon, since we have been working on those websites this year. You can grab your copy here and edit it to suit your needs.  
End of the Year Parent Letter
And here's a last day of school poster just for fun. 
Freebie Last Day of School Poster
Hopefully you can grab something that will help you get through your last week. Enjoy those last, precious moments with your class!  


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Traci from The Bender Bunch is hosting a fun Summer Countdown bloghop! Today we are sharing our best end of the year ideas, tips, and freebies with you!
Summer Countdown
Today I'm sharing an activity I have done for several years. On the last day of school, the last writing assignment I give my students is a letter from my desk. I ask them what advice would the student desks give to the new group of students coming the following school year? Students write from the perspective of their desk and describe what the new students will learn, classroom procedures, fun things to look forward to, and any other important information that will be needed to be successful the following year in our classroom. First, we brainstorm together the important things about our classroom, then the students write about those things. On the first day of school the next year, my new students will read this letter that will be waiting on their desks while I take roll, lunch count, etc. Then we have a discussion about what they learned about their new class from the letter. I create an anchor chart of procedures as we discuss their new classroom. It's a great way to introduce procedures on the first day of school. My current students always love writing this final assignment, and the next group enjoys reading about what they have to look forward to! You can grab my freebie by clicking on the image below and downloading the preview to the product I mention below. 
Letter From my Desk is part of a larger end of the year pack. This pack contains an end of the year paper bag scrapbook, which keeps students really busy the last week or so of school, and gives them a fun keepsake of their year. You can see some of the pages from the pack below. 
Also included in this pack are treat bag toppers, bookmarks, thank you notes, and other goodies to help you finish out the year. 
Would you like to win this pack for your students? Just leave a comment telling me what your favorite end of the year activity is and I will choose a winner on Monday! Be sure to leave your email too! Lori I'm sending this your way! :)
Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope our bloghop gives you some ideas for finishing up the year. 
Click on the image below to hop over to my talented friend PAWSitively Teaching's blog to see what she has to share!

Welcome to the May edition of Pinterest Pick 3! 
I know we all say it, but it really is hard to believe the school year is almost over! I have less than four weeks, but have so much left I want to explore with my kiddos. Every year it seems like we begin running at full speed after Winter Break, then the second half of the year is gone before we know it! 
If you are in need of some ideas to get you through this crazy month, you've stopped at the right place. The amazing bloggers who join our linky never disappoint. I always find something new and pin tons of great ideas when I scroll through everyone's post. Thank you to all who have stopped by or have contributed!
Click on the Photo Above to See the Original Pin
These washi tape popsicle stick frames are adorable! I could see them being used for many different things- Mother's Day and end of the year gifts, to name a few! They look really easy to make, and I heard the Dollar Tree now has washi tape. I would love to make them for my students!
Click on the Photo Above to See the Original Pin
We are learning about different fairy tales in my classroom right now. A few weeks ago I saw some fairy tale STEM sets advertised in an online teacher store. They were over $30 each! After talking to my science-expert friend, she sent me the link to this site that has 10 STEM fairy tale projects! I plan to tweak a few of them to meet the needs of my second graders. I'm going to keep the supplies for each challenge in a food storage container and make labels for each so I can use them year after year. (I will add those to my blog when I have them finished!) My students are going to flip over these!
Click on the Photo Above to See the Original Pin
We just started an ocean unit in science. I found anchor charts, art projects, writing activities, and classroom decor. I would love to have the students help decorate the entire classroom in an ocean theme! I have a huge roll of bubble wrap, and I was thinking that might work with different ocean animals mounted on top like the photo above. 
You can follow me here on Pinterest for more ideas!
Come Pin with Us! 
This linky is hosted on the third of each month. We would love for you to join us! 
1.  Save the Pick 3 images to your desktop.
2.  Create a blog post using these images to share you 3    
     Pinterest Picks for the month.
3.  Share a link to your full Pinterest page if you would like.
4.  Link up by clicking the "add your link" button below.
5.  Be sure to check out the other Pinterest finds that have 
     been shared and leave a comments on the ones you love!





Happy Monday! I am beyond excited that TpT is having their annual Teacher Appreciation Sale. My cart is filled to the brim, and just in time for the end of the year! I am also looking ahead for things I want to use next year, since I have copies left in my allotment. Now is the time to get my back-to-school things ready so I have a smooth start to my school year next year.
I'm linking up with the amazing Jen from Teaching in the Tongas for her TpT Wishlist Linky. (Be sure to check out her blog above to see many more wishlisted products!) Today we are sharing some of our most wish listed items. 
And here are some of my most wishlisted items:
This first item is actually one I'm currently using in my classroom! This is a fun, versatile pack. I like to put the task cards up around the room for my Fast Finishers to work on once their independent work is completed and corrected. This gives me time to work with my groups. On Friday the whole class worked on the task cards and completed an around the room activity. I've also included sheets for extra practice or assessment. AND blackline masters of every copy are included! You can click on the picture above or below to see this pack. 
My second item is this fun pack which includes a paper bag scrapbook that keeps your students busy until the last day of school! Last year my students were able to work on their scrapbooks while I cleaned up the classroom for summer and was closing up shop. There are also treat bag toppers, bookmarks, and postcards for you to give as end of the year gifts. You can read more about this pack HERE. Click on the photos above or below to see the pack. 
The last pack I am sharing is one of my favorite and most used items. It's similar to the paper bag scrapbook above, but instead of creating the pages at the end of the year, the students create them throughout the year. I am able to really see their growth as writers. Each month they document the  highlights of the month, and I save the pages in a file for them until the end of the year. There are extra pages for holidays, field trips, and other special occasions. I've also added autograph pages for the end of the year,  and a letter they write to themselves so they can read it in the future. I can't wait to see their parents' faces when they see the completed projects! I know this memory book will be a keepsake they will treasure. (I do plan to do a blog post soon about this product!)
What are some of the items on your wishlist? I'm always on the lookout for new and engaging activities for my class. Please share in the comments below! 
Have a great week! :)
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